Archive of Our Own

One would think that five rounds would be overkill, but of course Stolas didn’t care. Every ache and soreness in his body was completely worth it. He now lay on his front, letting out a warm and happy sigh as he relaxed. There was nothing like a few good rounds of passionate fornication with his favourite imp.

Stolas lay there and closed his eyes, lazily waving his hand to magically clean the sheets of their sex, sweat and bodily fluids. Even though he could still feel a mix of their combined essences leaking from his cloaca. Not that Stolas minded; he loved that sensation. Blitz called it being creampied, amusingly enough. Not that it was unexpected for Blitz to have an endearing colloquialism for something.

Moments later, Stolas felt a weight on his back and he realised that Blitz was now draped over his body. He giggled, welcoming the weight of his beloved and closed his eyes.

“Oh Blitzy, you are insatiable tonight!~” Stolas exclaimed happily. “If you want another round, that’s perfectly fine with me, I’m just going to need a moment.”

“You’re the thirsty ass bitch who can’t get enough of my dick!” Blitz replied with clear mirth in his tone.

“Ah, but I made sure to have my fingers inside of you many times, ensuring you would been able to keep going,” Stolas purred, turning his head all the way round to look at him.

Blitz snorted and pouted as he sat up, straddling Stolas’ hips. “You good? Need anything? Does something hurt?”

Stolas hummed happily and turned his head back facing the front. “My shoulders and lower back are rather tense, dear. Could your magical fingers please ease them?”

“You got it,” Blitz said as he went right to work. “But if you get off on it, I’ll eat you out.”

“You’ve already eaten me out twice tonight, darling!” Stolas laughed, delighted at the notion.

“And you sucked me off twice too!” Blitz retorted sassily. “What’s your point?”

“Mm, nothing~” Stolas winked at him over his shoulder. He let his head fall onto his pillow, letting out sighs of pleasure as his shoulders were being rubbed. “Ohhh.. there we go… that’s it… a little lower, please.”

Blitz obliged and kneaded his fingers lower to some pressure points. “Other than a rub down, you’re good? Need anything else?”

“Thank you, Blitz. I’m fine,” Stolas assured him, relaxing more into the touches. He arched his back a little, but remained sprawled on the bed. “Mm… you always take such good care of me, love.”

He felt Blitz stiffen slightly and slow his work, but it resumed moments later. Being in that delicate state between more-than-friends-but-not-dating was… interesting. Their encounter upon Stolas giving Blitz the Asmodean Crystal was both emotionally draining and yet so needed between them. It was part of what led them to where they were now. While Blitz didn’t outright say the words, he did end up making it clear that he had feelings for Stolas right back. It had been enough. Blitz wanted time to work on himself and was open to them just seeing where things went.

For now, Stolas was perfectly alright with building their bond in earnest, with no Grimoire between them, nothing binding them together. They were just two men with feelings for each other and wanted to get closer. It was better this way. Less uncertainty, less comfortable lies, and gradually becoming more open.

Stolas just couldn’t help calling him more endearing nicknames, often with “love” involved. Blitz never objected to them, but he did blush and get shy whenever they were used.

“Well, yeah,” Blitz said airily. “Of course I’m gonna take care of you after we fuck.”

Stolas hummed softly, knowing that to be true. Even after their first night together, Blitz checked on him every step of the way and in the aftermath. No matter how much Blitz waved it off in that only complete douchebags didn’t check with their bedmate (if allowed to), but he was always so caring and thorough.

Blitz finished massaging to Stolas’ liking and the prince happily rolled onto his back, basking more in the afterglow of their sex. He watched as Blitz fetched a wet cloth and brought it back to clean Stolas and then himself. Such a darling his Blitzy was.

Then came the part that Stolas adored the most. Blitz lay on top of him again and proceeded to rub himself and his face into Stolas’ feathers. It was a strange little routine that Blitz had for quite some time now. Ever since they’d made amends and were getting closer again, Blitz had taken to this new little ritual.

Blitz nuzzled and rubbed his face into Stolas’ feathers as he moved up the owl’s body. All the while, he purred deep in his throat. He always purred when doing this routine. Carefully and slowly, while gently toying with the feathers, Blitz nestled his face into them in a rhythmic fashion. He inched to another spot and repeated the process. His fingers splayed through the feathers, caressing them. The purring kept up and Stolas felt the faint vibrations from the imp’s throat.

Stolas was delighted by every aspect of it and especially loved the imp’s purring. He reached up and stroked Blitz’s horns lightly, beaming at him.

“You’re so adorable when you purr, baby boy,” Stolas cooed.

“I know, I know.” This of course had Blitz pouting and looking away, grumbling. He was evidently blushing and his tail wagged ferociously, though. “Just go to sleep, Stols.”

“As long as you let me cuddle you, sweetheart.” Stolas ran a finger along one of Blitz’s horns and down the slope of his face.

“...Of course,” Blitz murmured, his voice soft.

Although Stolas closed his eyes and settled, he just pretended to fall asleep. Just so he could see what the imp would do and how long he’d keep up the ritual. 

Blitz kept at it, rubbing his face and body along Stolas in various places. He purred like an engine the whole time and sometimes made other little soft noises. At least Blitz thinking he was asleep would mean an unfiltered experience. So Stolas remained there, slowed his breathing and heart rate enough to fool Blitz into thinking he was truly asleep. Being an assassin meant keeping his eyes and ears peeled, so he had to play it smart.

It was just hard when all he wanted to do was cuddle his beloved and sleep with him.

Some time went by and Blitz kept it up. By then, Stolas felt himself beginning to drift off, and was settling into his mind just barely sinking into a dreamlike state as his mind wandered on its own free will.

At least, that was until he felt a very odd sensation on his left arm. That was especially strange. Especially since the sensation felt warm, dry, and slightly rough as it was dragging across his feathers. The sensation was far from unpleasant, but it was strange.

What was going on?

Stolas blinked his eyes open and looked over at the source. To his shock, it was Blitz licking his arm. While Blitz licking him was nothing new, it felt different than before since his tongue was noticeably dry. On top of that, it was on his arm and didn't seem to be with any intent to entice. It was slow, methodical licking along his feathers before smoothing out the calamus with his fingers, but his tongue did most of the work.

All the while, Blitz was purring and his eyes were half open, as though he were zoned out. He kept licking and put his hands down on Stolas’ arm as if to hold it in place. He purred and his tail flicked about periodically.

