The Path Not Taken
A Helluva What If.
By catsamurai16
The night had been calm and clear for the most part. Clouds had started covering the Pentagram in the afternoon. The first signs of rain started an hour or so before. Despite the rain, the evening was quiet for the young royal. A simple dinner alone, followed by reading in his study, and now he was continuing his book as he lay in bed. Stolas of the Ars Goetia had always enjoyed the simple things in his life. However the 19 year old owl demon realized that one day he wouldn't be able to enjoy them forever. He closed his book and set it on the nightstand beside his bed. He sighed and looked at his calendar. Less than one month away from his twentieth birthday.
"One more birthday," he thought, "Before the noose closes around my neck."
Last year, he had started spending more and more time with his arranged wife, Stella, and she was as horrible as he feared. Shrewish and tyrannical, she demanded complete obedience from Stola's and his servants. She already had plans that would completely upheave his life. Remodeling his beloved library into a larger bedroom for them, turning his study into a childs room for their eventual heir, and worse, destroying most of his garden to make room for a patio for her friends to enjoy meals outside. He knew he had to make sacrifices, but so much? It seemed to him that she was targeting the very things that made him happy. He settled back in his bed. He closed his eyes and fell into a troubled sleep. One that was interrupted later by a set of loud shouts from down stairs.
Stolas got up from his bed, pulled on his silken red robe, and went to find out what was going on. As he got closer, he heard the unmistakable voice of his head butler Thompson, talking to someone. The other voice though…it sounded familiar.
"I'm sorry, but Master Stolas has already retired for the evening," Thompson was saying, "And even if he wasn't, I doubt he'd want to see you."
The other voice said, sounding a little crazed "You don't understand. I… I don't have… Please, just let me talk to him! He's all I have left!"
Stolas arrived at the door and saw Thompson step back from the door, trying to close it.
Thompson said, "I'm sure you believe so, sir. But I don't care what you believe. Good ni-"
"What seems to be the problem, Thompson?" Stolas asked.
Thompson turned to his master and bowed, "Forgive me for awakening you, Master Stolas, but this young imp seems to be lost. Shall I have him removed?"
Stolas heard the thump of a body falling to the ground. He moved closer to see who it was. Once he saw who it was, Stolas rubbed his eyes to make sure he was dreaming. It was him!
"Blitzo?!" Stolas shouted.
The teenaged imp looked up to Stolas from the ground, looking completely broken. His circus clothes were tattered and burned. He had several burns hastily covered by bandages that needed to be changed, including one over his right eye. Tears began falling from his uninjured eye.
"Stolas?" Blitzo shakingly said, "Please help…"
Stolas shot forward and knelt by the injured imp. He cupped his face with his hands.
"What happened to you?" Stolas asked.
Blitzo clenched his eye shut, "My fault. It was all my fault. I… I don't have anyplace else to go… no one wants me…"
Stolas turned to Thompson, "Bring a first aid kit to my room. I'll treat him myself."
Thompson looked uneasy, "Uh, I'm sure the young imp would be fine in the servant's quarters, Master. If you'll let me-"
"NOW, THOMPSON!" Stolas thundered.
He then quickly scooped up Blitzo into his arms and carried him to his room. Blitzo leaned his head against Stolas' chest. Before passing out, Blitzo couldn't help but notice how soft Stolas' feathers felt.
—
Once he returned to his room, Stolas wasted no time in removing the old bandages from the injured Blitzo. Stolas looked over the wounds. They were close to a week old and none of them had received proper care. He also noticed that the poor imp looked like he hadn't eaten well in days. He looked up at Blitzo's face. He wondered what had happened to his first friend. He ran his hand along the uninjured side of Blitzo's face. Thompson came in with the first aid kit and what looked like a simple set of clothes for Blitzo.
"Will that be all, Master?" Thompson asked.
"Bring some food from the kitchen," Stolas said, "After that, you may return to bed."
Thompson bowed and left. Stolas took the first aid kit and began redressing Blitzo's wounds. The sleeping imp barely stirred as Stolas applied the healing balms and bandages. As he finished, Thompson returned a tray of food. Stolas couldn't help but notice that the food he had brought was mostly left over meals or things that looked like they were close to expiring. Stolas scowled at the butler as he left. He turned back to Blitzo and gently tried to wake him.
"Blitzo? Blitzo, wake up," he said, shaking him a little.
The imp stirred a little before shooting up in the bed. He panted a little and looked around.
