Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Oh~ to be able to sleep after a long long day at RAD. Your time there was fulfilling, that word didn't even scratch the satisfaction you felt just knowing that you'd given another day your best. If this were a boxing ring, it wouldn't matter if you were beaten up or hadn't even taken a glance on the chin— you were just happy to be standing at all. Resting helped with muscle recovery, though. You would be run ragged without your sleep, especially after today. As if someone thought it would be a fun joke, everyone needed some of your time. A little favor here, an opinion there, became a whole trip out to town, helping with shopping bags, food, making sure someone wasn't stealing— would that be more like a snowball aggregating size, or an avalanche being triggered by the smallest, " Would you do me a favor? " But you obliged. It was hard not to share in everyone's excitement, rare was an opportunity for all of you to share good spirits. RAD was coming up on a little holiday, a full two weeks starting tomorrow! How delightful…you'd already fallen asleep by the time the smile crossed your features. Holding your pillow to sleep has become second nature, its fluffy support being swaddled up in your arms and lifting up your head to keep your spine aligned. Such a good pillow…And sleep you did, all the way through a particular white-headed demon essentially busting through your door— that was an exaggeration, but he certainly wasn't quiet. 

Mammon had been hoping to take you out tonight, if you'd even indulge him this time. You'd been close for a while now, so he'd grown more hopeful in his chances that you would say yes more often than not. But when the mostly blue-eyed demon let his eyes rest on your sleeping form, his brows scrunched, lips quirking in disappointment with a twinge of guilt at the realization he'd nearly woken you up. It was then he put himself out of his mind and remembered the workout all of your pact holders had given you, himself included (even if you were wise enough to not humor him too much, hence why he came back for seconds). The light from the hallway illuminated the scene before him— a stubborn, nosy human in bed holding…a pillow? What'd the dang pillow have that he didn't, huh? He thought it was pretty stupid how comfortable you looked, settling for a pillow when THE Great Mammon would absolutely cuddle with you if you asked him nicely. 

…Wait, he wasn't seriously jealous of a freaking pillow, was he? Oh how low he'd sunk…it was too late to feel sorry for himself! Pshh, as if some human really affected him THAT much. He did have an idea though. Payback, if you would. Last time the House had a movie night, you'd managed to snap a particularly incriminating photo of him mid-scream during a horror movie and you neeeever let him live it down. It was your D.D.D. wallpaper last time he checked, which was both a source of pride and mortification, especially when you had other photos to choose from. Click. The light from the hallway was enough to capture you and your reliable pillow, and he had to admit he had some pretty nifty photo skills himself, so the greedy demon managed to capture a photo of the cunning but otherwise pathetic human with their guard even more down than it had any right to be. One press and the House group chat had it too. He shut the door behind him and started texting on his way back to his room. 

[House of Lamentation] 

Mammon: FINALLY CAUGHT THEM GUYS

Mammon: [Image attachment] 

Leviathan: o shit sleeping human pic

Satan: What are you scheming this time, Mammon? 

Mammon: Nothin'! 

Mammon: Well, that ain't true

Mammon: I was just paying our little friend here back for their little photoshoot at the last movie night, don't you remember? 

Mammon: Sneaky bastard managed to get all of us doing something, except Lucifer! 

Lucifer: I do recall that. 

Lucifer: They actually did get one, but they only managed to do so by taking the picture with me.

Lucifer: …with you all asleep in the background. 

Lucifer: Wonderful composition. 

Mammon: What!? No fair! 

Leviathan: LOL weren't you just complaining about them having a picture of you? 

Mammon: Shuddup!!

Mammon: Emphasis on EMBARRASSING!

Asmodeus: Mmm, I smell an excuse ~

Asmodeus: You just wanted a sleeping pic, didn't you ~ ? 

Asmodeus: I don't blame you, they're an absolute treasure when they sleep ❤

Mammon: HOW WOULD YOU KNOW!?

Satan: Notice how he doesn't refute the first thing. 

Belphegor: Ughh…

Belphegor: Your jealousy actually woke me up, Mammon. Isn't that s'posed to be Levi's thing? 

Asmodeus: A jealous AND a greedy Mammon? No thank you!

Mammon: SHUDDUP! 

Beelzebub: You act like they haven't fallen asleep out in the open before. 

Mammon: Ahah! But in their own room? They only ever sleepover in other places! 

[…]

Mammon: What, are ya just gonna ignore me!? 

Asmodeus: I don't think I've ever seen them hold something to sleep. 

Beelzebub: When we were sharing a room, I noticed they did that a lot. Looks comfy…

Asmodeus: Aww, how cute! They are a precious little thing, aren't they?

Belphegor: They've got good form. 

Belphegor: I think I lost brain cells trying to follow this conversation though, I'm 

[…]

Beelzebub: He fell asleep. 

Leviathan: ROFL that was expected 

Lucifer: I can't imagine they'll be very happy with you when they do wake up, Mammon. 

Mammon: Why just me? You're all accomplices now! 

Satan: That's…not how accomplices work. We didn't help you do anything. 

Leviathan: There's a reason for that

Mammon: Now you guys are just bein' mean!

Mammon: I'm outta here!

Mammon: 

The rest of the night proceeded as normal for the seven brothers, but for once, they all agreed on one thing, though they didn't know it at the time. They'd like to get closer to the human exchange student, thank them for their hard work and unprecedented kindness. Thanking you for everything that you'd done was a daunting task, so little bits at a time seemed to be more within the realm of reason for the demons. And besides,, who said they weren't allowed to be a little self-indulgent themselves? It seemed Mammon wasn't the only one who took notes from the pillow. 

Morning. Morning in the Devildom was as welcoming as ever, the stings of moonlight making your eyes burn slightly if you neglected to blink. And so…quiet. It made sense, with no school there wasn't an urgent need to be awake so early. Breakfast was a little later today, but this was around the time someone stopped by your door to remind you. Pulling yourself out of bed, you get dressed in your day clothes and put your shoes on at the door, giving them a little tap against the floor to make sure they were on right. 

Knock knock. 

"Good morning. Are you headed to breakfast soon ?" The unexpected but sweet baritone chime obliterated any thought of staying in your room a little longer. 

You blink a few times as if that would make the oddity clear up. Lucifer. He wasn't exactly a morning demon, let alone the one to get you in the morning. He didn't sound angry if that's any consolation. But what did he want? Rarely did he do something for no reason. 

You get the door, shifting your weight to one leg and looking at the demon with a slightly sleepy smile. "Good morning. I was just about to see what was…there." You look down and cover your mouth for a yawn, "Excuse me. I'm still sleepy from yesterday…" You mindlessly press your palm into your back to alleviate some of the pressure and it works, but not nearly as much as you need. 

"Yesterday was quite…eventful. Still waking up, are you? Allow me." Lucifer raised his hand to your eye level; with a single elegant finger, he bid you show him your back. You turn for him. Without a word, he steps closer to you, placing one hand on your shoulder to keep you still, the other hovered just over your shoulder blades. With him so close, he didn't really need to hold you still, you'd just about locked up once you felt the huff of his nose against your ear. "You really didn't need to do all of that. It is okay to refuse us. I might even encourage it…" Lucifer shared some of the blame himself, he was aware. But if it were up to him, you wouldn't be tired after a full night's rest like you were right now. You certainly weren't the fragile human he once imagined you to be, but made of energy and time you were not. As he pressed into your back decisively, the demon contemplated the amount of trust you must have in him to show him your back without a second thought. You hadn't even asked what he'd planned to do; you already knew he wasn't going to try anything. It was…a rewarding feeling. Once upon a time, you were the one who wanted his respect, but now it was yours he took pride in. 

You actually felt the need to stifle your reaction— the sweet release of pressure you felt after Lucifer pressed into your back was enough to make your legs feel weak, enough to make you feel weak, but after a moment it was much easier to keep yourself up. You felt your voice beg to react but you managed to hold it in enough to pass the moan off as a more modest sigh. After letting the sound out, having him right behind you was less tense than you'd made it out to be. You had goosebumps, but you were able to stand there unflinchingly even with his breath now tickling your neck. It was a good thing he didn't see your face, but you knew he'd be able to feel the heat of your ears from where he stood. You look down at the floor. "I didn't need your permission." Despite your current position, your voice remained firm. His mark— the pact you'd made with him— was around your neck. Lucifer had you by the throat and you were still able to speak so freely to him. After having known you so long, your boldness no longer surprised him. You'd seen them all at the most emotional they had ever been in eons and he'd seen you thrive through all of that, keep your head up despite the danger, "You should know me better than that by now." 

There was a smirk in your tone, he didn't even need to see your face to know.

"That's just the sort of person you are, isn't it? " Lucifer's voice was just as amused as yours was, but while your tone landed more playful, his was more…delighted, in a devilish way. "…Aren't you going to look me in the eye when you talk to me?"

"I wasn't sure you were done yet." You turn to face— oh. He was close. You knew that going into it and you still fell for his trap. It wasn't really a trap, but the way he looked at your surprised face made you think either this was intentional or it happened to be a favorable outcome. Knowing him, it was probably both— no no, definitely both. 

Red eyes studied yours attentively as if he'd never had the chance to observe them this close. They only seemed to search more as he reflected on your relationship. Expressing himself explicitly wasn't difficult under normal circumstances, but you weren't normal to him. More than that, you were…his words could not cover the multitude of things he felt for you right then and there. It frustrated him greatly that he was unable to articulate his thoughts in a succinct manner that still managed to say enough. Perhaps putting himself on the spot like this wasn't a good idea to begin with. What did he need you to know right then? "…Should you find yourself needing a break over this vacation, feel free to find me. I would enjoy the company." His voice carried a note of concern, but a dash of something else that you were unable to address then. He hadn't even realized he'd been holding a breath when he sighed through his nose. "Another thing. I wanted to thank you for helping us even when we made you feel unwelcome." Lucifer was fully aware that he and his brothers had done more than just 'make you feel unwelcome', himself in particular. It was a miracle that you were as stubborn as you were kind— or did your stubbornness only manifest as an extension of your kindness?

"I only brought out what was there, Lucifer. You all did the hard part." You look down at your feet. You knew that what you'd done was, in reality, quite massive. Helping mend a family was difficult, demons or otherwise. But you did believe that your shove in the right direction wasn't nearly as big as the willingness to grow demonstrated by Lucifer and his brothers. It was a beautiful thing… When he held your chin, warmth flooded your body, starting in your chest and reaching the tips of your fingers and ears. It was harder than normal to keep eye contact with him, but smiling in moments like these was never difficult. "I will take you up on that though, you can count on it." 

His eyes narrowed in amusement. "Your narrowly avoiding death on several occasions wasn't the hard part?" He cocked his head to the side and brushed the hair that fell in front of his face back with the tip of his gloved finger. 

You would quip back about how a good deal of your near-death experiences were his doing, but…you shook your head. "It's easier to want to stay alive than to confront your inner demons— oh." You had been completely serious, but the little fumble made a chuckle catch in your throat. 

The tension break managed to pull a smile out of him, "No no, go on. You were saying?"

"When your life is in danger, your choices are simple, you do what you feel you need to do." Trying to find the right words proves to be difficult, and you leave Lucifer hanging on that idea for a moment, just staring at his chest. "To willingly expose yourself, I think, is more difficult." You take the opportunity to rest your hand against his chest, right where you assume his heart is. You can feel his heartbeat underneath your palm, feel how it starts to quicken when your eyes finally return to his. "Getting hurt here is something you need to live with. It's the difference between doing what you need to do and doing what you have to do."

He looks as though he doesn't want to be anywhere else at the moment. You can feel him lean into your touch. "Doing what you need to…and doing what you have to do? I'm afraid I don't follow." His brow furrowed the slightest bit with his pout— he really wanted to understand you. 

"Needs are instinctual, they're what you can't exist without. But doing what you have to do, that's all you, it's an obligation you have to yourself and what you care about. The kind of decision that changes who you are depending on what you do. I don't think I need to lecture you on what I mean, Lucifer." Most of your relationship was built on the consequences of the things he's had to do. It was no surprise that you saw the understanding register in his eyes almost immediately after you clarified. Lucifer placed his hand atop yours where it remained on his chest. 

"It feels more like a gentle reminder. Do you consider your meddling something you have to do?" He offered you a slight smirk, eyelids lowered as he looked down at the two of your hands. Be still, his beating heart— he felt his face turn a little red. 

"I'm glad you caught on after all this time." You offer a cheeky grin that immediately pulls the endeared frustration out from him. 

"Quiet, you." Lucifer's scoff was a sweet one, even if he feigned annoyance. "I'll take that as a yes." The demon squeezed your hand and removed it from his chest, but he wouldn't take his hand back until just before the two of you entered the dining room. There would be more time for the two of you to talk later. 

Breakfast was as boisterous as usual, and you wouldn't have it any other way. Normally you were content staying quiet until you were dragged in to settle a debate, but right off the bat, the brothers seemed to want your attention. 

"And what are your plans for the vacation ~? ❤ " Asmodeus rested his head on his folded hands, his bright eyes drinking in every bit of you as they often did. 

"To be honest…" Those three words caused the entire table to shift, some of them trying to act like they weren't listening, some of them not bothering to hide it at all. Belphegor even woke up from his nap and let his eyes peer up at you from the table. You swallowed and looked back at your plate. You'd gotten used to dealing with all this supernatural shit, but having seven pairs of eyes on you still caught you off guard, especially now that you were all so close. "I didn't actually think that far ahead. I'm so used to getting dragged— that's too strong a word— taken along for trips, that I didn't think too much about it." You rub the back of your neck. 

"So you ain't got nothin' planned?" Mammon's excited voice cut through almost immediately. "Great, you're hanging out with me today." He pointed at himself with his thumb, a stupid grin overtaking his features. Oh, how you'd grown to love that stupid grin…

"LOLOLOL Mammon, you didn't even try to be subtle! You should see the look on your face." Levi snickered, "Besides, you can't just call dibs on them like that!"

"Wha? I didn't call dibs! They can hang out with whoever they want, I-I don't care!" Mammon huffed and folded his arms, but his little admission there was his downfall. 

