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The situation between Blitz and Stolas has never been so tense. Stolas tries to find himself and find his place in Hell, no longer being imprisoned in a golden cage. Thus, he discovers the night life in Hell. When he wishes to go out with Loona, Blitz sees no problem with it. On the other hand, when it is with Verosika, now that is another story. The problem is that this bitch invites Stolas out almost every night to discover a new place. Her intention is not bad, she wants to show the owl everything he missed for years, places whose simple existence Stolas did not even suspect. She promised Blitz to watch over the owl with Tex, but this does not reassure the imp in any way. He tried to speak to Stolas, asking him not to go out with her, but the owl took it the wrong way, imagining that Blitz wanted to put him back in a cage, in a way, by preventing him from doing what he wants.
Blitz had to give in so as not to argue even more with Stolas, their relationship having deteriorated enormously. The two only speak to each other for the strict necessity. They do not argue, but the owl seems to remain like ice with the imp, helping him with the chores but without saying a word. Their communication is limited to simple friendly formalities, nothing more. Blitz does not insist so as not to make anything worse and hurt the owl. And Stolas remains silent so as not to anger the imp and embitter the situation.
But this situation changes nothing about Blitz's feelings, and if he wants to be sure that nothing happens to his owl during his outings, he must take care of it all by himself. Therefore, every night that Stolas goes out, Blitz follows him discreetly and watches over him.
He does not intervene, even if sometimes his jealousy resurfaces, especially when other demons offer him a drink or invite him to dance. But Blitz masters himself and remains at his post as a bodyguard of the shadow. Even if it hurts him sometimes. Stolas is right, he has the right to finally live his life, to make his own choices and to make new experiences. He missed so many things by being a prince and a father so young.
Furthermore, Blitz is nevertheless happy that Stolas goes out, because then, he sees his owl smile and laugh again. It happens to him at the office too, especially with M&M and Loona, he hears him hooting behind the door of his own office, but without ever knowing the reason for these laughs. But this happens more rarely with him at the apartment. The imp would give everything to make his owl laugh and clearly hear hootings. To see him happy.
It hurts Blitz to know that he does not manage to give Stolas this smile, this laugh, to make him happy. But what he does not know is that at the office, what makes the owl laugh out loud is often when he tells anecdotes of things that happened to him with Blitz. Even when he goes out with Verosika and her clique, Blitz does not hear him given the distance he keeps so as not to be spotted, but the owl always manages to slip in an anecdote or a remark involving his imp, leaving Verosika to often sigh and roll her eyes. Not an evening passes without the succubus having to hear the owl parade his imp.
It has now been several weeks that Stolas goes out every night, even in the middle of the week, and obviously the owl comes out of it tired during the day. But Blitz lets him sleep longer in the morning, waking him up just before leaving and taking his freshly prepared breakfast to the office. Upon returning in the afternoon, Stolas also got into the habit of taking a nap before going to help Blitz with the meal and then the dishes, then leaving again in the evening. The owl has the impression of living a second youth and ignores that, while he rests, Blitz continues to make everything function around him even though he does not have longer nights than the owl. Quite the contrary, the imp accumulates night-blank after night-blank and begins to feel it. Between the headache that becomes permanent, the fatigue that he fights all day long, the scratches he gets that even take longer to regenerate, and the chest pains that he begins to feel, his whole body begs him to rest, crying out that he will not be able to continue long like this. These nights exhaust him physically, but also emotionally, even if the imp does not want to admit it.
Which leads to today. Blitz gets up as usual before everyone else, after perhaps three miserable hours of sleep, and realizes that he is not on his beanbag, but buried in his mountain of plushies, clutching Froufou with the licorice hair in his arms. He sits up and looks around him. All his horse plushies are either around him in a sort of nest, or scattered everywhere in the apartment.
