Chapter 11

"You are saying that I can eat anything?"

"As in 'all you can eat' buffet? Yes," Matthew swished a hand in dismissal, going to fill his own platter of food. "But don't just dig in there with your hands!" he called out as Ivan immediately zipped off toward a fountain of running chocolate. Thankfully, the town hall hosted a church-commemoration-buffet that day, and it was the only idea Matthew came up with to satisfy the appetite that his demon-buddy hinted he had, and for himself, as most of his breakfast was stolen underneath his fingertips.

Matthew nearly finished his first plate, and glanced worryingly around the sea of chattering old people, wondering where Ivan was. At first he thought that his pal forgot where they had chosen to sit until he saw him lumber into view. The amount of food on his plate made the tallest mountains look like ant hills.

Ivan looked pleased with the mess, plopping into the seat across from Matthew, and grabbed the closest thing on top - a chunk of steak covered in chocolate. "Mm! Juicy!" He announced, causing liquid to fly out of his mouth and onto the table.

Matthew flinched, pulling his plate away as he stared in horror. Ivan ate as if he simply peeled the flesh off of the cow it came from, and crammed it into his mouth. "Is that how they normally...enjoy their food in Hell?"

Ivan choked on the ungodly amount of food in his face. "What do you mean?"

Matthew pushed a clean fork in his direction. "Well, to be honest, you're eating like a toddler discovering how to feed himself." Despite that, he laughed. "Also, chocolate covered steak? Doesn't that taste a bit weird?"

"Are you not supposed to put chalk-oh-lat on meat? What happens if I do?"

"It's...never mind, if you like it, don't worry, but for goodness sake, Ivan, use a fork in your life! Or a napkin!"

"I tried that already." Ivan let out a sharp exhale through his nose and grasped a utensil in a fist. "It is so much easier to eat with your hands."

"Also, so much messier. Here, let me help you with that," Matthew reached over and plucked the fork from Ivan's hand, uncurled his fingers and positioned them around the metal. "Better?"

Ivan had a look of deep curiosity as he pulled away. "Yes, I can do it."

Matthew took a sniff, and shook his head when he realized he was dutifully watching instead of eating his own food.

After nine, yes nine, nine plates of food mountains later, he asked, "Are you finally done?"

Ivan folded his hands on his stomach and gave deep tip of his head. "Are you pulling legs?"

"There's no way you can continue eating, unless your stomach explodes!"

He giggled, and stifled a burp. "Which one?"

"Both?"

"I only had three slices of apple pie!"

"Oh, of course," Matthew agreed. "Only three."

~.~

~BOING~

~.~

The state of Ivan's feet could not stay ignored, so the next stop called for a small shoe department. Matthew sat on one of the seats in the middle of a narrow aisle, casually browsing his phone as Ivan tugged boxes out of the shelf to ogle at the insides. He had not realized Ivan slipped away until he returned, holding a hot pink box.

Matthew looked up and smiled. "Find something you like?"

Ivan nodded and handed him the box. "You will buy me these?"

Matthew lifted the lid before he would give an answer. His shoulders slouched when he gazed upon the bright red footwear. "Ivan? These are high heels."

"They look stunning."

"They're for women."

"What do you mean? What happens if a man wears them?"

Matthew lightly cleared his throat, trying his best not to bust into laughter. "Um, men and women have different sized feet, so they measure differently. These would be very small-"

"Oh! I will look for big numbers!" Ivan snatched the box from Matthew's hands, and was already in the next aisle before he could argue.

Is he serious? When Ivan came back with another box, Matthew realized he had to stop second guessing his decisions. "Could you put them on?"

"They are bigger. They should fit."

"Let's see how they look, eh?"

"They look dangerous! That is good!" Still, Ivan lifted the lid, carelessly dropping it to the floor, and swamped his current clunky shoes to squeeze his bruised feet into the new, shiny footwear. He straightened with a cheeky expression, which Matthew guessed meant he was supposed to eat his words. Instead, he lifted his phone to snap a picture. "What is that?"