"Wha? Where am…?" Blitzo asked.
Stolas said, "You're fine, Blitzo. You're in my bedroom now. Here."
Stolas picked the more appetizing foods off the tray and used his magic to banish the rest. He handed the food to Blitzo, who quickly started eating. Stolas smiled as he watched Blitzo eat. Blitzo noticed he was watching and stopped.
"I'm sorry about all this… I just… I didn't have anyplace else to go," Blitzo said.
Stolas said, "It's fine, Blitzo. Anything for my first ever friend."
Blitzo looked a little stunned.
"Y-you never told me I was your first friend," he said.
Stolas smiled, "I never had the chance to. After all, you only visited one time."
"Well, after my Dad and I robbed the place blind, I didn't think we'd get an invite to come back," Bltizo said.
Stolas shook his head, "Oh, my Father was rarely ever home. He didn't miss a thing."
Blitzo chuckled, 'Well, fuck, we should've come over and robbed you more often."
Stolas let out a few hoots of laughter. Blitzo looked around the room.
"So, this is your bedroom, huh?" Blitzo asked.
"Yes, it is," Stolas said, standing up, "Have a good night, Blitzo."
Blitzo said, "Hey, wait. This is your bedroom, right? So, where are you gonna sleep?"
"There are guest rooms I can use," Stolas said.
Blitzo shook his head, "Bullshit. Get in here,"
Stolas turned away from Blitzo and blushed.
"Get in bed? With Blitzo?!" he thought, his face getting redder "Is…Is he seducing me? After so long? What should I say? Should we?"
Suddenly, Blitzo walked past Stolas, heading for the door. Stolas reached out for him.
Stolas said, "Blitzo, where are you going?"
"I'll find one of those guest rooms and sleep there," Blitzo said, not turning around to face the owl demon.
"But Blitzo, you don't have to," Stolas said.
"It's fine, Stolas," Blitzo said, "And… It's just Blitzø now."
With that, the imp left the room. Stolas wanted to follow, but thought better of it. He gripped his arms and sighed. His first friend was back in his life. But what had happened to him? He was so… empty. Stolas wondered if there was anything to do for him.
—
The flames were everywhere! How could they spread so fast?! The air was filled with ash. So much chaos! What should I do?! Someone, help! … Mom…? MOM!
Blitzø screamed and bolted from the bed. He had to run! He had to get help! He struggled with something covering his body. He could hear voices screaming at him. He suddenly hit something hard. He pushed it off and kept running. Over and over, he hit something. Was he in a maze?! HELP! He stopped and tried to pull himself free of what was covering him. Suddenly, he saw four large fearful eyes looking down at him. Blitzø could almost make out a face, a cute face, but his vision was hazy. Whirling. The cute face was saying something to him, but for some reason he couldn't hear. There wasn't any sound other than the roar of flames, screams, and thunderous stomping of people running. Blitzø tried to move again. The fire! It was…! Suddenly, he felt a soothing embrace around him. It wasn't someone trying to hold him down. It was a hug. A soft hug. He gently leaned into it. Who would…? Barbie? M…Mommy? After several minutes, the sounds of fire and screaming left him. Slowly, his heartbeat went back to normal. His vision cleared. Finally, he was able to look around him. He was in a large hallway. Sinfully soft blankets were wrapped around him, as well as the arms of Stolas. He was carrying him somewhere.
"St-stolas?" he asked softly, "Wha?"
Stolas slowly pulled back from him, "Oh, Blitzø, you're okay. I was so worried."
"Why? What happened?" Blitzø asked.
"I heard you screaming and found you running through the halls. You were having some kind of attack. You must have had a horrible nightmare," Stolas said.
Blitzø took a deep breath. He pushed the covers wrapped around him off his shoulder. He looked around them.
Blitz asked, "Where are you taking me?"
Stolas blushed a little and started to look away, "Um, well, when I couldn't get you to answer me, I decided to bring you back to my room. You'll be more comfortable there, I swear.
Blitz said, "Yeah. Uh… thanks anyway, Stolas. Let me down and I'll get back to my room so you can get back to bed."
"Well, if you're sure," Stolas said.
Stolas set the imp back on the floor. Blitzø pushed the covers off himself and turned to walk away. He heard some kind of squawk noise coming from Stolas. He looked and saw the Goetian was facing away from him with his face a bright and almost glowing red.
"What's wrong?" Blitz asked.