What happened tonight? He remembers nothing, except having come back through the balcony door just a bit before Stolas, like every night. To prevent waking Loona with the sound of the portal, Blitz prefers to teleport onto the balcony. He remembers pretending to sleep on his beanbag so as not to arouse the owl's suspicions, before drifting off instantly. Yet, ordinarily, he stays awake until he is sure that Stolas is well asleep. Then, he hurries to take a shower without making too much noise to wash away the stress and the bloodstains of the night. For it must be admitted that rare are the peaceful nights where he does not beat up one or two demons at the exit of the club who behaved badly with his owl. He gnashes his teeth for those who try to hit on him, but for those who hurt him by insulting him or trying to humiliate him in public, for those, Blitz has no mercy. And it is only after erasing all traces of the night that the imp allows himself to close his eyes for the little that remains of his night, before waking up well before the others to prepare breakfast.
Blitz begins to pick up his plushies and put them away. Did Stolas play a joke on him once he was asleep? He will ask him at the office. He must hurry, this unexpected event made him lose precious time and he is late to prepare breakfast.
Despite everything, Blitz manages to do everything on time and to leave for the office as planned. There, he has no time to chat with Stolas before he already has to leave on a mission with the others. The day passes without Blitz asking the owl the question and the latter makes no remark either. Blitz lets it slide and the evening routine begins. Stolas goes out again with Verosika, Blitz follows him closely, watches over him all night, then teleports onto his balcony before pretending to sleep. Well, pretending. Once again, he falls asleep instantly as soon as he lies down on the beanbag.
Blitz wakes up on the rug next to the coffee table, right in front of the TV which seems to broadcast his favorite series of My Little Pony of Hell on loop in silent mode. His favorite figurine of Twilight Spells is in his hands. He sits up with a backache. Sleeping on the beanbag is already not optimal, but on the floor, it is worse. He turns off the TV and replaces his figurine on the shelf. Again, he has no memory of how it arrived in his hands. The owl's humor is strange, but at least he does not need to clean everything up this morning.
The day goes by as usual and Blitz still does not ask the owl the question, because the latter does not seem to want to talk about it either. Then the evening routine starts again. Eating, dishes, protection mission, then falling K.O. on the beanbag from exhaustion.
Blitz wakes up this time sitting on the kitchen table and all around him are plenty of sheets filled with drawings of him and Stolas as horses. What does all of this mean? Is the owl trying to send him a message? This time, he is going to ask Stolas, because on the first day it could be funny, but three times in a row, it is starting to get tiresome.
After Loona has eaten and leaves to get ready, Blitz wakes the owl a bit earlier than usual to ask him the question.
« Hey Stolas, wake up, it's time. »
The owl slowly opens his eyes while yawning, then sits up and stretches.
« Good morning Blitz. Did you sleep well? » Stolas asks like every morning.
« To tell the truth, I don't think spending the night on the kitchen chair is the best place to have a good night, » Blitz begins.
Stolas looks at him with a surprised air:
« Why did you have to spend your night on the kitchen chair? Did something happen? » the owl asks, lost.
« That's what I'd like to know. Your jokes from the two previous days were funny, well I think. But right now, I really don't understand. You must explain to me, Stols. »
The owl looks at him more and more perplexed.
« Blitz, I don't understand exactly what you are asking me. What jokes are you talking about? »
« You know. The TV with my favorite show, the nest with my horse plushies… Even if I didn't understand, it could be funny in a certain weird way. But today, I don't get it at all. »
Stolas still looks just as lost but begins to worry.
« Blitz, I still don't understand anything you are telling me. Are you alright? »
A hint of anger begins to rise in Blitz. Why is Stolas denying it? Is he making fun of him? He could simply admit it, everything would be fine. Blitz yet did not judge him, nor yell at him, so why does the owl not simply confess what he has in mind? Is it to be able to laugh about it with Millie and Moxxie behind his back?
« Fine, forget it. I get it, these are jokes so you can make fun of me, is that it? » Blitz spits out.
« What? But Blitz, I do not understand a single word of this joke story! » the owl answers sharply.
Blitz gets even angrier, having, because of the fatigue, even less patience than usual:
« Fuck you, Stolas! I know you don't want to talk to me anymore these past days, but you don't have to mock me to my face! »
« But I am not mocking you, Blitz. I do not know what you are talking about and you do not need to yell at me like that, » Stolas retorts.
