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Cate woke up an hour before her alarm, her throat burning. She let out a groan as she slowly sat up and swallowed hard, trying to soothe the fiery sensation in her throat. She tried throwing her feet over the side of the bed but stopped hard when her feet hit the floor. A jolt of pain raced from her toes to her head and she let out another groan. She had hoped that she would have been able to at least go this one, singular year without getting sick. While the Devildom had quickly become a kind of second home to her, it wasn’t her real home with her parents and friends just a phone call away.
Phone call...right. Cate grabbed her D.D.D. and dazedly swiped through screens, looking for Lucifer’s name. She would text him and let him know that...no, nevermind. She shook her head and quickly turned the screen off. She had an exam today. Thankfully, it was for her second class--she could manage faking her way through first hour and then try to tear through the test.
She’d take some ibuprofen, but these demons apparently don’t get sick. At least, not the kind of sick that requires human medicine. She wondered what would happen to her if she tried a demon remedy. Cate made a mental note to ask Lucifer to bring some painkillers back from the human world the next trip he made.
***
Getting dressed and out the door to breakfast was more of a trial than Cate had expected. She struggled to stay still as she looked at the food in front of her, ready to be served.
None of it looked appealing to her fevered stomach.
She stifled another groan as she looked at a tray of eggs, the yolks starting to look back at her like eyes. She swallowed, still trying to douse the fire in her throat.
“You usually don’t take this long to decide,” a deep voice murmured beside Cate. She almost wouldn’t have noticed were it not for Beelzebub’s bassy tone. Her ears were considerably stopped up from what she guessed was the flu. Or some kind of demonic variant. Who knows how germs actually reacted when Lucifer or Diavolo picked them up from the human realm?
“I know,” Cate replied hoarsely and lamely. “I’m not feeling too hot this morning.”
“You keep shaking.”
“I know.” She became acutely aware of the trembling plate in her hands and tried forcing herself to stay still again.
“Here,” Beel said quietly as he took the plate from Cate’s hands. He quickly filled it with food--more than Cate normally would eat, but she still appreciated the gesture--and then ushered Cate to the large table where the House of Lamentation sat every morning. She sat down where he placed the plate and gave him a weak smile.
“Save this seat for me, okay? I’ll be right back.” He strode back to the serving station as Cate looked around at the table. She laughed quietly, then moaned, the sudden movement from laughter making her body ache.
There was no one else at breakfast yet, which made sense, she had come down pretty early after beating her alarm. Though it would probably be soon that Mammon or Asmodeus would burst through the doorway and announce their presence. She felt herself start to zone out again when the chair next to her rattled backwards.
“Hey, Cate, you need to eat,” Beel urged gently.
Cate looked back at him and nodded slowly.
“I know you might not be able to eat much, but at least eat something.” He began to eat the moment he said his last word, but kept sneaking glances back at her.
She sighed and picked up her fork, which was a gargantuan task today, and started poking some fruit on her plate. If she didn’t feel so bad, she would have better appreciated that Beel actually knew her tastes pretty well. It was mostly lighter breakfast fare, with some pancakes on the side. The Devildom had some weird food--which was mostly what filled Beel’s plate--but she was grateful that they kept plenty of human world food on hand.
While Cate struggled to eat in a way that she thought would keep her food down, Beel made his usual rounds back and forth from the serving station. She gave quiet ‘hellos’ to the demon brothers that arrived at breakfast. She noticed the looks of concern on a few of their faces and grimaced to herself.
She achingly had a few bites of a pancake and then decided to leave to RAD. She didn’t want to worry them or feel like she was trying to get attention. To be honest, she just wanted to go lay back down. But she needed to take that exam. Well, needed was probably a strong word, but she had her pride as an exchange student. She got upstaged by Solomon often enough as it was. Cate told herself again that after the exam, she would race right back home to the House of Lamentation and crawl under the covers. She’d ask Lucifer or someone to get her some medicine then.
