Archive of Our Own

The smell of cinnamon and spice gently brought Blitzø out of sleep, welcoming him into another day in Hell. He blinked at the ceiling, a lazy grin spreading across his face. He knew that smell; Stolas was baking.

He fumbled for his phone on the nightstand, squinting at the screen: 7:30am. That was early for Stolas, especially on a weekend. Blitzø frowned; maybe the bird had had trouble sleeping. With a yawn, he rolled over and reached out to the other side of the bed, his hand finding the dip in the mattress where Stolas had been, and it was still warm. That little detail made his stomach flutter in the best way. It was so fucking crazy, that even after two years of dating, and almost a year in their new place, he still sometimes woke up expecting it all to be gone. No bed. No new apartment with two bedrooms. Just him, his busted couch, and back pain that never went away. 

But then he heard Stolas humming to himself in the kitchen, and that fear dissipated in an instant. No, this was his new normal now. And sure, it was domestic and boringly monogamous as fuck, but he had realized that was exactly what he wanted. 

As he came to, his thoughts went to what they had planned for the weekend, and he suddenly remembered. He sat up in bed and leaned over to the bedside table, sliding open his drawer and rummaging through his mismatched socks and underwear to find what he was looking for. 

This was gonna be no ordinary weekend: he had plans. Fucking big ones, with a capital B. The kind of plans so goddamn fucking insane that Stolas wouldn’t know what hit him.

The small, black box was (thank fuck) exactly where he'd left it. He took a quick peek inside, smiling like a fucking dope: 

A gold band.

An engagement ring. 

Yup, today, on their second dating anniversary, he was gonna ask Stolas to marry him.

Blitzø Buckzo, a married man? Yeah, that concept had Millie dying of laughter when he told her about it the week before. She didn’t believe him at first until he showed her the ring. It wasn’t fancy (business was good, but his ongoing addiction to horse memorabilia had a way of obliterating his savings), but he hoped it wouldn't matter. Even though Stolas was an ex-prince, Blitzø knew the bird would throw a bitch fit if he found out how much he’d spent of his hard-earned money on him. Plus, Stolas handled their household finances now, so anything exceedingly expensive would have him asking questions, and he wanted to keep it a surprise. 

All of this, of course, had Millie asking him: Why now? Why the hell was he suddenly ready to commit to a whole other fucking demon when he’d spent years preaching about how love was a fruitless endeavor only idiots fell for? 

Well, the answer was stupidly simple.

Life had never been easy for him. From growing up in a goddamn circus with an abusive dick-stain of a father with a fuck-ton of teenage trauma to an adulthood that could best be described as one long emotional dumpster fire by the time he'd hit his thirties, he'd had pretty much accepted that love just wasn’t in the cards for him. Everything he touched, he broke. Everyone he cared for, he hurt.

He’d made peace with being a walking disaster, hopping from one relationship to the next, burning every bridge he touched then acting surprised when everything went to shit. The universe didn’t give two fucks about him, so why bother pretending to be a decent demon living in Hell?

Then Stolas stumbled back into his life (or, rather he fell into his balcony) and, fuck, sometimes he wondered if the universe had handed him that tall, nerdy, dramatic bird for a damn reason. Sure, they'd made a mess of it to start with; their whole “relationship” was fucked up. Thank Satan (literally) for making him realize he didn't wanna make the same mistakes again. He loved Stolas. And, thank fuck, Stolas somehow loved him back.

The past two years hadn’t been a walk in the park, not by a long shot. They lived in Hell, for fuck’s sake, and between the two of them, they had enough baggage to flatten even the toughest hell horse. But somehow, they were making it work. Stolas was on meds, going to therapy, and being a damn good secretary for IMP. 

And Blitzø… Well, he was working on himself too. He’d stopped running from the hard talks, started owning up when he fucked shit up. The difference now compared to the past was that he had people in his life who wanted him around. His friends, Loona, Stolas… they believed in him. He’d learned, slowly and painfully, that he had so much love to give, and he was done wasting time dwelling on the past, on every mistake he thought defined him.

So yeah, he knew he couldn’t give Stolas everything. He wasn't perfect, never would be, but he was trying, and what he could give him—his love, his dedication, the parts of himself he’d never let anyone see before…yeah, he could do that.

Putting the ring back in the drawer, he threw on his favorite 'horse girl' t-shirt, stretched out his limbs and decided to go see what Stolas was doing in the kitchen. His boyfriend had his back to him when he entered, busy fussing over the electric mixer Blitzø had got him last Sinsmas. As usual, he was in his normal 'at home' attire: a robe (the purple one that barely reached his ass) and his squeaky bunny slippers. They had pissed him off to begin with, but over time he'd gotten used to the sound, and it came in handy when he wanted to know what Stolas was up to. 

"Mornin' birdie," he called out, and Stolas twisted his head round. His pupils lit up.

"Darling! I'm sorry, did I wake you?"

Blitzø shrugged, pottering over to the coffee machine to get a batch started. "Your baking did. It smells fucking phenomenal." 

He craned his neck to try to see inside the mixing bowl. 

"Banana bread," Stolas answered his silent question. "I wanted it ready for breakfast, but you're up earlier than I planned, so I hope you don't mind waiting."

"Hey, it's the weekend; two breakfasts are allowed!" 

Stolas transferred the mix from the bowl into a loaf tin, leveling it off before sliding it into the preheated oven. Fuck, a year ago, Blitzø would’ve had the fire extinguisher sitting on the counter, ready for when Stolas inevitably scorched his fancy feathers. But he didn’t need it now: the bird actually knew what he was doing these days.

