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Mammon chewed his lip, his nerves at an all-time high as he made his way down the hall. She’d been a guest in the Devildom for a mere five months but he couldn’t remember what his life was like before she was a part of it. As he walked to her room he remembered everything that had lead to this moment…
*****
At first, he thought she’d be a burden. When she arrived in the Devildom, he was assigned to show her around and look out for her and if he weren’t so scared of Lucifer he would have refused.
When he’d begrudgingly taken her on a tour, it seemed that she sensed his unwillingness. He was grateful she didn’t ask him any questions even though it was clear she was curious about many things. At the end of his tour, he’d dropped her off at her room. She’d smiled at him before going in and it was the first time she’d looked at him directly since her arrival. He couldn’t help but smile back.
***
It started out small, his feelings for her. The first sign of them that he remembers showed just a month into her stay. At the time she was already getting close to everyone in the House of Lamentation. That fateful night was the first time a few of them gathered to watch Anime together with her.
They were in Levi’s room with Belphie lying across the bottom edge of the bed and dozing off, Levi seated directly on the floor in front of his TV screen, Beel munching chips noisily to Levi’s left and she was seated to Levi’s right with Mammon himself next to her.
A little into the second episode, Mammon felt the chill of the Winter night start to get to him. He cursed at himself mentally for not bringing a blanket like everyone else had. He let out a shuddering sigh and decided to stick it out, not having it in him to admit he was feeling cold.
Then, suddenly, he felt something warm on his forearm. He got a bit of a fright but he relaxed immediately when he realised it was her hand. It looked delicate compared to his own. His eyes lingered on it before he looked to her questioningly.
She took her hand off him and gestured to the blanket covering her. “Do you want to share?” she asked him.
Mammon blinked in surprise. “Ah-Are ya sure?”
She smiled at him gently. “Yes. It’s big enough for two.”
He toyed between saying he was fine and looking cool but continuing to freeze and accepting her offer and getting warmed up. He felt a shiver start to build up in him at that very moment. “…’kay then,” he said.
The moment she draped the blanket over his shoulders he couldn’t stop the pleasured sigh that escaped him at the instant warmth. She shifted around and moved the blanket to cover them both properly and he suddenly realised how close they were. Her limbs lightly brushed him as she moved around and when she settled down their shoulders and legs were touching. Mammon felt a tingling at every point of contact. He figured it was because she was warm and he was cold.
Then, in a move that shocked him, she shifted again and rested her head on his shoulder. He stiffened immediately.
“Is this okay?” She asked softly.
“Uh? Yeah, umm…” Mammon relaxed and moved a little to let her lean on him more comfortably. “…Thank you.” He said, feeling a blush forming and that tingly feeling spread through him. “For sharing your blanket with me.”
She nodded and he felt the movement against him. “No problem,” she said.
“Hey, can you two be quiet?” Levi asked abruptly. “This is an important scene.”
Mammon was about to reply when she beat him to it, simply saying, “Sorry.”
That was not the route Mammon would have taken. But he realised it was better than the fight he and Levi would definitely have had if she hadn’t responded first. He hid a fond smile.
***
After that Anime night, Mammon got closer to the human. He spent more time with her and got to know her. He visited her room often, to the point where when he’d knock she’d say, “Come in, Mammon!”
He preened under her attention and she gave him plenty. Far more than his brothers ever did. The only problem was that he wasn’t the only one getting closer to her.
All of his brothers were spending more time with her. It irked him that she and Satan would go on walks and talk about things he didn’t understand, that Lucifer would treat her to private teatimes, that Beel would take her out to restaurants, that she and Levi would play games together alone, that Asmo would take her shopping and they’d come back and spend hours trying out what they’d bought, but what got to him the most was her and Belphie taking naps together… all wrapped up in each other’s arms.
***
Mammon remembers most vividly when she’d accidentally drunk poison that was meant for him. A witch from his past had wanted to kill him but instead, it was her who took the deadly substance. He’s so, so thankful she’d only taken a little sip.
He remembers sitting by her bedside 24/7 as she recovered for three days, wishing he hadn’t let her taste his drink. It should have been him lying unconscious in bed. He should be dead instead of this… seeing her almost lifeless was worse than being dead.