"B-b-blitz! You're…um.." Stolas stammered out and pointed to the imp.
Blitz looked down at himself and immediately saw what was wrong. He was completely naked. He quickly bolted for the covers and wrapped them around himself.
"Fuck! I'm really sorry, Stolas!" he said, his own face getting redder, "I completely forgot! I normally sleep naked and so- Uh…sorry!"
"It's fine. Just fine." Stolas said, looking clearly shaken by the sight of the nude imp.
After a few more awkward apologies, Stolas used his magic to conjure up a pair of silk pajamas for Blitz. Once clothed, the imp made his way back to his bedroom. Once inside, he slammed his head into the wall.
"Stupid, stupid, stupid!" he said.
Groaning from pain and embarrassment, Blitzø picked his own covers of the floor and plopped onto the bed. He rolled over and tried to get back to sleep. As he did, he couldn't help but wonder if coming here was a mistake. After all, it hadn't even been a day and he was already upending Stolas's life. He would sleep tonight and start thinking about where to go tomorrow.
—
Blitzø was woken up the next morning to the sound of someone knocking on his door. He got out of bed and opened the door. There was a young imp maid standing outside.
"Yeah?" Blitzø asked.
"Good morning, sir," she said, "The young master would like you to join him for breakfast."
Blitzø really didn't feel like seeing Stolas, especially after the embarrassing situation last night. But he felt his stomach growl. He sighed and decided that he may as well eat before he left. He followed the maid down the hall to a separate corridor. Then they turned into a dining room. It was as large and majestic as you would imagine, but only two places were set at the large table. Stolas sat at one and the other was beside him. Stolas looked up from his bowl and stood as the imps entered the room.
"Blitzø!" he said, sounding a little relieved, "How are you this morning?"
Blitzø turned away and rubbed his arm, "I'm fine, Stolas."
I see. Well, come. Please sit next to me," Stolas said, motioning to the seat next to him, "I'm having porridge myself, but you can have anything you'd like."
Blitzø sat in his chair and said, "That'll be fine."
Stolas nodded and turned to the maid, "Another bowl of porridge, please."
The maid nodded and left. Stolas sat back down next to Blitzø and smiled at him. Blitzø turned away from him. He felt his face heating up again. But why? Was he still embarrassed over last night? He coughed into his hand and turned to look at Stolas.
"Uh, listen, Stolas," Blitzø began, "About last night…I-"
Stolas waved his hand, "No, no. It's perfectly all right. We all have nightmares, Blitzø."
Blitzø said, "No. I meant the…uh."
Stolas's face became a bit red as he said, "Oh! Oh, that. Well, that was fine too."
"No, it wasn't. This is your place. I shouldn't have-"
"But it's fine. I want you to be comfortable here, Blitzø," Stolas said.
Blitzø looked at Stolas and smiled a little. He noticed Stolas's feather ruffle a little bit. The two of them sat quietly until the maid came back with Blitzø's food. After sitting and eating in silence for a while longer, Blitzø leaned back in his seat.
"Listen, Stolas. I appreciate you letting me stay last night, but maybe it's best if I leave soon," Blitzø said.
"What? But why? Is something wrong?" Stolas asked.
Blitzø said, "No. I just…don't want to cause you anymore trouble."
Stolas said, "It's no trouble."
Blitzø let out a sad laugh, "Yeah, right. I've only been here one night and I've already made an asshole out of myself. Waking you up and giving you that free show is only the first of many fuck ups to come."
Stolas started to talk, but Blitzø stood up from the table and turned away from him.
"Let's face it, Stolas. I don't belong here," Blitzø said.
Stolas noticed Blitzø looked like he was shaking a little.
"I…I don't belong… anywhere," Blitzø continued, sounding like he was about to cry.
Stolas stood and walked around Blitzø to see his face. Blitzø quickly turned away, but it was too late. Stolas saw the tears forming in his eyes. Stolas knelt down and cupped Blitzø's cheeks in his hand, turning the imp back to face him. Stolas gently used his thumbs to wipe away his tears.
"You belong here," Stolas said, "I don't know what happened to you, but I know that no matter what, you are my friend. And I'm willing to help you in any way I can."
Blitzø sniffled, "Really?"
Stolas nodded and smiled at him. Blitzø bit his lip and put his head on Stolas's shoulder. The two hugged each other close as Blitzø gently cried. Stolas rubbed the imps back softly. Ater a bit, Blitzø pulled back and whipped his eyes. He kinda half smiled at Stolas.