Baking had turned into a bit of an… obsession? No, hobby, Blitzø caught himself. If therapy had taught him anything, it was that words had weight, and the wrong ones, said in the wrong way, could fucking hurt. And Stolas, the poor guy, had spent his whole damn life getting torn down for enjoying his books, gardening, the stars. He learned early on that it didn’t take much to send him spiraling if someone even hinted that his interests were weird. 

So, he made it his mission to make damn sure he encouraged his hobbies instead of snuffing them out. Even if he didn’t always get it, he’d stand beside him and clap like an idiot if it meant Stolas believed in himself a little bit more. Which had turned out pretty damn good because (selfishly) he was glad to have someone else in the house who could actually cook, not just heat shit up in the microwave (cough Loona cough). 

"Fifteen minutes in the oven, let it cool, then we can eat," Stolas explained, smiling proudly to himself. Fuck, confidence looked so good on him. He was hot, like, all the time, but when his bird was feeling himself, it made him a hundred times sexier. Plus, now he was taking better care of himself, his feathers were even softer than he imagined possible, and he was filling out in all the right places, only giving Blitzø more of his body to adore. His gorgeous boyfriend…soon to be fiancé?! 

"Sooo, how should we pass the time?" Blitzø slinked up to Stolas's side, giving him a sultry look. Stolas gave his claws a quick brush on his apron and put a claw to his chin in thought. 

"Mmm, well, did you say something about wanting two breakfasts this morning?" 

"I did," Blitzø hummed, the blood in his head rushing down to his dick. "Why? You got somethin' else I can snack on?" 

Stolas's eyes twinkled, mouth twisting into a smirk. "Potentially." 

"Come here, big bird." Blitzø grabbed at Stolas's apron, pulling him into a kiss. Their tongues quickly got to work ravaging the other's mouth, moans echoing through the kitchen. Thank Satan their new apartment was bigger and had actual soundproofing; they'd had no complaints from Loona of being too loud or grossing her out with their amorous activities. Plus, it was the weekend, so Loona would be dead to the world until at least lunchtime. Stolas lifted him off the ground and onto the counter, making it easier for them to kiss. They made out lazily for a while, Blitzø carding his hands through Stolas's easily accessible chest fluff, as Stolas switched kisses for nibbles of his neck. It was still wild to him how much he enjoyed doing this, not rushing straight to fucking like he'd been used to. With Stolas, he wanted to savor every kiss, every touch; heck, not even have sex if they didn't feel like it. There were no expectations anymore, not like when they had their deal. It was a two-way conversation nowadays, where both of them felt comfortable to say what they were feeling with no repercussions.

BEEP BEEP BEEP

Blitzø groaned into Stolas's mouth.

"Fuckin' cockblock," he muttered as Stolas gave him a final kiss. 

"Mmm, we can continue this later, darling." He nudged him off the counter. "For now, it's breakfast time." 

As was usually the case nowadays, Stolas's breakfast was incredible; the banana bread was baked perfectly and he added in a round of pancakes as 'dessert' (though he would've much preferred a serving of Stolas's bird puss). No, that could wait until later; he had more pressing things to do. It was finally time to set into motion his plan to do the scariest fucking thing of his life. 

"Soooo, I was thinkin', we ain't got anything on so we could have a little date today." He sipped on his coffee, leaning back in his chair. "And I believe it's your turn to pick, feathers."

That was part of it; he wanted Stolas to be completely oblivious to it, so letting him pick the location instead of suggesting a fancy meal or romantic walk on the beaches of Envy, which they seldom did. 

"Ooh, that sounds exciting," Stolas clapped his hands together. "It's been a while since we went on a proper date."

"Hey! I took you to dinner after work on Wednesday!" 

"I wouldn't call driving through a Wackdonald's for a $1.50 cheeseburger a date, dear."

"I got you a milkshake, too!" He crossed his arms in mock annoyance, making Stolas chuckle.

"Fine, princess. Your date, your choice." 

Stolas pondered the decision for a few minutes, humming to himself. Fuck, Blitzø had not expected to be this nervous about it. Sure, it was 'just a date' to Stolas, but it had to be special. He was going to propose to him, for Satan's sake! Still, he kept himself looking cool on the outside, scrolling his phone mindlessly to distract himself. 

"I need strawberries."

He looked up from his phone to Stolas's statement. He did that quite a bit, having a conversation partially in his head then saying the end of it out loud. It was quite cute, really, but boy did it make it hard to decipher what the bird wanted! 

"Uh uh," he nodded slowly, gesturing with his phone for Stolas to expand.

"I wanted to try a new recipe and it requires strawberries," Stolas said.

"Riiiight," Blitzø drawled, brow furrowing as he tried to keep up. "Sooo, lemme get this straight; you wanna go to a supermarket for our date?"

Stolas’s face fell as he looked down at his plate. "Oh, dear, that was silly of me. I just thought…"

"Hey, hey," Blitzø cut him off gently, pushing back his chair. He crouched beside Stolas and took his hands, voice softening. "C’mon, don’t do that. I wasn’t makin’ fun of you, silly. I just wanted to make sure I heard right. If you wanna keep things low-key, I’m down for that."

Stolas blinked at him, still uncertain. "No, we should do something fun for both of us," he said, though his tone was wistful. "I can make strawberry cheesecake whenever."

