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“Sir, what are we looking at?”
Moxxie’s raspy voice pierces the air of the conference room. Blitzø is at the front, hands on his hips and chest puffed out, standing next to a whiteboard covered in his doodles and lopsided letters. He watches his team sit there, each wearing a confused expression. Stolas squints all four of his eyes at the board. Octavia copies the motion, a mirror image of her father.
“Our vacation plans!” Blitzø says, putting his arms out wide. “Everyone has been working so hard, the clients are rolling in, so I figured we could use some R&R.”
“That’s very kind of you, sir,” Moxxie says. “Um, so the plan is what exactly?”
“C’mon Moxxie, can’t you tell?” Blitzø asks. He huffs and picks up the marker once more, circling the picture of the boat. “A cruise! A nice one in Envy, too, not one of those shitty shark ones in Greed. I already got us the tickets.”
“You already bought the–” Moxxie stops himself, putting a hand on his forehead. He sighs. “It’s a nice gesture but don’t you think you should’ve, I don’t know, asked first? What if we don’t have the same schedule?”
“We do have the same schedule, though,” Blitzø says. “We literally work the same hours together every fuckin’ day, Moxx.”
“He is right about that, hun,” Millie says. She pats her husband’s shoulder gently. “Asking woulda been good, though, Blitzø. I’m not much for water.”
“Yeah, but I got you a cabin with a window and everything!” Blitzø says. His shoulders drop a little at the apparent lack of enthusiasm in the room. “I mean, shit, I can cancel them I guess?”
“A cruise sounds fun,” Loona says, kicking her feet up on the table. “Do the tickets come with drinks?”
“No, Looney, but there are like three bars!” Blitzø says. He pauses to look at Stolas and Via, though the owlet has her face tipped down, towards her phone. “Stolas, Octavia, what do you think?”
“I’ve never been on a cruise,” Octavia says, shrugging. Her affect screams “bored teenager” but Blitzø can bet she’s excited. Just hiding it to be cool or whatever.
“I’m sure it would be a very relaxing outing for the team,” Stolas says. “I’m happy to hold down the office while you’re gone, too.”
“Hold down the office?” Blitzø repeats, scrunching his eyebrows. “No, Stolas, that’s not– I bought you a ticket, too, you silly bird.”
“You want me to join you?” Stolas asks, all four eyes wide.
“Idiots, both of you,” Loona mutters. “Aren’t you literally dating?”
“They’re disgusting,” Octavia pipes up, sinking lower in her seat. “I caught them cuddling this morning.”
“Yeah, of course,” Blitzø says, ignoring the girls completely. Instead, he just focuses on Stolas and the flutters in his stomach. Warmth gathers in his face as he continues, “I mean, it would be nice to have some time to hang out? You can even bring those books you like.”
“O-okay,” Stolas says, a matching blush stealing over his face. He claps his hands lightly. “Yes, well, I will need to shop for some essentials!” He pulls his notebook towards him and flips to a fresh page. “A bathing suit, right?”
“Hell yeah, feel free to get some nice ones,” Blitzø says, wiggling his eyebrows.
“Lucifer help us,” Octavia mutters, tucking her phone away and pulling her beanie down over her eyes.
“That’s the spirit!” Blitzø cheers, his tail swinging happily behind him. “It’ll be so fun and we deserve it, guys.”
“Oh, I’ll need to make arrangements, maybe reschedule some clients,” Stolas says, hopping up from his chair. He takes his notebook with him, tapping his pen against the open page. A moment later, there’s the sound of his chair pulling out and the computer at his desk humming to life.
“Promise me you won’t leave me with the couples,” Loona says, flicking Octavia lightly on the arm.
“Loona, if you leave me alone with them, I will jump overboard to see if I can fly.”
“Oh come on, Stols and I aren’t that bad,” Blitzø says, rolling his eyes.
“You are,” Loona, Octavia, Moxxie and Millie chorus back.
