Always - NanetteRiddle - Helluva Boss (Web Series) [Archive of Our Own] (2025)

Chapter 1 Chapter Text Tears shone in all four of Stolas' eyes as the former prince looked at the pregnancy test in his claws. Instead of a single red line, there was a white plus sign on it, clearly indicating that an egg was developing inside Stolas. The demonic owl hid its face in its claws and cried out in helplessness and terror.Could it be worse?

Chapter 1 Chapter Text

Tears shone in all four of Stolas' eyes as the former prince looked at the pregnancy test in his claws. Instead of a single red line, there was a white plus sign on it, clearly indicating that an egg was developing inside Stolas. The demonic owl hid its face in its claws and cried out in helplessness and terror.

Could it be worse? He had just lost everything: his home, his title, his powers, and his beloved Via. For over a month, he had been occupying Blitz's flat, who had been generous and merciful enough to take him in after the trial, and what's more - had given him a job, so he didn't feel like such a huge parasite as he undoubtedly was.

And now it turns out that the recent vomiting that had prevented him from going to work for the past few days was not stomach flu but fucking pregnancy. And what was he supposed to do now? If Blitzø found out about this, he would throw him out on the street, and he would be right. And Stolas currently had nowhere to go. He had already failed one child, and now he was going to fail another, who hadn't even been born yet.

A Goetia pregnancy usually lasted three months. That meant he had another month before he laid an egg. He could already feel the bulge in Stolas's belly. It would become much more visible soon. So he had to tell Blitz. If the imp was good enough to let him stay until the egg hatched, he would gain an extra month or two before he was left alone with the child. He wasn't sure if it would be longer or shorter with the hybrid. Still, he should have at least two months to save up enough money to rent something of his own. Maybe he could move in with Vassago, if Blitzø won’t agree? They had become close friends since the trial. The parrot often dropped in and wrote to Stolas, making sure the imp was treating the former prince well.

Stolas wiped his eyes and stood up from the cold floor. He threw the test in the trash, covering it with a layer of paper so it wouldn't be visible. He looked in the mirror and grimaced at his reflection. He splashed cold water on his face, but it didn't help. He looked like a walking disaster. He groaned and left the bathroom. He should prepare something to eat. Blitzø and Loona would be back from work soon. Since he was enjoying their hospitality and was unable to help in the office, he should at least manage the meal. Too bad he was a walking disaster when it came to cooking.

He made a vague sound full of misery and threw himself on the couch. He decided to lie down for just a moment to gather his strength and motivation. Just five minutes and he would try to make dinner without starting a fire.

He was woken up by the sound of a key turning in the lock. He jumped up, terrified. He had fallen asleep! He was supposed to make dinner, but he had fallen asleep. He was completely useless. He couldn't...

"Hello, birdie! Are you feeling better?"

Blitzø was in front of him at an alarming speed. He gave Stolas a careful look. The owl must not have looked his best, because concern appeared in the imp's eyes.

"I think you should see a doctor, Stols. I hate to say it, but you don't look your best."

Stolas lowered his head, tears welling up in his eyes again.

"Hey, hey, don't cry, feather!" Blitzø was immediately at his side. Ever since Stolas had come to live with them, he had tried not to invade his personal space. But ever since Sinsmas, he had been known to hug the demon without warning. Sometimes the former prince just looked like he needed it. This was one of those times. "Don't cry, birdie. Everything will be fine."

Stolas sobbed even harder, snuggling into the imp, surprising Blitzø. Up until now, his hugs had usually gone unanswered. It didn't bother him, although it did worry him a little.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Loona disappear into her room with a load of takeout they had bought on the way. Before she disappeared through the door, however, she gave them a worried look.

“Stolas, I think you should eat something, and then we’ll go to Sloth, okay?”

Stolas snuggled closer to him. He knew that this was probably the last time the imp would let him do this. He probably wouldn’t want anything to do with him in a moment, once he knew the truth. But it was time to tell him the truth about his “illness.”

He pulled away slightly, and Blitzø reluctantly allowed him to. Stolas stared at his clasped hands and took a deep breath.

“I don’t need to go to the doctor, Blitzø. Well, I do, but not for a diagnosis. I know what’s… wrong with me.”

“Okay, Stols, so what is it?”

The bird took another deep breath to calm himself down, then looked into the imp’s worried eyes.

“I… am expecting an egg, Blitzø.”

Stolas watched as the imp's face first showed shock, disbelief, and then pain, which a moment later turned into anger. The imp clenched his fists and his mouth turned into a thin line. They stared at each other in silence for a long moment, until Stolas finally couldn't take it anymore and lowered his gaze.

"How long?" The killer finally managed to say.

"It's the second month. There's still one more month until the egg is laid. At least that's what I think."

"Who's the other parent?"

He was afraid of this question. Stolas wasn't stupid. The last time they slept together was over half a year ago. It was impossible for an egg to take that long to form, even for a hybrid. So there was only one answer.

"That succubus who asked me to dance at Verosika's party... Took me home afterward... I was drunk and forgot... I forgot about the protection spell..."

Shame burned his cheeks. He couldn't look the killer in the eye. He could feel his anger. He radiated it, even though he had no right to it. They weren't together then. They had never really been a couple. Stolas could sleep with whoever he wanted, and yet the demon felt like he had betrayed Blitzø.

The imp got up from the couch without a word, and a moment later there was a loud slam of the door. Stolas once again today buried his face in his hands and burst into tears.

Chapter 2 Notes:

You liked the first chapter, so I'm leaving the second one. Let me know what you think!

Chapter Text

Stolas had no money, no friends to stay with. All his friends were, first and foremost, Blitzø's friends. He only had Vassago, but their friendship was a fresh topic. Of course, that wouldn’t stop Stolas from begging the parrot for help if he needed it. As much as he didn’t care what happened to him, he couldn’t just think about himself. He was also responsible for the egg. For his unborn child, whom he already loved. He couldn’t let anything bad happen to it.

It was the middle of the night when the door opened, letting Blitz in. Stolas jumped up from the couch. He wanted to beg to be allowed to stay here, but the words died on his tongue. Imp staggered toward the bean bag. The closer he got, the more alcohol was on his breath. The bird’s heart sank. Sober Blitzø could be unpredictable. What if he got aggressive when drunk? What if he threw him out? Instinctively, he wrapped his arms around his stomach in a protective gesture.

Blitzø noticed this. He stopped a meter away from him and stared hatefully at the spot the bird was protecting. Fear began to grow in Stolas. He had never been afraid of the imp, but at that moment, fear for the egg took over him completely. He was ready to fall to his knees and beg Blitzø not to hurt them. He wouldn't survive if he lost his second child too.

However, the killer had no intention of doing anything. He turned around and threw himself on the bean bag. A moment later, there was a loud snoring. Relief took over Stolas. His legs gave out on their own and he fell onto the couch, mentally exhausted.

***

In the morning, Blitzø wasn't there when Stolas opened his eyes. Instead, Loona was bustling around in the bathroom, making a noise that woke him up. He glanced at his watch. It was six in the morning. The hellhound usually didn't wake up before eight. That meant something was wrong. But he didn't have the strength to confront Blitzø's daughter, so she pretended to be asleep. In reality, he listened as Loona left the bathroom first, and then the apartment. She tried to stay quiet, clearly not wanting to wake him, which made him feel guilty. He breathed a sigh of relief when he was alone.

He touched his stomach, where there was a small lump under the feathers. He stroked it, feeling a growing affection for the little creature inside him. For the first time in a long time, he felt determination. He couldn't let anything happen to her.

***

Stolas stood in front of the café where he had arranged to meet Denis. He had no idea where he had found the courage to write to the succubus and ask for a meeting. But he had, and now he had to muster up a little more of that feeling to go inside and tell the other father of his child. He had the right to know.

"Hey, Stolas! I must admit I was surprised by your message!" The succubus called out as soon as the owl appeared before him. "How's it going?"

Stolas could feel the hateful stares of the devils following him wherever he went from home. He was terrified of leaving without Blitzø, so he chose the café that was closest to the imp's house. Fortunately, the devils he met along the way didn't bother him. He hoped that the devils in the café would also give up on interacting with him. Without his powers, he felt helpless. He couldn't keep relying on Blitzø's protection, who probably despised him now.

"Stolas? Is everything okay?"

The owl shook herself out of her reverie and sat down opposite the succubus. His nervousness was obvious at first glance. He instinctively placed his hand on his stomach, as if that would somehow provide the egg with additional protection.

"I need to talk to you."

Stolas reached for a napkin lying on the counter and began to crumple it in his hands. He was stressed and didn't know where to begin. How was he supposed to tell his one-night stand that he was going to be a father?

"You're acting really weird, owl. I don't know what happened, but I came here in hopes of continuing the fun. If you're looking for help after the trial or anything like that, I can't help you. We had a good time together, but I won't..."

"I'm pregnant." Stolas blurted out, interrupting the other man's monologue.

The man looked at him in confusion.

"Well... good for you and that imp who's fucking you." He laughed, patting Stolas on the shoulder. "I don't know why you're telling me this..."

"The child is yours." Stolas interrupted him once again. He felt like shit. He regretted coming here. He really didn't know why he had deceived himself that this was a good idea. "I thought..."

"That I would take you in?" This time it was the succubus who interrupted the demon. "That's not even an option, mate. Better kick your imp and pray that the kid is more like you than me. Maybe he'll manage to convince himself that it's his. Or just crack an egg or something to scare him."

Stolas' anger flared up in an instant. He slammed his fist on the table and finally looked at his interlocutor. The succubus involuntarily sank a little in his chair.

"I would never lie to Blitzø about something like that!" He yelled, ignoring the fact that he had just become the object of interest of everyone present in the cafe. "And I would never intentionally hurt my child!"

"Well, good luck, mate." The succubus stood up and stretched its wings. He gave Stolas a contemptuous look. "Don't contact me again."

With that, he left the cafe. Stolas was left alone with the unpaid bill for his coffee and cake. A bill that he had no way to pay. He couldn't leave unnoticed, because his outburst had attracted everyone's attention and now he could feel their scrutinizing eyes on him. There was no chance he would be able to escape from here.

After an hour of staring at the chat with Blitz, Stolas finally gave in.

Can you come to the cafe on the corner? I told the succubus about the egg. He left me with an unpaid order. I have no money. Please, could you help me one more time?

There was no reply, even though the message had been read. The anxiety in Stolas' heart was growing with every passing moment. Especially since the waitress had already reminded him twice that if he didn't order anything else, he should pay and leave. What was he supposed to do if Blitzø didn't answer? What if she ignored him? How was he supposed to pay?

"Here's your bill." This time, a massive waiter approached him, making Stolas feel sick. "I hope you have enough to pay for it, prince, because if you don't..."

"I'll pay."

Stolas' head snapped to the side so violently that something in his neck cracked. Blitzø glared at the waiter. He paid the bill quickly, then wordlessly grabbed Stolas by the elbow and pulled him to a standing position, then to the exit.

The former prince could feel the fury radiating from the imp. He was literally shaking with the fury that was consuming him. But he didn't say a word until they were back in the apartment. The owl opened its beak to apologize and thank him, but Blitzø was the first to go.

"You left the house alone last time without my knowledge. If you want to go somewhere, you tell me. If I can't go with you, Loona or M&M will go, do you understand?"

"I wanted to..."

"I'm asking if you understand, Stolas."

"I don't want to be a problem."

"You're expecting an egg. You live in Imp City while imps hate you. It's a fucking miracle nothing happened to you today. You're not leaving here without someone who can protect you, do you understand? Confirm or I swear I'll chain you to the radiator."

Stolas had no choice but to nod. Blitzø calmed down a bit, then opened a portal to the human world, where M&M were currently fighting a gang of heavily armed men. Without wasting any more time, he jumped through the portal and disappeared from Stolas' sight.

The demon looked around the apartment, which was littered with trash and clothes. For the umpteenth time that day, he felt determined to change something. So he started cleaning and then preparing dinner. Blitzø had done so much for him. He could repay him in at least this way.

***

Blitzø returned home tired. Lately, I.M.P. had three times more orders than usual. Since the trial, his business had become more popular and more sinners wanted to use their services. He was extremely grateful for that, because they needed money right now. M&M told him about Millie's pregnancy. The woman insisted that she could participate in the bears, but Blitzø knew that would change soon. First of all, it was too risky. Secondly, the baby bump would significantly limit her ability to move. That meant Millie would have to move to the reception desk, and Loona would be cooling off with them on missions. Blitzø didn't like that at all, because his overprotective nature didn't want his daughter to put herself in danger. But she'd already shown what she was capable of many times, so it shouldn't be so bad.