Blitzø perked up instantly. "Wait. A what now?"

"Cheesecake. It’s a dessert."

"Are you kidding me?" Blitzø’s tail gave an excited flick. "You had me sittin’ here talkin’ about grocery stores when you could’ve led with cheesecake? I'll demolish anything with cheese in the damn name!"

Okay, yeah—this could work. The cogs in his head started spinning like crazy. Wine, music, Stolas in the kitchen makin’ that fancy dessert, and then—bam! Out to the balcony, fairy lights twinkling, plants all around, and the proposal. It was fucking perfect. Blitzø grinned to himself, already seeing it in his head. 

"Alright," Stolas said, the tension finally easing from his shoulders. "If we are to do that tonight, I should head out this morning to gather ingredients. Though I’m unsure if strawberries are common in Hell."

Oh, yeah. He was pretty sure he now knew every grocery store in Pride, having spent many an hour scouring their produce aisles trying to find shit for Stolas's recipes. They typically had to visit the sinner owned ones in Pentagram City to find fruit and veg that came from up top. 

That's when an idea hit him like a bullet to the face. His grin widened. 

"Y’know what? Screw the grocery store. If you want strawberries, why don’t we just go straight to the source?"

Stolas looked up, curious. "You mean…?" His gaze drifted toward Blitzø’s gloves resting on the counter, the Asmodean crystal glinting yellow in the light.

Blitzø smirked, a devilish spark flickering to life in his eyes.

"Yeah, exactly what you’re thinkin’, babe. Wanna go strawberry picking?"

Stolas's face lit up. 

"Oh! We could bring a picnic too!" He added excitedly, making Blitzø's heart melt. Fuck, he loved it when he made his birdie happy. 

"Fuck, yeah, babe!" He leaned over and gave him a quick kiss, standing himself up. "Alrighty! Let's get ourselves freshened up, I'll put together some shit in a bag and we'll head out?"

"I'll wash up," Stolas stood up too, now towering over Blitzø. "Oh, this will be so fun! I've always wondered what it's like to eat somewhere other than at a table!"

Blitzø snorted in disbelief. "You have some weird dreams, Stols." 

An hour later and they were ready to depart on their impromptu date day. Blitzø left some cash on the side for Loona and a note telling her they'd be out for the afternoon. Fuck, when he got back, he'd (hopefully!) be an engaged imp! 

He was tugging on his cowboy boots when Stolas drifted into the hallway, looking pretty damn hard to miss in one of his puffy blouses, the pink fabric matching the blush blooming on his heart-shaped face the second Blitzø looked at him. His chest fluff was extra soft today too, puffing out over his waistcoat like he’d fluffed it on purpose just to tease him. Satan, Blitzø was so fucking lucky.

Blitzø hopped up, grabbed his bird by the neck, and yanked him down for a kiss. “Fuck, you’re a sight for sore eyes,” he purred, tail coiling around Stolas’s leg.

Stolas’s smile warmed. “And you, my love, are devastatingly handsome.”

“Fuck yeah I am!” Blitzø agreed, giving him a twirl like he was modeling the most Wrathian outfit imaginable; a checkered shirt, blue jeans and his cowboy boots. He rubbed on the crystal, opening a portal to the human world. He'd done a quick search on his phone for the best spots for strawberry picking on Earth, so he just hoped it was as good as it looked on the photos. 

"Ready, birdie?" He held out a hand to Stolas, the other busy holding their picnic basket. 

"Always," he said softly, a knowing smile crossing his face. That had become 'their' word, one they used to express their love for each other. Stolas had said it first on that fateful night of the trial, where Blitzø gave him shelter on his couch after Stolas literally saved his life. 

They stepped through the portal hand in hand and landed smack dab in the middle of a warm summer day. Not a cloud in the damn sky. Just a lazy breeze ruffling the grass—and, after a quick look around, absolutely no one in sight.

“Oh! Look at all this!” Stolas gasped. The portal really outdid itself this time, having popped them out right beside endless rows of strawberries. “I wonder if this is someone’s farm?”

Blitzø shrugged. “Eh, if it is, they'll survive. ”

Stolas fidgeted, twisting a claw in his head feathers. “But wouldn’t that be… stealing? If we don’t compensate them for their produce?”

Blitzø groaned, putting a hand over his face. “You’ve been hangin’ around Moxxie way too much," he muttered, more to himself. "C’mon Stols, you’re from Hell! Lose the guilty complex, and let’s get pickin'!"

Once Blitzø dove in, literally on all fours, slinking through the rows like a cat, Stolas finally loosened up. They settled into a rhythm, working alternating rows and tossing berries into their buckets. Blitzø moved fast, tail flicking in the air. Stolas, meanwhile, started griping about his back hurting from having to bend so much. 

"Never heard you complain about being bent over before," he teased him, making Stolas blush silly. 

Eventually they met in the middle, nose-to-beak over a strawberry bush.

“How’s it goin’, babe?” Blitzø nodded at Stolas’s bucket.

“Quite well! I believe we have enough for even two cheesecakes!”

“Fuck yeah!"

Then, Stolas squinted. “Blitzø… what is that on your face?”

“Uhhh…” Blitzø licked his lips. “Nothin!”

Stolas gasped. “Have you been eating strawberries?!”

“This is hungry work!” Blitzø protested, wiping evidence of his sins off his face. He plucked another strawberry from his basket and held it up. “C’mon, try one!”

“You are a terrible influence,” Stolas scowled.