"Dibs," Satan smirked into his cup of tea, green eyes shifting over to where you sat. "You did say you wanted to learn, what better way than to spend the day with me? There's so much I can teach you…what do you say?" His tone was sweet, a bit eager, not as eager as his white-haired older brother. Curiosity had been a consistent flame burning in your soul, steady and growing stronger the longer you stayed in the Devildom. Why wouldn't it? The more you learned, the more you wanted to know! Satan knew that spark of curiosity better than anyone, and now he was using it to lure you in— someone had been getting too many tips from Solomon. 

Levi's eyes widened, but then he nodded in approval. "I can't even be mad, you got obliterated. I'm jealous I didn't beat Satan to it LMAO."

"Uh— counteroffer-" Mammon stumbled on his words, but Satan wouldn't let up that easily. Mammon's hesitation to admit that he wanted your company made it very easy to step on his toes. 

" I thought you didn't care, Mammon ." A Cheshire grin— fitting for the cat-loving demon— bloomed on Satan's face. You didn't think you'd seen him look so satisfied before, and Mammon was on the ropes here. Truthfully, you wanted to spend time with both of them, and it wasn't like this was a three-day break—

"What is that human expression? You've really shot yourself in the foot here." Asmo purred his taunt, also adopting Satan's smug expression. Now they were just being meaaaan…

You clear your throat unintentionally and it gets the attention of the demons in question. "Hey— there's enough time for both of you. I'm still feeling a bit wound up from school, so…I think I'll hang out with Mammon today, Satan." 

"That's my human! You won't regret it!" He beamed again, like your own little ray of sunshine. It never failed to make you feel warm, so the metaphor felt apt.

"Would it really be hanging out with you if I didn't regret it a little?" You couldn't help teasing him, his little flustered sputtering was sweet. 

"Cold! Stone cold! That does it— c'mere!" Mammon lunged for you, eliciting a yelp and a dodge, with you barely managing to scramble out of your seat and make a break for it. 

The table was quiet for a moment, the sound of boots echoing through the halls of the House of Lamentation. Then they started laughing, all in their own way, from Asmo's giggle to Beel's rumbling chuckle. Lucifer definitely had something of a smile on his face, feeling the mirth in the air. Had it been this way for a while without him noticing? No…he'd been indulging in this warmth, but had only noticed once he stopped to think about it. He felt the pride well up in his chest, and the feeling only made him smile more. 

You were sprinting for a full minute before you found some cover. What would he even do when he caught you? He was a strong guy, so he can lift you up if he really wanted to, but he knows you'd evoke your pact if you didn't want to play along. It'd be a bit before he found you…you had some missed messages on your D.D.D. Oh! The House group chat…

Aww, you look so cute in this picture! But something needed to be addressed— 

You stick your foot out from your cover and wait a few seconds. A yelp and a slight throb in your ankle later, and you'd found the culprit. "What the hell!? Owww…shit, I hit my knee…" Mammon sat up with a pained expression, pulling his knee into his chest and looking up at you with an angry pout. 

"I was expecting you to see my foot and stop! You were so far away from it—" You sputter in your defense, but Mammon only gaped at your lapse in judgement. 

"What kinda— who puts out their damn foot as a signal and not their hand!? It's more eye level!"

"…" Your ears turn a bit red. 

"Uh-huh. Thought so. I'll accept your apology now." 

"I'm sorry—"

"Nope. The bank is only accepting kisses right now." Mammon grinned at you, he wasn't seri- oh. You'd already leaned down and planted a kiss on his head. "Wh- well what'd you go and do that for!? I was…just kiddin'…but I wouldn't mind if you wanted to do it again." The demon twiddled his fingers and you huffed. 

"Not until you explain why you have a picture of me sleeping in my room yesterday." You folded your arms, putting on your best displeased face. 

Mammon raised an eyebrow. "You suck at being fake mad, human." 

"Shut up! I still wanna know. Were you trying to steal my stuff again? We've talked about this Mammon—" You'd read the chat so you knew why already, but you wanted to make Mammon say it just to point out how stupid it was. 

"Hey!! I don't want any of your shit…wait, no, I wasn't there for that anyway! I was going to ask you for a night on the town, but then I saw you sleepin'…" ' And remembered the hard time we gave ya .' His eyes said everything, his averted gaze and slightly deflated energy not leaving much to the imagination. 

His dejectedness would have made you soften if not for the opportunist in him having come out. "So you take a photo instead? I—"

"Don't get it twisted, it was just payback for the movie night we had!"

"Payback…for a perfect off-guard taken fair and square?" You fold your arms across your chest and cock your hip to the side. 

"WELL— don't be such a heavy sleeper n' you'll catch me next time!"

"…next time?" The furrow in your brow deepens. 

"Look, you're killin' me here! I didn't mean it like that, I'm not gonna do anything else!" Mammon put his hands up in defense. 

You let your 'cross' face linger for a moment longer before breaking into a laugh. "I'm sorry, I had to get into character there. It really doesn't bother me all that much— I know you'd never actually do anything. Here," You walked over and took both of his hands, helping him to his feet and minding the lack of distance between you when your chests collided. "If your knee really hurts so bad, feel free to lean on me."

Mammon's face flushes as he looks you over. He timidly accepted your offer by putting his arm around your shoulders. "…'kay." 

"Where are we going then? You sounded like you had something in mind when you invited me out." 

His blush darkened a bit and his eyes got wider, and they conveniently looked away from you as the two of you walked toward his room. "I uh…hadn't actually thought that far ahead. You sure you ain't got nothin' you wanna do? Maybe something we can do together?" 

"Something I want to do with you…a lot of things come to mind. We might not get another chance like this..!" Your expression shifted to one of excited urgency, a grin overtaking your features as your eyes landed on the still blushing Mammon. 

"Wh-what do you mean by that?" It was obvious where his mind went, but you weren't going to entertain that thought right now. 

"I've never been to a casino, let alone one in the Devildom. I thought it'd be cool to see you…in your natural element?" You offer a most curious look to Mammon, big eyes studying his expression as you so often did. 

His heart started to race— never did he ever imagine that a human, particularly you, would voluntarily go into a casino with him. That was basically an invitation for him to let loose and you wanted front row seats! You wanted to see him at what he considered to be his best! How could he not get excited over that? When his other arm swung around to pull you into a side hug, it was like his knee never hurt at all, he stood up so tall. "You have no idea what you're askin' for, but I'm more than happy to deliver." He grinned at you now, blue eyes twinkling with mischief. 

"That's more than okay— I'm looking forward to it." 

"I would hope so, you did invite me out." Mammon ruffled the hair on the back of his neck, cheeks still a bit rosy. He couldn't help it! "What do you want to do until then? It's still too early for the casinos to open."

"Good point…" You curl a bit of your hair around your finger, the furrow returning to your brow as you think. "There are casinos in the city, right? There should be plenty to do there. I'm excited to see it again." You smile fondly at the memory. 

" Again? What's a human doin' going to NDC alone?" You were confused by the question initially, but then it made sense. What he was really asking was, 'Who took you and why didn't I know about it ?' His possessiveness was definitely a part of your relationship, but not a very big one; he always knew when to back off somehow. He'd been close to overbearing in the past, but as the two of you got more familiar, there grew more of…an ebb and flow. A rhythm, like the two of you were dancing and trying to strike the perfect distance to hold each other. 

"Lucifer happened to be running an errand and I couldn't resist the idea of seeing a demon city— I didn't even need to ask, he read me like a book." You scratch your cheek as you explain, not looking at anything in particular. When you look back to Mammon, he seems a little less energetic. 

"…if you wanted to go, you coulda asked me for a ride." 

"The last time I asked you for a ride somewhere, you tried to charge me!" You huff, not actually upset with him, but more trying to demonstrate his contradictory behavior. 

"Hey! Money was tight then, I didn't wanna worry about gas!"

Okay, that was…fair? But he seemed tight on money pretty often, so how would you have known when a good time would have been? It's a little rude to walk up to someone and ask their money situation, then proceed to spend their money— it didn't matter. " I'm asking you now ." You pout a little as you meet his gaze again. Almost immediately he backs down, shaking his head and clearing his throat. 

"…right, you're right." He ruffled the back of his hair again while the red resurfaced on his cheeks. Mammon felt a little silly, honestly. What was he so worried about? He had you all to himself for (at least) today. You chose him and no one can take that victory away. He had to wonder though…when did he start considering that a victory? He hadn't thought of spending time with you as humansitting for months now, but when did spending time with his friend start spawning bats in his stomach? "You didn't get to do much in the city, yeah? I gotcha." You knew he'd accept, but that promise still manages to make you light up like the sky at night. With a grin, you mess with his hair the way he likes and his face just about erupts a warm pink. "Don't start treatin' me like a child! I was just doin' what you asked me to…"

"I'm going to get ready soon, I'll stop by your room, okay?" You place your hand on his shoulder as you walk past him, then you leave him in the corridor with his thoughts. The walk back was like any other, but this time you had the weird fluttery feeling to keep you company. What would you get up to today? Would NDC be anything like the cities back home, with life and culture around every corner? What did a demon casino even look like? What kind of trouble would Mammon inevitably get you into? You make it back to your room, and just before you open the door—

"I'll see you!" The shout from down the hall startles you since it'd been a sizable amount of time since you'd left. You turn to look at the expected source of the noise and spy a familiar white-haired demon with his hands cupped to make his already loud voice louder and get your attention. You raise your eyebrow at him from where you stand, but the incredulous smile on your face will always be the first thing his eyes are drawn to. "Don't miss me too much, okay?" You blow him a kiss back and he turns red, but he returns a grin and clutches his shirt right where his heart would be. 

When you get back into your room, you make sure to close the door behind you properly. You lean back against the sturdy block of wood, eyes closed, blood pumping as you fumble through your thoughts. There was no doubt in your mind that this vacation, one way or another, would end up being mostly time to spend with the demons you know and love. That was just how you liked it— being alone was fun but having company beat it hands down. You'd be lying if you said you didn't enjoy being taken along for adventures, or having someone bust into your room just to see you. 

After taking a shower to wake yourself up, getting ready was fine enough— Asmo helped you pick things out with your money from work, and now you almost had a well-furnished closet. Going out clothes, going out clothes…got it! You settle on high-waisted jeans and a cropped shirt with one long sleeve and the other sleeve completely absent. Across the front were two x's for eyes and a sharp-toothed grin. It was a cozy sweater, you quite liked it. The missing sleeve showed off the runes you'd gained by making pacts with demons, manifesting as seven bands running down from your arm to your hand with an intricate, colorful petal-like pattern spanning in the space between. The placement of the bands varied sometimes; you were expecting to have them only on your arm, but then you made your pact with Lucifer and the design ended up crawling up your collarbone and shoulder blade. The seventh band wrapped around your neck…the memory still made you blush. Mammon's was the only ring, one around your pointer finger. He did point you in the right direction in his own way, didn't he? 

You smile fondly at the ring and step out of your room. You fluff your hair out for good measure; it could never look too neat after all. Your D.D.D. was all juiced up, your shoes were tied, you had your wallet, you looked cute and REFRESHED~ you were ready to go. Now to go see Mammon! He should be done getting ready by now, right? 

You head over to his door and give it three strong knocks, only to be surprised by the door opening on the third one. You only had a second to process the information— skin, so much sKIN, HELP— Mammon was in his towel, you see the steam rolling off of him. You swallow despite your mouth being dry, your eyes rippling up from his stomach to his eyes. 

If the redness in your ears was any indication, Mammon saw you were flustered by his half-naked body— he couldn't really blame you, he was THE Great Mammon, after all, a fine young demon that can make anyone swoon if he wanted. Well, except for you. You'd already covered your eyes before he could get a word in! 

"Are you comin' in or not? I just need to put some clothes on." He said this as nonchalantly as possible, but even with a hand over your eyes, you knew he was smirking the slightest bit. He sounded too proud of himself. "…you do know I can see your eye peeking through your fingers right?" Drat— busted. 

"You know what? Yeah. I'll come in." You remove your hand and return his smug look with one of your own. Mammon slams the door in your face so hard it sends a breeze through your hair. As you start to wheeze laughing from the over-the-top and strong reaction, you hear his exclamations from the other side of the door. 

" Yo what the FUCK you weren't supposed to agree so enthusiastically!" 

"Your plan backfired? Okay, I gotta know, did you want me to say yes but be all shy about it, or to blush so hard I said no?" You grin more as you lean against his door to hear him better. 

"You're bold, thinking you can get away with teasing a demon like that." He huffed, you already imagined his pout, the folding of his arms as he half-heartedly scolded you. When you didn't respond, he did eventually answer your question. "…either one would have worked. You're kinda cute when you're flustered, you know?" His tone was quieter, like he was confiding a secret to you. 

"I could say the same about you." Your smirk is reduced to a small smile as you allow your forehead to rest against his door. As you rest there, his silence makes your heartbeat pick up the pace. 

"…are you?" 

"Am I what?" You don't follow the question and blink owlishly. 

"Gonna say the same about me." You hear his smile and it makes you shake your head. 

"You're cute when you're flustered, Mammon." Your tone was lovingly flat, but your endeared smile grew a little wider. 

"See, was that so hard to say?"

"Pshh…just put some clothes on so we can go out." 

"Alriiiight. Hang tight, I won't be long." He raps his knuckles on the door and you hear the floor creak as he walks away. 

You sigh through your nose and pull away from the door in favor of leaning against the wall beside it and allowing your head to tilt back. It would have been embarrassing for the door to have opened while you were still resting on it, or for someone to have seen you with your guard down like that. You close your eyes for a moment and relax. 

Mammon didn't keep you waiting very long, only emerging a couple of minutes later. His opening of the door startled you from your half-sleep and caused your shoulders to jump up and look over to him. There was a great big grin on his face as he took you by the hand and led you through the winding corridors of the House of Lamentation. He didn't seem to mind that he'd startled you awake from your daydreaming in the slightest. You didn't really mind either— these days, a daydream didn't hold a candle to what you did in the waking world. Once in the driveway, the tan demon threw the tarp off his car with the flair of a showman, the protective fabric rippling like a magician's cape. The car was shiny, well kept, and definitely one of the prettier vehicles you'd seen. "What, you like it? I guess you haven't seen this one, it's the car I take out most so I don't keep it in my room." He hops into the driver's seat. 

