Dancing With Fire - Chapter 18
#18 of Dancing With Fire Act 1 - The Kindling Ignites
Harper settled under the covers with a soft sigh of relief. It had only taken him a few minutes to get himself and Blitzø cleaned up in the master bathroom. Although the Overlord would have preferred to have a soak in the bathtub, his much smaller lover was too worn out for much more than a wiping down with a wet washcloth. After putting on his sleeping shorts and pulling off Blitzø's boots, it was simply a matter of carrying the imp back to bed, tucking him in, and tossing aside the soiled bedspread for cleaning later.
As the draconic demon eased himself in, Blitzø mumbled and stirred in his sleep. His arms reached out to latch onto Harper and pull himself in close while his tail curled around his waist. Harper smiled and bent down to nuzzle between his black and white striped horns.
"Snrk, hmm? Huh? Yeah, pistachio flavored please," murmured the sleeping imp as he curled back up. Harper put his arms around Blitzø to hold him close. Sleep sounded like a good idea right about now.
A sudden thought popped into the Overlord's head which left him wide awake again. He gazed down at Blitzø's head poking out from under the blanket. Such a strange turn of events since he began his involvement with I.M.P. The times ahead were sure to be interesting to say the least.
Then there was the issue of Stolas. For all intents and purposes, I.M.P. was de facto his company. At least, it was for the time being. With Blitzø and Harper officially a couple, the public would know sooner or later. That familiar refrain warning against the mixture of business and pleasure played through his head, as well as his own cheeky assertion that it had never stopped him before.
Harper took a few more minutes to think, as well as to enjoy the warmth and softness of the imp's bare skin against his scales. It was time to decide, here and now, what he was going to do. The status quo was unsustainable. He had shares in Blitzø's company, and had taken steps to nudge him into reorganizing. Stolas no doubt knew Harper was interested in more than just I.M.P. by now, and it was a matter of when, not if he retaliated.
At that moment, Harper made a decision. He was in too deep to pull back now, and he wasn't about to let go of the budding romance he found himself in. It'd been too long since he'd felt something like this! The Overlord carefully stretched toward his nightstand to grab his smartphone. He hoped that the blue glow didn't rouse Blitzø as he quietly tapped out several memos, which he sent out to his underlings. He then set dates on his calendar.
It was only after he'd put his phone back that he allowed himself to relax and recommit to embracing his new boyfriend. He would make the first move before Stolas.
"Hey Harps?" Blitzø softly asked. It would seem Harper had disturbed him after all.
"My apologies, did I wake you?" Harper whispered.
"Nah, you're good," the imp said, though his voice was filled with exhaustion, "I just wanna ask you something."
"What is it, my sweet?" asked the dragon.
Blitzø lay still for a moment, then propped his chin up on Harper's chest. "It doesn't make sense to me. We've got mass murderers, rapists, and all other kinds of shitheads running around down here, and yet here you are doing everything you can for me and my family. You drink in moderation, you don't do any drugs. Shit, I don't think I've heard you use any swear words. How can somebody as clean-cut, wholesome, and loving as you end up in Hell?"
Harper lay back on his abundance of pillows as he mulled the question over. How much should he tell him? Regardless, now was certainly not the time. Instead, the Overlord opted to plant a soft kiss on the bridge of the imp's nose. He felt the smaller man relax in his embrace.
"That is a question for another day, dearest," he said, "When the time is right, and we are not both half-asleep, I will tell you. For now, let us get some sleep."
As if to drive the point home, Blitzø yawned softly. "Aight, sounds good," he murmured. His dark eyelids fluttered closed, and he snuggled back into Harper's side. In less than a minute, his breathing had slowed and deepened.
Harper stifled a yawn of his own, then rubbed the imp's back in slow circles as he waited for sleep to claim him next. Though Blitzø might not know it yet, both their schedule's would be quite busy in the coming weeks.
You are a goddamn embarrassment!
Stolas sat at the breakfast nook, drumming his talons on the table. It was one simple letter, and he just couldn't do it. What was wrong with him?
You are a goddamn embarrassment!
He sighed and got up to idly look in the fridge once again. It was way too early for breakfast. The sun was just beginning to crest on the horizon.
You are a goddamn embarrassment!
Nothing looked good. Stolas closed the fridge and went back to the table. He lost track of just how long he sat there, tapping on the table and lost in thought. Over and over his wife's angry words replayed in his mind.
You are a goddamn embarrassment!
He'd already admitted she was right about that. Of course, she was right for the wrong reasons. It wasn't the choice of partner that was embarrassing, it was his utter inability to express his feelings for his Blitzy in an appropriate way. Stolas rested his head on the table. The cool kiss of the varnished surface wouldn't judge him.