“I’m a fuckin’ delight and you love me for it.” Blitzø winked, smug as fuck. And despite his pout, Stolas delicately took the berry and popped it into his beak. His eyes lit up.

“Oh! You’re right; Hell strawberries are simply inferior to these!”

The sun climbed overhead as they kept filling their buckets, chatting about everything and absolutely nothing, the way they always did when it was just the two of them. By the time their baskets were full, both their stomachs were growling for some proper grub. 

“I see a tree in the distance,” Stolas said, pointing. “Shall we set up our picnic here?”

“Good thinkin’.” Blitzø let him lead, heart thudding as he remembered the actual reason they were here. He tapped his jean pocket, sighing in relief. Phew, the ring box was still there. Now, all he had to do was think how to fucking propose. Because, in true Blitzø fashion, he'd not exactly planned that part. It was enough of a mental task just working up to deciding to do it, so he'd decided to let future Blitzø work out the finer details. He really hated past-Blitzø for that now. 

Fuck, it'd be fine! They'd get settled, eat the shit ton of awesome picnic food he'd brought for them, and just as the sun was setting in the horizon, he'd do it. How fucking romantic would that—

“Blitzø! Look!” Stolas suddenly yelled, pointing up ahead. He'd managed to walk a considerable distance from him so he couldn't see what Stolas was so excited about. He jogged up beside him and, upon seeing what Stolas had seen, let out his own gasp.

It was tree they’d been aiming for, stretching wide and leafy, branches laden with apples, some of which had dropped to the ground, and were being gobbled up by none other than:

"Horses!" he squealed like a teenage girl. 

Four of them, to be exact: one tan, one dark brown, and two ridiculously cute foals. A whole damn horse family. His eyes almost jumped clean out of his skull. Could this day get any more perfect?! Fuck, the proposal could wait a little longer. This was the first time he'd ever seen Earth horses in the flesh, and he would not miss the opportunity! Stolas would be around forever, but horses? Not so much. 

“I wanna touch ’em,” he announced, creeping toward the majestic beasts. Hell horses were skittish as fuck, so he figured Earth horses worked the same way. Sure enough, the herd paused mid-apple-munch, staring him down with big glassy eyes.

“Hey, pretty things,” he cooed, hands held out in peace to show he meant no harm. One of the foals leaned in, giving him a cautious sniff. He held perfectly still, then grinned as its little head tilted, allowing him a gentle scratch behind the neck.

“Fuck, I might combust, this is so stupidly cute,” he whispered, rubbing its nose in the same rhythm he remembered from his time looking after the circus horses. 

“Did you know they would be here?” Stolas asked, coming up beside him. 

“Nope! Not a damn clue!”

Stolas gave him a side-eye.

“I'm not shitting you! Why the fuck would I lie about horses?”

The foal whinnied, and moved its snout down to the bucket of strawberries he was holding. 

"Hah, super subtle" he teased, but happily took out a strawberry and presented it to the foal. It vanished in an instant, its coarse tongue scraping his equally rough hand. Before he could move his hand away, one of the adult horses sidled up, whinnying for attention.

"Whatcha think their names are?" He popped another berry in the foal's mouth. "This one looks like a Nunchuck."

Stolas hooted. "Nunchuck? Really?" 

"You got a better idea?"

"Hmmm, how about Cookie? It matches his coat."

"Nah, that's too on the nose, you gotta pick something cool and different. Like..." He pointed towards the other three:

"Sugar Lump, Banana Palm and…Windmill." 

As if it knew its name, Banana Palm walked closer, pushing Nunchuck out of the way.

“Oooh, jealous, huh?” he tutted at the older horse. Still, he offered them a berry, then another, and suddenly, the entire family was surrounding them, munching and neighing happily at their fruity treat. 

"Blitzø, don't give them all of our strawberries!" Stolas pulled his hand back as he was about to pop another one into Nunchuck's mouth. 

"Awww, but they're so fuckin' happy, Stols!" he protested, even though he did have to admit he'd maybe gone a bit overboard, looking down at his severely depleted stash. 

"Ugh, fine." He gave Stolas his bucket and held his hands out to the group. "Sorry boys, gotta cut you off."

The horses glared back at him with a look that could only be described as 'not mad, just fucking disappointed,' their betrayal evident in the way their ears clipped back and fluffy tails flicked from side to side. Before he could try to make amends, Stolas had his hand and was gently pulling him away.

"It's okay, darling. We can see them again another time," he placated him, squeezing his hand. Stolas was right, yet again (as he usually was, annoyingly). They had the whole of the living world at their fingertips thanks to the Asmodean crystal, and this only spurred on Blitzø's excitement about what else they could do up on Earth that didn't involve killing people.

"I am rather hungry, are you?" Stolas's question brought him out of his thoughts and switched his one track brain back into gear. 

"Fuckin' famished, yeah!" 

The sun was slowly settling behind them as they got to work setting up their picnic. He set out a cute checkered blanket for them to sit on whilst Stolas inspected the basket of food he had brought for them. 

"Oh, Blitzø! You brought me rats?" 

"Not just any rats; rats on a stick!" He plopped himself down on the blanket, patting the space next to him for Stolas to join. Stolas sat down, maneuvering his long ass legs into a tucked position.

Mental note: get a bigger blanket for their next picnic, he thought. 

"There is something about food being skewered on a tiny stick that makes it twenty times more delicious," Stolas pondered, inspecting his treat. "Though, it does remind me of the deliriously boring dinner parties I had to attend as a royal."