"So… if I'm gonna be staying a while, maybe I should start doing some work around here," Blitzø said.
Stolas said, "You don't have to, Blitzø. You're my guest."
Blitzø said, "Yeah, but still… I … I wanna try and be useful around here, y'know?"
Stolas smiled and nodded, "Very well. I'll have Thompson find a job for you."
—
The next few weeks passed quickly. Blitzø had certainly made life much more exciting around the palace. While his heart was in the right place, there were times his head was not. One bizarre disaster after another happened around Blitzø. It became so bad, some of Stolas's staff asked him to see if the imp was cursed. Stolas didn't mind the extra excitement. He was happy to have his first friend back. They had been spending more and more time together. They would do anything from working in Stolas's garden to watching TV shows Blitzø had heard about. All the while, Stolas felt more alive than he had in years. His imp friend, however, still seemed distant and broken. Though his wounds on the outside had healed, a deep wound was still festering inside the imp. Every so often, Blitzø would have the same horrible dreams that drove him to tears. Stolas had tried to get him to talk about what had happened, but Blitzø would never say anything about it. Stolas wondered if there was some kind of accident at the circus where Blitzø grew up. He wanted to ask, but could tell it was a hard subject for his beloved imp.
"Oh, Blitzø," he said, "I wish I knew what to do."
Suddenly, the doors opened and Thompson came in.
"Sir, there's been another incident," he said.
"Is everyone all right?" Stolas asked.
"No, sir," he said, "Blitzø is-"
Before Thompson could say another word, Stolas stood and ran for Blitzø's room. He found the imp curled up in his bed. The uniform he was wearing was from the kitchen. His hands and arms were burnt. Stolas knelt beside the trembling imp.
"Blitzø? Are you all right?" Stolas asked.
Blitz didn't say anything. Thompson stepped forward and said, "It was my fault, sir. I never should have made him work in the kitchen."
Stolas noticed that Thompson didn't sound sorry at all. He turned to him and asked, "What happened?"
Thompson said, "Apparently, one of the cooks was working on lunch. He was cooking with brandy and needed to burn off the alcohol. Once he set the dish on fire, Blitzø started to panic. He ran around the kitchen, trying to find a way to put out the fire. Finally, he started using his hands. Two cooks pushed him away and then he huddled into a corner and started having a panic attack."
Stolas glared at his butler. He turned back to Blitzø and began stroking his head, trying to calm the imp down.
"Was anyone hurt?" Stolas asked.
"Thankfully, no, sir." Thompson said.
Stolas said, "Good. You may go."
Thompson bowed and left, closing the door behind him. Stolas started using advanced magic on Blitzø's burns, healing them instantly. He stayed to sit by the imps bedside and watched over him. Blitzø still hadn't moved or said anything. He simply stared, wide eyed into the distance. Stolas felt his heart breaking for his friend. Whatever pain he was feeling was deep. Before he knew what he was doing, Stolas climbed into bed with Blitz. The bed was too small for Stolas and it was uncomfortable, but he didn't care. He wrapped his arms around Blitz and pulled him onto his chest. He held him close, gently rubbing his back and head. Soon, Blitzø moved to hug Stolas back. He started shaking. Then, he began to cry.
"I'm sorry," Blitzø said, softly, "Fuck, I'm so sorry."
"It's fine, Blitzø," Stolas said.
Blitzø said, "No, it's not. It's horrible. I'm horrible. I ruin everything."
"No," Stolas said.
"Yes, I do," Blitzø said, crying harder, "Everything I do turns to shit. E-everyone… everyone hates me. And I deserve it."
"Blitzø, I don't-"
"But you will!" Blitzø yelled.
He pulled himself away from Stolas and moved to the other side of the room.
"Sooner or later, I'll fuck up so bad that you'll hate me. Or… or worse… I'll get you killed too," Blitzø said.
Stolas asked, "Killed?"
Blitzø tensed up. He hadn't meant to say anything like that. It just came out. Hefell to his knees and continued to cry. Stolas got up from the bed and sat next to Blitzø.
"Blitzø, please. Please tell me what happened," he said.
Blitzø shook his head, "I-I can't. You'll h-hate me-e-e."
Stolas said, "Never. I could never hate you."
Blitzø looked back to Stolas, his eyes red with tears.
"Really?" he asked.
