Chapter 18

Eighteen

They ended up throwing on boxer shorts. Beel didn't mind being naked—hells, as a frog he was always naked—but Jon had insisted, saying talk first and naked time after. Beel was hopeful there really would be more naked time, but in the meantime, he supposed talk was necessary.

They sat at the kitchen table and Jon brought over the brownie pan and two spoons. Beel didn't complain. They started eating—the brownies were freaking amazing—and Jon asked questions, mostly about his life as a demon and getting summoned. Beel had told so much truth about his life (except he'd made it sound normal and human), so Jon knew a lot already.

"So, you have horns and a tail but no wings. But Az has wings. I still can't believe Az is a demon," Jon mumbled. "Although really it does explain a lot. He says some weird stuff sometimes."

"Yeah. He's like really a big shot. I'm just a lesser demon, though," Beel reiterated.

"Hey," Jon said, bumping his knee under the table. "There is nothing lesser about you," he smirked, taking another bite of brownie and spooning it into Beel's mouth.

"Hells, this is amazing," Beel moaned.

"Like that! You guys say ‘hells' and ‘oh demons' instead of ‘oh my god.' I can't believe I didn't pick up on some of the similar sayings and realize you knew each other. I knew something was weird, but I couldn't put my finger on it," Jon admitted.

"I really am sorry," Beel apologized. "I just had no idea how to tell you. I guess it's stupid, but I just thought when Gabe and Az picked me up I'd just be a frog, but then I would come and date you as a human. Never mind that I was in no rush for Gabe and Az to come pick me up. I really wasn't looking forward to leaving, other than the fact that I wanted Az to get me a cell phone so you could call me. It sounds kinda silly when I say it now."

"Don't apologize. I get it—how were you supposed to tell me? But it would've been hard hiding who you are, Beel. I'm glad I found out sooner rather than later. Although I could have done without the massive panic that I'd accidentally lost or killed Gabe's pet frog," Jon grumped.

Beel took a spoonful of brownie and fed Jon that time. He really did feel guilty, but apologizing again wouldn't change things.

"I can't believe you were a frog for over twenty years. Or that Gabe's grandmother summoned you. And I can't believe how totally corporate the afterlife sounds," Jon mused.

"Yeah. I don't have any desire to go back. I do like listening to people. It's hard to give advice as a frog, but I always felt like I helped. I wasn't lying about that," Beel confessed.

"And I still think you should look into counseling. You'd be great at it. Unless you would just rather be a frog most of the day. You don't have to work, obviously," Jon added.

"I don't know. I guess I never really thought beyond being Gabe's pet. It was frustrating sometimes, and I did miss being able to talk, but I didn't want to be seen differently. It was… comfortable," Beel admitted.

"You were stuck in a rut; I get it. We've all been there. But you have choices." Jon stopped and looked at him, wiping a smear of chocolate from the corner of Beel's mouth. Beel's tongue flicked out to lick Jon's finger, and Jon turned that adorable shade of pink.

"Talking first," Jon mumbled, but he wasn't very convincing. He shook himself and moved his hand away, sighing.

"What?" Beel asked. Everything had been so easy, and the dread and fear had mostly left Beel, but Jon looked nervous, which made Beel feel nervous.

"So, you have some decisions to make," Jon started, but he must have felt Beel clench up in worry, because he put his spoon down and turned to face Beel in his chair, reaching over and grabbing his hand. "First of all, I just want to say I really hope I'm part of these decisions, and I really hope that being with me is a decision that you do make." Jon was turning pink again, and Beel knew Jon needed his own reassurance.

"Yes," Beel said, squeezing his hand. "Yes to both. No doubts at all. You are perfect, Jon."

Jon smiled. "I feel a little crazy—my boyfriend is a frog and a demon, and somehow that isn't totally freaking me the fuck out. But I have dated my fair share of guys, and I have never felt the way I do with you. I'm sure it's too soon to say that, and I don't want to scare you, but I can't even explain how deeply I feel for you. And somehow, finding out that it's been you all along isn't weird or freaky. It makes sense. Because I poured my heart out to you as a frog, and you did help me. You were always special, Beel. I just didn't know how special you were," Jon finished.

"Your boyfriend, huh?" Beel grinned. He couldn't help it. They were boyfriends. Beel felt a little giddy.

Jon laughed. "Yes, and it looks like that's ok with you."

"More than ok," Beel admitted, and he leaned in for a kiss, but Jon backed up.

"Not yet! Talk first!" he reprimanded, but he was smiling as he said it. "You don't have to decide now, but you will have some decisions to make. Do you wanna go with your original plan? You can be a frog with Gabe and Az, and we can date. Everyone will just know what's going on. And I know you're nervous about showing Gabe your human form, so you can do that in your own time," Jon promised.

Beel just sort of shrugged. He didn't know if he wanted that.

"Or you can be human more of the time. You can look into getting trained in counseling or going to college. You can get a job, if you want one. That isn't to say you can't still be a frog sometimes. Hell, you can be a frog with me. I kinda love movie nights with Mr. Frog, petting your back and pouring my heart out. I love conversations with you as a human when you can answer me, but I think we've got a good rapport with ribbits and croaks too," Jon joked.

Beel could sense Jon wasn't done, so he waited while Jon took a deep breath before continuing.

"And, here's the big part. You said you didn't want to leave. Well, I don't want you to leave either. I know it's too soon and I know it's crazy, but I literally feel a little panicked at the idea of you not being here—whether you're a frog or a human. And I know you must miss Gabe and Az, but you could visit them, and they could visit you, and you could be in frog form until you're ready to show Gabe your human form, and we could go do horror movie nights there, or just you could do horror movie nights with Gabe—" Jon rambled, and Beel cut him off by leaning in and kissing him mid sentence.

"Yes," Beel said when he pulled back from the kiss.

"What?" Jon asked, still looking flustered and nervous.

"Yes, I'd love to stay here. Maybe it is too soon, and yeah, I'll miss Gabe and Az, but they'll visit, and we'll visit them, and of course you'll come to movie night, even if I am in frog form. The thought of leaving you… I don't like it. It hurts inside. And it's scary as fuck to think about that kind of change, but you're worth it, Jon. You're worth everything to me," Beel promised.

Jon's eyes looked wet, but he was smiling. "We're crazy," he smirked.

"We are," Beel laughed. "But there's no one I'd rather be crazy with. I don't know about all the other stuff. I don't know about working, or how often I'll want to be a frog, or how I'll end up showing myself to Gabe, or even how he'll take all this. But I do know that I don't want to leave you. And… I don't know… I feel like as long as I have you, the other stuff will work itself out."

"I guess Az was right," Jon admitted.

"About what?" Beel asked.

"If you kiss enough frogs, you really will find your prince," Jon smirked.

Beel just groaned, and then they picked up their spoons and had some more brownies, talking about how they were going to tell Gabe and Az and what the future might hold. It was scary, yeah, but it was also kinda magical. Beel guessed Az was right after all—sometimes life could be a fairy tale.