The walk to class was a blur--a messy, aching, blur--but Cate eventually found herself in her first class. She laid her head down on her desk, the wood cool against her hot cheek, making sure that she was looking away from the door. She didn’t want to make eye contact with any of the brothers she shared class with. It would be one short hour, and then she could focus on the test. Cate closed her eyes and let out a deep sigh--she probably looked like easy pickings to the lesser demons around, but knew that her pacts with the boys would deter any particularly hungry ones.
A dull thud on Cate’s desk grabbed her attention and she looked up to see a bottle of water sitting on the corner of her desk. She looked around to find Beel walking out of the classroom, but he turned and gave her a small nod before leaving.
Well, there was at least one hungry devil she wasn’t worried about. If anything, he was worried about her. She would have to thank him later.
The first class passed about as quickly as it could for someone with body aches and a fever. Cate shakily stood up, grabbing her bottle of water, when Mammon walked over with his hands shoved in his pockets.
“Hey, Beel said you weren’t doing so great today,” he said, peering closely at Cate.
She looked at him, their noses only an inch away from touching.
“Mammon, I’m fine,” Cate said, shaking her head and mustering as much strength as possible to sound convincing. “I just had a hard time sleeping last night.” Her throat seemed to scream with pain in her ears as she spoke as normally as possible.
“I was going to go back to the House after second hour anyway,” Cate added, hoping it would assure her assigned guardian. “We’ve got that exam and I didn’t want to miss it.”
“Aw, crap...I totally forgot about that exam,” Mammon grumbled. “Well, here, let’s get going to class and then I’ll walk you back to your room after you’re done.”
Cate looked at Mammon in surprise, too tired to try and tease him about his quiet moment of care.
Well, not too tired.
“THE Mammon is going to walk me back home?” She couldn’t help but say dramatically.
“Hey!” He blurted out, apparently caught off guard. “I’m only doing it because Lucifer would have a cow if something happened to you, and I don’t need him on my case for something else! You got that?” Mammon’s cheeks flushed as he seemed to get louder with every word. “Look, I’ll see you in class--I’m going to go see if I can’t get the exam answers off Solomon!” And like lightning, Mammon ran out the door.
Cate shook her head and laughed, making her body flash with pain. She slowly followed out the door, summoning every bit of strength she had left. With every step, she realized that this was a stupid idea. She should have just swallowed her pride and stayed in bed. She silently apologized to Mammon as she decided that she would just go home now. She would text Lucifer and ask him to make arrangements to retake the exam. She’d probably just fail it at this point.
She turned toward the direction of the exit when her legs gave out from under her. Her vision filled with what looked like television static and then faded to black. She felt a pair of hands grab her by the waist before completely blacking out.
Cate wasn’t out for long before she realized she was being carried in someone’s arms. They were outside of RAD, the usual dark sky of the Devildom stretching out above her. She looked up at her rescuer and saw Beel’s familiar orange hair. His face was serious before he noticed Cate’s gaze and sighed.
“I knew I should have taken you back to your room at breakfast,” his voice rumbled in his chest against Cate’s arm and head.
“I know,” she couldn’t help but respond, echoing their conversation before breakfast. “I’m sorry. I thought I could make it past second hour today.”
“Humans are fragile, Cate. You need to take care of yourself.”
Cate sighed and pressed her head against Beel’s large chest. Her body ached with each step he took, but she was pleasantly surprised by how gently he held her. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to nestle further into his chest. She could feel herself drifting to sleep with the rocking motion of every step.
***
Cate awoke to find herself in her bed again. Her shoes were placed at the foot of the bed and her uniform jacket was draped over a chair. The ribbon that was usually tied around the collar of her shirt was on her nightstand next to her D.D.D.
How long had she been asleep? She sat up, looking around to see if anyone was in her room with her. Did Beel bring her back and put her in bed? She grunted as her green dress shirt crinkled at the seams. If she was back in her room, she might as well change and get comfortable. She slowly got out of bed and found her pajama shirt and shorts in a pile on the floor where she had left them this morning.
Cate painfully unbuttoned her shirt and pulled a hanger from her closet. She worked more slowly than she would have liked to undressing, but eventually was able to strip off her shirt, shorts, and tights. She shivered as she stood in her black underwear and reached down to grab her pajamas. As she fumbled with the pajama shirt to turn it right-side out, the doorknob jostled and turned, making Cate jump.