You are a goddamn-
"Dad?"
Stolas sprang to his feet, feathers puffed out in alarm. He relaxed when he saw it was only Octavia. "Hello, my owlet!" he said, his voice dripping in faux cheer, "My, you're up awful early."
"Could say the same about you," she grunted as she made her way over to the coffee machine. "I was getting worried. You haven't come out of your study in days."
Stolas sank back into his chair with another sigh. "It really has been that long, hasn't it? You would think I could write one measly letter to my Blitzy without mucking it all up!"
Octavia joined her father at the table while she waited for the coffee to brew. "That's actually something I wanted to talk to you about." She reached into her zipup hoodie and produced an unsealed envelope with a neatly folded sheet of paper inside. "It was really bothering me how badly you were tearing yourself apart over something so small. I also knew you wouldn't give up on it so easily, so..." she presented the envelope to Stolas, "...I took the liberty of writing a love letter for you."
The Prince of Hell stared down at the letter in shock. He snatched the envelope up and pulled out its contents. His blazing red eyes darted over the neat handwriting.
Dear Blitzø,
It is my sincerest regret that I have failed to adequately express my feelings for you until now. They run far deeper than our current monthly "arrangement," can hope to accommodate. We could be so much more than a simple transaction, Blitzø. I would be honored if you would allow me to prove this to you. We can do something fun together. No sex, no raunchy talk, no obligations. Just a fresh start between friends. I look forward to discussing this further with you in person.
Affectionately yours,
Stolas
The Goetic demon rose from his chair, his fingers gripping the letter tight. His beak quivered. Suddenly, he dropped the letter and lunged to sweep Octavia up in a hug. His daughter squawked in protest, but he was oblivious.
"Thank you, thank you my sweet starfire!" he exclaimed, "You have granted me a boon I cannot hope to repay!"
"No problem, Dad," Octavia replied. At least, Stolas thought that's what she said. His chest feathers were muffling her voice.
The young princess pushed Stolas away before she continued. "Whatever you and Blitzø come up with, you need to stick with it. If you really love him as more than a fuckbuddy, this is your one shot. I won't be able to bail you out again after this."
Stolas folded the letter back up and placed it in the envelope. "There will be no need for a second chance," he said. Confidence that had drained out of him over the past few days came rushing back. "I will arrange for a casual date, and we will have a good time together!"
Octavia giggled. "I know you will," she said.
Stolas turned to go get some clean clothes, then paused. "Hold on..." he took the letter out again and scanned it. "This is almost a perfect recreation of my own handwriting!"
"Pretty cool, isn't it?" said Octavia, "I already had practice forging your signature, so it wasn't too much extra work to copy your handwriting."
Stolas beamed. "That's my daughter! Always working hard to achieve anything she sets her eyes - wait, forging my signature?"
Before he could finish processing what she'd said, Octavia jumped up to plant a kiss on his cheek. "Anyways I gotta go. I'm meeting friends down at Stylish Occult, then we're gonna go out to brunch. Be back this afternoon!" With that, she made a beeline out of the kitchen.
The next few hours were the worst wait of Stolas's life. It would be improper of him to visit Blitzø's office immediately when they opened. He resolved that this letter needed to be hand-delivered. It was the least he could do to begin making up for years of inappropriate behavior. It was now or never. If that lowborn Overlord stole his Blitzy from him, he didn't know what he would do!
Finally, the clock struck ten. A perfect time to drop by! The Prince of Hell had long since donned some of his more casual day wear, and was waiting for the precise moment. In a flash, he opened a portal from his bedroom and stepped directly into Blitzø's office.
Stolas blinked at the empty room that greeted him. Had he made a mistake with the coordinates? No, this was the correct building. Then where was all the furniture?
The answer became apparent when he turned toward the window. The glass had been removed and set aside, and Blitzø was now teetering his desk over the sill. "Moxxie, quit being a bitch and hold still!" he called down to the ground below.
The owl demon stepped up beside the imp and looked over the edge. Moxxie stood in the parking lot, trembling in fear and holding out his arms. He then turned back to Blitzø. "Good morning, Blitzø," he said.
The imp didn't even look up from his balancing act. "What do ya want, Stolas?" he groused.
Letter momentarily forgotten, the owl demon opted to sate his curiosity. "What in damnation are you doing?"
"The fuck's it look like? We're packing!" the imp snapped. Now that Blitzø mentioned it, Stolas did see a pair of moving vans down there.
"Oh!" said Stolas, "I wasn't aware that you were moving the office. You weren't evicted, were you?"
