Chapter 14

"I cannot believe...that little..." Francis clenched the steering wheel. Matthew nervously glanced to his occupied side as they zipped by the same street lights for the third time. "I do not know what to do with him!"

Matthew did not say anything, favoring to train his eyes to the window. His father has been grumbling since they left the restaurant nearly an hour ago. Alien abduction, he thought. Wherever and for whatever reason Arthur had summoned his brother, they were not going to find him.

"Papa," Matthew lifted his face from his hand. "We been up and down this road four times now. I think looking for Alfred will make him hide more. It'd be better for us to wait for him to come home instead."

Francis tapped the break, and Matthew grunted against his seat belt. He opened his mouth to say something, but let out a furious scoff. Enough said. The vehicle spun in a circle, making the wheels whine painfully as he threw it in reverse and sped back to the house.

Matthew jumped when his father slammed the car door behind him, and quietly hustled behind. When Francis slung his coat over one of the kitchen stools, he grabbed it and hung it with his own. This was not a good silence. Francis reached for the coffee maker, and they both knew it would be a long night.

~.~

~BOING~

~.~

When Francis stood up from his seat to fetch a third cup of caffeine, Matthew told him, "Papa, the coffee won't help matters."

"No, it will help me stay up so I can give that boy a piece of my mind when he comes home!" Francis settled back into his stool with a huff. Coffee splattered on the counter, but he only glowered at the mess.

If he comes home. Francis did not know or need to know his doubts or Alfred's previous behaviors. Matthew gulped, trying in a small voice, "You have to get up really early to catch your flight. You're not going to be able to sleep if you're shaking so much."

"Matthieu, why does it seem like you are sticking up for your brother? Are you fine with him ditching our only outing we were able to have in months?"

"Not at all, Papa," Matthew looked to his feet. "I think he knows what he has done, and will eventually return home." Please, please, let that be true. "He'll get too hungry and cold if he stays out too long."

Francis took his mug away from his face, staring with an exhausted remix to the All Knowing Gaze. He then sighed, "I suppose he will. I will try to get some sleep, but I will not guarantee anything."

Matthew gave him pleased smile and put his cup in the sink. "Bonne nuit, Papa."

Francis hesitated in the hallway doorway. "Matthieu, you know something."

"Um, i-is that a question?"

When Francis didn't say anything, Matthew risked a peek over his shoulder, though immediately glanced away from that distraught stare. He squeezed his eyes shut as Francis turned to the stairs, standing in near-silence for a long moment as his jaw clenched and unclenched.

That's it.

Matthew snuck his hand into his pants pocket to pull out his cell phone. He had tried contacting his brother after they left the restaurant, under his father's orders, but Alfred never picked up. However, the screen lit up with a call from nobody else but him, actually calling back. He blinked in surprise before touching the answer button and putting the device to his ear. "Al?"

Loudly, "Oh! Mattie!"

Matthew flinched, "What, what? What happened? I tried calling you earlier-"

Another voice snarled, "What the bloody Hell do you think you're doing?!"

"Mattie, I got to make this quick! Are you at the house?"

"What? Um, yeah? Why-"

That someone else announced, "You better make that quick, Alfred."

Alfred ignored that, "You are? Oh, good-"

Matthew snorted, unable to help a sneer coming from his own face, "Is that Arthur's voice? What did he want so bad that you decided to ditch your family on an important outing?!"

There was silence on the other end. Matthew took his phone away from the side of his face to check if the call died, but the timer still ticked. "I...I can't tell you, Mattie." Alfred quickly added, "Not now, at least. So, please, please stay inside, lock all the doors and windows, and close the curtains, all right? Make the house seem like nobody is awake, just like everyone else's. I'll be home by morning, I promise."

Matthew wanted to ask how often his brother kept his promises, but he seemed unusually serious. Alfred was frightened. Cruel words died on his lips, "I...oh." He cleared his throat to sound more resolute, "I don't know what's going on, Al, but you better come home. I'll be mad at you forever if you died or anything!"

Alfred giggled quietly from the other end, "Don't worry about me, Mattie! I have a guardian angel by my side!" To someone else, "Whoa, where are you going?"

