Dancing With Fire: Chapter 21
#3 of Dancing With Fire Act 2 - Fanning the Flames
"Via? May I have your opinion please?"
The owlet sighed and poked her head back in Stolas's room. "What now, Dad?"
Stolas smiled sheepishly. "I promise, this is the last time. Which shirt would be more appropriate?" He held up two button-down silk shirts on hangers. One off-white, and another dark grey. "This one, or this one?"
Octavia huffed, but a smirk graced her beak all the same. "Just pick one, Dad. Really, you're overthinking this. You've spent how many hours getting ready? You already took a literal eon in the bath!"
Stolas scoffed indignantly. "Everything must be absolutely perfect for my date with Blitzy! This is my only chance to show him I deserve his affections outside our regular trysts, and he deserves nothing less than my best!"
His daughter shook her head. "This isn't a date, remember? This is a friendly get together to show you aren't all sex all the time. There's no guarantee Blitzø will want it to be anything more than that, assuming all goes well." She watched Stolas look between the shirts for a full minute, then folded her arms and tapped her foot. "Just pick the grey one, Dad."
"Ah, thank you Via!" Stolas chirped. As he walked back to the closet, he could feel her eyes on him.
"You okay?" she asked, "You're limping."
Stolas glanced down. "Dear me, is it really that obvious? I was hoping it wouldn't be." He turned to face Octavia once he'd put the white shirt away and returned to the grey shirt now spread out on the bed. "I didn't want any, ahah, 'involuntary reactions' while in my Blitzy's presence. So I put on an extra tight pair of briefs as a precaution."
"Gross Dad," she deadpanned. Stolas decided it was better to refrain from telling her he'd considered wearing one of his chastity cages. That idea was quickly discounted, as it would make his meetup with Blitzø overtly sexual from the get-go.
Once he'd buttoned up the shirt, he turned back to his daughter and held out his arms for her to inspect. "How do I look?" he asked. The shirt and slacks were a considerable step down from his usual attire, somewhere in the ballpark of business casual.
Octavia giggled softly. "You look fine, Dad. And I'm sure you'll do fine too. Just chill with the horny talk and have a normal conversation."
"A normal conversation," echoed Stolas. Damnation! What counted as a "normal" conversation? He was so used to flirting with his beloved imp, had he ever taken the time to do much else? That's when another thought hit him. "Blast! I haven't picked up any flowers or chocolates for Blitzy."
"Don't," warned Octavia, "That wouldn't be appropriate."
"But Harper-"
"That doesn't matter," she cut him off, "You're digging yourself out of a hole with Blitzø. Harper was already good friends with him before he brought the flowers. Treat the imp as a friend, not a lover. Walk before you run, Dad."
The Prince of Hell smiled beatifically down at his daughter. "Oh my little Starfire, once again you prove yourself wise beyond your years."
"Uh huh," mumbled Octavia as she took a moment to check her phone.
Stolas walked over to plant a kiss on her forehead. "It's time for me to be off. Wish me luck, Via!"
Octavia gave him a quick side hug as he passed her. "Good luck, Dad! And remember, no thirsty talk, no gifts, and no touching. Just two friends having a cuppa."
"Right, friends having a cuppa," he agreed as he left the bedroom and headed downstairs to the limo parked outside.
Stolas arrived at the Hellbucks on Avarice a few minutes before the agreed upon time. He instructed Boxley to drop him off a block away, so that his arrival would not generate as much attention as it otherwise would. Though his stride toward the cafe exhibited confidence, inside was a roiling tempest of anxiety.
Keep it together, Stolas! he scolded himself, This is your one chance. Don't lose it in front of that cute, handsome, hung~ FOCUS, damn you!
The Goetic demon's entrance to Hellbucks drew a few stares from the staff and patrons, but they quickly went back to their own business. Stolas had been wise to dress down for the occasion. Instead of taking a seat, he opted to wait by the front door for Blitzø.
As the minutes ticked on, the owl demon regretted arriving early. The anticipation alone was making him shudder in a combination of excitement and apprehension. What if the imp stood him up? No, his Blitzy surely wouldn't be that cruel, would he? No, now that he thought of it, Blitzø was usually late for everything.
Stolas breathed a sigh of relief as he heard the squealing of tires and the guttural growl of a poorly-maintained engine coming up the street. The sound of Blitzø's van was hard to miss. Minutes later, the bell at the door jingled as the imp stepped inside.
