Summary: As Matt and Dom go on with their mission, Tom and Morgan recall some memories.
The title of the chapter is from 'Easily' by Muse.
Chapter VII B: When you're feeling beautiful will you remember me?
When they end the first song, Matt turns to Chris and asks; "Why are you still going to work? You said that you wanted to dedicate yourself to the things that are really important, didn't you?"
"Yep, I did, but it's also true that I can't leave my job if I have not a certain stability before!" the bassist explains.
"It's so admirable that you are not an irresponsible person!" Dominic praises him.
"No, it's not admirable, it's just wise and prudent," Chris shrugs. "Anyway, you're abusing that adjective way too much!" he adds, making Dom feel awkward, which makes Matt laugh.
"When you talk about stability, you mean this, don't you?" Matt sneers, showing his magic wallet with pride.
"You have that thing, but here on Earth we humans have to work to earn a wage!" Chris snorts.
"Or you can become shamelessly rich and famous!" the devil strikes back.
"If to become like this you chase your dream with lots of sacrifices, application and self-abnegation, then you really deserve it!" the angel comments.
"That's right. So let's go on with the second song, start the guitar intro, Matt!" the human urges him.
"Okay, but let me remind you that if you don't want to go through the boring Application Walk, just a little signature is enough!" Matthew singsongs.
"I chose the boring Application Walk, now hurry up!" Chris snaps.
"One bloody day you'll surrender!" the devil mutters, before starting the riff.
Dominic ends the song with an energetic drum-solo, as both Chris and Matt's instruments let the last note ring.
"Well, if the application is at such a high level, the way of success should be already paved for you, sonny!" the blond smiles, as he twirls a drumstick between his fingers, with evident satisfaction.
"It depends by the record labels and they're ugly people, I dare to say soulless people!" Chris grumbles.
"I guarantee that. We have a huge collection of their contracts!" Matthew chuckles.
"I'm more than sure that there must be also someone good, honest and impartial and we'll find them!" Dominic comforts the musician.
"I also guarantee that not all of them rely on us!" Matt admits, snorting.
"Did you hear that, Chris? So we have some chances to have a fair success, my dear!" the angel smiles optimistically.
"Thank you, both of you. Matt, I know that even you tried to tell me something nice… your way!" Chris chuckles.
The devil's face darkens.
"You misinterpreted everything!" he barks, insulted.
"Yeah, sure," the humans goes along with him. "Well, guys, I guess I'll have a shower now, so we can go to work. If you want, you can already go and wait for me at the bus stop. I'll be as fast as I can!" the human assures, going upstairs.
"Hey, Chris!" Matthew calls him.
"Yeah?" the bassist turns to him.
"When we are famous we'll can set the alarm clock not to seven o' clock, but to… at least midday, right?" the fascinating devil asks him with a big yawn
"That's for sure!" the curly-headed guy giggles. "Well, if we don't have interviews or we have to be away for our concerts." he adds.
The two supernatural creatures stare at him dumbfounded.
"You know what? Sometimes we could set the alarm clock even much earlier than seven o'clock. Rock star life is not always rainbows and butterflies!" Chris warns them, before going to his room.
"Did you hear him? Wake-up time at sunrise and endless stress!" Matt resumes
"I didn't take that into account," Dom grumbles.
"Let's think about that, we're still in time to retire!" the brunet comments slyly.
"Sure, right after you!" the blond plays his same game.
When they arrive at the machine shop, Mr. Sober welcomes poor Chris in his usual, 'warm' way.
"So yesterday you decided to disregard your duty, didn't you?" he snaps with bellowing voice.
"I wasn't… I wasn't in the proper condition to work," his subordinate justifies, telling nothing but the truth.
"I don't doubt that, Christopher, but guess what? It made no difference to me. I replaced you faster than a blink of the eye! And what does that make you think? I'll give you the answer: you're not as necessary as you believe that you are, little boy!" his grumpy boss goes on and his thick, grey eyebrows knit, making his expression even grimmer.
"I… I've never thought I was necessary, Sir!" Chris defends.
"That man is so despicable, smarmy, infamous and cruel. I adore him!" Matt sneers, as he observes the scene with Dominic, in a corner of the room.
