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Family had always been a bit of a sore subject for Levi. He may have 6 brothers that he would have been willing to do anything for - die for, if it came to it - but he still felt like the odd one out. The black sheep.
Asmodeus had Satan. Belphie had Beel. And Lucifer was well, Lucifer. And even if Mammon was easily the most picked on of them all, he still frequently hung out with Asmo and did whatever it was that normies do when they go out.
But for Levi? He was largely just left to his own devices.
At least, that was before you came. Now that you were here, he found himself able to spend more time with his brothers. And you helped him find common ground so he could share his interests with them too. Mammon in particular had gotten a lot closer to him and hung out with him far more frequently. Levi was still the undisputed otaku in the family...but Mammon? Well, he had his moments.
When Levi found out you would be going to the human realm to visit your family, he was curious. His only experience with human families came from his anime and manga that he’d import to the Devildom, so he wanted to see how close those things were to reality. At least that’s what he told you. You were skeptical about his motives. And also concerned about the whole “meeting people” thing - but he assured you if it was just your parents, he could manage.
You initially told him that you thought it best that you go alone, but after seeing how hurt he was you quickly changed your mind. It wasn’t that you didn’t want your family to meet Levi, you weren’t trying to hide him. But you didn’t want him to meet them . They just weren’t the sort of people you wanted to spend much time with. To put it simply, it was a miracle that you turned out as well as you did.
The only reason that you were going back at all was because Lord Diavolo insisted. He thought it would be a wonderful idea. The next step in bringing harmony to the realms. The human exchange student and their demon boyfriend. You tried to explain to him that your family was not the understanding and accepting sort, but he was confident that if you could win Lucifer over, some humans shouldn’t be a problem at all. Totally ignoring the fact that you had already spent the majority of your life with these people and had not had any progress thus far.
You had tried your best to manage Levi’s expectations. You didn’t want to make him too anxious about the visit but you also didn’t want him to get caught completely off guard either. You briefly considered giving him a list of subjects to avoid, just so he didn’t draw anymore attention to himself than necessary. But you knew that wouldn’t be fair to him, and he was self conscious enough as it was - you didn’t want him thinking you were embarrassed to be seen with him.
As you pulled into the driveway of your family home, you stole a glance at Levi. He was white as a sheet and bouncing his leg up and down nervously, taking deep breaths to calm himself. You reached out and gently placed your hand on his own that was resting on his leg. He jumped a little, having gotten a bit lost in his thoughts, but soon gave your hand a squeeze in return.
“Maybe this was a bad idea…” he said.
“You really don’t have to, you know. We could just hide out in a hotel and tell Lord Diavolo everything went great…”
“No! I-I-I want to do this.”
You gave Levi a small smile. You really had to appreciate how hard he was trying. He wanted to impress you. This was supposed to be what boyfriends did, right? Visit their partner’s family? Bond with their father over drinks? Win the heart of their mother with his gentlemanly demeanor? He could do that. He was sure. He had to do it. Levi wanted to stay in your life for a long, long time, and this was the next logical step, wasn’t it?
“Alright, but if it gets to be too crazy for you, just let me know.”
He nodded, smiling back at you and giving your hand another squeeze before climbing out of the car. As you two walked hand in hand up the driveway, you started to notice that something wasn’t quite right. There was a new car in the driveway you didn’t recognize, for starters. And you heard the raised voices of a rather large group of people talking. By the time you reached the front door, you were positive there wasn’t just your parents here.
“Umm Levi, I really…” you had started to explain to him your suspicions, when the front door suddenly opened and your mother greeted you, arms open wide.
“OH MY BABY! YOU'RE HOME! I watched you walking up the driveway but I just couldn’t WAIT!”
Levi watched in horror as this woman wrapped you up in a tight hug, screeching out a greeting that made his skin crawl and his blood run cold. Why did she have to be so... loud ? It didn’t take long before she had released you and finally turned her sights on him. He gulped as he prepared for his introduction, but thankfully, she was much more reserved this time.
“Well ain’t you just the cutest thing,” she cooed, pinching his cheek, “You must be Levi, right? C’mon in the both of y’all. The family is in the backyard while Daddy is working on the grill. We’re having barbecue tonight!”
“The family…? No, Mom, you didn’t…”
“Oh hush. We haven’t seen you in forever! Of course we had to invite the rest of the family. It’s not like we ever know when we’re gonna see you again…”
For a brief, fleeting moment Levi had started to think maybe this wouldn’t be so bad after all. Your mother was loud and shrill...but she seemed nice enough. She called him cute, after all. But when he turned to look at you after learning that the “rest” of your family had been invited, his smile started to waver. You looked like you were about to cry one minute, and then like you were ready to spit hellfire the next. For all the headaches he and his brothers had caused you - he had never seen you this upset before.
