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“Mammon, are you coming?” You called out to him from ahead. The half-risen sun beat down on you as you turned to look at him over your shoulder. A playful smile curled across your face. The way the sun dyed your figure in deep orange during the time it set had made you look… ethereal. There was a faint light outlining your features, and he swore he felt his heart stop. He blinked, raising a hand to shield his eyes from the beauty that was… you.
Was he happy…? Was this what true happiness felt like? The last time he had felt like this was in the Celestial Realm. He was happy with you, even when only doing some mundane errand in the human world. He felt overjoyed whenever he saw you. You were a bright light in his world – something he never thought he’d see in the Devildom. He wasn’t buying anything, he wasn’t gambling or even trying to get more money than he could ever spend in a lifetime. It was… It was you. You were the source of his happiness. Time had seemed to stop as he realised. He was…
He was in love with you.
His foot caught in a loose paving stone. His view of you spun and changed to concrete as he fell, and suddenly , he felt his nose connecting with tarmac. He heard your faint gasp from afar before your loud footsteps, racing over towards him. He sat up, groaning. “Are… Are you okay?!” There were small pauses in your speech as you stopped to catch your breath.
He looks up at you. You had stooped over, your hands resting on your knees. Your bright eyes searching his for the expression of pain and your own brimming with concern. Were you… really worried about a demon as scummy as he was? His heart was fluttering as you knelt down next to him. You raised a hand up to grab his chin to examine the damage done to his face, which had turned a light shade of pink. “I-” His throat was dry. His heart was threatening to thump out of his chest – could you hear it?
He didn’t want to give the game away yet. But your fingers were so close to his racing pulse. What if you figured it out? He wanted to confess to you properly – he – he wanted to give you the world . He wanted to be the best demon - no, scratch that, the best man for you. “Quit worryin’! I’m a demon, things like this won’t hurt me!” He lied. His nose was starting to sting, but it was bearable. He didn't want to look like a baby in front of the person he liked- No, loved.
Your worried look remained as you responded. “I know, but it’s the human world. Anything can happen. You need to be careful.” His expression softened.
And… for now, he was fine with the dynamic you two had. You didn’t have to find out his feelings yet. The way he felt with you right now… he didn’t want to lose that. He wasn’t in a desperate situation where he felt like he had to shout out his feelings. He could wait until he was a man deserving of you. Until then, he'd be by your side.
A smile crept its way onto his face as he answered you - this time, he was sincere. “I’m fine. …Thanks.” His hand ghosted over yours and he pulled your hand away from his chin. He stood, dusting himself of any dirt before pulling you up. His fingers intertwined with yours, and he swore for a second he saw you blush. There was a skip in his step as he pulled you along, calling out your name. “C’mon, we’re gonna go get ice cream.”