Hey!
I'm not posting in order, but I'll put the chapters right once I've posted the other days. So, today's prompts are...
Day 7 - Comfort | Free Day
It is a special one, because it's also a collab with the artist Eveeka! Sadly I can't put her comic directly in the fic as I did on AO3, but you can find her comic on her Twitter/X (EveekaJ) or Bluesky (eveeka).
Enjoy!
Content Warning: Really graphic and a bit gore depiction of injury. Panic, anxiety and self-blaming. Start of a BDSM scene at the end.
Even pierced, my heart still beats for you
The day was so bright, they just had to use the opportunity to have a family day together, and what best for this than spending it at an amusement park?
Sure, Stolas wished Via had let him wear his Loo Loo Land shirt, but since they weren't going to Loo Loo Land, he guessed she had a point that it wouldn't be a very good idea to wear it. He was still a bit surprised at how vehemently she argued against it, but it was probably because it reminded her of their last trip there.
But today was different. They choose another amusement park chain to start anew, and it would definitely be better than last time. For a start, Loona was there too, and Blitz wasn't here as a bodyguard but as his boyfriend. The word still sounded surreal, even in the owl's mind, it was almost enough to make him blush and his feathers fluff up.
"Dad, are you paying attention?"
"Ah, apologies! What were you saying starfire?" The owl was taken out of his daydreaming as Octavia pouted at him.
"I was saying, this attraction looks cool! Maybe we can try it out next?"
"Oh", the owl looked up at said attraction, some kind of spooky mansion with a surprisingly long waiting line. "Of course, we can go there! It looks really popular too."
"Yeah, well, it's this park's main attraction after all", Loona commented while typing on her phone. "Dunno why, most of the stuff here is stolen from a human park with a similar name."
"Guess we'll have to find out ourselves!" Blitz smirked, taking Stolas' hand to drag him toward the queue. "Don't worry birdie, I'll stay with you so you can cling to me if they scare you."
"Oh my, how charming", Stolas purred, while their daughters mimicked vomiting.
"Hey, we didn't even kiss since we got there!" The imp immediately reacted, putting his hands on his hips as he scolded the girls without any heat.
"I certainly hope so, it was the condition to come here all together!" Octavia reminded him.
"I thought it was me choosing another outfit?" Stolas frowned.
The hellhound rolled her eyes.
"Yeah, among other things. As long as you don't embarrass us, you'll be fine."
"But we did a good job so far, didn't we?" Blitz asked proudly while sticking out his chest.
Both girls exchanged a look and Octavia smiled shyly while Loona avoided their eyes.
"Yeah, I guess… Now, let's try out that haunted house!"
"After you", Stolas offered their daughters as they joined the waiting line.
"Oh wait!" The owlet abruptly stopped in her tracks. "Before doing this one, I think I'd like something to eat."
"Yeah, me too, that last attraction gave me an appetite, and I don't want to risk loosing it with the boring tricks they probably have in there", Loona added.
"Then what about some ice cream? There's a shop just over there! My treat", Blitz offered while gesturing at said shop.
The girls exchanged a look, before shrugging.
"Fine", grumbled Loona.
"I hope they'll have a flavor I like", Octavia pondered aloud.
"I'm sure they will sweetie, I looked over what they have when we passed it earlier", the assassin winked.
"Oh, alright then I guess."
"My, you sure do have eyes everywhere", Stolas couldn't help but add, trying hard to not let his voice go too low.
"I sure do! Speaking of which…"
Blitz's expression got more serious while the girls were distracted looking at the park map to spot the other snacks nearby.
"Ain't you used to still being targeted for being a Goetia?"
The owl blinked down at his boyfriend.
"Yes, quite, but so far this park has been way more calm than Loo Loo Land. Why?"
"Dunno, I just had a weird feeling", the imp answered with a frown. "I don't like it, it's like if we're being watched."
"It's okay darling, we're a team of two Goetias and two assassins, I'm sure we can manage", Stolas smiled lovingly at his boyfriend, a hand slowly cupping his cheek, but quickly retreating before their daughters could comment on it. "Just watch over the girls, alright?"
"You don't need to tell me", Blitz smirked.
"So, are you coming or what?"
The couple blinked at Loona, while Via was already going toward the ice cream shop, waving at them.
"Come on, Blitz was right, it does look good! It's the only place with food nearby anyway", Via yelled at them.
"Coming!" The imp smiled, following Loona, before he stopped when he realized the owl hadn't moved. "Stol's?"
The prince smiled and gestured for him to accompany the girls.
"You go get the ice cream, I'll keep the line for the girls."
He was smiling softly, but there was something in his eyes that reminded the imp of the conversation they just had. He nodded and smiled at his boyfriend to assure him that he got this, he would keep their girls safe.
"Alright. I'll be sure to grab your favorite flavor. Be right back, babe!"
With that, Blitz turned to run up to their daughters who had already started to go over the list of flavors to pick their favorite. Stolas smiled lovingly at the three demons most precious to him in this world, too distracted to notice the line advancing before him, and he didn't react to the prick at his neck either. It's only when he realized that they didn't have mosquitos in Hell that he started to feel faint, and he had lost consciousness before his body hit the ground.
When he came to, it was to a world of pain. With great difficulty, Stolas managed to open his right eyes. It took a few seconds for his view to clear enough to start making out the shape of someone before him, with the unmistakable red shade of imps. Lifting his head was oddly difficult, and there was something weird in the way his body was holding itself. More than one thing wrong even, judging from the pain beating so hard in his chest it was like his heart was filled with only that, and his lungs had been forced apart.
Then, his vision cleared, his eyes, where his white pupils were flickering from the pain, going up enough to meet the gaze of an imp, and his eyes widened when he noticed the beating heart she was holding, with a knife close to it, as if threatening to stab it.
He immediately looked down, and gasped at the bleeding, wide hole in his chest, where his heart should be. He tried to move, but something was holding his hands above his head, and he recognized the feeling of ropes. He didn't have enough strength to bother looking up, only trying to process the horror of having his beating heart out of his body.
Well, that explains the pain, some part of his brain unhelpfully remarked.
It was an agony beyond anything else he ever felt. Stolas slowly looked up to stare at the imp again, his pupils fading as he tried to display something else than pain on his face. She seemed mildly impressed to see him awake, a piece of clothe covering the lower half of her face, while other imps behind her where going through Stolas' wallet and bag, with the last one standing further from the others, probably to keep watch seeing as he wasn't looking in their direction, in some place that was probably a secluded area of the park. But it didn't make sense… Why, why go this far just to rob him… So he tries to ask as much.
"Why… are you… doing… this…?"
Speaking was difficult and a whole other level of agony, but he managed to get the words out. The imp holding what was definitely a Goetia heart only frowned, before stabbing the heart with her knife.
Stolas felt like he saw her do it in slow motion, yet his brain didn't have time to process what it meant, pain immediately flooding all his senses as he let out a screech of agony.
Then, his head fell back toward the floor, all energy leaving him as he struggled to keep on breathing, consciousness faltering again as pain radiated in his chest with each heartbeat, more blood pouring from hist chest after the stabbing, more running from his mouth as well, tears gathering in his four eyes and little pitiful whines coming out of his beak.
Yet, the heart in the imp's hand was still beating, albeit more bloodily, even with the knife still in it. All five imps looked at it, bewildered.
"Fuck, I can't believe it didn't kill him!" One of the imps further back exclaimed.
"We really should have gotten something blessed!", said another.
"As if it was that easy!" Retorted a third imp.
They all jumped at hearing the voice of the imp they knew was with their victim calling out from nearby: "Stolas? Where are you?! Are you there?!"
It was their clue to leave. The imp holding the heart carelessly dropped it without taking back her knife as she waved at the others to retreat.
"Let's go. We got what we wanted anyway."
They quickly ran away, Stolas barely registering anything as pain still hit him in waves. He only managed to acknowledge his surroundings when he picked upon familiar footsteps coming his way.
"Didn't you say that Stolas stayed behind to keep our place in the line?" Loona asked with a raised eyebrow, ice cream in hand as they neared the haunted house again.
Blitz, who was busy licking his own ice cream while making sure not to bump Stolas', that he was holding with his tail, into anything, looked up.