And then there was Stolas. Blitzø really felt like the whole situation was too much for him. The three of them barely fit in his apartment. Stolas needed a bed, and he needed more than a bag of beans. He hadn't been sleeping well for over two months, and his back was hurting. They had to find a bigger apartment. And they had to find Stolas a doctor who would take care of him and the egg. That cost money, too, and they didn't have the money at the moment.

He was furious with the fucking bastard who clearly had no intention of taking responsibility for his child and Stolas. Just yesterday, Blitzø had been terrified of the prospect. He was sure that the succubus would take his bird away. He hated himself for being stupid enough to let this happen. He was furious with himself because instead of staying home with Stolas, he went to drink away his sorrows at a bar. But at that moment, all he could think about was the prospect of losing the owl. In the end, he was furious with Stolas for thoughtlessly getting himself into danger today. Something could have happened to him, damn it! That fucking succubus could have hurt him. Or some random imp. Fuck, the thought alone made him want to smash someone or something.

Blitzø opened the door, and the smell of something that surprisingly wasn't burning hit his nostrils. After a moment of consternation, he noticed that their usually messy apartment was currently exceptionally clean. That meant one thing - instead of resting, the demonic owl was working.

"Stolas?!"

The demon materialized in front of the imp almost immediately.

"You're back! I made us dinner. I thought you'd be at work a little shorter, so you have to give me a moment to heat everything up. Where's Loona?"

"At Bee's party. May I ask what the fuck you're doing?"

Stolas was confused and looked uncertainly at the imp, who was glaring at him with an angry look.

"Me? I'm heating up your dinner?"

Blitzø growled quietly and walked over to the pan, the contents of which were surprisingly inviting to eat.

"You shouldn't overexert yourself. Have you eaten yet?"

"No, I was waiting for you..."

Blitzø frowned.

"But did you eat anything today?"

Stolas was even more confused.

"I wasn't hungry. Besides, I did some cleaning, and then cooking, and..."

Blitzø let out another growl and chased Stolas out of the kitchen. He started heating up the food himself, which he then divided into two plates. He made sure Stolas got a bigger portion. Of course, the owl started to protest, but one angry look from Blitzø was enough to shut him up. They sat down on the couch, and the imp turned off the TV to a random channel. They both ate in silence for a while, until the former prince finally spoke up.

“I wanted to thank you for helping me today. And I want to apologize for bothering you.”

“I assume that asshole didn’t care about being a father?”

Stolas looked down at his plate, digging into his food with his fork.

“I can’t count on him, if that’s what you’re asking.”

A silence fell between them again. Stolas felt tears welling up in his eyes again. He didn’t know what Blitzø was thinking now. Was he going to throw him out? It was high time to bring this up.

“M&M are expecting a baby too.”

The news surprised Stolas. He let out a strange bird-like squawk. It amused Blitzø a little.

“They told me today. The team will have to be reshuffled. Loona will go out into the field, and Millie will take care of the reception.”

This worried Stolas a little. Honestly, he had hoped to be able to go back to work as a secretary at I.M.P. It was ruining his plans. After a while, he felt bad. Instead of being happy for Millie’s friends, he was selfishly worried only about himself.

“So… I hope Millie is okay.”

“Yes, although her mood swings are driving us crazy. At least now I know why she’s suddenly become such a bitch.”

Blitzø finished eating and stood up to take their plates to the sink. Only now did he notice that the bird had barely touched its portion.

“Why aren’t you eating?”

Stolas looked at him seriously.

“Blitzø… What about me? Can… can I stay here? Until I lay an egg? I’ll… find a job, I promise. I’ll chip in for the rent and…”

“Stolas, what the fuck are you talking about?”

Stolas shrank into himself. He was ready for the imp to tell him to leave right now. He wanted to beg him not to, but fear was clenching his throat and he couldn’t even get a word out.

Blitzø looked at him with poorly concealed irritation.

“Of course you can’t stay here, Stolas.”

The former prince felt his whole world crumble again. His eyes filled with tears and his breathing quickened. He opened his beak to start begging, but the imp wouldn't let him say a word.

"You need a bed. You can't sleep on this couch. It's uncomfortable and too small. Soon your back will start to hurt not only because of it, but also from the weight of the egg. You need a place to rest. This apartment is too small for all of us. We need to find a bigger one with at least two bedrooms."

Stolas didn't really know what the imp was talking about. A moment ago he was sure he'd end up on the street, but instead he was supposed to move in with Blitzø and Loona in a bigger apartment?

"Loona found a few ads today that are worth looking through. We can start looking at apartments tomorrow. And as for work... I won't deny that we don't have much money at the moment. However, business is doing well. We've got a lot more applications than before. Loona can barely keep up with answering the phone. To be honest, none of us will be able to take care of the accounts. Besides, I don't think any of us are cut out for it. So, if you feel better, you could take care of the paperwork. We need to sort out the finances and get everything in order. What do you think?"

Stolas's eyes were now filled with tears of gratitude. A moment ago he had thought he would be left with nothing once again, and now he was offering him not only a roof over his head, but also a job. With the last bit of his willpower he refrained from throwing himself at the imp.

"Blitzø, I can't express in words how grateful I am for what you're doing for me."

"That's the least I can offer you, Stolas. Now eat your dinner. The kid needs food."

Chapter 3 Chapter Text

The bureaucracy at I.M.P. was a whole other circle of hell. It took Stolas a week to sort out all the paperwork. Finally, he could take care of the current affairs, of which there were more and more. The demon was happy that Blitz's business was growing. It gave him something to do and something to occupy his mind. Finally, they saved enough to rent a bigger apartment, which they were supposed to move into over the weekend. They could also afford to pay a doctor to examine the owl and report that everything was going well, but that the egg would probably be laid later than expected. Considering that the child would be a hybrid, it would probably be larger than a normal Goethe egg and would need more time to develop.

The only downside to this situation was that Stolas hardly saw Blitz. He, Moxxie and Loona would disappear into the human world in the mornings and only come back briefly to accept a new assignment and move on. At home, Blitzø would simply throw himself on a beanbag and fall asleep in a minute. Meanwhile, Stolas spent his evenings worrying about the state of their relationship and missing his daughter, who was tearing him apart from the inside.

He had contacted her a few more times since Sinsmas. He had tried calling and texting her with explanations, but nothing had come back. He wanted to tell her the news about the baby, but he didn't want to do it over the phone. Besides, he was afraid that she would hate him even more.

Stolas had finished work for today. However, he couldn't go home without Blitz. He didn't have the power to conjure a portal, and if he took public transport, Blitzø would probably make good on his threat and really strap him to the radiator. Stolas didn't want to test the imp's patience.

For the hundredth time that day, he refreshed his phone's messages, hoping that maybe this time there would be a message from Octavia. Unfortunately, nothing of the sort happened.

"Hey, bitch! We're going home!"

Blitzø stormed into his office. He was surprisingly full of energy, instead of exhausted like he usually was after a hard day's work. Stolas' feathers fluffed up and a happy coo came out of his beak, which embarrassed him a little. Blitzø either didn't notice or pretended not to. He grabbed the owl's hand and pulled him towards the exit.

"And Loona?"

"She's going somewhere with her friends."

"Bye, M&M! Have a good time, Loona!" Stolas called before he was dragged out of the office.

Blitzø brought food from the human world, which he shared with Stolas. They sat on the couch and, to the sound of a new episode of Stolas' favorite soap opera, feasted on a delicious meal. However, the demonic owl couldn't enjoy the evening when there were so many misunderstandings between them. Finally, the former prince put down his empty bowl and turned to the imp, who had also finished eating and was currently browsing Sinstagram.

"Blitzø, can we talk?"

The imp looked at him warily. His whole body stiffened and his tail began to thrash against the couch in a nervous rhythm.

"Sure, Stolas, what's the matter?" A note of uncertainty echoed in the imp's mind, but he didn't run away as Stolas feared. On the contrary, he abandoned his phone and devoted his full attention to it.

“Hm, I… I just wanted to ask… I’ve been living with you for over two months. I…”

“Spit it out, birdie.”

Stolas puffed up at the nickname he hadn’t heard since he told Blitzø he was carrying an egg. He took that as a good sign, which gave him a little more courage.

“I wondered if after all this there was something more between you and me than… hmm… friendship, I guess.” He didn’t look at Blitzø as he said that. He stared at his hands clasped together on his stomach. “I know our arrangement wasn’t healthy. I know I behaved badly towards you, and then I didn’t even try to listen to you. But… a lot has changed since then. I’ve changed. Well… I have nothing to offer you anymore, really. I’m no longer a prince, I’m poor, and you probably despise me after you found out I was expecting a child. I’m a burden to you and Loona. I just wanted to make it clear that… that you don’t want me anymore. I don’t want to feed myself with false hopes and I need you to make your position clear. I think… I think I need to hear it…”

There was silence for a moment. Stolas was afraid to look up at the imp. He thought he was prepared for this conversation, but he was probably wrong. All he wanted at that moment was to run away and hide somewhere away from Blitzø’s watchful gaze.

“I’m shit, Stolas.” The owl finally looked up, wanting to deny it, but the devil didn’t let him speak. “No, Stols, I really am nothing more than a fucking mess. I really don’t know why someone like you would want anything more from me than a good fuck. Yes, you’ve lost everything, Stols, and you’re still a cut above me. I… I’ve used you just as much as you’ve used me, maybe even more. You didn’t force me to meet up with you. I enjoyed fucking the rich asshole I thought you were. I'm pretty sure I'll screw it up. I always hurt everyone I care about. But I'm also fucking selfish and I can't let you walk out of my life."

Stolas' eyes glazed over. He looked at the love of his life, who had just confessed that she cared about him and had no intention of running away after that. If the bird had been more bold, he would have thrown himself at the imp right then and there. But there was too much to talk about between them to do that.

"Blitzø... You and Octavia are the best things that have ever happened to me. You're caring, brave, intelligent, tenacious, and passionate. You're not shit. You're a valuable person that I want in my life."

"Stolas..."

"No, let me talk. You saved my life, more than once. And you never wanted anything in return. You care about me now, even though I have absolutely nothing and there's no way I can repay you. You're better than you think, Blitzø."

Imp was clearly uncomfortable with the owl's words. He didn't share his opinion of himself, but even he couldn't deny the sincerity in Stolas' eyes as he spoke. He knew the demon believed it just as much as he knew he didn't deserve it.

"Stolas, I promise that if you give me a chance, I'll try not to screw this up. There may be times when I'll get scared of all this and maybe try to push you away or escape through the window. But I'll always come back, Stols, and I'll beg you for forgiveness."

Stolas let out another trill that meant emotion and joy to him. But his posture remained tense, and his hands twiddled nervously with their thumbs. Blitzø knew Stolas wasn't done yet, and he was starting to fear what the owl had to say next.

"I... I know this is hard for you, Blitzø. And I promise to be patient and understanding. That I will always wait for you. However…” He folded his hands flat against his bulging belly, which was growing larger with each passing day. “I want to know what you think will happen to the baby once it hatches? I… I can’t lose another one… I don’t want to get rid of it, but you certainly don’t want anything to do with it…”

“Hey, hey, little bird, don’t cry.” Blitzø finally closed the distance between them and hugged the quivering bird as tightly as he thought it would be safe for the egg. He didn’t want to damage it by squeezing it too hard. “I won’t tell you to get rid of it, bird brain.”

“I see how you look at my belly when you think I’m not looking. I see the anger in your gaze, and I can’t say it’s strange. I know we weren’t together at the time, but I still feel guilty. I promise I won’t neglect my work. I can take the baby with me. I'll make sure it doesn't bother the customers..."

"Stolas, stop it." Blitzø took a deep breath, then hugged the bird tighter to his chest. "First of all... yes, I feel anger when I look at your belly and the life growing inside you. But not at this baby, or at you. I have no right to. I'm angry at the bastard who made you a kid and then didn't take responsibility for you. Every time I imagine tearing his miserable body apart for what he did to you. And honestly, all you have to do is say the word and the bastard will die.”

“No need for that, Blitzø.”

