16. Asmodeus

By Friday afternoon, Az needed a good soak in some hot springs to recover from a week of teenagers. He really didn't know how Gabe did it. Since there were no hot springs, however, he had settled for soaking in Gabe's tub. It hadn't proven nearly as satisfactory, though, especially since Gabe hadn't taken the subtle hints to join him, so he'd finished up and headed into the living room.

When he got to the doorway, he saw Gabe kneeling in front of Beel's aquarium. He didn't exactly mean to listen in without Gabe knowing, but at first he just thought it was cute that Gabe was talking to Beel. Then he'd realized Gabe was talking about him, and he hadn't been able to help himself.

"So, umm, I really don't know who to go to for advice. Mike and Ser wouldn't understand, and I'm definitely NOT talking about this with Grams. Nope. Definitely not. Az is in the tub. I probably could have joined him, but, ugh, I felt a little shy about that. Although he probably would have welcomed that," Gabe muttered out. Beel was just staring at him.

"So I need some advice. Maybe you could ribbit once for yes, and twice for no?" Gabe asked.

Beel just continued to stare at him.

"What, you want me to keep pretending you're just Mr. Frog?" he laughed.

Beel ribbitted once in reply.

"Ok, well, it isn't really practical to keep pretending you're just a frog. You're not, and I know you're not. I know now, at least. We'll still have horror night, I'll still keep your warm rock and aquarium, and now I won't feel so bad giving you chips and ice cream. So it's a win-win for you," Gabe assured Beel.

Only Beel kept staring at him. Az almost chuckled at the stubbornness of the lesser demon.

"Ok, fine, I'll play dirty. No chips, no ice cream, no horror movies unless you talk to me. Got it?" Gabe demanded.

Beel ribbitted once, although Az heard definite attitude in it.

"Ok, so, Az is a demon like you, right?" Gabe started.

Beel ribbitted twice.

"Ok, so not quite like you. He's, like, a big shot, right?"

One ribbit.

Gabe sighed. "I really like him. I really, really like him. He's funny, and kind, and really sweet. I kind of think I'm falling for him."

Az had to stop himself from stepping forward. He should let Gabe know he was here. He should tell Gabe what he had figured out about his sexuality and find him someone compatible. He should wrap up his business here and head back to the underworld so that Gabe didn't get hurt.

He wasn't going to do any of those things, though. The very thought of leaving Gabe made an ache bloom in the center of his chest.

Beel croaked, and Az heard a definite reprimand aimed toward him in that croak. Beel knew he was there since he was facing Az, even if Gabe didn't realize it. Az still wasn't going to cut Gabe off, though.

"I know!" Gabe cried out in reply. "I know it's a terrible idea. Only you can't help who you fall for. And he's really sexy. I can't stop thinking about… well, stuff. I think I want to do more, only I don't know quite how to ask for it. I'm also afraid that if we do even more, I'm going to really fall for him." Gabe stopped and sighed again.

Beel croaked, giving Az a dirty look that Gabe didn't notice. The lesser demon was definitely protective of Gabe, and Az couldn't fault him for it.

"Yeah, ok, so my question for you: you've stayed here for almost twenty years. You went and came back. Do you think Az…" Gabe started.

Two firm, loud ribbits.

"But you didn't even hear…"

Two even louder ribbits.

"Wait! Just listen! He could at least visit, don't you think? I can summon him every so often…"

Two loud ribbits.

"You know what? You are NO help whatsoever!" Gabe fumed. "You are MR. FROG! You are supposed to be my loyal pet who listens and doesn't judge and HELPS ME! What happened to that, huh? You were NEVER this judgmental when I used to pour my heart out to you!"

Beel hunkered down a bit, croaked grumpily, and waved his foreleg in the air in a ‘carry on' gesture.

Gabe sighed before continuing. "I just really like him. I can't stop thinking about him. And sex. I can't stop thinking about Az and sex. Like full-fledged sex—sucking and fucking and anything else Az can think of, because I bet as a lust demon he's got a lot of ideas. And the more I get to know Az, the more I feel like I'm always horny. It's a very weird feeling for someone who has gone years at a time without thinking much about having sex with someone else. What the heck am I supposed to do about that?" Gabe grumbled.