"Really," Stolas said, "I promise. No matter what you've done, I'll never hate you."
Blitzø took a deep breath and tried to calm himself. Then, he began to tell his story. Fizzarolli's birthday, his card, the fire, the deaths, all of it. Stolas listens to every detail, never leaving Blitzø side as talked. By the end, Stolas himself was crying for his dear imp.
"And when the fires finally died down… and the bodies were all counted… everyone… they all blamed me," Blitzø said, "They told me to leave and n-never come back. Even my sister…she ... I… I didn't mean…."
Blitzø tried to curl into a ball, but Stolas quickly brought his arms around the imp again. Blitzø tensed up, but allowed Stolas to hold him. Neither of them spoke for a while.
Finally, Stolas said, "I'm so sorry for what you went through, Blitzø. But darling, you must understand that while it was your fault, it was still an accident. You never meant to hurt anyone."
Blitzø said, "Yeah, but I still did."
Stolas moved to look Blitzø in the face. He wiped away Blitzø's tears and then held his hand on his cheek.
Stolas said, "But if you could, would you change it?"
"What? Of course I would," Blitzø said.
"Would you let your friends and family be hurt?" Stolas asked.
"No! Stolas, what are you-
Stolas asked, "Would you let you mother-
Blitzø pulled himself from Stolas's grasp, fresh tears falling from his face.
"NEVER! I would've saved her! I would've saved everyone!" Blitzø shouted.
Stolas said, "And that proves you're a good person and worthy of a second chance."
Blitzø said, trembling, "Huh?"
Stolas said, "A truly thoughtless or careless person would not feel as bad as you do about what happened. Your shame isn't from being cast out, but causing so much pain"
Stolas stood and moved to kneel next to Blitzø, whose head was down. Stolas lifted Blitzø's head and looked into his crying eyes.
"And a truly evil person would've tried to save himself. Not run headlong into a raging fire to save their loved ones," Stolas said, "It's true you've lost your family and home. And they might never forgive you. But there is only one person who needs to forgive you right now. Yourself. Then, maybe one day, your family will too."
Blitzø sniffled and wiped his tears on his sleeve. He suddenly wrapped his arms around Stolas in a crushingly tight hug. Stolas returned the hug and smiled.
"Thanks, Stolas," Blitzø said, "For listening, I mean."
"Anytime, darling," Stolas said.
—
Slowly after their talk, Blitzø and Stolas began to spend more time together. The owl demon was keen on telling Blitzø more of what he had learned about his plants. He enjoyed showing him the more exotic plants he kept in his garden. Blitzø usually told stories of happier times at the circus and performing tricks for Stolas. Blitzø liked telling jokes to Stolas. He kinda had a cute laugh that sounded like hooting. It never failed to make Blitzø smile. Then, on the day of Stolas' twentieth birthday, Stolas woke up to find a drawing laying on top of him. It was a crude drawing of Stolas riding a large horse. On the bottom it read, "Hapi Birfday, Stolas!" The picture was already a prized possession. He spent the rest of his birthday on cloud nine. One day, Stolas and Blitzø were in the library. Stolas was torn between reading his grimoire and watching Blitzø balance book after book on top of his horns. Stolas cheered as Blitzø made it to thirty books before they all came crashing down.
"Oh-ho, that was amazing, Blitzø!" Stolas said, clapping.
Blitzø said, "Ah, that was nothing. Anyway, let me pick these up."
"Oh, no need, darling. Allow me," Stolas said.
With a quick spell, Stolas returned the books back to their places. Blitzø turned to Stolas with his arms crossed.
"Show off," he said, simply.
Stolas smiled, "You would know, Blitzy,"
Blitzø blushed a little bit. He kinda liked it when Stolas called him that. Just then, Thompson came into the library.
He said, "Excuse me, sir, but it is time for your meeting."
Stolas immediately shrank in his chair and frowned.
"I see," he said, sounding quite upset, "Very well. Thank you, Thompson."
As Thompson left, Blitzø looked at Stolas and asked, "Meeting? What meeting?"
Stolas stood up and said, "My fiance and her brother are visiting today."
"Fiance?" Blitzø said, taken aback, "You, uh, you didn't tell me you were engaged."
"Honestly, I'd prefer not to think about it," Stolas said, "She and I are arranged to be married when I turn twenty-one. It's simply to make sure that the Goetia line has an heir in case something happens to me."
"What?" Blitzø said, "That's bullshit! If you have to get married, why don't they let you pick who you want?"