This was so confusing. Why was Blitz doing this?

“Blitzy?” Stolas said softly with confusion. “What are you doing?”

Blitz suddenly stopped mid-lick and his eyes popped open fully before blinking a couple of times. If not for how worried Stolas felt about the imp’s reaction, he would’ve found the vision of Blitz’s tongue mid-licking his arm and looking comically shocked, absolutely hilarious and adorable. But he could sense that Blitz was genuinely shocked and his posture now indicated he was tense and about to move.

Before Stolas could blink, Blitz was suddenly flying off the bed. He had his boxers on already and was now searching for his clothes in a hurry. Worry surged through Stolas as he saw how alarmed and scared Blitz looked at this moment. The imp’s eyes were wide, he was blushing furiously and he was babbling nonsense Stolas couldn’t discern.

“Blitz, wait!” Stolas levitated his robe over to himself and pulled it on. “It’s alright–”

“-dent… stuff–okay gotta go bye!” Blitz stammered incoherently as he rushed for the balcony doors as if on fire.

“Blitz!” Stolas went after him, but stopped short as he saw Blitz practically hurl himself off the balcony.

Heart sinking, he stopped in his tracks and could only stand there as he heard Blitz start his van and peel away. He couldn’t force Blitz to stay, no matter how much this was worrying him. It was just so odd, what had set Blitz off and made him so scared that he felt he had to flee?

Sighing sadly, Stolas returned to his bed and levitated his phone over to him. He sent Blitz a text, letting him know he was sorry if he had said or done anything to trigger panic and that everything was fine. 

An hour went by. No response. Not even well after Stolas knew Blitz would be home.

Stolas had just sat there, heart in his stomach and his mind reeling. He wondered if some kind of trigger from Blitz’s past might have gotten to him. No, Blitz had been blushing and came off as embarrassed more than genuinely panicked and terrified. But it was still visceral; very real.

But what could it have been? Nothing was adding up or making sense. Stolas groaned and began to weep again. Having no answer or solution to make his beloved feel better tore him apart. He curled up in his bed, taking the pillow Blitz often used and hugged it to himself. It still smelled like the imp.

Stolas softly cried himself to sleep. Hopefully tomorrow would be better.

The following day was not better.

No answers to any text and any calls either went to voicemail or let ring. Stolas left a voicemail and a text message and then gave up. He didn’t want to be pushy and give Blitz even more reason to avoid him.

Stolas was disheartened and had no option but to wait now.

“Blitz, I don’t appreciate being ghosted. If I did something wrong, tell me. I will amend it, you know that. I’m not asking, I’m telling you, please call me.”

That was the latest voicemail Stolas left.

It was Monday. Everything had occurred on Friday night. Stolas was still left with no answers from Blitz at all. No texts, no calls. Amidst his despair, he was beginning to get upset. This was rude and it hurt. Blitz could be better than this.

So Stolas sent Moxxie a text, asking about his boss. Moxxie reported that Blitz was antsy and a bit dodgy about conversations, but was clearly trying to be fine. Stolas hated to do this, but he told Moxxie to tell Blitz to please call him. He could have asked Octavia, since she worked at I.M.P too, but decided against involving his daughter.

Moxxie reported back that Blitz said he would “call when he wasn’t busy”.

Well.

Stolas sighed and thanked Moxxie for his help.

He had half a mind to just barge into I.M.P and demand answers. But he didn’t want to make Blitz upset and feel violated. Nor did he want to disturb Octavia and drag her into this mess.

It had been a few days. What was he supposed to do? Everything about it weighed on him and it was hard not to see it as his fault. Stolas tried to focus on other things to keep his mind off it, but nothing he did (outside of spending time with Octavia) helped.

Nothing about this situation made sense.

Stolas sat listlessly in his study while one of his plants, Blitz II (known also as Twoey), looked at him and made little concerned warbles. He’d done his gardening work for the morning but now just sat there, staring at the floor miserably. It felt as though his entire body weighed down, his stomach coiled uncomfortably, and his head swam.

Yet again he tried to understand the situation. He idly reached over and tickled a finger under Twoey’s chin. The plant chirped and closed his eyes in delight. Stolas managed a tiny smile, but it dropped moments later. His face felt too heavy to hold a smile.

Stolas stared at his phone screen, unblinking, until it went dark in sleep mode. Stolas set the phone down on his desk and then palmed his face.

“I don't understand, Twoey,” Stolas lamented. “He’s licked me before. All over my body. I don’t understand why that particular moment seemed to trigger him so badly. He was doing nothing wrong! It makes no sense… And now he won’t talk to me.”

Twoey warbled sadly.

“It hurts,” Stolas murmured with a sniffle. “Doesn’t he know he can talk to me? That I will not pass judgment and listen to him? I always have and I will continue to do so. But why is he avoiding me? I want to understand, but avoiding me is so hurtful.”

Twoey nuzzled his hand.

Petting the plant gently, Stolas shifted his eyes to a framed photo of Blitz he had on his desk. It was a selfie Blitz had taken just for him with the imp grinning at the camera while riding a horse. Because Blitz said he wanted to give Stolas plenty more happier photos of him to have on his phone.

Gazing at the photo warmed his heart and yet made it sink all at once.

“I’m going to put my foot down,” Stolas murmured with an exhale. “He can’t avoid me like this and I will not put up with such behaviour. I have standards and I will not let him treat me this way. I don’t want to be angry or scornful at him, I know he didn’t intend to hurt me.”

Twoey warbled in response.

“But until then, I need to know why he ran away,” Stolas murmured as he leaned back in his chair. “What was so embarrassing about being caught licking me?”

Twoey made another little noise, blinking all of his eyes out of sync.

“That’s what I truly don’t understand. Why would him being caught licking me be such a trigger for him? I can’t imagine why,” Stolas sighed as he hugged himself. “That was all he did before fleeing. He licks me all the time! He wasn’t saying or doing anything embarrassing while assuming I was asleep. Yet he acted as though that were the case. But from licking? Why?”

Twoey nuzzled his arm lightly and warbled.

“I’ll have to try and figure this out. But please… don’t be mad at him. Please,” Stolas pleaded. “I really hate others being angy at him on my behalf. So when he visits, please be kind.”

Twoey made a motion that was like nodding, spreading his leaves in a flourish.

