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“God fucking damn it! What?!” Blitz barks.
“Well, it is the Prince's birthday next week, aren’t you getting him anything?” Millie asks. It is the end of the day and they had just gotten back from pushing people off an oil rig in the middle of the Atlantic ocean. It is public knowledge it was the Prince's birthday week. Unlike in the human world, it wasn’t simply the day that was celebrated but more of a week long event. Not because they needed that much celebration, but life was busy and sometimes life, or rather hell, was just like that.
“Why the fuck would I do that?” Blitz asks.
“It would be a nice gesture, sir. Keeping the Prince happy so we can keep using the book.” Moxxie continues putting his rifle away in the safe across the room.
“For fuck sake Moxxie! I’m already fucking him five ways to Friday! And what the fuck can I get him he can’t get himself?! He’s a prince and he fucking OWNS! MY! DICK!!” Blitz reminds them by gesturing to his crotch.
“Give him that! Put a nice bow on it!” Millie giggles.
“Millie, I will backhand you if you don’t fuck off.” Blitz warns, even though the threat is empty. He knows she would just get up and knock his teeth down his throat. Then Moxxie would put a bullet between his eyes.
“Just something to think on sir.” Moxxie says with a wave as they leave. Blitz flips them off as they go. But it's too late. The seed is planted in his brain… and it starts to grow.
……….
What could an imp give a prince that would be worth anything? Stolas could afford the stars! While Blitz can hardly pay rent! Stolas has seen it all, done it all, and has most of the t-shirts to prove it. There was no wine, no clothing, no trinket or bauble. Fancy cape, or even BOOK he could get him. He couldn’t even afford dinner at a decent restaurant.
Why was he even thinking about this?!
He doesn’t OWE that owl anything!
Their relationship is just business.
But he is also Stolas. Guy would be happy as a pig in shit going to Loo Loo Land and playing rigged games all day. He would be giddy getting a wink and a half box of tissues!
He doesn’t have to get him ANYTHING!!
They are NOT in that type of relationship!!
“For fuck sake!” he grumbles putting the van in drive and peeling out of the parking lot into evening traffic. He needs a drink.
……
Monday
..
“What?” Blitz grones into the phone. He was used to Stolas calling him at weird hours but that doesn’t make it easy at 7 fucking am.
“Sorry Blitzy! But I am going to have to reschedule our evening.” the way too awake, and happy owl hoots on the other end.
“Anything I should be concerned about?” Blitz yawns. If Stolas didn’t seem worried or upset, then there was no reason he should be, so why did he ask? It was too early for thinking. Why was he calling him again?
“Oh no! Octiava wants to spend the day with me. We’re going to Lu Lu World!! I’m so excited! She just came in and told me we are leaving in an hour and we’re not sure what time we are going to be back, I kind of hope we stay long enough to see the fireworks! I’ll have the courier pick up the book from you later today.” Stolas says, sounding like he’s brushing his teeth.
“Alright, have fun.” Blitz says before hanging up and going back to sleep. At least trying to. The grinding feeling in his gut is back again.
…..
Tuesday
..
“Stolas looks like he had a great time yesterday, he posted nearly fifty pics.” Millie says liking another picture of the prince and his daughter standing in line for rides at Lu Lu World.
“Come on! We got a job to do!” Blitz snaps, as he finishes picking the lock on the back door of the building and slipping inside into the shadows. Their target was on the second floor above the candy store. The sweet scent of vanilla and artificial flavors filled the building.
“Well that was easy,” Moxie says, wiping the blade of the knife off on the dead man's shirt. The growing pool of blood under the body reached the steps to the basement. Making a little red waterfall down them.
“Shame to let all this go to waste.” Millie says looking at the wall of candy and confections that would be tossed out after the man was discovered dead. The man on the floor had been accused of killing a local child years ago, but there was not enough evidence to get a conviction. The hit had been hired by a childhood friend of the victim, who had become a drug user when they grew up and got whacked last week for not paying his bills on time.
“No one needs that much candy.” Moxxie says trying to convince himself rather than the others.
“Need and want are two different things! Grab a bag Mox!” Blitz says as he starts to stuff his duffel bag with every kind of candy he can see.
Three giant bags later Blitz is back in his office munching on Twizzlers. M&M got their own bag, and Blitz gave the extra one to Loona.
…….
Wednesday
..
“Looks like you had a good time at Lu Lu world.” Blitz says as he uncuffs Stolas from the bedframe.
“I did!! It was so much fun! Oh! There are so many rides and games! First we went on...” Stolas starts to prattle on and on about his day with his daughter. Blitz was glad they had finished their ‘business’ before he had mentioned it. It was three days past the full moon when they finally managed to meet up. Stolas’s week had been surprisingly filled with meetings and get-togethers with friends and acquaintances for birthday week wishes. It was seemingly more of an excuse to keep ‘ties’ with people they never talk to the rest of the year.
Stolas had explained that many of the people who came to visit him he hadn’t spoken to in years. Mostly he assumed they had come by to see how the divorce was going as well as how he was fairing after his ex-wife tried to poison him. One of his cousins seemed to be interested in Stolas's new imp bed partner. The prince wasn’t sure if it was just curiosity or subtly asking for advice on the topic.