Beel walked into the room to see Cate futilely try to cover herself with her pajama shirt. Shock washed over his face as he stammered, threw his gaze at various parts of the room before landing back on Cate, and closed his eyes.
Cate felt her cheeks flush for a reason other than fever.
“S-sorry, sorry,” he murmured before walking back out and closing the door.
Cate stood frozen like a statue, processing the fact that Beel had just seen more of her than most other people had. She mechanically finished turning her pajamas right-side out and put them on. She walked over to the door and opened it, hoping Beel was still outside.
She saw him standing to the side of the door, his cheeks now red, holding several take-away containers.
“You can come in,” Cate said bashfully. He looked back at her, his purple eyes wide.
“I’m really sorry,” he apologized again. “I thought you would still be asleep…”
“Don’t worry about it, please.”
Cate knew Beel never had bad intentions. She remembered the nights she had spent in Beel’s room and the gentle way he asked to hold her hand until he fell asleep. She never had to worry that he would ever try anything untoward. He was always very soft around her.
“I brought you some food.” He gestured with the containers in his hands. “Well, I also brought myself some food, but...there should be plenty for you too.”
Cate opened the door wide and motioned for Beel to come back into her room. Seeing Beel blush like that made her forget about how sick she was for a moment.
“I told Lucifer that you were sick and that I took you back to your room,” Beel continued as he walked back in. He glanced carefully at Cate in her pajamas. “He said he would get some human medicine for you.”
“Thank you,” she replied weakly. She shut the door behind Beel and shuffled back to her bed. She couldn’t help but smile as she felt like the room was now warmer with Beelzebub inside it.
“I also told him that…” he paused thoughtfully as he looked at Cate and tilted his head to the side. “That I would be staying to make sure you were okay.”
Cate looked back at Beel and continued to smile, butterflies starting to gather in her stomach. They had shared meals in her room before, but somehow this time was different. Maybe it was the fact that she felt so tired? Cate recalled how it felt to be held against his chest earlier. She laughed as she remembered the picture of Beel’s exposed chest that Mammon had sent to everyone before. It was softer than she expected, but not exactly soft like a pillow. There was a warmth to it that made it more comfortable than any kind of pillow or blanket Cate might ever use in her life.
“What’s so funny?” Beel asked as he handed Cate one of the take-away containers he held. Unsurprisingly, the other three he held were for him. He sat down on the floor in front of her.
Cate shook her head and chuckled.
“I was just thinking about one of the group chats we all had once,” she carefully explained, biting her lip. She didn’t quite feel comfortable telling Beel she was just now thinking about his chest.
“Everyone can be pretty ridiculous sometimes, can’t they?” He replied with a smile. His cheeks were still kind of flushed from earlier. “Here, let’s eat.”
Beel opened one of his containers and pulled two forks out from his uniform pants pocket. He held one out toward Cate, who gratefully took it.
“There’s a saying in the human world I always liked...it was something about ‘feeding a cold.’ Have you heard that saying before?” He started shoveling food into his mouth before finishing the sentence.
“I have,” Cate nodded, starting to eat. Of course Beel would be familiar with a saying about eating. Her nausea had faded enough that her hunger returned and quickly ate with gusto. While she ate, she stole a few glances at Beel who seemed more satisfied than usual to be eating together with her.
“I’m glad to see you’re eating now,” Beel said in-between huge mouthfuls of food. “You worry me when you don’t eat.”
He gets worried when she doesn’t eat? Cate felt what must have been her heartstrings being pulled. A part of her thought that he never really noticed anything while he ate. It was a great honor to know that he paid that much attention to her. Her heart started to pound a little harder now as she thought about all the times she had skipped a meal. He had been watching out for her--no, more than that, watching her. Maybe ever since the first day she got here.
“I’m sorry that I worried you,” Cate said with a small smile, the butterflies bouncing against all sides of her stomach. It almost made it feel like she wasn’t hungry, though now she knew better than to stop eating.