"Yeah, he did, why?"
He quickly got his answer as he looked over the queue and couldn't see the owl anywhere. The fact he couldn't spot him in a second was worrying in itself, with how taller than everyone else the prince was. Via was slowly but surely catching up, sure, but still.
"Maybe dad is trying to play us some kind of joke?" The owlet suggested.
"Or he just went to the bathroom or something, since he can skip the line with being royalty", Blitz shrugged.
"Oh yeah, mister 'I'll criticize my boyfriend for being rich until I can use his privileges for myself too'", the hellhound snorted.
"Hey! It's not like that, okay? Stolas does act like a rich prick sometimes, even if he's not as bad as the others! No offense sweetie, you're doing very well too!" Blitz softened his features as he addressed Via, who only rolled her eyes, her own ice cream almost already done since she was the first one to get hers.
"Yeah yeah, we're teeeerrible people, until, as Loona said, you can use that shit to your advantage."
Her little smirk gave out she was joking, and Blitz was glad to be able to exchange such comments with the girls with the knowledge they didn't mean it, that he wasn't using them for anything. That they just enjoyed each other's presence.
Speaking of which, there was someone's presence he was missing, and he didn't like it. Frowning, he looked away, before he finished his ice cream in a few bites.
"Alright, girls! You can start waiting, since I guess Stolas lost our place in it. I'll go looking around, see if I can find him."
"The closest bathroom is over there", Loona pointed.
"Don't you remember who he was behind?" Octavia asked.
Blitz smirked at her.
"Why, wanna use your royal privilege?"
"What?! No, I was just… Whatever", she pouted, finishing the last bite of her ice cream while Loona snorted.
"Go find him, we'll be fine."
"I have another idea!" Blitz announced as he took out his phone. No new message, which was a bit weird, but not overly worrying yet, if he forgot this ominous feeling in his chest. But he certainly wasn't going to leave the girls alone if he could help it.
"So, what is he up to?" Loona asked, seemingly bored, but Blitz easily recognized a hint of seriousness in it, of when she wanted to appear relaxed to hide her own worry, or more probably here to not alert Via.
"I don't know, he hadn't seen my text yet", Blitz frowned, pressing the call button. He brought the phone to his hear, but it was ringing to no end, before the voicemail finally kicked in. "Fuck, he's not picking up either. I don't like that, he wouldn't joke like that after I told him to be careful."
"Why, because of how people kept attacking him last time?" The owlet asked. "You know he was just letting them grab him so you had to save him, right?"
"Yeah, but… They were still really trying to harm him, not just rob him. What if there's guys like that here too? They can just be more discreet. I had a feeling we were being watched, but I never caught glimpse of the fuckers…"
"Shit", Loona swore.
Both demons turned to her.
"What is it Loonie?" Blitz asked, trying to keep the worry out of his voice.
"Did you smell something?" Via added.
The hellhound was indeed sniffing the ground around where they saw Stolas for the last time, eyes closed in concentration, before she straightened up.
"It does smell like if he was dragged away by a bunch of five imps…" She explained, following a trail. The other two easily tagged along.
"Oh no, please tell me he's not still into that", groaned Via.
"I don't think so, it's not as funny if I'm not here to witness it", Blitz tried to stay positive.
"Yeah, or this time he really didn't have a choice", Loona said, as she picked up a dart from the ground, sniffing it. "Yup, that thing struck Stolas, there's a faint smell of his blood on the tip, and inside it smells like some kind of soporific stuff."
Octavia's feathers bristled as Blitz's tail lashed out.
"Fuck."
The imp immediately took off running in the direction Loona has been following.
"Wait!" Via yelled, but Loona's hand on her shoulder stopped her from rushing after him.
"Hey, calm down. For all we know, he could be going in the wrong direction. Trust the process, we're going to find your dad", she said with a serious expression.
Via nodded, worry replacing annoyance as tears started to prick at the corner of her eyes. Loona held her gaze, before she nodded and got back to following the trail, knowing it was best to stick together, especially since the owlet wouldn't want to be sidelined while her father was maybe in real danger.
Blitz couldn't risk being this slow. He loved his Loonie with all his heart, but if the situation was this serious, then he needed to hurry. He couldn't afford to loose time, not if this was someone like Striker again. The cowboy was out of the question, sure, but it didn't mean there weren't other imps out there, hating royals enough to attempt on the first Goetia's life they saw if they had any opportunity to, even without being paid by his evil ex wife.
He seemed to be lucky so far, in the sense that his surroundings definitely looked like somewhere he'd drag an unconscious Goetia if he wanted to harm one. But as much as he hoped he was on the right track even without Loona, it also got him more worried as he started calling out Stolas' name, looking in every corner, every dark alley, casting an eye in the run down buildings, running always more desperately as only silence was answering him, Stolas' ice cream long forgotten, somewhere on the ground far behind him.
He ran to another side of the deserted area, screaming:
"Stolas? Where are you?! Are you there?!"
This time, he heard something. The assassin froze in his search. His eyes didn't see anything, but his ears picked the distant sound of a voice. Not someone answering, but still people talking, tho he only heard one person.
He started sneaking toward the voice he heard, that definitely wasn't Stolas', but it was replaced by the sound of running footsteps going the opposite direction. Light footsteps, but betraying more than two or three people, and Loona did say they were a group.
That was it, it had to be them. Blitz tried to run to the place the group left, trying to catch the back or the tail of a fleeting imp, but nothing. Still, as he slowed down to start looking around, he was quick to come across who he was looking for after turning around a corner.
Blitz froze, face contorted in horror as he took in the sight of Stolas, all bloody and unmoving with his eyes closed, arms tied up above his head, and for a second he feared the worse, but before he could break down considering one of his worst fears came true, he realized the owl was wheezing weakly, panting and whimpering with a fucking wide gap in his chest, and his…
His heart was outside his chest. Completely. There wasn't any artery left connecting it inside, and there was a knife going through it, yet it was still beating, Stolas whining with each heartbeat. His chest was a mess of black blood, his feathers scattered all around and there was so much blood, too much, forming a puddle between his legs, running from his mouth, and it was a picture even worst than what Blitz was seeing in his nightmares, and honestly he still wasn't sure if the prince was truly breathing or if his mind was desperately trying to turn the effect of the wind in his feathers into his chest moving to hide from the terrible truth…
That is, until Stolas lifted his head, having heard him, and despite the obvious pain all over his face, his gaze somehow softened as it landed on Blitz, and the owl's beak weakly tried to form a smile.
"H-hello, dearest… D- Don't worry… I-it's nothing… I'll be okay…"
"Nothing? Nothing?!" Blitz repeated, trying and failing not to yell as tears started to run down his cheeks, matching the wet lines on Stolas' cheeks as the imp rushed to his boyfriend's side. "Fuck Stolas, I'm so fucking sorry, I shouldn't have left you… How, what… Shit, what do I do?!"
He looked frantically at the heart nearby without daring to touch it. Stolas' breathing was barely audible from afar because of the Goetia's evident weakness, but up close it sounded loud and difficult, and the sight of his open chest…
"Darling, look… Look at me", Stolas ordered, and his voice was so low and wavering, but Blitz still obeyed, his lover's face getting blurred with how much he was crying, the distress threatening to overflow him.
Once the bird was sure he had his boyfriend's whole attention, he continued: "I'm… Fine. I'll be… Fine. Please. Can you…"
He tried to nod at the ropes still binding his wrists, and Blitz startled out of his stupor.
"Oh yeah, shit, of course… Sorry, I didn't… Fuck, fuck…"
The imp had trouble undoing the knots, but his vision was so bad now with all the tears flowing that he didn't dare take out a knife to cut it.
"Sorry, hold on, I just… Shit!"
The ropes suddenly gave up, and with them Stolas also started to slide on the side. Blitz rushed to catch him before he could fall, slowly and carefully lying him down as more footsteps were coming their way.
Footsteps he knew.
Panicked, he looked up.
"Wait, Loonie! Don't come!"
By Loonie, he meant Via, and he knew she'd understand… But instead of hearing them turn around, he heard both footsteps run here, and Loona and Via turned at the same corner he did, the owlet's voice ringing first, worried.