"It's so unfair. He has a global view of Chris that is far away from the reality! I know that guy more than that awful man, although I've been keeping a vigil over him for not even a week and Mr. Sober has hired Chris for… I don't even know how long!" the angel grumbles, quite bothered. "Matthew, we must do our best to help him make his dream come true, allowing him to do what is his real passion: the music. This is not what he was born for and this working environment is not good for him!" he adds, apprehensive, turning to his counterpart.
"Hey, don't mistake me for someone else! I'm not going to help any-bloody-one! If I want him to reach his goal, it's because I want to be a musician, also because that will allow me to control Chris better!" the devil points out with an evil smirk. "Anyway, I don't think that this working environment is damaging him. Right now I guess that nothing can damage him!" he adds, as he observes their assisted human.
"Thank you, this is your way to say that I don't have to worry!" Dom smiles at him.
"Bloody quit it, both of you! Stop thinking that I could even remotely do something … nice or… altruistic!" Matt snaps, saying those hated adjective very laboriously.
Dominic confines himself only to an inner smile.
"So, mark that in your head, Wolstenholme, I don't need you so much and outside there's plenty of people who could easily replace you!" Mr. Sober keeps oppressing Chris.
The younger man raises his head, showing his boss a big smile.
"You're right, I didn't behave properly, I wasn't a good employee, but I assure you that I'll spend the whole day trying to be a better person and a worthy resource for this company, since I owe a lot to you and this company!" Chris promises, astonishing not only his chief, but his unworldly guardians, too.
As soon as Mr. Sober leaves, Matt congratulates him, patting the human's shoulder. "That was a wonderful flattery, typical of the most sycophantic of the ass-kissers! I couldn't be prouder of you, big boy!"
"Well, after all you filled your boss with good hopes and optimistic expectations. It's a nice thing!" the angel justifies.
"No, guys, you didn't understand. I didn't say that to calm him down or to be in his good books. I really meant what I said. Besides, if I work hard, time will run faster!" the human explains, deciding to overexert himself. "Excuse me, now, but I have a lot of work to do!" he adds, opening the bonnet of a car.
The supernatural creatures can't do anything but watch.
Chris was right. Time runs so fast that it's already early afternoon, without Chris realising that giving up his lunchtime to keep working.
Mr. Sober noticed that and praised him, (which it's one in a million event) so much that this time it's Chris who would like to have a registration from Morgan's or Tom's sphere.
However, the day seems to be endless to his guardians who lay down on the floor, bored to death.
"I can't hold it anymore! How long do we still have to be waiting for?" Matthew complains, as he rubs his face with his hands.
"Still three endless hours, at least!" Dominic yawns, slipping on the floor a little more. He uses Matt's shoulder as a pillow, before closing his eyes.
For some, odd, unexplainable reasons the devil doesn't oppose to that gesture, enjoying the pleasant, soft caress of one of Dom's wings, because every time they move in synchrony with the angel's breath one wing hits the wall, but the other wing pats Matt's back.
Dom wakes up after that short nap, which didn't last more than thirty minutes, with an absent attitude, typical of who just awoke.
"Well, well, in your kingdom they're very permissive, if they allow you to sleep when you are on duty!" Matthew chuckles.
"Huh? Did I fall asleep? Is it already seven o'clock? Do we have to play music?" Dom babbles in confusion, increasing his listener's fun.
"Yeah, now I know that for sure, I can prove that god falls asleep on his job!" the devil states convincingly, as Dom regains awareness of himself and the situation.
"Well, you can't blame me if I slept. After all nothing happened, not even a little sort of pale imitation of a crossroad!" the blond complains. "What did you do as I was sleeping? You didn't take advantage of the situation, did you?" he questions the brunet immediately after.
"Just how was I supposed to do that? Chris has one thought only in his mind, which is his date with the pretty girl, this evening. How can I even think to do something? In such a state, I can't penetrate his mind, not even a little!" the devil explains.
"I thought so. So if I don't have to fight your moves or dissuade him from your temptations… I don't know what to do!" Dom yawns again. "Besides, Chris doesn't even talk to us anymore!" he adds, upset.
"But I can hear you!" Chris grumbles, as he's under the umpteenth car that he's fitting.
"It's not fun if you don't react!" Matt snorts and then turns to Dom, enlightened by an idea.
"Hey, little angel, what if we abandon him here and go shopping on our own?" he suggests, showing his red wallet.
The angel shakes his head.
"Do you remember what they said? Our wallets work only for necessary purchases and we already bought clothes!" the gorgeous angel makes him notice.