“Thank you, dear.” Stolas smiled sadly and gave a thankful stroke along the plant’s head. Twoey closed his eyes in delight and leaned into his hand. “I just hope I can figure this out soon. I don’t like this wall between him and I.”

Stolas spent the rest of the day doing some work, attending a meeting, and then tending to his garden. While the distractions helped to ease his mind, he was still left wrought with confusion and worry.

Octavia had come home from work and Stolas kept it all to himself so as not to worry her. He texted Moxxie to an update, which Moxxie said that Blitz was still acting a bit off and distant even as they left. Stolas thanked him again, and then asked Moxxie if being caught licking was embarrassing.

A very confused Moxxie called him after that.

“I’m going to need some context, Stolas,” Moxxie said, sounding weirded out. “And please leave out the dirty details. I’m well aware that you’re thirsty for my boss, but I don’t need to know.”

Stolas chuckled in amusement. “No, those details are private between him and I. Anyway, the reason he fled was because I caught him licking me on the arm. It wasn’t sexual, he was just licking me there. When I tried to ask him what he was doing, he became scared, as though I had caught him doing something embarrassing, and he fled. It made no sense to me and I wonder… is it an imp thing? I apologise if it sounds untoward of me to ask, but I just need to know.”

Moxxie let out a hum and then said, “It can be. Sometimes imps might revert to certain instincts moreso than others, it depends on the person. Did you know that there’s even an old wives’ tale that says if you can fit your head between an imp’s horns, it means you’re their soulmate?” He laughed at this. “Some imps have perfectly spaced horns, so it doesn’t even work sometimes! Anyway, if you really want to look into that possibility, you can consult an imp expert. They’d be able to explain it better than I ever could and I don’t want to give you any misinformation. But if I’m right, then it’s very possible Blitz reverted into some kind of an impish instinct and it got to him a little.” 

“Ah… I see, so it could be an imp thing,” Stolas said thoughtfully. “Thank you, I’ll look into consulting with an expert on this. Hopefully it will solve that problem.”

“Of course,” Moxxie sighed knowingly. “You really are so patient with his antics. If this were me, I’d have left ages ago.”

“Mm, would you be thinking that if it were Mildred?”

Moxxie sputtered and Stolas laughed.

“Touché,” Moxxie conceded. He then said, “I hope you two get a chance to talk. Even I know he wouldn’t do anything like that without a reason.”

“Of course,” Stolas agreed. “I hope he’s alright.”

“He will be soon, knowing him.”

Stolas ended the call and then produced his laptop, getting onto Gaggle. Unfortunately, researching as to why imps licked others led to… sexual results. Not  unwelcome, but not the information he was looking for.

After scrolling, he came across a website that seemed to be about the biology and psychology of imps. How had he not looked into this further before? One of the runners of the site was an imp doctor known as Dr. E.P. Rime, who was also partnered with Dr. T.D. Wolfe, a hellhound.

There was contact information, so Stolas figured to go right to the source. Normally he loved research, but he needed a thorough answer right now. He sent her an email and explained the situation.

That was done within five minutes.

Now what?

Stolas slumped over, wondering when he’d gotten so impatient.

He watched cute videos of unlikely animal friendships to cheer himself up.

Finally, he received an email notification and checked to see that, to his relief, Dr. Rime responded to him.

-Good afternoon, your highness! Thank you for reaching out!

I just wanted to ask you a couple of questions to get the fuller picture about your bond with your imp lover.

• How long have you been seeing him?

• Does your staff avoid him and your room after your activities?

• How long ago did he start rubbing himself all over your body?

• What did he look like when he was licking you before you spoke up?

• Has he licked you like that before? If so, when did it start?

• Was there any saliva present when he licked you?

I hope to be of help to you since I know that imp biology and psychology isn’t always easy to understand when you aren’t an imp! Let me know if you have any other questions you’d like me to answer. I promise you, anything we talk about is confidential and there’s nothing I haven’t heard before.

Looking forward to hearing from you, your highness!

Sincerely, Dr. E.P. Rime, PhD

Well. at least she was prompt in replying. Stolas felt a tad reassured and went about responding to her email.

-Good afternoon once again Dr. Rime, I appreciate your prompt response! I’ll be happy to answer your questions regarding Blitz.

• A year and a half was when we started sleeping together.

• Yes. It was a simple habit at first so as not to tip off my ex-wife, but noticeably my staff seem a tad perturbed when I ask them for any assistance cleaning my room after my nights with Blitz. I assumed they were merely uncomfortable due to my being their employer and being involved with someone.

• His body rubbing started approximately two months ago.

• He was pleased, his eyelids were lowered and his eyes were in a haze. Almost as though he were drunk, but he was completely aware of what he was doing, from what I could tell.

• If he had licked me in that manner, I wouldn’t know. There are times I’m rather sleepy after our rendez-vous and so I end up going to sleep.

• No, there was no saliva.

After sending it off, Stolas yet again had to distract himself and try not to let the situation get to him. He had to remember the bottom line; Blitz was a traumatized man and reacted in certain ways due to said trauma. Sometimes the need to hide away would spring up. The last thing he wanted was to shame Blitz for how he felt and he hoped when they met up that it could be communicated.

While they’d gotten marginally better at communicating, it didn’t mean Stolas always had confidence in being able to effectively do so.

He also hoped Blitz was okay despite what Moxxie had relayed. 

Stolas busied himself for a while, as much as he could, anyway. As much as he was reassured that Dr. Rime would get back to him sometime soon, it didn’t do much to quell the unease in his gut.

Still nothing from Blitz, either.

They were going to have to have a serious talk the next time they met.

The sinking feeling in his gut didn’t cease, his heart clenched, and his mind was too jumbled to focus. Stolas even stood and went through the curtains into his cosmos dimension. A place he went into many times for his work, or when he would need the kind of safe place to think. He walked along the watery surface, gazing out upon the many planets and stars.

Hugging himself, he went along, humming to soothe his unease. Stolas gazed up upon the looming reddish moon he’d once had to represent Blitz. As he concentrated, thought hard on it, he could imagine that same constellation silhouette of Blitz curled up inside it, protecting himself from the outside world. Stolas’ heartstrings tugged once more as he clutched his chest.

Blitz had to be withdrawn and scared now. Still untrusting and afraid of opening up about what ailed him. 