"Did you find…"
Both girls stopped dead in their tracks, their eyes on Stolas, eyes closed with a frown of pain, the hole in his chest not hidden in the slightest, not that it would have helped with his whole chest painted black and his heart beating nearby with a knife in it.
"Dad?!" Octavia screamed, tears shining for barely a second in her eyes before her form blurred for a nightmare of black and pink feathers.
Loona couldn't do anything to stop her that the teen was flying over the small space to land next to her father before returning to her usual form.
"What happened?! Dad please, please be alright…"
Stolas struggled to open his eyes before offering a comforting smile that was even less convincing than the one he managed to shoot to Blitz.
"Starfire… Don't worry I… I'll be fine… Just…"
He coughed up more blood, and even Loona whined in distress, standing just behind the owlet in case she needed support.
Then, she picked up on the smell of the group of imps who kidnapped the owl, and she frowned, turning around to smell where they left.
"Loonie?"
She froze, and turned toward Blitz, who was still sitting by Stolas' side, holding his hand, his tail lashing out wildly behind him.
"Just gotta say a word or two to the ones who did this, you know, from all of us", she answered.
If it was a normal day, Blitz would be overjoyed that his Loonie was including herself on her own. But it wasn't a normal day, and as much as he trusted her abilities, he wasn't going to let his baby hunt the demons who managed to put Stolas in that state alone.
"Get M&M, then go", he said with a strangled voice.
She nodded and took out her phone as she started following the smell, not wanting to risk loosing their track.
When Blitz focused back on Stolas, he was hit with the horror of reality again. His chest was still wide open, his fucking heart not in it, and Via… Via was crying while holding Stolas' other hand, trying to make sense of what the owl was whispering more and more weakly.
"Sweetie, we… We need to get him to a hospital, quick", Blitz said, trying to be the adult here despite his own panic, his eyes purposefully not looking at the heart on the ground. "If we go this way, I'm sure we can reach the parking faster."
"The parking?" Via blinked the tears away, looking up at the imp. "But…"
Suddenly her expression turned resolute as she whipped the tears with her sleeve.
"No, it's too slow, I have better."
Using her freaky owl neck, the teen looked behind her to open a portal, before looking back down at her father, carefully picking him up, then lifting his heart with her magic, knowing better than to try and remove the knife herself, even if Stolas assured her it wouldn't kill him.
Stolas' head lolled to the side, and Blitz quickly climbed Via, the owlet not protesting for once. He secured himself on her as comfortably as he could for her and took Stolas' head in his hands to vainly try to make it a bit more comfortable for his bird.
The portal wasn't far, yet Octavia was walking in careful and slow steps, probably focused on her magic, as Stolas' eyes fluttered back open, and a stronger smile formed on his beak.
"I'm… So proud of you starfire…" He managed to say louder.
Via's expression faltered as she looked down at her father.
"Hold on dad, they'll treat you", she tried to reassure him as she crossed the portal, and Blitz could feel her relax as it closed behind them.
"I know, I trust you", he smiled lovingly at them both, before both set of eyes slowly closed.
"Dad?!" Via asked, panicked.
"Hey, fuckers!" Blitz yelled around, expression fierce. "Can't you see someone needs help? He's a fucking Goetia prince, so get your asses here and fucking take care of him or you're all dead!"
By his hand, of course. If Via didn't get them first.
The beeping was slow and steady. The light was bright, so bright. Then, came the pain, but it was dulled. For some reason, Stolas had a feeling it should be stronger. It has been stronger before.
Then he remembered the agony of feeling his heart pierced by a knife in a flash, and his eyes snapped open.
He wasn't somewhere dark and dirty anymore, but in a clean hospital room. There was too much light, but the owl choose to ignore it as he turned his head to the people around his bed.
On one side was Octavia, her feathers dry, but her expression still gloomy as she was staring at her lap. On the other side, Loona was anxiously tapping her foot on the ground while scrolling on her phone, but it was nothing compared to the main source of noise of the room.
Behind Loona's chair, Blitz was busy pacing back and forth, tail agitatedly wagging behind him, glancing at Stolas' heart monitor on each round, before turning again for another.
He made five of those before his eyes finally landed on the owl, and he froze when he realized his eyes were open.
"Stol's!"
The imp suddenly jumped on the side of the bed, and both girls almost jumped out of their seats.
"Oh for fuck's sake, Blitz!" Loona complained.
"Dad!" Via exclaimed, eyes locked on Stolas as she, too, realized he was awake.
"Hello my darlings", Stolas smiled, and he was surprised himself at how clear he sounded.
For the first time since he woke up, he looked down at his chest. It was bare of clothes and covered in bandages, particularly around the area where the gaping wound has been. He wasn't sure how much skin he missed there, but he couldn't really make out any hole left.
"They put your heart back", Blitz explained before he could ask. The owl looked up, and felt the dull pain in his chest sharpen at the expression on his boyfriend's face, a mix of pain and a conflicted feeling he couldn't quite name.
"They said you would be fine with enough rest", Octavia added, trying to sound calm and composed again as she straightened up in her seat, trying to look like the princess she was. "They removed the knife and did everything they could to speed up your recovery. You should be free to leave in a few days if everything goes well!"
She ended on a positive note, a big smile on her face, but Stolas could tell it was a facade. It didn't reach her eyes at all. Smiling softly, he just opened his arms wide to her, and the owlet hesitated for barely a second before throwing herself at her father, tears running down.
"Dad, I was so worried! For a second, I thought… We all thought… That you…"
"Shhh, shhh, it's okay starfire, I'm okay", Stolas soothed her, hugging her back and brushing a hand in her head feathers, glad to see that despite her anguish she was careful not to press on the bandages. "I'll be fine now. You reacted so well Via, I am so proud of you."
Via stepped back to give her father a bewildered look.
"Are you kidding dad?! I panicked so hard at first! If it has been blessed, we would have to act way faster than that, and…"
"Via", Stolas spoke softly. "If the blade was blessed, I would have been dead long before Blitz even found me. But it wasn't, and I'm here. I am so sorry that you had to see this, but I am still so very proud of how well and quickly you reacted."
"Yeah kid, he's right, you were clearly better at keeping a cool head than me. It's even more impressive given it was your first time in a shitty situation like this", Blitz stated, trying to stay factual, but Stolas frowned at the hidden self-depreciation. But before he could touch on it, Loona had finally put her phone aside to glance at him.
"By the way, you were out for a couple of hours. Plenty enough time for me to find the group of imps who hurt you, with the help of fatty and grandma. They were after your money, but thought it best to try and off you too, you know, because you're a royal and all that shit. We got all of your stuff back, and made sure they regretted attacking you and that they couldn't do it again."
The owl raised a brow.
"Did you…?"
She smirked a devilish smile.
"Oh yeah, we killed them. I'm sure Blitz would have done it more slowly, but they were trying to run away, and I'm not fit for torture", she shrugged near the end, looking at her phone again.
Stolas couldn't help but relax a bit at that, thanking her with a smile full of gratitude, that widened as Loona's tail slightly wagged in response.
He knew that the group of imps managed to kidnap him through a conjunction of circumstances. If he wasn't being so distracted by his family, he could have dodged the dart with the sound alone - he wasn't an owl just in appearance - and maybe he could have tried to turn them to stone when he woke up, although he wasn't fully sure his powers would have worked quite as well as usual with his heart already out of his chest.
There were so many ways they could have avoided this, but there were also so many ways it could have been worse, Stolas counted himself lucky with how things turned out. After all, he was still there, alive, and his family was unharmed.
Well, physically at least.
As Via was relaxing in her seat, and Loona saying out loud that she was updating Millie and Moxxie on his state so the couple of imps could come visit later, Stolas' eyes fell on his boyfriend again, and his heart ached anew.
"Blitz?" The owl asked gently, as if dealing with a scared animal.
It wasn't that far from the truth, with the way the imp slowly climbed on the bed to crawl toward the owl, minding where he was putting his feet and hands on. Stolas tried a reassuring smile as he opened his arms again, but Blitz didn't rush against him. No, he kept moving slowly, looking at his chest, where his heart had been missing, and he carefully laid down against his boyfriend's torso, mindful of his injuries, arms wrapping around him and tail coiling around them both, and Stolas was sure Blitz choose to rest his head there on purpose so he could actually hear his heart beat in his chest rather than just trusting the heart monitor.