Blitz gnashes his teeth. Why does the owl treat him this way when he tries to do everything for him?
« And shit Stolas, do what you want, I don't care! » Blitz answers sharply, leaving for the kitchen to finish clearing up.
Loona comes out of the bathroom:
« Damn it, what the hell is this? Why are you already yelling at each other? »
« I do not know, Loona. Your father accuses me of playing jokes on him or I do not know what, even though I have nothing to do with it. »
« Yeah, yeah, make me look like the local lunatic in front of my daughter. Thank you very much. Here, you know what? I don't care! You want to make fun of me? Here, take the van with Loona and go get M&M, that way you can start having fun on the way. No need to be alone at the office for me to work while you make fun of me behind my back! I need to get some fresh air! » Blitz explodes, leaving the kitchen while gesturing with his arms in all directions before walking out of the apartment, slamming the door behind him.
Loona and Stolas look at each other, neither of them understanding this whole story.
Loona drives the van and brings the whole team back to the office where Blitz is already waiting for them. Millie and Moxxie were warned by Stolas that the imp is more irritated than usual and that they should try to do their best not to anger him further today.
Despite these unfounded accusations and his outburst of anger against the owl, the latter worries. Blitz is not the type to invent stories to deliberately get angry and argue. Despite the efforts of the team, the day goes by in a palpable tension, Blitz's anger not seeming to want to come down.
In the evening, after the meal, Stolas hesitates. Verosika wants to take him to this new chic bar that Stolas heard so much about and he was waiting to finally be able to go there. But he does not feel like leaving Blitz alone. When the dishes are finished, Blitz goes to settle down, still grumbling, on the couch. Stolas sits down next to him without saying a word.
« Aren't you going to get ready? This moron won't be long before coming to pick you up to go to I don't know what trendy club of my ass, » Blitz throws out.
Stolas forces himself not to get carried away, it would only make the situation worse.
« I think I am going to stay with you tonight. You do not look well Blitz, I am worried. »
« You're worried? Ha! My balls, yeah! You only want to be here when I fall asleep to fuck me over once again and make me pass for a freak in front of Loona! » continues Blitz, who jumped off the couch to face Stolas.
Stolas tries hard not to get angry, but the imp does not make the task easy for him.
« Blitz, I assure you… »
« Go have fun! You don't need to stay here supposedly watching over me. Having you out of my feet will give me some breathing room! »
Stolas holds back, he takes a deep breath and stands up.
« Fine, if that is what you want. But do not come to reproach me tomorrow morning. »
Then the owl leaves for the bathroom before leaving the apartment a bit later, asking all the same one last time if Blitz is doing well and if he does not want the owl to stay with him. The imp answering him once again sharply to go fuck off. Stolas leaves the apartment offended, but especially hurt and worried. What is happening to Blitz?
The imp, on his end, sighs and rubs his eyes. Not only is he exhausted, but on top of that he feels horribly bad for having once again exploded against the owl, several times even in a single day. But why is Stolas making fun of him? Does he not see all the efforts he makes for him? Does the owl hate him to the point of wanting to break him, to hurt him? Blitz has no time to think about it, because even if it is the case, it changes nothing. He grabs his jacket and his gun. He puts on his gloves and leaves through the balcony. He watches Verosika's car drive away. He rubs his crystal and teleports from roof to roof, still following his owl.
The club is truly beautiful, everything is there to please Stolas, because it is not the case for all the places where the succubus takes him. But Stolas fails to appreciate the atmosphere. He is sitting at the bar counter and looks at his glass without taking a single sip.
« Hey, what's wrong? It's been days that you want me to take you here and, now that you're here, you pout alone in your corner? Tell me what's bothering you, » Verosika begins, settling on the stool next to him.
« It is Blitz. I am worried, he did not look well today, » Stolas briefly explains, keeping his eyes fixed on his glass.
« Is he sick or something like that? » the succubus asks.
« No, well, I do not believe so. He got angry several times today for nothing at all and he did not calm down all day, quite the contrary. »
« That's his normal behavior, honey, hadn't you noticed? Your boyfriend is an explosive ball of nerves that snaps for a yes or for a no. »
Stolas blushes upon hearing the succubus call Blitz his "boyfriend", his heart racing.