Sniffling, Stolas kept along, never tearing his gaze from the moon.

“Oh, Blitz… what is troubling you so, my love?” He asked out into the endless void of nothingness.

For a while, Stolas knelt in the water, reaching out to the moon, his emotions going everywhere. Tears filled his eyes and he began to cry softly. Why, he didn’t even know anymore.

Time passed and he returned to his desk. Nothing on his phone, as usual, much to his dismay.

Luckily, Dr. Rime had gotten back to him in the interim. Stolas checked his email, finding quite a bit of text, and happily went about reading it.

-Hello your highness, I have the answers you need! First off, I’m going to be sending you a copy of my book to better help you understand your lover. I’ll send you my payment details down below and once it processes, I’ll ship it right over!

For now, I’m including an excerpt from my book that pertains to your situation! If you have any further questions, feel free to contact me again!

I hope this helps you, your highness!

~

~ Scent marking: Imps rub their cheeks or bodies against things to leave their scent behind. They have a good sense of smell and it’s their way of claiming a place or object as their own. They also do it with family or “mates”, to let others know that this person is under their protection/belongs to them. 

For another imp to invade a space or get close to someone claimed can lead to fights to the death between imps.

Among imps, grooming is an activity that is typically done between mates, family, or very close friends. It’s a bonding activity that provides a sense of closeness and relaxation between two imps. 

Typically, tongues, teeth, and claws are used during the grooming process, and imp tongues won’t produce any saliva during the grooming. Parents groom their children immediately after they are born to form a better bond with them. Siblings also will groom one another to reaffirm bonds. With friends, it’s an activity that typically only occurs when one imp is stressed or needs reassurance. It offers comfort and strengthens the bond they have. 

For mates, it’s an activity done to show affection and help relieve stress. A major part of the grooming is meant to show love for one’s mate without using words.

When it comes to mates, initiating the grooming process too early or with an unwilling partner can lead to complete rejection between two imps. Other issues can come from one partner being unwilling or unable to reciprocate, which usually leads to both imps parting ways.

~

Based on what you disclosed to me, it seems that your lover was scent marking you and attempting to groom you. So here are a couple of tips, but keep note, these will only work if your lover does see you as a potential mate. 

• Appear disheveled and in need of being groomed

• Distract your lover, keep them talking if you must

• Allow your lover to come to you at their own pace

• When they start to groom you, let them and try not to remark on it until they’re in a comfortable rhythm and can see you’re enjoying it.

I hope this helps you! Be well and give my best to your lover. I hope you two work this out.

Sincerely, Dr. E.P. Rime, PhD

Stolas had to lean back in his chair as his mind burst from this newfound information. He quietly closed his laptop, stood, and went to his room. He needed to be alone and unseen by anyone for now.

Stolas entered his bedroom, closed the door, and crossed into the bathroom.

It was all clicking into place like a missing puzzle piece. Could it be that Blitz truly did see Stolas as a mate? Considering that Blitz was often insecure and shy about showing affection, his reaction made sense. He’d somehow perceived Stolas’ question as a rejection to letting Blitz see him as a mate and fled out of shame. All rational thought had to have left and what remained were his imp instincts.

Heart stinging, Stolas wanted to cry. He’d gone and made Blitz believe, yet again, that his feelings weren’t mutual. Imp instinct or not. There wasn’t even any way of knowing if Blitz was aware of his instincts kicking in. Either way, it wasn’t fair to him at all.

Palming his face in his hands, Stolas sighed sadly and his shoulders sagged. Why did he keep doing this? Why did he fail in making Blitz feel loved and secure? Why didn’t Blitz just realise how much of a terrible lover Stolas was and leave for someone better?

Trembling, Stolas had to try and calm his shaking fingers and lowered them to his desk to seek purchase. No, he couldn’t let his own instincts take over and pluck his feathers. Not again. His hands shook and he tried flattening them along the surface. All the while he closed his eyes and attempted to control his breathing.

“You’re okay… You’re fine, you’re alright…” Stolas uttered to himself, grabbing at his chest to try and calm his racing heart. 

Staring at his reflection, who looked haggard and worried, Stolas huffed and narrowed his eyes.

“This is about Blitz… You’re worried for Blitz. Stop making this about you, you fool. Don’t you dare pluck those feathers. Don’t do that to yourself, you utter fool. Why didn’t you know better… Why did you have to go and make Blitz scared and feeling unloved? Again? What in Hell is wrong with you?” Stolas now glared at his reflection. “Oh, feeling the urge to pluck your feathers, are we? Well lovely, go ahead and make this worse. You really want to pluck them, don’t you?”

The urge was there and Stolas trembled as his feathers completely drooped, reflecting his mood. He uttered a choked cry and his hand fell to the counter of his vanity. Tears fell from his face, Stolas sniffled, and all he could do was stare at himself.

No, he couldn’t pluck!

But he wanted to! Needed to!

Even though Blitz looked horrified during that once instance a while back when Stolas had been plucking his feathers (not enough to leave bald spots, at least) and leaving a mess. Even though Blitz had fretted over him and hurried over to help him. To help him stop plucking. To help him stay grounded and calm down. 

Then, Blitz had helped him preen. He’d been so patient, so loving, and making sure all of Stolas’ feathers were clean, smelling good, and laid out exactly as they should be. Stolas had sobbed the whole time, feeling so unworthy of his beloved Blitz helping him that way.

Would Blitz ever do that for him again?

Or was this over before their relationship could truly take hold?

No…

He couldn’t let it end like this.

‘I will try to make amends for making you means to an end.’

The words echoed in his mind and Stolas closed his eyes, taking a few breaths to steady himself. His body finally seemed to listen to his desperate please to release the tension and stay grounded. Even his heart stopped racing.

Stolas opened his eyes and let out another breath. Good. This was better than before and he was steadily regaining himself.

No more crying, no more despair, he was going to find a way to fix this. If Blitz truly viewed him as his mate and needed the reassurance, so be it.

Stolas would give him that reassurance.

Blitz needed this. Blitz needed him.

He looked at his reflection, at his disheveled, droopy feathers, and an inkling of an idea sparked in his mind. Clarity overtook him and finally, Stolas could focus. There was a clearer path to what he could do. The knowledge he now possessed would be valuable in getting through to his beloved imp.