“I was hoping there would be a storm tonight.” Stolas says with a frown looking out the window. The dark clouds covered the night sky, but did little else.
“Why?” Blitz asks, taking a drag from the cigarette before handing it to Stolas. Over the last year, their evening had seemed to last longer and longer. It was simply sharing a smoke at first, then talking. A few times there was food after, maybe a shower or bath as well. Then it became staying the night. Not always, but once in a while. Blitz would wake up with long arms wrapped lazily around him, and soft hoots in his ear. Blitz would just lay there watching the sun come up though the delicate balcony windows.
Those days, Blitz just let his mind stew till he nearly went crazy before getting up. Part of him screaming to leave for work, another part hoping for breakfast again, another itching to throw those arms off, and the last part wishing this wasn’t just... business.
Because as much as Stolas cuddled and cooed and said sweet shit, Blitz couldn’t understand how anyone would want to be around him. How could anyone care for him like that? It just doesn’t make sense. It confuses him. Something worth loving should have some kind of value. Be it physically, financially, emotionally, or mentally. Blitz has none of those to offer Stolas.
There are better lovers, richer lovers, supportive lovers, and smarter lovers out there than him.
“I like them,” he says before inhaling.
“Haven’t you seen them a million times before?” Blitz asks.
“Yes, but they are still exciting to me. And that is how we first met, remember?” Stolas reminds him, unclipping the ball gag and tossing it into the basket on the other side of the room for the servants to clean later.
“Oh ya,” Blitz says, remembering taking the bird home and them both sleeping on the couch. They had talked a lot that night while the storm raged outside. It hadn't occurred to Blitz at the time as anything to tab to memory, but apparently to Stolas it was.
“I’m not sure why, but I always feel safest when there is a storm about. Maybe because no one wants to be out in such weather, so everyone and everything stays put.” Stolas explains putting out the cigarette in the ashtray by the bed. Blitz looks out the window for a moment, thinking about what Stolas just said.
“I suppose. But then again, the more noise there is, the easier it is to break into places and shoot people.” Blitz counters.
“You're not wrong,” Stolas says with a yawn. “Are you staying? We can do breakfast again,” he asks, snuggling down into the blankets.
“I got an early job tomorrow. Maybe next time.” Blitz says.
“Alright,” Stolas says sadly. Blitz pulls the blanket up over his shoulder a little higher before hopping off the bed and pulling on his clothes. Trying his best to ignore the gripping pain in his chest and the screaming voice in his head to crawl back under the sheets.
…..
Thursday
..
“This place has been empty for a while.” Blitz says, looking over the broken church in front of them. The old wooden building was nestled on the side of a hill overlooking a small town where their next target lived. The front of the building had long since fallen off and slid a few hundred yards down the hill leaving a gaping hole. Well, wall. The wall was missing. The forest was steadily moving inside. Vines grew through cracks and holes covering most of the walls in green foliage, while grasses were sprouting up here and there around the floor.
They were high enough no one could see them, and the road to the church had been washed out years ago leaving the building to go back to the forest. The arched windows on either side were cracked and broken. Pews tipped over and scattered around. At some point in time it looked as if someone had tried to fix the place, but gave up. From lack of funds or effort Blitz wasn’t sure.
Moxxie was the lead on this mission as he was the best shot among them. Moxxie was setting up the stand for the sniper rifle on the floor of the building while Millie puttered about getting some old boards out of the way for the shot. The target was on the other side of the small town at the base of the hill. A cheating husband who was still in bed banging his third side chick nearly two miles away. Target couldn’t even see them. One shot, one kill and no one would have any idea where it came from.
“Nice view though.” Millie says, looking out the missing wall.
“Ya… nice view…” Blitz says looking out at the nearly endless blue sky in front of them. Over the edge of the mountain dark clouds lingered. They were the reason they’re here at the ass crack of dawn. A storm was rolling in. Even at this distance there was a pressure in the air. The faintest flicker of energy. The kind that you can feel in your bones and made you feel like you could fight the world. A shiver up the spine of raw power.
“Target in sight.” Moxxie says with a grin.
….
“Are you doing anything tonight?” Blitz blurts out suddenly when Stolas picks up the phone.
“Umm… Why do you ask?” Stolas asks on the other end. I.M.P had had a few more jobs to do before their day was over. Which meant that Blitz could easily distract himself from the stupid idea his head had been forming all day. But all good things must come to an end and eventually he was left with the screaming thoughts in his head fighting with one another. After about an hour he kicks his bedroom door down and storms out in a rage swearing up a storm so intense even Loona was becoming concerned.
It was going to be a train wreck, might as well get it over with!
“I… found this…. Place in the human world, and was wondering if you wanted to go check it out with me.” Blitz struggles to get out. What could he say? Why was he doing this again?!
“What kind of place?” Stolas asks.
“Just.. a place! If you don’t want to go, just say.” Blitz grumbles regretting the entire thing.
“No! I mean yes! Yes I will go with you! I just wanted to know if I should dress nicely.” Stolas explains quickly.
