Chapter 30

"You seemed to be in a hurry to leave your house."

"Ugh, I was! Don't get me wrong, I love my dad, but sometimes, he can be a bit dramatic."

"A bit," Ivan agreed, gripping the undersides of Matthew's legs to adjust his weight as he carried him on his back through the town's sewers. "I am glad you agreed to return to my home after you broke your foot."

"I didn't break my foot, I only sprained my ankle!"

"Well, let us not do that again."

Matthew giggled as he squished against Ivan's back. "Yeah, let's. I mean, let's not sprain any ankles." The pair was quiet besides Ivan's feet landing on the metal walkways and his ragged breathing. "Am I too heavy?"

"Do not worry about it."

"But I have the book bag on and everything-"

"What kind of man, let alone demon, would I be if I could not carry my beloved through these disgusting waters? No, you stay there, right where you are until we get to the rift."

"Um, okay," Matthew buried his face into the scarf wrapped around Ivan's neck. Beloved. Such a cheesy and wonderful thing at once. "Is that far from here?"

"Do you forget our previous trip already?"

"It was only one time, and it's dark. I can't see anything."

"You do not need to. As long as you keep going straight, you are headed in the right direction." Ivan took a deep breath, as much as he could with his luggage, "It is stinky here. Would you mind if we hurry along a bit more?"

"Um, what do you mean by that?"

"I can see much better in the dark in my true form, and I can use the shadows to speed us along."

"Oh, okay, cool." Matthew shrugged. "I wouldn't mind at all."

"There needs to be some adjustments in your position, then. I must carry you in my arms. My wings would get in the way."

"Yeah, like I said, I don't mind. I'm sick of smelling crap...literally."

Ivan set Matthew on one of walkway platforms on each side of the tunnel, and peeled off his long coat. "Hold this, please. I need a moment."

Blindly reaching out until he grabbed a handful of soft fabric, Matthew curved the coat over his arms before it could drag in the water. There were no sources of light between them, so he could not see what have happened to Ivan, and why he had become so quiet. "Ivan?"

"Ah, do not be startled, Matthew-" Ivan's words were interrupted by a startled wail, "Oh, there's...it hurts! Damned angels!" A sharp tearing sound. "There goes my nice sweater, too." His giggle died for disbelief, "Wait..."

"Hey," Matthew reached out and groped a large wing. "Is everything okay?"

Something clattered onto the walkway, and Ivan whispered, "Uh oh..."

"What happened?!"

"My thing fell out again."

"What do you mean it fell out?! And again?!"

"I mean that it fell out! What else could it mean?!" Ivan shifted, probably to snatch the large jewel-thing before it would get ideas to run away. "It happened when I...showed your father myself, but there were other things happening at the time..."

Matthew patted around until he was standing in front of the demon. "Is it broken?"

"I do not think so..."

His fingertips crept against Ivan's sweater until he brushed against the spot where the piece was embedded into his skin. It was wide, thin, but strong, so it left behind a long score stretched across Ivan's left breast from its absence. "Can you just...pop it back in?"

A rustle of fabric, "Hm, yes, I should...agh!"

"Ivan?!"

"That brings me back to the snowy field."

Matthew groped around again, and the back of Ivan's over shirt had long slits running down its height, but with no extremities. "Oh, it worked. Weird." He placed his other hand over the jewel-thing. "I wish it didn't hurt that much, though."

Ivan set his forehead against his and let out a happy sigh. "Me too. We should continue, yes?"

"If you're ready."

He pulled away to wince and quiver again. "I need a moment...ah! Wow, that is painful!"

"I'm sorry."

"You do not hurt me. Do not apologize. Ha, I caught it before it fell again!"

"It's my fault you have to do this."

"Are you really at fault when I do not mind the outcome?" More cloth rustling, then two hot palms clamped over Matthew's cheeks. "Do not blame yourself. I will not listen, okay?"

Matthew clenched his jaw, but lost to surprise as the warmth shifted from his face to arms grabbing his waist and lifting him from the sewer walkway. He squeezed his eyes shut, clutching the large coat he carried for reassurance as Ivan glided the rest of the way. He figured angels, with their feathers and the wind, would smoothly sail, but it seemed the darkness cradled and carried them silently through the tunnels. That, or he simply grown to admire this demon over any angel.

The next time Ivan's feet landed, they set on solid, dirt covered ground. Peeks of light shone through a pile of boulders, signaling the end of the lengthy journey. "Ah, home, I can smell it even from here."

Matthew tried to take a few whiffs, only to recoil when he caught a deep breath of the sewers. Ivan set him down, and they both went to work, shifting and moving the rocks to expose the large expanse of angry, red-orange sea. A swell of heat lifted into their faces, and his legs started to feel a bit weak.

