The Immediate Flirting Caught Blitz Off Guard. He Faltered For A Moment, Unsure Whether Or Not He'd Actually

The immediate flirting caught Blitz off guard. He faltered for a moment, unsure whether or not he'd actually just heard that, but he rallied just as quickly and put a grin on, slipping back into his most comfortable public persona, the shield coming as naturally as it ever had--even if maybe, maybe, it didn't fit quite as well these days.

"Well, guy as handsome as you, I could be persuaded," he practically purred back at the man. "I wanted to talk about something you offered, writing lessons? But I mean, if you have something else in mind that you'd like to hold and a pen just ain't cuttin' it..." Blitz leaned his shoulder against the bird, not quite rubbing against him the way a cat might, but something similar. It was a very brief contact, and then he moved away again, to a more comfortable distance. "Did you mean that? About teaching me to write better? Or were you pointing out how fucking uneducated I am?" He asked it like it was nothing, but deep down, even under his hope, there was an ember of resentment; it was easy for those with privilege and security to look down on those who didn't have enough of either to get the same education they had. If that was what was going on here? Well, Goetia were Goetia, he shouldn't be surprised.

Maybe it would be easier if all the guy had meant was let's get together again under any pretense, I want a quick fuck. It would almost definitely be safer.

Usually these days, he'd send Baron out to do small errands for him. But this was one of his days of full freedom from what one might call work, albeit how leisurely it was, you might not. And thus the Goetia had to go out and about himself. Turning heads left and right, nobility walking amongst the rabble.

That essentially made it Blitz's lucky day. Any other Goetia would never be caught dead in public if they could avoid it. But he enjoyed his time on the streets, these were the people he favored. No pomp, no circumstance...just living 'life' in Hell as best they could. And being as tall as he was, and vibrant as sin itself, he was easy to pick out.

When called out with such a ridiculous name, Eclipse smoothed down his already slick feathers. Being a raven, he wasn't as puffy or fluffy as certain other birds...such as Owls.

"My existence is Important, Blitz, I'm a Goetia....but no, I'm just doing some minor errands since Baron's off today. Though I do have to ask, are these fuckin' minutes or "fuckin" minutes?" He teased playfully.

Blitz heard him out, then nodded. He didn't fully understand where Angel was coming from there, but he didn't need to understand it to respect it. The imp would fight like crazy to make life better for his own people, even if it meant he had to fight the Devil himself, even if he never got to be the one to see it. If Angel resented that progress had been made without him there? While it sounded selfish on the surface, Blitz reminded himself that he really didn't know Angel that well yet. They'd gone to an aquarium and to Hawai'i, but that didn't mean they had fully spilled their souls.

Besides, Blitz was a shitty enough person that he really didn't want to judge the emotional responses, or the trauma, of others. He had done enough of that in his life so far, been enough of an asshole, and after Verosika's party... That shit had traumatized him, but in a way that he was almost grateful for. It wasn't an intervention, because those were done out of love, not hate, but it had a similar effect. Seeing that he was at rock bottom, emotionally and psychologically, Blitz wanted to do better these days. To be better. Safer. Kinder.

He lightly bumped his forehead against Angel's shoulder, then nodded. Blitz was about to say something when his phone chimed. "Sorry, that's my daughter. Hang on." A quick scan of the message and then Blitz stood. He pocketed the phone, then kissed Angel on the forehead, really only possible since the other was still sitting.

"I have to go pick her up. Raincheck on the dance?"

Angel Dust had never met someone who talked more than himself, and he was starting to understand why people got overwhelmed with him. It wasn't that he wanted the imp to go away or anything, but his mind was trying to process it all at once, and admittedly Angel could be a bit slow at that stuff. Everything seemed to be moving on fast-forward - he had just met the guy, the guy started talking about Pride, and now was inviting him to -

He's blinking in shock, tilting his head a little to the side. "....how do yeh' know where ah'm from?" It wasn't like it wasn't obvious, considering his thick accent, but a lot of residents of Hell wouldn't know that unless they had heard one before. It wasn't like Angel broadcasted his actual living life for Hell to hear. That was none of their fucking business, honestly. Though that hadn't even been the most shocking statement, Angel staring at Blitz like he had three heads.