« We are not together, Verosika. We are simple roommates, nothing more. I do not believe that Blitz has any interest in wanting to go out with me, not after our entire history. And concerning his temperament, I know him well, believe me. But today is different. I do not know how to describe it, but I feel that something is wrong. I also find him more and more tired from day to day. I am truly worried about him, » Stolas confesses.
The succubus smiles and shakes her head before taking her own glass and drinking it down dry.
« Yeah. Well for your information, I don't think a simple roommate would stalk me to check that I keep my promise. »
Stolas looks at her, perplexed, not understanding what she is implying. She sighs upon seeing the owl's lost air, then simply asks him in an attentive voice:
« You're really worried about that asshole, right? »
Stolas simply nods.
Verosika stares at the owl, then gets up from the stool and heads toward the exit:
« Ok, I get it. Come on, let's go. »
Stolas follows her with a bound.
« Where are we going? » he asks.
« I'm taking you back home so you can look after the other dumbass. Obviously, you're not going to have fun and you're only brooding here, it's not worth it. »
« Thank you Verosika, and I am sorry for having ruined your evening, » Stolas answers simply, more than relieved to go back to find Blitz.
Blitz, on his end, who watches the duo from afar, wonders where the bitch is going to take his owl now. It is only once he arrives at the foot of their building and Stolas steps out of the car that Blitz understands Verosika brought the owl back to the apartment. He hurries to teleport inside. Loona being out herself, he will not disturb her with the noise. Then he changes in a flash, throwing his clothes, his boots, his gun, and his gloves into the bathtub, not having the time to put them in their place and he lies down just in time to pretend to sleep.
This time, the adrenaline from the last-minute stress prevents him from sinking directly into sleep like the other nights. He hears the front door open. The owl's steps approach him. The imp forces himself to keep his eyes closed. The owl must be right next to him because he feels his warmth. And indeed, Stolas knelt at his side, watching him sleep. He reaches out a hand to caress his cheek, but changes his mind a few centimeters from the imp's face. After a moment, he stands up and goes to change in turn before going to bed, relieved to have found Blitz peacefully asleep. This time, Stolas falls asleep before the imp, but not for long, Blitz sinking shortly after.
The next morning, Blitz wakes up this time well in his makeshift bed. On the other hand, it is while heading toward the kitchen that he finds it upside down. Scattered everywhere, half-nibbled cheese with hot sauce, as well as melted ice cream covered in spray cheese. He opens the fridge and the freezer, then realizes that his entire stash is gone. This time, Stolas goes too far! It is to play such a joke on him that he came home earlier than usual. But this time, he is not going to get away with it!
Furious, he approaches the couch and, without warning, flips it, making the still-sleeping owl fall to the ground.
« Fuck Blitz, what is… » the owl exclaims.
« This shit? I was about to ask you the same question. Aren't you sick of mocking me? » Blitz yells.
Stolas stands up, annoyed by such a waking, already having to endure the imp's accusations. He turns toward Blitz who is still standing behind the overturned couch.
« By Lucifer, Blitz, you are… » Stolas begins to get angry, but he cuts himself off upon seeing that the imp, in addition to his dark circles, has tears flowing abundantly down his cheeks.
Despite his furious air and his hands in fists, Blitz fails to hide that he is also deeply hurt and exhausted. In addition to his eyes filled with tears, Stolas notices his tail completely limp on the ground. Normally, when Blitz is angry, it twitches frantically behind him, it is never motionless on the floor.
« Blitz, are you… » Stolas begins softly, in a tender voice this time and sincerely worried.
But the imp does not let him finish his sentence:
« I'm sick of this, Stolas, you hear me? If you wanted to push me to the edge, bravo, you did it. I try to do everything for you, I really try, and this is how you treat me! You're just an ungrateful bird. Fuck, I know I completely fucked up back then, but I'm trying to make it up to you. I really try! Does that mean nothing to you, nothing at all? Did I hurt you so much that you want to make me pay like this, by exhausting me to death, by ripping my heart out every single night and making me lose my mind? Do you hate me that much? » yells Blitz, his voice broken.
