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"DAD! DAD!"
Stolas' barely had time to open his eyes before Via, wild eyed and frantic, burst into the room "DAD!"
"Via! Oh, my sweet owlette, you came to see me!"
Oh, she was seeing him alright. She saw him bandaged and slung up and battered. Tears filled her eyes "Daaaaad!"
"Oh sweetie, no no no, don't cry! I'm alright!"
Via rushed up to the bed. She wiped her eyes with her sleeves but it was useless. Seeing her dad like this..."Y-youre hurt..."
"Oh this?" Stolas laughed "It's nothing, my dear, nothing at all! I received far worse than this at my College hazing, I assure you I'll be out of here and in tip top shape by the end of the week! You're old dad's tougher than he looks!"
Via didn't buy it for one second. Especially when he tried to flex his free arm and made a sound akin to a cat catching its tail in the door. But he was trying so hard for her, and she was so relieved to see him conscious and talking that she didn't call him on it. Instead she pulled up a chair and sat down next to him. He reached for her with his free hand, and when she took it with her own he squeezed it hard, trying to reassure her. Via wished she was still young enough for that to work.
"What happened to you, Dad? Mum and Andrealphus won't tell me shit and the doctors here can't even read. Were you in an accident or something?"
Stolas sighed "Something like that, sweetie, but that's not important. What's important is that I got to the hospital in time, the doctors are taking care of me and I am going to be just fine"
"You promise?"
"I. Promise!"
Vias chin wobbled.
"Oh sweetheart, come here"
"I d-dont want to hurt you-oof!"
With his free hand Stolas yanked her into an embrace and the second her face hit his feathers the facade broke and she burst into tears. Stolas stroked her back, cooing gentle reassurances into her ear as she clung to him, burying her face into his plumage and trembling. At some point, she realised he was, too.
She pulled away, wiping her eyes "Are...are you sure you're okay?"
"Yes. I swear, darling, I'll be just fine, home by the end of the week. Now, why don't you tell me what's been going on with you, hm? Your mother is taking care of you, isn't she?"
Via snorted. She was lucky if her mum even remembered she was alive once in a while "I'm not a little kid anymore, Dad, I don't need her to watch over me all the time"
"Hmm" Stolas frowned, clearly not liking that answer. Via sought to distract him, and that was when she noticed the dozens of vases surrounding his bed.
"I, um, I like all your flowers!"
Stolas scoffed "Seeing-Eye flowers from the press. Would you do me a favour and remove them for me? I can't stand the thought of those snakes profiting off of private matters"
Via did as she was asked, removing each bouquet from their vase and shoving them into a trash chute in the hall "Just tell me which ones are from that imp you fancy, I'll leave them alone"
"Oh, don't worry about that, he hasn't been by yet"
"So whens he coming? No offence, but I'd like to make myself scare in case you two start snogging eachothers faces off"
For some reason her dad hesitated, his smile stiffening on his face "Dad? He is coming to see you, right?"
"W-well, Via, you know how it is in the world of grown ups! Sometimes we have engagements that we cannot avoid-"
Via scowled.
"-and I'm sure if he had the time he would be more than happy to visit, he just has a lot going on with his work right now-"
Vias scowl deepened.
"-and besides, it's not like he really needs to visit, like I said I'll be out by the end of the week! And anyway I have you to visit me and-and I have my phone, and I can watch television so I won't be bored!"
Via looked at the t.v hanging from the ceiling, so tiny she could barely see the screen and several knobs broken off. The scowl threatened to crush her whole face. Stolas noticed her ire and forced his face to smile wider.
"It's actually really nice here! The doctors are so attentive and the other patients are really friendly!"
A scream from down the hall made them both jump. "FUCK YOU DOCTOR LAZEERITING! FUCK YOU! FUCK YA NURSES! AND FUCK EVERY OTHER FUCKER IN THIS PLACE! ESPECIALLY THAT PRISSY GOETIA PRINCE!"
"THIS IS WHY I ONLY MAKE MY ROUNDS EVERY TWO FUCKING WEEKS!"
Via raised an eyebrow. Stolas chuckled uneasily, making a helpless gesture. The princess knew now what she must do.
"Right" she stood up.
"My owlette?"
"Right" she squeezed her dad's shoulder, and swiftly walked towards the door.
"Via? Where are you going?"