But he didn't mind, even if the small pressure on his chest was a bit painful. He concealed his wince and hugged his imp softly back, feeling the assassin tremble in his arms as a wetness was already dampening the bandages near Blitz's eyes.
"I'm alright darling, see? I told you I would be fine. Everything is back in order", Stolas assured him.
Tho he was glad for his boyfriend's presence, because it somehow allowed him to truly feel his heartbeat again, and not in the distant, painful, weird way it has been when it was out of his chest, no. It was beating steadily, with a dull pain, but it was there, in the right place, in his chest, with Blitz's head on top of him, while both girls were looking at them with a smile and a somewhat relaxed expression.
"Gotta forgive him, you did gave us quite a scare", Loona added, and Stolas smiled brightly back at her. She shrugged and quickly looked down on her phone again.
For a moment, it was peaceful, as a low rumbling was slowly rising to stabilize at the level Stolas called "the engine". It was quite loud to his ears, and it was making his chest vibrate, but for some reason it wasn't painful on his wounds. On the contrary, it was quite soothing, and he quickly found himself dozing off, relaxed with his boyfriend in his lap and his daughters nearby.
It was a good thing it was already the afternoon when Stolas was attacked, at least the owl didn't feel like he completely ruined the day. A doctor came for a short visit to give more information to the prince about his recovery. Later, the rest of IMP did come to visit for a short amount of time, offering to drive the girls home, for which Stolas was grateful. Of course, Via could insist and use her status to stay the night and allow Loona to do the same, but he didn't want that for them, even if he didn't feel too good leaving them both alone, even at the palace.
"Darling? Don't you want to go with our daughters for the night?" He asked after they had all already left.
The arms tightened around him, and Stolas suppressed a hiss of pain.
"No."
"But, what if…"
"They'll be fine Stol's", the imp mumbled in his bird's chest. "They'll be safe in the palace, M said they'd stay with them till you can return. But here? The security is shit. I'm staying."
"Come on darling, Loona made sure they were all dead, they can't come back you know? Besides I'll be more careful, and…"
"No", Blitz insisted, tightening his grip again, and Stolas couldn't help his hoot of pain this time. The assassin immediately relaxed his hold and looked up worriedly.
"Sorry, are you alright?"
"Yes darling, I'll be fine… But you need rest too."
Blitz lowered his gaze, his purring getting louder as he tightened the hold with his tail, knowing it was less likely to hurt there.
"I'll rest with you", he said. "I'm not leaving."
"But…"
"Stol's, I'm gonna be so worried to not have you in sight, to not be able to make sure you're alright that I won't be able to sleep anywhere but here anyway. I know you're fine and shit, but… You're not fully healed yet. And it's my fault you were hurt. Gotta make sure you recover nicely."
The prince frowned and looked down at his boyfriend.
"Blitz? You know it's not your fault, right?"
"It is. I knew there were fuckers after you, I even told you just before you got attacked. Yet I let you alone."
"Darling, no. It was my idea to split up. It was stupid of me to do just after you warned me we were maybe watched. I was too confident in my Goetia abilities that I failed to pay enough attention to my surroundings. That's on me, not you."
"On us both then", Blitz offered, and the owl sighed. He knew he wouldn't be able to achieve better than that tonight, so he caressed his lover's head instead.
"Won't you grow tired of purring after a while? You didn't stop even for a second since you started."
"Don't worry, it's fine. It's easy to purr. Besides, I read somewhere that cats purr to heal faster. So I'm gonna do my part and purr until you can go home!" Blitz announced brightly, pulling back just enough to be able to comfortably look up at his boyfriend, who only frowned in response.
"Darling, I'm not sure…"
"Shush your beak and let me take care of you."
"But…"
"No", Blitz denied while putting his hand on Stolas' beak, gently but firmly. "I'm not leaving, and I will keep purring until you fucking feel better. I would have done the exact same even if I didn't feel bad about what happened, alright? You know it's true."
The owl blinked and slowly nodded, and only then Blitz removed his hand.
"So. Are you gonna behave and take what daddy gives you, or are you gonna be a brat?" Blitz purred with a seductive smile, leaning toward his boyfriend's face that immediately turned a bright shade of red.
"Ah, I… I'll behave Blitzy. But, ah…"
Their lips met in one of the softest, slowest kiss they ever had. No tongue was involved, just their mouth against one another, playing around Stolas' beak and brushing against one another in the softest touch, before Blitz pulled back with a smirk and so much love in his eyes, mirrored by Stolas' own expression.
"I do hope you realize someone could walk in any moment darling", the owl couldn't help but grin.
"Oh, but I didn't intend to fuck you here, you dirty bird", Blitz raised his brows in sync. "Besides, you're still hurt. No sex for you before at least a week!"
Stolas let out a sad chirp.
"A week? Why not just a few days, until I return home? I'm sure by then I'll be fine enough to…"
"Tut tut! I said no! A week! If you complain, it will get longer."
Stolas pouted, and Blitz just scoffed and cuddled against him again.
"Just behave, and maybe I'll be nice in return", Blitz said, face pressed more on Stolas' side so he could still hear his heartbeat without pressing on the wound.
"Alright darling. But you better sleep with me, or trust me, hurt or not, I will kick you out, got it?"
"Hm hm, whatever you say", Blitz mumbled, feigning being tired.
Stolas smiled softly at him again. No doubt that his boyfriend was truly exhausted, with all the emotions of the day. They already ate dinner, everyone was gone, all that was left was a nurse who should visit for a quick check up later. They were finally alone.
It's only then that the realization hit. He could have died, if those imps from earlier had had a blessed weapon. He could have left his family alone, because of his foolishness. He had been fine since waking up, because he kept being distracted, because there were people around, but now that he truly thought about it, he couldn't help the chill running down his spine. Because even with the assassin curled up and purring in his lap, he still felt some of the anxiety he pushed away return, and with it the phantom pain of feeling his heart out of his body, being stabbed.
Because his relatives had time to freak out, to worry, to be scared, and then cool down and process that he'd be alright once the doctors finished working. He didn't. He just woke up with his heart out of his chest, and passed out soon after. The he woke up in the hospital, and had to put up a strong front for his daughter, to make up for earlier.
He hadn't really realized what happened earlier, what could have happened. He may not have cared much about his life before, but now that he finally had the family he dreamed of? He was scared of what could have happened, to him, and to them. Fuck, what if they decided to target Via instead? He wouldn't have let them, sure, nor did Blitz nor Loona, and deep down he knew he had always been more prone to protect her than himself, yet he couldn't get the fear out of his head.
Looking down, it was easy to guess that it was the same for Blitz, despite all his bravado. Imp's purring were different depending on the reason they were purring, and even if there was happiness and relaxation in Blitz's current purring, Stolas could hear stress and anxiety underlying too.
Stolas got comfortable for the night, laying down more fully, taking Blitz with him, as they both tried to drift off to sleep. It didn't come easily for neither of them.
The owl blamed it on the couple hours during which he was unconscious, even if everyone else would tell him it didn't count as sleeping, and he would, too, if it has been Blitz in his place. Truth was, he knew he was in a secure environment, with his boyfriend nearby, who would probably react before him with his assassin training and reflexes, yet…
Yet it didn't exactly turn out well for him last time he let himself fall unconscious. It wasn't sleep, sure, but his subconscious didn't make much of a difference.
He simply wished Blitz wouldn't realize he was staying awake. He didn't mind the talk that would follow, but he didn't want him to stay awake for his sake.
They both startled when the nurse finally came in to check Stolas' vitals and bandages, nodding as everything seemed to be normal and left, wishing them a good night without even looking at the imp snuggled on the bed with her patient.
Both demons exchanged a look, and smiled tiredly.
"Were you able to sleep, pretty bird?" Blitz asked.
"Not yet, I wanted to wait after her visit, but I must admit I was probably about to doze off."
"Yeah, same", Blitz answered, tail unwrapping to grab a glass of water that he gave to the owl. "Here. They told you to drink regularly, remember?"
"Oh, yes. Thank you darling."
"You're welcome."