"There's gay bars in th' city?" He knew there were plenty of those around Pentagram, but that wasn't what the imp was implying and he fucking knew it. See how much shit has changed since your time. That meant talking about Brooklyn. He shook his head, biting his lip. Though the idea appealed to him, and he had so many questions, there were things that were limiting him.

"Ah' was miserable there. Don't know if it would be helpful or harmful t' see how much has changed and that....ah' ain't never got no taste of that." Maybe that was a selfish thing to say, but hey, it was Hell. It might hurt his heart even more to know that he had had to spend so much time hiding his identity and sneaking around, and he hadn't gotten to be out and proud. Not until Hell. "Definitely a fan of dancin' though. So if yeh' wanna hit up a bar down here, ah' ain't gonna say no. But Earth? Fuck that shit."

Until now, Blitz hadn't even known that Stolas could heal the wounds of others. For some reason, that knowledge felt heavy, edged with some kind of pain or grief that Blitz didn't understand. He watched as his former lover got up and hurried to dress, already making plans to get too involved, to put himself into harm's way over this.

Blitz's heart broke.

I love him.

"Stolas," he said, voice gentle. Walking over, he reached up to touch his hand, hoping to stop him from his packing and his preparation. "Stolas, don't. I don't--remember. All of what happened. Some of it, but not all of it. And then I woke up this morning on the floor with him. I definitely did it, I had to have. My weapon was in his heart. So don't. Please. Please don't do this." Blitz sounded a little too calm, considering he was pleading with Stolas, but he was too exhausted to put more energy into it. His body felt strange--the places Stolas had healed felt alive, as if his skin was somehow brighter there, a strangely sharp contrast to everything else.

I love him--and I never deserved him.

"You have a daughter. What will happen to Octavia if you go missing 'cause of me? You--you've already broken demon law for me enough. Not this time, babe, okay? It means--the world. To me." Fuck, there were tears in his eyes now, why were there tears in his eyes when he was smiling and his heart suddenly feeling so full? Blitz blinked and they fell, and for once, they didn't hurt. Usually, tears seemed to burn, to demand, to take something with them as they fell, but not this time. Not tears shed out of gratitude, out of love. Not tears that fell for Stolas's kindness. Blitz didn't really know how to process it, so he didn't try. Instead, he smiled a little more.

"You. Are so fucking beautiful, Stolas. And I love you."

Stolas tried to ignore the soft touches from Blitzø as he slowly began to heal his wounds with magic. They still left scars that would take time to heal but at least the wounds closed and stopped the bleeding. He was almost frantic with the way his talons moved over the imps skin, wanting him to be whole and safe once again.

The prince was still so angry, thinking over the past few months but he would never leave Blitzø to suffer. The imp meant so much to him, perhaps too much. When Blitzø started to preen him, Stolas faltered in his healing, tears springing to his eyes at the gentle touch. Preening was such an intimate act, surly Blitzø didn't know what he was conveying?

Stolas paused in his ministrations when the imp began to confess everything that had happened before his arrival. Stolas sat back on his legs, trying to steady himself as his eyes widened in shock. "W-Why would you ever do such a thing?" Stolas could hardly believe it, was this a nightmare? Surly, he would wake up soon.

"Blitzø...killing a Goetia-it's punishable by death, I-I don't understand why you would do something so reckless? Did he attack you? If it was self defense, perhaps I can speak to the council-"

Stolas was scared, there was no other word for it. Killing a Goetia could put Blitzø in mortal peril and he refused to allow that to happen. The prince got to his feet and began to pull on the closest outfit he could find. "We should go to the human world. I will hide you there for now, until I can assure your safety. Yes, this could work. It will be fine!"

Stolas hurried around frantically-manically. He had to keep Blitzø safe, no matter the cost. He refused to lose the only person outside of Octavia that he cared about, dare he say love?

Cutest imp ever. No wonder the Prince fell head over heels for you

Blitz started to answer cheerfully, but then over-thought it. He was quiet for a long moment, then shook his head.