"Are you ready?"

All Matthew could think about was that drop. Not even the lava seemed so bad. He looked up, eying Ivan's outline through the dim brightness. A large hand hovered, waiting for him, and without a word, he reached to hook an arm behind his neck, and he was lifted from the ground once more.

"Nervous?"

"What? No!"

Ivan giggled and nudged their cheeks together. "You are bunching up my shirt!"

"So what?" Matthew gulped, trying to keep his eyes on anywhere but the flickering light. "Just drop down already."

"If you say so!" Ivan did not wait to finish his own sentence to step off the ledge, letting the both of them plunge toward the fiery pits below. "Ha-ha, wee!"

Matthew could not manage to say anything, out of enjoyment or terror, as he shoved his face into Ivan's scarf. Up, and down, up, and down, closer and closer to the great fires that approached way too quickly-

Just like last time, Ivan set him on solid ground a decent way away from the lava's might and had to pry his fingers away. "You handle it well," he granted a pat to the head before urging Matthew toward the dark building on the other side of bridge.

"What, plunging more than fifty feet toward a huge lake of lava without screaming? Yeah," Matthew swiped the back of his hand across his forehead, "I think so, too. Wait, I have to take off my hoodie."

"Is the heat getting to you already?"

Fighting with all of those thick overcoats in his arms, yes, it kind of was. "Let's keep going,"

They approached the secluded building, but before either of them got too close, the doors swung open from the inside. "Brother!" Irunya cried in joy. She looked over at his company and gasped, "And little Matvey! You're back!"

"Oh, hi-" Matthew flinched when the she-demon threw her arms around him after her brother, kindly forcing them into an embrace. How the Hell did she know we were coming? He glanced up to the many holes-as-windows dotting the building. And did she just call me little?!

Still, Matthew gave a friendly smile when Irunya released him, allowing stale air back into his lungs. "You're walking on two feet again! Wow, humans must heal fast!"

Ivan said, "No, angels heal fast." His sister looked confused, but he shook his head. "A lot happened in our absence; too much to tell now. We should go inside. The heat is getting to Matthew."

Irunya tossed him a sympathetic look. "Oh, you must be used to those horrible, frigid temperatures, with all that ice!"

"It's not so bad," Matthew mumbled, but she was already headed inside.

Ivan latched onto his elbow, urging him to follow. "Where is Natalia?"

"I think she is resting at the moment. Oh, she will be so happy when she finds out you returned!"

Matthew raised his eyebrows. "What are we going to do once we get settled?"

Ivan's eyes jumped to the carvings of vines and flowers climbing the entrance hall's pillars. "It will be a surprise."

Gently, "Everything is a surprise, isn't it?"

Irunya sighed in feign worry, "That means he does not know yet."

Ivan's cheeks blossomed pink, and he insisted, "No, no, it is a surprise."

"Oh, Vanya, do not take it to heart. I know you do." Irunya glanced to Matthew and asked, "Do you plan on staying for a longer time than the last? It was cut off too soon. You hardly had a taste of what Hell has to offer!"

"I plan on spending my entire Spring Break here, which is about a week."

"Spring...Break?" Irunya's light voice bounced up the stairs as they ascended to the upper floor. "Is a week a long increment of time?"

"It's..." Matthew scrunched up his face, unsure how to explain time to someone that does not live with its guide. "It mounts up to about seven sleeps. Like, if you go to bed and wake up seven times later, that is a week."

Irunya hummed in thought as her brother smiled through the ordeal. "That is not that long."

"It is enough to get things done," Ivan said, pausing beside his bedroom door. "Now, Irunya, if you do not mind, I would like to 'get settled.'" Matthew broke into a wide yawn. "I am certain Matthew does, too."

"Oh, that is right! You two must have had a long journey. We can talk when you awaken, yes?" Irunya gave her brother a quick hug, who did not budge this time. "You, too Matvey. Take care."

"Mat...vee?" Matthew echoed as Iruyna hurried toward the steps.

"Irunya and her 'Nick' names." Ivan grinned ear-to-ear, revealing his sharp incisors. "Sort of like your brother."

Matthew eyed him apprehensively. "Alfred gives me enough nicknames as is."

"I do not think 'bro' and 'dude' are suitable terms of endearment."

"Can you say that again?"

Ivan tipped his head. "What, 'bro' and 'dude' not being endearing names?" Matthew began to giggle madly, much to his confusion. "Unless you like being called those?"

"No, no, I'm just being silly," Matthew shrugged it off, and opened the door to the master bedroom.

"Oh, of course," Ivan stared after him. "Why did I not expect that?"