“That’s what I thought, that’s why the asshole is still alive. As for the child itself, I want to raise it with you, if you let me. I may not be the best father in the world and I’ve never had to deal with a small child, but I will do my best to provide you with a home where you’ll be safe and happy.”

Even in Stolas’s wildest dreams, he couldn’t imagine such a scenario. That little devil was one of the best people he’d ever met. How could he doubt his worth?

“Oh, Blitzy,” he groaned, snuggling even closer to the imp. “You don’t even know how much this means to me.”

“You mean everything to me, Stolas. You and our little family.”

Imp placed his hand on Stolas's hand resting on his bulging belly. The owl let out a happy hoot, and Blitzø's chest purred softly. The owl melted at the sound of the delightful sound. They spent the rest of the evening and part of the night like that. At some point, they both fell asleep, but in the middle of the night, they were woken up by the sound of Loona returning. The girl staggered in the doorway and burst into drunken giggles. Blitzø was by her side in the blink of an eye. He led her to her room, put her in bed, and left painkillers and a glass of water on her nightstand, which she would definitely need in the morning. He watched his sleeping daughter for a moment, smiling to himself. He was happy that she had finally made friends and started socializing.

When he returned to the living room, Stolas was waiting for him with open eyes, wrapped in a horseshoe blanket. Blitzø approached him and placed a tender kiss on his forehead. He headed for the bean bag, but was stopped by Stolas's shy whisper.

"Could you lie next to me, Blitzy?"

He had once hated the nickname, but now it warmed his chest. He jumped behind Stolas and settled between him and the back of the couch, careful not to hurt the egg. He placed one hand on the bird's belly, and his tail wrapped around the other man's thigh. Stolas sighed contentedly. He threw a blanket over them both and finally allowed himself to feel comfortable and safe.

Chapter 4 Chapter Text

Their new apartment was much bigger than the previous one. It had a living room with a kitchenette and two large bedrooms, each twice as big as Loona's. Surprisingly, the rent wasn't as high as it might seem. Honestly, Blitzø was sure that Fizz had pulled the strings. He had been the one to draw their attention to the apartment and assure them that it was a great deal when the imp wasn't sure whether such a low rent wasn't suspicious. However, he didn't have the courage to ask his friend if he had helped them in any way.

M&M and Fizz helped them move in. At first, the three of them didn't like each other very much. The fateful night at Ozzy's had left a mark on their relationship, but everyone agreed that for the sake of Blitzø and Stolas, they should forget about their past misunderstandings. It turned out that they had a lot in common and got along great, which pleased Blitzø.

"Where should I put that big box?" Fizz's robotic arms wrapped around a box that was larger than him. Stolas was amazed that the little pixie hadn't buckled under his weight. "It's kitchen stuff," he announced. He wanted to help Fizz, but Fizz only yelled at him that he wasn't allowed to carry anything heavy until the egg was out of his feathered butt. Blitzø seconded his friend, so Stolas had no choice but to roll his eyes and start unpacking the boxes that had already been brought in.

"They treat us like we'll fall apart at the slightest weight!" Millie yelled in frustration, also relegated to the role of unpacker. "I bet I can still kick all their asses. And you too, Stolas!"

"I don't think I'll ever be able to kick anyone's asses without my powers, honey." Stolas chuckled.

Suddenly, his little pixie's slender arms wrapped around his waist.

"Oh, don't be so modest, feather. We all saw you bash that icy bastard's beak."

Stolas chuckled again, this time at the memory of his former brother-in-law. But then he grew sad, realizing that he hadn't seen his beloved Octavia since then. Blitzø immediately sensed the change in the bird's demeanor. He let go only to jump up onto the kitchen counter and meet its gaze.

"Hey, Stols, don't break down. Everything will be fine, you'll see."

"I just wish Via was here."

"Me too, birdie."

Blitzø pulled him closer, placing a kiss on his feathered temple. "She's a smart girl. One day she'll realize that you wanted the best for her. Just don't give up."

***

Ozzy joined them toward evening. He brought with him the smell of takeout, so everyone was immediately around him. It was only now that they realized how hungry they were after a long day of carrying and unpacking boxes.

"Thanks, big bird!" Blitzø patted Ozzie on the back, earning a reprimanding look from Fizz. The imp's robotic arms immediately wrapped around the sin and he was sitting on his shoulder, eating his burger.

They didn't all fit on the couch, so most of them took up space on the floor. But no one seemed to mind. They all busied themselves with eating and friendly banter. Only Loona seemed subdued. Every now and then she glanced at her father, hugging Stolas and wrapping his arms around his stomach protectively. Moxxie did the same with Millie.

Loona was shocked when Blitzø told her that Stolas was expecting an egg. At first she thought the baby was the father's, but it quickly turned out that it was the result of the bird's one-night stand. The girl couldn't believe that Blitzø had decided to take in not only the former prince, but also his bastard. However, after a moment's thought, it wasn't so surprising anymore. Blitzø was like that. He had taken her in when she had nothing.

Looking at them, she felt like an unnecessary element in her father's new family. But she didn't say anything. She decided to step into the background. Her father deserved happiness. She wasn't going to be the one to take it away from him. She didn't want to be like Via.

Finally, all the guests said their goodbyes and left. Loona almost immediately took the opportunity to disappear into her new room. Stolas started cleaning. Household chores were becoming increasingly easy for him. He could wash dishes without breaking any in the process and cook simple meals that didn't taste like shit. He also learned how to do laundry and it no longer threatened to be a Bubbles disaster.

"I'll be right back, Stolas." Imp kissed him on the top of the head and in a few steps he was in front of Loona's door. He was holding a small gift in his hands. He knocked and when he heard a growl, he accepted it as an invitation and entered. His daughter was lying on the bed, browsing something on Voxnet. She looked at him without interest when he approached and held out the gift to her.

"What's this?"

"Open it," he encouraged, holding out a flat package.

The girl sat up and ripped open the wrapping paper. A new sign appeared before her eyes, saying “Loona’s Room.” The previous one had been destroyed a few days earlier, when Loona had struck it with all her might in a fit of anger, punching a hole in the door at the same time. She felt embarrassed just thinking about it.

Tears welled up in the hellhound’s eyes. She growled quietly when she felt her father’s arms pull her closer. But she didn’t push him away.

“I love you, Loona.”

“I love you too, Dad.”

***

“Blitzø, I have an appointment with Sloth today. Could you drop me off at the clinic?”

They were eating breakfast. Loona looked involuntarily at the bird’s belly, which was slowly starting to make it difficult for him to move. It was obvious that the demon was suffering from a sore back and swollen ankles, but he hadn’t complained once. Or at least not in her presence.

“Sure, Stols. What time do you have to be there?”

At noon they arrived at the clinic Stolas had chosen. It was expensive, but it was the only one with a doctor who knew how to manage bird pregnancies. It had stretched their budget a bit, but Blitzø refused to find anything cheaper.

As they waited in the waiting room, they attracted curious glances from the people gathered there. At first, Blitzø growled at anyone who even glanced in his boyfriend’s direction, but Stolas asked him to ignore it. So for the past fifteen minutes he had been trying to focus on gently stroking Stolas’s bulging belly, and not on the people around them.

They both immediately shot up to a standing position. Blitzø's hand closed over Stolas's. He guided the nervous owl to the appropriate office.

The doctor who had seen them had been kind to them both during their previous visit and this one. The goat-like demon had first interviewed Stolas about his well-being, and then performed an ultrasound of his abdomen.

"The shell should start to harden soon. The pregnancy will probably be about two weeks longer than Goetia's. The baby is big. The egg will definitely be larger than normal. That means an incision may be necessary to get it out."

Stolas felt sweat break out on him. He squeezed Blitzø's hand, who squeezed back.

"Is there anything we can do to avoid this?"

The demon handed them a pamphlet.

"I recommend doing these exercises. They should help strengthen and tone your muscles. It also says how to stretch the cloaca so that it doesn't burst during the egg laying."

All the color drained from Stolas' face. He let out a terrified squeak, to which Blitz immediately reacted, squeezing his hand tighter.

"How big is the risk?" the imp asked, staring at the doctor.

"That depends on the final size of the egg. There's not much risk at the moment. However, we'll be able to estimate it more precisely when the shell hardens."

Stolas was terrified. Blitzø was too, but he tried his best not to let it show. He held Stolas' hand the whole way back, which made changing gears a bit more difficult, but not enough to give up.

"Aren't we going to the office?" Stolas asked at one point when he noticed they were turning into an unfamiliar street.

"I wrote M&M that we're not coming back today. We only have one mission planned, and the target is some old man. Moxxie and Loona will be fine without me.”

“So where are we going?”

“I’m taking you on a date, birdie.”

Stolas cooed delightfully, to which the imp purred in response. Stolas’ pupils blinked into small white hearts, and his anxiety momentarily subsided.

They had a pleasant afternoon. For the first time in a long time, no one had attacked Stolas, either physically or verbally. They talked freely to each other about topics they hadn’t even thought to bring up before. They held hands, shared dessert, and for the first time in a long time, they felt like a normal couple. Stolas relaxed, and his anxiety about the egg eased a bit.

Chapter 5 Chapter Text

Stolas had been feeling unwell for most of the day. Finally, Blitzø asked Loona to take him home. She watched anxiously as Stolas’s face turned alternately white and red, as if the bird had a fever. He didn’t say a word the whole way, and as soon as he crossed the threshold, he locked himself in the bedroom he shared with Blitz.

“Do you need anything?”

“No, honey. Thanks for taking me. I’m really fine, you can go back to work.”

“Are you sure you don’t need to see a doctor?”

“Yes, honey. I’m fine.”

Loona finally gave in and walked away from the door. Her father asked her to take Stolas home. He hadn’t said anything about her staying with him. But she felt bad about leaving him alone in the apartment. Finally, she decided to go shopping and cook Stolas something warm. He sent a quick text to his father that he wouldn’t be coming back.

“I’m going shopping. Do you want anything from the store?”

“Rat tails would be great, if that’s not too much trouble.”

Stolas’s cravings were never a problem. She had no idea whether she just didn’t want to bother them or whether she really didn’t feel them. Unlike Millie, who kept wanting something and by the time Mox could get her hands on one treat, she was already craving another. At least her mood swings had calmed down a bit and she wasn’t trying to kill every other customer.

“I’ll be right back!”

“Take your time, honey. I’m really fine!”

Stolas was really fine. He was jest horny. For the past few days, he’d felt the pregnancy hormones driving him crazy. He’d read in one of the pamphlets that this sometimes happened towards the end of pregnancy. Especially if the egg was big. Sex helped to loosen and tone the cloaca better than any exercise. It was natural for him to feel an increased sexual drive. His body was trying to prepare itself to lay an egg. Stolas understood that, but he was also desperate. For days, he had thought about nothing more than Blitzø fucking him until he lost his breath. Just looking at the imp was enough to make him wet. It was worst at night, when the imp would get into bed with him and cuddle him. Stolas hadn't slept in several nights because he couldn't fall asleep.

Of course, no one knew that. Even though they had finally learned to communicate, had gone on dates, lived together, and for the first time their relationship had been like... well, a relationship, they hadn't had sex yet. Not that Stolas didn't want to. He had been ready for it for a long time, but the imp hadn't initiated sex in any way. Usually, they just made out and kissed until they were tired enough to go to sleep.

Stolas decided that he simply wasn't attractive to Blitzø when his belly was the size of a soccer ball, his legs were swollen, and he had definitely gotten chubbier. He made a mental note to lose the extra pounds he had gained as soon as possible after laying the egg. He hoped that by doing so he would once again become attractive in Blitzø's eyes.

Or maybe the problem was somewhere else? Maybe Blitzø, despite his protestations, hadn't come to terms with the fact that he was carrying another man's child? Maybe he was disgusted by the fact that he had been fucked by another? Maybe he considered him used up in this respect? And if so, had the imp really been guided by feelings when he had taken the bird in? Maybe it had all been a show of pity and gratitude for saving his life?

***

When Blitzø returned home, he was greeted by the smell of food. His stomach immediately rumbled.

"Loona, honey, what delicious thing have you made?"

The girl pushed a bowl of stew towards him.

"Oh, Loona, it smells delicious! Have you eaten yet?"

"Stolas locked himself in the bedroom when we got back and hasn't come out since."

This worried Blitzø. He took the bowl from Loona for Stolas, then smiled at her gratefully. He knocked on their bedroom door, but got no answer, so he used his tail to open the door and slipped inside.