This time Blitzø turned to look at the owl demon. "Good guess but no. We found better digs across town. Look, this better be important, because we are really fucking busy here." His attention returned out the window. "Hey! I said hold still! Just brace with your legs and you'll be fine. Okay, get ready."
The imp turned and pressed his back against the end of the desk. With a mighty heave he shoved his desk over the windowsill, from which it tumbled to the pavement below. Seconds later, there was a deafening *CRASH*.
Blitzø and Stolas both poked their heads out. The desk was laying on the asphalt surrounded by a spider web of brand new cracks. Stolas thought he could see one of Moxxie's arms sticking out from underneath it, violently twitching.
"God-DAMMIT, Moxxie!" Blitzø shouted, "You had ONE FUCKING JOB! If there is a single scratch on that desk, so help me Satan I will Scotch tape your ass shut!"
Stolas decided it was probably a good time to interrupt before things escalated further. He pulled the envelope from his pocket just as the imp turned around to storm out of the office. "Um, Blitzø," it felt so alien calling him by his proper name, but he had only one shot at this, "I promise to be quick." He held the envelope out. "Please read this when you have the chance."
Blitzø eyed the envelope, then Stolas, then the envelope again. "What, so sending me dick and ass pics over DMs wasn't enough to get you off anymore? Ya gotta hand deliver them to me?"
"No! Oh no no no no," exclaimed the Goetic Prince as he used all his willpower to resist the arousal that mental picture was stoking in him, "Nothing like that. It is a simple letter. Just read it over and give me a call back when you can."
The imp turned the sealed envelope over in his hands a few times, all the while staring at it in suspicion. Stolas had taken the extra step of scrawling his name on it, and sealing it with his personal stamp. The owl demon looked on in apprehension. He wouldn't put it past Blitzø to just crumple it up right then and there.
Instead, Blitzø slipped the envelope into his pocket. "I'll look at it once we're done moving. There a reason why you had to write a letter instead of just saying it?"
"Weeeeeeell~" Stolas droned. Oh no, he had to think of an excuse. Think Stolas! Think think think! "That wouldn't be any fun, would it? It's more mysterious this way. Such a thrill to be had in the anticipation of it all!"
Blitzø's expression brightened. "Ohhhh, I get it! Yeah, that makes sense." He then jabbed one finger in the owl demon's direction. "It better not be anything perverted though! Else I'll Scotch tape your ass shut. No wait, you'd probably just enjoy that."
Stolas's whole body tensed, and his hands clenched into fists as he fought against the overwhelming urge to lewdly flirt with the imp. No! He was here on a mission, and he only had this one shot. Leave him now, you said you would be brief.
"Anyhoo~" Stolas crooned, "I can see you have your work cut out for you today. Be sure to text me the new address of your office. I must know where to send the book, after all!"
"Yeah yeah yeah, you'll get the address," Blitzø said dismissively. He then made an about face and stalked out of the office, no doubt to go downstairs and scold Moxxie some more.
Stolas remained in the empty room for a few more minutes, pondering this new development. I.M.P. was moving its headquarters? But where, and why? And why was this the first he was hearing about it?
The Prince of Hell shook his head and conjured another portal. In just two steps he was back in his study. He would worry about the "where" once Blitzø sent him the address, and it might even give some clues as to the "why."
Stolas spent the rest of his day taking care of his courtly duties. On the side he took the time to start figuring out what his precious Via was using his signature for, and how long he would ground her for it.
It was early in the evening when Stolas's phone finally buzzed. He snatched it up in an instant to check the incoming text.
blitzorodeo: the New adress is @ 352 W brimstone ave. Ill read ur letter 2nite :2 <-- Horsieface
Stolas was crestfallen. He would have to wait a little longer to get Blitzø's reaction to "his" love letter. Oh well. In the meantime, he brought up the digital map and searched for the new address.
The owl demon's eyes narrowed as the satellite picture zoomed to the western edge of Imp City. He got up and stalked to his library. From the oversize section he hauled out a massive book. Each page had upon it sections of the major cities of Hell, all marked up with the territories of the various Overlords and the Ars Goetia.
After a few minutes of searching, he found 352 W Brimstone Ave. Stolas traced the relatively new boundaries that had been drawn in that neighborhood after the conclusion of his war with Harper. Sure enough, the building I.M.P. was moving to was no further than a block inside of the draconic Overlord's territory. It was practically straddling the line!
Stolas let out an uncharacteristic growl and slammed the map book closed. "We will see about that, Mr. Harper," he hissed. Feathers thoroughly ruffled, he strode out of the library and headed back to his study. A simple love letter wasn't going to fix this.
The ball was now in Stolas's court, and it was time for him to plan his first move.