“No, just... no one should see us. It’s kinda in the woods? I’ll be there around 7. And maybe you could bring food like last time?”
“I will have the cooks make up a basket! Anything special you would like?”
“No, get what you like. I’ll be there around 7.” Blitz says before hanging up and screaming.
……
“Just don’t expect much, okay?! Keep your eyes closed!” Blitz snaps leading Stolas through the portal. Stolas listens as Blitz scurries around doing something. The smell of earth and pine reaches his nose and Stolas breathes deeply. How long had it been since he was in the earth realm? He honestly couldn’t remember. It was well before his daughter, maybe even before his ex-wife.
“Okay,” Blitz says, “you can open them.”
“What is this?” Stolas says, opening his eyes, looking around the broken building he’s standing in. Debris and rubble pushed into a pile in the corner, the old wooden floor seemingly to be swept. And in the middle of the room is a nest of pillows and blankets facing the missing wall of the church that overlooks a small town under a seemingly endless cloudy sky. The clouds sparkle with the beginnings of a thunderstorm. The air is alive with static. A few candles around the room reflect off broken glass, scattering the flickering lights around them.
“You said you liked thunder storms… thought you might want to watch one...” Blitz mutters regretting everything in his life that led to this very moment. This was so fucking embarasing! Why had he thought this was a good idea?! Nothing to offer! He couldn’t even afford decent food! He had to get Stolas to bring it! They are not in that kind of relationship!
“I would like that very much.” Stolas says softly, for a moment Blitz thinks the prince is about to cry.
“Well, I hope you brought some good fucking wine!” Blitz says, turning away and plopping himself down on the pile of pillows.
“Yes,” Stolas gets comfortable on the pillows and blankets in the middle of the floor in front of the open wall. The rain starts beating down on the roof over their heads as a warm white noise. They are far enough back from the hole to be out of the rain. No need to worry about getting wet.
“Happy birthday. Or whatever.” Blitz says.
“Thank you Blitzy,” Stolas says clinking his glass with his before taking a sip.
Lightning rolls through the clouds over the town making the lights flicker. A thunderous crash as a brilliant flash sends the tiny town below them into darkness. Leaving the demons to eat their meal by candlelight.
Their dinner is similar to their first meal together at the IMP office. Vegetables and meat in a sauce over a bed of mixed rice. A fancy bottle of wine and peanut brittle. They eat their food while exchanging stories about their day and work. They toast to birthdays and good company. When the food is gone they snuggle down in the nest of blankets and pillows.
“Oh, and I got some junk food too!” Blitz says pulling out the duffel bag full of candy from under one of the piles of pillows to his left. He unzips it and dumps the content in a pile in front of them.
“Where did you get all this?!” Stolas asks excitedly, eyes going wide as he eyes all the colorful wrappers. There were chips, suckers, gummy candy, fuzzy pop, licorice, taffy, cotton candy, jelly beans, jawbreakers and much more. Most of them Stolas had never before. Some of the older style hand pulled hard candies were new but familiar.
“Candy store. Had a hit on the owner a few days ago. Needed to make it look like a robbery.” Blitz says picking out something purple, unwrapping it and popping it in his mouth. It only tastes grape flavored because that's what everyone says it is. He grabs a bag of salt and vinegar chips next, opening it with his teeth.
“Oh I haven’t had this one before!” Stolas coos unwrapping something red with flames on it.
“HOT!” he coughs and Blitz laughs.
…..
The rest of the bottle of wine, and way too much candy later they are both snuggled up together. The storm rages outside the broken wall over the small dark town. Lighting seemingly alive as it dances in the clouds. Thunder, deafening, makes the walls shiver when it breaks over them.
“This is the best gift.” Stolas says, squeezing Blitz tighter in his arms.
“I can’t exactly buy you anything you can’t get yourself.”
“It’s not things I desire. It's time. Time spent with those I cherish. ” he says curling himself around Blitz as the big spoon and snuggling down into the pillow nest.
The rain a steady roar on the roof.
The lightning dancing across the clouds.
The thunder rumbling through the air.
Blitz turns his head, places a kiss on the underside of Stolas’s chin before snuggling down into warm fluffy arms. The low rumble Stolas hears next isn’t from the storm.
……
Soft tapping pulls Blitz from sleep in time to see a crow snatch a candy from the floor around them and fly off. More crows in the trees outside squabble and squawk trying to get the courage to venture closer to the strange sleeping creatures in the broken church. All that remains of the storm is drizzle and a distant rumble. Most of the lights are back on in the town as the sky brightens from the morning sun.
“I think we need to get back.” Blitz nudges Stolas awake.
“Is it morning?” he asks, stretching. His feathers fluff. Stolas takes a deep sniff of air. He had forgotten how sweet the earth smelt after a storm. Perhaps he should spend more time in the human realm. It does have its adorable little perks.
“Ya,” Blitz yawns.
“Stay for breakfast?” Stolas asks, nuzzling the side of Blitz’s head gently. Blitz tries to ignore the way he nuzzles back.
“Sure, I need something besides candy.”