You looked between the two doors on the passenger side— did you ride in the back or the front? As you reach for the door to the back seat, "What am I, your chauffeur? Get your ass in the front seat— you always ride shotgun. And don't use the door, that's lame. Just try not to scuff the seat with your feet on your way in." His little outburst caught you off guard, you hadn't realized he'd been looking at you. 

With a shrug, you hop into the front with him, managing to lower yourself in with some effort. Ooo, the seats were comfortable too! There was enough room for you to sit comfortably so you assumed the stance; slight slouch in the seat, knees apart, and one arm on the top of the passenger side door. "Are we ready to go?"

Mammon put the keys in the ignition and lit up the engine. From where you sat you felt the way the car purred, it was so strong it rippled through your body— your expression visibly relaxed. "Feel that purr, human? That's a bonafide demon's engine right there. The hell forge that made this baby is top-notch, this car runs a lot better and is way more durable than a human one. I've had this thing for at least fifty years and it still looks new." He rubbed the dashboard affectionately. The click of your seatbelt got his attention back on you. You motion with your head for him to do the same, and sure enough, he makes the 'I was getting to that!' face as he buckles up. 

"Wait, a fifty-year-old sports car? How did they—"

"Did you seriously think that humans came up with all of their ideas on their own?"

Huh. That was a good point.

Chapter Text

The drive was a sight unto itself. Your eyes couldn't help drinking in everything. The architecture of the surrounding buildings, the vast view of the less populated Devildom. Demons going about their daily lives, speaking with neighbors, using magic, so many cute little towns, each with their own history no doubt. Another surprise— the wild plant life was bizarre (to you) and beautiful at the same time. Aggressive looking flowers contorting to show off their vibrant color palettes— oh that would definitely kill you. It was nice from a distance. 

Mammon kept his eyes on his surroundings, but the motion of you looking around at the edge of his periphery snatched a good deal of his attention. What would he do with you? If you were reacting like this to just the shrubbery, he'd need a leash for you in the city! He couldn't have you wandering off to get eaten by a demon somewhere…He cleared his throat to make sure his voice didn't crack after keeping quiet for so long. "I don't get it." 

"Get what?" You perk up out of your enchanted state, looking over at the white-haired demon with a quirked eyebrow.

"How can you be so interested in everything? It must be exhausting having to learn so much in such a short time." 

He posed a valid question— demons, your housemates in particular, were ANCIENT ancient, and they definitely didn't show signs of dying of old age any time soon. Could demons die of old age? Question for later. Humans, in comparison, were just blips of a demon's life. Such little time compared to the volume of things that could be learned, even just compared to the things that needed to be learned. "It just makes the things I do know that much more special. If something catches my attention, if I want to do something, it's worth the time I spend on it." You rested your head on your hand as you looked out the side of the vehicle. 

Mammon was quiet at that thought. So then, asking him out today…his cheeks flushed a lovely shade of red. He knew it shouldn't surprise him by now, you were close, of course you'd want to spend time with him. But something about it still made him feel warm inside. Whether you took it seriously or not, you had a hold on his heart that none had even come close to in his entire life. Your eyes lingered on his thoughtful expression. What was it about longer car rides that made people express themselves so differently? Obviously, he was driving so it would be best not to distract him, but you thought he might be more talkative.

You do eventually get another look around the car and notice the neglected sound system! This wouldn't do— it wasn't a very long drive, but that didn't mean you couldn't jam along the way. "Can I use your radio?" You felt it was good manners to ask, especially since you knew of people being very particular about their music and how you went about it (or didn't, if they were extra picky). 

"There's already a CD in there so you can just get it started." 

You hit play and immediately a popular Devildom banger comes on— oh you LOVED this song! You'd played it more than a few times while working in your room by yourself or with the company of a demon or two, usually Mammon trying to get your help with school work, or just there to hang out. Your head bopped along to the beat, the lyrics flowing out your mouth with such ease as you really got into it. 

Your singing was infectious, Mammon sang a duet with you the whole ride there, song after song, sometimes singing on his own when you didn't know the words. It was a fun spot of karaoke that managed to fill the silence left by the first half of your voyage to NDC. You pulled into your parking spot mid-song, but Mammon let the music finish after turning off just the engine. Now that he wasn't driving, he was able to admire the goofy air guitar you were serving up with a big grin on your face. He snickered sweetly about it as he took out his keys and made sure he'd turned off the car properly. 

"We're here, you can get out now." Mammon jumped out of the driver's seat and waited for you to dismount before he put the hood on over his convertible. He stretched out his back and legs with a slight yawn as the trip had just started to make his body feel a little tense; nothing a good shake out and stretch couldn't help. Same with you— once you'd cracked your back and fixed your posture, you were ready to go. 

New Demon City! It was BIG, which made sense— this place had ages to develop and grow, with a population that had to be large if it had all the damned humans and demons alike. Where did the damned go? Did they like…kick back? Oh. Right. You forgot demons eat human souls— so it was all demons, never mind. Internal facepalm aside, Mammon took your arm and snapped you out of your thoughts. You look over to him with a raised eyebrow and he returns the look with a quick, "Can't have ya wandering off or getting snatched up. You're too curious for your own damn good, so hold on to me. Where you go, I go." 

You think it over a moment and hold his arm closer. The way he looked at you like he would do just about anything to keep you safe was… beyond comforting. You felt a familiar warmth flood your chest and ears, and he perked up a bit when you drew closer to him. He didn't mind at all if the blush that rose to his face was any indication. "Thanks, Mammon." You smile more to yourself than at him, but it still manages to fluster him more. 

"I uh- well- I'm supposed to keep you safe, remember? If anyone's gonna save you, it's gotta be me." He was as serious about that as he always was, and ever since he started saying it, he'd pulled through every single time. How could you not appreciate that? Appreciate him for everything that he was to you…

With the squeeze of his arm, you start to walk with him down the city block. Your eyes are drawn to so many things, but your mind still wanders back to him after enough time. "Do you come here a lot?" 

"Oh, all the time! Usually, I got company— Levi gets rides to his conventions, Satan to the big library here, Asmo for shopping, and Beel for the good city food. Belphie doesn't really like the city that much, no stars or places to sleep, but he does come along just to sleep in the car— he usually finds something fun once we actually get there. Lucifer…doesn't really go into the city like that, not unless he needs to for some reason. When he does, he usually doesn't get a ride from me. Probably for the best, I can hardly stand the trip here with just Lucifer in my car, nooo thank you."  

Wait, so a lot of his city trips were just so his little brothers could do what they needed to do? That both sounded just like him and unlike 'him', the image he projected for people that didn't know any better. You mull over whether you should comment on that or not, and you decide against it for now. 

"What do you like to do in a city? I mean, you're definitely not the gambling type."

"Back home, a trip into the city was just us picking an area and walking around, cool food, little shops, finding stuff to do, but most of the fun came from hanging out." 

"So you really don't got anything you wanna do?"

"I want to spend time with you," You smile and lace your fingers with his, "Does that not count?"

Mammon blushes at the forwardness. "O-of course it does!" He shakes his head in disbelief. "I guess I gotta show you around, huh. Let's pick up the pace, this place ain't gonna walk itself."

And walk you did. Just as you expected, there was just about something interesting around every corner, something every couple of blocks. So many different kinds of magic shops, mostly items to help demons with the day-to-day, just looking around taught you a lot more about the Devildom. After peeking into a couple, there was a decent trend— cauldrons were a must-have, as well as simple potion books and standard supplies. You hadn't expected potions to be more in demand than spellbooks, but it made sense— not everyone could be a powerful magic user, but anyone could brew a good potion after enough practice, even you! You'd been called a weak human too many times for your liking; it wasn't the being weak part that bothered you, it was more so the implication that you had no way to defend yourself when necessary. That and…potions were fun! It was magical chemistry, how could that not be fun! The thousands of years of history, Devildom and Human alike, were on full display. 

You got to sample good street food, of which the smells made your mouth water, but occasionally Mammon stopped you from eating something that would have an adverse effect on a human. For example, you nearly ate something that would have made your fingernails fall out! It made him happy to see you navigate his world like this, why wouldn't it? The only thing that bothered him was the looks you kept getting. It went like this, in order: human interacts with a demon, demon notices the pretty human soul, demon recognizes Mammon and/or the powerful runes covering your arm and backs off immediately. If either one was missing, a demon might try something stupid, which is why Mammon wouldn't leave your side for any reason. The main reason, anyway. 

It was mid-afternoon when Mammon got an idea. Not too far from the casino was a Ferris wheel. He'd heard once in the human world that they were like, crazy romantic or something. And even if they weren't, they were fun to go on if you weren't afraid of heights. Were you afraid of heights? He didn't actually know off the top of his head. 

"Hey, you ever been on a Ferris wheel?" 

"Hm? No. I've always wanted to though! They seem so cool…is there one down here?" 

Perfect! "There's one that ain't too far from the casino I usually go to if you wanted to check it out." He motions his head in the direction it would be as if you could see— oh hey, you can see it! You must've been so absorbed in the things close by that you'd neglected to notice the giant Ferris wheel looming in the distance. It only looks big compared to the buildings, which weren't all that tall or wide themselves. Go figure. 

"I'd love to." You squeeze his hand again and it sends a flutter to his chest. 

"Let's go, hopefully, there isn't a big line or anything." He walks ahead of you, hand still in yours to tug you along. Thankfully, you'd be in luck as there weren't that many people by the base of the Ferris wheel. Eventually, it was your turn and you were the one to tug him into the car. 

It was transparent on all sides except the floor. There was a two-person bench— well, ideally it would fit two people, but two people sitting close together. You were shoulder to shoulder with Mammon, both of your hands resting in your lap as you looked out the side of your car. 

What a view…the moon caught the light of all the glass and reflective surfaces in the city and made them sparkle. You shifted your weight from both legs to the outside one in order to make looking more comfortable. So many buildings, each with their own background and history— from up here, you noticed that the predominant color was…purple? It was an odd detail, but once you saw it, you couldn't unsee it.

Mammon's eyes glittered gold within the blue as he looked you over. Your eyes were so big, and you just radiated warmth so often that he— he wanted it all to himself! He was greedy, that was his thing, but he'd managed to hold himself back this far because he still cared about you. You weren't some object to be stolen by him. And more important to him than how he felt about you was…well, you. Most of his…what'd Levi call 'em? Tsundere tendencies came from the fact that he wanted you to call his bluff. He had such an obvious tell when it came to you that if you ever did confront him about it directly, he wouldn't be able to get out of it, he'd just fold right there. 

So when you did turn those big eyes on him, looked at him with even more care than you'd given anything all day, he thought he might die right there, just ~poof~! Gone! You'd caught him staring at you and he was mortified. He met your gaze and swallowed. "Got something to say?" That came out a little more forceful than he meant it, but because you can feel the endorphins flooding your system, you were a bit more sensitive to that. 

"Oh-! I didn't mean to…sorry about that." Your eyes flicked between his eyes, then around his face. Your heart was in your throat, the car felt too small for the both of you to be sitting as far apart as you were. You swore you were nearly on top of each other earlier, but a trick of the mind made it feel like you were both so close and so far away at the same time. The contrast was giving you whiplash— which did you want to be true? It was at that moment you remembered that you couldn't feel his hand anymore, the air was cold compared to the warmth he'd left you with. 

"Hey, I ain't mad! You just…look like you want somethin'." He'd caught your eyes lingering on his lips for a moment too long and he felt his heart start to pound out of his chest. Was this it? Mammon's head felt dizzy, his chest tight. It felt like someone had gone in and meticulously erased EVERYTHING else and left him with tunnel vision for you. Only you. He didn't ask why anymore, he'd known the answer too long to feign innocence now. 

Maybe being the incarnation of greed made it easier to read when someone else wanted something, or maybe he knew you too well. You knew for sure Mammon was projecting even if he was right about you. "…You want something too, don't you?" You knew his tell. When he was about to bluff and brush something off, he reached for the back of his neck specifically to mess with his hair. He never did it when he was playing, he was more focused then. In social situations, he was more predictable and you'd seen him do it enough times to know what came next. 

"No, I…" He opened his mouth to speak almost immediately in response to your accusation, but no words came. Mammon fiddled with loose strands on the back of his neck in pregnant silence. His eyes were in your lap, watching your hands and thinking that they needed company. He spied the ring he'd put on your finger— the one from your pact, and with the utmost care, raised your hand to his lips to kiss your knuckles. To you, the little smack sounded like a thunderclap and it echoed a dozen times before his voice came into focus again. " I've got what I want right here ." Admitting that cured his tunnel vision. You were you. He didn't need to be so afraid of you being scared off. You'd been to Hell, back, then back down again, and you still found the good in things. You made the Devildom your home! You, a human! You wouldn't run off because of him. You were stubborn and nosy with a heart so big that anyone who watched you for more than a second should know you were some kind of special. You were brilliant and cunning, but you'd never use that to hurt someone else, even to get what you wanted. And you had him wrapped around your finger literally— he was fully aware of that, even if he seemingly wanted to convince everyone else otherwise. As much as he wanted you to be his human, he was your demon. 

That— that was— not only was that not what you had in mind, that also wasn't the reaction you expected going into that. Mammon had managed to completely flip this back on you. His blue eyes were looking up at you from this slightly bowed position and it struck you right in the core, completely cutting down any possible bullshit witty cop-out you might have pulled to diffuse the situation. Mammon had played his hand, there was no bluff to call because he hadn't lied or tried to hide a thing: he just wanted you. And for once he was telling you straight up. You studied his expression for a moment before reaching over to hold his face with your unmarked hand. Instead of tensing up like you might have anticipated, he leaned into it, he couldn't get enough of your affection, however slight. His eyes glittered gold as he watched you make up your mind on what to do next. 