Blitzø took a look around the cafe, then noticed Stolas standing beside him. "Sup bitch?" he said.
Almost immediately, the owl demon's belly filled with warmth at the imp's vulgar greeting. No! He couldn't lose control right out of the starting gate. Quick, greet him back!
"Good morning Blitz...!" Stolas barely caught himself from using his pet name for Blitzø. Even so, the imp drew back.
"Sheesh, no need to shout! I'm standing right here," Blitzø said. "Anyways, you find a seat for us and I'll order. Ya know what you want?"
I want you, my delectable little sex fiend. Stolas quickly shook the thought from his head. "Just a cup of tea. Black, please."
Blitzø nodded and went up to the counter. "Yo barkeep! The usual for me and a cup of black tea for the leggy bastard behind me."
Stolas had picked out a table for them by the time the imp came back. They smiled awkwardly at each other, but neither tried to speak. The tension was becoming palpable.
"So..." Stolas began.
"So..." Blitzø echoed.
The owl prince wracked his brain for something to talk about that wasn't flirting. He did this all the time with his colleagues and subordinates. Why was it so difficult with his Blitzy? "Lovely weather we've been having as of late," Stolas settled on. It wasn't ideal, but it was a start.
"You mean the acid rain last week or the smog this week?" Blitzø asked.
Stolas deflated. So much for that. Thankfully, he was spared another awkward pause when their drinks arrived. A simple plain cup of tea for Stolas, and a tall latte piled high with whipped cream, chocolate shavings, cinnamon, a lady finger, and were those gummy candies?
Seeing an opportunity for conversation, Stolas went for it. "Oh my, that's a fancy drink."
"Fuck yeah it is!" Blitzø said with a smirk. "This here's a custom-order double grande deluxe salted caramel frackuccino. Nectar of the fucking Sin Lords right here." The imp leaned forward to take a sip.
Stolas shuddered as whipped cream got smeared on the imp's lips. It reminded him of the time they'd used whipped cream with the- No! Concentrate on something else!
Suddenly, Blitzø gagged, then scrutinized his drink. "Oh son of a bitch, they did it again!" He grabbed his cup and stormed over to the barista at the counter. "Hey dumbass! You know what my usual is. Whole milk, five pumps caramel, three pumps irish cream, and one pump sugar-free vanilla. This has regular vanilla in it!"
Before the barista could stammer out an apology, Blitzø tossed his frackuccino aside and vaulted over the counter. "Know what? I'll get it. Ya want something done right, ya gotta do it yourself. Now, watch and learn!"
Stolas dreamily watched Blitzø dart between the espresso machine and the row of syrup bottles. Such willfulness! Such passion! From the resigned posture of the employee standing to one side with a cigarette, this wasn't the first time he'd gotten his own latte. The Prince of Hell shuddered in delight. How could he not be crazy for a man who played by his own rules?
After five minutes of crashing, cursing, and extinguishing a small fire, Blitzø leapt back over to the other side of the counter and triumphantly returned to his table with his frackuccino in hand. The barista station behind him was completely destroyed. Syrup, coffee, milk, and toppings were everywhere. "There!" he chirped, "Now all is right with the Underworld."
The owl prince chuckled softly. It was always a thrill to see his Blitzy in action. Especially the way his taut round ass moved teasingly back and forth as he vaulted the counter. Oh how he wanted to go over there and put his hands on it every time he bent down. Stolas shook his head. No! Don't think about something other than his ass. Something else like his big hard slimy-
*SMACK*
Blitzø raised a brow as Stolas slapped himself across the face. "Ya doing alright over there?"
"Yes, yes, I'm perfectly alright," Stolas affirmed after regaining his composure, "A rather large insect flew close to my face. It startled me. The imp's eyes narrowed as he took a suspicious sip from the curly straw in his latte, but didn't press it.
The next few minutes were spent fumbling for conversation. Finally, Stolas remembered the imp's number one ice breaker. "Oh! How has your daughter been lately? It has been some time since I've last seen her."
That got Blitzø's attention. "Loonie's been doing great, actually!" he said, "We've made a bunch of changes at the business, and she's not the receptionist anymore." His smile faded, "She goes to the Living World with the rest of the assassins now. I mean, I'm glad she loves it and all, but I don't like her going up there."
Stolas tilted his head. "Whyever not?"
Blitzø spread his hands out. "Because it's dangerous!" he exclaimed, "Especially for a young teenage Goth girl like her. Those freaks up there are thirsty for her human disguise, and that's not all. I lost track of her during the Spring Break job, remember? She was off eye-humping that Hellhound tool working for my ex. Who knows what would've happened had I not broken it up!"