"Al...?" Matthew slowly peeled his phone away as the timer beeped, signaling the call disconnected. So, he does know. Even if he was personally skeptical of Arthur, of what he wanted or what he was doing around in such an insignificant town, worrying for insignificant people, he was sure that whatever was between them, the angel would not allow harm to come to his brother. Yet what harm was it, for Alfred to become uncharacteristically serious like that? He did not know, and the room began to wobble.

Whatever was scaring the likes of Alfred was outside, so Matthew knew there was no way he was going into the cold, dark world and investigating. That is how people die all the time in horror movies, and he was not about to become an example himself. He caught a glimpse of a nearby street light flickering at the road as he yanked the kitchen curtain shut. Then, he hurried around the house, closing all the downstairs curtains and made sure the windows were locked.

The rear door did not have anything covering its window, so just locking it and turning the deadbolt would have to do. The nakedness pulled Matthew to gaze into the back yard, and he tensed as wind ripped through the snowy grass. If something scared Alfred like that...could this be bigger than angels and demons?

Then again, Alfred did not know about the demon-parts.

Right?

For a moment, Matthew thought he was being paranoid about the nightly whooshing and scraping of tree branches against the house, and jerked away to go anywhere else. However, from the corner of his eye, a shadow fell in front of the door. He jumped hard enough to hurt himself, stupidly flailed his arms, and wound up hitting the hardwood floor. "Mother-!"

Ivan's face was on the other side of the window, looking down at him with an expression that could pass as fright in his slitted eyes. Hot breath blew clouds against the glass, and he dared to giggle for a quick moment at Matthew's blight. "Matthew!" Matthew's gaze jumped to the door knob jiggling. "Let me in!"

The doors were locked. No way in. Just like the way Alfred wanted it.

This is what Alfred was afraid of.

Ivan hovered closer, tapping the glass with a long nail. "Matthew? Please let me in. There is an angel out here and he is small, but very angry."

"W-why are you..." Matthew started, but Ivan only tipped his head, probably not able to hear. He pushed himself from the floor with an ugly grunt, still staring. What do I do? What do I do?! He took a step back as Ivan pressed his forehead to the window and closed his eyes, as if Matthew was against the other side.

Then, Ivan turned and started tapping a thick horn curling from a side of his head against the glass, almost impatiently.

Matthew let out a little laugh, "It's Ivan, yeah."

As soon as the locks clicked, Ivan shoved open the door and tackled the floor. "Whoa!" Matthew slammed the door shut and locked it again. "Are you all right?!"

"I can smell the angel everywhere." Ivan patted the floor and quickly glanced side-to-side like something would come out of the walls. "Are you alone?!"

"Y-yeah." Matthew took a step toward his friend. Stopped. Dark, naked wings quivered from the demon's broad back. He sighed at himself and knelt beside Ivan with a hand out. "Well, Dad's upstairs. Come on, get off the floor."

"Francis is here?!"

"Shh! Yes, but he should be sleeping right now"

"I...oh," Ivan took a deep breath, stilled for a moment, and then hovered closer to squish his forehead against Matthew's. "Hush-hush."

"Mm-hm!" Matthew closed his eyes against the warmth seeping into his skin and grinned when everything went quiet again. "What are you so worked up about?"

"Alfred is out with that angel."

"I know."

Ivan yanked away with a noise of strong disgust. "You know?!"

"I-I mean...yes! I know that, but I don't know why. We were out to dinner, and Alfred just ran on us to get to him."

"He was...Alfredo did that? That must have been when the little angel caught my trail."

"Wait, Arthur found you out?! When?"

"Just a little bit ago! Did I not say the angels take their duties extremely seriously? I..." Ivan clamped his mouth shut with a little shake of the head. "I...I was stupid. So very stupid. I should've just walked like a human. So unsuspicious. No. I was in a rush to get back here, and I saw the glowing coming after me. I couldn't lead him here. My little safe haven."

Matthew's eyes drooped toward the floor. A claw grazed his cheek. "I'm fine. I just...you should cloak yourself before he picks up the trail again." He prompted as Ivan just stood there, staring, "Before things get worse?"

"I cannot do that."

"What."

"I am too riled up. Talk about something."

"About what?"

"Anything!"

"Uh..." Matthew held up a hand. "How many fingers am I holding up?"

