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It was just a typical Tuesday morning, the employees of IMP were cramped into Blitzø’s van on their way the office. Blitzø was his usual short tempered self with the other drivers.
“Hey, fuck face, get your fucking head out of your asshole and learn to drive!” He yelled out the window as he flipped his middle finger to the car he was passing.
Stolas was carefully studying Blitzø’s movements. His eyes following Blitzø’s feet as he pushed the pedals, his hands as he crossed them over each other as he expertly swerved in and out of the traffic of Imp City. Blitzø checked his passenger side mirror (yeah, he uses the mirrors) before merging and caught a glance of Stolas watching him.
“Oh, see something you like, big bird?” he asked with a cocky smile, his voice low and gravely.
“Ew, Dad, no flirting in the van,” Loona said from the seat behind him.
“What?” He blushed, “I wasn’t flirting, Loonie!”
“You definitely did, sir. Your voice did that gravely thing you think is ‘sexy.‘“ Moxxie stated matter-of-factly, using claw quotes when he said “sexy.”
“Uh, fuck you, Moxx. At least I know how to be sexy!”
“Hey!” Millie pipped up, “Moxxie is great at being sexy,” she rubbed her face up against Moxxie’s, who just giggled in return.
Blitzø turned the van forcefully onto their exit, causing everyone to be flung to right. He kept promising them he’d get seatbelts installed. He kept forgetting.
“Uh, Blitzø, do you think you could… teach me… to… drive?” Stolas asked one he had straightened himself.
“Oh really? You wanna leave to drive?”
“Well, yes. If I’m going to be without my powers for the next 100 years, then it could prove to be useful, since I won’t be able to travel by portal anymore.”
“Are you sure you want Blitzø to teach you, your highness?” Moxxie said, pulling himself up on the seat.
“Yeah, Stolas, you don’t want Dad teaching you.”
“Hey! I taught you how to drive, missy!”
“Yeah, which is why I’m the only one in this van who knows what it’s like,” she said as she kept tapping away on her phone.
“What? I’m an excellent teacher!” Blitzø said as he spun the van 360 degrees into their parking spot at the office. “I’d be happy to teach you, Stols! We’ll start lessons tonight!”
“Don’t say I didn’t warn you,” Loona said as she rolled her eyes.
~ ~ ~
That evening, Blitzø drove himself and Stolas to an empty parking lot. They switched seats, the former prince’s knees comically bent up to his chest. Blitzø went over the different parts of the car: what the pedals did, the gear shift and the turn signal. The imp even went outside the van to stand in the blind spots, dancing suggestively until Stolas could see him in the mirrors and respond with a little giggle as he set his mirrors.
Once Blitzø was confident that Stolas was ready, he gave the keys to the owl. “Ok, Stolas, she’s old and looks like she’s coming apart at the seams, but she’s got a lot of power, so just go easy on the gas. Ok?”
Stolas gulped and took the keys with a slight nod. He started the ignition, feeling excited now that the van was on. He placed the car into drive, took his shaky foot off the brake and gently placed it on the accelerator.
Vroooooooom!
Stolas squawked in fear and slammed on the brakes. Blitzø flew forward, hitting his head against the dashboard. He rubbed his forehead.
“Oh, ha ha, I see what you mean about it having a lot of power,”Stolas said sheepishly, looking down at Blitzø.
“Yep, maybe we don’t need the gas pedal just yet. Just take your foot off the brake and let her move at her own pace,” Blitzø said, putting a reassuring hand on Stolas’s shoulder. His large yellow eyes glowed in the dim light, allowing Stolas to see just how full of love and patience they were. He’d never had this in his life before, someone who was always so supportive and reassuring.
Stolas turned his attention back to the front of the van, and took a deep breath. He took his foot off the brake, and the van started to move. He focused on his breathing as the van coasted. This… this wasn’t so bad.
He checked his mirrors, remembering what Blitzø had told him about being aware of his surroundings. He noticed Blitzø smiling softly at him from his peripherals. It seemed to fuel his confidence as they slowly moved through the parking lot.
Emboldened by his lover/boyfriend/friend’s smile, he started to turn the steering wheel, placing one hand over the other as he had watched Blitzø do that morning. A happy trill sound formed in his throat as he lazily turned the van in a full circle.
“Wanna try the gas pedal?” Blitzø asked encouragingly.
Stolas nodded and placed just a single toe on the accelerator. The van jerked slightly as it picked up speed. Stolas didn’t freak out this time, he seemed to perk up from the power of the van responding to him. He let out a throaty giggle as his increased the speed and navigated the van through the parking lot, swerving and turning through an invisible obstacle course.