Stolas drank the glass and put it back himself while Blitz wrapped his tail around them both again, low enough to not risk hurting his bird.
"You good?" The red and white demon asked. "How are you feeling?"
"Perfectly good darling. It even hurt less than before, thanks to your purring."
A smirk.
"Told you so."
"Good night darling", Stolas wished as he caressed the back of Blitz's head. "Sleep well."
"Yeah, you too. Heal nice and fast", Blitz answered, pressing a soft kiss on the bandages before settling in.
"Good morning here! How are you feeling?" An oddly lively and enthusiastic nurse said as she opened the door with an energy that felt clearly out of place for Sloth.
Two demons groggily looked up from their breakfast to glare at her, a way to politely tell her that it was too early for this shit, but she ignored them to instead go note down Stolas' vitals on the chart. Then she looked at their half finished plates and frowned.
"Not done with breakfast yet? It was brought to you half an hour ago! You should have told us if you have trouble eating your highness. Does it hurt?"
Stolas blinked at her before looking back at the unfinished food.
"Ah, no, I… I just need to take small bits, but otherwise I can eat just fine, even if it does hurt a bit, it's just… I fear I'm still a bit sleepy."
"Which is normal, don't worry. Now mister, if you could leave the room for a moment, I need to change his bandages…" She tried to say diplomatically to the imp sharing the Goetia's bed.
Said imp's tail immediately tightened its hold on his bird with a scowl.
"The fuck you need me to leave for? I get not being able to stay yesterday while you were treating him, probably doing surgery and all, but if it's just to change bandages it's not gonna take that long, right?"
"Indeed, but you seem, ah, to always be particularly close to him, and I need space to work."
She didn't say anything about the purring, even though Blitz knew she could hear it. He had toned it down a bit, managing to send more vibrations by being more quiet when he wasn't in direct contact with his lover, but even if she couldn't feel that from where she was standing, she could definitely hear the low rumbling.
The assassin frowned, arms crossed.
"I can sit in that chair if you want, but I'm not fucking leaving."
Without uncrossing his arms, he pointed with his claws one of the chairs on the side of the bed. The nurse hesitated and looked at the prince, who nodded.
"Fine", she sighed. "Your highness, can you sit here… Perfect, thank you."
"You can call me Stolas you know, I won't mind", the owl said with a tired smile.
"You already said that yesterday your highness, but I fear if I do, your boyfriend will cut me in half", she answered as she began undoing the bandages.
"I will do that only if you hurt him or try anything funny, bitch", Blitz snarled in answer.
Stolas didn't react to Blitz's harsh behavior, smiling happily as the nurse had acknowledged his relationship with the imp without any of them needing to correct her… At least he didn't remember doing so, but he didn't remember speaking to her yesterday either, so he probably shouldn't bet on it too much. As long as she didn't slip up, it should be fine.
Blitz finally moved away from the bed with great reluctance, his purring stopping for the first time since it started yesterday, and the silence felt weird. In theory, one should feel relaxed to finally have a sound they heard non-stop for so long finally cease, but on the contrary, Stolas now felt like he was missing something.
The way he was sitting, his back no longer leaning on the bed and his body facing the side where the nurse was, prevented Blitz from seeing the front of his boyfriend. It wasn't much of a problem with the owl's neck, sure, and Stolas was regularly turning his head toward him to chat and he didn't seem to be in pain, but from the moment the bandages completely fell off, something changed.
Frowning, Blitz got up and slowly turned around the bed. The nurse cast him a glance but kept working as she was making appreciative comments.
"I know you are a Goetia, but I am still impressed how much of your wound healed overnight. We will have to run a few exams later, but it looks like you may be able to go home earlier than we thought."
The imp took a few more steps and froze, the nurse's voice drowned by a buzzing in his ears as his eyes roamed over the place where there once was a hole in Stolas' chest.
The hole wasn't there anymore, yeah, sure, but… It wasn't like before either. Far from it. The nurse talked about progress, but all Blitz could see was the area nude of feathers, and it wasn't exactly skin beneath, not Stolas' usual dark skin at least, but not quite scars either. There was a… Weird… Mixture, there? It wasn't even something she just added either, she was still checking and cleaning and disinfecting or something. Then she did apply some kind of ointment, but it wasn't the same color nor texture than the one that was already there.
"The fuck is that?" He couldn't help but ask.
The nurse turned her head toward him, staring for a few seconds as if trying to decide if he risked disturbing her or not, before she returned to what she was doing.
"I am currently applying a cream to help him heal faster."
"No, I mean, the… White… Thing underneath your cream. It's something that was already there when you removed the bandages, isn't it? What the fuck is it?"
She looked up at Stolas, who seemed oddly stiff, but nodded to her, like if he was giving her some kind of permission. Blitz was starting to regret even asking, fearing it was making Stolas uncomfortable, but before he could take his question back, the nurse started explaining while she continued what she was doing.
"The white underneath is something we had to add while stitching the wounds up. You see, the injury was serious enough that there were whole bits of skin missing. It is a mixture that helps the body regenerate the missing cells faster and fills the emptiness until then, to put it very, very simply."
Blitz's spines stood on end. Of course it was something like that, the white was easy to spot in the middle of Stolas' dark skin, matching the edges of his main scar on his torso in a way that almost reminded him of his own burn marks.
"Shit. That's… That's a lot of missing skin."
"No worries, it's mainly superficial, I have no doubt that the deeper tissues have already regenerated for the most part." She assured him.
"I hope so, the pain feels lesser than yesterday, although I do feel pretty tired." Stolas admitted.
"It is normal, when recovering from such wounds, even without considering the painkillers we gave you. Now, I will wrap this up, and we will come back later to let you know about the medical exams and analysis…"
"Yeah yeah, just say you want to get as much money from him as you can", Blitz frowned, tail lashing.
"Well, I remember someone yesterday threatening to kill us if we didn't treat the prince properly, I'm just trying to fulfill his wish", she answered without looking away from her work.
Blitz blinked at her before bursting out laughing.
"Yeah, ok, you got a point. But I'm watching you, alright?"
"So did I notice. Here, all done!"
She finished the bandage and looked her work over before nodding to herself.
"All good. I'm letting you finish your breakfast in peace, someone will pass in a bit to retrieve the trays. I will return later your highness. Until then, please refrain from moving around too much until the exams are done."
"Of course, thank you for your care", Stolas smiled.
The nurse nodded, gathered the old bandages and left, leaving the two demons alone again.
Blitz glared at the food left on his own tray, not feeling hungry anymore. His gaze slided to Stolas, who was laying back down on the bed, picking at his food, before he looked up and patted the space next to him to invite Blitz to settle back.
"Are you alright darling?" The owl asked worriedly as Blitz climbed in the place he was in before, his side against the owl's side, his purring immediately starting again.
"Yeah, it's just… I know you heal fast and all, but it didn't look like healing fast to me. There was so much white left… I mean, I'm not that surprised to know they butchered you, but fuck, for it to still show that much today…"
Stolas looked self-conscious, crossing his arms before his bandaged chest.
"Sorry, it… Probably doesn't look that good right now, but it will get better, I promise. It shouldn't take that long to heal…"
Blitz gaped at his boyfriend before softly taking him by his shoulders.
"Are you kidding Stol's? Of course you're still beautiful! Even if the scars never went away, I'd still think the same! I mean, that would be very hypocritical of me not to, you still like me with my scars."
"I do, but it doesn't mean you will automatically not care about mine. This is not the body you fell in love with… But I'm glad to know it wouldn't have stopped you! Besides, as I said, it's only temporary", Stolas tried to smile reassuringly, but Blitz knew he was trying to minimize the problem. So he caressed the skin around the bandages, smiling softly and pressing light kisses everywhere he could reach.
"My pretty, beautiful bird", he purred. "Now, let's finish this breakfast, you need more energy if you are to finish producing enough cells to replace all the ones those assholes ripped out."
"Of course darling, but only if you eat with me", Stolas answered with a little knowing smirk.
The imp rolled his eyes but smiled back lovingly.
"Yeah, sure, whatever helps you heal faster."
"Dad, are you sure it's wise to go home now? The doctors said that you wouldn't go home before at least three days when you were admitted", Via was reminding him for the third time since he started getting ready to leave his hospital room. He paused in his gathering of the clothes Blitz brought him to smile reassuringly at her.