They continued eating and chatting every now and then, Beel easily finishing every bit of food he brought for himself. Cate came close to completely finishing her portion as well. Beel had removed his uniform jacket and green shirt, and was now just in his red-orange, sleeveless undershirt and uniform pants. Cate set her container on the floor and pulled her legs onto the bed. Her aches were now replaced with a constant chill that left her shivering.
“You’re cold.”
Cate looked at Beel and couldn’t help but laugh again. She appreciated his frank way of speaking.
“Yeah, I am,” she replied, resting her chin on her knees and hugging her legs. “I should probably get under the covers and catch some more sleep.” She smiled at him and tilted her head with a laugh. He looked back at her, concerned.
"I promise it's not as bad as it seems," she said, stealing glances at his large shoulders and arms. Her mind kept going back to being held by Beel. She felt like she was starting to forget the sensation of being in his arms, and silently worried she would completely lose it.
“Did you get enough to eat?” He leaned forward, looking up at Cate through the locks of orange hair that passed his eyebrows. That look sent a burst of warmth through her chest, slightly energizing her.
“Yeah, thank you for that. I always feel better after I eat.” She gave him a wide smile. “Here, let me help you pick all of this up.”
Cate got off her bed and stood up, but winced and inhaled sharply at the cold floor hitting her bare feet.
Faster than she thought possible, Beelzebub was right next to her, holding her tight against his body. A small noise of shock escaped Cate’s throat as Beel’s immense warmth radiating off of him.
“Are you okay? Are you going to faint again?” Beel asked urgently.
Cate’s voice felt like it was caught in her lungs as she realized just how small she was against him. It took a moment for her to gather enough strength to reply.
“I’m...I’m okay,” she said, resting her head against Beel’s stomach. “The floor was just cold and...and it surprised me.” She pulled her hand up to his shirt and clutched it softly. He was so warm.
Now that she was here, close to him like this, she didn’t want him to let go. She pressed herself against him a little more. Beel tightened his arms around her in response.
Cate shivered, though she couldn’t tell if it was due to her fever or from being so close to Beel.
“Would you...like me to stay for a while longer?” Beel’s deep voice rumbled against Cate’s body. She nodded.
“Yeah.”
Beel kicked his shoes off and pulled Cate into his arms, bridal style. He climbed onto Cate’s bed and settled himself against the headboard. Cate naturally settled into Beel’s lap and curled up against his chest. His large arms surrounded her and held her tight against him. She felt him rest his cheek on the top of her head and take a deep breath. She placed her hand on his chest and marvelled at the slight smell of spice that emanated from his skin. She could feel his heart beating in her ear.
“Thank you for saving me today,” Cate said quietly.
“It was nothing…” he said, rubbing her arm. “I…” he paused, shifting his arms slightly. Cate could feel his muscles shift under his shirt as he moved. “It feels right, taking care of you. I know that Lucifer talks about making sure you’re safe for Lord Diavolo...but...it means something more important to me.”
Cate’s heart raced as she listened to the words echo in Beel’s chest. He went quiet, but she wasn’t sure if he was waiting for her to respond or if he was trying to think of what to say next. She tried to search her mind for an appropriate response, but it was difficult to find the courage to say what she wanted to. Not only was her brain buried under a layer of exhaustion, but she admitted to herself that being so close to Beel only served to muddle her thoughts further.
Of all the people she had met in the Devildom, she had quickly grown close to Beelzebub. Thinking back on it, she was actually kind of grateful that Mammon had stolen his custard that one afternoon. While it was absolutely terrifying to see the already-large and intimidating demon become absolutely furious (and he had the strength to knock down an entire wall as easily as opening a bottle,) it was a glad surprise to see just how kind and gentle he was afterward.
They had experienced a lot together. Sure, she had gone through a lot with the others too, but the things she shared with Beel felt more...sacred.
She remembered holding his hand until he fell asleep again. A warm static crawled through her body as she remembered the peaceful way he snored once he had fallen asleep, and how soft his face looked. It was safe to assume that he didn’t have any nightmares that night, because Cate fell asleep quickly after that and didn’t wake until morning.