Stolas's heart breaks upon hearing these words.
« Blitz, of course not! What are you saying? » Stolas tries to calm him down, his gaze shifting suddenly toward the kitchen, understanding the imp's state of anger. The owl cannot explain to himself how this is possible and remains open-mouthed.
« Well you know what? You win! You can just clear up all this shit yourself this time! I give up! And if you don't want to, I don't care, it'll stay like this, got it? Until it rots and fucking cockroaches and rats invade the apartment and we find ourselves on the street! That way, I'll have lost everything too just like you, is that what you want? I won't have an apartment anymore and you'll just have to keep calling me crazy in front of Loona, so she leaves me too and I'll be alone on the street once again with nothing, not even a roof and something to eat! Well you know what? It wouldn't be the first time, asshole! I don't care about anything, do what you want! » the imp rages, completely losing his mind due to the fatigue and everything else.
Stolas remains paralyzed by what the imp throws at him. Once his tirade is over, Blitz heads toward the door and walks out without adding anything, leaving the owl alone in the apartment. The imp, completely at the end of his nerves, heads toward the city center.
Stolas, on his side, tries to process what just happened. How can Blitz believe such a thing of him? Yes, they do not speak to each other lately, but to go as far as believing that he hates him and wishes for him to lose everything...
But it is obvious that Blitz is not in his normal state. The owl approaches the kitchen and examines the extent of the damage, it will take him hours to clean everything.
He begins with the kitchen table, all the while wondering who could have done this to Blitz and why the imp is behaving this way. After so much of worrying and wondering about what is happening while cleaning, Stolas notices small drops of hot sauce leaving the kitchen. He follows them to Blitz's beanbag and realizes that there are, in addition to the sauce stains, also ice cream and cheese stains. Could it be the imp who made this mess? But how, and especially why? Blitz's distress was clearly not an act.
Stolas finishes cleaning and waits patiently for the imp's return. Blitz having left his cell phone at the apartment, Stolas has no way to reach him. Moreover, the owl does not have his own phone, so even if Blitz had taken his, it would have been useless. Anxieties rise within him as he does not see him return. Hours pass without the slightest sign of the imp. Stolas paces up and down the apartment until the late afternoon.
Of course, this weekend, Loona is gone for two days to a festival with her friends and will not return before tomorrow. Stolas is at the peak of worry and he feels terribly useless. He does not know how to find Blitz if he does not decide to return on his own. He did send a message to Millie and Moxxie with the imp's phone, asking if they know where Blitz can disappear like this when he is in such a rage, but unfortunately, they could not help him. What is certain is that as soon as Monday, he will take all the money he possesses to buy himself a cell phone, even a dilapidated model, as long as he can call Blitz with it. And he is going to graft the imp's cell phone to his arm.
Stolas goes into the bathroom to splash his face with a bit of water, then, in the mirror, he notices that the bathtub is not empty. He approaches and finds all of Blitz's clothes and his gloves with the crystal. Stolas was so focused on Blitz's face this morning that he could not tell if the imp was wearing his gloves, but it seems not. Stolas has no time to wonder why everything is in the bathtub. He takes the crystal and thinks very hard of Blitz, asking the crystal with all his heart to open a portal to the imp. Normally, it does not work this way, the crystal teleports to a place, not to a person, but it is the only hope Stolas has.
A portal opens and Stolas steps through it. He finds himself in the city center that he is starting to know well. It is a very dynamic area with several bars, clubs and everything that goes with it. Stolas walks down the street. If Blitz is indeed here, he could be in any bar or club. Then his gaze lands on a bar where Stolas has not yet set foot. It is an establishment that stands out from the others by its small size, its less-maintained condition, and without the slightest light on the facade. The simple fact of seeing this small bar, squashed between the large luminous clubs around it, touches him in a certain way. He does not know exactly why, but he tells himself that if Blitz is indeed here, then he must have gone there. He pushes the small creaking door and, sure enough, he sees Blitz slumped over the counter. He approaches him.