"Starfire, I am going home because I think I will finish my recovery faster there. I truly feel a lot better, and you all said I looked better too. Even if Blitz keeps me company, and we had a lot of people visiting us, it is not the same as home. My heart is fully recovered, and there is little scar tissue remaining. There is no reason why I should stay here any longer."
Blitz's tail lashed at that. The imp was nearby, watching the father and daughter bickering, and he couldn't help but feel bad at the idea that this hospital stay was probably reminding Stolas of the previous one, the one where Blitz wasn't here to support him, nor his daughter. The one where the owl had to face it all alone.
"I… I get that dad, but…"
"I promise Via, I will be alright", Stolas assured her, taking one of her hands in both of his. "You talked to the doctor, you know I'm not rushing this. They would even have let me go home yesterday, if Blitz didn't insist that I stayed a bit longer. I'm sure it is thanks to his constant purring, right darling?"
Stolas met his lover's eyes with a big affectionate smile, and the imp smiled back.
"Told you it would work", the assassin nodded back.
"I heard about that when talking to the doctors, yes, and that your exams showed you really were healing faster than they thought, but…"
"Hey", Loona pipped up from her seat, looking up from her phone. "You said you'd feel better once your dad was home, right? So let him go home, he wants it too."
The owlet blushed at that, and Stolas smiled at both his daughters.
"Aw, are you missing me? It was very lovely of you two to come see me as often as you did. Between you two, Millie, Moxxie, Fizzarolli, Asmodeus and even Vassago, we can't say we had time to get bored, isn't that right Blitz?"
"That's for sure! It was funny to see everyone react to the big Ozz being here, they were freaking out even worse than with Stol's."
"You threatening to kill them when we arrived probably didn't help", Via snickered.
"Hey, you weren't any better, you said the same thing just after me! Well, almost the same thing…"
Loona sighed, pocketing her phone while standing up and stretching her limbs.
"Well, looks like everything's ready. You good to go?" She asked the owl, stopping Blitz and Octavia.
"I think I am ready indeed. I take it none of you want me to open a portal to prove that I am indeed fully recovered…"
"Absolutely not!" Blitz confirmed before the owl could even finish his sentence. "You'll have to do magic soon enough for your duties, let your body rest a bit. I saw that you could still do your telekinesis stuff, that's plenty enough, but I don't care what the doctors say, you're gonna take it easy for a few more days, alright?"
Stolas giggled.
"Of course darling."
"Then, I'll do it!" Octavia said, raising her hands to start tearing reality.
"Hey, no, you already did the portal to bring Stolas to the hospital! I'm bringing him home!" Blitz argued, brushing the crystal on his wrist to open his own portal.
"Mine is already open", the teen argued.
"So is mine."
"Fuck, this is stupid", Loona rolled her eyes with a hint of affection as she crossed Via's portal. She walked a few more steps to be in front of Blitz's and gestured for the owl to join her, which he did hesitantly, looking back as soon as he was on the other side, as if worried one of them would be upset by his choice.
Blitz and Via both just blinked at them, then at each other, before they shrugged and followed their loved ones, purposefully taking the other's portal. Stolas set down his bag on a furniture before looking around with a chirp, happy to be home. Sure, after his difficult first night, he slept rather well, but it still wouldn't hurt to have his own bedroom back, same went for Blitz, who he strongly suspected to have had a nightmare on their first night at the hospital, but the nurse who came to check in the morning distracted him when he was about to ask, and it didn't really cross his mind again after that, even if they did talk about what happened to make sure they were both okay with it.
Now, he would take care of putting his things away in their place later. First, he wanted some fresh air, so he was quick to go outside, followed by his boyfriend and daughters, and was immediately greeted by a strange cacophony of sounds.
"Oooh, hello there darlings, did you miss me?" Stolas beamed at a row of plants that seemed to raise their head upon seeing the owl return, doing weird thrills while agitating their leaves.
"Fuck, they really did miss you", Loona said, eyes wides.
"Told you so!" Octavia smiled smugly. "You're lucky dad, you weren't gone long enough for them to get depressed, I took good care of them to avoid it!"
"I can see that", Stolas acknowledged as he greeted his different plants, walking around the gardens, and all plants and trees greeted him back, some with more enthusiasm than others. "Very well done starfire and Loona!"
The hellhound froze, bewildered.
"How do you know I helped?"
"Plants don't lie, darling", Stolas said with a wink in her direction, before he kept moving.
"What?"
"Heh, I knew he could talk to plants!" Blitz smirked proudly.
Via rolled her eyes.
"I already told you, no, he can't! He just knows how to read their behavior."
"Uh uh, tell that to yourself. My way to say it is better!" Blitz stuck out his tongue to her before running to follow the prince.
The younger crossed her arms with a pout, watching the couple continue their round, before her features softened as she turned toward her sister.
"Do you think they'll be alright?"
"I mean, your dad is certainly better than he was when you brought him to the hospital", she joked. "But yeah, I guess he'll be fine. I know it doesn't sound great, but he went through similar things alone, he's tough."
"I know", Via said, rubbing her arm. "I wish he told me back then, I would have been there too…"
"Hey, it's not your fault", Loona reminded her softly. "You're here now, that's all that matters. I wish this moron knew that too", she added while glaring at the small form following the taller demon.
Octavia frowned.
"Blitz still feels guilty, you think?"
"Maybe not too much. They talked, and you told him yourself you didn't blame him for what happened. But I'd be surprised if he was fully okay, and I'm not just speaking about the fact that he didn't leave Stolas' side since he was admitted to the hospital. But I'm sure they'll help each other get past all this shit."
"I find it kinda cute. I know I didn't like him at first…"
"Understatement of the century", Loona scoffed.
"… But he really stayed by my dad's side to help as much as he could. I guess the whole purring thing helped me too."
"Yeah, it's pretty soothing when he does it. Don't tell him I said that."
The owlet giggled as they kept watching their fathers from afar. Then, once it was clear that they were fine, mostly making sure Stolas wasn't going to hurt or feel dizzy from walking around after being bed ridden for two days, they yelled at them that they were going on their own to leave them alone. Not that they were likely to get freaky in the gardens, but… With them, you never really knew, even if they did make progress to not be too thirsty for each other in front of them. Both girls doubted they'd resist comforting each other with sex for much longer, if they didn't already.
Turns out they didn't yet. Blitz stayed true to his word, and the most they did were kisses and a few heated caresses. Not that Blitz couldn't have used his tongue, or fingers, or even tail to get Stolas off without risking to hurt him with thrusts, but he really didn't want to risk it. Sexual activities often meant an increase in the rhythm of the heart, and there was no way Blitz was going to risk hurting his bird when he was supposed to make him feel good.
That, and it would have been a bit awkward if it triggered some kind of alarm that gathered all doctors and nurses around to their hospital room. Not that he or Stolas would truly mind, to be honest, as long as their daughters weren't around. But! The imp said no, so they didn't.
But now, they were home, so the assassin expected the owl to make puppy eyes at him again, even if the "no sex week" he declared wasn't over yet. Which… Yeah, Stolas did give him a few looks as if to say "please, give up", but he didn't outright ask, and it never lasted long as soon as the owl was sure Blitz understood his intention but didn't do anything to reciprocate.
Blitz wasn't quite sure if he was proud of his bird for being such a good boy, or frustrated he didn't insist. Probably both. Because let's be very clear, he did want to fuck his boyfriend silly. Like, a lot. As a treat to both of them after all the shit that happened. Technically, they could now, Stolas made sure to ask the doctors at a moment when Blitz was with him but not their daughters, to prove his point that it would be alright if the imp gave in. So why was it that the assassin couldn't bring himself to? He wasn't sure… Or rather, he had an idea as to why, but he didn't really want to admit it to anyone out loud, even himself.
So instead, they did stuff together, trying to involve the girls as often as possible to make up for not being able to finish their day at the amusement park. They went out together too, when Stolas left the palace for the first time since the attack. All four of them, like that day.