Stolas said, "Well… it's complicated."
Blitzø rubbed his head and asked, "How so?"
Stolas blushed a little and coughed, "I'm sorry, Blitzø, but I'd rather not talk about it."
Blitzø raised an eyebrow. Normally, Stolas told him everything. What was it about him getting married that upset him? Still, he'd rather not upset him more, so he shrugged his shoulders and let the subject drop.
"Okay, Stolas. If you say so," Blitzø said.
Stolas smiled, "Thank you, darling. Now, I'd best go and prepare myself."
Stolas stood up and went to the door. He turned back to the imp before leaving.
"I'll see you later, Blitzy," he said, with a gentle wave.
Blitzø waved back, "Later, Stolas."
With the Goetian gone, Blitzø was left alone with his thoughts. Blitzø left the library and started walking around the palace. As he walked, Blitzø thought about what he had just learnt. Stolas was going to be married. Something about that didn't sit right with Blitzø. Aside from how Stolas acted to the news his fiance was here. Something else was bothering the big goofy bird. But what? Blitzø tried to think about everything he had learned about Stolas in the few months he'd been here. Blitzø entered a hallway with large paintings of Stolas's family. He looked over them and couldn't help but notice something. Besides the portraits of his childhood, Stolas looked miserable in all of them. Blitzø thought it was a shame too, because Stolas always seemed to shine when he was happy. All the time they spent together, Stolas had this big grin on his face and… The thought hit Blitzø like a ton of bricks and made him stop in his tracks.
He thought, "Could Stolas be gay?"
He thought back. Stolas' habits, his mannerisms, his clothes, the way he acted around hi-... Another ton of bricks came. Stolas was always happy around him! He was always touching his face and calling him darling and Blitzy and…
"Oh, shit," Blitzø said aloud, "Is…Is Stolas… attracted to me?"
It made sense. How Stolas went out of his way for him. Offering him clothes and food and shelter after what he'd done. The bird brain had done everything in his power to make Blitzø feel better. Always had a kind word and that beautiful smile. He was always… For fuck sake, how many tons of bricks were there?! He'd done it a hundred times and it never clicked in his head. Thinking Stolas was cute or beautiful, admiring his smile and enjoying his company.
"I'm… oh, fuck, I'm attracted to Stolas!" Blitzø said.
His head was spinning. He needed to clear the air about this right now. He had to find Stolas. He turned and headed towards the dining room. When he arrived, it was empty. Then he checked the foyer with no sign of the Goetian there either. He checked room after room, but Stolas was nowhere to be found. Blitzø growled in frustration.
Blitzø shouted, "For fuck's sake, Stolas, where are you?!"
He went back to the library, still shouting out for the tall owl to answer him. He was starting to get desperate. Could it be that Stolas had left the palace for his meeting? Only one person knew for sure. Thompson. Blitzø started looking for the pompous ass. He found his cleaning up in the kitchen. The imp butler glared at Blitzø before going back to his work.
"Is there anything I can help you with?" he asked with disgust.
Blitzø said, "Yeah, asshole. Where's Stolas? I need to talk to him."
Thompson finished polishing the silver teapot he held and set it back down with the set.
He didn't even bother to look at Blitzø when he said, "Master Stolas is busy at the moment. Why don't you dirty up some place or other in the palace and leave him alone?"
Blitzø watched as Thompson started adding water to the teapot and set it on the stove.
"Look, fuckface," Blitzø said closing in on the butler, "You don't like me and I don't like you, so why don't we drop the posh and proper bullshit! If you don't tell me where Stolas is right now, I'll-"
"You'll what?" Thompson said, "What will you do, you absolute piece of shit? I've been here, at the top of the heap in this royal Hellhole, for years! Some nobody from nowhere isn't going to come here and undo all my hard work!"
Then, Thompson pulled a butcher's knife from the counter. Blitzø stepped back a little as Thompson stepped forward.
"It won't be hard to convince Master Stolas that you've left," he said, "My only problem will be cleaning up your bloody mess."
—
Meanwhile, in the gardens, Stolas sighed. He was barely listening to Stella and Andrealphus gossiping about their latest party. They'd set up a grand event with as many extravagant trappings as you could imagine, just to oust one of her "friends" as being sympathetic to Hell Hound welfare. She made a point to hire Hell Hounds for the event, just to mistreat them in front of the poor lady. Stolas shook his head and wondered why he had to be settled with such an evil woman. Was he being punished for something? This was Hell, after all. He reached for his tea cup and gulped down the last of its contents. He looked at the palace. Thompson should be coming with more hot tea soon.