"Well, you could start off by actually talking to Az about it as opposed to an unhelpful lesser demon," Az cut in, leaning against the doorway with a smirk on his face.

Gabe squeaked in surprise and turned around to see Az, his face blooming red.

Gabe turned back to Beel, who looked relieved that Az had finally spoken up. "I'll remember this on horror night. Or should I say… romantic comedy night," Gabe threatened.

Beel croaked grumpily and hopped off to a corner, Az laughed, and Gabe hunkered down on the floor, looking like he was doing his best to become one with the hardwood. Az walked over, reaching his hand down to help Gabe up.

"Come now, none of that. I'm a lust demon. There's no feeling ashamed of what you want." Az winked as he said it, his hand still held out.

Gabe eventually grabbed onto it, and Az hauled him straight into his arms, where Gabe blushed again.

"You weren't supposed to hear all that," he muttered. He then looked up, his brows drawing together. "Exactly how much did you hear?"

"I heard that you can't stop thinking about me and sex," Az smirked. It wasn't exactly a lie; it just left out everything else he had heard. He snuggled Gabe to him and let him hide his embarrassment for a few moments.

Az was busy working through his own thoughts. He was a lust demon. He loved sex, and he thought about it all the time; he couldn't help himself. Of course he wanted sex with Gabe.

Yet the idea that Gabe wanted to keep him around, wanted to have him visit? It was entirely too alluring. Az needed to be honest with himself: if Gabe had been totally uninterested in sex, he would have been ok with that, because he just wanted Gabe. He wanted to be near him and cuddle him and watch him work and talk with him.

Was that falling in love? Because he knew, logically, that this whole thing was impossible, but he couldn't help feeling hope. Adam and Minos had made it work. He knew Adam was dead, and it was different, but with Gabe alive, maybe it would be easier? Maybe Az could just pop topside to visit him?

Although he didn't want to just visit him; he wanted to be with him all the time. He didn't want to go to the underworld without him.

Gabe made a muffled groan against his shirt, pulling Az out of his own thought spiral. He could tell Gabe was having his own moment of panic, and his first order of business was to reassure him and make him feel better.

He laughed again to lighten the mood, pulling Gabe out from hiding.

"Never be ashamed of your thoughts. Never be ashamed of what you want. Not with me," he said firmly.

Gabe nodded his head, but he was still blushing a bit.

"Now, I had an idea for going out tonight for more experimentation, but perhaps you don't want to go out. Perhaps you'd like to stay in." Az gently caressed Gabe's back as he said the last part. If Gabe was ready for sex, then Az was all in. He wasn't sure if Gabe was quite prepared for that yet, though. If he had been, he would have joined Az in the tub when Az had hinted at it

"Um, what sort of going out for experimentation?" Gabe asked.

Az could have led the way into the bedroom at that moment and initiated sex. He knew that, and he knew that Gabe would enjoy it if he did. That wouldn't really solve anything, though. Gabe was still nervous and unsure, and Az didn't want that.

Az had figured out that Gabe was demisexual, but he was also more than likely reciprosexual; he needed to feel close to and really like someone to feel sexual attraction, but he also needed to know that the other person felt sexual attraction for him (and sometimes he needed to be hit in the head, figuratively speaking, with that sexual attraction).

If that were the end of it, though, Gabe would be dragging Az into the bedroom, not asking a lesser demon disguised as a frog for advice.

No, somewhere along the line, Gabe's confidence and self-esteem had been severely damaged. Perhaps it was years of feeling different, or perhaps it was one of his relationships. Neither had been ideal, from what Gabe had told Az. He had dated a man who was deeply in the closet and then had projected his own insecurities on Gabe. He had then dated a woman who had, yet again, made Gabe feel as if he weren't "normal" in his sexual preferences. He had let them both take the lead and had never felt comfortable taking the lead himself. Gabe was unsure, and self-conscious, and he questioned what he wanted and what he was supposed to do, so he tended not to do anything, always second guessing himself.

Az knew that there were certain things that turned Gabe on, however. He realized that Gabe enjoyed a little voyeurism, although Gabe would probably never recognize it as that. He had been extremely turned on watching Az get himself off. Reading about and watching porn with couples who were in love and had an emotional connection had also been a huge turn on for Gabe.