“Are you okay, birdie? Are you still feeling sick?”

A vague groan escaped the lump on the bed. Blitzø put the bowls on the nightstand and slid into bed, hugging the pile of despair that was his boyfriend tightly.

“I think we should see a doctor, birdie.” He said softly.

Another groan, probably meant to protest.

“Stalas, we can’t ignore this. Something bad could be happening to you or the egg.”

“There’s nothing wrong with the egg, trust me.”

“Is your mental state the problem? Do you miss your daughter?”

“Yes, I do.”

He hadn’t lied, actually. He really did miss Octavia. Still, he felt awful, using his little owl as an excuse not to tell his boyfriend that he needed sex but felt unattractive. He was such a terrible father! He howled in despair.

"Stols, I think you should go back on the pills."

"The doctor said they could harm the baby."

"He also said that stress could harm the baby too, and if it gets really bad, he should go back on the meds."

"I'm fine, Blitzø. Can you leave me alone?"

Imp sighed in defeat.

"Loona made dinner. You should eat something, bird."

Stolas didn't react in any way, so Blitzø left his bowl by the bed and returned to the table with his own. He started eating his meal with less enthusiasm.

"What's wrong with him?" Loona asked.

"He's not in the best of shape. I suspect the hormones have affected his depression."

“I thought things were better since Sinsmas.”

“Sometimes they are better, and sometimes there comes a moment like this. I don’t know what to do, Loona. I don’t even want to imagine what I would feel like if I lost you. It would destroy me. I think Stolas is handling it all quite well.”

Loona felt a warmth spreading inside her. Would Dad miss her? Does that mean he doesn’t see her as unnecessary burden in his new family?

***

Stolas woke up in the middle of the night and noticed that the other side of the bed was empty. Both pairs of his eyes glowed in the darkness as he looked around the room, searching for the imp. Had the imp had enough of him and left?

Stolas refused to let himself be lost in depressing thoughts and forced himself to get out of bed. A moment later he was in the living room, where the little devil was curled up on the couch, covered only by a thin blanket. Stolas immediately felt a pang of guilt.

"Sweetheart?" The imp's eyes snapped open, searching the room for danger. "Hey, why are you sleeping on the couch?"

Eventually, the devil's gaze focused on Stolas crouching in front of him. Memories came back to him, and his mind cleared. He rubbed his eyes and pulled himself into a sitting position. The owl immediately took the seat next to him.

"I wanted to give you some more space." Blitzø whispered. "You seemed overwhelmed."

Stolas immediately felt terrible. He was a hopeless father, a hopeless lover, and on top of that...

"Stols, look at me." The imp forced him to look him in the eye. "Hey, little bird, it's okay. I understand that sometimes I can seem too expressive and overwhelming."

"No! You're not overwhelming, Blitzy! It's me... I... I'm..."

Broken. He felt like a broken toy that couldn't control its desires. And on top of that, it kept falling into a spiral of self-destruction.

"Come to me." Blitzø pulled him onto his lap and buried his face in the fluff on his chest. "You're my heart, Stols."

Stolas moaned and leaned down to find the imp's lips. Their kiss was passionate and full of desperation. The owl immediately became wet. The imp's hands wandered over his body, causing him to shiver deliciously. How much he would give for Blitzø's hands to slide down, between his thighs. Instead, they stopped on his stomach and stayed there. Their kiss finally ended, and Stolas wanted to cry when the imp picked him up and carried him to the bed. He didn't want Blitzø to cuddle up to him and cover him with a blanket. He wanted him to bend him in half and fuck him until he forgot his own name. He decided he would do anything to make himself attractive in Blitzø's eyes again.

***

“Stolas is going to finish me off.” Blitzø collapsed onto Fizz’s couch, his gaze falling on a bowl of candy shaped like pussies, lips, and penises. He groaned, burying his face in his hands. “It was a mistake to come here.”

“Nice to see you too, buddy!” Fizz snarled. “What the hell happened in your life this time?”

“Stolas is playing a fucking succubus!”

“Some new fetish?” Fizz wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, earning him a punch in the face with a pillow.

“Stop it, this isn’t funny! I feel like I’m going to dislocate my hand from jerking off, and my balls are going to explode!”

The clown gave him a pitying look.

“Are you having quiet days with your prince?”

“No, you don’t understand!”

Fizz made a face that implied that he didn’t understand at all. Blitzø groaned in frustration.

"We haven't fucked in over nine months, Fizz. And Stolas is parading around the house in some fucking petticoats that make him look like the fucking embodiment of sex!"

"What?! Why?"

"I don't know what's gotten into him! He had some kind of nervous breakdown recently, and now he's parading around in see-through petticoats with Loonie!"

"No, come back, why haven't you had sex in so long?"

Blitzø looked a little confused.

"Well, Stolas was distancing himself for a while. I thought he was bored with me, but we talked and it turned out he just wanted to give me more freedom. And then he handed me that crystal and... you know what happened next."

"Okay, but then you made up. You've been living together for three months. You've been officially a couple for at least two."

"Yeah, but Stolas lost everything. He misses his daughter. He's carrying an egg. I really don't think he wants sex right now."

Fizz looked at him with his mouth open and his eyes full of disbelief.

"And he parades around the house in his underwear to air out his cesspool."

"He's always had a penchant for dressing like a dirty little whore."

Fizz clearly stopped believing at this point that his friend had a single brain cell.

"And suddenly he remembered that?!"

Blitzø shrugged. Fizz slapped himself in the face with his hand.

"I also parade around in frivolous clothes when Ozz works too long and I want to show him what a horny, unpampered ass I am."

"Fizz, if Stolas wanted sex in very explicit terms he would have told me. He never had a problem calling me and describing what he wanted me to fucking do to him. And believe me, even you would blush then!"

"You're an idiot, Blitzø. Go fuck your bird."

Blitzø gave him the finger.

"I'm not fucking a pregnant bird! What if I damage the egg? The doctor said the shell isn't fully hard yet. What if I damage it?"

"You didn't ask the doctor if you could fuck?"

"Neither of us brought it up."

"Then lick him, make him cum with your fingers, fucking Blitzø, give him a fucking orgasm!"

"You're useless, Fizz. You only have one thing on your mind."

"I guarantee your bird is right now too. You're just too dumb to see it!"

The slamming of the door answered him.

"Idiot."

Chapter 6 Chapter Text

Stolas was devastated. Nothing was working: not the sexy slips he had recently bought, not the fact that he had started wearing eyeliner again, not the sensual tail wagging that had previously driven Blitzø crazy. Imp still wasn’t interested in him. What’s more, Stolas had the impression that Imp had started avoiding him. He left for work before he woke up and came back much later than usual. The situation wasn’t helped by the fact that there was still a week until the egg was laid and Blitzø had banned the bird from coming to work. That meant he spent his days alone in his apartment, writhing with lust that he couldn’t satisfy himself.

Stolas finished doing the exercises that were supposed to help him strengthen his muscles. He picked up the leaflet to make sure he hadn’t missed anything. And then his eyes fell on the section that described how to stretch the cloaca. Honestly, it looked like the usual preparation of the hole before sex. And that’s when a devilish plan was born in his head. Would he be a bad partner if she asked her boyfriend's daughter to spend the evening out so he could have sex with her father?

***

Loona sat at the conference table, reading Stolas' messages with amusement. The bird had been trying to ask her to leave the house tonight for a few minutes, but he didn't want to offend her. So he kept going around the subject, each message more awkward than the last. Loona finally took pity on him.

I'll be at Bee's tonight. Have a nice shag.

In your mind's eye, you could see Stolas turning all red and making those funny owl sounds. The message bubble popped in and out. The former prince must have been a mess right now. Finally, he sent her a quick "Thank you, love." And added a complimentary "Have a nice time too." Another message came a second later.

I'm not saying you have to shag anyone.Of course you can, if you want.Remember to use protection.

It's none of my business, right?Please, don't tell your father about this conversation.

Loona finished her coffee with a smile. She loved that owl.

***

Blitzø was exhausted. He had killed a lot of people today. He had completed six missions his team had planned for the next week by himself. He could feel their worried eyes on him as he said goodbye to M&M.

Loona had arranged to meet some friends today, so he gave her a ride to their place and went home himself. He hoped Stolas had cooked some dinner, because he hadn't even thought to buy anything on the way, and he didn't have the strength to even think about cooking.

He entered the house and was immediately hit by the sound of sensual music and something that sounded like... moaning? The image of that fucking succubus fucking Stolas immediately flashed before his eyes. He burst into the bedroom with a gun in his hand, ready to blow the bastard's head off, but... he stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Stolas on the bed, playing with his toilet.

Blitzø's sudden intrusion, and with a gun in his hand, scared the bird. He jumped out of bed, instinctively looking for danger. However, there was no one in the room except him and the devil, who was pissed off beyond belief.

"What the fuck are you doing, Stolas? Where is he?"

Stolas blinked. First with his upper eyes, then with his lower ones.

“Who, Blitzy?”

“That fucking studhorse. You fuck him while I’m at work?”

Stolas’s brain just exploded. Who the hell was he talking about? He suddenly realized that he was sitting with his legs spread wide open, his dripping cesspool in full view. He immediately threw on a dressing gown that was lying nearby.

“Blitzø, honey, there’s no one here but us.”

“I heard moaning, Stolas, don’t make a fool of me!”

Stolas felt his cheeks burn. Whether from humiliation or anger, he didn’t know.

“You’re making a fool of yourself, Blitzø! For the last time, I’m telling you I was alone here!”

“And what were you doing?” The little devil hissed in anger, slowly approaching Stolas.

“I was stretching my cesspool so it wouldn’t burst when I pulled the egg with our baby out of me!” He screamed, jumping to his feet. He wanted to tell him off that he should be the one to take care of this. That he hadn’t even touched him in months. That he hadn’t been interested in him at all lately and instead of going home, he’d been spending the night at the office! Maybe Imp had someone he was fucking after hours and that’s why he didn’t need his body? It was on the tip of his tongue that he was a son of a bitch who only cared about looks and that the few extra pounds he’d gained bothered him.

He wanted to say all of that, but he couldn’t. A painful contraction shot through him, his vision went dark, and a moment later he was kneeling on the carpet, breathing heavily and holding his stomach. Imp was by his side in a split second.

“Stolas? Stolas!”

Another contraction went through his stomach. It hurt so fucking much! He couldn’t feel anything except the overwhelming pain. Something was tearing him apart from the inside. Tears were streaming down his cheeks. He was holding his stomach, terrified that something had happened to his little one.

He had no idea how they had ended up in the hospital. One moment he was kneeling on the floor in their bedroom, the next Blitzø was threatening everyone in the waiting room that if they didn't call a doctor immediately, he would blow their minds off. A blink later he was in the operating room, and Blitzø was holding his hand.

The doctor emerged from between Stolas' legs and announced that Blitzø had to leave. Of course, the devil didn't even think about listening. He was determined not to go anywhere until everything was over.

"You're not dilated. We have to remove the egg surgically. You can't stay here."

Blitzø had no idea how he had ended up in the hallway. They had probably just thrown him out. But that didn't stop him. He started banging on the operating room door. At some point he felt someone's hands tear him away from them. He heard the sound of metal collapsing and suddenly he was in Fizz's arms. Where had he come from? He had called for him! When? He had started crying. He tried to tell him everything, but the clown didn't understand a word of his gibberish. He simply stayed with him and held him close, making sure he didn't interfere with the staff taking the egg.

At some point, Blitzø regained some of his mental acuity. He was still in Fizz's arms. Ozzy was sitting on his left, looking at him with concern. Loona and M&M were sitting on his right. They looked worried, too. He hadn't even noticed when they'd come in. How had they known they were here? Could they even be here? Someone must have tried to get them out, but one angry look from Ozz was enough to get them to leave. Dear rich asshole.

The surgery lasted two hours, but it seemed like an eternity to him. At one point, a doctor who looked like a goat announced that everything had gone well. Stolas and the egg were in the recovery room. Everyone went there immediately. Unfortunately, when they got there, it turned out that only two people were allowed in. Loona immediately announced that she was going with her father, and a moment later they were both standing there, staring alternately at the sleeping Stolas and the egg with pink spots. The latter was placed in a special incubator, which provided warmth and appropriate conditions for the child's development.

Blitzø burst into tears once again that day.