"Stolas! Pay attention!" Stella shrieked at him.
Stolas snapped up in his seat. Andrealphus had a sickening smile on his face while Stella looked furious.
She asked angrily, "Have you been listening to a word I've said?"
"I'm sorry, Stella. My mind was somewhere else," Stolas said.
"Seems to be more like nonexistent to me," Andrealphus said, smugly.
Stella said, "I agreed. It makes sense. A weak, spineless little man like him would have a mind to match."
Andrealphus said, "And he's ungrateful. He should be happy someone like you was willing to take the arrangement."
Stolas lowered his head as they continued to tear into him.
"But is he? No. He just sits there and whines, like a child," Stella said, shaking her head, "Why does such a grand Goetian house have such a pathetic man as its head?"
"Who knows? Poor management, perhaps? After all, we're out of tea and his imp is nowhere to be seen with more," Andrealphus said, "Lord Paimon had far better servants."
"Come to think of it, Thompson is taking a while," Stolas thought, still not looking up.
"Finally, here he comes," Stella said, "Really, Stolas, can't you do anything right? Well, no matter. I'll be sure things are done right around here."
"Well, the first thing you should do is trim back these dreadful gardens," Andrealphus said.
Stolas sighed as Thompson came closer with the tea kart. He wanted this to be over. He wanted to go back to his room and cry his eyes out. He wanted… he wanted Blitzø. He sniffled and wiped away a stray tear. The act wasn't lost on Stella.
"Oh, you damned child," she said, "Crying? Why? Because we're trying to make you into a proper Goetain? It's past time for a weakling like you to act like a man, not the spineless nothing you are. What are you waiting for, imp? Pour the tea."
The imp said, "I'm sorry, madam. Here!"
Stolas's eyes shot open. That wasn't- Stella was suddenly screaming. Stolas looked up and saw she was covered head to talon in scalding hot tea. Andrealphus suddenly stood up.
"Stell-" CLONK!
Andrealphus was knocked out by taking a silver teapot to the face. Stolas looked stunned as he fell to the ground. He turned to the imp who had done it. It was-
"Blitzø?!" Stolas asked, shocked at the imps' actions and appearance.
Blitzø was wearing Thompson's long jacket. He was a little beaten up and the coat had a noticeable blood stain on the side, but Blitz didn't seem to mind. Honestly, the long coat looked good on him. Shaking from the pain, Stella turned to Blitzø and glared in rage.
"HOW DARE YOU?!" she shrieked.
"Oh, I dare, you disease ridden feather duster!" Blitzø said, pointing the dented teapot at her face, "And if I hear you say one more bad thing about Stolas, I'm shoving this up your tick infested cunt!"
Stella moved to the table and grabbed a fork.
She said, "I'll say whatever I want about my pathetic future husband, you-"
Blitz shouted, "Stolas isn't pathetic! He's amazingly smart and kind and awesome! He grew this garden all by himself. He's got more brains then you and your dipshit brother combined. His magic is on par with his deadbeat Dads, if not better. A shrieking thunder cunt like you should thank your lucky stars to be with him!"
"Lucky?!" Stella said, throwing the fork at Blitz, "Lucky to be arranged to a spineless little twink!? Yes, I know you're really gay, Stolas. And if I have to, I'll beat that out of you. But first…"
She picked up a butter knife and brandished it like a weapon. Blitzø laughed.
"Bitch, I just took down a guy with a real knife. That shit doesn't scare me," he said.
"I'll fix that!" Stella screamed.
She lunged at Blitzø. Suddenly, she was knocked back by a blast of magic. She landed next to her unconscious brother. She looked up and saw Stolas standing over her, a deep scowl on his face.
"What the fuck do you think you're doing, Stolas?" she asked.
"Doing what I should have done a year ago when we officially met, Stella. Ending this farce. I'm breaking off our engagement," he said.
"WHAT?!" Stella screamed, "You can't do that! Your father- The rest of the Goetian family will-"
"Will have to understand that I refuse to be stuck with an unfit marriage partner like you," Stolas said, "All you talk about is fixing this place and fixing me. Well, I'm perfect as I am and you'll not change a single thing about my palace! You bring nothing to our arrangement besides a womb. And even though I'm gay, I'm sure I can find a more suitable one than yours. Now, pick up your trash and leave!"