“Now you two can’t say shit about PDA, no way,” Blitzø retorts, pointing his finger at Moxxie and then Millie. “Not after the stuff I’ve seen–”
“Yes, when you were spying on us?” Moxxie says, cutting him off.
“First of all, I haven’t done that in a long time,” Blitzø starts. “Secondly, I meant the shit you do on missions. You killed like 10 humans at that opera thing while you were doing the flying vertical tango.”
“I’m going to be sick,” Octavia mumbles, slouching down in her seat. Loona just smirks and pats her shoulder twice.
**
The water in Envy is teal. Not as green as the toxic shit in Greed, but not as blue as the oceans they've seen Earthside. A weird mix of the two.
It's a nice color, Blitzø decides. He leans over to peer closer at the water, his forked tongue flicking out and getting a hint of salt with a metallic aftertaste. Not the same metallic taste as blood though, less copper and more… fancy gold necklace vibes.
“Blitzø, can you keep moving please?” Millie asks, shifting her weight from foot to foot. Like she’s antsy or something.
“Sorry, Mills,” Blitzø says, forcing himself to look away from the rippling surface. His sandaled hooves clop against the wooden boardwalk as he walks forward, his team following behind him. The wheels of his suitcase rumble across the boards, a low sound that accents the group’s steps. “There are some fucked up fish down there.”
“I read that the bottom of the boat has a glass floor!” Stolas says, falling into step next to him. “We'll be able to observe the fish there, darling.”
“A glass floor?” Moxxie repeats, a bead of sweat forming at his temple. “Is that safe? Did they make sure the glass is able to handle…”
Blitzø tunes out the rest of the words as Moxxie goes on, Moxxie’s voice getting higher pitched with anxiety. Instead, he looks past the M’s to focus on Loona and Via, who are busy pretending not to know any of them. Like the rest of them, the girls are decked out in vacation-ready clothes – Loona in a purple tank top and some jean shorts, Octavia in a loose, dark blue dress. Her usual crown-beanie has been replaced by a yellow straw hat.
“Octavia get new clothes?” Blitzø asks, turning back so he can direct his question at Stolas. He fiddles with the buttons on his own new shirt, a blue and white patterned thing. Loona had called it “dad-core”
“Yes!” Stolas says, smiling. “Loona took her shopping. Isn't her new sundress just so cute?”
“She looks great,” Blitzø says, eyes softening as he watches Stolas' happy expression. Stolas looks nice today, too, also sporting a button down and some loose shorts. He looks relaxed, casual, and Blitzø loves the look on him. “Nice to see them in different colors for once.”
“That's exactly what I said,” Stolas chirps. “She is quite excited for the cruise, even if she seems unenthused.”
“Don’t worry, I got lots of experience with that type of thing,” Blitzø says, jerking his thumb back towards his own daughter. “And the two of them are fine sharing a room, right? You talked to Octavia?”
It was something Blitzø worried about, when he bought the tickets – Octavia was pretty used to having her own room, and he wasn’t sure if she’d ever had to share space like this before. The apartment they have now – a whole three bedroom situation – has allowed the owlet to keep to her own space. Which she does, spending most of her time in there, reading or making some new taxidermy specimens.
“Yes, of course,” Stolas says, bringing Blitzø back out of his head. “She enjoys spending time with Loona.” He pauses, casting a look down at Blitzø, “You could’ve asked her yourself, you know.”
“Right,” Blitzø says, wincing. He doubts that. Despite everything, Octavia hasn’t warmed up to him. Not as much as he’d like, anyway, even though he obviously understands. They’re… chill with each other at this point, which might be the most he can ask for.
He knows Stolas wants them to be closer. Blitzø does too – he has lots of stupid doodles of the four of them hanging out, bonding like a real family. He just doesn’t want to rush her or risk making it awkward. Or, Satan forbid, harm the progress of her still-healing relationship with Stolas.