Stolas had done his share of calming activities and kept his mind focused. Eager as he was to set his plan into motion, he still needed to be grounded and keep himself going. It had worked and Stolas felt more at ease than ever before. He had a good plan that would hopefully have Blitz respond to his own instincts.

The question was, how to get Blitz to come over? Stolas sighed as he sat at the kitchen table, drinking some much-needed tea.

Even now, there was no response and while Stolas had a deeper understanding, the fact Blitz still ghosted him continued to hurt. Moreover, it was indicative that Blitz must not have fully read the texts or listened to the voicemails.

Stolas sighed and drank more tea. Octavia entered the kitchen moments later and he smiled brightly upon seeing her.

“Hello there Via,” he greeted.

“Hey, Dad,” Octavia replied. She paused, then turned to Stolas with a troubled grimace. “Look, I don’t… know what happened with you and Blitz, but could you maybe patch things up with him? He was really weird at work today. Anytime I mentioned you when I went to see him, he just… got avoidant and twitchy.”

Deflating, Stolas sighed. “It isn’t something I wanted you to be concerned about, but I’m sorry that it came to this. There wasn’t any sort of tiff, it was just… a misunderstanding, I suppose. He won’t answer me when I try to get in touch with him.”

Octavia’s eyes widened and she groaned, shaking her head. “Why do you grownups have to make things so fucking complicated?”

“Oh, darling…” Stolas said with a sad smile. “I ask myself the same question everyday and I’m in my late thirties.”

“I know, you’re so old,” Octavia muttered. She went and grabbed a small carton of chocolate milk from the fridge, closing the door with her foot. 

“Be that as it may, he’ll come around, Via. I’m just sorry it’s affected you.”

“It’s not, it was just weird.”

“Nonetheless, I…” Stolas paused as an idea came to him.

Resorting to trickery wasn’t what Stolas wanted to do, but if Blitz wouldn’t come to him willingly, so be it. He didn’t want to use such a tactic, but if he played his cards right, it could work.

Sipping more tea, Stolas looked at Octavia as she pilfered a bag of chips from the pantry. “Via, did Loona seem affected by any of this?”

“Huh?” Octavia looked taken aback and then nodded. “I mean, she said that Blitz was acting sad and worried all weekend, and it was weirding her out because he really hasn’t been himself.”

Stolas sipped his tea again and kept his composure. “I see why, it’s been rather distressing for me as well because I’m worried about him.”

At least that was the truth.

Octavia huffed and drank some of her chocolate milk. “I bet Loona could get him to do something about it.”

Bingo.

Stolas just nodded solemnly and said, “I hope so. I really want to be able to help him.”

“Yeah…” Octavia sighed, her gaze troubled as she took out her phone.

The plan was in motion. Loona had been more than glad to pass on the message and give her father the kick in the pants he needed. According to Octavia, Blitz had left almost immediately.

It left Stolas with enough time to prepare and did he ever.

This was the exact opposite of his usual prepping routine. Normally, Stolas would be preening himself, putting on his preening oil and styling his head feathers to look just right in time for his beloved’s arrival.

Tonight, however, Stolas went all out to look disheveled. He already had a head start since he didn’t preen and didn’t style his head feathers this morning. But he made sure to do everything possible to muss up his feathers. 

Stolas ruffled and ran his fingers along them messily, thankfully without the urge to pluck them. 

He shook his head wildly.

He used a hair dryer on full blast all over his body.

He rolled around on the floor like a carpet.

He used a towel on his head coupled with static shock.

When Stolas looked at himself in the mirror, he winced. His feathers were in complete disarray, puffed out everywhere, and some were even matted. Anyone would have guessed that he hadn’t preened, let alone showered, in maybe two weeks. He didn’t like how he looked or felt, everything about it was so uncomfortable.

But if it would encourage Blitz to groom him and feel at ease, Stolas would endure it.

After all, there was so little Stolas wouldn’t do for the man he loved.

Much to Stolas’ delight, Blitz did show up on the balcony like always. It took every ounce of Stolas’ strength not to run to his little love, scoop him up, and cuddle/kiss the fuck out of him. He missed him so much. It didn’t matter that it was a few days, not weeks, not hearing anything from Blitz at all didn’t help.

He was also holding something in his hand, much to Stolas’ confusion, and was looking down at the floor.

“Okay, Stolas, just lemme say it, no bullshit small talk. I’m really sorry for ghosting you like that. I’m sorry. It wasn’t right and I have no fucking excuse.” Blitz’s tone was resigned and full of remorse.

Stolas was stunned and couldn't think of how to respond. The fact Blitz didn’t just waltz in and act like nothing happened was reassuring. That had been how they used to handle things. Of course they’d gotten better at talking, but it never failed to take him by surprise.

“I can’t even explain it, I just…” Blitz looked away some more, wiping at one of his eyes with the heel of his hand. “I’m a fucking asshole and I’m so sorry. It’s okay if you don’t believe me… Hell, I sure wouldn’t.”

Oh, no.

Blitz was in self-loathing mode. Stolas could read him like a book and one of the telltale signs was the way Blitz’s tail was wrapping around himself. His free hand was clutching at his arm, as if attempting to create a weak barrier. Faintly, there were very minute, sad impish noises escaping Blitz’s throat.

Such a state broke Stolas’ heart beyond all measure. He wished that Blitz could see himself the way Stolas saw him. How could anyone look at Blitz and not see the wonderful, passionate, caring, bold, and tenacious imp he was?

“Blitz…”

Next thing Stolas knew, Blitz was holding out what he had in his hand.

It was a single flower, a red-petaled peeping rose, and a card.

Stolas tittered and carefully took the flower and the card. On the front was an adorable doodle drawn by Blitz consisting of himself, as a tall-necked horse, and a smaller Blitz-shaped horse. Hearts were drawn all around them along with a scrawled FOR STOLAS beneath them. He opened the card, finding more text (with misspellings, of course), more horse doodles, and sad sketches of them both crying.

Stolas

soree fr bein a jerk & ignoring u

u ddn do antng wron

it was all me

sorree :( 

Stolas sniffled softly and completely forgot about what his original intentions were. He went and placed the sweet little flower into a vase that was already occupied with some. He gently caressed the petals briefly, touched by the gesture. After a moment, he returned to where his beloved was standing.

“I can go… or if you want me to stay, I will,” Blitz said, now holding onto his tail and still not looking at him.