Stella smeared and moved to pick Andrealpus up. She turned to Stolas and Blitzø and glared. Then, she left towards the palace, dragging her brother behind her. Once she was gone, Stolas sat back down in his chair and smiled. He was shaking from adrenaline, but he felt fantastic! He'd done it! He stood up to Stella! He turned to Blitzø. The imp had collapsed next to him and was sitting on the ground. He was panting and shaking too. A wide smile decorated his face. Blitzø looked up to Stolas and laughed. Soon, they both started laughing.
"So, uh," Blitzø said, "That was a Helluva thing."
"It was," Stolas said, "Are you all right?"
Blitzø nodded, "Yeah, doing awesome actually. Um, by the way, you're… you're short a butler now. Sorry."
Stolas waved his hand, "Honestly, I was getting rather tired of Thompson anyway. Pushy little brown-noser."
Blitzø laughed, "Yeah. I can tell ya, his nose wasn't the only thing brown in the end."
The two of them laughed harder at that. They laughed until their sides hurt. After a while, they calmed down and looked at each other. Their smiles slowly faded as they looked into eachothers eyes. A slight blush came over Stolas' face. He coughed and turned away from Blitzø.
He said, "I… want to thank you for what you said, Blitzø. I didn't know you had such a high opinion of me."
"How could I not, Stolas? You're all that and more," Blitzø said.
Stolas smiled and nodded. They both sat in silence for a while.
Blitzø said, "Stolas… I gotta ask you this. Are you… Why did you… How do you…"
"If you're asking about my feelings toward you," Stolas said, "I can tell you that… I care very deeply about you."
After a while, Blitzø asked, "How deeply?"
Stolas shifted in his seat. He had practiced confessing his feelings to Blitzø a hundred times, but this didn't fit any scenario he thought of. He took a deep breath and decided to say what felt right.
He said, "When I first saw you at the circus, I felt…something toward you. As young as I was, I didn't know what it was. I just knew I… liked you. And then my Father brought you to play with me on my birthday. That really was the best birthday of my childhood. Because I had a friend to share it with. Someone to laugh and play and even dream with. And then you left. I was crushed. I had lost my first friend. The years passed and I was all alone. But then you came here. After so long, you came here for my help. I knew I could never turn you away. I knew I would give you anything and everything to help you. To heal you. That… also includes my heart. I think… I think I'm in love with you, Blitzø. I've never been in love, so I'm not sure, but… I've never felt happier when you're around me. You've filled my empty life with such excitement. I look forward to talking with you and being with you. Nothing in all of creation makes me happier… than seeing your smiling face."
Stolas wrapped his arms around himself. Now, it was all out there. What would Blitzø say? The quiet was slowly killing him. He could feel tears forming in his multiple eyes. Stolas swallowed the lump in his throat and closed his eyes.
He said, "But I… I understand if you don't feel the same way. After all, I'm just a-"
Suddenly, a set of hands were on his cheeks. Stolas opened his eyes and saw Blitzø standing in front of him, smiling. Blitzø brushed away Stolas's tears, mirroring what Stolas did for him so many months ago.
"Blitzø?" Stolas asked.
Blitz said, "Call me Blitzy."
Then, he pulled Stolas into a kiss. Stolas was stunned. Blitzø was kissing him! He was really kissing him! He…He was kissing him. Stoles closed his eyes and enjoyed the kiss. Slowly, he wrapped his arms around Blitzø, holding him close. His body felt as though a raging fire was spreading across his skin. Blitzø moved his arms around Stolas's neck and deepened the kiss. Neither of them had ever kissed before, but that didn't stop them from. Soon, their tongues were dancing in eachothers mouths. If Blitzø could think, he would be wondering if the electricity he was feeling had anything to do with Stolas's magic. After what felt like hours but too soon at the same time, the two pulled apart. They smiled and nuzzled each other's cheeks.
"So, since I'm suddenly short staffed, would you mind filling the possession of butler, Blitzy?" Stolas asked.
Blitzø shook his head, "I don't know. I've never been the cleaning sort. But I've recently learned I'm fairly good at killing. Maybe… I could be a bodyguard? Y'know, someone who has to be around you 24/7?"
Stolas smiled broadly at his imp, "That sounds wonderful."
The two began to kiss again. Neither knew what the future held for them. They just knew they would face it together.
The End.