Eventually you plastered a smile on your face and accepted your fate, reminding yourself that they hadn’t done anything yet. Maybe they would behave for once and there wouldn’t be a repeat of The Holidays ‘09™️ where half your family ended up at the local urgent care clinic before the night was out because someone decided a food fight with flaming marshmallows was a good idea. (And it had quickly progressed to much more than marshmallows on fire)
You adjusted your grip on Levi’s hand, lacing your fingers together, determined to not let him get separated from you, and followed after your mother through the house. Levi gave your hand a small squeeze, in his own attempt to reassure you, because as perfect as your fake smile was, there was no hiding just how tense you were. You turned to look at him giving him a small, genuine smile before mouthing, “I’m sorry,” as you stepped outside into the yard.
————
To your great surprise, things really weren’t that bad at first. You walked around and introduced Levi to the various cousins and aunts and uncles that had arrived, and everyone had been mostly polite and courteous. He looked a little worn out, but nothing like you had imagined. You were also able to keep him safely by your side without much trouble at all, so there weren’t any opportunities for your more mischievous family members to cause trouble. By the time the food was ready, you were starting to let your guard down a tiny bit.
And that, you would soon learn, was a grave mistake.
Your family had gathered around the large picnic table in the backyard, and lunch was being served. You had managed to get a seat near the end so Levi was not sandwiched in between you and your family members, and the rowdier of your cousins were seated at the further end, far away from the two of you. You were listening to your family chat, occasionally exchanging touches and smiles with Levi to check in with him, when the conversation suddenly shifted to you.
“So dear,” your mother started, “when are you going to get serious about getting married?”
“Pardon…?!” you choked out, as you desperately grabbed for the glass of water in front of you to clear your throat.
“Yeah hun, you’re coming to that age when you should start thinking about your family. You need to start looking for a suitable partner,” one of your aunts chimed in.
Your face flushed scarlet, and you felt your stomach flip, “I’m good. I already have a boyfriend. I’m not looking for another,” you finally managed to answer, hoping to make it sound like there was no room for argument.
Your mother, however, did not take the hint.
“Do you mean him dear? He’s very cute but he doesn’t exactly look like the responsible type.”
“Hey son, what’s it you doing for a living?”, your father asked, leveling his gaze on Levi, who had been trying to ignore the conversation.
You felt Levi flinch beside you and you shifted so you were sitting just a little bit closer to him, your legs now pressing together. Oh how much you wished you could have just grabbed him and run right now. You were so stupid for doing this. Arrogant even, for thinking things were going to be fine with you there to deflect the awkward questions.
“Dad, that’s really not something we need to talk about right now.”
“Mind your father,” your mother warned, “Let the poor boy answer.” All eyes then focused on Levi, waiting for his response.
In that moment, Levi really wished he could just turn invisible. He hadn’t taken his eyes off his own plate yet, but he could feel everyone else staring at him. He felt you shift closer to him, and while he did appreciate the reassuring touch from you, it did nothing to quell the anxiety bubbling up in his stomach.
“Umm...I’m...a...I’m a Devil...errr...YouTuber…”
“A what now?”
“A YouTuber. He makes videos of gameplay and walkthroughs, things like that. He’s really good at it too,” you explained, smiling at Levi, hoping that your little bit of encouragement would help soothe his nerves.
“Well hun, that ain’t a real job.”
“Your mother’s right. You need to find someone with a stable career that will be able to contribute to your family. You don’t want to be stuck carin’ for a mooch, like your Auntie Tammy do ya?”, your father asked, followed by snickers from your cousins at the jab towards your conspicuously absent aunt.
“I’m fine. That’s between me and Levi.”
“You can’t really be serious, dear.”
“I am.”
“Hahaha, but he looks like such a dweeb!”, cackled one of your cousins, from the very same rowdy bunch of cousins you had tried best to avoid all evening.
“Watch it,” you snapped, tightening your grip on Levi’s hand. This was going downhill. And fast.
“Don’t talk to your cousin that way.”
“I’m uhh...I’m going to the bathroom…” Levi mumbled as he stood up and made a hasty retreat inside the house, having finally had enough of your family’s judgmental looks and insults.
“And you wonder why I don’t come by very often…”
“Now hold on, what is that supposed to mean?” your mother asked.
“It means, y’all are a rude bunch of assholes and I’d rather chew glass than sit through another meal with you.”
And cue your mother’s crocodile tears.
“Look what you did! Apologize to your mother now!” your father said, his tone sharper than it had been before, as he struggled to maintain his composure.
“Sure, after you apologize to me and my boyfriend.”
“Apologize for what? We just want what’s best for you. Why can’t you see that?” your mom said, sniffling and dabbing at her eyes with a napkin.
“Because we’ve had this conversation a thousand times. You don’t approve of my choices. You’ve mocked every partner of mine that’s had the misfortune of meeting you. And frankly, I’d rather be living in hell than spend another moment here.”