***

Stolas woke up only in the evening. The first thing he saw was Blitzø sitting in a chair. He was holding his hand, but his gaze was fixed on something on the other side of the room. Stolas moved, which immediately caught the imp's attention.

"Stolas, darling. How are you feeling?"

There was so much tenderness in his voice that the owl wanted to cry. His hand instinctively went to his stomach, which... was almost flat. Panic took hold of him. He opened his eyes wide and tried to get up to see why there was no egg in it. Blitzø immediately rushed to stop him.

"Stols, calm down, you can't get up. You have a big wound on your stomach. Please don't move!"

A wound on your stomach? The egg, his little, beautiful egg…

“Stolas, please calm down, nothing is wrong with the egg. Wait, wait, don’t move.”

He disappeared from his field of vision for a moment, and then reappeared, dragging a strange device behind him. It took Stolas a moment to realize that it was an incubator, and inside was his beautiful egg.

“See, everything is fine. It’s with us now.”

Stolas sighed with relief. He reached out and touched the transparent wall of the incubator.

“Beautiful.”

“Just like you, Stols.” The little devil kissed him on the forehead. “Get some more sleep, okay? You need to rest.”

Stolas didn’t even try to argue with that. He drifted off almost immediately.

Chapter 7 Chapter Text

Stolas spent three days in the hospital. After that time, he returned home and almost immediately buried himself in the sheets. Everything hurt, especially the wound from the cesarean section. Without magic, it took a terribly long time to heal. He felt completely drained of strength and nothing interested him at all.

For the first two days, Blitzø tried to be understanding. He suspected that giving birth had not been easy for Stolas. So he took time off and took care of both the egg and Stolas. Although he had to admit to himself that the egg was the least troublesome. The hospital had lent them an incubator, where it was to lie until the child hatched. Easy. Things were worse with Stolas. The initial delight with the egg faded and the man became a wreck of himself. He slept practically all the time. Blitzø had to wake him up to eat something, and even then he could barely stuff anything into himself.

On the third day, Blitzø began to worry. Stolas refused to get out of bed, he wasn't interested in the guests or the egg. On the fifth day finally couldn't take it anymore and dragged the man out of bed to give him a bath. Stolas had completely surrendered to him. On the seventh day, Blitzø finally realized that something was terribly wrong.

***

Stolas knew he was a loser. First, he had endured an abusive marriage and had never once stood up to his wife, whom he was much more powerful than. Then he had screwed up with Blitzø, and in the end, he had lost everything, including his beloved daughter. And now it turned out that he couldn't even lay an egg. He was good for nothing. He had failed his child before it had even hatched.

He couldn't look at the egg, which reminded him of his failure. He couldn't look at his body. Not only was he fat, but there was also a scar on his stomach. It stood out where his feathers had been shaved off to protect his skin. He couldn't look at Blitzø, because in his eyes he saw only pity and sympathy. He knew that now the imp wouldn't even look at him. He was a nobody. He had nothing left, not even the beauty that had tempted the imp in the first place. It was only a matter of time before Blitzø would get bored of him and throw him out of her life.

Stolas only hoped that the imp would keep the egg. He knew that if the child stayed with him, he would screw it up, just like he had screwed up with Via. His little one would be better off with Blitzø. He was a good father. He loved Loona and cared for her. Maybe he would want to take care of Stolas' child when he was gone.

***

Stolas swallowed the pills that Blitzø had given him. It seemed to him that there had been more of them in the past few days than before. How many days had it been since they had returned? Everything seemed to blur together.

“Will you take care of my baby?”

Blitzø looked at Stolas in surprise. Those were the first words the owl had spoken in over a week. The imp's heart clenched painfully.

“I'll take care of our baby, Stolas. Get some rest.”

***

“What about Stolas?” Ozzy asked. Big Sin looked odd in their living room, crammed onto a small couch. Apparently the small space didn't bother him, though, because he and Fizz came over almost every day. They brought food, watched over the egg when Blitzø needed to wash or sleep. M&M also dropped by quite often. They brought groceries, cooked. Blitzø was damn grateful to all of them, because to be honest, he felt exhausted both mentally and physically.

“Not so good, big chicken. I called his doctor. He said Stolas probably has something called postpartum depression. He changed his medication. He's been giving it to him for a few days now, but it's going to take a while to see the effects."

"Do you want to go to sleep? You look awful, Blitzø."

Blitzø looked down at himself. He was wearing a stained T-shirt that he had put on two days ago. Blood was seeping from the wounds on his arm. He had received them from Stolas when he refused to take a bath and defended himself against the imp. He didn't have time to tend to the scratches, though, because the lamp in the incubator started to malfunction and he had to build a nest out of blankets so the egg wouldn't lose its temperature. Loona went to get a new bulb.

He had had enough. He dreamed of at least a short nap, but he was afraid to close his eyes. He didn't want to miss the moment the baby hatched. Theoretically, it shouldn't be for at least three weeks, but with a hybrid, you can never be sure.

"Blitzø?"

Imp raised his head and met Fizz's worried gaze.

"You need some rest. We will wake you up if the situation with the egg or Stolas changes."

He let himself be led to the bedroom where Stolas was sleeping. He didn't have the strength to protest, so he simply slid under the covers and hugged the owl from behind, burying his face in the feathers on its back. He fell asleep almost immediately.

***

Blitzø was woken up by sobbing. He was almost glad to hear it. It was better than the indifference that had taken over Stolas. He could deal with despair. He could try to comfort the owl. Make it laugh. He couldn't shake it from its numbness.

"Stols, darling, why are you crying?"

Tears streamed down the owl's cheeks. Blitzø held the man in his arms, whispering in his ear that everything would be fine. After a while, Stolas calmed down. It was not entirely clear whether he finally felt better or had simply run out of tears.

"I'm sorry."

"You have nothing to apologize for, my love. Everything is fine. You did nothing wrong."

He was wrong. Stolas knew that it was all his fault. And he didn't understand why Blitzø was still there for him.

"You're such a brave bird, Stols. You did great. You gave us a beautiful egg. Please don't cry. Everything is fine."

Stolas cried even harder.

***

The next night, Blitzø was woken up by a strange noise. He opened his eyes, and his heart stopped for a moment, only to start again, this time twice as fast. Stolas was awake. He wasn't in bed. He was standing over the incubator. Blitzø felt an irrational fear for the egg. Could Stolas hurt him in this state?

He jumped out of bed and in the next moment was standing next to the former prince. He frantically checked the incubator, but it turned out that it hadn't even been opened. Stolas just stood there and stared at the egg. God knows how long it lasted. Blitzø didn't know what to do. He felt a strong urge to hide the egg. On the other hand, he wanted Stolas to take an interest in him, and now he finally did.

"I'd like to take a bath."

For the first time, Blitzø felt a twinge of hope.

***

The next day, Stolas didn't leave the egg's side. Both Blitzø and Loona kept their eyes on him. However, they took advantage of the moment to force food into the bird and help it tidy up the feathers that were sticking out at odd angles.

Stolas didn't say a single word all day. Not to them, not to M&M, who dropped by to visit. He just sat there and stared at the egg, wherever it was. It was slightly terrifying, but Blitzø thought it meant progress.

***

The next day, Blitzø woke up first and took a moment to look at his bird. He looked awful. Even though he slept most of the time, he looked tired. He had lost weight and his feathers had started to molt. Some were still broken and sticking out in different directions.

Suddenly, Stolas' lower pair of eyes opened. Blitzø was smiling at him.

"Good morning, sleeping bird. How are we feeling today?"

Stolas watched him silently. Blitzø propped himself up on one hand so he could hover over the bird and place a tender kiss on its forehead. He was about to pull away when he felt Stolas' hands on him. The former prince pulled him closer and kissed him. Alarms began to ring in Blitzø's head. Despite this, he put his all into the kiss. When he wanted to pull away, Stolas pushed against him. He landed on his toes, the bird on his chest.

"Stols?"

His lips were once again sealed by a passionate kiss. Blitzø wouldn't have minded, but suddenly he felt Stolas' hand slide down his body. He stopped it just before it was about to sink into his boxers.

He pushed the delicate owl away, whose face was pure despair.

"What are you doing, Stolas?"

"I'm returning the favor."

Blitzø's heart broke into a million pieces. This time, tears appeared in his eyes.

"What?"

"I only have this." The owl whispered. "I have nothing to give you. Only my body. I know it's not perfect, that the scar disfigures it and I still haven't lost the weight I gained during the pregnancy. But I'll try to lose weight quickly. And when my feathers grow back, the scar won't be visible. I..."

"Stolas, what the fuck are you talking about?"

Suddenly, the owl was on his back. Imp was hanging over her, pinning his wrists to the bed. There was no trace of tears in the imp's eyes. It was filled with rage.

"I, if you don't want me, if you're disgusted by me, I'll leave..."

"Where the fuck do you think you're going, Stolas?"

Stolas felt as if he had been punched in the face. He didn't think Blitzø would be cruel enough to remind him of the fact that he had nowhere to go.

"I..."

"I've had enough, Stolas." The former prince cringed at the sound of his words and the harsh tone in which he said them. "I won't even pretend to know what's going on with you. But don't ever offer me your body again as some fucked up payment that I don't need. We've been through that shit, do you understand?"

The owl's eyes grew wide and filled with fear. Was this the moment when Blitzø realized that he was of no use to him?

"You don't want me anymore?" He sobbed.

"Stolas, have I ever given you a reason to think that I don't want you anymore?"

"You don't have to. I... I can see... You didn't even want to touch me..."

"Stolas, you had a C-section! The wound hasn't fully healed yet. I would be a total dick if I fucked you now!

"You didn't want me before either!" He cried. "No matter what I wore, or what make-up I put on, you wouldn't even look at me! I get it... I get that my body changed and I wasn't as attractive as I used to be, but..."

"I was trying to give you time, bird brain!" Blitzø wanted to shoot himself in the head. Why hadn't he listened to Fizz? Why hadn't Stolas told him directly what he wanted? He tried with all his might, calming down, so as not to worsen the bird's mental state. "I didn't think you wanted sex after everything you've been through. You've always been very clear about what you wanted. Dirty talk was your specialty! I thought you were torturing me, wearing all those clothes that made you look like the fucking embodiment of sex. I was afraid to go home because I wanted to pounce on you like an animal! And I didn't want to rush you! I didn't mean to hurt the egg!"

Blitzø could almost hear the gears in Stolas' head turning as he processed what the imp had just said. The demon beneath him gasped for air. The pupils in his eyes dilated. They both lay silently for a moment, staring at each other.

"Doesn't it bother you that I've gained weight? That I carried another man's egg inside me? That my feathers have gone dull? That I have a scar? Doesn't my body disgust you?"

Blitzø groaned.

"Stolas, you haven't gained much weight at all. You actually look better now than you did before. You were skinny before and that was unhealthy. Although now you've lost weight again because you haven't eaten. You really need to start eating normally."

Stolas wanted to say something, but Blitzø placed a quick kiss on his beak, which silenced him.

"It pisses me off that I didn't put that egg in you. But that doesn't make it any less mine. You're mine too. We weren't together when you slept with that bastard. I had other partners during that time too. You don't have to feel guilty about it. Sure, I'd rather it was all mine, but I don't care. Loona's not my biological daughter either. So what? I chose you as my family and I'll love you no matter what."

"You... love me?"

It was at that moment that Blitzø realized that he had never told Stolas that. He wanted to shoot himself in the face.

"Yes, beautiful bird, I love you."

"But... why? I'm useless. I couldn't even lay an egg. They had to take it out of me."

Stolas' sobs tore at Blitzø's heart. All he wanted to do now was hug him tightly and never let go. But they had to finish this conversation. He had to chase away the dark clouds that had surrounded his mind.

"Because you're the most wonderful person I know, bird. You love with all your heart. You take care of those you care about. You put up with my shit, laugh at my jokes, brighten up my day just by being there. You're intelligent, well-read, and quick-witted. You can make me laugh, but also straighten me out when needed. You accept me and embrace me with all my flaws."

Blitzø let go of Stolas' wrists and sat on his thighs. He placed his hand on the scar, which made the demon flinch and involuntarily want to pull away, but the imp wouldn't let him.

"You asked if your scar bothered me. No, feather. I love it. It's a testament to the fact that you gave me the best gift you could - our child. I couldn't be disgusted by a body that carried an egg that was too big for it for over three months. It's not your fault you needed a c-section. That doesn't make you any less. Honey, I don't give a damn whether you laid that egg yourself or needed help. You performed a fucking miracle by giving it to me."