Sometimes he sees a hint of affection, but it gets covered up by the anger and confusion that lingers around them. He is a walking reminder of the worst shit to happen to her, so he gets it. He said as much, that day in the mall, the time she agreed to even start coming by. Since then, she’s made good work on turning the pile of taxidermy owls into some giant creature, which Blitzø is taking as a win.
“Anyway,” Blitzø says, clearing his throat. “Is there anything you’re looking forward to?”
“Moxxie and I have plans to attend the dinner theater on Saturday,” Stolas says. He bounces on his talons as he walks, his eyes bright and excited. “They’re doing a musical mash-up!”
“Sounds right up your alley,” Blitzø says, grinning. By now, they’re almost to the boat, finally reaching the end of the absurdly long boardwalk. It looms large in front of them, white paneling and light blue trim. As they approach the stairs, Blitzø digs in his pockets for their tickets.
Taking them out with a flourish, he hands them to the check in person and points at Stolas and the four other guests behind him. The person glances at the tickets and then at them and shrugs, handing back an envelope and nodding them forward.
“What about you?” Stolas asks, once they’ve made it up the steps. He tips his head at the attendant next to the door, and the person’s expression just stays the same. Shaking his head, Stolas ducks under the door and taps his way onto the boat, talons clicking on the glossy hardwood. Blitzø chuckles a little at the sound, amused at how Stolas gets away with never wearing any shoes.
“Mostly looking to hang out, eat a shit ton of food at the buffet,” Blitzø says. “I think there’s an indoor pool or something?”
“A pool on a boat,” Stolas says, tilting his head. “How strange.”
He and Blitzø step to the side and wait for the rest of the crew to catch up, Millie escaping to find a bathroom almost as soon as she gets on the boat.
“Is she sick already? We’re not even moving,” Blitzø asks, watching her scamper away.
“No, not sick,” Moxxie says. “Just needed the ladies room.”
“You can just say she needed a piss,” Loona mutters, rolling her eyes. She’s already pulled out her phone, thumb scrolling the screen quickly. Octavia is next to her, but for once she’s not caught up in Sinstagram. Instead, the owlet is swiveling her head around, observing the deck of the ship and the various demons walking around.
Things are getting crowded pretty fast, so Blitzø decides to open up the envelope he got. Inside are a few brochures about the events on the both as well as their room keys. He tips everything out into his palms and hands the keys out. Two per room, one per person. He gives Millie’s key to Moxxie but keeps the two for his and Stolas’ room, holding them up with a wiggle of his eyebrows. Stolas titters with a hand covering his beak, and that’s enough for Octavia and Loona to depart, leaving them all there while they go off to settle in their cabin.
“Wanna test out our bed?” Blitzø says, moving closer until his shoulder brushes Stolas’ thigh.
Stolas hoots and leans down, one talon brushing the collar of his shirt. “Absolutely, darling.”
**
The first few days of the cruise pass easily. The ship is fucking huge, boasting tons of rooms, themed common areas, games and all kinds of shit. Basically like a fucking mall on water or something.
Every day, they meet up for family meals, which makes Blitzø feel choked up as all hell. They have breakfast and dinner together, and then spend the rest of the day exploring. Millie and Blitzø hit up the game room, Stolas and Moxxie find a karaoke machine loaded with musical numbers, and the girls spend hours underneath shady spots, Loona nursing a cold beer and Via with some kind of mocktail. Stolas and Blitzø join them sometimes, Stolas bringing one of his many books. Blitzø is content to lay on his lap, watching Stolas’ pupils scan across the pages. And nap on his feathered thighs, of course.
They even have a team volleyball game, taking over one of the courts on the ship. The thing even has a bed of imported sand, which seems ridiculous but ends up being really soft and warm under Blitzø’s hooves. Best of all, he gets to see Stolas in the new swim trunks he bought, which hug his ass perfectly.