« Blitz? » the owl asks prudently while placing a hand on his shoulder.
« He just fell asleep completely drunk. I tried to wake him up so he'd pay for his drinks before he croaks, but no way, » the barman says nonchalantly.
Stolas begins by taking the imp in his arms, but the demon behind the counter interrupts him:
« Not so fast! If you want to take this wreck, you have to pay what he owes me. »
The owl's feathers rustle with anger. He searches his pockets, pulls out all the money he finds there, and places it on the counter.
« It's ok, » the barman simply answers.
Stolas sighs with relief and finally takes the imp in his arms. The owl opens a portal and steps through it while carrying Blitz. Once at the apartment, he observes the imp in his arms, still dressed in the shorts and t-shirt that serve as his pajamas. He lays him down on the couch and covers him with a blanket. Then, this time he gently caresses his face and softly whispers to him:
« What is happening to you, my darling? »
After a long moment, he sits up and goes into the kitchen to make himself some tea.
Turning around to find Blitz back at the couch, Stolas freezes. The imp is standing in front of the couch, but something is wrong. Blitz has his back bent forward and his arms simply hang along his body, his tail still dragging on the floor. The imp approaches his shelf, but his steps are strange, like desynchronized and dragging. Stolas sets down his cup and gently approaches the imp.
« Blitz? » the owl asks prudently.
The imp does not react and simply grabs a plushie. Here too, his gesture seems abnormally limp, unnatural. He hugs the plushie against him, then heads toward the blanket supply. While passing in front of the owl, Stolas notices then that Blitz's eyes are almost closed, only a tiny yellow sliver is visible.
Is Blitz sleepwalking? That would explain quite a few things. Stolas stays behind the imp and follows him prudently. After taking all the blankets, the imp throws them onto the couch and, with the pillows, places them in such a way as to make a small tent, a cozy little cocoon. Once his architecture is finished, he goes inside and curls up into a ball, holding his plushie firmly between his hands.
It pinches Stolas's heart to see Blitz so vulnerable, seeking a sort of comfort between simple pillows and blankets. Then, it hits him like an obvious truth, the plushies, the TV with his favorite show, and all his "consolation" food.
Stolas approaches the couch and kneels beside it, lifting a blanket just enough to slip the upper part of his body inside without making everything fall. He places a hand on the imp and begins to caress him. Then, he realizes that Blitz is crying, his eyes closed. Does the imp cry every night in his sleep?
The owl's heart tightens even more. Unable to resist any longer, Stolas completely lifts a few blankets and lies down on the couch with Blitz, holding him tight against his chest. He lets the blankets fall back to reform the little cocoon and, with one hand, he holds Blitz against him while with the other, he caresses his head, softly whispering to him:
« I am here with you, my darling, you have nothing to fear. It is my turn to take care of you. »
These words seem to calm the imp, whose tears stop flowing. All night long, Stolas holds his imp against his heart, the latter firmly hugging his plushie, under this little nest, this little cocoon of pillows and blankets.
Blitz gently emerges from sleep. He instantly realizes that he is not on his beanbag and that something envelops him. A gentle warmth, it is pleasant. He keeps his eyes closed to enjoy it for a moment, then he begins to feel something against his back and also gently holding his head. Blitz emerges more and more and realizes that he has feathers caressing his face, and finally, his sleeping brain realizes... He is in Stolas's arms.
He then notices the slow and regular respiration of the owl, his breath against his skin, the sound of his heart beating in his chest against the imp and his arms enveloping him tenderly.
Blitz's heart, for its part, begins to race. What is he doing pressed in Stolas's arms and where is he? On the couch? He opens his eyes and yes, he is indeed on the couch, snuggled against the owl, and both are under blankets placed on the couch, like a cocoon or a large tent. What is...? Why? The last thing Blitz remembers is having drunk until being completely drunk in a bar. Did Stolas find him and bring him back? Why did the owl get under these blankets with him? Why? What game is Stolas playing with him? Why did the owl come to look for him after what he threw in his face? … Oh no… How did he treat Stolas yesterday morning… It comes back to him… Even if he had not appreciated the joke, he should have never thrown all of that at the owl.