Stolas burst into tears. But this time they were tears of gratitude, joy, and relief. Blitzø snuggled up to his boyfriend, a soft purr escaping his chest. Stolas cooed in response. Finally, Imp felt like he was getting the love of his life back. Bit by bit.

Chapter 8 Chapter Text

Things weren't fixed right away. Stolas was slowly getting better, taking medication and attending therapy. He didn't even protest when Blitzø asked him to sign up for it. The owl demon looked better and better with each passing day. His strength and will to live were also returning. He withdrew into his head less and less often. Although there were still moments when he stared blankly at the wall.

Blitzø also came back to life. He looked as if a great burden had been lifted from his shoulders. Even Loona looked better. Recent events had left their mark on her as well.

Blitzø started showing up at work, but only when someone else could stay with Stolas and the egg. Most often it was Loona or Millie. A few times they were replaced by Fizz or Ozzie. Even Vassago, to Blitzø's annoyance, dropped in to accompany the exiled prince.

Stolas felt bad that Blitzø didn't fully trust him with the egg, but he couldn't say he didn't understand his concerns. He wasn't sure he'd agree to be left alone with the egg.

"You're particularly sad today, Stolas. Do you want to talk?"

The former prince sat in front of his scrambled dinner, staring at his phone. He'd spent almost the entire day staring at the screen, as if waiting for something. Blitzø wanted to know why.

"Today is Octavia's birthday."

***

"Loona, I have to go out for a moment. Will you keep an eye on the egg?" And Stolas's words remained unspoken. But Loona knew exactly what her father was asking.

"Sure, Dad."

***

Climbing up the icy palace was bloody hard. He just hoped he'd chosen the right balcony. Stolas had once told him that Via's windows overlooked the garden and were on the top floor. Although there was nothing left of Stolas' beautiful garden, it could still serve as a landmark.

There was a ball in the palace. The music and the lights in the windows of the ballroom were evidence of that. The princess was probably celebrating her eighteenth birthday with her family. That was good. He would be able to sneak into her room and leave the gift he had prepared for her.

He fiddled with the window for a moment until it finally opened. Delighted, he entered through it and froze. Octavia looked at him with wide eyes. She was lying on the bed in a pink ball gown, and a beautiful tiara adorned her head. She looked like the princess she was, but at the same time she did not resemble herself at all.

"Give me one reason why I shouldn't call the guard."

"Your father's sacrifice will be in vain if I get killed today."

The girl snorted.

“Like I care.”

“I think your father’s fate matters to you more than you’re willing to admit.”

“He sent you here?”

“He doesn’t know I’m here.”

“So what are you doing here?”

Blitzø was holding out a small package he’d brought with him.

“Your father told me it’s your birthday. I have a present for you.”

“I don’t want anything from you. Go back to my father and your perfect life.”

Oh, honey. If only you knew…

“Your father’s life has been far from perfect since you left it.”

“Not true. He abandoned me.”

Blitzø’s heart clenched as it always did when he heard that. He knew Stolas had never abandoned his daughter. He saw a part of him die every day when he didn’t get a reply to his messages. I could hear the bird’s sobbing, tearing the imp’s heart apart. How was he supposed to tell this to this hurt girl whose world had fallen apart?

"He never did, kid."

"Of course he did! He chose you!" She got angry. White pupils appeared in her eyes.

"Are you sure? He came here without magic, against orders, to see you. He didn't care if he died. He wasn't thinking about me then. He wanted to see you at all costs and make sure you were safe. That's not what someone who gave up their own child does."

"He's not here now." Octavia sounded like she was trying to convince not only the imp, but herself as well. Blitzø could see the anger and pain in her eyes. He wanted to comfort her, to assure her that her father had always loved her and would always love her. But would words be enough?

"No, but that doesn't mean he abandoned you. He writes to you every day, right? There are days when he does nothing but stare at the screen, hoping that you'll reply with at least one word. There are so many things he wants to tell you, but he doesn't want to do it over stupid texts. Sometimes he just shuts down completely. He stares into space and you don't get anything. That's when I know he's thinking about you. He wonders how your day was and if you're happy."

Tears welled up in Octavia's eyes.

"So you're saying I'm making my father miserable?"

Damn, that's not what he meant. Why were conversations with teenagers so hard? Or maybe they're only hard when you're the hated boyfriend of a father who fucked up that teenager's family.

"I say you have the right to be angry, kiddo." He finally said. "But you have to know that he's waiting all the time. And he'll be waiting for you to forgive him."

Blitzø looked at the box he was holding.

"Here, take this. Stolas doesn't know I'm giving it to you, but I think he really wants you to have it. And to use it as soon as you're ready."

Octavia initially wanted to tell him to fuck off and never come back. She hated that red bastard. How dare he come here and give her gifts? He had no right to do that. But if it was also from her father… She hesitantly accepted the gift. A few seconds later, a key with a note attached to it with an address was in her claws.

“What is this?” She asked, surprised.

“The key to the house.”

“You’re giving me the key to your house?” Her eyes widened with surprise.

“I’m giving you the key to our shared home. It may not be a lock, it only has two bedrooms, but I’ll gladly give you a bed if you decide to stay with us. Or I’ll put in a second one if you don’t want to sleep in one with your father. I also think we could easily make the living room smaller and make room for your room that way. Besides, I can also take on more orders and just rent something with three bedrooms. If you want.”

Octavia was speechless. She hated that devil. She hated him for taking her father and destroying her house. And now that same devil is giving her back her father and telling her that their home is her home too.

“Best wishes, kid.”

With those words, he disappeared, jumping out the window.

***

“Blitzy?”

“Sleep, Stols.”

“Where were you?”

“I had something to do. Don’t worry about it.”

Blitzø kissed Stolas on the forehead, then snuggled into his fluffy body. I love burying my face in my boyfriend’s feathers. They lay there for a while. Imp could feel his boyfriend stiffening. He supposed he was struggling with his thoughts now. Of course Stolas was. On the one hand, he wanted to continue the subject, on the other, he wasn’t sure if it wouldn’t destroy their fragile truce. Was he being too controlling? Imp had the right to his own life. He didn’t have to confess everything to the owl. Only now he’d be tormenting himself that Blitzø didn’t trust him and kept secrets. And yet they’d recently decided to communicate with each other.

“I don’t like you keeping secrets from me, Blitzø.” Stolas said after a long moment of silence.

The imp sighed. He had a feeling the owl wouldn't let the subject go.

"You'll get mad when I tell you."

"Now I'm mad that you don't tell me."

Imp chuckled. Point for Stolas.

"I wanted to see if Octavia was okay."

Stolas froze.

"You were at the palace?"

"Mhm. They threw her one of those awful, stiff parties you hated so much. They dressed her in a pink dress full of lace and put a cute tiara on her head. They made her into a candy. I barely recognized her."

"Blitzø..."

"She was fine and sound. I'd like to say she was happy, but I don't think anyone older than 5 could be happy under so many layers of pink tulle."

"Did you talk to her?"

"Yes. I gave her a present from us."

"What? What did you give her?"

“Maybe you’ll find out someday if she uses it.”

“I guess I have the right to know what we gave my daughter for her birthday?” He got angry.

Blitzø chuckled.

“Good night, Stolas.”

“Blitzy! You’ll sleep on the couch!”

A soft snore answered him. Stolas couldn’t believe the imp had just fallen asleep.

***

Blitzø told me you met today.

I really don’t know why they made you wear a pink dress. Because I assume it wasn’t your decision. You hate pink prom dresses. You always thought they were for little girls.

Unless something changed.

He supposedly gave you a present.

He won’t tell me what it is.

I hope you liked it.

The message status changed to read. He didn’t get a reply today. Maybe tomorrow.

Chapter 9 Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

The baby should hatch soon. The deadline had actually passed yesterday, and Blitzø was starting to get nervous. Surprisingly, Stolas was the voice of reason this time. He patiently reminded that in the case of hybrids, incubation in the egg may take longer.

He felt much better now. It still wasn't perfect, but hey, no one expected him to get back on his feet right away. Slowly, however, his gloomy attitude to life began to give way to his usual excitement. He couldn't wait to meet his new child. He only hoped that everything would be alright with him. He tried to push away the dark thoughts, but they kept coming back.

They were eating dinner when suddenly the killer's sensitive ears let Blitz know that something was up. The next moment he was standing in front of the incubator they had set up in the living room. A soft crunch came from it, and a small crack appeared on the egg.

"Stolas! Loona!"

They were immediately next to him.

“We need to take the egg out of the incubator,” Stolas announced. “The temperature won’t be right for the baby’s delicate skin.”

Blitzø immediately removed the safety catch and opened the lid. Meanwhile, Loona had made a makeshift nest of pillows in the middle of the couch. Since neither of them was in a hurry to pick up the egg, Stolas reached out and gently lifted their little treasure. He pressed it to his chest. He could feel the warmth emanating from it. He laid it gently on the bed of pillows. He sat down on one side, Blitzø on the other, and Loona took a seat on the ground. She sniffed the egg carefully.

“Do you think it’ll be a boy or a girl?” she asked.

“I wouldn’t mind having another daughter, but I have a feeling it’ll be a boy,” Blitzø said with a certainty that Stolas lacked.

“I have no idea, but I’m dying to meet her.”

“How long could it take?” Loona wondered.

“Octavia has been hatching for 12 hours.”

Blitzø and Loona groaned at the same time.

“Is there no way to help?”

“No, Blitzy. Unless there is a threat to life, you shouldn’t interfere with this process.”

***

Two hours passed, and not a single new crack appeared on the egg. However, guests did appear. M&M sat on the back of the couch, their eyes fixed on the egg. Fizz took a seat next to Loona. Blitzø wasn’t sure if the clown had even blinked once. He stared at the egg as if hypnotized. Vassago and Ozzie were standing by the window, quietly discussing a topic that interested no one but them.

Suddenly, there was another crunch, and everyone held their breath. A small crack appeared along the egg.

“This is so exciting!” Fizz squealed, and it was probably the first sentence he had uttered since he had arrived.

***

“So what are you going to name the baby?” Moxxie asked. He was sitting on the kitchen counter, waiting for Millie’s tea to brew.

The name of the baby had been the most frequent topic in their house lately. Stolas and Blitzø had not been able to agree on the matter for a long time. The former prince liked names that referred to mythology and stars. Imp, on the other hand, thought them pompous and too noble. On the other hand, Blitzø’s suggestions seemed too common to Stolas.

“Nova if it’s a girl and Orion if it’s a boy.” Blitzø announced.

“I think it’s a girl.” Millie announced.

“I’m going for a boy.” Fizz stated, and Blitzø gave him a fist bump.

“Shut the fuck up!” Loona silenced them.

Two more cracks ran through the egg. A moment later, a piece of shell fell off the top half of the egg. Everyone leaned in to look inside, but there was nothing to see in the crowd.

There was a knock at the door, giving most of the crowd a heart attack.

"Who the fuck is he carrying here." Blitzø was at the door in two bounds and swung it open.

"Hi, B! I hear the baby's hatching!"

Bee and Tex rushed in without waiting for an invitation. They immediately found a place for themselves in the circle around the egg.

"Hey, make room for me, you motherfuckers!"

Blitzø pushed his way between Ozzie and Moxxie and sat on Stolas' lap. The demon owl was the only one who hadn't changed his position since he'd sat down by the egg a few hours ago.

"How long has it been?" Beelzebub asked.

"Five hours, 34 minutes, and 12 seconds. Not that I'm counting."

Everyone looked at Blitzø as if he had grown a second head.

***

Half an hour later, there was another knock at the door. Blitzø growled in frustration but went to answer it.

"How the fuck do you know where we live?"

Verosika rolled her eyes and walked past Blitzø to the couch.

"Tex wrote that you have a baby hatching. I couldn't have missed it."

"Have mercy."

***

Most of them were nodding off as another shard of shell fell onto the cushions. Only Stolas and Fizz witnessed it. And maybe Blitzø. Stolas wasn't sure. The imp's eyes were open, but he looked as if he was still asleep. It was slightly terrifying.

“I think I see something pink,” Fizz announced in a conspiratorial whisper, peering into the shell.

“Move over, I want to look too.”

So Blitzø was awake.

