Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Stolas was touched that he was invited to stay a bit longer at the Buckzo household for a movie night. His father had to work late and Stolas didn’t really want to be cooped up at home. So when Tilla had mentioned taking Stolas for the evening, the young prince immediately asked his father if he could stay.

“As long as the film isn’t anything graphic in nature, I suppose that’s fine.” Paimon reasoned.

“Don’t worry. It’s Fizz’s turn to pick the movie for tonight.” Tilla explained. “He doesn’t like those kinds of movies anyway.”

“Very good.” The king nodded before leaning down to Stolas’s level. “I apologize for not being able to be with you tonight. I will finish my work as soon as I can so I can pick you up.”

“If you finish early, we always have an open spot on the couch.” Tilla smiled politely.

“Thank you for that madame.” Paimon nodded, looking his son in the eyes. “You have your mirror to call me if you need anything.”

“Yes Father.” Paimon bumped foreheads with Stolas and ran a hand through his feathers before heading out. Stolas looked up at Tilla as she gave him a warm smile. She’d make sure he had a fun night with them. A nice relaxing movie night would do them all a world of good. And it’d be a good experience for the little guy.

“So…what does a family fun night entail?” Stolas wondered.

“Oh we just watch a movie picked by whoever’s turn it is. If the film’s short, we can even squeeze in a double feature.” Tilla explained, watching as Cash came inside from his trailer.

“Hey it’s gotta be better than the last flick doofus picked.” Cash smirked, giving his boy a teasing grin as he came downstairs.

“That horse movie I picked wasn’t that bad!” Blitzo reasoned.

“A corny 80s movie about a talking horse and a guy with a screechy voice trying to make it big in stocks and a horse race? Yeah that’s so damned cheesy.” Cash snarked.

“It was funny!” Blitzo pouted, leaning in to whisper to Stolas. “Next time I’m at your house, I’ll bring the tape over.”

“Are you going with Fizz to pick up the movie and pizza?” Tilla guessed.

“Can Stolas come too?” Blitzo asked, hugging him close. “I wanna show him the video store!”

“I would be curious to see it.” Stolas mused.

Barbie raced to her mom’s side, a big smile on her face. “I’ll help make snacks!”

Cash grabbed his truck keys, heading towards the front door again. “Alright we’re gonna get the movies first.” He decided, watching Fizz come down the stairs. “Ya mind Stolas tagging along?”

“Not at all!” Fizz smiled. “The video store is so much fun! They even have games you can play!”

“Don’t waste too much time on the display games. We got movies to watch.” Cash advised before looking down at Stolas. “Oh yeah, what kind of pizza toppings do ya like?”

Stolas cocked his head in confusion. “Uh…I’m not sure.” He admitted.

“That’s okay buddy! We can pick when we get there!” Blitzo told him brightly.

“Just don’t let Blitzo pick any stinky spicy stuff on the pizza.” Fizz teased, laughing as Blitzo swatted his arm.

“Shush it!” Blitzo snapped.

Cash shook his head before looking down at Stolas. “You a plain cheese pizza kid? Or you a bit more adventurous?” He wondered.

“I wouldn’t know. I’ve never had pizza.” Stolas told them all.

If a record scratch could have sounded in that moment, that would’ve matched the shocked and horrified looks on the Buckzo family’s faces. “W-Wait you mean you never had delivery pizza, right?” Cash tried to reason with himself.

“Oh yeah there’s frozen pizzas and homemade!” Barbie chimed in.

“Uh…never had that either.” Stolas told them all.

Barbie turned to Fizz and Blitzo who were just stunned at the idea of a kid never having pizza. "Well...at least he never had yucky pineapple or anchovies on it." she mused before giving him a look. "Those are nasty."

"Wouldn't sweet pineapple taste good?" the innocent prince wondered.

Fizz nearly gagged at that thought. "No way! Miss Tilla got some once and I tried it but it made the sauce taste funky!" he shuddered, Blitzo and Barbie nodding in agreement.

Blitzo then gave his dad a look. "And he likes stinky fish on his pizzas sometimes."

"Oh come on they're not that bad!" Cash retorted.

Tilla, taking the revelation of Stolas's not eating pizza ever the easiest, decided to chime in. “How about a plain cheese pizza to start for you kids? We can do half and half veggie and barbecue chicken for us.” She suggested.

“Sounds good to me.” Cash nodded, looking at the boys. “Come on, pipsqueaks. Let’s get to VoxBuster.”