"So we can go around through the stores, without buying anything, can't we?" the devil gives another try.
Dominic seems to like that idea, but he changes his mind.
"No, we can't go far from Chris. What if something happens?" he protests.
"Whatever could happen? If nothing happened as you passed out, why should it happen now?" Matt strikes back, snorting.
"It's better not to risk!" the blond repeats. "And, for the record, it was just a nap!" he points out, insulted. "You should sleep as well," he advices his enemy.
"No way, I prefer action! I don't want to stay here standing so still as if we were playing Musical Statues! You can stay here and act like Sleeping Beauty!" Matt shrugs, getting up.
"Does it mean I'm beautiful?" Dom teases him.
"Oh, shut up!" the other snaps.
"Why didn't you take a walk around before, as I was sleeping?" Dom wonders, not liking the perspective of spending time all alone.
"I just couldn't. There was a little angel who mistook me for his bloody pillow!" Matt explains, pretending to be annoyed.
Dominic jolts.
"And did you not push me off?"
"Well, you always give me your wing, so for once I gave you my shoulder. But don't get accustomed to that!" Matt warns him, before leaving.
- He didn't push me, he could have made me fall on the cold floor but he didn't; he allowed me to sleep on his shoulder all time long, without moving, not to wake me up. Why is he so… kind?- the heavenly creature wonders, pleasantly amazed.
"What's going on? Stop it, before Mr. Sober comes here!" a male voice screams far away, overpowering a background made of incitement shouts.
Hearing it, Dominic jolts, getting up.
"I'm going check it out , do you want to come with me, sonny?" he asks Chris, but the boy doesn't even seem to have heard that hullabaloo, as he keeps working restlessly.
The angel follows the voices and arrives near the cafeteria. He sees two young men around thirty-five years as they punch each other violently, while their colleagues observe that scene.
"I know what your plan is, you know? You want to steal my job, you're aiming for that since the first day!" the first man snaps, loading a punch that hits the nose of his adversary, making it bleed.
However, the other man doesn't even seem to be in pain after that blow, as he dries the blood off his nose with the back of his hand, showing a bitter smile.
"It's not my main goal, but if I stole your job maybe I'd finally prove to you that I'm not the utter idiot you think I am!" he strikes back, punching his opponent's stomach, so hard that the other has trouble to breathe.
Dominic raises his head and sees Matthew, floating in the air, as he observes the whole show with cocky attitude.
In a few instants the angel is by his side.
"See, little angel? Finally a little bit of fucking good violence!" the stunning devil smiles pleased.
"The atmosphere is permeated by hate, scorn and rage!" Dominic comments.
"I am professional, am not I? Well, I would prefer Lust than Dissension, but… oh, bugger this!" Matthew shrugs. "Besides, I saw them glancing at the pipe wrenches on the table, so things could become even more interesting!" the brunet informs the blond, with an evil sparkle in his sapphire eyes.
"I knew ì your hand was in it!" the blond grumbles.
"What can I say, little angel? Their minds were much more penetrable!" Matt giggles.
"You messed up with their hearts, you made negative and rotten feelings overpower their souls, you caused such violence!" Dom resumes, as he keeps observing the scene. "Thank you!" he adds immediately after, showing Matt a huge, sunny grin.
"Huh?" the beautiful devil narrows his eyes, perplexed.
"Finally I know what to do. I'm going to bring peace and serenity back in their hearts. If I'm lucky, it will take me at least half an hour!" the awesome angel smirks satisfied, before gliding between the two humans and starting his job.
According to Dom's optimistic previsions, but also because of a providential meeting that kept him busy, Mr. Sober arrives to the cafeteria just in time to see former opponents hugging each other with mutual apologies, as they promise not to act in such a barbaric and brutal way again.
Matthew snorts in disappointment as Dominic drags him away.
"You never let them cause a mutual contusion or a little fracture!" he grumbles, but Dominic is in such a good mood that he ignores him.
"I really needed that, now I feel so much better and I have to thank you for that!"
"Don't you dare say that!" the brunet hisses bitterly, but that only makes Dom's smile larger.
"I can't, it's the truth!" the blond shrugs.
Fully satisfied after that whole day disguised as humans, wandering around stores, Tom goes around the corner of the last multimedia store, followed by Morgan, and they head towards an isolated alley, far from everyone's sight.
That's the perfect place to make them invisible to humans again, with their supernatural stuff back on their features.