"Yeah, bet you don't miss those; I only snuck into one and it looked drier than a Wrathian desert." 

"Hmm," Stolas eyes drooped down, his face pensive. Oh, shit, this was not the direction their conversation was meant to go! They were supposed to be having fun, not getting sad! Blitzø glanced around their surroundings trying to find a diversion tactic.

"So, tell me about this awesome sounding cheesecake you're gonna make for me," he decided, as he reached over Stolas to grab a handful of spicy peanuts from the basket. 

"Oh, yes," Stolas shook his head like he was hoping to forget something. "Well, I have made many flour cakes before, but this will be my first biscuit based dessert. What is rather exciting is that cheesecakes can be made baked or unbaked, depending on the recipe." 

"Huh, weird. So like, does the cheese melt if you bake it?"

Stolas twisted his freaky neck. "What do you mean, dearest?"

"Well like, surely if you put a big hunk of cheese in the oven that shit's gonna make a mess! Not that I'm complainin’, but —"

"Oh! Hoo!" Stolas cut him off with one of his loud-as-hell laugh-hoots, claws curling around his waist as he doubled forward, vibrating with laughter.

"What, what's so fucking funny?"

"Oh, Blitzø, I love you." He was tearing up, the little shit! "Sweetheart, a cheesecake is not a cake made of cheese."

"WHAT?! But it's LITERALLY called that!"

"No, you are right; it does contain cheese, usually the soft cottage type, but that is just one part of it." Stolas got his phone out of his pocket and showed him a picture of the so-called cheesecake. "See?"

He shook his head furiously. "Christ on a stick, I've been fucking conned!"

Stolas cooed, wrapping a claw around his shoulders. "Come on, dearest, I'm sure you'll still like it." 

"Fuckin' hope so, after all this time picking strawberries for some man chowder covered cookie," he huffed, crossing his arms. 

"Blitzø! That is disgusting!' The bird clutched his phone against his chest.

Their conversation subsided, carried off by the soft breeze rustling through the leaves above them. They finished their picnic in a comfortable, if slightly awkward, silence. Fuck, had he killed the vibe? He wasn't that upset, more playing it up to get a reaction from his boyfriend. He glanced up at Stolas who was staring into the distance. 

"You know I'm not, like, actually mad at you?" 

Stolas glanced down at him, smiling warmly. "I know, don't worry. I found it rather amusing."

"Phew! Good, just checkin'. I am excited to try it, you know I love whatever you make."

"It's thanks to you that I have only gotten better. Even when I made you almost raw or burnt stuff you still tried it."

"Hey, that's kinda my job as your boyfriend: chief bird cheerleader."

Stolas gave him a small smile. "I never had a chance to really learn to cook at the palace. I had a few lessons as a teenager from the waitstaff, but that was merely a formality as part of my training for becoming a husband."

"Shit, really?"

"I had to be able to make at least one meal, as per Stella's wishes before we married. She demanded I bring her breakfast in bed, so I learned how to make pancakes and fry bacon. I was so excited to prove that I could be a good enough husband to her, so on the day after our wedding I got up early to surprise her. Sadly, the pancakes were too fluffy, and I cooked the bacon too crispy, so she threw them at me and told all the staff to never let me cook for her again."

"Fucking bitch," Blitzø wrapped his tail around Stolas's waist. "Your breakfasts are the fuckin' bomb, and that's coming from the king of breakfast food." He pointed to himself. 

Ha! Just you wait, Stolas; I'm gonna make you the best goddam morning-after wedding breakfast of your fucking life! he thought.

"I didn't set foot in the kitchen until years later, when Via requested I bake her a cake for her fifth birthday." His pupils shimmered in the afternoon dusk. "She was so adamant about it that not even Stella could persuade her to change her mind," he chuckled. "I knew from then she would be a much stronger individual than I would ever be."

"And, did you?"

"Yes, it was strawberry flavored, funnily enough. I made it three times, in the dead of night so no one would see me practicing. The look on her face when I brought it out," he sighed. "It was magical. 

“So… I suppose, in an odd way, baking isn’t just a hobby to me. It’s a reminder of Via, of the good times we had.” His voice cracked, eyes going all watery. “Her birthday was last week. Nineteen. I… I wish I could’ve made her cake.”

“Stols…” Fuck. Stolas hadn’t said a word about Via’s birthday. Not that it shocked him, though; after two years of not seeing his kid, she'd slipped from conversation more and more, even though he knew Stolas still tried to text and call her whenever he could, now that he finally had his own phone.

It fucking sucked, seeing that shattered look in Stolas’s eyes, knowing he couldn’t snap his fingers and fix any of it. But, just like with his relationship with his sister, he believed that they had to trust that time would stop being such a bastard and help them find their way home.

One day, they’d all be together. Him, Stolas, Loona, and Via. In the same apartment, or heck, house, celebrating birthdays, holidays…boring slice-of-life shit, together. 

A family of four. 

“Sorry, Blitzø. We’re supposed to be having a fun date, and I’ve gone and made it all about me.” Stolas wiped at his eyes, embarrassed.

“Hey.” Blitzø tilted his face up gently, cupping his soft cheek. “No talkin’ shit about yourself, remember? You’ve been through so fuckin’ much these last two years, and I am so goddamn proud of you.”

Stolas’s eyes shimmered again. “Really?”

He huffed a quiet laugh. “Don’t believe me? Guess I’m not doin’ a good enough job, huh?”