She paused by the open door and looked back at her father, at his battered and bandaged body, at the dozens of empty vases sent by people who only cared about profit and gossip, at the room where dust layered every surface, and the cell phone that had been dusted clean from being constantly picked up.
Her hand tightened on the handle until it bent "I'm gonna go make this right, Dad"
*
Moxxie and Millie stood outside Blitz' office, both of them worried. Their boss/friend/stalker had gone straight into his office this morning, mumbling something about paperwork (which he had never done before) and hadn't come out all day. Now Millie listened at the door and shook her head.
"I don't know what he's doin' in there, but it ain't paperwork. I can't hear a thing, Mox, I'm not sure he's even breathin'!"
"This is probably about Stolas, he looked pretty disturbed when he saw him at the hospital. One of us should go in there and see if he's alright"
"Who? Ya know how he is, he'll never talk to either of us about it!"
Slowly their heads turned towards the reception desk, occupied by their resident Hellhound. Without looking up from her phone she seamlessly flipped them off.
Moxxie sighed "Well, that would probably have been a bad idea anyway. If Blitz is going to talk to anybody it needs to be someone who can be calm, patient. Someone who understands him and can gently coax him into finally opening up about his feelings!"
And that was the moment Octavia kicked in the door.
"WHERE THE FUCK IS THAT UP HIMSELF CALL DODGING SELFISH IMP BASTARD?!"
Moxxie, Millie and Loona just stared at her, akin to deers caught in headlights. Moxxie raised a finger "Uh-"
"He's in his fucking office, isn't he?! BLIIIIIIITZ!"
Before anyone could stop her Via flew through the room and kicked down Blitz' office door. She found the imp hunched over his desk, his head in his hands, but he looked up when the door blasted into a million pieces "What the fu-?!"
"YOU!" Via snarled, and in a moment she was looming over him, hands on the desk and practically crackling with wrathful energy "Why the fuck haven't you been to see my dad yet? He's been waiting for you, you fucking prick! So get your lazy arse over there and go fucking see him right now!"
Blitz stared at her, his jaw slack. After a moment he sat up, trying for composure "N-now listen here, young lady, y-you cant just come barging in here, fuck up my office and-urk!"
Via grabbed him by the neck of his suit and yanked him over the desk "No, you listen, imp! My dad got hurt really badly and now he's stuck in some shitty hospital room with shitty doctors and shitty paparazzi that keep sending him shitty flowers just so that they can spy on him! And the one thing he wants the most right now, for some fucking reason, is to see you, so you're going to go down to the hospital, tell him you're sorry for making him wait, and cheer him the fuck up! Got it?!"
Blitz' chin wobbled, and now he couldn't meet the young princesses eyes "Via, look, its really sweet and all that you're looking out for your dad, I really admire that, honestly, but I-I don't think me going to visit him is a good idea!"
"Why not?!"
"Because! Because..." Blitz' jaw moved up and down, scrambling for an excuse. Then his face lit up with sudden genius "Grown Up reasons! Yeah! I can't visit Stolas because of Grown Up reasons! Okay?"
Via couldn't believe it. Her grip slackened, and Blitz managed to slip out of her grasp "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some very important business to attend to! Tax fraud doesn't commit itself ya know!"
He backed up nervously, eyeing the frozen Goetia as he took a step to the left. When she didn't move, he took another, then another, and when the broken doorway was just a few steps away he dared breathe out.
With a gutteral roar Via pounced on him and slammed him up against the wall, purple magic fizzing around her hands and her eyes blazing.
Blitz' screamed "OH FUCK PLEASE DONT BLOW UP MY OFFICE! THE LANDLORDS GONNA KICK MY ASS IF HE HAS TO HIRE THOSE OVERPRICED CONTRACTERS AGAIN!"
"I'm not gonna kill you, you dumb fucking fart-knocker!" Octavia breathed a cloud of purple fury and tightened her grip on his neck "Obviously I'm not being clear enough for you, Blitz. So I'm going to try speaking your language!"
*
"Hellooo, welcome to Belphegor Hos-Oooh my!"
The receptionist looked up just in time to see the Goetia princess march into the lobby with an imp, hogtied with office tape and gagged with an old sock, held over her head.
"Mmmph! Mmmnnph!"
"Struggle all you want, dickhead, you're seeing my dad wether you like it or not!"
"Muk Moo!"