“Blitz… darling… I appreciate your apology,” Stolas said softly, getting the imp’s attention. “Please stay. I just want us to talk. Please, baby boy?”

Finally, Blitz managed to look up at him. The instant he did, Blitz froze in shock. His eyes roamed all over Stolas’ body, his mouth hung open, and his tail began to lash about. After a few moments, his eyes narrowed and his brow furrowed with discontent and concern.

“The fuck happened to you?!” Blitz exclaimed, gesturing toward Stolas with his hand. “You look like you got electrocuted and haven’t seen a comb in weeks! It’s like-Christ on a stick Stolas, why?!”

Taken aback by the reaction, Stolas’ eyes widened and he sputtered in an attempt to speak. Blitz’s reaction was both comical and slightly worrisome. Why, he’d even expected the imp to point and laugh at him for how silly he looked! This was completely unexpected.

“Ah… well… I…” Stolas stammered, letting out a nervous chuckle. He fiddled with some of his feathers, which he noticed Blitz’s eyes following. “It’s just some disheveled feathers in disarray, that’s all.”

“Some disheveled feathers is when you have bed head or maybe it was too damp and windy!” Blitz cried, approaching him now. “This is your whole fucking body! Even your fluffy tits are a fucking mess! What the fuck did you do to yourself?!”

“It’s nothing, Blitz! I’m just disheveled and a little out of sorts,” Stolas insisted. He kept fiddling with his feathers, not attempting to pluck them, but mussing them up further.

“Out of sorts my ass!” Blitz shot back, shaking his head and advancing on him, a determined gaze on his handsome face. “Get your feathered ass on the bed now or I’m putting you there and tying you down! And don’t even think about getting horny about it, because that’s not what I mean! For fuck’s sake Stolas, how the hell did you let yourself go this bad in two and a half days?!”

In what world were Blitz’s threats such as that anything but sexy? Stolas decided not to comment on that. The ferocity and determination in his beloved’s eyes was far too intoxicating.

Blitz’s advancements had Stolas backing away, not out of fear, just going along. When the back of his legs hit the bed, Stolas let himself fall back onto it. He expected Blitz to follow, but when he sat up, Stolas spied the imp inspecting the room, and then going to the door and peering out into the hall. Afterwards, Blitz closed the door and then got onto the bed. Stolas had no time to react before he was pushed back down and Blitz was on top of him, straddling his waist.

“What happened, Stolas? Why’d you let this happen to yourself?” Blitz wanted to know, his tail lashed, and his hands were shaking.

“Blitz, please!” Stolas exclaimed a bit louder than he’d intended. “I’m fine, really.”

Frowning, Blitz huffed and then paused. He looked away and something seemed to dawn on him. With his grip on Stolas’ arms loosening, Blitz gazed down at him with worry, his eyes full of rue.

“Is it… me?” Blitz’s voice cracked with emotion.

Oh no.

The last thing Stolas wanted was to make his beloved spiral and get upset at himself. He could tell Blitz was in despaired guilt mode and his tail was rising to wrap around in an attempt to shield himself.

No, he had to do this right.

“Please don’t fret about my feathers, darling,” Stolas said firmly as he sat up. His robe fell off his shoulders and Blitz’s eyes roamed his body. “I do want to talk to you about the other night. Yes, I was disheartened when you fled. However, what hurt me more was the fact you ignored me and didn’t tell me why.”

As expected, Blitz deflated and guilt overtook his features. Stolas hummed and tilted Blitz’s chin to meet his gaze.

“If you ever need space, I’ll gladly give it,” Stolas assured him and kissed the imp’s circus insignia.

Blitz let out a sniffle and sighed, taking Stolas’ hand in both of his. “I’m really sorry I did that.”

“I know you are and I accept your apology.” Stolas kept his voice calm and firm, but not in a way that would make Blitz feel like a scolded child. “Don’t do that again. I will not tolerate that kind of behaviour.”

Exhaling, Blitz nodded. “I-I’ll do better about that. But if I ever do get that stupid, you can barge into my office. Don’t even listen to me when I inevitably become an ass about it. Put me in my place.”

“I’ll hold you to it,” Stolas said coolly. Then he softened and kissed Blitz on the cheek. “Talk to me, sweetheart. Did you flee because I caught you when you attempted to groom me?”

Eyes going wide, Blitz’s mouth hung open and he stared with shock. He stuttered and was squeezing Stolas’ hand tightly while his tail lashed about.

“H-How do you know about that?” Blitz asked in a small voice, looking more like a child awaiting a scolding.

Smiling warmly, Stolas kissed him on the forehead again. “I’ve done some research, my love. I also know that you have been scent marking me for the past few months now.”

Now Blitz recoiled, trembling, but didn’t let go of Stolas’ hand.

“I admit that I was ignorant of most imp instincts, but I know now that you had scent marked me and were attempting to groom me.” Stolas caressed Blitz’s cheek with his free hand. “You left because you assumed I was rejecting your attempts.”

With his gaze downcast, Blitz didn’t even need to answer, and Stolas understood. He gave the imp a few moments to gather himself, just so he wouldn’t get scared and run off again.

Stolas nuzzled Blitz gently with his beak and said, “Why would you think having you groom me is something I wouldn’t be interested in?”

Snapping his gaze up, Blitz looked at him with surprise. Stolas took the moment to thread their fingers together, which his beloved didn’t resist.

After a moment or so, Blitz managed to say in a broken voice, “Because… being licked outside of sex isn’t something that non-imps appreciate. I-I didn’t mean to do it, I was just… it’s…”

“Imp instinct,” Stolas finished for him. “As I said, I did some research. My apologies for not having done so before. I take it that it’s very common for other demons not to take well to the idea?”

Blitz didn’t look at him, his countenance troubled and upset. He squeezed Stolas’ hand a little, bringing it closer to himself for comfort. His tail lashed a bit. “Verosika hated it.”

“What?” Taken aback, Stolas gaped at him. “But why?”

“Fuck if I know,” Blitz mumbled. He sighed heavily and went on, “I tried it with her, I was feeling it, and she said nasty shit about it, that I was an idiot for assuming she’d want it. Whatever, she was just a bit drunk and had a shitty day.”

“That bitch…” Stolas muttered, clenching a fist. The more he heard about the popstar, the more he wanted to sit her down and lecture her.