"What? Four. Matthew-"

"Sorry, that was stupid." Matthew glanced away again, and Ivan stuck his nose amongst his hair. He hoped it smelled good. "We both know that if Alfred ran out to get to Arthur when he was looking for you, so I think it's safe to assume that Al knows that Arthur's an angel. Right?"

"Right. A safe assumption." Ivan lightly scoffed, "Does your brother not have a sense of smell?"

"I'm not sure. Maybe you should ask him."

"Ugh, no. He is such an angel's boy. I almost ran into him outside, and he screamed at me."

"Really? What'd he say?"

"He just screamed!" Ivan didn't laugh. "Am I...am I an ugly creature, Matthew?"

"What?! No! Y-you're just..." Big. Poor Alfred. "Not something someone would expect to see at night."

Ivan let out a grunt of thought, but he still did not hide his demon-ness yet.

Matthew lifted a hand and rested against his bicep, if that could give a bit of encouragement. "Maybe...maybe we should go talk to Arthur. Make him see that you're not going to cause trouble like other demons."

"What?!"

"Wait! Please, many people have the wrong notions of your kind, or rather some of your kind, but that's just overexaggeration, right? I mean, Arthur's probably just chasing you down because that's what he's been told to do, and if we try to get him to see what's really going on, then...!"

Nope, no luck getting Ivan to smile and nod. "Matthew, I thought we said we are keeping this between us. Hush-hush. If you run up to the angel and start spouting off these things, he is going to think bad stuff about you! I cannot let that happen!"

"Why would he think bad of me?"

"Because you have shown mercy on a disgusting thing like me."

"You're not-"

"Do you really think he'll see it that way?" Ivan kept his voice low, "We used to be something of nightmares, Matthew. We...we used to do those bad 'demon' things you think of when you see me. Tempt humans. Eat their bodies when there was nothing else, and consume their souls. But that was long ago, before my parents' parents' parents' parents!"

"Okay, okay! I'm not blaming you for eating anybody!"

"This little angel would not know! They were these...these messes of feathers and light...but then they...adapted? Whatever your kind has done to them, they have became...stronger. So, they drove us back to Hell for good, and none of us will never see the Sun, or play in the snow, or-or...or-!"

"Ivan, please chill out. There are no angels here right now, all right? Just us."

Ivan took in a big inhale. Blinked. Let it out with a teeny uplift of the lips. "Yes, you're right. So that...is something they always have done. Something they will always do."

"What do you mean that we did something to the angels to make them stronger?"

"You are an inquisitive one, and I do not expect anybody else to know and tell you. I only know what I learned from asking around Hell, and even then, that is not much. When you asked me if demons eat humans, I said no, and that is not a lie, but it is not the truth, either."

Matthew jerked from his clutch. "You do eat people!"

"Matthew, please, let me explain myself. 'Eat' is a difficult word. I should say 'feed' instead."

"Ew! Don't they mean the same thing?"

"No, because when angels and demons feed on humans, they are not even aware of what is going on. We eat as all living things do, but we get our true strength by festering sin from your kind, and angels embrace the goodwill of humans. It is just another way we have become so different, and they will continue to beat us down every time we try to come out. That is why Arthur won't listen. You're just food for me in his many eyes."

"Am I?"

"Matthew...no. I don't eat my friends."

"Me either."

"But I thought humans don't...oh, well, that is a good thing, too."

Matthew sprung a big smile, and decided to give the demon a taste of his own medicine by standing on his toes and bumping their foreheads together. "Go get yourself covered up."

"Oh! You..." Ivan blinked like a dummy as the tables have turned, before grinning and ducking into the bathroom.

When the door shut to give the guy a moment of solidarity, Matthew's shoulders slouched. "Jeez, Al, what did you get yourself into?"

Something jostled the front door knob. Matthew snapped his head in that direction, automatically backing away to hover against the bathroom door. "Mattie!" A loud groan that could only be Alfred, "I forgot my keys!"

"Of course you did." Matthew glanced behind himself before hurrying down the hall.

"Let me in, man!"

When Matthew opened the door, Alfred bustled inside and slammed it shut, enough to send a tremble through the house. He shook his arms with a yell from the cold, but stopped before his brother. "Uh, hey, Mattie. What's up?"