Mammon's eyelids fell shut as he felt your lips against his. He'd seen you lean in, but it had gone by so quickly that he hadn't even thought about it until he felt you make contact. Soon enough a hand of his was cupping your face, keeping you close, he wanted as much of this as he was allowed to have, and then some. You obliged by leaning in more and getting comfortable when you felt his other arm wrap around your waist. Finally, you'd figured out how close you wanted to dance with Mammon: you didn't want any space between you. The feeling of his warm lips against yours stirred up a familiar feeling in you, one you'd nearly but never quite forgotten. It was a sort of sepia-toned nostalgic feeling, the kind that wraps you up and never really lets you go, and you're content to keep it with you. 

You give him shorter kisses as you pull apart, your foreheads resting against each other, hands still cupping the other's face. He was smiling at first, but then he started to speak, "I was worried our first kiss was just to say goodbye. You did end up kissing everyone else too. I…don't mind whatever else you do. I just need to know that when I've got you like this… I've got you. Me. Just me. Can you promise me that?" As he spoke, his grin shrunk significantly as his eyes studied yours. You just barely felt his pulse under your pinky with the way you held his face— it was racing. It nearly broke your heart to hear him talk this way. You knew he was playing his discomfort down for your sake. One problem at a time! He needed an answer.

You wouldn't keep him waiting on that too long. "I promise you're the only one I think about when we're like this. And it'll stay that way. Just you, Mammon." You look him in the eyes as you say it, gaze unwavering, voice firm. "If you’re bothered, don't keep it to yourself. I mean it." You were ready to say more until you felt the lurch of the car— it was your turn at the top. The moment off-balance put you in his arms immediately as he'd been so taken with you that he actually forgot that was supposed to happen. You look up at him from his embrace with an amused and endeared look, to which he blushed with a pout and the furrow of his eyebrows. 

"We can't look at the view from the top if you hold me this way."

"Why do you need some view when the best one is sittin' right here?" He gestures to himself with a very 'this should be obvious' look on his face. It definitely earns a giggle from you, which only makes him more serious about his statement. 

You wrap your arms around Mammon's neck with a perfectly innocent smile. "I'm not sure you'd be able to handle me staring at you for the rest of the ride." Whether this was his plan or not, you didn't mind. Staying like this for a few minutes would be nice. 

He stared you down for a moment, clearly evaluating his options before he caved, "Gah— I'd feel bad if you missed out on your first time, so go ahead 'n look all you want." He grumbled a little to himself and let you go. Immediately you took one of his hands in your own, and with a smile at him, you went back to looking outside at the city below you. 

It's then you get an idea. You pull Mammon toward you with one arm and pull out your D.D.D., aim it at yourselves with the view of the purple city in the background, and you grin. "Hey, you gotta warn me before snappin' a picture! All the off-guards you take of me are embarrassing!" Mammon protests vehemently, but you've already taken the photo. 

"Shut uuuup, you love the off-guards I take of you. The normal ones are great and the fun ones are precious to me." You snicker like a gremlin with the grin still on your face and you take the opportunity to ruffle Mammon's hair. "I can't help myself— my eyes are drawn to you and pictures last longer." That shut him up real fast, and he was blushing all over again. He'd nearly fallen for it too, but soon enough he reanimated.

"Now wait just a second— that's cheesy as shit, you can't expect me to fall for that! Admit you just like taking funny pictures of me." The white-haired demon huffed and crossed his arms even if you still had your arm thrown around his shoulders. He looked in the opposite direction of you and grumbled, "I do kinda like the normal ones…but that's beside the point!"

"I meant what I said, Mammon." You squeeze him close and he relaxes a little bit. You figure it's because he's probably realized it's a little childish to worry about. It wasn't like you were going to do anything actually harmful so…yeah, he was good again. The demon actually seemed a little delighted that you would want to keep those memories; it made the blush persist on his face even after he stopped pouting over it. 

You let him relax for a moment before finishing your thought, "But it is fun."

"Ya couldn't've let it go, huh—" He rolled his eyes but a little smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "… I was gonna let you get away with it, too ." The smile became a smirk that made your eyes get even bigger once you actually saw it. His tone had darkened significantly, you only sensed deep mischief lying in wait for you in his words and in his now golden eyes. Where was he hiding that voice, holy shit— you swallow despite your throat being dry and you feel your heart start to beat a little faster. 

"Uhhh…please forgive me, oh Great Mammon?" You withdraw your arm and try to scoot away, but an arm around your waist prevents you from getting too far. To be clear, you weren't afraid of him at that moment, but the way he stared you down made your blood start pumping. 

" Where you go, I go, right ?" Mammon looks you up and down like he was enjoying seeing your reaction— mostly because he was. He ate up every second of it. He licked his lips as he looked into your eyes…only to give you a little peck on the lips and snicker. "I'm sorry, I had to get into character there." 

Once you remembered what he was referring to, you gasped and smacked his chest with the back of your hand. "Uncalled for! I wasn't nearly that intense with you. Remind me never to get you worked up…" You deflated and rested your head on his collarbone. 

"At this point, I shouldn't have to remind you. But…I don't think you've ever gotten that close to actually upsetting me, not even that one time." Mammon looked down at you and placed his hand on top, gently petting your head. He was a little surprised when he felt you hug him. "Hey, are you alright..? I mean it, I'm not mad."

"…I'm still sorry about that. Even though I knew you'd forgive me, it was just…those couple minutes where you wouldn't even look at me, Mammon, I…" You clutch the back of his jacket and you can feel his other hand on your back, smoothing out your sweater and trying to soothe you. "I couldn't take it. I don't regret what I did, but I hate that I hurt you." You hold on so tight that your hand starts to shake and your knuckles turn white. 

"Hey. Look at me." He sticks his knuckle under your chin and tilts your head up. There's a certain urgency in his gaze— hearing you speak so candidly was bristling and he needed you to understand something crucial. He meant what he said. You hadn't upset him back then. But that wasn't to say there weren't things he hadn't said to you. "I was hurt because I was worried, damn it. When you keep things from me, I can't help you, I can't be there for you, so when I found out about Belphie…the first thing that went through my head was, what if they needed help and I didn't even know ? Then I thought about what we had, our partnership. I got insecure. Partners work together, but it felt like you went solo. I get it now. You did what you had to do, and it was for the best. I'd be an idiot to hold it against you, so don't lose sleep over it now. You and I? We're okay." He held your face in his hands and planted a kiss on your forehead. 

"Mammon, you helped more than you know. I may not have been able to tell you, but I never felt alone. You were never far away, you made sure of that." A smile had returned to your face after hearing him open up to you. You'd severely underestimated how close quarters would affect you and Mammon— the ride was over before you'd even realized, the stops on the way hadn't registered with such heavy words being said aloud for the first time. It was both necessary but also…you kinda hoped the rest of the trip wouldn't be this weighted. Good news though, once you dismount from the car he looks back to you with the same devilish grin he'd presented when you suggested the idea. 

"Casino time. And you're joining in the fun." He slides his arm around your waist and you hold his hand, lacing your fingers over the top of your stomach. 

"What? That wasn't—"

"Oh, did you think I was completely kidding earlier? I forgot to mention that my payback is makin' you play with me in the casino tonight. C'mon, what have you got to lose? You're great at cards."

"How about all of my hard-earned Grimm?" 

"You're bettin' all your money? Damn, I thought I was the gambler in this relationship! A human after my own heart~"

"Now you're just not listening-! I would have asked for a few warm-up games in the House before we got here if I wanted to." The two of you had already begun making your way over to the casino in question while you talked. 

"Fine, fine- but at least play one game, just for kicks. It don't gotta be now, but trust me, once you're in there? You'll want a piece of the action." 

"Ehhh I wouldn't bet on that one."

"Is that a—"

"No, that's not a wager!"

"Aww…"

"If we bet on that, that's all the more reason for me not to play a game tonight. Easiest bet I'd ever make."

"So what you're sayin' is…you do wanna play!" You could follow the leap in logic this time— by asserting that you didn't want to add something to dissuade you from playing, you were actually inclined to join in the 'fun'. 

"I might wanna." You humored him with a little smile, only looking away from him to mind the door into the— holy shit THIS was a casino hall! The glowing aura was unique to the Devildom, this place felt like a den of sin. You'd only seen human casinos in pictures, but you couldn't really say one was better than the other, just…better suited to its crowd. You get a better look at everything in the hall after the two of you left your purchases with all of the guest valuables at the reception. A lot of things were similar, however, like the swaths of 'normal' looking demons having the main floor while the high stakes gambling happened behind closed doors, clearly denoted by a sign in the corner of the main floor in bold letters. Overhead were colored lights of which you couldn't make out the origin— probably magic? Warm colors, red, orange, yellow, with a bit of plain white to balance it out. The decor was vibrant, the walls a gorgeous shade of crimson and black with gold accents lining some of the etchings and decoration. Horned statues guarded the archways connecting parts of the room and their sharp eyes followed as certain guests navigated the room— you made eye contact with one and immediately looked away. Maybe they were drawn to strong magical presences? The checker-tiled floor didn't click underneath your shoes in certain areas, while others were carpeted. In the human world, you thought they carpeted the floors to avoid the noise from people walking, but here they could make the floors noise resistant, right? You had many questions about the logistics of a demon casino's layout. The gambling itself was more of what you were familiar with, slot machines, pachinko games, cards (some of which you recognized as Devildom classics). Huh. Some of these machines reminded you of the games you'd see in family-friendly entertainment establishments (think like a Dave & Buster's or a Chuck E. Cheese)…WAIT A MINUTE, THOSE PLACES WERE TEACHING KIDS TO GAMBLE ON THEIR PARENTS' DIME— yiiikes. The slot machines didn't interest you or Mammon, it seemed, for his eyes were glued to the high-stakes gambling sign. 

There were some of the same tables out on the main floor, of course, casual matches for those with a casual coin, but the smell of a big game was calling to the avatar of greed, his feet were way ahead of him— it was time to trade for some chips. Mammon pulled out his trusty card, oh sweet sweet Goldie~! He set her down on the counter gingerly and the horned clerk accepted the credit card. "Mammon! I see you're not alone today." She sniffed for a moment as she looked at you, then down at your arm. "Huh? You don't smell like the kind of human to be in the Devildom, not with that good a soul. How did you get here?" 

"I'm one of Diavolo's exchange students." What did a damned human smell like? Did you even want to know? What did YOU even smell like? The cute demon clerk gave you so many more questions. 

"Ohh that explains how you know Mammon, is that whole arm your pact with him? I've never seen one of his pacts before." She rested her elbows on the counter and leaned in a little closer to check out your runes. You raise your left arm so she doesn't have to strain so hard to see it. 

"It's just this one, actually." You wiggle your index finger and her eyebrows go up. 

"So then…" You watch her eyes count the bands on your arm and you see her back straighten out before she slowly hides beneath the counter. "Scary human. How are you still alive—?" Her fingers were still visible, along with her horns and eyes, eyes that looked at you with acute fear. 

"You don't need to be scared of me! Really, I don't bite." You wave both of your hands dismissively, eyes wide at the sudden shift in energy. You'd nearly forgotten that you were the only case of your kind in the entire Devildom, and you'd neglected to think about just how your tight-knit relationships had a good deal of weight when viewed from a different angle— you weren't sure you liked this kind of attention. 

Mammon took a quick side glance at you and his eyes darted back to his red-haired acquaintance. "We're just here to have a good time. I can tell ya the story later, but right now I just want my chips!" He played up his childishness and drummed his fingers on the counter, which snapped the other demon back to attention. He didn't even tell her how many chips he wanted, she just handed them over after swiping his card. Did he always take the same amount, or…were these all the chips he could afford at the moment— you wouldn't ask. With a big grin on his face, he kept his chips close to his chest and the two of you made your way to one of the more casual poker tables. Well, that answered your question…

Soon enough, a few other players were attracted to the table, with Mammon sitting at the head and leaning back in his chair both to be comfortable and to get a look at his competition. Nothing too fierce right off the bat, a couple of demons hoping to make a little money no doubt. His heart always told him to chase after the higher stakes games, but he didn't always have that kind of Grimm on him— but he'd found reasons to enjoy these normal games. He could relate to playing just to play, or hoping to make enough just to pay someone you owe— 

You couldn't help but wonder what went through his head when he was in a game. Mammon's poker face was…just his face! He emoted regularly— to everyone else's knowledge. Sometimes he was stone-faced, sometimes he was smiling without a care, the point was to make sure the other players had the wrong idea, that's how he won. You had to maintain a poker face the entire time since, as the person standing next to him and able to see his cards, your reactions said as much as his did, which could be a cover of its own if you really wanted to get into it. Personally, you didn't think it would be fair to help Mammon play his fellow gamblers by going along with his reactions, but you wonder if that would work in the first place.

"I'll raise you ten-thousand." Mammon pushed his chips into the center of the table and sat back with all the poise in the world. He watched the people at the table start to feel the heat on their backs from the pressure he was piling on, but it wasn't enough to discourage them. 

"Make it twenty." Someone else made their move. 

"I'm all in.." Mammon grinned and placed his little stack into the center. He was maxed at twenty-five, and he was confident he had them. The table gets even antsier. 

The rest went around, a few folding right off the bat, but two more matching Mammon. The cards were on the table down and— "WOOOO~! I'll be taking THOSE~♥" Mammon chirped his delight, very happily embracing his new stack of chips and pulling them out of the center. The table took a moment to decide what to do and Mammon counted his winnings, "Oh, ain't that lovely…c'mon, we've got a date with the high end! Oh, wait, that reminds me— is this a date?"

Chapter Text

"Is this a date?" Mammon chirps this question like it's no big deal, which is usually a sign that his mouth was running faster than his brain.

"Uhh…" Your ears get a little pink as you scratch your cheek. "Yes. You didn't know?"

"I didn't wanna assume! But man, am I one lucky bastard today—" He gave you a side hug from his seat, "This is definitely a date— we kissed at the top of a Ferris wheel, ain't that supposed to be a cheesy date thing?"

"It did feel like a movie." You hug him back from your standing position and lean down to kiss him atop the head sweetly. "Here, I'll help you carry your chips." As you try to move, Mammon groans and continues to hold you in place. "We wouldn't want to hold up this table." There's an endeared look on your face coupled with an eyebrow raised, and Mammon begrudgingly lets you go. 