"Um, can you stay out there for a bit? I'm going to get dressed for bed."

With a heavy sigh, Ivan closed the door, and propped against the wall. Matthew snickered at his dramatic turmoil, and tossed a sweet, "Thanks, dearest," over his shoulder. After peeling off most of his winter gear and stuffing them into his bag, he announced, "You can come in now. I'm decent."

An embarrassing noise of glee slipped from the other side of the door, followed by Ivan roughly clearing his throat. The door slowly opened, and he said, "You are decent, at worst." His eyes immediately jumped to the bed, to Matthew sitting in the middle of the enormous mattress. He noted the plain tee shirt and boxers, "No silky pajamas?"

Matthew drew a finger beneath his shirt collar. "They're in my bag, but it's too hot for them right now." His face scrunched up. "It's going to be like this the whole time, isn't it?"

"It is Hell," Ivan pointed out, nearing the bed, and frowned as Matthew repeatedly tugged on his tee-shirt collar to get some kind of air flow.

"I feel like it's hotter in here than it is outside. You wouldn't happen to have air conditioners or fans on hand would you?"

Ivan tore his gaze from Matthew's underwear. "Leg pulling?"

"Yeah, you got me."

"I can bring someone in here to wave a cloth fan on you. Kings and queens have it done, do they not?"

Matthew cringed at obnoxious thought. "No...that'd be kind of weird having somebody standing there the whole time." Especially while he slept. "And they would hurt their hands!"

"You think about others, even when you are suffering." Ivan shook his head and peeled off his footwear. "Are you certain you are not an angel?"

"What?" Matthew snorted as the bed dipped and shuddered as Ivan flopped beside him. "I'm sorry, that question just took me by surprise, coming from a demon and all."

"So, you are not here, bent on destroying my existence?"

"Nope, none of the sorts, ha-ha! I'm just an ordinary human."

"Ordinary?" Ivan snorted. "Why do you talk down on yourself like that? Do not apologize about it, either."

Matthew smiled down at himself and meekly shrugged.

"Did someone put that in your head?"

"Do you mean, do you have to kick someone's ass? Nope," Matthew pressed an endearing kiss to the side of Ivan's mouth before making a move to turn over and finally go to sleep. "Chill out."

Ivan clamped his hands onto his shoulders, then his face, bringing his warm breath and body close, "How can I 'chill out' when we are alone, beautiful?"

He was right; it has only been a week or so, but Francis had been hovering the entire time since the big demonic reveal, like Ivan would burst forth and rain fireballs onto their house and eat the townspeople's babies. Not to mention Alfred not-so-discreetly moping from his beloved angel taking a who-knows-how-long trip back to Heaven to do who-knows-whatever angels do.

Matthew muttered against his lips, "That was real freaking cheesy."

"No, not cheesy." Ivan pulled away to plant a palm over Matthew's forearm. He lifted his hand, then put it back again, holding it there for a long moment. Matthew squirmed from the heat trapped against his skin. "Sweaty!"

"Oh, come on..."

Ivan craned his neck back, staring at the dark canopy over their heads. "I thought that my home seemed hotter because I was becoming familiar with the surface's temperature, but this is much warmer than it should be."

"Good. So, it's not just me."

"That is not good, Matthew! The vents should be filtering cool air into this place. Instead it feels stagnant." Ivan pulled himself to sit with a weary groan and took a few whiffs. "Something smells stagnant, too."

Matthew sniffed, but luckily, his cologne was doing its job. If he knew it would be this miserable, then...perhaps he could have not been so eager to jump into a jacuzzi of lava and 'stagnant' air. "I don't remember it being this gross before."

"Neither have I." Ivan rose to his feet, wobbling on the bed, and tugged the canopy back to reveal slits in the ceiling. "The mountains have cool air that we trap and guide down to our home, but...that is not happening right now. So, it feels very gross."

"Gross," Matthew agreed. I just want to go to bed and cuddle, dang it. Neither of which would happen when Hell was as hot as...well, 'Hell.'

Ivan poked a claw into the vent, but that did not seem to do much. He stood on his toes and sniffed again. "What is that? There is a very slight coolness here, but nothing over here...I do not like this. And that smell! Ew. Just...ew."

"Maybe something's clogged in there?"

"What?! How could..." Ivan's eyes went wide. "Matthew! You are so smart!"

"Yeah, that'd be-" Matthew yelped as a great body fell back onto the bed, throwing his arms around him and kissing his face all over. "Hey, hey! Stop it!" Hard to be taken seriously when he laughed, "Ivan, it's too hot..."

Ivan pulled away with a big sigh. "We need to do something about this! I want to hug and kiss my Matthew again!"