It’s the closest thing to paradise Blitzø has ever felt. It’s enough to make him dream about future cruises, a yearly tradition. He could invite Fizz next time, if the Royal Big Man is open to travel. If he and Barbie ever get to a good place, maybe she could come to. He daydreams about that, just a little, but doesn’t let it put a damper on things. No, he will let this good thing be good, for once.
He doesn’t even let the change in weather bring him down. On the fourth day of their trip, there’s some rain and clouds, the ship closing down some of its outer decks for safety or whatever. Everyone camps out inside, whiling away the hours in one of the lounges. Blitzø plays air hockey with Loona, her absolutely kicking his ass, and Stolas gets some time with Octavia at one of the fancy bookshops.
Later that night, Stolas and Moxxie are set to go to their musical extravaganza thing, and Blitzø decides it’s the prime moment for a nap. This is a vacation after all, and the perfect time to catch up on some much needed sleep. He snuggles down into his bed, curling underneath the only-slightly starchy blanket, playing a few rounds of Pony Dress Up while Stolas gets ready. Stolas’ melodic humming and the patter of the rain on his cabin window gets him sleepy in record time, and he drifts off to the feeling of a gentle kiss on his forehead and the sound of a carefully closed door.
Around him, that small sprinkle of rain ratchets up, developing into one of Envy’s famous storms. Blitzø wakes during a loud clap of thunder, sitting up in a rush. He’s not exactly afraid of storms, not really, but he has some pretty fucking horrible memories of being homeless during them, crowding under awnings or makeshift cardboard roofs to avoid the rain.
Sighing, he gets out of bed and crosses to the window. Outside, the sky is dark green, the clouds heavy. The rain is so violent that he can actually see where it hits the surface of the ocean, creating small rings around each drop. The water looks angry, too, just like the sky. Choppy and sharp.
Shit, he hopes Millie is okay. She said she doesn’t like water much on a good day. Maybe he should check on her, make sure she’s sleeping alright. That is if Moxxie doesn’t leave the show early to check on her, himself…
Blitzø decides it won’t hurt to make sure. He grabs one of Stolas’ sweaters and slips it on, thankful now for the bird’s penchant for overpacking.
A sweater for a cruise? Blitzø had teased, watching Stolas fold the fabric.
You never know, is all Stolas had said. Perhaps he’s still got some of that fancy prophetic magic lingering in his veins.
Shaking his head, Blitzø folds the sleeves to cut down on their length. Then he makes his way to the door of the cabin, swaying slightly as the ship rocks with the waves. Fuck, the storm is worse than he thought.
He grabs his keycard and wrenches open the door. Stepping into the hallway, he glances around and then stops when he hears footsteps and hurried, frantic breathing. He turns towards the sound and almost expects it to be Millie, on her way to clock him on the cheek for bringing her on this damn cruise, but instead it’s someone much taller.
Someone with feathers. Someone who smells a little bit like Stolas, but also a little bit like ash and astringent chemicals.
“Octavia?” Blitzø asks, right as she’s rounding the corner. She’s in her sleep clothes, a two piece set of pink fabric decorated with yellow stars. Her beak is trembling and there are tears in her eyes. “Hey, you okay?”
“Um, I’m looking for my dad?” she says, stopping a foot away. Her arm comes up to hug her waist, an anxious pose that Blitzø has seen her do before.
“He’s at his show, honey, but I can text him for you?” Blitzø says. “Is everything alright? Where’s Looney?”
“She’s asleep,” Octavia says, looking down. “I didn’t want to wake her.”
“Probably a good call,” Blitzø says, aiming for lighthearted. He takes out his key and unlocks the door to his cabin. “Come on, you can hang out here while I call him.”
“Okay,” Octavia says, her voice uncharacteristically small. Scared, even.
Blitzø holds the door open and she traipses in, her talons bare for once. No sign of the chunky boots she usually wears.