"Fuck you too! HEY!" the goat demon almost peed herself when the princess barked at her "Is my dad still awake?!"
"Uuuuuh I uuuuh I don't think soooo. I think the doctor just gave him a sleeping pill so he can reeeest"
The princesses eyes flashed "Fuck it, we're going anyway! You can tell him how sorry you are for being an utter prick when he wakes up! Come on, arsehole!"
"MMLP MUUUHHH!"
The two swiftly disappeared through the doors leading to the patients quarters. The receptionist blinked at the loud bang.
"Oooh, I probably shoulda done something about thaaaat...meh!"
*
When they reached Stolas' room Via let dropped Blitz on the cracked linoleum. He grunted as he hit the ground and immediately tried to worm crawl away, but Via wasn't about to put up with that. She slammed a foot on his back and the force of it knocked the gag out of his mouth.
"Satans fucking skid-marks what is it with your family and bondage, kid?! Look, this is a bad idea, okay? You're dad won't wanna see me-OW!"
Via ground her foot into his back with zero mercy "Yes he does you fucking moron!"
"Well he shouldn't!"
"I don't care!" Via yanked him up by his bindings and tore through the tape, kicking the door open before Blitz could escape "I am not gonna let you fuck around with my dad when he's hurt like this, so you're going in there and you'd better make it up to him or so help me Lucifer-!" she yanked Blitzø close, close enough that he could feel the raw power emanating from her eyes, turning his skin cells slowly to stone.
"I swear, I will throw the biggest party Hell has ever seen, invite the fittest Hellhounds I know, and I will invite Loona to party all night long with all of them!"
Blitz' gasped in horror "You wouldn't!"
"Fuck me over and find out dickhead!"
Then she spun him around, shoved him through the door and slammed it behind him before he could work out what the hell happened.
Blitz' immediately tried the door, but the handle didn't budge. She'd fucking locked it!
FUCK!
"LET ME THE FUCK OUT! LET ME THE FUCK OUTTA HERE! VIAAAA! VIA! Via?"
She'd fucking left.
Blitz' head thunked against the door, groaning. Shit, was he gonna have to climb out through the window?
But that would mean...
The other presence in the room burned against his back like a hot flame. If he went for the window, he would have turn around, and if he turned around...
Blitz' swallowed. His throat was tight and his chest hurt. He hadn't moved but his breathing was coming hard like he had been running. Fuck, he had to get outta here, he had to get out he had to find a way-
A soft groan came from the bed behind him, the sound all too familiar from many a night spent laying beside the source. The sound was like a coconut aimed right at his chest, and he froze.
...Shit.
Okay. Okay FUCK HIM IN HIS LITTLE RED HOLE okay! Stolas' was sleeping, right? He wasn't gonna know he was here, all he had to do was stay quiet, it wasn't that hard!
But still, he hesitated. His legs locked beneath him, his heart pounding in his chest, pins and needles pricking against the back of his neck. He didn't want to turn around and see-
For fucks sake you pussy, just get it over with! Take your goddamn tampon out and let's get the fuck outta here!
He clenched his fists. He forced his legs to move, and his stiff body to turn and face the bed.
Stolas' broken, unconscious body hit him like a fucking train.There was barely an inch of him that wasn't bandaged. A broken arm was swathed in a sling, a broken leg wrapped from thigh to toe in gauze hung from a sling in the ceiling, the minimal patches of exposed skin were lined with black cuts, and his face...
His face...
Somehow, Stolas' face was what made Blitz' legs go completely numb. He was used to seeing that face with a smile, or a gentle flush of pleased embarrassment, or the deep grey blush of blissful afterglow, his eyes shining as they gazed at him with aching adoration. Now there were dark bruises spotted all over his cheeks, his jaw, and an ugly dark purple lump beneath closed eyes that were pinched tight, like even in sleep he was in pain. As Blitz watched him, his beak opened, and a soft, barely there groan escaped the abused Goetias lips.
That was the sound that broke the imp. In an instant he was at Stolas' bedside and down on his knees beside him.
"Stolas...shit, Stols..." he covered the owls unbandaged hand in his, and to his relief the pained look on his face eased some. He stroked the lax talons gently "Fuck, I...shit, Stols, I don't know what to do here. Any chance you could wake up and help me out, buddy?"