***

Eleven hours, twenty-two minutes, and thirty-four seconds after the first crack, the top of the shell fell away and everyone was awakened by a deafening screech.

Everyone jumped to their feet as one and gathered around the chick that looked… Well…

“Should it be this ugly?”

Stolas glared at Blitzø. The imp’s expression showed no remorse. He probably verbalized what was on everyone’s mind.

Stolas gently lifted the pink baby that looked like a plucked chicken from the remains of its shell. He wrapped it in a blanket and held it to his chest. The little chick was still screaming at the top of its lungs.

“Someone would be so kind as to warm up some mush. It’s in a blue container in the fridge.”

Everyone rushed to help. Fizz was the first. After a while, he returned with something that was a paste made of blended rats. Blitzø had prepared it himself according to Stolas' instructions.

"Well, this might be disgusting to most of you..." Stolas warned.

It turned out he was right. Only Ozzie and Vassago stayed with him while he fed the baby. This consisted of first scooping a portion of food into his beak, and then feeding it to the baby directly into its little beak. Just like any other bird.

"This is disgusting, Stols. Why didn't you warn me earlier?"

Finally, the baby was fed and shut up. Then everyone came over to look at him. Stolas explained that Goetia babies were born without feathers. That's why the chick was completely bald. Everyone agreed that once it had feathers, it would look a lot like Stolas. Only two small black horns on his head, a pair of small wings of the same color, and red eyes identical to his other biological father's indicated that he was a hybrid.

"He'll be cute once he grows feathers." Verosika pronounced.

"My son is already cute, bitch."

"Just a short while ago you said he was ugly."

"Fuck you, slut."

Slowly, the guests began to gather. Everyone was exhausted but happy to welcome a new member of their little family. Stolas took their little brat to the bedroom, and Blitzø busied himself with cleaning up the mess. The executioner saw Loona lurking in the corner.

"Everything okay, darlings?"

The hellhound approached him, tail down and hunched slightly. Blitzø sat down on the couch and patted the spot next to her encouragingly. Loona accepted the invitation.

"What's up, darling?"

She took a deep breath.

"When do I have to move out?"

Blitzø's eyes widened in surprise.

"Why would you move out?"

"Don't pretend, Dad. This apartment only has two bedrooms. For now, you can keep the little one in yours, but eventually he'll need his own room. I just want to know when you'll need him, more or less."

"Not anytime soon. I think maybe in six months we'll put up a partition wall in our bedroom to create a room for the little one. But I don't see why you should move out. The renovation probably won't take long and shouldn't be too much of a hassle for you."

Loona looked at her father in surprise.

"I don't want to ruin your new family, Dad."

"You can't ruin it, honey. Not while you're a part of it."

Loona's armor collapsed, and she clung to her father with all her might. Salty tears seeped into her fur, and Blitzø held her until they stopped falling.

Notes:

I added some fluff in this chapter so it wouldn't be too sad.
Do you think the baby is a boy or a girl?

Chapter 10 Notes:

I finished writing this story tonight. It will ultimately have 23 chapters. I also wrote two bonus chapters that are outside the main storyline and an epilogue.
Be sure to let me know what you think about the new chapter. I love reading your comments!

Chapter Text

Blitzø took a few more days off to help Stolas with the baby and sort out all the formalities. First of all, they had to get a birth certificate. In the case of birds, it was much more complicated than with imps. Just laying an egg meant nothing. Not every egg turned out to be alive. Besides, they had to wait for the hatching to enter the baby's gender. They also had to have the appropriate doctor's report. First, they both ended up in the clinic. The doctor examined the chick thoroughly, then declared it a strong, healthy boy. Then he started filling out the birth certificate.

"Name?"

"Orion."

"Surname?"

Stolas opened his beak. After a moment, he closed it. Ars Goethia remained unspoken. He wasn't even sure if he could still use it. After all, he had been banished for 100 years.

"Buckzo." Blitzø didn't even hesitate. Stolas looked at him in surprise. On the imp's face, however, he saw a certainty that warmed his heart. "Yes, Orion Buckzo." He confirmed.

Blitzø went to the office alone. Stolas was hellishly tired, and Orion was crying the whole time. However, Imp quickly realized that it was a bloody mistake. The clerk gave him a stack of papers to fill out. The letters were jumbled before his eyes. He didn't understand half of them. He couldn't write the other half without making mistakes. Finally, the demon took pity on him and let him take the forms home.

Stolas filled everything out in less than 15 minutes. Suddenly, he froze over one of the forms. Imp noticed the owl's hesitation, so he approached him with the crying Orion in his arms.

"What's up, birdie?"

“Hmm… you see, this is something called a parental declaration. I am listed as the default parent because the child was developing inside me. The declaration is completed by the other parent. If it is unknown…

“Where should I sign?”

Stolas looked at him with wide eyes. "Are you sure? If you fill it out, you'll automatically adopt the child."

"Great, I was afraid I'd have to deal with more adoption paperwork. This makes things easier."

Blitzø held Orion with one hand, and with the other he pulled the declaration towards himself. He signed a flourish in the place that seemed right to him. "You have to fill in the rest, birdie. My head hurts from all these letters."

Blitzø didn't notice that Stolas' pupils had once again turned into two little hearts. He was busy preparing food for their child.

***

"Weren't you supposed to have another day off today?" Moxxie was surprised when Blitzø showed up at the office a few days later with Loona.

"I couldn't stand that air raid siren any longer. I swear my ears are ringing even now from his screams."

"You don't want to adopt me? Just for a few days? Or until your spawn is born?”

“You can’t move out, Loona! We’re family. We’re in this together!”

“Fuck you, Dad.”

***

Loona really didn’t want to go home. Her ears bled. He loved his brother, he really did, but right now she wanted to put him in a soundproof bubble. Maybe that wouldn’t be such a bad idea?

Bee: How was the sweetie? Is he still crying?

The message from Bee surprised Loona. She had been just as surprised by the presence of sin in her house when her brother had come out of the egg. She had only texted Tex because he had asked if he would come to their party. She had said he couldn’t and sent a picture of the cracked egg. Less than twenty minutes later, they were both knocking on the door. They were supposed to be at the party they were throwing.

They had both always been nice to her. Tex would often text her to ask how the mission had gone or to invite her to the party. Loona didn't quite know how she should behave towards him. She still liked him, and she didn't want to make an enemy of Beelzebub. To make matters worse, Bee was really nice to her. They always spent a lot of time with her at parties. She invited some friends to her circle, which made most of them nice to her, just to please Sin. But she also found some real friends in this group. Tex was probably one of them.

L: She's crying all the time. My ears too.

B: Come over.

L: I don't know if loud music and a party is a good idea, sorry.

B: We're not having a party tonight. Come over, we'll hang out, watch a movie. You can also stay over.

Loona stared at the message for a really long time. She'd never been to Bee's palace unless there was a party going on. Why had Sin invited her? She wouldn't know if she didn't go, would she?

Right after work, she knocked on the palace door. Bee personally let her in.

"Honey, you look awful!" It took her a moment to realize what he had said. "I mean, you're pretty, but you're tired!"

"Yeah, I haven't been sleeping very well lately," Loona admitted. Had the deadly sin just told her she was pretty?

"Come on, Tex is making us some snacks. Do you want to watch a movie?"

A moment later, the three of them were sitting on a huge couch that was so damn soft. Loona felt like she was lying on a cloud. Beelzebub sat down next to her, and Tex sat on her other side.

"How's Stolas feeling?" Tex asked.

Tex said.

"I think he's doing better. He still misses Via, but I think he's okay with us. It's just the kid's giving him a hard time."

"I'm sorry I couldn't do more about your father and Stolas at the trial." Bee said, looking down. "I wish I could do more, but Satan never listens to anyone. Unless it's Lucifer, but he hasn't come out of his palace in decades."

"I understand. I'm still grateful you stood up for us. You didn't have to."

"Are you kidding? We're friends! And I did the bare minimum." She looked sad.

Did Beelzebub consider her a friend? Loona gave her a friendly nudge with her shoulder.

"I really do. I don't blame you!"

"Really? I've noticed you've been avoiding us at parties lately. You don't text me as much as you did at first." Tex joined in their conversation.

Loona could feel herself turning red under her fur.

“I didn't want to impose on you.” She mumbled, embarrassed.

"Oh, Loonie, you don't!" Bee assured, throwing one of her arms around her neck and hugging her. She ignored Tex's warning look. "We love spending time with you!"

They decided to watch a movie. Loona had no idea what it was about. She was exhausted and the couch was so soft. The sound of the movie turned into a static that soothed her. She fell asleep.

She woke up when it was pitch black and quiet. She was horrified to find her head resting on Bee's shoulder. She was basically lying on Sin, and Sin was holding her. Something warm was thrown over them. Tex appeared in Loona's line of sight, adjusting the blanket so it wouldn't fall off.

"Sleep," he whispered, knowing Loona was awake. Sam jumped behind Bee and pulled her body closer to his. Loona tried to pull away, but the sin in her sleep squeezed her, pulling her even closer. Bee's fur felt so good. Loona fell asleep again.

***

"Blitzø, I really don't know what I'm doing wrong." Stolas sounded desperate. The little devil was almost certain that he was also missing a handful of feathers from the sides of his head. "He cries all the time. He's not hungry, he doesn't have a dirty diaper, I keep entertaining him, so that's not it either."

"Maybe his skin is itchy? From moulting?"

"It shouldn't itch or hurt. It's like growing hair or nails."

Blitzø ran out of ideas. His head ached from the constant screaming. He longed to run back to the office. But he couldn't leave Stolas alone with the screaming kid. He had to think of something, he just didn't know what yet.

Loona appeared in the kitchen. She had special noise-cancelling headphones on. Supposedly she got it from Tex. Hellhounds had much more sensitive hearing than imps. This situation must have been much harder for her than it was for him.

There was an angry banging on the door. Everyone ignored it. Not a day had passed in a week without some angry neighbor threatening to murder their entire family if they didn't shut up their brat. Blitzø wanted to show what he did to people who made such threats against his loved ones, but Stolasa begged him not to react. He didn't want to escalate the conflict.

Everyone was walking around angry, sleep-deprived, and exploding over every little thing. Loona had practically moved out of the house. She went straight from work to see friends and either came back late at night or not at all. Blitzø couldn't even blame her.

Stolas was furious with Blitzø for coming back late from work and leaving him alone with the child for days. Imp, on the other hand, was constantly walking around pissed at himself, because more and more often in his head the thought was growing that the kid wasn't really his, so he didn't have to take care of him.

The situation was hellishly tense and any spark could start a fire.

"Enough of this!" Blitzø shouted, banging his fist on the table. "We're going to the doctor. There's something wrong with the kid!"

Stolas didn't even have the strength to protest. He forced himself to put on something that was something other than the bathrobe he'd been wearing practically non-stop for two weeks. He was too tired to do laundry or change clothes. It didn't seem like a priority to him. But he couldn't show up at the hospital in a stained and smelly bathrobe.

Blitzø yelled at every driver he met the whole way, even if most of them hadn't done anything wrong. It was just his way of venting his anger. Stolas felt like he was riding in a van with not one screaming child, but two. And it was uncomfortable, because he was too tall for such a ridiculously small vehicle.

At the Blitzø clinic, he made a scene because they wouldn't admit them. Stolas just stood behind him, holding the child in his arms and a blank expression on his face. Finally, Imp threatened that he wouldn't leave until a doctor examined their child. All the while, Orion was screaming at the top of his lungs, so the nurses, fed up with the noise, finally registered them ahead of time.

Half an hour later, the doctor was examining their son, who wouldn't stop crying.

"What kind of milk are you feeding him?"

"Milk?" They both asked at the same time.

The doctor looked at them over his glasses.

"What do you feed him?"

"Mice, rats, voles," Stolas began to list.

"Everything blended and boiled," Blitzø assured, seeing the doctor's face, who probably thought they were morons.

"Your son may look more like an owl than a succubus, but he's still half succubus. He needs milk. He can't digest most of the things you give him."

They returned home armed with a supply of formula milk and knowledge that would probably make them sleep through the next night. After giving Orion an IV and feeding him a portion of milk from a bottle, they finally managed to put him to sleep. An hour later they were discharged, and the kid was still asleep, cuddled in the fluff on Stolas' chest. They reached home in comfortable silence.

Stolas seemed absent most of the time. As soon as he entered the house, he put the little one in the cradle and sat down on the bed and buried his face in his hands.