"Is everything all right?"

Alfred scrunched his eyebrows together, and he stepped forward to peek in the kitchen. "Are you?"

"You ran out on us at dinner! Dad's super pissed at you. What happened?" Matthew narrowed his eyes and nonchalantly scooted in front of him. Alfred stared, grimacing. "You said you were going to tell me what is going on."

Alfred must have been expecting something to leap out of the walls. "No, I didn't!"

"So what? I deserve to know."

"I...I can't say."

"Yes, you can."

"No," Alfred tried going around, but Matthew stepped in the same direction, and back when he went the other way. "Dude."

"Don't 'dude' me. I know something freaking freaky is going on."

"Yeah!" Alfred tersely agreed. "I know something freaking freaky is going on."

Matthew scoffed, "So, you're going to play hero games and act like I don't care?"

"It's not that, Mattie-"

"Then what is it?!"

Alfred's mouth popped open, and he took a step back. "That's th-the..."

Matthew glanced behind himself. Ivan had just emerged from the bathroom, looking human, and stared at the both of the brothers with an innocent smile. "Why is he 'freaking out?'"

Alfred let out a pathetic laugh that went on for a second too long. "Seeing you pop out of nowhere is enough to give me the creeps, dude!"

"Thank you. I am trying my best."

"Blech! Could you like, leave? I got to talk to Mattie." When Ivan simply stood there, unwavering, Alfred punctuated, "You know...alone? Without anybody else in the room?"

Matthew rolled his eyes, but nudged his friend away, "Maybe he's right. Stop by some other time, okay?" He hoped the long look he sent Ivan gave him the message to stay safe.

Ivan sprung a smile. Message received. "Yes. You will see me again very soon."

"Oh?" Matthew giggled as Ivan nestled their cheeks together for a quick moment before fleeing into the cold, unforgiving world. "Uh, uh, yeah, bye." He gave his face a quick swipe, giving Alfred a look to even try to say something smart. "What?"

"Pfft, nothing."

"Okay...are you going to tell me what's going on now?"

Alfred sucked in a breath through his teeth. "I really want to, Mattie, but-"

Matthew crossed his arms. "And you are going to. Don't even say that I'm not going to believe you, either. I have been your brother for more than eighteen years now. When it comes to you, nearly anything is possible."

"Wow, that's actually kind of uplifting." Alfred sniffled and straightened. "Okay, fine. Your boyfriend is a demon."

"He's not my boyfriend."

Alfred stared. "Seriously, dude?"

Matthew shrugged.

"Oh. My. God. Demon. From Hell? You know, with fiery flames and torturing of souls? Pitch forks? Red horns?!"

"Al, he's nothing like that." His horns aren't even red.

Alfred lowered his hands from flapping all crazily. "Nothing like...you knew?" Before Matthew could manage anything, he sputtered, "And you didn't tell me? What the fuck, man! I thought we were bros!"

Matthew gaped, and had to manually close his mouth. Alfred's with me? "We are, Alfred, but what did you do when you first found out what he really is?"

"Oh, ha-ha! I totally didn't freak out! I mean, it was dark, and I saw this giant demon right in front of me, yeah! Totally chill. Don't worry."

"Right. It's not something that I'm going to announce over dinner. I wanted to tell you, but I...I didn't know if you knew about angels and demons actually existing, and I didn't feel like jeopardizing Ivan's secret..."

"Angels? You know that Arthur's..."

"The glowing gave it away."

"Right..." Both brothers trailed off to gaze at the floor. At least, until Alfred's legs started to dance. "Dude! Angels and demons!"

Matthew smiled, slightly stunned. "Uh...yeah!" Alfred is with me on this one!

"This isn't a normal Sunday night anymore, is it?"

"You can say that again!" Please don't.

"What are we going to do? We can't let them find out about each other!"

"Arthur doesn't know Ivan's a demon? Oh! That's...that's awesome!" Lots of things are awesome now. "He's disguised, so I think he'll be okay." Matthew had to ask, "Why did you suddenly ditch us at dinner?"

"Wait, my food!" Alfred clutched at his head, "Did you guys pack it up?!"

