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Chapter 15

Fifteen

The good news was that Beel didn't think Jon was quite so suspicious of him. The bad news was that Jon thought his human form might be a stalker.

They got up, had breakfast (just toast for Jon and frog treats for Beel, which made him feel a little bad for keeping Jon up so late), and headed down to the shop. The strange looks had abated, but Jon was thoughtful and seemed a little worried. It gave Beel an icky, churning feeling in his tummy. The last thing he wanted to do was scare Jon, and he was afraid that might be what he'd accidentally done.

After the initial morning customers died down (apparently a lot of pet owners were early risers), Jon hunkered down with his computer at the counter on a stool in the shop, Beel next to him. Only he did a bit more staring off into space than actual work.

Beel croaked gently at him. Jon looked over and took him out of his travel aquarium, gently petting his back.

Jon looked around to double check the shop was empty (it was), and Beel had a feeling a heart to heart was about to take place. He adored people who talked to their pets, and he croaked encouragingly again, ready for Jon to get his worries off his chest.

"It probably was the best sex I ever had," Jon whispered shyly. "I don't know what he did with his tongue, but ohmygod," Jon blushed.

Beel ribbitted supportively.

"He was sweet, and he was clearly ready to leave if I was uncomfortable. He didn't barge in. He asked me every step of the way if things were ok," Jon mused.

Beel ribbitted reassuringly again. He was so glad Az had drilled consent into all his underlings and that it had stuck with Beel when he'd been a lesser demon in that department.

"I can't deny that he's sexy as hell. His body, and those tattoos, and that voice—I mean, the guy is so clearly out of my league,"—Beel croaked loudly in disagreement, but Jon just continued—"but for whatever reason, he seems interested."

Jon paused thoughtfully, obviously gathering his thoughts. Beel waited patiently, letting him think it through.

"I just… I don't know how he showed up the first day. And the phone and living situation is sketchy as hell. And he knows things about me that he probably shouldn't. I'm not sure how worried I should be," Jon admitted.

Beel croaked disgruntledly.

"But then he did help out with my ex, and that asshole has stopped calling, so it obviously worked. He hasn't pressured me at all. Hell, he didn't even ask for… you know," Jon stammered.

Beel ribbitted, trying to convey his approval. Yes, "Damon" was a good human, and Jon shouldn't be worried.

"Marcus thought I was… well, I'm not the most… well-endowed guy," Jon stammered out, putting his face in his hands and muttering, "I can't believe I'm telling a frog this."

Beel ribbitted softly, but he felt ready to go out and eviscerate Jon's ex. He should've gone with the bloodstains as a decor choice.

"The sex wasn't bad between us, but maybe that was just because I was always really accommodating for whatever he wanted. He never put my pleasure first like Damon did last night. I mean, sometimes I felt like me getting an orgasm was an afterthought to Marcus, but he'd be pissed if I didn't have one either, like it was a strike against his sexual prowess or something. I guess he was sort of a selfish lover. I mean, that shouldn't be surprising—he was kind of a selfish prick all around," Jon sighed.

Beel ribbitted agreement and hopped closer to him, and Jon looked down and resumed petting his back.

"I really like Damon, and that kind of scares me, because I don't really know too much about him, and he's kinda sketchy, and yet I could totally see myself falling for him. I don't want to make another really bad decision like I did with Marcus. And I don't think I ever liked Marcus as much as I already like Damon." Jon sighed again. "I guess I'm just worried about getting my heart broken, which is kind of silly when I've really only met the guy twice. There was just something there, you know? It just felt so easy—eating, hanging out, watching a movie, and then… afterwards. I mean, it felt like I'd hung out with the guy a ton of times before," Jon admitted.

Beel croaked. Jon actually had hung out with him a ton of times before, but he sure as all nine hells wasn't going to admit that.

He hopped over to the phone. Jon was all worked up in his head, and Beel couldn't very well take on human form to have a chat, but it was clear Jon needed to chat with someone. If he called Gabe or Az, at least Beel knew they would reassure him that this Damon guy was ok.

Jon seemed to get the hint, sort of, because he said, "Oh, poor Beel—are you missing your humans? I should probably call and check in with them. It'll be good to stop thinking about my love life for a few minutes anyway."

He left the phone face up on the counter, went into calls, dialed Gabe, and put it on speaker. Gabe picked up, although for once Beel had been hoping to hear Az.

"Good morning, Jon? Everything ok? How's Beel? Did something happen?" his owner asked, and Beel ribbitted a reply so Gabe would know he was fine.

"Hey Gabe! No, everything is fine, and as you can tell, Beel is doing just great. He hopped over to the phone and I thought maybe he wanted to hear your voice. Sounds kinda silly when I say it out loud, though," Jon laughed.

"No, not silly at all," Gabe answered.

There was a bit of a pause, and Beel filled it with some croaking and ribbitting, hoping Az was nearby to translate.