His respiration also begins to accelerate. A sort of anxiety washes over the imp, feeling completely lost and not understanding anything that is happening. Blitz begins to move, trying to separate himself gently without waking the owl and realizes that he is holding one of his plushies in his arms.
The imp's wiggling, even if slight, wakes the owl who opens his eyes. His gaze meets the imp's, who looks lost and even a bit… worried, frightened? Stolas gently begins to caress him and offers him a tender smile, hoping to calm the anxieties that are visible in the imp's eyes.
« Good morning Blitz, how do you feel this morning? » the owl says in his softest voice.
Blitz turns his gaze away, completely lost, and does not answer.
Stolas notices his rapid respiration and feels Blitz’s heart racing. Fearing a panic attack from the imp, Stolas slightly tightens his embrace and continues to caress him while still speaking to him in that attentive and soft voice:
« Shh, my darling, everything is alright. You do not have to worry. I am here for you, you can calm down, nothing happened. » Then he places a kiss on the imp's head. Blitz freezes. « Calm down, my darling. Try to breathe slowly. Everything is fine. »
The owl’s words indeed help. His respiration as well as his heart calm down. He lets himself be carried by the warmth and softness of the owl who embraces him and caresses him tenderly.
Is he dreaming? Is he dead from exhaustion or alcohol poisoning and he now finds himself in some sort of paradise?
No matter how he arrives there, Blitz is going to enjoy it as much as he can before reality takes it back from him. Thus time passes. Stolas does not stop caressing his imp, placing from time to time a kiss between his horns.
After a long moment that he would be quite unable to say, Blitz dares to break the silence:
« Are you real, or did I completely lose my mind and it's just an illusion while I'm dying along a gutter? »
Stolas’s heart tightens. Is it so impossible for Blitz to believe that the owl is ready to give him this affection?
« I am real, Blitz, you are not dreaming. And thanks to Lucifer, I found you before that heartless bartender threw you along a gutter, leaving you to your fate. »
A new silence settles in. Stolas holds Blitz firmly against him and continues his affectionate gestures.
« Why? » Blitz asks.
« Because you matter to me, Blitz. Even if these past weeks might have made you believe the contrary. I am so sorry for it, believe me. I should have noticed your distress sooner and intervened, instead of keeping my distance so as not to risk angering you. Forgive me, my darling. I promise to take more care of you and to help you as much as I can. »
Blitz blushes between the owl’s feathers, but he does not understand any more of the whole situation.
« You… I don't understand what's happening, Stols. Why did you play all those jokes on me? » Blitz asks, perplexed, in a trembling voice.
Stolas sighs. He places a new kiss on Blitz’s head and begins to explain:
« I did not play any trick on you, my darling. It is you who did all these things unconsciously during your sleep. Besides, it is you who built this charming, cozy little cocoon in which we currently are. »
Blitz lifts his head to meet the owl’s eyes, to see if it is another bad joke on his part, but the owl’s gaze is filled with softness and affection. A small tender smile dresses his face. Blitz blushes all the more.
« I… I still don't understand. »
« You are sleepwalking, my darling. When I went to look for you in that bar, I laid you down on the couch so you could rest and shortly after, you stood up, still asleep. You grabbed Miss Big Ass with the silver mane, then you took our stock of plaids and blankets and, with the help of the pillows, you built this little cocoon in which you then took refuge. I watched over you and, when you began to cry in your sleep, I could not resist any longer. I came to join you, holding you against me and trying to calm you down. »
Blitz remains mute, his gaze still plunged into the owl’s.
« I sheepcrawl what? » Blitz asks.
Stolas lets out a small hoot, which makes Blitz’s heart melt.
« You sleepwalk. That means that unconsciously, in your sleep, you move around and do actions while remaining asleep. And it seems that your actions were all directed to find yourself some sort of comfort. A nest with your plushies, your favorite TV show, and your taste for cheese, ice cream, and hot sauce. And I do not know what you did the day before yesterday, you never exactly told me what supposed joke I would have played on you. »
Blitz reflects, trying to understand what the owl explains to him, then answers simply:
« Drawings. »
« Drawings? What did you draw? » Stolas asks, curious.