Gabe didn't naturally fantasize about himself in sexual situations, but he enjoyed imagining others having sex, especially if they cared about each other. He didn't put himself into the sexual fantasy, as some people often did. He liked watching others find their enjoyment.

He and Az had that in common. Yet another way they seemed to fit so well together. Az cut that train of thought off, though. He was not going to think about the rest of what Gabe had talked about. Not now, anyway.

Instead, Az was going to see just how far Gabe's voyeurism went.

"There's a club downtown. It's very exclusive and has considerable protections in place, so you wouldn't need to worry about anyone at your work finding out. It usually requires an extensive process to get in, but I'll be able to handle that. I thought you might be interested in going and seeing what you thought of it," Az said, still gently caressing Gabe's back.

Gabe leaned into him, resting his head against Az's chest again. His voice was muffled when he said, "Do you mean, like, a sex club?"

Az chuckled. "Yes, it is a sex club. You can wear whatever you like, however, and you don't need to do anything at all. There is no pressure. We are merely going as observers to see what you might be interested in."

"Is it, like, a bdsm club or something? Because I saw some porn where the improbable positions and forced dialogue just made me laugh. I don't want to offend anyone," Gabe muttered.

"It is a sex club. There are some areas that cater to different tastes, but all those rooms will be separate. You might see some threesomes or foursomes in the main room, since swapping is popular, but bdsm is separate. We can explore those areas or not, depending on how you feel. I can also assure you that this place caters to a lot of established couples, so it will be more like the second video we watched and less like the first," Az reassured him. He had made sure of that in his research. He knew seeing random strangers hook up would not be as much of a turn on for Gabe.

"We don't have to go," Az continued. "I just know that watching sex doesn't make you nervous, even if you don't always find it hot. I thought seeing what you do find hot, in person, might be an interesting experience."

"You'd like to go," Gabe mumbled into Az's shirt. He lifted his head up then and said, "You find watching sex hot."

"I do. I find it very hot. I like to see people who care about one another give each other pleasure."

Gabe moaned a bit in response, and Az smiled.

"Ok," Gabe said. "But you're gonna need to help me decide what to wear. I am not the sex club expert, and I'm guessing you definitely are," he chuckled.

So Az conjured up some outfits and some dinner (no use going hungry, after all), then Gabe went off to shower and get ready for the evening.

Az hunkered down in front of Beel while he waited.

"I appreciate your affection for Gabe, friend, but don't discourage him," he softly warned the lesser demon.

Beel ribbitted and croaked a bit in response.

"Yes, I very well understand the difficulties, but I have learned that nothing is impossible. There are things beyond your understanding; perhaps there are things beyond even my understanding as of late. Regardless, I will stay with Gabe, and you will support his… affection for me," Az declared.

Beel croaked.

"I appreciate that you feel protective of him. I would suffer millenia in the pits before I would let him come to harm, and I would certainly never cause that harm myself. Do not worry on that account," Az countered.

Beel didn't look convinced, but Az heard Gabe opening the door, so he stood up and turned around.

Gabe looked… delicious. He was in black jeans that hugged every curve of his muscular, stocky body, and he had on a fitted black t-shirt, which he was currently pulling at self-consciously.

"Are you sure this isn't too tight?" Gabe asked.

"Mmmm. I would much prefer you in no shirt at all, showing off that sexy chest along with those beautiful arms. It makes me want to take you into the bedroom and not leave at all," Az purred.

Gabe blushed but stopped pulling at his shirt, and then he got a good look at Az.

"Wow, you look… holy hell," Gabe muttered.

Az had on black leather pants and a shirt that was mostly see through. He knew he looked sexy, but he appreciated more than anything that Gabe looked at him that way. A week ago, Gabe would have merely yawned at his outfit, or more likely not noticed it at all. They had come a long way in a week, however. Always being in someone's pocket like the two of them had been had forged a closeness and intimacy that probably took most couples months.

Az decided not to think too closely on the fact that he had just thought of them as a couple. Instead, he waited a beat to see if Gabe would, in fact, drag him into the bedroom; he looked about ready to. He took a step, stopped short, and blushed again.

So Az walked over and took his hand, dragging him toward the door and their awaiting adventure.

This was going to be such a wonderful time!