“No!” Stolas dragged him closer in a shaky pull, claws resting delicately against Blitzø’s face. "I would not be the person I am now without you, Blitzø."

"Hah, I dunno about all that. You did all the hard work on yourself, I'm just…"

"I love you, Blitzø,” Stolas said with a steady, unwavering certainty that made his breath hitch.

Fuck. It would never get old, hearing Stolas say he loved him. For so many years Blitzø had believed he didn’t deserve love at all, so hearing those words, from Stolas of all demons, always hit him like a plunge into icy water. A shock to the system; sharp, bracing, but good. 

“I love you too, birdie.” He reached up, fingers sliding into the feathers at the back of Stolas’s head and tugging him into a kiss. The moment was so right, so perfect, the two of them in their own little corner of the universe, making out on a picnic blanket as four horses watched on. They tumbled to the ground, giggles of joy filling the air in between kisses. Blitzø licked his tongue against Stolas's beak, requesting entry. Stolas happily complied, their tongues tangling in a desperate dance of desire and want. 

Stolas was quick to pick up the pace, rolling himself on top of Blitzø and caressing his horns, a moan escaping his lips. 

"Fuck," he breathed out. "We gonna give those horses a show, birdie?" 

Stolas hooted, looking away for a second to spot that, yep, their loud activities had caught the attention of their horse friends. It was a little disconcerting, but Blitzø was up for anything that has horses in it. 

"You'd love that, wouldn't you?" Stolas teased, once again proving that his boyfriend knew him so damn well. From the start he'd matched his freak, which is probably why sex with Stolas was always phenomenal. He gave Stolas one of his signature grins. 

"Come here." He pulled Stolas down onto his body and got straight to unbuttoning his fancy waistcoat, desperate to get his paws on his chest fluff. Stolas followed in kind, though he got frustrated by the buttons on his checkered shirt, which made him laugh. 

"Take your time; we got all day," he huffed out when he got the final button undone. 

"Worth it," Stolas purred, delicately placing his hand over Blitzø's chest, taking extra care on his scars and burns. "I love you," he whispered softly.

"Yeah, yeah, less talky, more fucky!" he joked, using his upper body strength to roll Stolas from above him to below. Satan, he could smell Stolas's arousal on his tongue already, sending a shiver of lust down his body and into his own pants. Oh, the things he would do to his bird's —

"Ow!” Stolas suddenly yelped just as Blitzø went to unbutton his slacks. 

“Shit, you okay?" He pulled his hand away, fearful that he'd accidentally hurt him with his sharp claws. 

“I… seem to have landed on something,” Stolas grimaced, patting around beneath himself for the culprit of his discomfort.

It was then time stopped. Blitzø’s eyes bulged like a cartoon character about to get flattened by an anvil as he realized exactly what Stolas was sitting on. His hand shot to his jean pocket and…yep. Empty.

Stolas went rigid as he lifted the small box into view, his white pupils shrinking to tiny pinpricks in his red eyes. 

“B–Blitzø?” he stammered. “Is… is this…?” 

Of course, of course, he would get cockblocked by his own proposal! Well, maybe this was the universe's sign for him to just get fucking on with it and stop getting distracted by Stolas and his tasty bird puss. He looked between them, both disheveled, half-dressed being perved on by Earth horses. Yeah, this was not what he had envisioned when he was gonna propose…but didn't that make it so unfucking-believably them? 

With that thought, he let out a small chuckle, both to calm his own nerves and Stolas's, who was waiting patiently for his response. 

“Welp, since I already botched the surprise, lemme at least do the rest of this shit right.” He took the box from Stolas’s trembling hand and pulled them both to their feet. He inhaled deeply, bracing himself. 

Alright, idiot. You got one shot of this, don't fuck it up. 

“Stolas…as you can probably guess, I don’t have some big speech planned. I tried, for like, days, to think of the words that’d say everything I feel, but none of it came out right. I couldn’t cram it all into a bunch of fancy long words like you're so fucking good at. So, you’re gettin’ this straight from the top of my head, as per usual.”

He took a deep breath, staring into Stolas's eyes. "I never thought I deserved to be loved. Didn't think that shit was for imps like me, who fuck up all the time and hurt the ones they are closest to just by…like, existing.

"But then, I met you. All those years ago, and, fuck, even then, as a stupid kid with big, delusional dreams, you believed in me. I didn't realize it at the time, but your cute as fuck fluffy little face is what kept me going, even when the universe was telling me to just give up. And, I did fuck up, a lot. Hurt you so fuckin' much. Let you down when you needed me the most…. 

And yet, you're still here, somehow, which has gotta mean somethin', right? Hell is…well, hell, but with you, it doesn't seem so fucking bad anymore. Not when you get to spend it with the one demon you love." 

He dropped to one knee, looking up at Stolas with raw, pure emotion. He opened the box, revealing the ring. Stolas's breath hitched. 

"So…if you’ll have me… I wanna spend the rest of my days in this shithole with you. Only you, Stols.” He swallowed hard.

“Will you marry me?”

Stolas stared awestruck at the ring, then up at Blitzø, his hands flying to his chest. Tears spilled down his downy cheeks, catching the evening light, yet they came with the widest, brightest smile Blitzø had ever seen on him. Satan, he was beautiful.

“Oh, yes, Blitzø, I will!” he cried, nodding so fervently Blitzø half-expected his head to snap right off his long-ass neck.