(…)

Stolas’s eyes widened in pure awe at the store’s interior. There were tapes and video games as far as the eye could see. Fizz immediately went to the musical section while Cash browsed random shelves for his turn next time. Blitzo had Stolas running with him through the aisles, looking at various titles on the shelves. Classics and new releases with employee picks on some of the walls.

“Look at all the horse movies over here!” Blitzo pointed out.

“Oh there’s videos about the stars and plants!” Stolas smiled, picking up two documentary tapes before something caught his attention. “What’s that over there?”

Blitzo turned, seeing a curtain covered section in the corner of the store. He was usually focused on the cartoon videos or horse movies that he never paid attention to that. But it was pretty suspicious that they’d have a heavy black curtain over there. Was that just for employees? A secret movie club for store members?

“I don’t know,” Blitzo admitted before seeing a guy head towards the curtain. “Hey look!”

Stolas and Blitzo decided to spy a bit, peeking behind a display of tapes. The coyote demon in front of the curtain looked around a bit before heading through. Very suspicious behavior…why was he so nervous?

“Maybe there’s special movies in there?” Stolas whispered.

“Why would they hide them though?” Blitzo wondered.

The demon soon came out, a grin on his face as he headed towards the counter. Blitzo couldn’t quite make out what it was but it had a cat demon in fancy underwear making weird kissy faces. He cringed a bit, figuring out exactly what was behind there and ushered Stolas away.

“Come on. Let’s go play Sin Racer 64 while dad rents the movies.” Blitzo decided.

Meanwhile, Fizz had picked out a musical and a comedy for his picks for the night as he saw his boss snickering at the guy in front of him. “What’s so funny, sir?” He wondered.

“Just a pervert trying to be subtle.” He grinned, gesturing to the canine demon in front of him. “I swear it’s hilarious seeing them trying to hide their dirty movies.”

“Is it really that big a deal?” Fizz wondered.

“Being a grownup is weird, Fizzy-boy.” Cash told him sagely.

Once they got their movies checked out and dragging Blitzo and Stolas from the racing game—Blitzo ranting about falling off the platform in his kart—before heading next door to the pizza place. Cash ordered the pizza and they sat down at a booth to wait for their food. Blitzo was rambling about how the stupid kart controls were too slippery.

“I never want to play that stupid haunted pier level again!” Blitzo ranted. “I kept falling off at the same stupid spot! Hell, getting 4th place was better than having to repeat the stupid level!”

“Personally I found the dinosaur valley the most frustrating. It was hard to navigate.” Stolas sighed, his feathers fluffing up in agitation. “I don’t think video games are my thing.”

Fizz shook his head as he gave them an amused smile. “Well maybe rushing through like a bat out of hell isn’t the best way of winning.” He reminded Blitzo, turning to Stolas. “He thinks the best way to win his mash buttons.”

“It is in fighting games!” Blitzo retorted before crossing his arms, puffing his cheeks out as Cash and Fizz laughed at him.

“You pipsqueaks and your video games.” Cash chuckled, seeing a questioning look on Stolas’s face. “What’s up, Feathers?”

“Mister Buckzo? I saw something strange at the video store,” Stolas began. “What was behind that curtain in the back of the store?”

Blitzo’s eyes bugged out as Fizz covered his mouth, trying hard not to laugh. Cash’s eyes bugged out, looking at the sweet and innocent face of the prince staring up at him. There was no way he could tell him what was actually behind that curtain. If Paimon didn’t kill him, Tilla absolutely would.

“Eh…wait until you’re 18 to see for yourself…” Cash told him, desperately wishing for a stiff drink to calm his nerves. He was grateful that their names were called for the pizzas. Fizz got in the front seat first, Cash putting the pizzas on his lap so they wouldn’t get smushed. Blitzo sat in the back with Stolas, his bad mood about the stupid racing levels melting away. He was happy they had food and fun movies to watch.

“Forget those lame levels. Tonight’s gonna be way more fun!” Blitzo’s cheered.

“Oh I don’t mind losing at a game like that.” Stolas assured him. “I’m just glad to have fun with you all.”

“And the night ain’t over yet, kiddo.” Cash chimed in.

[To Be Concluded]

Chapter Text

“Think they’re gonna like the crispy marshmallow treats?” Barbie wondered, jamming pretzel sticks into sticky mound.

“Well if Fizz picked the movie I think he did, they will.” Tilla joked, plopping green jello into dessert dishes. “I’m really glad I found green apple jello at the store. You, Cash, and the boys hate lime, right?”

“Yeah it’s too sour.” She cringed, sticking her tongue out as Tilla laughed.

“The popcorn should be ready soon. Can you get the big bowl for it?” She requested.