Cate turned her head slightly to see his arm that wasn’t supporting her back slowly moving down her arm. His remarkably warm fingertips grazed her upper arm, causing goosebumps to tingle across her skin. He chuckled and used his whole hand to cover her arm, rubbing gently. She carefully moved her arm covered by his hand, now drawing her fingertips up his forearm. He moved his arm up in response, letting Cate trace a line from the bottom of his arm up to the palm of his hand. His fingers were outstretched, like he was waiting for Cate to continue tracing.
She glanced up at Beel’s face to see him wearing a serene expression, just looking at Cate’s hand. She looked back at his hand, still open and waiting. A heat started to crawl up her neck as she tried to make her fingers break past the bottom of his palm. She could feel herself start to shake. This was not any symptom of the flu, however.
“Could I hold your hand?” Beel whispered.
Cate felt a huge smile creep across her face. She slid her hand into his and intertwined her fingers with his. Beel closed his large hand over hers and stroked her hand with his thumb.
“You’re special to me, Cate. I always want to keep you safe.”
That melted her. She was already compromised by the flu, but hearing those words coming from him broke the floodgates. She clutched Beel’s hand as tears slid down her cheeks. A small sob escaped her throat and she buried her face in his shirt. He gasped and looked down at her.
“I’m sorry, Beel...I’m not sad, I promise,” she said, laughing weakly. “It just made me really happy to hear you say that.”
"I know it's hard being in the Devildom sometimes... especially with everything that's happened. I just want to make things a little easier for you if I can." Beel replied, pressing his cheek against Cate's head. He squeezed her against his chest and let out a sigh.
"You know...I never really realized just how small you actually are until now," he said, almost mumbling. Cate used her free hand to wipe her face and giggled. She was feeling much warmer now, the chills from her fever gone.
"Well...I never really realized how big you are until now…" Cate murmured, feeling her cheeks flush with mild embarrassment.
Beel released her hand and wrapped his arm back around her small frame. He hunched forward a bit, his shoulders now surrounding Cate, which caused her to sink a little further into his chest. He nuzzled his nose into her ear and took a deep breath. The exhale tickled her and she wiggled involuntarily, but found that Beel had her locked pretty firmly in place against his chest.
"I guess it's all the better for me then, that I'm so much bigger than you…" His husky voice made Cate shiver and she clutched his shirt again. "That way…" he pressed his lips against her ear, whispering. "If you ever get sick again, I know how to keep you from leaving."
To be honest, Cate would never want to go anywhere if Beel continued to hold her like this. She was far from her human home, but now...she wasn't sure if she wanted to leave anymore. She smiled and sighed happily, her aching body glad to be surrounded by Beel's warmth.
"How could I even think of fighting you…?" Cate turned her head to press her cheek against his. "I already owe you so much," she breathed into his ear. She felt him shiver and then press his face into her neck.
Cate let out a long, content sigh, exhaustion finally settling into her bones.
"Beel...will you stay with me to help me fall asleep?" She leaned back to look at his face. His cheeks were pink and he had a warm smile. "I... don't think my covers will be enough to keep me warm," she added sheepishly.
"Yeah," Beel said with a nod, releasing Cate from his arms and let her pull the covers to the side. The bed was not terribly large, but Cate didn't mind. She wanted Beel close.
He slid to the side of the bed that was against the wall and started shimmying under the covers. Cate settled herself in, her back against Beel's chest. Beel slipped his arms around her waist and snuggled his cheek against the back of her head. Cate pulled the covers back over them and sighed again. The covers helped circulate Beel’s warmth, but Cate decided to turn and face Beel. They looked at each other for a second before smiling.
“I’m feeling warmer than usual...which is strange because you’re so cold.” Beel pressed his forehead to Cate’s and closed his eyes.
Cate merely smiled and listened to his breathing.
“I think I love you,” Beel whispered after a moment. His cheeks flushed from pink to red and he slightly opened his eyes. “That’s what this has to be.”
Cate let out a small laugh and pressed her cheek to his chest.
“I think I love you too.”
Beel moved to his back and let Cate snuggle up on his chest while he wrapped his arm around her. She wrapped her arm over his torso and squeezed, letting sleep wash over her in warm, gentle waves.