Before Blitzø could even breathe, Stolas seized his hand and hauled him upright, gathering him into his arms and capturing his mouth in a kiss. Blitzø felt his own tears break free, hot and stinging, mixing with Stolas’s as they pressed together, the salt and joy blending on their lips. They broke apart, both of them shaking from the adrenaline and emotions. 

"Here, lemme do the honors." He took the box from Stolas's hand, carefully removing the ring from its plush casing, and, thank Satan, the ring slipped perfectly over Stolas's claw. He gave it a quick kiss. 

"Fuck, I have a fiancé," he muttered, saying it more to himself than Stolas. Even though he'd been pretty sure that he would say yes, he'd still had that niggling fear of being rejected ever present until he actually said yes. Stolas was admiring the ring on his finger, moving it around to let the light reflect off it. 

"You like? I know it's not super fancy but we can always get —"

"It's perfect," Stolas whispered, stopping Blitzø in his tracks as he caught his hands in his own. He squeezed gently, eyes warm. "I love you."

"I love you too."

A perfectly timed stomach growl cut through the moment, snapping them both back down from the emotional high they’d been floating on.

"Right, picnic," Stolas said with a soft laugh. "We should finish before it gets too dark." He released Blitzø, only for the imp to immediately loop his tail around Stolas’s waist, unwilling to give up contact with his soon-to-be husband.

They settled back into an easy rhythm, like nothing and everything had changed at once. They demolished far too much food while talking through how they’d announce their engagement, trying to predict their friends’ reactions. 

"You know," Blitzø said, picking up a plump strawberry and holding it beside Stolas’s cheek, "your face is kinda the shape of one of these."

"Blitzø, I think you're drunk on strawberries." Stolas plucked the berry from his hand and popped it into his mouth with playful elegance.

Art by Sunnsuto

"Hey! That was my final one, bitch."

They once again fell into each other, Blitzø tangling his arms around Stolas's neck to pull him as close to his body as possible. Holy fucking shit, he was engaged! He'd actually fucking done it and not screwed it up! He moved his mouth down from Stolas's beak to his bare chest, nuzzling in the spot he knew would drive Stolas crazy. Sure enough, Stolas let out a quiet moan, just loud enough for Blitzø to hear. He tipped his head back up, giving Stolas his best bedroom eyes. 

"Soooo….how's about we consummate our engagement?" He asked, wiggling his eyebrows. 

"My…that's a rather big word for you, Blitzø." Stolas prodded him teasingly, the fucking audacity of the bird after he'd just proposed to him! 

"Fuck you," he growled, though the words had no real bite. Stolas tittered at his reaction, pulling his tail. 

"Yes, that's what consummate means, darling." 

Oh, his fiancé was gonna get it. He glanced over his shoulder to the herd of horses who were still watching their every move. 

"Alrighty boys, lemme show you how to really take someone for a ride." 

As far as Mondays went, the following one wasn't too bad, all things considered. For starters, Blitzø cancelled out their first hit of the day, calling everyone into a 'staff meeting,' which was just an excuse so he and Stolas could tell M&M their big news and celebrate with a round of iced coffee (Blitzø wanted something stronger but Moxxie went off on one about it being inappropriate to drink in the workplace…dork). Moxxie was a bit perturbed by the fact Millie knew about the engagement all along, but Blitzø quite rightly pointed out that Moxxie would not be able to keep the fucking secret, the guilt would've eaten him alive. Loona was in good spirits too, having actually taken the big news well the night before. She'd done her usual facade of acting like she didn't give a shit, only giving them a quick 'congrats' before going back to her phone, but then Stolas and Blitzø found out from each other that she'd individually cornered them before bed and gave them each a hug and a quiet 'I'm so happy for you.' They kept that to themselves, knowing they'd get their heads bitten off if she ever found out. And the icing on the cake? Stolas had messaged Via the news, expecting to get no response as usual…but that morning, a text came through: a single heart emoji. Stolas cried for twenty minutes. It wasn't much, but it was progress, a sign of life…a possibility that both of their daughters would be at their wedding. 

After a lot of talk about wedding venues and who would be Blitzø's best imp (Millie was currently the front runner), they still had bills to pay, so got busy ticking off a few smaller hits that had been on their list for a while. By the time they got back, tired and covered in a menagerie of different human's blood, there was a note on the desk from Stolas: he had gone home early, but insisted he had finished his work for the day.

"You gonna let that slide, boss? He can't just clock off whenever he feels like it!" Moxxie cried incredulously, shoving the paper in Blitzø's face. He grabbed at Moxxie's stupid-ass bow tie so they were face to face. 

"Hey! He's my fiancé; he can do whatever the fuck he wants, got it?" He warned him, putting him back down roughly. Millie gave him a look out of the corner of his eye, but didn't comment. 

"Anyway, good work today, gang!" He gave them a thumbs up, changing the subject. He checked the invisible watch on his wrist. "Welp, gotta get home to my fiancé!" He emphasized the last word with a glint in his eyes, still getting used to saying it instead of boyfriend. It felt weird, but in a good way, sorta like being pegged. 

He opened a portal to M&M's apartment, a rare treat he occasionally did for them when he couldn't be bothered driving them home. "See ya tomorrow!" He ushered them towards the portal. 

"Ugh, he's going to be even more insufferable, isn't he?" Moxxie muttered to Millie as they waved their goodbyes. 

"I heard that!" Blitzø yelled as the portal closed, determined that Moxxie would not get the last word. Oh, he'd be fucking insufferable alright! 