Matthew butted his head against his shoulder, and even then, he hardly wanted to move. "We could stuff a stick in there or something."

"Ha-ha, a stick? How silly! These are big tunnels! What would a stick do?"

Am I silly, or am I smart? "Gee, I don't know, honey. How big is 'big?'"

Ivan was silent for a few moments, glowering at that vent again, before a wicked smile cracked along his face. "Big enough. Not for me, but I know someone small to fit into the pipes and see what is 'up!'"

~.~

~BOING~

~.~

"I will be back before you sleep again."

As much as it pained him to stuff his favorite hoodie into his back pack, Matthew said his goodbyes, and zipped up the bag. His face popped out of the dark curtains with a glaze of sweat blanketing his forehead, to Ivan pacing around his bedroom. He did not seem to be fazed by the heat.

"Are you finished?"

Matthew nodded.

Ivan smiled, and approached the bed, peeling off his scarf, "This is in case Matvey gets lonely in my absence, yes?"

"Uh, no?" Matthew scrunched his face up as the thick plop snaked around his neck and shoulders. "It's a warning to anyone or anything that you will rip their spines out through their throats if they try to eat me."

"Spines...out of...oh, that is creative!"

"Ugh," Matthew promptly shrugged off the near-mile long thing and stuffed it into his book bag. Ivan grew distraught. "It is way too hot for that. I'm going to be here, so what's going to try to eat me, anyway?"

"Oh...yes, you're right." Back to the pacing again. "My sisters can look after you."

"Ivan, I'm an adult. I don't need 'looking after.'"

Ivan stopped and picked up his head, blinking in surprise. "All adults need looking after some time!" Suddenly, he did not seem to keen to gaze upon Matthew's face like he usually did, "I-I know this, Matthew, but we do not know what is in the vents, or what if you go outside and get lost, or lick the poisonous sap off one of the trees, or if some stray is prowling through the undergrowth and runs into you, or you run into it-"

Matthew planted his bare feet onto the floor and shoved from the bed. "Mon chou, you're freaking out." Ivan jumped, but promptly went quiet as gentle hands rested against his biceps. "Would it be any worse than the angels? Besides, I wouldn't have left you alone on the surface if I thought that you would get into trouble. Do you think I'm going to get into trouble, too?"

"But I did get into...oh, maybe I shouldn't say that."

Matthew giggled and kissed the tip of Ivan's nose. "Come on. You should get going so you can come back as soon as possible."

"Okie-dokie, Matthew. Just...if you do go outside, take one of my sisters, please? Or both?"

Like some kind of ferocious demon-body guards. Matthew never thought he needed to be so safely guarded. He wondered what exactly was out there, but this time, it was not some kind of game to rack up the most points over one another. He could not let Ivan keep that distressed grimace on his face. "All right. Only outside, though."

"There's a deal!"

Once they meandered downstairs, they spotted Natalia sitting cross-legged on a planked bench between the main entrance's pillars. She slowly waved a dark furred fan in her face, and her moody eyes flickered to the pair before she pushed to her feet.

Ivan praised, "I was looking for you."

Her eyebrows lifted in slight surprise. "Oh, were you?"

Matthew wondered if that was true excitement.

"Yes. Surely you have noticed the extreme heat present, as well?"

Natalia glanced to their joined hands. "I am sitting by the open doors in hopes of catching a rare breeze, waving a fan in front of my face. What do you think? Are you going to do something about it?"

Ivan looked at the floors, "Oh, I, uh, I think something may be stuck in the vents. I am going to go away for a while to fetch someone to investigate."

"There you go again, saying 'a while.'" Natalia stared at Matthew. Matthew bit back the urge to look away. "Are you bringing your pet with you?"

"Wha-"

"He is not..." Ivan let out a sharp exhale through his nose. His hand felt absurdly sweaty against Matthew's as he gave a little squeeze. "No, Natalia. I do not want you to look after him like a pet. I want you to look after him like he is part of the family. Which he is."

Natalia made a noncommittal noise, and finally released her thousand-yard stare from Matthew to glance to the doors. "Someone to investigate. Is it who I think it is?"

"Yes." Much to Matthew's dismay, Ivan neared his sister. A near-smirk crept along her porcelain face when he leaned forward to lightly tap his cheek to hers. "Good. Hurry then."

"Of course," Ivan almost rumbled with laughter. He turned to Matthew and pressed his lips to his forehead. "Stay cool."

Despite the heavy air clinging to his skin, his clothes, Matthew sprouted a big smile, just for Natalia. "No promises. Be careful."

"No promises."

"Ass."

Blehps:

"Stay cool."

Matthew donned a pair of awesome shades. "I already am."

Ivan pointed finger guns at him, suddenly wearing his own sunglasses.