And yet Mammon stayed with her and watched over her, silently begging her to wake up. Satan had made and fed her an elixir to reverse the effects of the poison (just before she’d fully lost consciousness) but because she was a human and the poison had been meant for a demon, its effect was strong even though she’d had just a little. Satan had assured him that the elixir was effective and it would just take a while, but some part of Mammon was terrified that she might die… and it would be his fault.
During the night Mammon would drift off to sleep even though he wanted to stay awake the whole time. At some point, it occurred to him that perhaps he should sleep in his own bed instead of leaning against hers because it made his back stiff from the very first night.
Regardless, no amount of persuasion, even from all his brothers, got him to leave his spot beside her. By the start of the third day, his brothers gave up and left him with her. They would all visit her from time to time, equally worried about her but none feeling the guilt that he felt.
Mammon remembers how, on the third night, long after he’d fallen asleep against her bed, he was awakened by the feeling of fingers stroking through his hair. He remembers sitting up immediately and how his heart had stopped when he saw her – very much alive – smiling at him.
Mammon was bad at expressing his emotions outright - he knew that… Everyone knew that. But at that moment he reacted wholeheartedly. He grabbed both her hands and held them tightly in his as he broke down in a storm of tears. He cried for how relieved he was, for the joy of seeing her smile again, and for the pain that had ached and stabbed so deeply in his heart for every horrible moment of the past three days. He cried into her bedsheets, still having enough pride to not let her see him cry.
She had pulled a hand free of his grip and stroked gentle fingers through his hair again. It was that action that soothed him. As he calmed down she began to speak, her voice weak but reassuring.
“Mammon, it’s okay. I’m okay… And it wasn’t your fault.”
Mammon felt a fresh wave of tears threaten to start because how did she know what he was thinking? He pushed his emotions down, swallowed the lump in his throat, and sat up slowly, making sure to wipe at his face furiously before looking at her. It was so shameful for him, a powerful demon, to cry like this. Especially in front of someone who he wanted to be strong for.
The look she gave him was so warm. “Thank you for staying with me,” she said.
He couldn’t help it. His eyes glossed up, his breath quickened and his jaw started to tremble.
“Come here.” She gestured for him to get on the bed with her. “Come lay down with me.”
Mammon hesitantly did as she asked, still fighting back tears. When he was on the bed she maneuvered him to lay his head on her chest. He let her position him, not wanting to make her uncomfortable. The tears he held back threatened harder with how gently she was treating him. No one was ever this kind to him, not after he’d become a demon. It would have torn him apart if she’d actually died.
“It’s okay to cry, you know?” She threaded her gentle fingers in his hair once more. “I won’t think any less of you. And I won’t tell the others.”
Mammon doesn’t remember much after that. When he woke up it was the afternoon of the next day and he was alone in her bed, covered by a blanket. When he got up he found out it was almost lunchtime. He got ready, having not cleaned up in what felt like ages, and went for the meal. He was starving now that he wasn’t emotionally pained.
Everyone had greeted him and said they hoped he’d rested well and then carried on with the meal. He thought it was odd that no one teased him for being late or anything but he brushed it off. He sat next to her and Beel at the table. It was fantastic to see her looking stronger already and eating heartily.
After lunch, Beel pulled him aside to talk to him privately. “How are you feeling?” he asked.
Mammon frowned, his chest tightening. Had she told them about how he’d cried like a baby? “Fine, why?”
“This morning we found you asleep in her bed while she was up and about. The others were getting upset that you didn’t tell us as soon as she woke up and instead went to sleep, especially Belphie…” Beel sighed. “But she made us leave the room and said to let you sleep. She told us it was very late when she woke up and you'd collapsed soon after... She said she pulled you into the bed to sleep it off and we shouldn't get angry at you for being exhausted.”
“Ohh…” Now Mammon understood. He felt bad for thinking she’d lied when she said she wouldn’t tell the others… how he’d clung to her and sobbed… his cheeks heated up. “Yeah, ’m alright. Thanks, Beel.”
Beel nodded and clapped Mammon on the back. “Good! Now let’s catch up on the work you missed. Lucifer told me to make sure you do it.”
Mammon groaned.