“It’s not her fault. She’s not an imp and she didn’t like it,” Blitz replied. “Like I said, most demons don’t like it anyway.”

“She didn’t have to be so rude about it!” Stolas snapped and shook his head.

Now it was all clear. It hadn’t just been Blitz’s imp instinct and rejection making him flee. The event had triggered Blitz with an unfortunate, scarring memory.

It always disheartened Stolas whenever Blitz shared nuggets of his past relationship with her. While it was clear that both of them screwed up in their own ways and the relationship eventually became irreparably unhealthy, the fact it shaped how Blitz viewed himself and relationships was punishment enough.

“After I left, I felt bad for ghosting you, but didn’t even know what to say,” Blitz confessed. His voice trembled as he took a second to gather his words. “I was afraid of the rejection shitstorm and what you’d say, that you’d never want to see me again, then I felt guilty. I’m sorry about that and I feel so fucking bad.”

Seeing Blitz flinching away, Stolas softened considerably and opened his arms. “Oh… Come here, baby.”

Blitz blinked once, then obeyed, but with hesitancy, and got into Stolas’ lap. Stolas immediately enveloped his Blitzy into a warm hug and it wasn’t long before Blitz returned it. He did look at the mussed up feathers with disdain, but did lay his cheek right into Stolas’ chest plumage. 

They remained this way for a while. It took no time at all for Blitz to relax in his arms and stop trembling. Stolas reveled in holding his beloved and keeping him close.

“I was curious when you were attempting to groom me, since you hadn’t done it before,” Stolas explained. He nuzzled Blitz’s head and planted soft kisses along the flesh to reassure him. “I’m very sorry I gave you the impression that I was rejecting you and that I reminded you of past trauma.”

He felt Blitz relax some more, but kept holding tightly to him. “I know you didn’t mean to, Stolas. I just… forgot about that for a while.”

Shaking his head, “Blitz, I would love it if you groomed me.”

Blitz angled his head to look up at him, his soulful yellow and red eyes full of rue and plea. “You would?”

“Absolutely, Blitzy.” Stolas nuzzled him and kissed his forehead. “If you want to, I would love it. You always did help preen me before.”

“Well yeah, but that’s because I was using my hands.”

“And you always did a splendid job!”

“...Thanks.”

“So, if you would like, you can groom me the way an imp would do for someone they care about,” Stolas assured him with a smile. “Your imp instincts aren’t anything to be ashamed of and I want to learn more about them. Because I love you, baby boy.”

Blitz blushed now and hid his face in Stolas’ chest plumage. Despite the notion of hiding his face, he was still relaxed and the tension in his body was gone. That was a good sign. He kew Blitz had trouble saying it back, but that was fine. Stolas would wait as long as it took.

Stolas rubbed Blitz’s back in slow circles and also applied scritches to the base of his tail. Sure enough, that had Blitz nestling more into him and purring happily from the treatment.

Stolas cooed at his love’s reactions and gently tilted Blitz’s chin up. Capturing Blitz’s lips, Stolas kissed him sweetly. It had Blitz emitting a soft note, collapsing more against his body and then kissing back. Their kisses were soft, languid, with their tongues occasionally meeting.

As Blitz’s hands ran through Stolas’ feathers, there was a pause, and Blitz pulled back. He looked down, exhaled, and said, “Get your robe off, I’ll groom you because the damn mess of your feathers is driving me crazy.”

Giggling, Stolas obeyed and undied his robe, letting it fall on the bed. Now nude, Stolas lay back and admired his impish lover. Blitz’s eyes were roaming all over the owl’s body as he took off his own clothes, leaving only his boxer shorts. They were pink with horses on them, so cute.

In the long run, having an intimate moment with his darling Blitzy was going to make all of this worth it.

“Thank you, darling,” Stolas murmured, meeting Blitz’s gaze.

Averting his gaze shyly, Blitz mumbled something under his breath as he awkwardly shuffled over. His cheeks were full of blush and he was pouting, but the wagging of his tail was a telltale sign that he was happy.

Finally, Blitz went to work. He started off by gently smoothing out the feathers along Stolas’ shoulders with his fingers. Although he hesitated briefly, Blitz took a breath and brought for his tongue to lick along the feathers. The sensation was pleasant and Stolas relaxed all the more. Blitz went about preening his feathers, making sure they were aligned and splayed in the direction they grew in. The sensation of Blitz’s warm, dry tongue was something else, and Stolas loved it.

All the while, Stolas noted that Blitz’s eyes were soft and hazed. Occasionally, during the grooming, he went about scent-marking Stolas too. But he mostly focused on grooming his feathers and settling them back into place. Especially after scent-marking him. Even better was the fact that Blitz was purring like a steam engine the whole time. The soft, gentle smile on his face was sending Stolas’ heart into a frenzy.

How could any other demon species or even sinner not enjoy being groomed by their imp lover? It was the most precious thing! Stolas thought, no wonder imps often tried to stick to their own kind. No wonder they seemed to believe that other demons wouldn’t enjoy imp instincts. 

This was wonderful. Stolas didn’t care what others would think. Being groomed by the man he loved was every bit amazing. Being considered Blitz’s mate certainly helped. Stolas relished in the warmth of Blitz’s careful tongue and careful claws running through his feathers. He could truly get used to the grooming treatment.

Occasionally, Blitz used his teeth to help along with the grooming. This unfortunately left a pleasurable and ticklish sensation that had Stolas squirming slightly.

“B-Blitzy! That tickles!” Stolas giggled amidst his light squirming.

“Bitch, be a good bird and stay still!” Blitz scolded, but his tone and look in his eyes indicated there was no heat behind any of that.

To further emphasise his teasing, Blitz applied actual tickles along Stolas’ sides. This made Stolas giggle more and squirm a lot, wiggling from the contact. 

“Nooo Blitzy nooo!” Stolas cried out in giggles and hoots of delight.

“Then stop squirming!” Blitz straddled his waist and held down his arms, his tail lashing.

“Mm, if you keep that up, I’ll be squirming for an entirely different reason, Blitzy,” Stolas teased with a smirk.

Snorting, Blitz smirked and leaned close, “So you want to mess up my grooming by fucking you?”

“Mmm…” Stolas pretended to think and then booped Blitz’s nose. “Perhaps.”

“Since I gotta make it up to you, I might as well.”

“But then you will have to groom me all over again~”

“Whatever!”