Stolas' didn't move. Blitz' squeezed his hand "C'mon, big bird, I know you can hear me, fuckin' answer me. Y-ya gotta-ya got a lot to answer for, ya know. Nobody's supposed to fuck you up this bad except Daddy, you know that! Am-am I gonna have to punish you so you remember how to behave? Huh?"
Blitz' looked at him hopefully, but Stolas didn't even twitch. His eyes stung. His head fell forward and touched his hand atop Stolas' "Stolas, answer me...you always answer me..."
Silence.
Blitz' gritted his teeth. Fuck it.
He squeezed Stolas' hand one more time and then, carefully, climbed onto the bed, his nimbleness from the circus letting him move to the side of his un-injured arm without a single jostle.
He lay down next to the sleeping prince and gazed at his face. A knot formed in his throat that threatened to choke the air out of his lungs but he dared not make a sound, not wanting to wake him. His heart ached at how similar this all was, laying beside Stolas, watching his sleeping face as the sun rose in the sky, except those times he was wrapped in his arms, his face buried in his warm feathers and his tail discreetly wrapped around a gangly-ass leg.
But he couldn't do that now, and had to stop his stupid tail with his hand before it did so. He looked down at Stolas' bandages, there wasn't an inch of him he could touch without causing him pain. Nowhere except...his face. One side was all that remained unscathed from his time with Striker, untouched and unblemished by bruises. Blitz' couldn't help himself, and his hand shook as he reached out and gently cupped Stolas' cheek.
Warmth flooded his fingers, soft breaths hitting his skin, and with it a weight he didn't know he was carrying lifted off his shoulders. He stroked Stolas gently, unaware he was crying until he felt a tear drop off of his chin.
"I'm...I'm sorry, Stols..."
"...It's alright, Blitzy"
The imp nearly shot straight out of his red skin when the warm red glow of Stolas' eyes met his and his unwounded hand reached up to cover his own. Stolas was smiling, smiling like it wasn't all Blitz' fault he was in here to begin with. His eyes, those goddamn massive, expressive eyes shone with happiness as he gazed at the imp.
"You came" he whispered, with so much reverence and joy it split Blitz' heart in two.
More tears fell. He couldn't stop himself from reaching around Stolas' head and pulling him into his chest "I'm sorry...I'm sorry!"
"It's alright, darling" Stolas breathed, nuzzling into Blitz' chest, breathing in his warm impish smell "You're here now"
Blitz' clenched his eyes shut. Dammit, he didn't understand, but his throat was too tight to explain, so instead he stroked the back of Stolas' head, caressing his feathers and breathing in his smell as he tried to stop his tears. He smelled strongly of shitty hospital food, gauze and blood, but beneath that there was still a little pocket of Stolas smell, of expensive tea and old books and preening oil. Blitz' clung to that as he clung to him, burying his face completely in his feathers.
"I'm sorry..."
"Its alright, Blitzy"
"I'm sorry...I'm sorry"
"I said it's alright, my darling, you don't need to keep apologising"
"I'm sorry!"
Stolas pulled away, confused "Why do you keep saying that? You don't need to-" his voice caught when he saw Blitz' face. The poor imp looked positively distraught. Tears streamed down flushed cheeks without mercy and his face, he had never seen his darling imp look so broken before.
"Blitz?"
Blitz' breath shuddered, and he stroked Stolas' head with so much tenderness it made his heart leap "I'm sorry, Stolas..."
Finally, Stolas understood, and his heart broke for his beloved imp. He reached up and stroked his wet cheek.
"It wasn't your fault, Blitz"
A sob burst from Blitz' chest and Stolas pulled him back into an embrace, holding him tightly as he cried, repeating the words over and over.
"It wasn't your fault. Please, sweetheart, don't blame yourself-"
"If-if I had just gotten my ass in gear, if I had just come when you-when you asked-!"
Stolas crooned, stroking his back, and Blitz buried his face into his hair, clinging to his shoulders "There was nothing you could have done, darling, even if you had come I still would've ended up here. I'm just glad that you sent those little creatures of yours to come for me, if they hadn't, I probably would have perished" he turned his head and kissed Blitz' neck, feeling the imp shudder against him "So I suppose, in a way, you did save me after all"
Blitz breathed out tearfully against Stolas' hair "Dammit Stolas...stop doin' that"
Stolas pulled back, blinking up confusedly "I...stop what?"