"Fiiine, fine. Here, you get this half, and I get that one." Mammon made sure you had everything balanced, they were actually a little heavier than you expected— not so much so that you were teetering over, but heavy enough that you'd probably start to feel it in a few minutes. Alright, to the high-stakes gambling! Or so you'd thought. Mammon actually needed to trade these lower value chips for a different kind, so after talking to the demon clerk from earlier, you were able to take the fresh chips to the other section. There weren't as many this time around, so you offered to carry them all while Mammon looked for a game to get in on. On your way in there, you noticed a sign that mentioned some of the rules for entering this part of the casino…base entry was 💀100,000!? No wonder he was so antsy to get into here, just how much were the chips you were holding? You were confident you wouldn't drop any, but you'd be lying if you said your posture didn't improve immediately at the realization. 

Great, an opening in a game! Mammon eyed the fat stacks on the table with a hungry look on his face, you could see him rubbing his hands together. "You know, it's a good thing we came alone. Someone would scold you for enabling me." 

"Has that ever stopped me?" You scoff warmly and set the chips down at the table the greedy demon had found. 

"Nah. That's part of what I love about you." Mammon had his seat at the table and flipped one of the chips up like a coin, only to catch it before it fell. "You ready to see something real cool?" He leaned back in his chair with a grin to look up at you. "Just keep your eyes on me." Normally, his showmanship wouldn't have gotten you, but just then, he said— he said he loved that about you— your heart fluttered as your ears turned red. Any retort was swallowed while you stood by his side and kept your eyes on him, just as he'd asked. He was brimming with excitement, you even saw the gold in his eyes glimmer under the colored lamps of the casino. The high stakes portion had different colors, the dominant light was a cool blue coupled with orange and white to balance it out. If you remembered any color psychology, you thought this side prioritized more level-headed thinking than the more passion-colored lower ranks, so seeing your absolutely passionate date enter this field was a question begging to be answered. It was time for Seven-Eleven.

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You felt the stickiness in the air from all the spectators sweating. Mammon was on the ropes after a losing streak. It'd been an hour since you'd gotten to this table, the game had attracted a crowd thanks to the high profile players, the avatar of greed himself of course being one of them. Among the players were, from what you gathered, a loan shark demon, old money, new money, and a no-name that was attractive and currently on a winning streak. Grit teeth, tense posture, wings out and jittery, if they weren't so focused on recovering their chips, you thought they might have started brawling already. None of them appeared to suspect the winning player of cheating despite their insane prediction skills. It didn't matter who was shooting, this demon was cleaning up with the rest. The old money demon had resigned a while ago but still sat at the table to see how the rest of the game would turn out. Sweat beaded on Mammon's forehead and dripped down the side of his face, it was his turn to shoot, the other players placed heavy bets against him as the tension of the game swelled. "You can do this, Mammon." You squeezed his shoulder and watched his eyes sharpen. 

"Wish me luck." He cupped the dice in his hands and offered them to you. At first, you were confused, but then you remembered that you'd seen other players blow on their dice before shooting. With all the well wishes you could muster, you blew into Mammon's hands and watched the fateful pair tumble onto the table. 

A five and a six. 

The table erupted in chaos, you got pushed around a bit by people behind and around you, some trying to pat Mammon on the back but missing and hitting you instead. Mammon himself was over the moon with stars in his eyes and letting out a loud, "LET'S FUCKING GOOOOOOOO!" for all to hear. That cheer only riled up the crowd more, which made your head start to pound from the ruckus. You didn't want to leave him behind, so you just covered your ears and waited it out. His blue eyes get a curious look at you, then they flick back to the scene before him and he motions for one of the attendants to help him pack up his winnings and walk. "I think I'll leave on a high note." He grinned openly to the chagrin of the players still in the game. They weren't exactly happy that the winning demon was about to back out of the game, but they wouldn't do anything about it, not when there was a risk of retaliation by the nobility— you wouldn't even know that a crisis had been averted, that was for the best. 

Mammon cashed out with glee, happy to watch as Goldie was rejuvenated with his hard-earned Grimm, oh look at her sparkle~ You rubbed the back of your neck with a bit of a worn-out look, sure that was exciting, but the roaring crowd had left your social battery depleted. You did your best not to look tired in public, it was a safety concern, but your housemates had gotten to know your tells when it came to being tapped out (mostly because it was their doing), so your somewhat strained gaze was not lost on Mammon. Besides, all of that gambling had worked up his appetite, the two of you should start talking about dinner plans. 

"It's getting late, we should get a room." Mammon slings his arm around your shoulders and gently squeezes you toward him. "Let's get some rest in before we go eat. I gotta cool off after all of that." He looks over to you with a deceptive gaze; he didn't want his obvious concern to shine through as strongly as it always did because he knew that if you felt something was more trouble than it was worth, you'd ignore it, and that included people trying to fuss over your wellbeing. If he phrased it like it was his need, you'd be more likely to agree, you'd be kind of an ass not to—

With a nod, the two of you make your way out of the casino in one piece, thank goodness. It didn't seem as treacherous as the place you'd imagined in your head before arriving, but you'd seen glimpses of how it might have gotten hairy. A demon loan shark (loan demon?) did NOT sound like someone you wanted to fuck with, not that you'd be needing loans any time soon. Probably not a good idea to do them down here either. Mammon made sure you were connected with your belongings and then made his way outside, where he looked around for any nearby hotels before remembering a place he would crash at whenever he needed an overnight in the city. It wasn't often that he did, Lucifer was pretty strict about it depending on the circumstances, but in the event that he did…he always went here. 

The Wayward Hotel was a classy establishment complete with a couple of stories and niiice cozy rooms. You would get a lot of privacy here, and uh. Not much else. Mammon didn't pick this place for its track record or amenities, he'd only ever needed a place to sleep for a night or two and he happened to think this place had the most comfortable beds. It was plain as far as some of the other intricately decorated buildings you'd seen in the Devildom, but the change of pace was charming. It was simple and had a crisp smell that made you want to cozy up and fall asleep right there. Mammon paid for the single upfront while you hauled the things you'd bought earlier up the flight of stairs; there weren't that many things to begin with, nor were they heavy, it was just the constellation of bags being a little jumbled that made it a manageable pain to do alone. He'd catch up to you immediately and see to the door, making it easy for you to enter and get yourself situated. Your heavied human body hit the solitary mattress with a weighted sigh. "How are you on energy?" You breathe out, eyes on the ceiling. As soon as you'd laid down, there were about a dozen more reasons for you to stay down and sleep than when you'd walked in, the main one being that you were so comfortable already and your eyelids grew heavy and harder to control. 

"Not as bad as you. I can go get dinner if you wanna freshen up and take a nap? I don't mind." Mammon fiddled with the hair on the back of his neck without a second thought. 

"Nuh-uh." You mumble. "Where you go, I go. If I'm gonna sleep, you're sleeping with me." You reach out for him with both arms and make grabby hands, brows lowered. You were as serious about this as you could be. 

"Let's take showers first, I'm still kinda grimy from the casino." It took all of his willpower not to spring straight into your arms, but in your sleepy state, it didn't make much difference to you. "You first— can't have you fallin' asleep before you have your turn."

"Okay…" You sit up and inhale deeply before taking one of the bags of things you'd bought with you into the bathroom. Among your recent purchases was clothing you could wear so you wouldn't have to sleep in your day clothes or underwear, you would be covered for tonight. Once in the bathroom, you close the door and undress before getting into the shower and turning on the water. It's warm and doesn't wake you so much as it loosens up your body and makes you even more drowsy. After toweling yourself off, you slip into the house shorts and a loose T-shirt before emerging from the bathroom in a puff of steam before Mammon, who seemed to have just been contemplating something from the chair before you startled him. 

"Hey uh, slight problem…"

"Yes?"

"See, I'm so used to coming here by myself that I just asked for what I usually get that I accidentally booked us this room…with only one bed." Mammon looked up at you, hand once again in his hair. He was a bit worried you'd think he schemed this as a ploy to get you alone, or he was being cheap and thought he could get away with only paying for one bed. 

"What's the problem?" You cover your mouth for a yawn. 

"You don't…see a problem here?" Were you just fucking with him, or were you just so tired that you didn't give a shit—?

"No. I did say you'd be sleeping with me. This works just fine." You crossed the room to where he was and leaned down to give him a light peck on the lips before bidding he go and shower so you could fall asleep already. His mind spun when you leaned in like that, he felt the heat emanating off your face and neck. Mammon gulped. 

"Oh, I didn't wanna— I'm just gonna go." He got up after you made way for him and ducked into the bathroom. The smell of soap tickled his nose as he walked into the bathroom, the same delicious smell wafting off of you a moment ago. With a deep sigh, he rested his palms against the wall in front of him and felt the water roll down his back, the hot cascades undid the tension of the day, only for a different kind of tension to settle in his stomach. He wasn't sure which he preferred— when he wasn't clear on his standing with you, or now that he was! No, that was stupid. Actually getting to act on his feelings and having them be reciprocated was great! Knowing that you knew how bad he had it for you, and that you felt it too. Even if he was still getting used to that fact. 

He stepped out in just his boxers to see if he'd get a reaction out of you like the last time he'd just walked out of the shower. You were nearly asleep, but the smell of steam stirred you awake. You were already cozied up with a pillow, but you lifted your head with a soft hum to acknowledge that he'd reentered the room. "C'mere. Hit the lights on your way." You let your head flop down onto the pillow again and you hear the 'whoomph-' amplified against the ear you were sleeping on. Bed, sweet bed…

Damn, had he really worn you out that much? If you weren't so polite, you'd probably have kept your head down instead of making the effort to look at him when he walked in. Your stamina must still be shot from yesterday… He was more than willing to keep you company while you slept. When he got in bed beside you, you shifted around a bit, sleepy gaze leering at him as though you were evaluating his presence there and making sure he was allowed in your bed (it seems you've forgotten you were the one who invited him). He was fine until he boldly plucked the pillow from your embrace and startled you somewhat; you open your eyes halfway in confusion and raise an eyebrow.  "Hold me." He said with a gentle conviction. 

"Hm?" You rub your eye with the back of your knuckle. 

"Why're you holding a pillow when you could be holding me instead?" He poses the question as his explanation. You weigh your options— who are you fooling, of course, you waste no time wrapping your arms around him and resting your head on his chest. You feel the way his body reacts, a soft flinch at the unexpected but craved contact, and feeling his heartbeat puts a smile on your face. His heart had just about jumped when your hands made contact with his bare back, but when you nestled up against him his heart came back down again. Mammon takes in a deep breath, he revels in your weight on his chest, and he exhales. Where you'd been very quick to hold him, he took a moment before pulling you into his embrace. His sweet blue eyes looked you over slowly, combing over every detail as if they'd never get another chance to see you this way. He sincerely hoped that wouldn't be the case, but that wouldn't keep him from savoring this moment as long as he was able to. He was blushing from your breath tickling his chest, and his shift made you shift and curl up to him more. Ah, you'd finally fallen asleep then… He mumbled something into your forehead with a kiss, and he nearly had a heart attack when you moved. He wanted you to hear him, but he wasn't expecting you to right now! Jeez…that was probably his cue to go to sleep. 

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A few hours had gone by. Mammon was deeply asleep, but since the time was too early, you had the displeasure of waking up in the middle of the night. Your eyes were open, alert, your senses were up, you felt the way the comforter hugged your body— oh wait. That was Mammon. And he was nearly naked, you'd forgotten about that. Had you-? No! No, the two of you didn't…yeah. Distracting you from your less savory thoughts was the memory that you'd actually instigated the situation by essentially making the almost naked demon get into bed with you. Sleepy you knew you'd have nothing to worry about, but they'd failed to account for the fact that…he felt so comfortable you could melt right there. The heat from his exposed skin immediately went to your chest as you studied his sleeping form. He was so cute with his guard down like this…hair delightfully messy, the tension in his body absent, you love having him so close to you, you love him. 

Now wait a damn minute—! You love him? Well…after a minute's introspection, that much was obvious. You'd admitted to yourself so long ago that you'd forgotten that you'd already figured it out. It was hard not to love him, not when he never hesitated to keep you safe, and made sure that you knew it. You didn't just love him because he protected you, however, there was also his charm, his sweetness, his overall endearing demeanor. Even if his brothers picked on him for not being the brightest, his heart was nothing to sneeze at. He was the first person you leaned on when you arrived in the Devildom, even if your pairing wasn't up to either of you (thanks Lucifer). 

Mammon's face scrunched up a little, as though something was bothering him enough to wake him. His eyes landed on your enamored gaze, and he needed a moment to really wake up and process it, because his cheeks turned red before the rest of his face caught up. "D'ya need something..?" His brows went up as he allowed himself to ease back into reality. The two of you were so close that you could just… answer his question with a kiss, his hand finds your cheek and he draws you in closer. It was a slower kiss, you were both taking your time getting to know what the moves were here. You enjoyed easing into the tension at your own pace, the soft and muffled sounds of your lips against his almost getting drowned out by the rustling of clothes and sheets. Mammon was still waking up so he didn't hold you there long, but he did hang close by after he pulled away. "You sure know how to wake a guy up…" There was a shy smile on his face as he looked at you. You found it so sweet that you felt the need to return it. 

"That time I meant to stare." You declare this with pride even if it seems a little silly. Mammon snorts, and rightfully so. 

"Are you hungry at all?" He suddenly remembered that the two of you were only supposed to nap for a little while before getting dinner, but when he looked out the window and saw that classy, starry Devildom sky, his eyes went wide. He sighed once he felt his empty stomach rumble, "That's just great. I'm starving…" He slumped down the bed with a soft groan of annoyance. 

"This is a city, isn't it? There are definitely places still open at this hour." You try to be helpful, but Mammon just raises his eyebrow at you. 

"It's dangerous to be walking around this place at night." His voice came out clearer. 

His meaning was obvious: he meant that it was dangerous for you to be out this late. He was one of the seven rulers of the Devildom— people could make him hemorrhage money (he made it easy), but seriously threaten his life they wouldn't. You, on the other hand, were just human. But it wasn't as though you'd be all alone, or defenseless. "I'm safe with you. Besides, seeing a city this late at night is new to me, I kind of want to see what's up." 