"Nothing. Walk toward me."

Ivan's ankles wobbled, but he did not step forward.

A grin sprouted on Matthew's face. "Well?"

"Well, what?"

"Can you walk?"

"Yes."

"In the heels?"

Ivan hesitated. "I want them, though."

"Sure you do." Matthew shook his head. "Would you like to walk on ice in those?"

"You have something better in mind?"

"Actually, I do. Take off those damn things, first."

~.~

~BOING~

~.~

"Ivan? Where are you? I brought the clothes you wanted! Hopefully in your size this time," Matthew set a large collection of cloth on one of the ottomans sprinkled throughout the clothing department. He gave the changing stall doors a push, but they both swung open, unoccupied. "Ivan!"

"Oh! They have little bows on them!"

Matthew stiffened, catching on that the times Ivan was left unattended meant he would run off to find more things he should not want. "Let's hope it's not a dog collar again," he muttered as he rubbed his throat.

He found Ivan by the women's undergarments, of all places, towering over the round racks that held all different kinds of brassieres. Ivan turned around, delighted when he spotted Matthew. He held a bra up, watching it bounce as he dangled it between his fingers.

"It is very nice and lacy!" Ivan turned the cups over in his palms. "What is it?" He held the brassier in its correct position against his chest. "Is this a type of shirt? Oh, it's so round-"

Matthew snatched the brassiere out of his hands, hooked it onto the rack, and towed him back to the changing stalls. "In there, please!"

"Okay! Thank you, Matthew, but what about those bowl shirts?"

"It's for women only!" Matthew closed the door to the stall as soon as Ivan uncertainly stepped inside.

"Aw, why do women get all the good stuff?"

Matthew lingered outside until Ivan's current jacket hit the floor, and then decided to wait on one of the cushioned benches.

His cell phone rung, causing him to jump and attack his pockets. He let out a little sigh at the name on the screen and pressed the answer symbol. "Hey, Papa."

"Salut, Matthieu. Comment ça va?"

"I'm fine. There's no need to worry."

"I am just checking on my favorite oldest child!"

"I'm your only oldest child!"

"Seriously, did any creeps try to get one on you? You don't need me to scoop out their eyes or anything?"

"And terrify me in the process?" Matthew let out a lame laugh, "No, that won't be necessary."

His father chuckled deviously on the other end. "If you say so, Matthieu. Just stay safe. I would not trust anyone to not snatch away my lone, handsome boy."

Matthew coughed, "Really, Papa." He looked up when the stall door opened, and Ivan uncertainly stepped out with an entire new outlook, one that matched for once! "I don't think we need to worry about that..." A silly smile took over his face as Ivan held his arms out and spun around, giggling, and comfortable in clothes that fit him inside and out.

"Matthieu!"

"Yeah, Dad? Did you say something?"

"I did," Francis lightheartedly remarked. "I mean anyone."

"Y-yeah?"

"Oh, all right, I will let you go now. Watch out for strangers, and tell your friend I would like to see him again-"

"Yep, bye!" Matthew jammed his phone in his jean's pocket. "Hey," he called out, "you look human."

"I think I feel like one, and not like a patched quilt!" Ivan bent and ran a hand down the beige coat hanging to his knees. "I feel fabulous!" He tilted his head when Matthew fell into a long peel of embarrassing giggles. "Did you forget?"

"Heh, heh...I'm sorry, did I forget what?"

"You are supposed to tell me I am cool now!"

"Oh! You look...you look very cool!"

"Very cool?!" Ivan clamped a palm over his heart. "You flatter me, Matthew."

"You're welcome." Matthew pushed from the ottoman to get a better view. "Does anything pinch you anywhere it shouldn't pinch, or it is too-"

"It is perfect."

"Oh. Good." You're supposed to be a demon from Hell! A big, scary demon from Hell! Why do you act so cute?! Matthew turned away to grab the other garments draped over the seat, totally not grinning like a fool. "Let's see how the next ones fit."