“You got it!” She saluted, scampering over to the cabinet and getting the biggest bowl she could find.

On the coffee table was a big spread of snacks; popcorn, chips, Rice Krispie treats shaped like beetles, green jello and whipped cream, and dirt pudding cups with a special surprise inside. For drinks, there was milk, juice, soda, and fruit punch pouches. Plus some fruits and veggies so there were some healthy snacks mixed in. Tilla wanted to make sure that Stolas had food he could eat.

The sound of the truck signaled they were back. Tilla got the plates ready for the pizza while Barbie kept an eye out for the boys and her dad. With two big pies, she’d need to open the door for them.

“Hi guys!” Barbie waved.

“Hi Barbie!” Fizz waved, free of the pizzas.

“Hot pies comin’ through!” Cash called, patting Barbie's head as he headed towards the kitchen. He gave Tilla a kiss as he set the pizza down. “Nice work with the snack spread, babe.”

“Well I wanted Stolas to have a good time.” She smiled. “Everything go okay at the video store?”

“Oh yeah the little goofballs had fun playing that game thing.” Cash told her, looking around before leaning up to whisper to her. “The little feather duster did ask about the curtain in the back…”

“You didn’t tell him, did you?” Tilla whispered back, hoping his innocence was still in tact.

“Oh fuck no! I wanna keep my ass from being kicked!” The ringmaster assured her. “He wants to check it out, he can wait until he’s 18.”

“Thank Lucifer that is far away…” she sighed in relief.

The kids soon filed into the kitchen, being given plates for their entrees. Stolas stood behind his friends, wanting to see how it was done. Napkins to go along with it made sense—it did look rather messy when the owner put it in the box—but he was a little confused they weren’t given any utensils.

“Um…could I have a fork and knife please?” Stolas requested.

“Sure if you want.” Tilla nodded, heading towards the utensil drawer.

“Stolas ya don’t have to eat pizza with a knife or fork.” Blitzo told him, surprising the little guy.

“I don’t?!” He gasped, incredulous at the very idea.

“We’ll show ya how it’s done.” Barbie winked, picking her slices.

The young prince was just as confused when, after getting their food, the family all went to the front room and sit on the couch. He tentatively followed, standing next to Blitzo who was practically drooling at his pizza. “Erm, I thought we ate dinner first and then enjoyed the movie.” He began.

“Oh we eat while we watch!” Fizz laughed, patting the ground. “Take a seat!”

Stolas sat next to Blitzo, placing the plate in front of him. He dabbed the napkin on the slice before starting to cut it. He was so used to eating like a little gentleman that eating with his hands was strange to him. That one trip to Medieval Times with Vassago and his father was an outlier since it was expected to eat with your hands. He sniffed the piece of pizza before moving to take a bite.

“You might wanna blow on that. Don’t need the roof of your mouth burning off.” Cash advised.

“Oh! Thank you,” Stolas nodded, quickly blowing on it before eating it.

The family watched, curious at how he would react to the pizza. Would he like it or spit it out? Cheese pizza was probably the safest option for a newcomer to eat.

He chewed it for a few seconds, swallowed, and then his feathers fluffed up from delight. “It’s good!” He smiled, giggling as Blitzo hugged him.

“I knew you’d like it, buddy!” Blitzo grinned before giving him a sneaky smile. “Now if ya wanna have a little kick next time, I can recommend some choices—ack!”

“Don’t go feeding him chili flakes or hot sauce, doofus.” Cash warned, giving him a bonk. “Last thing we need is King Birdbrain complaining about princey breathing fire.”

“Yes dad…” Blitzo grumbled, rubbing his head in annoyance.

“Oh I took a guess with Fizz’s pick for the night and made a little something special. Check out the dirt cups.” Tilla told them, an impish smile on her face.

The three boys picked up the cups, curious what she meant by that. They had gummy worms sticking out which made them happy and a few candy bugs. Fizz stuck his spoon in and was surprised to see under the cookie crumble top was green pudding. He took a bite and his eyes widened, tail swishing from excitement.

“This tastes great!” He grinned.

Blitzo was the next to take a bite, breathing a sigh of relief. “Phew! Not pistachio…”

“Nope. Vanilla with a little green food dye.” Tilla winked.

“How did you come up with this?” Stolas wondered, plucking a gummy worm off before eating it separately.

“Well I remembered that dirt cake you and Blitzo made during that group cooking class with Queen Beelzebub and a few inspirations from some cooking magazines at the store.” she told him, patting his head.