He made a portal to their own apartment, and when they stepped through they were hit with the delightful smell of baking. Blitzø smiled to himself as he observed the sight they had walked in on. Just as he had suspected, Stolas was in the kitchen, elbow-deep in bowls and batter wearing his 'hoo's hungry' apron, feathers all askew with the frantic focus of an owl on his own personal mission. 

“I’m showering first!” Loona barked, shouldering past Blitzø. “Save me some of…whatever that is!” she called to Stolas as she disappeared down the hall.

“Of course, Loona!” Stolas chirped back, delighted. He rotated his head a full hundred and eighty degrees, eyes landing on Blitzø with an appraising look.

"Frat party, don't ask." He shrugged his jacket off so he was a little less gross. Stolas beckoned him with his claw as he bounced up and down on his feet excitedly. He was so fucking cute when he wanted to show him something. 

"Should'a guessed you'd be here. You've been itching to make your 'cake that's not made of cheese' cake since we got back from our date," he teased him, perching himself up on one of the kitchen island stools. 

"I would have made it yesterday but we were rather…preoccupied," he reminded him. Yeah, the consummation of their engagement did not end on the picnic blanket, rather carried on back in the apartment again…and again until they were completely spent. They'd napped the rest of the day away, tangled together in a sticky mess of their own doing. It was perfect. Blitzø smiled at the memory. 

"Hmm, my fiancé does have the stamina of a fucking race horse," he hummed, leaning chin on his hand, in danger of falling asleep. Fuck, he hadn't realized how tired he was. It had been a few full-on days, both physically and emotionally

“You got home at the perfect time. I was just putting the final touches on the cheesecake." 

“Oooh, can I help?”

“Not unless you wash your hands… with soap.” 

“Ugh. Fine.” 

Once his hands were significantly less covered in blood, he finally got a good look at Stolas’s creation. True to his word, it looked exactly like the picture he’d shown him during their picnic: a perfectly round, biscuit-crumb crusted cheesecake. It looked nice…but very much not a cheese-shaped cake (he was still a bit salty about that, alright?). 

“Want to add the final decoration?” Stolas asked, offering him a neatly cut slice of strawberry. The top was already adorned with an intricate swirl of strawberries, because his fiancé was nothing if not a little over the top. 

“Wow, what an honor,” he drawled. But as he reached for the strawberry, his expression shifted. He glanced at Stolas’s outstretched hand… and frowned.

“Hey, uh… where’s your ring?” he asked cautiously, a spike of cold panic shooting through him at the thought, a stupid, irrational one, that Stolas might have changed his mind.

Stolas followed his gaze and looked down at his own hand. “Oh! I didn’t want to get it dirty, darling.” He smiled warmly. “I put it back in its box for safekeeping.”

“Fuuuuuck. Okay. Phew.” He let out a long breath, feeling ridiculous for even thinking it.

“I’m sorry, I should’ve said.” Stolas gave his hand a gentle squeeze, a soft reassurance. “You have nothing to worry about, fiancé.”

His heart skipped a beat; yeah, hearing him say that word was never gonna get old. He took the strawberry and placed it right in the center of the cheesecake, finishing with a theatrical little ta-da. 

“Alright, we’re skippin’ dinner tonight. Straight to dessert,” he declared, just as Loona wandered in, fur sticking out every which way as it air-dried.

“Sounds good to me,” she said with a shrug, dropping into a chair at the kitchen table.

Stolas handled the slicing himself, vibrating with nervous energy as he set the plates down for the two judges. Blitzø immediately shoved his entire slice into his mouth like the absolute heathen he was, chewing furiously to take in every flavor and texture at once.

“Shit, this is good,” Loona said first, already taking another bite.

“Thank you!” Stolas chirped, flapping his hands. “And…Blitzø?”

“Well.” Blitzø swallowed loudly. “It doesn’t taste like cheese at all, so I gotta deduct points for false advertising.”

“There is cream cheese in the frosting!” Stolas protested. 

“Buuuut…” Blitzø leaned over the table, grabbing Stolas by the front of his apron and pulling him into a kiss. “As much as it pains me to admit it… it’s delicious. Nice job, fiancé.”

“Ugh, you two need to get a fucking room,” Loona groaned, pushing her chair back to leave. 

"Love ya too, sweetie!" Blitzø waved her goodnight, receiving a middle finger in response. Her door slammed shut, leaving them alone. 

"Well, time to wash up the mess I made…" Stolas sighed, also about to stand up from his seat until Blitzø launched himself across the table and onto his lap. He cheekily took a fork to the slice of cheesecake on Stolas's plate and lapped it up with his tongue.

"Fuck, can we serve this at our wedding? It's so fucking good," he moaned, licking the icing off his fingers. Stolas chuckled at his fiancé’s antics, grabbing the fork from his hand. 

"We could…or I could make an actual cheese cake…" he suggested. "It is our wedding, after all."

Blitzø pondered the idea for a moment, but quickly made up his mind on the perfect solution. He took the fork from Stolas's grasp, replacing it with his hand. 

"How's about both? A sweet and savory option to suit all tastes!" 

Stolas smiled softly, white pupils dilating. "That sounds…perfect." He gave Blitzø a kiss, stroking his hand over his face. "I love you, darling."

"Love ya too, fiancé." 

Their mouths met halfway to each other, arms wrapping around the other's body as tightly as their tongues were intertwined. Fuck it, the dishes could wait a little bit longer.