“Do you want anything?” Blitzø asks, shutting the door. “I think I have some emergencheese in here somewhere…”
“No, no, that’s okay,” Octavia says. “Okay if I sit here?” She motions to the small desk chair in the corner of the room, the one that faces the window slightly. Blitzø notices how she tips her face purposefully away from the outside. Lightning lights up the sky, far enough away that Blitzø can see the full outline of the strike, jagged like a tree branch. Octavia flinches, and that’s enough for him to piece it all together.
“Afraid of storms, huh?” Blitzø says, grabbing his phone. He crosses to the bed but he doesn’t sit down. Instead, he grabs the pillows and blankets, moving them to the floor next to the bed. The room had come with a fuckton of pillows and blankets, which means there's enough to pile up on the floor for a base.
Then, he strips the sheets off the bed and starts fanning them out, hanging them on the posts on the long side of the frame.
“What are you doing?” Octavia asks, tilting her head just like Stolas does when he’s confused.
“Come over here,” Blitzø says, still adjusting the sheets. “These are clean, promise, and if I know anything about storms, I know that the best spot to be is a pillow fort.”
“A pillow fort?” Octavia repeats, her voice pulling up on the end. Like she's never heard of such a thing. She walks over with quiet, hesitant steps and just watches him.
Blitzø grabs another chair and a lamp, setting them up a few feet away from the bed. He takes the other ends of the sheet and arranges them over the tops of the furniture, creating a roof for the fort. The result is a small square of space, kind of like a lopsided tent, especially since the supports on the corners are all different heights. Still, it works, and the sheet is large enough that it creates some “walls” on either side.
Brushing his palms together, Blitz pulls one side away so Octavia can get underneath. She does, sitting down on one of the cushions. Outside, the thunder continues rumbling and the boat sways with the rough waters.
Before he steps inside, Blitzø grabs a few of the horse plushies he'd packed. Then he makes his way into the fort, sitting on a cushion a bit away from Octavia. He can tell by the set of her shoulders, the way she fidgets with her talons, that the storm is still getting to her. He holds out one of the plushies and she takes it, bringing the stuffed horse to her lap. She starts combing her fingers through the mane and the tail almost immediately, bright eyes fixed on the movements.
Blitzø grabs his phone and calls Stolas, but it goes right to voicemail. Probably turned off because Moxxie is a real big stickler about that at shows. He shoots off a quick text about the situation, saying that Octavia is fine but anxious, just in case Stolas turns it back on during a break or something.
Another crack of thunder sounds outside, this time so loud that it shakes the boat. Octavia panics and brings the horse closer to her chest, her pupils darting around nervously.
“Your dad's got his phone off, so it's just you and me for now,” Blitzø starts, frowning. “I could go get him, if you want, but I don't know if you want to be–”
“I'd rather not be alone, no,” Octavia says, cutting him off. “So, um, if you could stay, that would be nice.”
“Yeah, of course,” Blitzø says, his heart aching for her. He knows she's nearly 18 and powerful as shit, but she just seems so small.
A moment of silence passes between them and Blitzø is once again keenly aware that he’s not Octavia’s favorite person. But, shit, maybe this can be an opportunity. A bonding experience or whatever. He takes a breath and thinks back to some of the shit his therapist used to tell him. “When I'm anxious, um, two things usually help,” he starts, shifting to find a more comfortable seat on the cushion. He pets the horse plush in his lap, continuing, “Either I talk so much that it makes me stop and breathe, or someone talks to me and I focus on whatever they're saying. Do either of those things sound like they might help?”
“I don't know what I'd talk about,” Octavia says, shrugging. “Not sure I can focus enough.” As if to accent her words, there's another crash of thunder.
“I get that,” Blitzø says. “Well, I can talk your ear off about my horse stuff, if you want. I've got a whole multiverse of original characters and a seventeen-point plot.”
“Seventeen-point plot, huh?” Octavia says, looking down at the horse in her lap. “Okay, I guess.”