Needless to say, Stolas was extremely glad it went well. The girls were like usual, and even if Blitz made sure to always be within 2 meters of his bird, 3 at most, he seemed to otherwise act like before as well. Which is why Stolas was surprised, when they were gathered in the living room for a movie night that evening, still with all four of them, to see Blitz stand up after him.
"Are you going somewhere darling?" Stolas couldn't help but smile, while the girls chatted animatedly, busy trying to find the next movie they should watch.
"Yeah, with you", the imp answered, looking up expectantly at the owl.
"Ah, I don't think it's necessary… I was just going to the bathroom. I don't think there is a need to replenish the snacks and drinks yet…"
"I think you heard me wrong here birdie. I'm. Coming. With. You."
The prince blinked down at his boyfriend, before a giggling sound made him look up.
Loona was smirking at them both while Via was the one giggling with a few hoots in between.
"What, are you scared dad will get attacked by toilet paper?" The owlet couldn't help but mock.
"You never know sweetie. Now let's go, we don't wanna take too long before we start the next movie, right?"
But Stolas simply kept staring at him, trying to find a way to convince him that he was alright going to the bathroom alone in his own house. Before he could find anything, Blitz had already guessed what was on his mind and climbed him like a tree to cling to his back like a koala.
"Here. You can't remove me. Now let's go! I'll take a piss too, better be efficient!"
Stolas sighed with a loving smile.
"You could have just said that you wanted to go too darling."
"Nah, it's less sexy. Better say I'm going with my boyfriend to protect him."
"Just go already!" Loona said with a roll of her eyes, exasperated.
"Sorry girls, we'll be right back!" Stolas assured them with a smile before he started walking out of the room, Blitz still attached to his back.
Once they were out of hearing range of the girls, Stolas turned his head all the way to be face to face with his lover, startling him.
"So. Are you really still so worried that you feel the need to go with me to the bathroom?"
"Fuck's sake, Stol's, look before you, you're gonna walk into a wall!" Blitz said instead, and he wasn't even ignoring the question on purpose. It was really creepy when Stolas was doing that. Not the neck thing, he was kinda used to it, just walking without watching where he was going.
"No worries Blitzy, I know where I'm going. So?"
"No, really, if you want me to answer, please turn your head around…"
"Why? You can tell me if I risk to walk into a wall, right? You know, so I don't hurt myself" The owl asked with the most charming smile he could muster.
"That's exactly why I want you to turn your head on the right side birdie."
"How can it be the right side if it's not the side where I can see you?"
Blitz rolled his eyes before granting his boyfriend a quick affectionate kiss.
"Now look ahead you dork."
"Of course Blitzy, you just had to ask!" Stolas sing-sang.
The imp mumbled in a feathered neck, but the owl just beamed, whistling as habit made him go to his bedroom, even if it wasn't the closest bathroom to the living room. Once arrived, Stolas was indeed the first to go, and as Blitz was finishing too while the owl was washing his hands, the imp spoke again.
"To answer your question… Yeah. I don't like you going somewhere if I'm not with you."
"So did I notice", Stolas answered with a comprehensive smile, drying his hands on the towel. "I know your employees took care of everything so far, but you will have to return to work too eventually. Will you be alright?"
"Hey, of course I'll be alright! I wasn't the one hurt! You're the one I should ask this to!"
"I'm fine dear. I wouldn't say it was easy, but my magic wasn't really affected, and the painkillers they gave me were efficient. You were also here every step of the way to help me recover and not think back too much about it. I'll never thank you enough for that darling."
Blitz frowned at that, tail lashing a bit.
"I wish I could have done more… No, I swear, I'm not even talking about preventing those assholes to grab you! I mean… I know you didn't sleep well that first night. That you were a bit stressed at the idea of going out again today, especially with the same people you were with when it happened. I can't just… Go back to work now. I want you to be at ease when you go out again, even if it's just the two of us. I know you were probably worried to see how our daughters would react too, but… Please, give me until next week? I know M got this, Loona is helping them too. But I… Yeah, I don't feel okay just leaving you alone again just yet."
They were both ready to return to the living room, yet they were stalling. Stolas knelt to be at roughly the same level than Blitz.
"I understand darling. Trust me, there's nothing I'd love more than to be with you 24h/24h. But I also know it's not compatible with your life, nor mine, on the long run. I appreciate all you did for me, but you also need to take care of you. It means forgiving yourself for what happened - no, don't refute it, I know you still blame yourself, however little - but also build back the confidence that I can be left on my own without anything happening to me. Think we can do that in the upcoming days?"
Blitz didn't hesitate as he looked into his boyfriend's bright red eyes, nothing like the dull light they had when he found him hurt, and simply went to hug him, pressing his head into his chest, where the feathers had started to grow again. It was hidden beneath his clothes, but Blitz knew it was there, he was of course still sleeping with the owl naked and witnessed first hand the evolution of the wounds.
That was the whole problem, wasn't it? Stolas' scars on his chest hadn't fully healed. His heart was indeed perfectly fine by now, it didn't hurt anymore, and there was no white left, but even if the feathers had started to grow back on most of his chest, they would need a bit more time to reach their usual length, especially on the previously scarred parts. It hurt to see, because it was a reminder of why those feathers were shorter than the others, and each time it filled Blitz with a dread he had trouble pushing away.
"Darling?"
The imp pulled back to look up at Stolas' tender face, and he sighed.
"Yeah, alright. We'll work on this. But I'm giving you a reminder of what to do in case you get attacked again, obviously it's not clear enough in your bird brain."
Stolas giggled before sweeping his boyfriend up in his arms, earning a surprised yelp.
"Of course darling, if that'll ease your mind. Now, I believe the girls are waiting for us."
"Oh yeah, shit. Well, let's not keep them waiting! You're not off the hook pretty bird, I'll have lots of things to teach you tomorrow… Along with lots of stuff to do to you, since you've been such a good bird."
At this, Stolas' cheeks took a rose tint.
"Really?"
"Yeah birdie. You didn't do anything to endanger your recovery, you followed all the doctor's advice, and you were such a good birdie for daddy, I guess I can end the no sex week a day earlier. Maybe even tonight if you behave."
Stolas' feathers fluffed up.
"Oh my, I can't wait", he said excitedly, his pace quickening as they were almost in the living room.
"Hey, calm down you horny bird, I said only if you act like a good boy."
"Of course Blitzy", Stolas assured him as he tried to force his features back to normal just before walking back in. "Hello girls! Sorry for the wait!"
"Finally!" Loona complained. "We were starting to think that the living room was too dangerous for you and that you had retreated to your bedroom."
"Of course not Loonie, I'm not one to give up that easily!" Blitz assured her. "Now, what did you pick next?"
"Something that dad will love, there's plants and stars involved! And animals, but I'm not sure about horses… Sorry Blitz", Octavia smiled apologetically.
"Eh, it's fine. Come on birdie, sit down so we can start watching. It was picked just for you so you better enjoy it!"
"I don't doubt that I will", Stolas smiled as he settled down, Blitz still in his lap. For once, the girls didn't comment, just exchanging a knowing glance before pressing play.
"Are you sure Stol's? We can still wait tomorrow, it's already pretty late…"
"Yes, please", the owl assured him as he was stripping for the night. "The girls gave up faster than us, probably thinking we still need rest."
"Yeah, as if we're old mans!" Blitz said, rolling his eyes. "I swear, I love them, but they underestimate us sometimes…"
"Exactly", Stolas smirked. "Which is why, if you are still okay with it, I'd like for us to have a special sex session tonight, alright? It can be only one or two rounds, we'll have plenty of time to continue tomorrow as you explain your self-defense principles to me…"
"Hey, I want to teach you real self-defense, not do kinky role-play", Blitz joked.
"Those are not mutually exclusive", Stolas shot back with a seductive pose, seeing his boyfriend undressing as well. "Anyway, what I meant to say is! There are a few things that will be wiser to wait tomorrow to work on, but there are a few… Things I'm worried about, concerning sex, which is why I would like to get started tonight.
Blitz jumped on the bed and tilted his head at his boyfriend, puzzled.
"Worried? About sex? Why? You know I don't mind the scars, right? We can't even see them anymore, the feathers have started to grow again! And yes, I know they're shorter for now, but it's fine! It's funny, it tickles and they're all soft."
The owl smiled, but rubbed his head feathers self-consciously.
