Helluva Deal

47. Popcorn

„You are truly hopeless!" Blitz laughs, falls back into the pillows on the bed and holds his stomach.

„Hey, that's not fair!" Stolas' pout is audible, „The package said that I should either put it in a microwave or in a pot with a lid. It didn't specify how BIG the pot needs to be!"

„It's fucking POPCORN, Stolas! What did you expect?!" Blitz is still rolling around on the bed laughing. Seconds later, a pillow hits him flat on the face, which only increases his laughing, but he also reflexively holds on to the pillow so when Stolas tries to pull it back, he jerks it and the surprised owl-demon falls right on top of him. Seconds later, they're rolling around on the bed, playfighting and laughing loudly, throwing pillows and poking and tickling each other. Finally, Blitz ends up on top and pins Stolas' hands above his head, grinning down on him, „Gotcha!"

The prince giggles cutely, his four eyes fixed on the imp, shining brightly, happily, and he coos, „Oh, I give up! Please, have mercy!"

„Pff! You don't deserve mercy, POPCORN WASTER!"

„Nooooooo!" Stolas laugh-cries out and he tries to wiggle free from the other's grip.

„Oh no, you don't!" Blitz tightens his grip on the other's wrists and sits down completely on his stomach now, fixating him, his tail wrapping tightly around Stolas' long legs, „Ha! Bound and at my mercy! Just fair since you promised me a snack and then ruined it by having it explode and end up in the whole kitchen like that!"

Now the prince blushes but still giggles softly, „I am truly sorry about that, Dear."

„Hm. Who keeps just one bag of popcorn in the house, anyway?! I thought you said you like watching movies?"

„I do. But I...rarely eat popcorn during them..."

„For obvious reasons, I take it," Blitz chuckles, his grip on the other's hands loosening, becoming more gentle now, while his eyes start to absently roam over the owl-demon's face and upper body. His feathers are tousled from the rolling around on the bed and his chest is still sinking and rising quicker than normally, just like his own.

„Not...just..." Stolas blushes even more, but smiles at him, almost apologetic now, „But I am truly sorry that I can't offer you this snack now."

„Weeeell, gonna have to eat you then, huh?!" Blitz reflexively returns the smile, giving his wrists a gentle squeeze, his voice uncharacteristic soft, „It's okay. Next time, you have restocked your popcorn supply, I'll show you how to do it, if you like."

„That would be lovely, Blitzy," the prince positively beams with happiness now, but his voice is somewhat insisting at his next words, „But you gotta be hungry. You... You looked exhausted when you arrived here, Darling. Didn't your last mission go well?"

„It was...okay..." Blitz looks aside for a moment, swallowing visibly, before letting go of the other's wrists now, sitting up instead, rubbing his own arm, „It's... No, it's okay..."

„Blitzy?" now slightly alarmed, Stolas sits up as well, the imp now in his lap like this. He eyes him for a moment, carefully considering his next words and actions, before very carefully cupping his arm, his voice a gentle plead, „Blitz. Talk to me? Did you get hurt? Or anybody of your team?"

Blitz shakes his head, swallowing again, „No. We're all good. It's... It's just the...date... I... Fuck..." he quickly slips off the other's lap and crawls away, to sit on the edge of the bed now, hugging himself, mumbling, „I'm sorry, I'm no good company today. I should... I should just leave and...get drunk or something..."

„Blitz," Stolas carefully shuffles after him.

Blitz can sense his body heat, but he's not touching him in any way right now. Thank Satan for that.

„Blitzy, listen. You are no bad company, no matter what. And...you don't have to talk to me about anything. But please...don't get drunk for...this reason. And if you do...do it here, please. So I can make sure, you're okay and not overdoing it. Please?"

Blitz feels a small smile tugging at his lips, his voice is low, „You wouldn't like me if I get drunk..."

„Since when do you care whether I like you?" Stolas' voice leaves no doubt that this is a tease.

The imp chuckles weakly and turns back to look at the prince, barely inches away from him.

Their eyes lock.

Blitz doesn't let anybody close enough on a level this person is able to care for him. Except for Loona in a way.

But not even she knows what this date today means.

So when he now opens his mouth and hears his own words, Blitz can't help but wince, „It's my mother's death date."

Stolas just looks at him for a few seconds, then he closes the last distance between them and very carefully pulls the imp into a hug.

And Blitz...lets it happen.

He's not returning the embrace, but he buries his face in the soft, feathery shoulder that Stolas offers him and silently cries into it now for long minutes.

The owl-demon... His friend just holds him. Not commenting, not assuring shit like 'It's gonna be okay!' because FUCK of course it WON'T be!

But he's there. He's offering the imp all that actually appears to help in this moment – a shoulder to cry into from one of the few people, Blitz actually trusts and likes.

Finally, his tears are empty and he lightly turns his head, nuzzling his cheek against the shoulder now, staring into nothing for a few more seconds, before Stolas suddenly says softly, „I'm ordering some pizza. You need to eat. You probably haven't had anything solid in days again, did you?!"

A weak smile tugs at Blitz' lips and he mumbles, „How'd you know?"

„I can feel your ribs. And not in a good way. So... Pizza okay?"

Blitz gives a weak nod.

„Good. And afterwards..."

„...we fuck?" the smile in the imp's voice is audible.

Just as Stolas' in concern furrowed brows, „You know we don't have to, Blitz. That's not..."

„I know. But...I...want to..." Blitz finally pulls back, sitting in front of the owl-demon again now, his head lightly tilted, his voice low, openly displaying his pain, „It will...help to get my thoughts away from this dark place... Just..." he smiles weakly, his tail moving restlessly on the bed, „Can you top? You...were right. I am exhausted. I haven't really slept nor eaten anything since last Saturday..."

„Of course, Darling," Stolas gently squeezes his arm now, „Anything you want."

„Thank you, Stolas," Blitz meets his eyes, his own giving away far too much again in this moment, but he can't help it, nor does he care right now, „Also for making me laugh. I... This really...helped..."

Stolas' smile is just as soft as his hand coming up to cup Blitz' cheek and wipe the lonely tear away from it, „Anytime, Blitz. So...extra cheese and hot sauce, as always?"

Blitz nods, allowing himself a moment of weakness with the prince and nuzzles into the touch with closed eyes. Just for now. Just for today.