“Alright, hold on, lemme just get comfy,” Blitzø says. He stretches out his arms and rolls his neck like he's about to run a marathon, and his antics make Octavia crack a tiny smile. He'll take that as a fucking win, thanks. Then he takes a deep breath and considers where to begin and how to make the story PG enough for Octavia’s innocent ear holes. “At the center of our story is a horse named Kaboom. Kaboom is a vers bisexual nonbinary horse, and they have a habit of having one night stands with every other character in the story. That's what makes them the center of it all, really, because they can't keep their damn hooves to themselves, and this all leads to a tangled web…”
Blitzø keeps going, filling in the details about his other characters – King Slut, Bong Water, Bleu Cheese, all the main players. Octavia watches him with a confused look for most of the story, but over time she relaxes and even asks some questions.
“How do you manage to keep all the relationships sorted out?” she asks, eyebrows scrunched together.
“Oh, I've got a whole diagram I drew out,” Blitzø says. “I drew arrows for each ship and everything.”
“Yeah, you like to draw,” Octavia says, and the observation surprises Blitzø.
“Didn't realize you noticed,” Blitzø says, smiling. He lays down on his side, stretching out more comfortably under the fort.
“I see your doodles all over the house,” she says, rolling her eyes. “You almost cried when dad erased your latest masterpiece from the fridge whiteboard.”
“That braided rainbow mane took me like ten minutes,” Blitzø says, somewhat defensively. “Those expo markers fucking suck.”
Octavia titters out this little laugh, and it's so much like Stolas. It makes Blitzø's chest warm, seeing her calmer, happier. It feels good to know he can help her like this.
“Anyway, so we left off with Slime, right?” Blitzø says, speaking through a slight yawn.
“Yeah, but if you're getting tired, I can go,” Octavia says. “The storm probably–”
Thunder cuts her off, a long rumble that makes the windows rattle.
“Nah, I wanna get through all the character introductions,” Blitzø says, talking over the sound. “Then we can actually get into the story. The real shit.”
“We're not even at the story yet?” Octavia says, widening her eyes dramatically. Blitzø doesn’t know if she’s being serious or just happy for the distraction. Either way, he plays along.
“Oh, honey, we haven't even gone over Sunbeam and Breakfast's beautiful, devoted lesbian courtship,” Blitzø says. He opens his mouth to get right into it, but a knock sounds at the door. “Maybe it's your dad, hold on.”
He scampers out of the fort and walks to the door, taking a minute to peer into the little keyhole. On the other side, he just sees a bunch of white and gray fur.
Opening the door, he's surprised to see Loona there, hair a mess and pajamas sitting half off of one shoulder. “Looney?”
“Hey, uh, so…” Loona pauses and clears her throat. “I woke up and I didn't see Via and there wasn't a note or anything so–”
“She's in here,” Blitzø says. “Come on in, Looney Tooney.”
Loona breathes out a sigh of relief and steps inside, not batting an eye at the sight of the fort. No, she just pads right over and crawls underneath.
Blitzø follows, settling himself on a cushion in front of the girls. Octavia leans onto Loona’s shoulder and he nearly cries, but he manages to hold that shit in. He'll cry later when it won't embarrass them as much.
“Surprised to see you here,” Loona says, looking around at their makeshift indoor tent. “Was it the storm?”
“Yeah, sorry for leaving,” Octavia says, her expression bashful. “I didn't want to wake you.”
“You can wake me next time,” Loona says, nudging Octavia's side gently. “But hey, dad makes a good fort, right?”
“Damn right I do,” Blitzø says, puffing out his chest. “Was just giving Octavia all the horse lore, Looney.”
“Oh, Satan, how far have you gotten?” Loona asks, smirking. “Did he tell you about the one who is trans and transphobic yet?”
“King Slut, yeah,” Octavia says, and it's hilarious to hear those words come out of her mouth, all proper and posh. “Could really use some therapy, that one.”