It took some time, but Blitz worked his way along Stolas’ body (using only his hands along sensitive areas to simply align the feathers) from his shoulders and down to his legs. Each step of the way, Blitz would lick and smooth out the feathers thoroughly, just like before. Stolas eventually had to flip over on his stomach, allowing Blitz to work his tail feathers and back.

Anytime Blitz used his teeth, of course it made Stolas squirm a little and giggle. But he managed to ignore the brief moments Blitz’s hands slid over his ass enough to keep himself still. Despite those brief thoughts, the experience didn’t feel sexual or arousing, it was just very pleasant and relaxing. Stolas didn’t doze, but he closed his eyes for a time, resting his head on a small cushion while Blitz worked on him.

This was paradise. No spa in all of Hell would ever be able to make him feel this good.

Blitz kept purring as he worked, soothing to his ears. The care and attentiveness the imp put into grooming him warmed Stolas’ heart immensely. When Blitz turned Stolas over once again to work on his face, the purring had intensified. His gaze was still soft and calm as he tended to the feathers.

This was an imp in a state of tending to their mate. Stolas had never seen anything like it and could watch Blitz go at it for hours.

Blitz licked the feathers along his cheeks gently, and even nuzzled a couple of times. Captivated, Stolas watched as Blitz made his way to the head feathers, styling them just so and caressing them with his fingers and tongue. If there was ever any doubt that Blitz cared about him, this whole process would squash that doubt completely.

Blitz cared about him.

After a bit more, Blitz pulled away, and sat back a bit to admire his work. He nodded with approval and sighed in relief. “There, that’s way more normal. Seriously Stolas, you looked like you stuck a fork in a toaster when I got here!”

Giggling, Stolas sat up and poked his nose. “Well, if you hadn’t been such a rude little imp, perhaps I wouldn’t have ended up in this state.”

This had Blitz’s jaw drop. “You… did that… on purpose?”

“Mm, perhaps I did,” Stolas said cattily and winked at him. “I will never tell.”

“You fucked up your feathers on purpose!” Blitz threw his hands up and pouted. “Well no wonder it took so fucking long, you went all out! I should’ve known because even after fucking you for several rounds you don’t look that bad!”

Laughing, Stolas levitated over a sleeper shirt for Blitz to wear, which the imp accepted. Stolas kept some clothes Blitz had either left or was bought for him in a drawer in his closet so that his love would always have fresh clothes to wear while here. That and a toothbrush left in his bathroom.

Getting up, Stolas took his robe and went into his bathroom to look at himself. While he knew Blitz would have done a good job, he was taken aback by just how incredible his feathers looked.

All of his feathers were not only properly aligned, but looked so soft. Stolas felt along the calamus storm of his body and hummed happily. Even his tail feathers were pristine. All he would need to do was add his preening oils, but he could do that tomorrow. For now, he just wanted to admire Blitz’s incredible work.

Stolas beamed and pulled on his robe, heading back into his bedroom. Blitz was sitting there on the bed in his socks, sleeper shirt and boxers. He was holding his tail and blushing profusely.

“Thank you so much, my love,” Stolas cooed as he strolled over and bent down, planting a sweet kiss on Blitz’s forehead. He smiled lovingly at the imp, who was shyly looking away from him. “You did a wonderful job grooming me. I appreciate that you took all the time and effort to groom my feathers so beautifully.”

Still not looking at him, Blitz gave a small chirp followed by saying “You’re welcome, babe.” in a whisper.

Letting out a soft coo, Stolas kissed his beloved’s insignia and nuzzled him.

Before Stolas could say anything else, Blitz sprang up to his feet on the bed and stretched.

“Anyway! I know it’s kinda late, but we can go down and watch a movie,” Blitz suggested, his tail slowly swaying back and forth. He glanced at Stolas, became flustered, and looked away again. “Then again, maybe I wouldn’t have taken so long if you hadn’t been such a giggly bitch the whole time!”

Laughing, Stolas was about to respond, but a thought occurred to him. Grooming between imps tended to be reciprocated, as he’d read earlier. He got back on the bed and leaned in to Blitz’s neck, giving the scarred flesh a very hearty lick.

Letting out a startled shriek, Blitz flailed and got tangled up in the linen. His attempts to escape were met with being unable to move and free himself. Stolas laughed at the adorably hilarious display before crawling toward Blitz slowly.

When Blitz managed to look at him, his pupils shrank as Stolas smirked at him deviously. The moment Stolas wiggled his fingers, Blitz seemed to know what he was intending.

Pouncing like the, well, owl that he was, Stolas pinned his beloved to the bed and held him in place. “I’m not the only ‘giggly bitch’ here, Blitzy!”

“Leggo!” Blitz yelled, but was making no attempt to get away aside from halfhearted wiggles. “C’mon!”

“Mmm, no~” Stolas hummed teasingly and went about trying to preen Blitz.

Of course, since the imp had no feathers, it resulted in pecking the flesh and earning some giggles.

“Stolas! I don’t have feathers, stop it!” Blitz cried, trying to move his head away.

“But you’re so adorable and I have to reciprocate!” Stolas laughed and alternated between licking and kissing Blitz’s face.

“It’s fine, just suck my dick later, I don’t know!” Blitz laughed and playfully shoved at his head. “Stols, come on!”

Stolas nuzzled him and lay their foreheads together. “I will massage you after the movie, then.”

“Okay, fine,” Blitz said with a snort. Then he smiled and nuzzled Stolas’ cheek, closing his eyes in delight.

They shared a sweet kiss, holding to each other tightly, and caressing each other’s faces. Stolas cooed and savoured the sweet moment with his beloved. For a time their eyes locked and Blitz was fully relaxed against him, smiling crookedly.

“I believe you said we should watch a movie. I think that would be lovely, dearest,” Stolas said softly.

“Hell yeah,” Blitz replied, grinning. “You do realise we’re gonna watch Spirit for the fiftieth time, right?”

Stolas giggled and nodded. “We’ll watch Spirit and then a movie of my choosing, then.”

“Deal.”

Just as they got up, Stolas had to get one last laugh out of Blitz by tickling his sides. The squeals and laughter of delight were worth every moment that it took to get to this point.

Stolas couldn’t wait to learn more about imp instincts and allow Blitz to feel he could express them around him. Because after all, Blitz was the one person he could truly be himself around.

He hoped to make Blitz feel that same way.