“Stolas, stop it. If you’re going to blame yourself now for not thinking of giving the baby milk earlier, you might as well start blaming me. I didn’t think of that either!”

The owl didn’t react. Blitzø didn’t have the strength to continue this discussion. He threw himself on the bed and fell asleep. For the first time in two weeks.

Chapter 11 Chapter Text

Blitzø was woken by Orion's cries. This time, however, it sounded like a baby's cry, not like a pig being slaughtered. Stolas was curled up in a ball, his back turned to him. He looked as if he had fallen asleep, exhausted from crying. His cheeks were wet and his face was tired. Blitzø stood up carefully, careful not to wake him. He picked Orion up and carried him to the kitchen, where he prepared a batch of milk. Then he sat down on the couch and began to feed the little one.

Finally, he wasn't so ugly anymore. He was covered in white, baby fluff, which Stolas thought would soon disappear and be replaced by proper feathers. He was now a small, fluffy ball that had become more charming since he had stopped screaming all the time.

Big red eyes looked at Blitzø with curiosity. A small beak was kissing the nipple of the bottle contentedly, and small talons were holding it as if the little one was afraid someone would try to take it away from him.

Blitzø felt a strange tenderness at the sight. He hadn't thought he'd ever hold such a small child in his arms. He had to admit that he wished the black horns had white stripes, and the succubus wings dangled from its back. But he promised himself and the little bird that none of that would ever matter. The child was his. Even if he'd been screaming for the past two weeks and had driven them all to nervous breakdowns.

The front door opened, putting Blitzø on high alert. He turned toward them, clutching Orion tightly to his chest. He was ready to either run or kill.

But neither of those things were needed. Octavia stood in the doorway, her travel bag slung over her shoulder and a uncertain expression on her face. Her gaze was immediately drawn to the small fluffball in Blitzø's hands.

"Via, kid. Don't stand in the doorway, come in." Blitzø jumped over the back of the couch and in a few bounds was beside Stolas’ daughter. He was afraid that the sight of the child would scare Octavia away, so he took advantage of her initial shock to pull her deeper into the apartment, closing the door with his tail as he did so. “Is everything okay? Are you okay? Did anyone hurt you?”

Octavia let herself be led to the couch, but she didn't take her eyes off the child for a moment. Blitzø sighed and gently grabbed her chin, turning her head towards him.

"Honey, I need to know that you're okay. Please tell me that no one hurt you."

Octavia blinked, stunned.

"Nothing... nothing is wrong with me."

Blitzø sighed with relief and let go of her. He took a small step back, revealing the child.

"Then meet your brother. His name is Orion."

The child seemed to understand, looking at Via. He hadn't stopped drinking the milk the whole time. Only now did he push the bottle away and let out a satisfied burp, and then a funny squawk.

"Where from..." He saw a million questions in Via's eyes. He himself had at least a few for her. However, he gave her time to process all this. He threw the kid over his shoulder and began to pat his back gently, hoping he would burp quickly. The little wings flapped helplessly, catching Vii's attention. "Did he... Dad cheat on you too?"

"What? No! Of course not, kid." Blitzø felt something wet spill onto his shoulder. He winced, but kept patting and rocking the kid. The doctor had said it was important that he burped every time. "That was when your dad and I ended our arrangement. Before the trial and all that."

This time, the pink eyes focused on him.

"And you still let dad stay? Are you taking care of his child?"

"I'm taking care of our child, darling. She's mine as much as hers."

Tears shone in Vii's beautiful eyes.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bother you. I shouldn't have come here." She tried to get up, but Blitzø wrapped his tail around her arm, stopping her in her tracks. "What are you doing?"

"This is your home, kid. You're not bothering anyone here." Orion finally belched, which Blitzø accepted with relief. "Loona won't be back until morning. I don't think she'll mind if you sleep in her bed. Tomorrow morning we'll think about where to make your room. For now I don't want to wake your father. He had a really hard day. Do you have pajamas or can I get you something?"

"I... are you sure? I don't want to..."

"Stop it. I'm sure. That's where your bathroom is." He pointed his tail at the appropriate door. "If you need anything, just say so. Or just take what you see. I have to put that little owl to sleep, because he'll give us a hard time tomorrow if he doesn't get enough sleep."

Blitzø paced around the living room, purring soothingly to Orion, who was fighting his tiredness. His eyes kept closing, only to open again a moment later. Blitzø was tired. He wanted to go back to bed, to Stolas. He wanted it to be morning already, so he could tell him that his daughter was with them.

The bathroom door clicked quietly. Octavia was wearing cute pajamas with stars. In one hand she held a travel bag, and in the other a small bundle, from which water was dripping.

"This is for daddy." She said, seeing Blitzø's interest. "It's a cutting of his favorite plant. You have to put it in water so it doesn't die."

"You should find a cup in the kitchen. I'm going to take the little one to his bed. I'll be right back."

Blitzø slipped into their bedroom as quietly as he could. He didn't even turn on the light, so as not to wake Stolas. He laid the little owl in a soft bed and kissed her on the forehead. He watched her snoring softly for a moment. Eventually, he returned to Via. She was still standing in the kitchen, staring at the mug she was holding.

“Is something wrong?”

“Why is there a mug with my name on it?”

Blitzø shrugged.

"Your dad bought us all one. Yours has been waiting for you all this time." Blitzø really had enough of the crying owls, but without a word he hugged the sobbing Via. "Come on, honey. I'll make you a bed, come on."

Before going to bed he texted Loona that Octavia had taken over her room for a night. However, he promised to get it back the next day. He informed her that she could also go home, because they found out what they were doing wrong with Orion. In response he got an emoticon with a raised thumbs up.

***

"Why are you smiling at your phone?" Bee looked at her strangely. "Are you texting with some lover?"

The three of them were sitting on one of the huge couches. Bee was leaning against Tex, and Loona was sitting opposite them. People were having fun nearby, groups of friends were talking to each other. Surprisingly, no one paid any attention to them.

"I don't have any lover, Bee. It's dad." Loona smiled warmly. "Via is sleeping in my bed right now!"

"I don't like someone sleeping in your bed. I hope they don't stay there too long." Tex also gave her a strange look.

Loona shrugged.

"If it makes Stolas happy, Via can stay. I can sleep on the couch." Loona announced.

"You can also move in with us. We have plenty of room here!" Bee offered enthusiastically. "And you'll have peace and quiet here. That is, during the week, when there's no party."

"Thank you so much for taking me in, but I want to go home. I heard they took the baby to the doctor and she's not crying anymore." Loona looked happy.

Bee and Tex smiled. A blink later, Beelzebub had Loona wrapped in all her arms. The she-wolf wasn't prepared for this, so she stiffened.

"You're always welcome here, Loonie." She whispered.

Tex cleared his throat. "Sweetie, Loona doesn't seem to be feeling very comfortable."

Bee immediately pulled away from her. "I'm sorry, I forgot you don't like cuddling!"

Loona was embarrassed.

"That's not entirely true." She admitted. "You see... I'm not good at showing emotions."

"You're asexual?"

"Bee, for God's sake. Your timing is as subtle as a jackhammer." Tex groaned.

Loona laughed involuntarily. Bee shrugged her upper shoulders helplessly.

"I'm bisexual." She finally confessed. "It's just that before Blitzø came into my life, no one showed me affection. It took Dad a long time to break through my shell. I'm just not used to it."

The girl cringed at the sad looks of her friends. She didn't need their pity.

"I'm glad Blitzø came into your life," Tex said seriously before Loona could speak. "I'm glad you came into ours too." Bee nodded.

Loona's heart leapt with joy.

"Now I feel like hugging you."

They both spread their arms. Loona was in their arms in a moment.

***

Blitzø bustled around the kitchen, preparing breakfast. Orion cooed happily into the scarf the imp had tied around his chest. The owls were still asleep. Loona had sent him a message saying she'd be back soon. It was the weekend, so they weren't working today. Blitzø hoped they'd have a family day today.

"I'm home, Dad."

"Hey, Loony-toony. Do you prefer eggs or toast?"

"Both, please. I'm starving."

Blitzø set a cup of coffee in front of her, informing her that breakfast would be ready soon. She drank half of it in one gulp.

"What about the owls?"

"They're both asleep. They must need it badly." He set a plate of toast and scrambled eggs in front of her, and began preparing another portion. "I thought you could take Via shopping. I'd take care of putting up a partition in the living room."

Loona's ears perked up.

"Do you want to make her a room in the living room?"

"We don't need such a big living room..."

"Are you kidding? Ozz barely fits in here when he and Fizz come over. Besides, we've had so many guests lately that we should think about bringing in a second couch so they have somewhere to sit."

Blitzø knew he was right, but the other option was to divide their bedroom. And he didn't want to do that. On good days, before Orion hatched, Stolas decorated half of their room with stars and plants. They were going to share a room in the near future, so Orion's corner would become his room. He could see the joy on the owl's face when he talked about it. He didn't want it to disappear. He told Loonie about it.

“Dad, by Satan's balls, my room is huge.

"Loony, I don't want to take up your space..."

"You're not taking anything away from me, Dad. I'm actually gaining a sister, thanks to this. I prefer it to a big room."

At that same moment, her bedroom door opened and a gray mess flew through it, who then snuggled up to the hellhound, crying.

"What the fuck?" Loona tensed, but when she caught the familiar scent of the owl, she relaxed a bit. "Girl, you live with killers, you can't scare us." She growled, pulling the younger girl close.

Blitzø didn't even have to ask if Octavia had heard everything. He busied himself with breakfast while the owl composed herself enough to join them at the table.

"Where's dad?"

Blitzø sighed heavily. He sat down opposite Stolas' daughter and looked at her seriously.

"Your daddy isn't feeling too well, honey. The egg laying didn't go as we expected. We had to have surgery to get it out. Your daddy took it very hard. He felt inadequate, like he had let down another child. The doctor said it was postpartum depression. He's taking medication, going to therapy and it's getting better, but... the kid was screaming non-stop for over two weeks. We didn't know what was going on. Yesterday at the clinic they told us that we hadn't been feeding him properly. We treated him like an owl, but he just needed milk because he couldn't digest solid food. It finished Stolas off. He blames himself for it, and I didn't have the strength to explain to him that it wasn't his fault."

He lowered his head. Orion was staring at him with wide eyes filled with curiosity. He cooed sweetly, as if trying to comfort him.

"Can I go to him?"

Blitzø smiled.

"Always"

***

Stolas heard footsteps approaching the bedroom. He was sure it was Blitzø. He didn't have the strength to confront the imp. He didn't want to hear assurances that it wasn't his fault. It was his fault. And now, instead of fixing everything, he just lay there and pretended to sleep so that everyone would leave him alone. He was pathetic.

He felt the mattress sag under the imp's weight. Suddenly, a small body that was definitely too big for an imp's body, but just as slim, pressed itself against his back. The smell of strawberries filled his nostrils.

"Octavia?"

He jumped up and turned around. Octavia was staring at him in silence. Tears blurred his vision. He blindly rushed towards his daughter and wrapped her in a crushing hug. She also snuggled into him.

"I'm sorry, Octavia. I'm sorry for everything."

“Me too, Dad. I’m sorry I didn’t give you a chance to explain. I’m sorry I treated Blitzø badly.”

“You don’t have to apologize to me, my little star. I love you. I love you so much.”

“I love you too, Dad.”

***

Stolas finally felt better. He was sitting on the couch, holding his son in his arms, and his beloved daughter was sitting next to him, entertaining the little one by waving a stuffed horse in front of him. The boy was laughing and reaching out to grab the toy. Blitzø and Loona were arguing somewhere in the back, trying to put together furniture for Octavia’s new room together. The owls tried to help, but they were quickly dismissed because it turned out they were more of a hindrance than a help.

For the first time in a long time, Stolas felt something like happiness. He had people he loved around him. He had a home, his lover and daughter were finally getting along, Loona accepted him, and his son was healthy and happy. He may have lost his palace, his power, and his titles, but he had gained a family. A real family, not a destructive version of one. It was worth it.

Always - NanetteRiddle - Helluva Boss (Web Series) [Archive of Our Own] (2025)

Chapter 1

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Chapter 2

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Chapter 3

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Chapter 4

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Chapter 5

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Chapter 6

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Chapter 7

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Chapter 8

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Chapter 9

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Chapter 10

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Chapter 11

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