“Everyone in my horse universe could use therapy, sweetie,” Blitzø says, the endearment slipping out. He's just so fucking emotional, so happy, that Loona and Octavia are here and they remember the stupid shit he says about his horse OCs. He clears his throat and tries not to sound like a complete sap, offering a very casual, “Horses make no sense, you know.”
“Maybe this is an overdue question, but what is it with horses?” Octavia asks, looking at Loona and then Blitzø. “Clearly they're your favorite, but why?”
“Here we go,” Loona says, flopping down onto her side.
“That's too long of a story for right now,” Blitzø says, shaking his head. “And too sad for the stormy weather.”
“Fine, but I want to hear it some day,” Octavia says. She plays with the horse plushie in her lap, crossing its legs over each other. “You know, I could try to make a mini taxidermy horse.”
“Could you?” Blitzø asks, his tail swinging excitedly behind him. The spade thwaps gently against the sheet and he does his best to still it. “But like, I don't want any real horses to get harmed in the process.”
“Maybe just a plushie then, but like… more firm,” Octavia says, holding the animal up. The dim light of the lamp creates a horse shadow on the other side of the sheet and she smiles, making the horse walk.
“We can all make one,” Loona adds. “Maybe at the mall, at that stuffed animal factory thing.”
“I hope you're both serious about this because I might cry if you're not,” Blitzø jokes, except he's not really joking. The girls just snicker, which he takes to mean that the plans are very serious and definitely going to happen.
The boat sways and Blitzø can hear the rain as it hits the sides harshly. He purses his mouth and stands, making his way out of the fort. “I'll be right back.”
He takes a peek out of the window and shit, yeah, the storm really isn't letting up. It seems to be getting worse, the wind whipping the rain this way and that. He moves away and crosses to the closet, remembering something about an emergency kit with extra flashlights and shit. Just in case the boat loses–
“Ah!” Octavia squawks as the boat jerks more dramatically. The lamp flickers once and then there's darkness.
“Shit, I think the power’s out,” Loona says.
“Yeah, I thought that might happen,” Blitzø mutters. “No worries, I found the flashlights and my phone is charged.”
He walks back over and ducks under the roof of the fort. He sits at the front this time, in between the girls, and puts the safety kit in front of them. He hands Octavia the flashlight and she turns it on, pointing it up to the roof. It leaves her face half in shadow, kind of like when someone is about to tell a scary story. Maybe that's something else they could do together, another night when Via isn't already scared.
Humming, he grabs his phone and sends another text to Stolas. With the power outage, his show must be cancelled at this point. Unless they're pulling a “show must go on” thing.
Throwing his phone to the side, he settles onto his cushion. Via is visibly shaken, the flashlight trembling in her hand and the light wavering as it points above them.
“I texted your dad again, okay?” Blitzø says. “He’ll probably be here soon.” He watches her face carefully, sad to see her anxiety return. “Do you wanna try talking this time? See if it helps you calm down?”
“Or I can tell you a stupid ass story about Bee’s last party,” Loona says, shrugging one shoulder. “Russ got himself stuck in a barrel, it was fucking hilarious.”
“That sounds good,” Octavia says. She settles down on her side, her head near Loona’s lap.
Loona smiles, a rare, soft expression crossing her face, and she moves one paw to Octavia’s headfeathers. Brushing through them gently, she starts muttering about the party, starting with the fact that her straightener had nearly fried her bangs. She’d had to clip them away instead, which made her feel self conscious as all Hell.
“You looked cute like that, Looney,” Blitzø interrupts, scooting closer. Loona just rolls her eyes, not pausing her tale.
Mid-way through the part where Russ is about to get stuck in the aforementioned barrel, Blitzø’s phone buzzes. He grabs it, knowing before he swipes it open that it’ll be Stolas, answering his texts and calls. He peers over at Octavia and sees a very sleepy owlet, nearly lost to dreamland as Loona pets her head. He smiles and steps out of the fort, putting the phone to his ear.