"Ah, thank you darling, I know you're very supportive about this, but… That is not the issue."
The imp raised a brow.
"It isn't? Then come here birdie, sit with daddy and tell me what troubles you."
It was enough to get the bird all flustered as he obeyed to sit next to Blitz, refraining from more than a light physical touch. They both knew that this set up was meant to talk, and it was better to not start touching each other too much at this stage, or else… Well, let's just say they had trouble staying focused on talking for too long sometimes.
"That is, maybe you are going to find it silly, or not want to do it… Which I would totally understand, really!" Stolas started, shaking his hands before him. "It's just that, you see…"
"Stol's", Blitz said with a deadpan face to stop his boyfriend. When Stolas was silently blinking at him, waiting for him to continue, he added: "I'm not going to judge you, I swear. If it is something I can't do, you know we can talk about it, see how best we can try something similar that would be alright for both of us. But I guess it's not only about sex if you're acting that way."
"Ah, yes and no. Technically, it's nothing we haven't done before, it's just… I… Could you tie me up, you know, to the headboard like usual? And… And cut me? Shallow cuts of course, maybe more on the arms or legs, but…"
Blitz didn't react at first, because it was so similar to things they did numerous times already before. But then he started to picture the scene, and he realized where this was going.
"Wait… Do you mean… You want to recreate the moment they… They hurt you?" He asked, bewildered.
"Well… Yes. Darling, you know sooner or later, we will want to do something like that again", Stolas pointed out. "I do not want to think back of that time if it happens. I want to think about you, to feel safe, to feel loved."
The imp looked down, pondering hard.
"I… I don't know Stol's… Isn't it too soon?"
"Not if I'm asking Blitz. I… I don't want to wait. I fear it will be worse if we wait. I just… Don't want to risk this spoiling our moments."
"Yeah, yeah, I get it. I guess we can try if you're sure… But you better tell me if it gets too much, alright? We can stop any time and continue later, alright?"
"Of course!" Stolas smiled, looking reassured, as he immediately went to the headboard to put himself in position to be tied up. He was looking so expectantly at Blitz, the imp could only sigh and give up, but he wasn't fully convinced yet.
He hadn't wanted to have sex since the incident, because it would have meant they would both be vulnerable. Here, in Stolas' palace, it wasn't as bad as it has been in the hospital, he could probably take the risk here. Stolas was right, he had to relax a bit, to let go. But… It wasn't just about that. He was ready for sex again, and he knew Stolas was physically recovered enough too, has been for a few days already. But this?
Oh, this was something else entirely, and Blitz was still a bit unsure, but he was already taking out the ropes, a few other toys just in case, and the knife they used in the bedroom only.
First, tie Stolas' hands above his head. He had done it so many times before, yet today he was feeling bad. Sure, the owl had asked him to do it, and their surroundings were different enough that he wasn't having flash backs of when he found Stolas, his chest feathers being fully blue gray again probably helping, but…
He didn't know. It was just weird.
"How does it feel? Not too tight?" Blitz asked, checking the knots.
"It's perfect Blitzy, as usual", Stolas smiled reassuringly.
"Okay, good. Do you… Do you want me to start with the knife? No, wait, I should probably do something nicer first, like eating you out…"
"I think I'd prefer if you started with the knife. Show me who's the boss, will you daddy?" Stolas purred playfully, splaying his legs and straightening his arms as an invitation.
Blitz hesitated again, but went with it. Stolas was better at knowing what he wanted without using dubious coping mechanisms now, so he should probably trust him, and reward him for his good behavior, but… There was still something not sitting right with him.
He returned with the knife in hand, and Stolas immediately stiffened at the sight, his smile getting smaller.
"You sure?" The imp asked one more time, and the look Stolas sent him back was decided more than aroused.
"Yes please. Go ahead."
This is wrong, Blitz's mind told him as he approached the blade to the owl's arm. You're not helping him, you're going to make it worse. Stop it now, while you can.
But… How would he explain it? Stolas has used his words, he wanted it, and even if he didn't look like he was looking forward to it, like he would usually be, he wasn't calling in any safe word yet. He had to trust his boyfriend, right? That's what they discussed earlier, between the first and second movie.
"Darling?" Stolas asked with a hint of worry, as Blitz had stopped the blade a few centimeters from his skin and had stopped moving. "Are you alright? If you don't feel up to it, we still can do it later…"
"No, no! I'm alright", Blitz assured him. "I was just thinking, that maybe we were jumping in a bit too quickly. But if you're sure that's what you want…"
Stolas nodded vehemently again, and Blitz sighed, finally starting cutting the skin.
Fuck, this was so stupid. He had helped his boyfriend to heal, cared for him, and now he was hurting him. Sure, they often did that, and those would be gone by tomorrow morning, but…
But Stolas was trembling. He had barely finished the first cut that his bird's eyes had dulled, and it was like if he was shivering as he was also starting to hyperventilate.
"Okay, I'm calling a r…" Blitz started, stepping back from Stolas, but the owl caught him with his legs to prevent him from going too far.
"No!" He cut him before he could finish saying the last word. "No, please, I want this!"
"But you're shaking! It's not going to do anything good, you're just gonna revive when those fuckers tried to kill you, and it's just gonna make things worse. I… I don't want you to remember that moment. I know you were in so much pain, I don't…"
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked to start by this", Stolas apologized with a desperate hint to his voice. "We're just doing this wrong, I was asking you to do this wrong, but it can work! Please! Let's, let's start by something else, then you can try using the knife again."
Blitz pondered for a few seconds about it, before he looked up at the owl, gaze serious. Stolas looked back, unsure if this was the determination of a boyfriend who wanted to call it off for his sake, or a boyfriend who was ready to try again, because he asked.
To be honest, Stolas wasn't sure there was truly a bad option, but he still wished Blitz would pick the second…
Only to gasp when the imp pulled his head back roughly by his head feathers.
"Since when are you dictating me how I should take care of you? Careful birdie, you've been such a good boy so far, it would be a shame if I had to punish you", he threatened with a low voice, blade pointing threateningly toward his throat, but without contact.
It was more than enough for the blush to return and Stolas' feathers to fluff up, and he moaned when Blitz tugged on his head.
"Well? I'm waiting for an answer."
"Sorry daddy, I'll be careful daddy… But if you could just… Aaah!"
The owl moaned again as the knife was pressed against his arm, just shy of slicing.
"You're going to wait until I ask you before giving your opinion, alright?"
"Yes daddy, sorry daddy", Stolas breathed.
Blitz nodded and removed the blade, as well as letting go of Stolas' head.
"Good."
Then, it was as if he deflated, caressing Stolas' cheek worriedly.
"So… Was it alright? It wasn't too much? Was it…"
He was cut by a beak against his mouth, and in seconds, a tongue was meeting his, the kiss so quick and intense he hadn't even realized he had closed his eyes nor when. When Stolas finally pulled back so his imp could suck in some air, all he had in answer was a proud smile.
"You see, that is why I love you darling, you know just the way to talk to me."
Blitz shook his head to get out of the haze induced by the kiss, and put on a confident smile.
"Eh, no problem Stol's. I take it it was alright?"
"Yes, please keep going. They didn't… I don't remember them cutting me open, I told you, right?"
"Yeah, yeah, your heart was already out when you woke up as they watched from afar like cowards… Well, I'm not gonna mimic that whole shit tonight, but I'm sure we can have a bit of fun with the knife if you still feel up to it. So, ready to be a brat needing to be punished?"
Stolas smiled and squirmed in his bonds.
"Always Blitzy."
Then, they started the scene again, but this time, with the same assurance, the same playfulness of two players who knew the rules and had learned to perfectly coordinate with each other. Feelings of pain were replaced with oceans of pleasure, and the bad memories were washed away in the warmth and the new, and when they laid down by the end of what was definitely more than one or two rounds, they were both sated and happy, Blitz's head pressing on Stolas' chest, where his short feathers allowed him to clearly hear his heart strongly beat in his chest, his low purring adding to their well-being and their general feeling of afterglow, and it finally felt as if they were truly back to normal again. Now, all that remained was to look ahead, and enjoy themselves as much as possible on the way there.
13/11/2024
Expect a break before the next one. See you!