"Oh, my God! Yes! It's in the fridge!"

"Oh! Oh, man! Yes!" Panic averted. "Okay! So, Artie was like, 'Yo! There's a demon!' And I was like, 'No way!' But then he's telling me to stay where I am - this was at the restaurant by the way - but I wasn't going to do that when there was a demon flying around!"

"Uh, huh. Al," Matthew suggested, "how about we go into the living room?"

"Sure thing! You still got the snacks, or did you eat them all?"

"There's still snacks, lard butt."

"Hey!" Alfred let it slide as they tumbled onto the couch together with mischievous grins. "Wait, let me text Artie real quick! Gotta tell him to chill out."

Matthew rolled his eyes as Alfred pulled out his phone and tacked a bunch of smiley faces on the screen. "So, what happened then? You ran out?"

"Yeah!" Alfred sat up to snag some leftover snacks. "I ran out to meet him, and uh, let's just say he wasn't really happy about that-"

"Surprise, surprise."

"Dude."

Matthew put a hand to his mouth. "Oh, did I say that aloud?"

With an occupied mouth, Alfred said, "We were running around, looking for the guy, and then, I saw him, but Artie didn't. I called you because you know, 'Ahh! Demon! Out on the loose! Stay indoors!' But apparently Ivan's not out on the loose." He put a thoughtful hand to his chin, "I got to explain to Artie that Ivan isn't going to eat people without telling him that Ivan is the demon at the same time. Oh, boy."

As long as Matthew did not have to deal with him.

Alfred whistled, "Dude, when I realized what was going on, what he really was, I thought you had no idea. I thought he had plans to get all chummy with you, and then eat your soul or something!" He tossed a wink to Matthew, "I know now, so don't worry, man. He's not going to really do that is he? Kind of takes away the element of surprise."

Matthew snickered as Alfred's phone buzzed. "No, Al. Ivan doesn't eat people." Alfred started to pitter against the screen with his tongue sticking out. "He actually likes chocolate and potatoes. Sometimes both at the same time."

"What?!" Alfred tore his face from his phone. "Chocolate and potatoes?! That's...ew!"

Matthew grinned and stuck a potato chip in his mouth.

"So, he isn't here to rain fireballs from the sky. Huh. I mean, I didn't see him do anything 'bad' so far behind anybody's backs that you'd think a demon would do." Another message. Alfred barely glimpsed at this one. "Unless he's hatching an evil plan to enslave the whole human race!"

"Al, the first time he came up here, he got stuck in a tree and tore his wing. Before I bought him clothes, he would take them from people's wash lines, even if they didn't fit. He did not see anything wrong with wearing heels. I don't think he has ulterior motives besides his own curiosity."

"Huh. Mm-hm."

Matthew left his brother to his own devices to chew it all over.

"Wait..." Alfred did a double take. "Did you say Ivan tried to wear heels?"

"Oh, yeah! Hee-hee!" Matthew pulled out his phone and went to his photos. "I even have a picture of it!"

"Are you serious?!" They squished together to stare at the screen. Alfred slowly cracked a grin. "Do you think you can get him to wear a dress?"

"He tried to get me to buy him a bra. He thought it was some kind of shirt, so...probably."

"Pfft! Wow, big, tall fella from the deep pits of the Earth, rocking heels and a dress. I'd pay to see that." Alfred quickly added with an obnoxious laugh, "I mean I'd pay to see and laugh at him."

"Me, too." Matthew tucked his phone away, and sat on the new silence between them. Just them, two brothers to themselves again. He shyly smiled as he bumped against Alfred's arm. "I missed this, Al."

"Aw, I missed you, too, Mattie! My man!"

Matthew bit back an excited squeal, "Are you going to bed anytime soon?!"

"Eh, it's a school night...we really should..."

Both busted into laughter. "Yeah, right! Come on, you said you'd play video games with me! Technically, it's still the weekend."

Alfred snatched one of the controllers from the litter of empty snack bags and other remotes and grunted like a barbarian, "Me Player 1!"

"Of course."

Just as they flicked on the TV screen, the ceiling creaked. They looked up, and a door from upstairs opened. Footsteps marched down the hall, closer to the stair case. It was too late for them when they realized, "Dad's coming!"