“Hey, Stols,” he greets, keeping his voice low. Behind him, Loona continues murmuring, her voice a low melody against the patter of the rain. “Everything okay?”
“Oh, yes, everything is alright,” Stolas says, but he’s nearly breathless. Probably rushing to get back to the cabin, if Blitzø was a betting man. “I’m so sorry I missed your call. Is Via still there?”
“Yeah, she’s here, nearly asleep,” Blitzø says. “She was scared of the–”
“The storm, yes, she hates them,” Stolas says. “Always has, since she was a child. Thank you for watching her, dearest.”
“Well, yeah, duh,” Blitzø says. He scratches the back of his neck, moving closer to the door of the cabin. “You almost here?”
“Nearly, it’ll just be a moment,” Stolas says. True to his word, there’s the tap of talons outside and then the beep of a keycard on the sensor. The door opens and there Stolas is, decked out in his pretty outfit for the theater.
“Hey, birdy,” Blitzø greets.
Stolas smiles and his pupils dart behind Blitzø, towards the fort. His expression softens to something distinctly gooey , the red of his eyes bright in the dim light. Blitzø turns around, struck by the shadowed outline of Loona and Octavia. His heart lurches in his chest but in a happy way, in a good way, in a way he’s not sure he’s felt before.
Stolas coos, the sound muted. “How adorable,” he says. He leans down, using one elegant hand to tilt Blitzø’s jaw so they can share a kiss – a warm thing, full of heart. Blitzø leans up into it, standing on the tips of his hooves, overwhelmed by all the feelings coursing through him.
“You two better not be getting freaky,” Loona whispers, shifting under the fort’s roof. “Or I’m taking Octavia back to our room.”
“Don’t worry, Looney,” Blitzø says. He grabs Stolas’ hand and tows him towards the opening in the sheets. Stolas has to get down to his knees so he can shuffle inside, but he still manages to do that gracefully.
Inside, they all scoot around, forced into close proximity because really, the fort can only be so big. That’s fine by Blitzø, though, because it means he gets to cuddle close to all his favorite people.
Octavia starts hooting softly – just like her dad does when he’s lingering in that spot between awake and asleep – and Blitzø almost fucking squeals at how cute that shit is. Stolas squeezes his hand, apparently on exactly the same page.
“We sleeping here, then?” Loona asks, glancing behind her. Blitzø moves a cushion over so that when she lays down, her head falls right on a pillow.
“If you want,” Blitzø says, shrugging. He turns to Stolas, still dressed in his fancy shit. “You gonna be okay, Stols?”
“Oh, yes,” Stolas says. He takes off the belt cinching his waist in and curls up, laying on his side. Blitzø follows his lead, shifting to lay with his back against Stolas’ chest. Normally he’d turn the other way and stuff his snout into that soft ass fluff, but he doesn’t want to miss the sight of their daughters for a second.
“You know, I’ve never slept in a blanket fort before,” Stolas whispers, almost giddily.
“Shit, really?” Blitzø says. “This isn’t even my best work. I could make a way better one at home.”
“Let’s do that next time, then,” Octavia mutters, half-asleep, her words slurred. The three of them startle a little, surprised that she’s heard them. She shifts, her hand reaching out blindly. Blitzø’s tail moves with a mind of its own, coiling loosely around her wrist.
“Yeah, we need snacks next time,” Loona says, yawning. She pats Blitzø’s shoulder and then settles down, her tail flopping against the floor a few times. It’s long enough to reach Blitzø’s forehead, tickling the skin of his circus mark.
“And way more of your horse plushies,” Stolas adds, one hand cupping Blitzø’s waist. “Don’t you think, darling?”
“Yeah,” Blitzø says softly, eying the smile on Octavia’s face. “I’ll set up a real nice one for us next time.”