Mammon kept his expression before slinking into bed a little more. He looked down for a moment with a little pout. "…I don't wanna get outta bed." 

You visualized three ways you could proceed— you can evoke your pact and make him get out of bed, stay with him and go back to sleep on an empty stomach, or… "That's okay, I should have enough Grimm to get us both food. I won't be long." You sit up and stretch out your back with a yawn that fully shakes the sleep from your body. There's a hand on your shoulder as soon as you even think about moving to stand, and you look back to see a pair of dead-serious eyes that still send shivers down your spine despite how many times you see them. 

"You're cruel, you know. I think I prefer you just making me go instead of actin' like I'd actually leave you alone. Go get dressed." Mammon sits up and stands at more or less the same time you do, already moving to get his clothes. 

"That's my line! You're only in your underwear." 

"And whose idea was that?"

"Don't act like you don't normally sleep naked." 

"…fair point." He pulls his shirt down over his head and turns his back so you can put on proper street clothes— the pajamas you had on previously were a no-go, he'd never let you walk around like that! He knew you probably wouldn't either, but you had done stranger things. Humans were weird. You slip on your sweater and shake the bedhead out of your hair. Quickly, you revise your belongings, make sure everything is in place before you get the door for Mammon. 

The two of you would be fortunate enough to find a ramen cart around the corner, and you were currently enjoying your meal with your backs to a building. The ramen was so refreshing~ the somewhat salty and spiced scent wafted up and tickled your nose and made your mouth salivate despite you already having tasted it. Something about the firm black noodles kept you coming back for more, they absorbed the broth so well that every bite was juicy and bursting with flavor. There was a bit of a kick to it, enough burn to compliment the other spices without making your mouth overly sensitive to heat. Chef's kiss. Between you having woken up moments ago and the healthy portion, one serving was enough. It was for the best; the hour was late and you both needed sleep if you wanted to make it back to the House at a reasonable hour. You slurp up the last of the noodles and broth and try not to cough too hard when a drop inevitably flicks down your windpipe— ack— now it burned a little, you did your best to clear out but the discomfort would linger until you inevitably forgot about it. 

"Who told you to drink so fast? Be more careful." Mammon went to top off his own ramen the same way you had— hypocrite! You pout a little since he managed to pull it off without a problem and he'd cite that if you tried to call him out on it. He eyed your expression and returned a shit-eating grin, he knew what you were thinking. "It's okay, not everyone can be as great as me." 

"I'm glad you pride yourself on how well you swallow." 

Mammon chokes on AIR and you try not to snicker too hard at your own jab. When you open your eyes to look at him again, his face is beet red and he can't seem to look at you. "What, are you tryna kill me!? You can't go sayin' shit like that in public." He coughs very obviously. 

It was your turn to turn red, no fucking way— you definitely heard his little whisper at the end there, the one he tried to play off as a weird tickle of the throat. Wait. Hehe. Focus! "So you want me to say it in private?" You mumble. He couldn't look at you before, but now he was giving you the eyes. Good god the butterflies in your chest needed to BEHAVE or else you wouldn't be able to walk back to your room! Thankfully the two of you did make it back to the hotel room after a steady and quiet walk from the ramen cart. The walk helped your meal settle, but both of you were a little. Tense from your earlier banter. 

Since it was late, you thought you might as well finish getting ready for bed. The bathroom had spare toothbrushes, so once Mammon had his turn, you brushed your teeth and splashed cold water on your face. It didn't help with the redness of your ears but that was to be expected. It wouldn't do you any good thinking about what you couldn't change. You meet Mammon with a fresh face— WHY WAS HE IN HIS UNDERWEAR AGAIN!? Instinctively you cover your eyes with one hand, but the shock on your face is visible by your gaping mouth. 

"Why do you look so surprised? You've already seen me—"

"I'm still getting used to it!" You cut him off. 

"Uh…you won't get used to it if you don't look at me." 

You flinch when you feel a hand gently move yours out of the way. He was so close that you felt the waves of heat emanating from his body and making your skin prickle with anticipation. Your eyes were big as they met him, your mouth dry.

"Tell me what you want." With such a gentle delivery, it was a wonder you were able to evoke your pact— it was just as likely that Mammon needed to let you know regardless. 

"I want you. " The lick of his lips may as well have sealed your fate right then and there. 

"Did I mention that I'm all yours today?" Your voice is barely above a whisper— the light of the room catches your eyes just enough to make them glitter. Your breath was much shallower now that you realize just how intensely his gaze burns— and more so after seeing just how much brighter it got at your words. 

"You should be more careful sayin' shit like that. Could give me the wrong idea." He tilts your head toward his and stares you down; that gaze reminds you of someone peering over the edge of something, be it a physical ledge or a moment, a line about to be crossed. This wasn't a movie, there was no music scoring the moment except the violent beating of your heart against your ribcage. You are completely calm but your body hasn't gotten the memo, he practically felt how quickly your blood was rushing. "…You're not…scared, are you? I AM a demon."

"Let me make one thing clear. You've given me plenty of reasons to be afraid of you…" His cheeks flush when your arms wrap around his waist and pull his body close to yours. "But you're the one who's scared of me, even now." Your tone is dark as your lips press into a smirk. The 180 catches the greedy demon off guard and pulls a gasp from him— his mouth hangs slightly ajar as his shocked eyes glint an even more golden color. "Isn't that right, Mammon..?" You whisper this in his ear quietly and press a palm to his chest. His pulse ran much faster than yours as it turned out. He was keeping himself together for you, wasn't he? 

It doesn't take long for him to shake off the paralysis. You feel a hand press between your shoulder blades so that you're chest to chest. "That's just playing dirty." The corner of his mouth goes up in a smirk, revealing sharp teeth and his big weakness all in one fell swoop, "The only thing that scares me is how much I love you." 

"There's nothing to be afraid of." You look him in the eye and bring his lips to yours again. He sighed into the kiss and was more than happy to follow your lead when you brought him back into bed. 

There was a stutter in his movements, "Have you ever done this before?"

"I have! Don't worry." But thinking about that reminds you of something else. You blush red all the way to your shoulders and Mammon looks even more confused when you bury your head in your hands. His eyes go w i d e after another moment to think. 

"Wait, don't tell me— Lucifer!? When did— That's why you didn't come back the night before you left? That bastard—! I thought you smelled too much like him when we sent you off…" 

You sit up and awkwardly rub the back of your neck, "No no, not him, it was before I got to the Devildom! Besides, Lucifer and I didn't actually do anything, I kissed him and he asked me to stay, we almost did it but—" You fumble for words. "We ended up just talking." Mammon waves his hand with a sigh. 

"You don't gotta explain. I don't wanna think about it anyway—" His face scrunches up in slight disgust, but he shakes it off in order to get back to you. "What are you doin' way over there?" He sits up and rests his head on your shoulder, arms keeping you close. He kisses your jaw and shoulder sweetly before continuing to speak in a relaxed voice. "I ain't mad 'atcha or anything." He folds his hands over your stomach and gives you an appreciative squeeze. 

"I just wanted you to know before we…" 

"What is there to know? I'm still crazy about you, I still wanna do this, or did you imagine the part where I left in a jealous rage because you almost fucked my big brother? Besides— this means I'll be your first demon after all!" His bluntness was both a shock to your system and not surprising in the slightest. It got you to laugh and loosen up for one, which put even more of a smile on Mammon's face. "Are we good now?" The honeyed concern in his voice was a slap-in-the-face reminder of why you fell for him in the first place— with a steadying exhale, you lean back into his embrace. 

"I love you, Mammon." You look back at him with a smile and he absolutely beams in response. 

"I know. But I wouldn't mind hearing it more often, so keep it comin'!" 

"You know talking isn't my strong suit." You raise a sly eyebrow his way. 

"You're more of the type to take action, right..?" He seemed innocently curious, but the more he looked at your expression, the more he understood where you were going with that, so when you finally turned to pin him down to the bed, he didn't seem surprised so much as he seemed thrilled you were so enthusiastic about being with him in this way.

But there was something nagging at him. While he hadn’t promised you that he would tell you that he was bothered by the idea of you being with someone else (and not just anyone — his brothers!), you’d asked him to tell you. Mammon’s jaw locked, he wished he could just throw his reason to the wind and take you right then and there, but that wasn’t fair to you, and it certainly didn’t get him in the mood. Much to his chagrin, he holds you back from doing anything by placing his hands squarely on your shoulders as he looks up at you. He sucks his teeth and breaks eye contact, bringing his hands to his face and groaning, “Oh, fuck me, I can’t do it! I’m still hung up on everything else." He took a breath to compose himself, but that wasn't enough. "I meant what I said earlier, it’s not that I don’t want to, I just… I can’t act like it doesn’t bother the hell out of me. I don’t want that to be what I remember when I think about our first time.” He sits up and ruffles out his hair with a heavy sigh. He seemed more disappointed in himself than anything, for all intents and purposes, he shouldn’t be so hung up when you’d already given him your word — who was he kidding? He was a DEMON, THE Avatar of Greed himself! It only made sense that he’d have a problem sharing something — someone so precious to him, so valuable. He had a hard enough time sharing you as is, but now that he knew for a fact his desires were reciprocated BUT he would still need to share you?

Honestly, he hated the idea.

Chapter Text

He hated the idea. 

But he loves you, even if you love all of them.

Watching the previously excited disposition crumble made you quiet, a little listless. Mammon had stopped talking for a good amount of time and let his eyes do the rest of the work, such deeply blue eyes… He must be exhausted from being so vulnerable today. Your heart tightens considerably at this display; he’d sooner fess up than take what he really wants right there, he’d held up his part of your almost-deal. It takes no time for you to pull him into your arms, and pull him tight. You figured that might have been too much to ask him all at once, even knowing how strongly he felt about you. You were a little surprised at how easily he 'accepted' your…ahem…encounter with Lucifer a moment ago, even if he'd been true to his usual easy-going nature…

"I'm sorry to put you in this position." You mumble into his shoulder. 

"Are you kiddin'? It is just like you to have SO much room in that heart of yours that you end up falling for seven demons. And here I thought you'd be able to resist our charms~" Mammon pets your hair with a self-praising smirk, and you swat his chest. 

Seven? "Hey—! I can resist you just fine. I'm just at that point where sometimes…I don't want to." You fiddle with your fingers and Mammon snickers. 

"Only sometimes?" He raises his eyebrow both in jest and in genuine curiosity— it's not every day he has you so willing to talk about your feelings. It also wasn’t every day he wanted to know, either.

"I wouldn't get anything done if I gave in to your charms all the time. Not to mention I'd tire…" You yawn right on time with tears beading up in your eyes that never quite fall. "Myself out."

They did tire you out, didn't they? Goes to show how resilient demons are, was his immediate reaction. The second thought was one of pity, only slight pity mind you! You were the one who enabled them all by being your stupidly sweet human self— you could easily tell them off. You had the power to. If you got tired, it was your own damn fault! Hmph. "You already tire yourself out, genius." 

He waits on your reaction for a good moment before looking down to see that you'd already fallen asleep snuggled up to his chest. Stupid human…you did know he was a DEMON, right? A demon that happened to also be very in love with you. You look so peaceful in his arms, who gave you the right to be so damn cute! The sight was enough to put the inevitable conflict that would arise once the two of you return to the House out of his head: Seven demons in love with one human, some of them with their own aversions to sharing your affection even without the additional hiccup of you returning their feelings— all of their feelings. 

But Mammon wasn't thinking about that at the moment. Mammon wasn't even thinking, he'd fallen asleep admiring you and how you managed to be able to make his heart race and settle on a dime. Stupid human…making him fall asleep with a smile on his face. 

The light of the day moon was not considerate of your resting bodies— a consequence for staying up so late. You kept saying you'd never do it again, but there you were, a fool continuing to make the same mistake time and time again. Your eyes creak open like unloved and decrepit doors getting pushed open by a breeze against the little will they might possess. Your mind is a touch foggy from the lack of sleep— oh it's half-naked Mammon again, h-hello there— when would you learn! You'd be damned if you let his absolutely gorgeous form trip you up every time you saw it. Get! It! Together! 

Did you need to get it together right now? He was very comfortable, and your sense of time told you it was early enough that you could go back to sleep and be fine. It was probably better this way— it isn't good for your driver to be tired. You decide to go back to sleep and watch as the light you awoke to eventually fades back out of focus and into darkness…

Bzzt! Your D.D.D. goes off. The sound startles the two of you awake, so much for getting some extra rest in…With a yawn, you sit up and stretch out your upper body before going to revise the message. Oh. It was later in the day than you'd expected, nearly 9 am— it felt like only two seconds had gone by when you closed your eyes a moment ago!

[Lucifer] 

Lucifer: Are the two of you returning home soon? In the future, mention in advance that you plan to spend the night away.

< !Sorry about that 

< I asked Mammon to take me somewhere and it ended up being too late to drive safely, so we found a place to sleep

Lucifer: Be that as it may, you should have let someone else know you'd be gone all day. 

Lucifer: Where are you exactly?

< .New Demon City

Lucifer: I trust you stayed out of trouble? Didn't allow Mammon to enact any schemes? 

< !No schemes

Lucifer: Good. Arrive home safely. Is he with you right now? 

< .He's reading this over my shoulder

Mammon's D.D.D. went off, causing the white-haired demon to look at his phone. You take a look at his face out of curiosity and watch his eyes go from half-awake and droopy to shocked. Whatever Lucifer messaged him had put some urgency in his movements. He shoos you out of bed and tells you to start getting dressed, "We gotta get a move on! Don't just sit there!" 

Breakfast was brief and the car ride back felt much shorter than you remembered. It might have been listening to music, the fact that you'd already been through here once, or Mammon's foot on the gas— maybe some combination of the three. Oh shit, here comes a power ballad, time to go OFF! Your voice was warmed up after the last few songs, so this next one wouldn't be as much of a strain. Your date was more concerned with driving, but you hear him humming along under his breath all throughout. 

"Did you know we almost started a band?" Mammon turned the sound down so you could actually hear each other without shouting. 