"Hey, Morgy!" Tom calls his enemy and as soon as the archangel turns the arch-devil takes a picture, framing that expression of curiosity that is absolutely natural.
"Do you want to quit it? You're doing nothing but taking pictures and shooting videos since you've put the batteries in that blessed human junk that you've bought!" Morgan snaps, but after few seconds he slowly approaches to his nemesis.
"Can I see it?" he asks the brunet, shyly.
Tom smirks amused.
"Sure. First, I only took pictures of your human version, but now... look how I've captured so well the hateful brightness of your stupid halo!" he grumbles, showing the picture to his counterpart.
"Yeah, I must admit that. That was a good purchase after all!" the archangel beams.
"Purchase? Oh, you're so naive, one-thousand feathers!" Tom sneers.
"You stole it!" Morgan figures out, blaming Tom with his glare.
Tom captures Morgan's bothered expression in the umpteenth picture.
"Of course I did. To break the seventh commandment of that boring dude who is your Boss is so bloody satisfying!" the hellish creature laughs scornfully.
"He's not boring, it's just that he's fond of the order, you can't blame Him for that!" Morgan justifies his beloved Boss.
"However, I'm sure that our team will be victorious once again!" Tom changes topic, with a cocky smile.
"I don't think so. Dominic has a strong influence on Chris!"
"Yeah, sure, just like you thought that you had a strong influence on Henry, do I have to remind to you how it ended?" the arch-devil strikes back pungent.
"Phew, you just won by a hair's breadth!" the archangel protests.
"I don't think so, with his behavior, our dear Henry signed his damnation on his own!" Tom insists.
"It's not fair, he did so many good things for his Kingdom, he took difficult and binding choices to benefit his people. This should have been taken into consideration, at least for the Purgatory!" Morgan protests.
"It wasn't enough, if his path has been studded with lust, thirst for power, delirium of omnipotence … not to mention that 'little' issue with the Church!" the brunet laughs.
"Yours was an unfair and sneaky move, poor Henry VIII!" the blond gets upset.
"Naaah, it was simply brilliant to make him obsessed with having a male heir. Did you see what that brought him to?" Tom keeps laughing.
Out of the blue, the arch-devil approaches to Morgan as he stares at the ground, disheartened.
"Oh, don't worry, believe me, I have a special care for our protégée, I can say that in his Circle everyone treats him…as a King!" Tom burst out laughing again. "And I'll tell you more, if I had tried a little harder, maybe I could have conquered something else… or rather someone else!" he adds in a mellifluous way.
"No way! You know better than me that I would have never accepted. I have high and holy principles and I'll always have. That's why I've never fueled your evil hopes!" Morgan states firmly.
"It's true, you never encouraged me, which is such a pity and usually pity is something good for me , well good in an evil sense… you know what I mean, don't you?" the arch-devil stumbles over his complicated line of argument.
"Yep, I do, more or less!" the archangel grumbles.
"However, things could be different between our pets, your one-hundred-feathers doesn't seem to dislike at all the company of my little bastard!" Tom asserts, as he caresses his face with a thumb.
"Err… I have to admit that I noticed that, too." Morgan confesses, a little concerned. "But I'm sure it's only an excess of mercy from my dearest!" Morgan justifies Dominic, kind of nervously.
Tom giggles amused.
"You angels are so pathetic when you try telling lies!" the brunet hits the blond with his sharp straightforwardness. "Anyway, my dear, free dispenser of mercy, I have to return to my kingdom now!" he adds.
"I have to return as well!" Morgan mutters, before Tom catches him off guard and slaps the blond's ass.
"Thomas!" the heavenly creature jolts in surprise.
"Well, if you should change your mind about that issue that we have been leaving in stand-by for almost five hundred years, just ring at my iPhone!" the hellish creature winks at the blond, with a silky voice.
Morgan stares at his opponent astonished, without uttering a word.
"But hurry up. I wish I won't have to wait until the end of the world, just because.. you know, after the end of the world both you and I will be filled with work to do!" Tom explains, before disappearing into a high flame.
As he fades away, the archangel can't help smiling.
It's undeniable that devils have a very good sense of humour.
(End B)
Lol, I don't know why, but I wanted Tom and Morgan to be the guardians of a … VIP, I find that cool, and Henry VIII was just perfect :P
Hope you'll still like it, tenderness and fluff are guaranteed on part C, stay tuned ^^