***
He didn’t get to spend time with her while he was catching up on work. Unlike her, who made up for lost time in a short while, he took long to catch up and it frustrated him that he was a slow worker. He wanted to spend time with his human.
Almost losing her had made him realise that he’d taken his job as her protector a little too seriously. It was the only job he’d ever taken seriously, really. And it was because he loved her so much. He already thought of her as his, and being the Avatar of Greed, he wanted her to be his officially.
It was night time when he finally made it through all his missed work. As soon as he was finished, he got out a paper and began to pour his heart out. He knew he wouldn’t be able to say it properly so he wrote a letter to her, a long letter explaining his feelings for her. He wrote late into the night and he was tired by the time he was done. He decided to give her the letter the next day.
*****
As he walked to her room he remembered everything that lead him to this moment. He clutched his letter in one hand and fiddled with his jacket with the other. He was so glad he’d written down what he had to say because he hadn’t expected to be this nervous.
In the morning he’d decided to confess to her after classes, when they were back at the House of Lamentation. It would be the start of the weekend and if she accepted him they could go out for a date straight afterwards.
As the day had progressed, Mammon’s nerves grew. It occurred to him that her gentle treatment of him and her warm gazes and beautiful smiles directed towards him did not mean that she felt for him too. Everyone thought he was scummy and didn’t take him seriously. She was just generally a kind person.
He convinced himself that he’d rather give it a try anyway and that even if she didn’t feel the same they would still be close. He knew she wouldn’t make him feel bad for loving her.
When he reached her room door it took him a few moments to compose himself before he raised a fist to knock. He stopped short, frozen with his fist in the air when he heard her giggling and then another voice murmuring.
Mammon slowly dropped his hand to his side with a frown and quietly pressed his ear to her door. He was curious. No one else visited her at this time usually.
“…should… …obvious…” It was Belphie’s voice. Mammon’s heart clenched as he thought up the image of Belphie curled up with her on her bed.
Mammon couldn’t hear properly. He shifted closer and strained to catch as much as he could.
“…please don’t joke about… …Belphie, you know… …serious…”
“Of course… …love you...”
Then she giggled again. Mammon’s heart shattered. Of course. She and Belphie were so close. He was an idiot to think he might have a chance. Of course, she’d love someone she was closer with… and of course, Belphie loved her. His possessiveness and protectiveness of her rivaled Mammon’s strongly. Belphie had never been so fond of someone other than Beel before.
Mammon hurried away. On a whim, he stormed into the Library. He was glad it was empty.
He kneeled in front of the fireplace and tossed his letter into it. He stared at it as the flames ate away his careful writing of his feelings into words and didn’t turn away until it was completely destroyed.
He went back to his room and lay on his bed, staring at his ceiling.
***
By the night of the next day, at dinner, he couldn’t bring himself to even look at her anymore. His heart ached and he'd been avoiding everyone, but especially her and Belphie. He made sure to sit far away from her and he ate his meal quickly before excusing himself and going to his room. If anyone had spoken to him at any point, he didn’t notice.
Mammon was back to staring at his ceiling, the ache in his chest was growing as time passed because his mind filled with negative thoughts. He felt like a horrible person.
He was always acting cold and arrogant. He was always clumsy and silly and of all the forms of sin there are, he embodied greed. There was nothing admirable about him.
Maybe if he’d been warmer towards her, hadn’t shown her the fool that he is, and had been more open with his feelings from the start, he could’ve had a chance with her. How bad of him to even think of her as his in the first place. She was her own person, and she was out of his reach anyway.
“Mammon!” It was her voice… at his door!
He jolted upright and stared at the door, unsure if he was hearing things.
“Mammon!” She knocked. “Come on, Mammon! I know you’re in there! I’ve been knocking for ages! Just let me in already!” She paused, then knocked again.
Mammon was not one to deny her. He stood up and made his way to the door.
“Mammon, I will keep knocking! I swear, I will stand here until you open-”
He opened the door. She was beautiful, as always. Standing before him with a frustrated and worried look on her usually gentle features.
“Mammon, what’s wrong?”
He turned away, looking to the side. He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the door frame. “Wha’d’ya mean?”
She sighed. “Can I come in?”
“Go ahead.” He moved aside to let her pass.