"I think maybe... maybe Stolas got really unlucky. Maybe he was, you know. So fucking lonely and neglected, and abused by that asshole of a wife, that he was ready to... I guess fall for the first person to be halfway kind to him? Which, I ain't complaining. I love him, too. Fuck, fuck me fucking dead, I love that pretty goddamn bird.

"But sometimes, I can't help wondering... is it fair, you know, to him? To be with me? When there are so many people out there who are... sweeter. Less damaged. I want him, don't get me wrong, and I'll never give him up until he wants me to. But still. It's hard not to wonder."

@moxxietude said: "You are loved, Blitz."

Those simple words hit hard, in the best way possible. Blitz turned, not having expected Moxxie to be there, but the moment he saw him? He smiled. Heart softening, body seeming to just relax, tension falling away just because Moxxie was there.

"You too, Mox." Reaching out with his tail, he lovingly brushed the spade over Moxxie's upper arm, smiling, heart in his damn throat. "You, too."

Based on a conversation I had with @oversensitiveandoffputting I think that ironically, “Apology Tour” was the episode that fully convinced me that Stolitz was a relationship that could work in the long run.

Hear me out, because I know this is the episode where the state of Stolitz is the worst it’s ever been.

In every romantic relationship, you two will inevitably piss each other off and you might end up in an argument that ends badly. But after you two have said your piece how will you proceed? How will you treat them before you make up? Well “Apology Tour” gave me that answer.

Yes Blitz and Stolas opened the episode having a really brutal argument where the two of them, mainly Blitz, said a lot of hurtful and insensitive shit. But later in the episode at the Anti-Blitzo party, Blitz goes to talk to Stolas still trying to apologize even after Stolas publicly sang a song about how much Blitz hurt him and that he was “a motherfucker” (which honestly, good for Stolas, the bird needed a healthier outlet for his pain).

And when Stolas sees him, despite him being mad at Blitz, despite the fact that he is still clearly hurt by Blitz’s actions and words, and despite the fact that he is surrounded by people that would 100% be on his side if he were to expose Blitz, Stolas still tries to hide Blitz and warns him against exposing himself. Even when he’s mad at him, Stolas tries to protect Blitz.

And on Blitz’s end of things, Stolas is drunk off his ass and extremely vulnerable. Despite the fact that Blitz in that moment has the power to try to make Stolas feel worse about himself, despite the fact that Blitz is also extremely hurt by Stolas’s actions, despite the fact that Blitz could easily have chosen to leave Stolas to drink himself to the point of danger, he still chose to take care of Stolas in his drunken state and bothered to listen to what Stolas had to say and only left when Stolas asked him to.

Even when the two of them are mad at each other, confused as hell about how badly things ended, when they no longer have any obligation to each other, and are too wrapped in their own feelings to understand how the other is hurt, they are still looking after and caring about each other, even if only to the extent of ensuring things don’t go worse for the other person.

I don't know how to articulate how much this means to me because after seeing a lot of couples both fictional and in real life go through a rough patch, maybe even break up, and they proceed to treat each other just awfully because of their hurt, what Stolitz did is almost unheard of to me. They have no more obligation to each other, but they still chose to take care of each other when both of them were at their most vulnerable.

They didn't have to but they still chose to.

Now this in and of itself doesn't mean the two of them are ready to get back together. Blitz needs to unlearn his self-destructive habits born out of debilitating self-hatred, and he needs to learn that his -self-loathing will hurt the people around him because let me tell you, it hurts like hell when someone you love is determined to not accept that you care about them. And Stolas still needs to do a lot self-reflection on why his actions lead Blitz to believe that Stolas could not possibly care about him, because it also doesn't feel good when it feels like someone doesn't respect you enough to treat you like an adult.

However, the fact that the two of them still chose to be kind and attentive to each other in spite of their anger and the messiness of the situation, this tells me that when the time comes for them to have another conflict that frustrates them both, they will work to overcome it together.

They know how to have a good time together, but now they're figuring out how to have a bad time together, and honestly if this is how they treat each other when they are at their worst, I have a lot of hope for how they will handle conflict moving forward.