"Ah, hold on a minute, Jon? I'm sure Az will, ah, want to hear Beel is ok, too, so let me just get him," Gabe answered, clearly getting the hint that Beel had some talking to do.

Jon just looked a little bemused. "Sure, sure, no problem. I know how much you guys love Beel," he answered, then he grinned down at Beel and stroked his back again, earning a satisfied croak from him.

Gabe clearly put them on hold, and Jon whispered, "You are a lucky frog to have such caring owners. Of course, they're lucky owners to have such a special frog. I'd be damn attached to you if you were my pet, too." Jon looked a little sad then, and Beel realized that he would be missed in his froggy form when this petsitting thing was all over. Jon would be all alone again.

Well, hopefully not too alone, because he really intended to convince the guy to date him in human form.

Gabe came back on the line then, and apparently they were on speaker with Az, because his voice came over the line, saying, "Good morning, Jonathan. What has our little troublemaker been up to?"

Jon laughed good naturedly and answered, "Beel is the farthest thing from a troublemaker."

Beel had a few words for Az, however, and he ribbitted and croaked for a good minute while Jon stared at him. He gave Az a very quick run down on their date, leaving out the juicy details but letting him know things had gone well. At least until the whole stalker thing came up.

When he was done, Az started giggling.

Great. He was glad he could amuse the lust demon.

"Ah, do Az and I need to come pick up Beel early?" Gabe questioned, clearly having no idea what was going on.

Both Az and Jon answered, "No!" at the same time, and Jon looked surprised at the phone.

Az smoothly cut in, "No, no, my love, we don't want to cut things short."

"But we aren't even—" Gabe began, but Az cut him off again.

"We aren't even done spending time together, my love, and besides, I'm sure Jon is enjoying the company, aren't you, Jon?" Az asked.

"I am. I love having Beel here and watching him. He really is a special frog," Jon said, looking down fondly at Beel. Beel croaked softly up at him. Aww, his petsitter was the sweetest.

"And no more trouble, I take it?" Az asked. "You did mention some last time we talked, and I hope that ex of yours hasn't visited again."

Finally. Az was going to steer them toward his visit and hopefully reassure Jon, and then everything would be fine.

"No, no, he hasn't bothered me again," Jon murmured, blushing a bit. "But, ah, the other guy did pop by. His name is Damon. I should have gotten a last name, but I didn't. We actually had a date, sort of."

"I sense some hesitance. Did things not go well?" Az asked.

They could hear Gabe whispering, "Who's Damon?" in the background, but Az just shushed him.

Jon filled him in, though. "Damon was the guy who showed up to, ah, sort of rescue me from my ex. It was really strange. He said he came in through my fire escape, but I don't have one, and then he said he did parkour, and that's how he got up to my window in my bedroom. It was kinda weird."

"He appeared in your apartment from the window," Gabe said dryly. "How very odd. And really, what a way to call attention to yourself, when the guy probably could have just come in through the front door," Gabe added judgmentally.

Beel gave a grumpy croak. Fine, he sucked at being human. He knew it. He was out of practice, which was kind of Gabe's fault, since he's been masquerading as a pet frog for twenty something years.

Az laughed, obviously catching the gist of Beel's complaint. "Yes, well, some people are odd," Az reassured them all. "But Jon, you said you liked the guy and shared a kiss. Did he hop back into your life?"

Gabe groaned, and Beel heard a distinctive smacking sound through the phone. Good. He hoped Gabe had given him a bop on the head, but he guessed it was probably just an arm smack.

Jon answered, blushing. "He did. And we had an absolutely amazing date. I had an old horror movie cued up, because I was gonna hang out with Beel, so we watched that, ordered pizza, had some popcorn, chatted, and, ah, well… things sort of progressed a bit. He's really amazing, and I had a great time."

His shopkeeper was so damn cute, and Beel couldn't help the ribbit saying so.

"I'm sure he had a great time, too, from what you described," Az answered, and he could hear Gabe making an "Awww," sound in the background.

"But the thing is, he kind of knew stuff he shouldn't have?" Jon added. He was looking a bit stressed out now. "He knew what kind of pizza I liked, and he knew when I went to bed, and he said he doesn't have a phone and is between places right now for the next week. It just seems kind of suspicious, and he seems so sweet and kind and he was never pushy at all, but I guess after my ex I just kind of question my judgment, and I don't want to end up in something with someone who is like a stalker or something," Jon finished.

Az laughed. "Take a breath, Jon," he reassured him. "Listen, you work at a shop. Maybe this guy came in. Or hell, maybe he works for the pizza place. You own a shop with early hours, so of course you go to bed early. Just because the guy knows a few innocent details does not mean he's a stalker. It does mean that maybe he saw you before you saw him. Hell, maybe he walks home past your apartment from the pizza shop and was curious about the cute pet shop owner. Take it as a compliment," Az added.

Beel loved Az in that moment. He sucked at cover stories, but Az really didn't.