She walked in and stood by his bed. She didn’t come to his room as often as he went to hers, but the spot of his bed she stood by might as well be called hers.
“You can sit.” He said. She usually didn’t wait for him to tell her so, but he sensed her caution today.
She was staring at him with a blazing gaze and he didn’t have to see it to know that because he could feel it. His aching heart gave way to a twisting stomach under her analysing stare.
Mammon sighed and closed his door before going to sit beside her. He rested his arms on his legs and kept his gaze on the floor before them. He could still feel her eyes on him. “Why are ya here?”
“Mammon…” he could hear the pain in her voice. “Did I… Did I do something wrong?”
No, not at all. She was always kind to him. He’d been so self-absorbed that he hadn’t realised his sulking would hurt her. “No, no.” He said quickly. “I’m sorry.”
“Okay…” She said. “Mammon, what’s wrong? You can tell me.” She put a warm hand on his forearm, just like she’d done on the day he first became smitten for her. The action stirred up his feelings in a whirlwind.
“I love you.” He blurted.
A deadly silence filled the room and Mammon’s eyes grew wide. He couldn’t believe he’d just said that. Just like that. Even if he didn’t have a chance with her and he’d given up on confessing he should have been less… blunt about it. It was clumsy and silly and… just like him. Writing her a letter had definitely been a better way to tell her. But now she knew. She knew.
Mammon felt a small weight lift off his heavy heart and he risked a glance at her, curious. His glance got stuck in the depths of her eyes because they were filled with wonder and joy and light and warmth.
She moved her hand from his forearm to cover his hand and, even unlinked, their fingers slotted together perfectly.
“I…” She smiled so wide and so bright it rivaled a crescent moon. “I love you too, Mammon.”
Mammon’s shattered heart pulled itself together and grew bigger. He shifted to face her. “Ya’ do?”
“Yes, idiot.” She laughed and beamed at him.
Mammon smiled. “Wow, I…” Then his smile faded. “What about Belphie?”
She frowned. “What about him?”
“You and him… are so close. And yesterday I came to your room to see ya and I- ’m sorry for eavesdropping, but I heard him there and I heard him say he loves ya and ya were laughing happily and stuff…” Mammon frowned and trailed off, the memory still a little painful.
“Hey.” She shifted to face him fully. She brought both her hands to his shoulders and looked him square in the eyes. “I don’t know what you heard yesterday, but that was definitely not what was said.” She smiled softly and dropped her hands to her lap. Now she looked down at her hands as she spoke.
“Belphie was telling me that… Well, I was telling Belphie how I feel about you. And he said it’s obvious that you… feel the same. And I remember he said, ‘How could he not love you’. That’s what happened. Maybe you heard a couple of words mixed up from that?”
Mammon’s mouth hung open. When he realised, he closed it and cleared his throat. “So… Belphie isn’t…”
“Gosh, no!” She laughed and looked up at him again. “Belphie is…” She tilted her head thoughtfully. “…my best friend in the Devildom.”
Mammon tilted his head too and stared into her eyes seriously. “Then what am I?”
She blushed furiously. “My crush since the first day I got here,” she admitted.
Mammon’s heart might just beat out of his chest with how fast it was pounding. “How about I be your boyfriend instead… if ya want.”
He didn’t think it was possible for him to love her any more than he already did, but when she smiled at him now with the twinkling of all the stars in the Devildom sky and said “Yes, please” he fell for her harder.
***
They lay side by side on his bed now, both on their backs. In a way, Mammon was back to staring at the ceiling. But now he was doing it with a whole, full heart and the woman he loves at his side.
“Won’t Belphie be mad?”
“About?”
“Me being with ya… he thinks ’m an idiot.”
She giggled. “Everyone thinks you’re an idiot.”
“Do you?”
“Sometimes.”
“Hey!” He turned his head away from the ceiling to glare at her playfully.
She laughed. “But I love you anyway.”
Mammon’s heart skipped a beat and then he felt regretful. “…’m sorry”
“…What for?” She frowned, shifting so she was lying on her side, facing him.
“I uhh… I was gonna give you a letter. I’d written a letter to confess to you and yesterday I was gonna give it to you… but when I heard ya with Belphie…” He trailed off.
She nodded slowly and tucked her legs in a bit. “Where’s the letter?”