The owl demon nodded sagely. "That makes sense. I know I wouldn't be thrilled if Via went up to the Living World by herself. At the bare minimum I would want Boxley to accompany her."
"See? You get it!" said Blitzø, "I mean, just look at her." He dug out his wallet and unfurled a line of photographs. All of them featured Loona looking at the camera with varying levels of annoyance. "Isn't she precious?"
Stolas scooted his chair around the table to look. "Oh my, she certainly is! You must be very proud of her."
"You bet your tailfeathers I am!"
The owl demon didn't even blush at the implication of that remark. In fact, all those horny thoughts had been chased away now that Dad Mode was enabled. Stolas dug out his smartphone. "Here, let me show you some of Via's baby pictures."
Blitzø's face lit up. "Lemme see! Lemme see!"
For the remainder of their meetup, the bulk of the conversation between Blitzø and Stolas was about their daughters. It was enlightening to learn just how similar Loona's tastes were to Octavia's. They even shopped at the same store! Come to think of it, Stolas was pretty sure they followed each other on Voxtagram. Were they friends already? If not, a playdate was certainly in order!
Eventually, their cups ran empty, and Blitzø paid the bill. Stolas offered to cover it, but the imp declined. "Believe it or not, I can actually afford stuff besides horse toys now," he said with pride.
As the two demons left Hellbucks, Blitzø stopped to face Stolas. "Listen, uh, this was actually kinda nice. I don't get to brag about Loonie as much as I'd like, and usually people don't give a shit. It's cool that you weren't all thirsty on me like I thought you'd be too."
Stolas nodded. "This was indeed a pleasant afternoon. I would love for us to do something like this in the future."
"Sure!" Blitzø agreed, "I just gotta make sure there's room in the schedule. Shoot me a text if you wanna hang out again."
"I certainly will," said Stolas. To his surprise, the imp suddenly extended a hand. After a moment's hesitation, he stooped down to clasp his over it. Blitzø then shook his hand vigorously enough to almost topple the owl. It never ceased to amaze him just how strong someone so small could be.
"Aight, see ya around, Birdbrain!" Blitzø chirped, though there was none of his usual venom in the epithet. He turned on one heel and strode off toward his van.
Stolas departed in the opposite direction. As instructed, Boxley was waiting in the limo on the next block over. "I trust everything went well, Sire?" he asked as Stolas got in the back seat.
The Prince of Hell sighed wistfully as he reclined against the plush seat. "It was almost perfect! I kept my words and my hands to myself, and my Blitzy had a wonderful time! He said he would like to meet with me again. Soon he will come to see just how much I love him, and he will love me back."
His next order of business was to let Octavia know. She picked up after the second ring, and Stolas told her the good news.
"That's great, Dad!" she said, "Keep it up, and you just might make a friend."
Stolas smiled to himself. How naive she was to think that Blitzø would be a mere friend to him. Blitzø would be his lover every day of the month in due time.
"Oh Dad, I want to let you know I won't be home when you get back. I'm going out to Stylish Occult with some friends. Mum's out shopping too. We'll both be back in time for dinner."
"Alright, be safe and have fun!" Stolas said, "Love you, Starfire."
He could hear Octavia's muffled giggle. "Love you too, Dad," she replied before hanging up.
An opportunity had presented itself. Naughty thoughts about his Blitzy came flooding back. This would require a little self-indulgence.
"Boxley," he called to the front of the limo, "let the staff know when we get home that I am not to be disturbed until dinner is ready."
"Very good, Sire," Boxley replied.
Stolas grinned lewdly and ran a hand over the tightly confined bulge in his pants. He couldn't wait to get those briefs off and release all the tension that had built up during his date with Blitzy. His hand wouldn't do at all. No, he'd need some of his extra-special toys for this one.
On the Goetia estate, Boxley ran a tight ship. All of the staff who waited on Stolas and his family were well-disciplined and knew their place. Per Boxley's instructions, they did not disturb Stolas as he breezed past them toward his bedroom. Likewise, none of them questioned the loud cries of pleasure or wet squelching sounds that emanated from that room moments later. Though many would privately speculate on the identity of the "Blitzy" that Stolas called out for, all of them knew better than to ask. When Stolas emerged hours later with his face flushed and his feathers ruffled, nobody commented on it.
It wasn't their place to know. Nor did they want to know.