After several outfits and mix-matching for fun, he realized any girl in his school would get jealous over how well Ivan pulled off skinny jeans, since he was feeling it, too. He also realized that this guy had no concept of money. If the fabric was soft and 'fabulous', he wanted it.

"Is that all for today?" The cashier asked, as if she were mocking them. Matthew died a little on the inside when the total rung up. He was sure his father did, too, even if he did not know it yet. Ivan glanced over at the collection of brassieres once more.

~.~

~BOING~

~.~

"Turns out, putting the floaties on my feet would not allow me to walk on water like I originally thought. I wound up buoying myself upside down underwater and almost drowned until my dad plucked me out of the pool. That was the last time I went into the deep end until my fourteenth birthday."

"Hee-hee, floaties."

Matthew looked up from smiling at the sidewalk, realizing they had arrived at the Bonnefoy house. "We're here already." He stepped onto the porch and turned to Ivan before the door. "Are you coming inside?"

"Thank you, but I think I should go now."

"Oh? I-I suppose I kept you long enough." Matthew stared at the wooden planks beneath their feet. "I hope you had fun."

"Yes! Lots of fun! You know how to 'party,' Matthew!"

Time's up. Ivan's favor from long ago has been fulfilled. Matthew's stomach flopped onto the porch. "I guess you're going to go back to Hell for good, huh?"

Ivan tipped his head, unfamiliar with the phrase. "For good?"

"You're not coming back." Of course he's not coming back, Matthew scolded himself. It's far too dangerous for a demon to be around all of these angels.

Ivan's mouth pulled down for a moment before he erupted into a flurry of giggles. "You sound so sad! Do you not want me to leave?"

Matthew tried to keep his tone cool. "I...w-well, I just thought...never mind. If you want to go, then I'm not going to force you to stay." Damn it.

Ivan grabbed one of his rosy cheeks to give it a pinch. "As if I would ever feel forced to stay! I will need to go back to Hell to check on my sisters and drop my clothes off, but now that I know how to walk among your kind a little more, and look the part, I am free to do so much whenever I please!" He leaned closer, "This is many thanks to you, Matthew."

Matthew gulped, not able to tear his eyes away from the hard look in Ivan's eyes. "Y-you're not going to...drag anybody into an alley to eat them, are you?"

Ivan stared for a long moment. A smile crushed his surprise, "Humans do not have nearly enough meat on their bones for my liking."

"So, we're like a snack if you're really hungry?"

"Matthew! No! That would be like hunting one of my own! Ha-ha, no," Ivan wheezed with laughter as his face plagued with strong color. "I would be sad if you were eaten!" He resumed to squeeze Matthew cheeks, and Matthew scrunched his nose, grinning the whole time. "Especially if I were the one doing the eating. Besides, why would I eat a person when I can eat chocolate and potatoes instead!"

The image of the combination made Matthew's stomach subtly scrunch. "Well, I'll be keeping an eye out for you if you think about causing trouble. Don't forget...I know who the angels are."

"Matthew, you are so kind, yet so dangerous. I am glad. Very glad. Do not worry about me behaving myself, and I will not worry about you behaving yourself, okay?"

A small snicker escaped Matthew, and he clamped his hands on the back of Ivan's to wrestle him away from his face. "I know how to behave myself."

That only invited Ivan to loom 'menacingly' closer and push back. "Are you trying to wound me?"

"That depends. What do you plan to do since you're wild and free?"

"I have some investigating to do!"

"Detective Ivan, huh? Are you going to bust out the cap and ol' tobacco pipe?"

"I have no idea what you are talking about, but yes."

Matthew's forearms were starting to wobble from keeping Ivan from grabbing his cheeks again, but both parties were grinning ear-to-ear from the playful exertion. "How long are you going to be gone?"

"I should have you snoop around for what I want. You are so inquisitive!"

"I think I'm going to take that as a compliment." Matthew took a gamble to move his hands from Ivan's palms and gave his chest a decent shove. Both stumbled backwards, and he laughed at Ivan's momentarily shocked (maybe impressed?) expression. "Woo, are you all right-"

Matthew's words choked off as Ivan let out a delighted growl and lunged forward to sweep him into an overbearing embrace and into the air.