Actually, you did know, thanks to an enchantment on your phone that you forgot would definitely be considered a breach of privacy— why DID you have that ability? Karasu never actually explained it…anyways, you were going to play dumb, which wouldn't be difficult considering that it was a pretty out-there idea, even for the shit they got up to on a regular basis. "I'd pay to see that." There were stars in your eyes at the dream, imagine getting to see them all on stage, absolutely stealing the hearts of everyone in the audience, so close! They all had such lovely voices, maybe you all should go to karaoke over the break? That was a fun group activity to consider.

"Right!? It would have made us a TON of money too!" Well, that explained his interest in the matter. 

"Lemme guess, you couldn't work out a schedule?" 

"We all kept getting busy, yeah. It woulda been too much of a hassle to get us all together for practice, which is funny, cause when we don't wanna be together, that's juuuust when we all happen to be there. It's annoying as hell sometimes—" 

"I can see that." You say flatly, which earns a somewhat self-aware and almost apologetic chuckle from Mammon. 

"…you don't get, like, seriously annoyed by us, yeah?" 

What brought that on? He wasn't under some kind of spell again, was he? You didn't think you needed to answer, but not answering would definitely make him antsier. "What you really want to know is whether or not you seriously annoy me." You tilt your head at him and scratch your cheek.

Mammon's cheeks flush and his lips press into a harsh line— he kind of looks like he has a frog in his mouth. You used to think it was funny, but now it's funny and cute. He lets the frog out in a little sputter, "Don't get the wrong idea! I don't care if you think I'm annoying. I'm gonna keep doing whatever I want!" 

"Then it shouldn't matter what I think." Mammon thought you were a cheeky bastard. You see his white hair fluff up in slight frustration as you allowed your words to sit with a smile. It was probably frustrating to him that you could say that without the slightest hint of sarcasm or spite.

His voice broke the thin layer of silence not long after. "…out of curiosity though—"

"No, you don't." You cut in quickly. "I think you'd know if you actually got under my skin." There's a smile on your face as you look over at Mammon, but he doesn't seem relieved in the slightest; an even worse idea pops into his head. 

"I'm not looking forward to that day." He winces, making a hissing sound through his teeth. 

"Wh- you make it sound like it's bound to happen!"

"Well, yeah!! Everyone's got a breaking point, even you. I wouldn't even blame ya if it was one of us who did it." 

"I guess that's true…but I wouldn't worry about it." You wave your hand dismissively. "You'll just make yourself nervous." 

"Pshh, as if I'd worry about something like that!"

"Right, cause Lucifer is the only person who scares you."

"Exactly!" He agrees enthusiastically and without hesitation before another lovely shade of scarlet overtakes his face. "Wait— no! I ain't scared of anyone, not even Lucifer! I'm THE Great Mammon! I could take Lucifer any day!"

"Sure, sure. Of course." A grin sprouts on your lips, only the sweetest of mischief was allowed on this fine morning. "I'm sure he'd love to hear that."

"Don't gimme that crap!" Mammon sputters more helplessly than a clogged tailpipe, but he comes down with a resting smile on his face anyway. 

There's music still playing in the background, but you don't really hear it— you aren't listening to it. A silence falls between you and your white-haired companion, you weren't sure if you'd call it comfortable. The air was laden with anticipation, most of it is the result of your residual nervous energy. He'd got you thinking— all things considered, your little chat in bed last night was a pretty favorable response; one of respect and restraint, but how would the rest of it go? There wasn't much that really shook you anymore, but that didn't change the fact that you didn't want to damage any of your relationships. You would go through every painful moment again in a heartbeat if it meant they would be okay, so the idea of hurting them or causing a fight is something you'd like to avoid if at all possible.

Mammon pulls up on the House and deftly parks his car. Once you dismount, he slings the cover back over the vehicle and fastens it with your help. As if only remembering what he needed to do just then, the anxious sprig in Mammon sprouts anew, and he hastily shoots a text message. Your D.D.D doesn't go off…must've been a private message. Did you really want to know what that text from earlier said? 

Just before Mammon thinks to creep off and take cover, you catch him by the wrist. The warmth immediately seeps into your fingertips and his face, only blossoming further when your fingers graze his palm and go on to tangle with his. You lean over to plant a kiss on his cheek. "I had fun on our date." 

"Me too!! I mean— yeah, I had fun, that was pretty nice…" His free hand wound up fiddling with silver strands at the nape of his neck, his flustered gaze traveling just off the side of your face and away from your eyes. "Can we do that again? Next time I'll actually ask you out on the date before we get into it—" A smile bubbles up on his face as he holds back a laugh. He remembered asking the question so boldly when the two of you were in the casino, but wow did that NOT reflect how prepared he was to actually look back on it. He'd mucked up the order of the dating process! That was basic shit! He was definitely a little embarrassed, but thankfully you didn't seem to mind, on the contrary, with the way you looked at him now he'd wager at least half his Grimm that you thought that was just like him (therefore, cute and endearing). 

"I'll be looking forward to it." Blush colors your cheeks as you return his nervous smile with a more calm and happy one of your own. You bump shoulders with him and let his hand go, "I'll see you later, Mammon. You've already got somewhere to be, don't you?"

A shudder goes down his spine almost instantly, "Nothin' gets past you, huh? You're right though, I gotta go." The misery in his sigh is so palpable you can almost hear him say, 'Maaaan…' just by looking at him. He wastes no time getting inside, like a rocket taking off, leaving you with— oh. He'd forgotten all of his purchases…might as well do him a favor and bring them in along with your things. Now, how did you stack these? Your bag juggling skills are not what they used to be and it starts to become clear that you'd either need to make two trips or enlist a second set of hands. You might be able to hang a bag off every finger and try to grip them all together, but then there's the problem of opening the doors in the way. Two trips didn't sound like the worst thing, it wasn't as though they'd get snatched if you took your eyes off them, but you'd feel really bad if something of Mammon's went missing (especially knowing how possessive he can be of his items). 

So then, a second set of hands? But who? You set the bags down on the floor with all the care in the world before taking to your D.D.D.

[House of Lamentation] 

< !Hey! I'm home

< ?Can someone lend me a hand

< .I'm at the front door

Asmodeus: Welcome back! Are you locked out hon? 

Satan: Impossible, they've always got their house key on them. 

< !I can get in

< .I've just got a lot to carry

Satan: I'll be right over. 

Asmodeus: He didn't waste a second, how gallant~ ♥

Asmodeus: What happened to that oh-so-important book you were reading, hm~?

Satan: I don't know what you're implying but I'm not going to sit around trying to figure it out. 

Asmodeus: Aww, you're no fun. 

Asmodeus: I'd go and help you myself, but I'm not home at the moment. 

< ?Oh! What are you up to then

Asmodeus: So glad you asked! 

Asmodeus: I'm standing in line for this fragrance that's absolutely divine— I can bring you back a little sample if you'd like~?

Asmodeus: Only if you promise to let me spray you the first time. 

< .I'm definitely curious

< ?What's the scent

Asmodeus: Devil cactus rose. 

Asmodeus: Just being near one is bewitching, so most products made using it are watered down…

Asmodeus: But when you're as stunning and adored as I am, it isn't out of the question to get the pure extract and do some experimentation at home~

< —I don't need to bewitch any time soon

< !But I appreciate you thinking of me, Asmo

Asmodeus: Aren't you the sweetest little thing~? ♥

Asmodeus: Thinking of you is as easy as breathing, my dear. 

Smooth, real smooth, Asmo. You were thinking of how to respond when the door you were resting on gave way abruptly. You gasp on reflex but before you can go anywhere, a pair of green-clad arms had secured around your torso and held you steady. A steady heartbeat pumps against your back, and a familiar distinguished voice greets you with the faintest bit of amusement. "I didn't think you needed me to carry you too, I would have come out sooner if I did." 

Your head tilts back and your eyes roll up to meet his expression. There's a satisfied and twinkling smile on his lips and in his green eyes that reflects right back at you. With a scoff and the playful rolling of your eyes, you right yourself up with Satan's help. "Thank you for catching me, even if it was you who caught me off guard in the first place…" You giggle a bit and Satan shakes his head disapprovingly. 

"You shouldn't have been leaning on the door in the first place, knowing I was coming out." 

"And if I wanted to fall into your arms?" You raise a sly eyebrow. Someone took the time to paint the blush on Satan's face, you were convinced of it! You'd learned how to shake his composure the right way (the other way is to stoke his rage— no one wanted that), and use it to your advantage if by ‘advantage’ you meant that you actually just enjoyed seeing him flustered.

"All you needed to do was ask." He readjusts his arms; you feel a little squeeze around your waist coupled with the heat radiating off of his face. 

His breath tickles your ear and the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. He inhales softly, only to huff a sound of dissatisfaction. You pull away to get a good look at him, "?" 

"Oh— don't worry about it. You seem… different. I can't quite place it yet." Satan smiles enigmatically; it doesn't have the same 'hiding my anger' aura as his sudden smiles tended to. The same way he allegedly couldn't place what had changed about you, you couldn't identify what was going on behind that smile of his. You did know for a fact though that he'd just told a lie. But what did he think he'd deduced, you wondered? Belphie was supposed to be the one with the ambiguous smile, you didn't need Satan occulting thoughts from you too! "What did you do on your trip?" 

The fourth band on your arm began to itch, a faint green flaring through your runes for a split second before receding. You catch Satan eying the reaction and a bead of sweat rolls down the back of your neck. Curse your fashion choice—! No one would accuse you of being difficult to read, but you don’t like it being so obvious when an order crosses your mind if you didn't plan on going through with it. 

"Go ahead and ask your question— unsatisfied curiosity is dangerous with you." The blond demon quirked an eyebrow. He had a feeling he knew that you knew what he'd thought about just a moment ago. 

"Um…would you tell me what you're thinking?" It wasn't exactly an order, it lacked the conviction of one, not to mention it was phrased as a request.  

" You smell like Mammon ," Satan states bluntly. By the tone of his voice, you would think he was indifferent to that fact, but the look on his face was definitely one of amusement, even more so when nothing but blush met his words.

"W-We spent the whole day together, it makes sense that I'd smell like him—" Your attempt to cover is futile! 

"There's no need to be shy about it, it was about time, honestly." Satan was so smug you could just about strangle him if you were so inclined. 

"Wait just a second! We d-didn't actually…get to that. Just shared a bed." There's a pout etched into your face as you stare harshly at Satan's chest. 

" Just shared a bed? I'm a firm believer in the power of words too, you know… what else did you do?" He might as well have loomed over you with how discerning his gaze was. 

God, why was this teasing making your heart thump so hard!? He was just tearing at the layers of your defense but your composure had been kicked to the wayside— time to rip off the bandage. "I told him I love him." 

Satan clutches his pearls at the bold declaration. He'd flinched from his eyes, there was that pang of disappointment again. Fuck, go back— 

"We didn't do anything because he— I…" You'd powered up to say it, but when the time came for the rest of the words to tumble out, well…you couldn't say it. It felt too impersonal to just say 'I also happen to be in love with you, aaaand the rest of you!'; it would be different if you were talking to some unrelated party, but you'd be lying if confessing your love out of the blue because of some teasing didn't feel like the most uncomfortable thing to do right there. It also didn't feel fair for Satan to be confessed to like this, either. You cover your eyes with one hand and heave a heavy sigh. "I'm sorry. Can we go inside? I don't like to talk when I can't think straight." 

"…let me get those bags for you." 

Shit. Fuck! Damn it— the atmosphere had just been ripped away! Satan's energy was so small all of a sudden, you might have actually made him feel even worse! Stupid humaaaan…

Satan himself wasn't even sure what he'd been going for, pressing you like that. It was obvious that something intimate had gone down, even without the greedy demon's scent lingering on you. Your soul was so radiant a moment ago— not that it'd dimmed by that much! Just, the aura of it changed when Satan pressed you and got you to say as much as you had. Normally when someone talked about a confession that was reciprocated, one would expect to hear great things, but as you'd indicated, there was a hiccup in the mix, a little stumble of the magic. Anyone with intelligence knew that Mammon had been pining after you for well over a year now— and if he understood your fumble correctly, the problem was on Mammon's end because of something pertaining to you, and it was enough to make you clam up when talking about it? That didn't sound like either of you at all! Whatever this was…it had to be a conflict that dealt with who you were as individuals in relation to each other. What a delightful inquiry to chew on…

He was ruminating. He tends to do that a lot. It was one of the things you found cute about him, especially after learning about his love for detective novels and getting to see that firsthand. With his help, you got all of the bags inside, stopping by Mammon's room to leave his things before trekking back to your room just down the hall. With such quiet during the daytime, the sound of your footsteps echoed and bounced off the walls rhythmically. Your pace was slow, enough to give him time to think and give you breathing room. At the very least, he seemed more focused on this 'mystery' and less on the polite 'back off' you'd given him earlier. 

Satan passed the threshold to your room easily, his eyes following your form as you looked around to see where you would put your bags. "Set them down with these," You look at him from over your shoulder and motion him toward you with the flick of your head. 

He'd caught a few glimpses of what was inside while the two of you were walking so he figured you'd taken a trip to the city, but would it be awkward of him to ask again? Oh, he was certain you'd deduce his motives and conclude they were different than the first time around, besides, he was genuinely curious about your trip! "Do you mind if I stay awhile?" Delighted green gems greeted you along with his eased smile and outstretched hand. 

。

。

。

Satan was taking after Lucifer a little too much, even if he'd hate to hear that. You weren't sure if he'd prefer being compared with the wiles of Solomon? Scratch that, you were certain he'd rather be compared to Solomon than Lucifer, even if the trap he'd inadvertently laid out for you made him remind you of the demon he so loathed. But this was definitely a Satan move— no question about it. You would never underestimate the simple question, 'Do you mind if I stay awhile?' again. Add that to the list of pitfalls you've made. Good grief. 

It started simple, the two of you sat on the floor with your backs to your bed, the pillows that were normally strewn about providing back support. You had one secured snugly in your embrace, with your chin resting on top. It wasn't a sustainable way to sit, but you definitely preferred that to sitting upright in the stiff chairs around your table. 