"I don't know. I would have remembered seeing this guy. He is seriously hot. And I really don't think he'd notice me," Jon said.

Gabe snorted in the background. "You are seriously hot, Jon, so of course he would notice you. Maybe you just need to ask this guy exactly what is going on. Maybe he just needs to lay everything out on the table," Gabe added.

Beel croaked. Nope. He did not think that was a good idea.

Az apparently agreed. "Ah, my love, new romance deserves to have a little mystery, doesn't it?" he said to Gabe, then he answered Jon. "And if you weren't looking for him or he worked in the back at the pizza place, it is highly possible he'd see you and you wouldn't see him. I'll give it to you that you'd probably remember if he'd come in your shop, but maybe not if you were super busy."

"Trust me, I would definitely remember this guy," Jon argued. "He is… well, he's seriously hot. He's probably out of my league."

Gabe grumbled something in the background, but Az apparently ignored him. "None of that now. You are sexy and established. You own your own shop, and you're a caring and kind human being. Do not sell yourself short, Jonathan. You have plans to see your Damon again?" he asked.

"I do. He's supposed to stop by tomorrow," Jon replied.

"Well, my suggestion is to order in or make a lovely dinner, get to know him a bit better, and then see if the chemistry is there in the bedroom," Az counseled.

"Az!" Gabe admonished him. "Not everything is about sex!"

"Yes, my love, but sex is such fun, and they're obviously attracted to each other, and this will be their third date, so don't those silly dating rules say full sex is on the table? Well, maybe not on the table—I'd suggest a bed. Much more comfortable, you know. A table, even when round, can sort of dig into you in not so fun ways…"

"Az!" Gabe groaned out. "Oversharing!"

Jon chuckled, Beel ribbitted, and Az just laughed at Gabe's sputtering.

"Go have fun, Jon, and don't worry. If things go sideways, we are always here for you. You call us and we'll be there. But I have every confidence things won't go sideways. This sounds like a match made in hell, and I'm sure you two are meant for each other. Good luck, and call us after your date! Hopefully the morning after when your sexy Damon has left," Az added, and then he unceremoniously hung up the phone. (Az still hadn't quite figured out all the niceties that went along with phone calls. Like saying goodbye. Even Beel knew enough to do that, for demon's sake.)

Jon chuckled a little. "Those two are a trip—a match made in hell?—Az says the weirdest stuff sometimes. I've had a lot of conversations with Gabe and consider him a friend, and I like Az—I'm glad we're getting to be friends too." Jon nodded his head. "And I'm glad I confided in them. They aren't wrong; I guess I do overthink things a bit."

Beel ribbitted his agreement, then hopped a bit closer to Jon's hand. Jon took the hint and rubbed his back again. Beel really did love the contact.

"Well, I best get to work on those spreadsheets, and I'll have to plan something fun for dinner. I can cook. Maybe Mexican? Or I could do Italian—something fancy? Or I don't know, maybe that's a little pretentious. Damon seems pretty down to Earth. I do make a great cheesy beef and noodle casserole, and I could fix a nice side salad with it. Maybe make some brownies?" Jon mused.

Beel ribbitted at the last one. He could use something home cooked and delicious.

Jon laughed. "Ok, homemade casserole it is. So a run to the grocery store tonight, and some time with paperwork. Back to work, Beel," he sighed, and he lifted Beel back into his aquarium then sat back down, looking decidedly less worried and more focused.

Beel could hardly wait for tomorrow night. He hunkered down, thinking of all the things they might talk about. This time at least he thought through exactly what he was going to say. They were bound to talk about childhoods and backgrounds. Beel didn't want to lie, of course, but he couldn't come out with the full truth, so he figured he'd sort of spin the two together to explain how he grew up. He didn't have parents, so foster homes fit—and wasn't that kind of what it was like being shuttled around as a lesser demon from department to department, with no permanent home? Never having been a human, Beel didn't know, but it sounded right from the movies he saw. Maybe it would help explain some of his quirks to Jon, too.

As for a job, well, he was in caretaking, wasn't he? He was an emotional support animal. It wouldn"t be a stretch to say he was an emotional support human. He knew from movies and shows that such a thing existed. And he could come up with something for the pizza place. He had been there with Gabe in his froggy form (Gabe did love sneaking him places), so it wouldn't technically be lying to say he was a visitor (he had been) and that he'd overheard Jon's order (he had, just from Jon's apartment).

Yes, he would have it all figured out by tomorrow, and they'd have a perfect date, and then a day or two after that when Gabe and Az picked him up, he'd ask Az for a cell phone, and maybe while those two were off teaching he'd go human and visit Jon. It would be simple to keep his human life and froggy life separated, he was sure, because he wasn't quite ready to show himself to Gabe. (He didn't want to think too much about that—it made him nervous, although of course Gabe would accept him. But still.)

He dozed off daydreaming about dating Jon and still living his happy froggy life with Az and Gabe. Everything was going to work out perfectly. It just had to.

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