"Hey, hey!" Matthew half-heartedly smacked at his shoulders to make him let go without any success, prompting the beast laugh against his sweatshirt. The arms wrapped around his lower back and below his rear tightened their grip considerably, making him gasp loud enough to embarrass himself, "R-really, Ivan! What if someone sees us?!"

Much to Matthew's feign relief, his feet hit the porch, and he yanked down his hoodie that hitched up his stomach. He let out a not-really-annoyed groan when Ivan's hands found his face again, "Hey!"

Ivan tipped his head, smiling like their noses were not less than inches apart. "Yes?"

Demons are sort of affectionate guys, aren't they? Matthew laughed a little at that, breath catching as Ivan bumped his nose to his forehead and sighed like there was nothing wrong in the world. "Um, thanks...for hanging out with me. It's been great. I liked doing fun stuff with you."

"I liked doing this 'fun stuff' with you, too, Matthew. I would like to do it again. And again." Without giving him a chance to say anything, even if he could manage, Ivan bent his head down to press his cheek to one of Matthew's. "When I come back from Hell, I will come back to you, yes?"

"I'd like that," Matthew happily agreed, even if he didn't have a choice now, tangling himself with a demon, and an extremely clingy one at that.

A soft gust of wind tickled his flushed face, and his eyes flew open in surprise when Ivan was no where to be seen. Matthew took a stiff step back, glancing around the porch in alarm from how fast the atmosphere could turn so cold. Even the bags of clothes had vanished as he bounded down the steps and looked up and down the street.

"Ivan?" Matthew called out, wondering if the whole ordeal was just his imagination. He tapped the pocket that had his wallet in it, which had his father's credit card, and he scrubbed at the side of his face. Demon are really affectionate guys.

Matthew fidgeted for a few moments, staring out into the empty yard as his teeth worryingly gnawed his lower lip before he sputtered and threw his hands in frustration, "Since when was he able to do that? No, he just...disappeared!"

Not wanting to linger and shout to the darkening skies, Matthew turned for his house, finding himself grinning like a deranged lunatic from simple, completely straight and platonic attention. A soft light ebbed from one of the upstairs. He stared for a puzzling moment, then ran up to the porch, threw the door open and shoved it close behind himself as he sloppily sprinted up the steps.

Matthew slinked down the hall on his toes, closing on his brother's bedroom, where the light peeked from under the door. He eyed the carpet, pressed against the wall, and slowly reached for the knob.

"Stupid, it's probably a night light or something," Matthew hissed under his breath, and lunged forward to throw open the door. Nothing, only the pressing darkness of approaching night. Just like Ivan, the light suddenly had vanished. He stood in the doorway, staring at the large lump on the bed that could only be Alfred. He felt himself lessen into a relaxed state from the tingly warmth in the air.

"Al?" Matthew softly called out. He hesitated in the doorway, waiting for his brother to reply, but he only heard light snores emitting from the huge bump on the bed. He pattered closer, gazing at the shape of Alfred wrapped like a burrito under the covers.

"Hey, Al, it's just after six. What are you doing in bed?" Matthew lightly prodded his brother's shoulder under the blanket, yet there was no evidence Alfred felt it in his deep slumber. "I'll leave you alone, if you aren't feeling well. Goodnight."

Matthew trudged back into the hallway, but glanced over his shoulder with narrowed eyes at the mound slightly rising and falling. He had hoped to talk to his brother, since both of them have been distracted for the past several days, and did not have any 'sit down and real talk' in a while. Pressing his hand to his cheek again, he inwardly thought to himself that the next day was a new one.

Blehps:

"No, Ivan, you are not wearing heels!"

"Yes I am! Look!" Ivan dropped the footwear to the ground and ripped off his current boots.

"No, no, don't do that!"

"Look, they fit!" Ivan performed a short cat-like strut. "Am I 'fabulous?'"

Matthew had to admit, he really did look fabulous.