Cash picked up a spare cup, shaking his head in amusement. “What kids see in green goopy shit will never cease to surprise me.” He mused, chewing on a candy bug.

Barbie looked up at her dad with a cheeky grin. “Guess ya ain’t so scared of eating bugs now, huh?” She teased.

Cash rolled his eyes before mussing up her spines. “Yeah because I know they’re just candy, ding-dong.” He snarked.

Fizz placed his cup on the table before picking up the tape. “Alright this is Prince Stolas’s first movie night so let’s start with a funny horror comedy; Beetlejuice!” He declared.

Stolas saw the tape box as his eyes widened in realization. “So that’s where your Halloween costume came from!”

“Yup! I love this movie!” The shorter imp grinned.

“I’ll be curious to check it out with full context.” Stolas smiled.

(…)

It was getting late into the evening as King Paimon was finishing up his work. As much as he was worried about staying late to finish his work, he underestimated himself. It was later than usual but managed to finish his paperwork and send out the letters he needed to fellow royals and other Goetia. He placed his pen in the holder before sitting back in his chair.

“There…all finished…” he sighed, looking up at the high ceiling.

He always tried to finish his work despite being a night owl (so to speak) so he could see his son off to bed. Stolas would worry about his constant workload and want him to relax more. The king understood and empathized with his concerns but as a high ranking royal, he had to work hard. But he couldn’t deny that the mental fatigue could be overwhelming. Maybe he needed to take care of his work-life balance a bit more.

‘I wonder if Stolas is having a good time with his friend’s family...’ He thought, gazing out the window.

He had hoped that the family would be able to watch over him since the evening was Mister Butler’s night off. The poor boy really was cooped up too much so hopefully this was a good experience for him. For as…eccentric as they were, they did treat him well. He was glad they did but as much as he was grateful for their assistance in helping look after Stolas, it did make the king lonely at times. It wasn’t like he didn’t understand the sacrifices that came with being a royal but it still was lonesome.

Needing to get away from the office for the night, King Paimon left his study and headed towards the garage of the mansion. He opened the door and saw his trusty butler working on his old motorcycle. It was almost amusing that someone so prim and proper would freely take on tasks that would have him covered in grease and oil by the end. That was the one request that the older imp had made during the hiring process. For evenings and days off, Mister Butler would have free rein of the garage where he could maintain his motorcycle. Paimon knew of his past before hiring him but his credentials were quite good so he accepted his terms.

Provided he kept this from Stolas; Lucifer knows he would beg to take a ride and invite his little friend along.

“Am I interrupting anything?” Paimon asked, knocking on the door frame to make his presence known.

Mister Butler wiped some sweat off his brow before standing up straight. “Not at all, your highness,” he bowed. “Is something troubling you?”

“I suppose…” he sighed, finding the cleanest seat on the bench before sitting down. “I realize I requested for Stolas to stay with the imp boy’s family because of my own work but…should I have taken the night off?”

“You do have your own responsibilities to take on, sire.” Mr. Butler reasoned. “Don’t feel too discouraged.”

“I know you’re right…” Paimon admitted, running a hand through his feathers. “I suppose I’m feeling the same as Stolas would have if he had just stayed home tonight. Stifled in a way.”

“Do you wish to be with your son this evening?” The butler imp guessed. At the king’s slow nod, he moved to his boss’s side. “I think he would appreciate that greatly.”

“Would it be intrusive?” He wondered.

“Speaking as a fellow demon outside of working hours, I think you have enough of a right to at least ask.” Mr. Butler told him before letting out a chuckle. “Though I’m sure they would be happy to have you.”

“Would…you accompany me?” Paimon requested. “I realize this is your night off but—”

“Let me clean up and I would be happy to join you, sire.” He told him, smiling under his mustache at the relief on his face.

For as stoic as he could be, King Paimon could be quite silly when it came to worrying about simple things.

(…)

The credits began to roll as the kids cheered at the movie, Fizz cheering the loudest. As much as he found Beetlejuice funny as a character, seeing him get eaten by that giant worm was great! He was even singing the goofy song the ghost football players were dancing along to. Blitzo smiled seeing Stolas had gotten into the movie and enjoying the pizza.

“Ya have fun?” He guessed.

“Oh yes! There were some scary parts but I quite enjoyed the movie.” Stolas told him before turning to Fizz. “But you said the film inspired a cartoon for children?”

“Uh-huh! Instead of trying to marry Lydia, Beetlejuice is her best friend and they go on adventures together!” Fizz explained happily.

“That is a very strange direction to go…” the prince mused.