“I burned it in the Library.”
She gasped. “Oh no!” She covered her mouth with a hand in shock.
“I knowww.” He groaned. “It was a long one too! Two and a half pages explaining how I feel about ya in a way I could never say. I didn’t want you to find out the way ya did… I’m sorry I’m not good at expressing myself. I wanted to do it properly for ya just once but I messed it up…”
She looked thoughtful. “It’s okay, Mammon. I really would’ve liked to know what the letter said…” Then she smiled. “But perhaps you can show me instead?”
Mammon quirked an eyebrow. “Why are you so perfectly kind? Are ya actually an angel? Were ya brought here as a 'human' by mistake?”
“You’re a sweet-talker? How am I going to survive this relationship?”
Mammon grinned. “You’re stuck with me.”
She blushed and she looked so cute that it was almost too much for him to look at. Did a demon like him deserve to be with her? She was too good for him.
“You’re stuck with me too.” As always, it was almost as if she could read his thoughts.
Wow, he loved her so much. He wanted to tell her but he couldn’t find the words to say. Suddenly, she shifted closer to him. “Were you jealous when Belphie and I cuddled and napped together?” she asked.
Mammon looked back at the ceiling, hiding his blush. “…Mhhm,” He admitted after a moment.
She shuffled even closer to him and he stiffened when she put a hand on his chest.
“We can do that and more, you know?”
His mind raced at the implication and he was sure she could feel his heart racing too under her palm. He turned his head to face her but he hadn’t expected her face to be right there. Their noses touched and he stopped breathing.
It was she who closed the little distance between them.
Her lips on his set fire to his core and he finally relaxed, allowing the heat of the moment to spread between them. He hummed happily and pulled away, then shifted them both so he could cage her in his arms while he hovered above.
She reached up and brushed some of Mammon's messed-up hair out of his eyes. He stared at her adoringly. She blushed. He leaned down and kissed her like he’d been wanting to. Mammon put all his built-up feelings into it. She whimpered and wrapped her arms around him, pulling him to her. They were closer than ever before.
Mammon felt his greed tugging at him, his desire joining it. He pulled away, breathless. “I… It’s late. You… y’ should go now,” he said.
Her eyes were lidded and she was equally breathless. “I don’t… want to go.”
He swallowed thickly. “Ya don’ understand.” He pleaded with his eyes. “I… ’m the embodiment of greed. I want more of you. I want everything.”
“Have me then,” she whispered.
His breath hitched. “But… ’m a demon. Ya don’t want-”
“I want you.” She cut him off, her eyes pleading this time. “I want you too. I’ve been waiting for so long. Please, Mammon.”
He shuddered and squeezed his eyes shut. His demon form was starting to show itself, he could feel it. “Ah-are you sure?”
“Yes!” She reached for one of his horns that was growing out and tugged him down to her lips again.
He melted and gave in. Mammon was not one to refuse her anyway.
***
The next morning was bright and clear. She and Mammon had decided to go down to breakfast separately so as not to cause a stir. They sat apart for the meal. She sat next to Asmo, near Lucifer and he sat between Beel and Belphie.
Not even two minutes into the meal, Asmo exclaimed, “You two finally f****d!”
Mammon choked on his food and her eyes widened to a comical size, a spoonful of cereal frozen halfway to her mouth.
“Whaaat?!” Levi shouted.
“Now, now Asmo. Let’s not be crass.” Satan said.
Asmo clapped in glee. “Ohh I’m just so happy for them! The lust between them was almost suffocating. About time, Dear!” he addressed her.
She blushed furiously and stared into her cereal with dedication, stirring her spoon in it needlessly.
Mammon was still spluttering. Beel handed him a glass of water. Belphie smirked silently as he watched Mammon suffer.
Lucifer cleared his throat. “As long as there is consent I have no objections… Just be sure not to fall behind on any of your tasks, both of you, or I'll have to intervene.”
Mammon’s face got even pinker than it already was and he covered it with both hands, groaning. Belphie nudged him.
“So? Are you dating?” Belphie asked.
“Yes.” She answered for Mammon. And when he uncovered his face to look at her, seeing her smiling happily about being with him was worth all the embarrassment.
*****
The End