And with that you stood up, ignoring the shouts and your mothers sobs as you went on the hunt for Levi, whom you were sure was not going to be returning to the table anytime soon. When you finally found him, he had taken refuge in the small upstairs bathroom, hoping that anyone who may be looking to use the restroom would go to the downstairs one first and leave him undisturbed.
“Levi?” you knocked on the door, “Can I come in?” You heard some sniffing and shuffling around before the door finally opened, revealing a very red faced Levi who was trying (and failing) to hide behind his bangs. You quickly slipped inside, locking the door behind you. When you turned back to Levi, he was sitting on top of the large bathroom vanity, his feet dangling over the edge, and you didn’t waste another minute going to him and wrapping your arms around his neck, as he slipped his around your waist.
“I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry,” you said, over and over again as you hugged him, “They’re a bunch of angry, miserable people. Please don’t listen to them.”
Levi pulled you closer, burying his face in the crook of your neck. He took a deep breath, inhaling your scent, and trying to distract himself from his chaotic thoughts. This was not how today was supposed to go. It was supposed to be his chance to get to know your parents, but from the moment your mother answered the door things had started to go south. Why hadn’t he listened to you when you suggested spending the day in hiding?
And what was going to happen now? Was this it? Did this really mean there was no future for you and him? Of course there wouldn’t be one. He was foolish to have ever thought there could be. Your parents weren’t wrong when they said he didn’t have a real job. And what did he even know about supporting a human family anyways? Why did he think he’d be able to take care of you at all? You probably wanted someone who knew what they were doing. Not someone who you’d end up caring for.
“I love you so much. Please don’t listen to them. Please.”
“...they’re not wrong though...I...I don’t have a real job…”
“Levi, look at me,” you said, pulling back slightly and taking his face in your hands, gently turning him to look at you, “You’re one of seven demon lords of the Devildom, Grand Admiral of The Hell’s Navy. I think you’re ok in the job and prestige department.” You smiled at him, and he gave you a small, weak smile in return.
“Even my family would have been impressed with that if I could have told them,” you teased, before leaning forward and pressing a gentle kiss to his cheek, “Besides, there is nothing wrong with being a You...DevilTuber anyways. You’re good at it, and you enjoy it. That’s all that matters.”
“You’re not worried about being stuck with your loser boyfriend who uses up all your time and money for his failed hobbies and selfish interests and…”
“No, Levi. I’m not worried about that. For starters, I don’t even have a loser boyfriend,” you said, this time kissing Levi softly on his lips, “I have a very talented boyfriend whom I’m very proud of.”
Levi blushed at your compliment before pulling you closer and resting his head on your shoulder. This day sucked. He was exhausted. And he really just wanted to go home and go to sleep. But at least you were here with him, and hadn’t left him alone to deal with the pack of wolves that was your family.
“Are they always like that?”
“My family?” you asked, wrapping your arms around Levi’s neck again and kissing the top of his head, “Yeah. Pretty much. That’s why I don’t see them often.”
He finally understood why you had been so anxious about this whole trip, and why you stayed glued to his side the entire afternoon. You weren’t worried about him embarrassing you or himself - you were worried about your vicious relatives attacking your boyfriend. How many other friends and partners of yours had they mistreated? he wondered.
“I thought since you were so nice, they couldn’t be that bad…”
“Pffft. No. They definitely could be that bad. It’s said that kids can go one of two ways - they either turn out just like their parents, or the complete opposite and use their parents as the blueprint for everything they don’t want to be in life.
I am obviously part of the latter category.”
“Good.”
You laughed at Levi’s reply, glad he seemed to be feeling a little bit better. His head was still resting on your shoulder and you could tell he had reached his threshold for human interaction for the next decade, at least. You started to comb your fingers through his hair, snuggling him close. Levi’s arms tightened around you, letting more of his weight rest on you as he started to relax.
“So, do you want to go ahead and go back to the Devildom?...or do you want to find the fanciest hotel around and spend the night there on Lord Diavolo’s dime?”
“...what kind of fancy hotel?”
“The kind that offers 24/7 room service and will cook up anything you can imagine.
Oh, and, can’t forget to mention this, the kind your brothers don’t know about so they can’t interrupt us.”
“...that sounds good.”
“It’s the least Lord Diavolo can do for us I think, after forcing us on this awful trip.”
“Could we rent movies too?” Levi had turned his head to look at you, his eyes sparkling as he started to remember some really good anime movies that were currently only available in the human realm.
“Oh definitely. As many as you like,” you smiled, giving him a quick kiss.
“Then what are we waiting for? Let’s get out of here before your mom tries to hug you and starts screeching again.”
Laughter filled the small bathroom as the two of you began giggling at his comment, taking turns shushing one another in an attempt to keep quiet. It didn’t matter what your family thought about your life choices, or whether they judged Levi “worthy” of your time. All that mattered to you was that you were able to enjoy moments like this, with your best friend and partner. And you weren’t about to give that up.