Helluva Deal

43. Belt

„Why are you looking at me like that again, Stolas?" Blitz doesn't even turn his head to look at the owl-demon, who's lying on his side, lightly curled up and still catching his breath, while he himself has just been putting on his boxershorts again, because the imp simply senses his intense gaze again.

„Hm? Oh... Nothing... Sorry, I..." Stolas' voice trails off.

„Stolas," Blitz now does turn back, fastening his belt, then putting his hands on his hips, „Don't give me that shit now. What is it?"

„I... Can I...ask you something?"

„Stolas, I already told you I can't stay that long tonight. Loona..."

„No, no! Not that! I understand that! But... Something else... I..." the owl-demon curls up even more, „Never mind... Sorry..."

„Christ on a stick. Stolas. Spit it out now," Blitz rolls his eyes, but then winces slightly when he sees the glistening in the owl-demon's eyes and his voice reflexively turns softer, „Birdie, what's wrong?"

„Y-You... Blitzy, do you think...I'm a bad husband?"

The imp winces again, his tail snapping behind him in confusion, „What...do you mean?"

„I... Nothing..." Stolas rubs his eyes, „Just...forget i-"

„Stolas," interrupts Blitz him softly, returning to the bed now, standing closer to it, „Listen. I...can't say much to that, okay. We have sex on a regular basis. So...I guess you're cheating on your wife, kinda... But other than that, I don't know... Hey..." he can see the prince curling up even more on himself, hiding his face behind his hands.

'Fucking hell, Stolas. Why do you have to become this emotional just now?! I really have to...'

„Go. I... I'm sorry, I'm holding you up, Blitz. Please leave. I don't know what's gotten into me..." Stolas sits up now, wipes his eyes and smiles at the imp, „I'm good. Probably just...the aftermath if your intense lo-fucking."

At this, all the bells in Blitz' head start to ring. He knows these signs very well.

He sits down on the bed now, looking at the other, „Stolas, why did you just ask me that?"

„I don't know myself. I really am sorry. Forget it."

„Listen, Birdie, I'm not dumb. I know that look in your eyes..."

„It's fine."

„It's not. That's the look of someone who's at the edge of doing something stupid. I'll ask you again now – why did you ask ME above all people whether you're a bad husband?"

„Because...I know you're honest and..." Stolas swallows visibly and runs a hand down his own neck, „...I think...you know me best..."

„Hh... Stolas... This is like...the fourth time we had sex..." Blitz pauses, then he starts again, „You know what? You may be right. I do know you quite well. And apparently I know you better than your wife. Because I didn't have to hurt you to get to your cock, right?!"

The owl-demon looks aside at once.

'Aha. Knew it.'

„You know there's a word for that, right? Domesti-"

„She had no other choice. I'm so...dysfunctional, to have a child there was no other way!"

Blitz stares at him and he feels something unpleasantly hot flaring up in his chest, „Come again? What did you just say? You are DYSFUNCTIONAL?!"

The prince gives a light shrug, „I must be. I told you, it... It never worked when..."

„Stolas. You absolute idiot. You are GAY. That bitch couldn't arouse you, because you're not the slightest bit attracted to her in any way! And sorry to be so clear now, but if she had no problem to hurt you so bad, so often, then she's a fucking piece of shit! And NO, you're not a bad husband because of what we do. Because apparently, she doesn't give a single shit of you, anyway! Did she put that thought in your head, by the way?"

Stolas is just staring at him, visibly trying to process everything the imp just said in this small fit of rage, „What thought?"

„That you're 'dysfunctional', of course."

A tiny nod.

„Of fucking course! Damn it, Stolas! Why do you let her keep hurting you like that?! What else did she say to you? That you're ugly, or what?!"

The prince digs his fingers into the bedsheets.

It's a tiny gesture.

But Blitz can read so much out of it.

'Fucking hell... That bitch completely broke him...'

„Listen well now, Birdie. I'm running late and anyway, I will only say this ONCE now, so you better listen to what I say VERY closely!" Blitz takes a deep breath in, then he skids closer and grabs Stolas' face, keeping it steady, forcing him to stand his gaze, „You are annoyingly intelligent, Stolas. You are very powerful. You are funny. And you are the hottest prince of hell, I know, Handsome. Admittedly, I don't know many, but even if I did, I am dead sure, you'd always be among the top ten with that sexy ass of yours! Got it?!"

Stolas stares at him, his eyes filled with tears.

There's silence for a long while and although Blitz is in a hurry, he doesn't retreat, giving the other the time he needs to let his words sink in.

Finally, Stolas rasps weakly, „I...really am...gay, am I not?"

„Yeah, you are," a small smile washes over the imp's face and he nods down between the prince's legs, „And that's perfectly fine, Stolas. You must not feel bad for it. And most importantly, you must not think yourself dysfunctional because of it. What your bitch of a wife did to you wasn't right. And she had no right to do so. Not even to get knocked up. Neither has she any right to call you names and degrade you in any way, okay? You need to start to see that. You're not a bad husband because you don't let yourself get pushed around by her. But SHE is a bad WIFE because she clearly abuses you. Don't let her anymore," he hesitates for a second, but then moves his hands and gently squeezes the other's shoulders now instead, „Promise that you'll try to defend yourself against this from now on."

Stolas is still staring at him, but then he nods very weakly and whispers, „I'll...try..."