“Yeah the only weirder thing would be making it into a Broadway musical.” Barbie joked.

The family was silent for a moment before bursting out laughing. The idea of a crazy horror comedy becoming a musical was hilarious! Musicals could weird but not that crazy!

“Oh that’s a good one, Barbie!” Cash cackled.

“I’d watch it!” Fizz giggled.

Tilla calmed herself from the giggles as she stood up, stretching a bit. “Alright it’s still early enough. You all up for Fizz’s second pick?” She guessed.

“Yeah!” The kids cheered.

“I ain’t conkin’ out yet.” Cash told them before standing up, cracking his back. “But I am gonna go take a leak. You guys oughta go if ya need to.” He advised before heading upstairs.

“I’m gonna go to the porta-potty outside.” Barbie decided, standing up and heading towards the door.

“Isn’t the one upstairs closer?” Stolas wondered.

Barbie turned to the prince with a flat look. “If you knew my dad, you’d understand why we wouldn’t want to go after him.” She told him seriously, making Blitzo and Fizz giggle.

“The pizza is probably a bit cold by now. Wanna reheat it in the oven?” Tilla suggested.

“Okay!” The boys cheered.

Once Barbie finished her business outside, she went to wash her hands. She was wiping water off on her pants when she saw two familiar figures heading towards her house. Upon closer inspection, she was surprised to see Mr. Butler and King Paimon standing by the door. The king was in semi-casual clothes while Mister Butler was in a sweater and slacks.

“Just go and ask. The worst they can say is no.” Mr. Butler encouraged.

“No the worst that can happen is I look like an idiot…” Paimon muttered. “Why is this so bloody hard?”

“Hello!” Barbie greeted brightly.

Paimon and Mister Butler turned to see Barbie waving cheerily at them. “What are you doing out here?” Paimon questioned.

“I could ask you guys the same thing.” Barbie smirked, putting a hand on her hip.

“We had something to ask your parents. Are they available?” Mister Butler requested politely.

“No problem.” Barbie assured them, calling inside as she opened the door. “Mama! Door!”

Tilla, who had finished reheating the pizza, immediately turned the oven off and headed towards the door. “What is it honey?” She asked before looking at the sudden guests. “Oh! You’re back already? Is everything okay?”

“Everything is fine madame.” Mr. Butler bowed. “King Paimon just has something to ask of you.”

The king stepped forward, clearing his throat slightly. “I…finished my work early and was wondering…if it isn’t too much trouble—”

“Would you like to come in? There’s plenty of food and drinks to share.” Tilla offered with a smile.

Paimon blinked before nodding slowly, the two demons following inside. Paimon shrunk his form down slightly so he wouldn’t bang his head on the ceiling. He saw Stolas happily chattering with his friend before clearing his throat, gaining his attention. “Hello son.”

Stolas turned, excited to see his father. “You’re back!” He squealed, hugging his leg. “Did you finish your work already?”

“Yes. And if you are fine with it, may we join you for this movie night?” He requested, Mister Butler making his presence known.

Stolas’s eyes brightened as he saw his butler friend. “Of course! This has been an engaging experience!” He clapped excitedly.

Cash had returned from his trip to the bathroom, surprised by the two house guests. “Couldn’t stand workin’ tonight, could ya?” He smirked.

Paimon rolled his eyes before scoffing at his attitude. “I’ll have you know that I finished my work thank you very much.” He told him smugly.

Cash shook his head before pointing to the kitchen. “Well we got food for ya if ya want. It ain’t fancy but you gotta be sick of that rich shit, right?” He told him.

Soon enough, they were all seated as Fizz put in his second choice—a taping of the musical Cats. Cash was sitting in his chair with Tilla, Mr. Butler, and Paimon on the couch respectively. The imp trio were happily munching on popcorn and grapes on the floor but Stolas chose to sit on the couch between his father and Mr. Butler, surprising the older royal.

“I thought you would want to sit with your friends.” Paimon blinked, picking up a carrot stick with his magic.

“I will but I wanted to sit with you for a bit.” Stolas told him before hugging his side. “I’m glad you could come back.”

Feeling touched, Paimon wrapped an arm around his son and pulled him closer. “Me too, Stolas…” he whispered.

“Could we try this at the palace? Maybe invite Princess Charlie and her parents?” Stolas asked, looking at him with big eyes.

“Do you…think he would like to be a part of that?” Paimon wondered, his feathers fluffing up at the thought. “Of course! He likes you!” Stolas giggled.

Seeing the encouraging look from his son and butler, Paimon nodded slowly. “I’ll consider that in the future…”

[END]