Blitz turns his gaze away and buries his head in the feathers of Stolas’s chest before answering softly, fearing the owl’s reaction:
« Of us. You and me as horses, together. Holding hands, kissing, and… and riding each other... That kind of drawings. »
Stolas blushes in his turn, then hoots softly, holding the imp a bit tighter to reassure him, feeling his anxiety in his voice.
« Well, my darling, I hope you did not throw them away. I would like to see them, especially the ones where we ride each other. »
Blitz is relieved. His heart begins to race again and a small smile settles on his face.
« If you want, Stolas. I kept them all, but I warn you, there are some that are a bit risqué for horses. »
Stolas hoots once again. It does him so much good, not only to hold Blitz in his arms, but to find his imp with his very own sense of humor.
After a new moment of silence, a bit less heavy this time, Blitz asks:
« Am I going to turn into a sleeping zombie every night now? »
« I do not know, you were not sleepwalking before, so everything can go back to normal. Sometimes, it is just a phase when one is confronted with enormous stress or, paradoxically, extreme fatigue. In short, when one is not necessarily doing well. This is not always the case obviously, but I feel that it is for you. Do you want to tell me what has been going on lately? Why do you seem so tired? »
Blitz hesitates, playing nervously with the owl's feathers.
« I promise you, Blitz, that I am not going to judge you, nor make fun, nor get angry. I only want to know so I can help you. »
After a moment, Blitz buries his head a bit more into the owl's plumage:
« I'm watching over you. Every night when you go out, I follow you and I watch over you to be sure nothing happens to you with that rotten bitch. Whether she takes you to a dangerous place or I don't know. And if demons bother you or hurt you, I beat them up to make them pay as soon as they leave. »
« But how? I mean… when I came home, you were always sleeping peacefully. »
« I was pretending. I teleported to the balcony with the crystal and I waited for you to fall asleep so I could take a shower, and only then I'd go to sleep. »
« But you always get up so early to prepare breakfast or go to the local grocery store to buy what's needed, how could you… »
Before even finishing his sentence, Stolas understands now where the exhaustion comes from, and also catches the remark about Verosika's stalking. He is not angry with Blitz, quite the contrary. Knowing that the imp is ruining his health to watch over him touches him enormously, but at the same time, it saddens him. How did he manage not to notice it and see nothing? Despite their distance, Blitz sacrificed so much for him.
« You know, I don't want you to stop going out if that's what you want. On the other hand, would it be ok not to do it every night, so that I can sleep in between? I know, you're gonna tell me I don't need to come watch over you. But that, I can't. I must watch over you. I can't let something happen to you, otherwise I'll never get over it, » Blitz confesses in a muffled voice.
Stolas's heart tightens. He lifts Blitz's head to meet his gaze, then he brings his beak forward and kisses the imp. Blitz freezes, not expecting this gesture from the owl. But he composes himself and returns the kiss, while letting himself melt.
« I have no intention of continuing my outings with Verosika, at least not at this pace. I admit that it was enormously pleasant, I felt as if I were sixteen years again. But I am no longer that age and I think that restful evenings by your side will please me just as much. Furthermore, when you are completely recovered and rested, we can go out together and go to nightclubs, what do you say? You won’t need to hide in a dark corner. »
« Yeah, that wouldn't be bad. And when you say… going out together, do you mean like two roommates? » Blitz asks prudently.
Stolas hoots:
« No, my darling. If you agree, of course, I was thinking rather of going out together like two horses holding hands, kissing, and riding each other. »
Blitz sits up instantly open-mouthed and has his eyes wide open, staring at the owl.
« You're serious? »
« Very serious, my darling. Now, come here so I can give you a goodnight kiss, before you go back to resting some more in my arms, you need it terribly. »
Blitz executes himself, kissing the owl then taking back his place in Stolas's arms. The two embrace before the imp closes his eyes to finally catch up on his well-deserved sleep. Stolas continues to caress his beloved, he has so many questions now, but they will have plenty of time to answer them. The most important thing now is to watch over the imp asleep in his arms.