Blitzø just leaned on the dashboard and smiled up at his beautiful bird.
Over the next few weeks, they went back to that empty parking lot and continued to practice. Once Blitzø thought Stolas was ready, they added new skills to his repertoire: 3 point turns, reversing, and the ever difficult parallel parking. That one took a few nights to figure out, with Stolas mumbling every curse word under the pentagram every time he got it wrong.
~ ~ ~
One Thursday night, Blitzø was looking for a snack in the fridge and wasn’t quite happy with anything he found.
“Hey!” He shouted out to the apartment, “we’re running low on a few things so I’m gonna run to the store,” he said as he grabbed his van keys and put on his jacket.
“Oh, Blitzø!” Stolas’s head popped up from behind the couch.
“Yeah, need anything from the store, Stols?”
“Actually,” he stood up and walked up to Blitzø, avoiding his eyes, “could I… maybe… if it’s not too much trouble that is…. Drive?”
Blitzø flashed him a toothy grin, “of course, Stolas! We haven’t tried traffic driving yet though, are you sure you’re up for it?”
“Yes, I think so. At least, my skills can only improve so much in that parking lot, so I’m ready to take the next steps.”
“‘Atta, bird!” Blitzø said in his usual encouraging way that made Stolas believe he really could do anything.
That feeling left him pretty quickly once he was actually seated in the driver’s seat. He had adjusted his mirrors, as Blitzø had taught him, and got himself as comfortable as he could in the too small front seat, but he was still very nervous. He was hoping an early evening in the middle of the week would mean the traffic would be light, but no such luck, the streets of Imp City were always busy. He looked at Blitzø to tell him he couldn’t do it, but when he saw the way the imp was looking at him, he couldn’t do it. He could get over his nerves for him.
He took a steading breath and turned on the van. He used to lead legions! He used to talk to the stars! He could drive a van just like any other demon.
He shifted the van into drive, turned on the turning signal, and merged into the traffic of Imp City.
He did it! He was on the streets.
Oh, Lords, he was on the streets!
What was he thinking? He didn’t need to learn to drive! Why did he keep giving into these flights of fancy?
His breathing sped up.
Blitzø noticed the panic take over Stolas and shuffled closer to him. He placed a comforting hand over Stolas’s hand. He spoke slowly and steadily. “Relax, Stols, you’re doing great.”
“I didn’t realize there’d be so much traffic!” Stolas said nervously, but his breathing had started to calm down, the feeling of Blitzø’s hand on his giving him the reassurance he needed.
The van easily accelerated and stopped under his foot as needed. He had come so far from his first attempt at driving. Soon, he even started to appreciate the traffic. Moving between the other cars, stopping and starting in sync with the others, it almost felt like a dance.
Blitzø smiled that tender smile that Stolas had seen so often since after the trial. “Hey, the grocery store is only a few blocks away, but did you want to take the scenic route?” He interlocked their fingers on their steering wheel together. Stolas melted at the touch and nodded.
This new life was so different than the life he had known as a prince. He knew he still had so much to learn, but, maybe, with his darling Blitzy by his side, it wouldn’t be so difficult.
~ ~ ~
They drove home in a comfortable silence, the bags of groceries stuffed on the floor in the backseat.
When suddenly, some asshat swerved dangerously close to the van, cutting Stolas off. He slammed on the brakes, stopping quickly to avoid hitting the other car. Blitzø splattered against the dashboard. Again. He really needed to get seatbelts.
Stolas hung his head down, his breathing big and laboured, his hands still gripping the wheel at 10 and 2.
“He cut me off…” he said in a tiny voice that Blitzø almost didn’t hear.
Blitzø rubbed his sore face, “yeah, but good job with the defensive driving, Stols. Did you want me to take over?”
Stolas’s head whipped up. His white pupils vibrated against his red sclera, his brow furrowed in anger greater than Blitzø had ever seen. “That motherfucker fucking cut! Me! Off!” He yelled as he slammed his foot on the accelerator, taking off after the offending driver.
Blitzø held on for dear life! Both of his hands hung on to the bar over his door, both feet were pushed up against the dashboard, and his tail was wrapped multiple times around Stolas’s arm. Someday in the future, he may laugh at this. Today he was just trying his best to keep all his internal organs in place.
Stolas quickly caught up with the other driver and started yelling obscenities at him through the window, controlling the van with one hand as his other held up his middle finger to the other driver.
Maybe Blitzø had taught him a little too well…