Blitz' met his gaze, tears in his eyes but suddenly stern "Stop putting on a brave face! I can tell when ya do that, y'know, it's totally fucking obvious! For fucks sake you got kidnapped-"
"But I'm fine now-"
"That honkey-tonk fucker tortured you-!"
"But you're employees saved me-!"
"Stolas!" Blitz grabbed his face, his fingers digging hard into his cheeks "That fucker almost killed you!"
Stolas' breathing stuttered "B-but I'm fine. I'm fine! A-a little banged up, perhaps, I'll admit, but-but truly, Blitz, Im-Im fine!"
Blitz' grip slackened. His expression turned soft "Then why are you crying, pretty bird?"
Stolas tried to reply, but a huge lump that hadn't been there before pushed against his throat, and now he could feel the hot tears that coursed over his feathers, stinging the cuts on his face. He gasped, his whole body trembling in Blitz' grip, and finally buried his face in the imps chest as his emotions took over.
And Blitz held him, stroking his hair and nuzzling his scalp as Stolas wept against his chest, clinging to Blitz so tightly as he finally let it all out. It was like everything he'd suppressed during his capture was coming out all at once, the fear, the pain, the thought of never seeing his darling daughter again, leaving her alone to the devices of her mother and that vapid bastard Andrealphus.
He cried for a long time, and through it all Blitz held him in his arms, his grip strong and familiar and comforting. Not once did he tell him to stop or to man up, to stop being such a whiny little bitch. He just held him, comforting him with his arms and his scent and his presence, and as time passed the prince felt the weight he'd been carrying ever since he'd woken up in the hospital ease from his heart.
Eventually, his sobs tapered off. He had no idea how long he'd wept, but it was enough to get Blitz' suit decently soggy. Uncaring, he laid his cheek against the damp fabric, his eyes closed in unburdened peace.
"I thought I was going to die, Blitz..." he didn't mean to say it, the words just slipped out of his mouth, unbidden. But rather than push him away Blitz arms tightened around him, and to his pleasure he felt his skinny tail wrap around his unbandaged waist.
"He'll never touch you again. I promise you, Stolas, this is the last time that daddy-fucker fucks with you, the next time I see his cowboy ass, I'm gonna deliver you his head on a silver fucking platter"
Wetly, Stolas chuckled. He ran his hand down Blitzos side "Why Blitzy, since when did you become so protective over me?"
Blitz' stiffened, and for a beat Stolas panicked, thinking he'd said something wrong and that his imp would leave. But to his surprise he felt Blitz rest his cheek on his head, and the spade of his tail caress his hip "You know exactly when, jackass"
Stolas hummed softly, his first real smile in twenty four hours gracing his lips. He closed his eyes, basking in the presence of his lover, his free hand stroking his back as Blitz played with his hair.
For a long time the two lay there together, intertwined and silence, just relaxing in eachothers arms. For a minute Blitz thought Stolas had fallen asleep again until he spoke.
"Blitz?"
"Hm?"
Stolas raised his head, and Blitz lowered his to meet the royal birds gaze. Those huge red eyes that seemed to hold every emotion in the world were large and shining, and a small smile that made Blitz' heart ache graced his perfect mouth.
"I'm so happy you're here, Blitzy. Thankyou for coming to see me"
And dammit if that didn't make his heart just crack wiiiide open. Damn bird with his stupid face and his stupidly adorable smile and stupidly sweet voice, it was just unfair, how was he supposed to stand against that?!
Blitz twined his fingers in Stolas' hair, and gave him a smile back "Yeah well...you're always buggin' me to stay the night so, I figured now was a good time to start"
Stolas hummed knowingly, nuzzling into his chest "Of course, my darling, whatever you say~"
Blitz' rolled his eyes. Damn know it all bird! But that didn't stop him from stroking Stolas' hair, or pulling him close when the prince eventually drifted off to sleep. Blitz didn't, watching the prince rest, his face peaceful and relaxed, a complete 180 from when he arrived.
He couldn't help himself, it was a stupid idea and he'd probably wake Stolas up, but he leaned down and gently kissed Stolas' mouth. The prince hummed softly, smiling in his sleep, but mercifully didn't wake. Lips quirking in a smile Blitz toed off his shoes and settled down beside him.
It wasn't like he was leaving anytime soon, after all.