He'd asked about NDC, innocent questions like what you thought of the city, and why you asked to check it out. You answered in a fair amount of detail, you didn't mind sharing, and it was fun getting to recount what you saw! You'd explained that it was only your second time going, but actually going there for the purpose of exploration made all the difference. You'd gotten ideas for food, fashion, you even pulled out a book that Satan had recommended to you once that you'd been meaning to get to but hadn't found the time for until then, a reveal that really put the twinkle in his eyes. 

Then came your turn to probe him. Questions about his reading and research, if he'd found anything of intrigue, anything he was excited for, you wanted to hear about it. The two of you had been gradually shifting closer with the passing conversation, a side effect of leaning in constantly, to the point the two of you were shoulder to shoulder and speaking at a quieter volume, a far cry from the boisterous conversation that normally populated your interactions with Satan privately and with company. 

"What do you think of rage? I've been meaning to ask your thoughts for some time now." He scratched his cheek with his pointer finger, unsure if he'd used the proper phrasing to express his question. 

"My thoughts on rage?" You blinked owlishly as you processed his question, but the answer didn't elude you for very long. "It's ahh…it's an expression of care, I think. Why be enraged over something that doesn't matter to you, right?" You allowed the pillow in your arms to fall into your lap so you could fix your posture. "Ultimately I think it's a pretty intense display of passion for something worth protecting. Obviously, people can get hurt or be hurtful when they're so passionate, but it's good to allow yourself to be angry when you need the space— oh—" Satan had plopped his head onto the pillow in your lap. 

"Don't mind me, keep going." He looked up at you with the kind of intrigue reserved for a gorgeous enigma made just for him. You'd be lying if you tried to deny that you blushed at that moment. After a beat of allowing his head to remain in your lap, a hand of yours found his hair and started to entertain itself by coiling locks of yellow hair around individual fingers. 

"I've said my piece. What is rage to you?" 

Game set, match. He'd entangled you. 

" Rage is what I feel not knowing what's bothering you. " His expression dropped, all of it flowing into the glowing green of his eyes. Sure enough, you felt his wrath seep into the air as your heart started to thud against your rib cage. You sat up, attentive, eyes glued on his but occasionally flicking over the rest of his body to check for any movement. You waited with bated breath, but you learned quickly that he was waiting for you, too.  "Are you really going to keep me in the dark about it..?" A gentle voice, a bit too firm to be a whisper. It sounded like a thought to himself that he wanted you to hear more than it sounded like he was talking directly to you. A moment passes; the click in his gaze was so visible that you would have thought Satan was an animated character. A look of understanding crossed his face when he looked back to you, his suspicion getting closer to confirmation when you inevitably blush and shrink away somewhat. He must've figured out why you were so reluctant to talk. 

Which brings us to where we are now. Your eyes are wide as Satan leans up from his resting position and your body betrays you by offering his lower back support via one of your hands. With your arm around his waist, keeping him suspended and close to you, he was emboldened. Out of curiosity, he glanced over to the band he'd given you so long ago and found that you weren't thinking of giving him an order, whether to tell him to back away or get closer. You're just in the moment with him, looking to see for yourself what would happen.

"W-What's that look for?" You stammer, breath short and heart dashing like it wanted to spring from your chest. It wasn't that you were paralyzed by fear, you could move if you wanted, the problem came with what move you wanted to make. Your other hand goes to support his neck. 

"I think you know…" As a test, he raises his hand to your face slowly and in plain view, gently turning your head by the jaw so that your faces are aligned. 

You don't stop him. 

He leans in closer. 

You don't stop him. 

You pull him up the rest of the way. 

He doesn't stop you. 

Creatures chitter just outside your window, clouds roll by just out of the corner of your eye…The time dilation you felt just then was almost painful; what was actually a second felt like an eternity, and you couldn't take it so you'd made your move. Satan wasn't surprised by this, only delighted. So it was true…your heart could lie with more than just one person. Ordinarily, he'd call that a premature conclusion, but he knew you. You wouldn't have kissed him if your heart wasn't in it. Nor would you have kissed him so tenderly. Once you'd moved in, the follow-up wasn't nearly as nerve-wracking. Your bodies did the rest, lips chasing where there was chase being given, the two of you making up for what felt like lost time. His lips were soft, their movements more curious at first; the longer they linger, the more the feeling you get changes. The fluster leaves your chest once the clearest sounds you focus on are his breathing, your breathing, and the soft little smacks of your lips that filled the space between.

Wait, too much—! The shock catches back up with you, causing you to release your hold of Satan's torso, and down his head went. The resulting bounce of your thighs makes you shiver in response and seems to instantly cure whatever surprise that had crossed his face at the sudden lack of lips on his. The smug bastard was enjoying this, wasn't he? Well, getting to use your lap as a pillow was probably the main thing. Ugh, you couldn't even be mad— he'd done excellent detective work. "I hope that answers your question." 

"You could always elaborate. Another kiss, maybe—"

"I think words will work just fine here." You cover your face with a somewhat distressed sigh. Not because of him specifically, but because of your perceived ordeal. 

"…You're worried what'll happen if you try to explain that you're in love with all of us."

You peek at him through the gaps between your fingers before just removing your hand entirely. You nod quietly. "It'd feel too impersonal just saying it all at once, and saying it in a way that didn't make it seem like I view you all the same— which I don't! The reason I didn't want to tell you right away, Satan, is because, well…you deserve a proper confession! I should have expected you'd see right through me though." Your ears turn a comfortable shade of red, but you smile fondly at him. 

Satan seems more than pleased with himself. "I'll take that as a compliment." He leans into the hand you've placed on his face and the thumb that's gently caressing his cheek, gently nuzzling with his nose. "Let me see…that's why you and Mammon didn't get down to business, do I have that right?" 

"I—" Your shoulders perk up, "Well— yes. He needs some space to think it over. I wouldn't want him to have any regrets either…" You rub the back of your neck pensively. 

"If it makes you feel better, I have a hard time believing Mammon would ever regret sleeping with you." When you look at his face, he seems amused, earning him a little smack on the arm. 

"Hey! He deserves a little more credit than that." You huff. Satan laughs now.

"I believe you. I might ask him about it though, is that alright?"

"You want to talk to Mammon about how he feels concerning…the whole…" There really wasn't a neat word for it, was there— "Situation?" 

Satan's knuckle meets his chin in a thinking expression for a brief moment before he hums affirmatively. "Why not. It might help him gain a better understanding of what such a relationship would even look like, give him some context. We're demons, walking a mile in someone else's shoes is more of a literal punishment than an exercise in empathy. It's easy to get so wrapped up in our own desires that everything else is an afterthought." 

"Why are you so willing to help, then? Not that I'm complaining! I'm just…curious." 

"Oh, don't get me wrong! I'm no different, it just so happens that the desire to please you currently outclasses my other priorities…seeing you wound up like this for our sake does remind me why I fell for you in the first place, but I don't particularly enjoy it either. I can't imagine trying to balance the needs of seven as demanding as we are. Your ambition is as strong as ever." Red decorates his cheeks as it does yours. He's unable to look you in the eye, but you don't mind in the slightest. 

"Thank you, Satan," Your thumb runs along his cheekbone, smoothing the skin before squishing his face. 

"Don't thank me yet— you've still got five more confessions to survive." Satan kisses your palm, but your expression drops to one of concern. 

"You really think it'll be that bad?" 

"…let's just say I wouldn't want to be you." 

"Gee, thanks. That's very comforting." Your tone deflates. 

"The problem with emotional demons…" His eyes moved slowly from your palm to your face, reestablishing eye contact, "Is we're also impressionable in that state. You know what that means, don't you? Don't psych yourself out. The last thing you need is to not know what to say when the time comes." He presses your hand into his face slightly and laces his fingers through the gaps between yours. 

You bite your lip. "Of course I do. I can't say that kind of responsibility doesn't scare me a little though…"

He hums in thought before speaking. "So it's ghosts and hurting us." The suddenly sweet cut through your thoughts makes you perk up and focus back on Satan's smiling expression. 

"Huh?" You question, but the blond demon gives you a moment to figure it out…oh! You blush a bit at the memory, only to swat his arm again. "I thought you would have let that go by now!" You can't even pretend to be 'mad', only able to manage an embarrassed and endeared laugh. 

"How could I? I still think it's really cute that you can handle staring down a demon that has no qualms eating you, but one ghost story gave you the heebie-jeebies." 

"…Did you just unironically use the phrase 'heebie-jeebies'?" 

"…I may or may not have been watching some human world programming recently. Would you like to join me sometime?" 

"I'd love to! It's been a while, hasn't it? What have you been watching?" You grin at the blushing kitten in your lap. 

"Scooby-Doo." 

"I KNEW IT!" 

"Jinkies, someone's excited." Satan chuckles warmly, your stupid smile spreading to his face and making its home there as well. 

"No no, I won't be able to take you seriously if you keep going—" You purse your lips in an attempt to stifle the laughter about to make tears come to your eyes. It is NOT working. 

" Zoinks! " 

"Satan please—" You wheeze and clutch your sides with the demon himself joining in your chorus. "I love you." You sigh sweetly before leaning down to give him another kiss.

Knock knock.

The sudden knock interrupts the little gesture of affection and gives you whiplash, well, not quite— but you did bonk your head against the frame of your bed. "Oww…who is it?" 

Satan sits up to get a look at the little red mark on your forehead, eyes darting to the door when he hears the voice that greets you from the other side. He glares instantly. 

"It's Lucifer. May I enter? " 

Chapter Text

"It's Lucifer. May I enter?" 

Before you can say anything, Satan pipes up, "Come right in."

Satan, you son of a bitch! Wait. Wasn't Satan like…Lucifer's son? No one ever talked about that around here, Satan is Lucifer's spawn— it probably wouldn't be smart to say any of this out loud. Nope. Why were you mad anyway? You were going to let Lucifer in, but you would have liked a second to emotionally prepare! 

"So Satan is still with you. I just wanted to— oh, I don't see you. Are you perhaps…" Lucifer takes a few steps into your room, turning on his heel to find you and Satan sitting rather close at the base of your bed. "There you are." The older demon smiles deceptively at the two of you, only serving to make you attentive to what was about to happen and make Satan pissed with a cover smile of his own. "Did you hit your head on something?" 

"I ask that a lot whenever I see you, Lucifer." Satan chuckles brusquely. Your lips flatten and your brows knit; these two would be at each other's throats on a good day. Well— Satan at Lucifer, with Lucifer just returning fire. 

"Is that so? How sweet of you to worry about my well-being, Satan." 

"Tch—" Satan scowls and folds his arms. 'The nerve of this guy!' The blond's thoughts were written all over his face. 

Enough of that! "I'm not sure what the mark looks like, I hit it just now turning my head too fast—" You raise a hand to touch it and wince with one eye on contact. "On the bed frame."

"Let me have a look at the bump in question." Lucifer beckons you over, but Satan catches your wrist before you can stand up. The raven-haired demon's eyebrow flinches ever so slightly, just by a hair…you gulp.

"It's nothing the great Lucifer should worry himself over, just a bump. I'll take care of it."

"Oh, that's not a problem. I want to help. Unless you're implying that caring for our dear friend here is a waste of my time?" The sensation you got was one of observing a sweet-smelling poison…it wouldn't kill you just from looking or inhaling, but you'd do well to keep an eye on it. The contrast was incredible— you knew they didn't actually want to kill each other, but the air might as well have flash-frozen. 

This time Satan's eyebrow twitches. His jaw locks, he's made a miscalculation—! But Satan has some cards left. "Of course not. That would be silly. However…I have more experience treating injuries. You'd want them to get better treatment, wouldn't you?" 

Ooo, that was a good one! Satan was the one who knew the most about potions and salves, aside from maybe—

"Oh, the best. Although, if we really wanted the best, Barbatos might be able to spare a moment." You almost hear a splinter of glass— must be Satan's patience. As entertaining as this was, you needed to put a stop to this! 

"Why don't you ice it while Satan makes a remedy? I'd do it myself, but I wouldn't want either of you to worry." You grip the arm attached to the hand still holding your wrist, focus shifting from Lucifer's black eyes back to Satan's green ones. You smile patiently, brows meeting in the middle and pointing up to make your own eyes bigger. Satan relinquishes your wrist and you let his arm go. 

"Why didn't I think of that?" The blond plants a kiss on your cheek, "That little mark will be gone before you know it." He wraps his arm around your shoulders and squeezes you close before rising and flashing Lucifer an icy smile as he walks by. If he were any pettier, he would have bumped shoulders with him 'accidentally'. 

You're both flustered and apprehensive, so the color in your cheeks was multipurpose. You really SINCERELY hoped that Satan hadn't just used you to piss off Lucifer. Regardless of his intent, the wrathful demon had left you in quite a difficult spot. Lucifer's eyes hadn't left your blushing expression, and it was starting to make you self-conscious— what went on behind those sharp black daggers? Once you actually caught his gaze from across the room, his eyebrows flinched as if he wasn't expecting you to. "Um…should I come with you to get the ice?"

"Yes, let's go. I would like to get a look at that bump…" Lucifer approaches you where you sit and bends his knees to meet you halfway, offering both his hands for you to hold and stand up. When you stand, you're face to face, nose to nose…you smile sheepishly. 

"I appreciate your concern, but it really is just a little— ow!" Your eyes squeeze shut at the sudden touch to your forehead, 

"It's quite tender. You said you hit it on the bed frame turning your head?" 

"I was startled by the knock at the door— you never did say what you needed." 

Lucifer takes your chin in his hand and turns your face to observe you. 

"What did you want?" You frown slightly and resist the hand pushing against your chin, only for Lucifer to accidentally squish your face. 

"…do I need a reason? Is it so hard to imagine that I'd just want to see you?" Red highlights his cheekbones as it does his eyes, which only grow wider when he feels the weight of you leaning into his touch. 

One right after another, you really had the BEST luck when it came to timing. Satan had only been gone a couple of minutes and you were already about to spill everything to Lucifer right then and there-! Just how much could the demon glean from the way you shifted under his touch? "I…you're right. I'm sorry. I'm just not used to being so…" You didn't like that he wasn't looking at you. Was he afraid of what he'd find if he dared to inspect you any further? Had he already noticed the scent still lingering on you, or the way your soul stirred when you reflected on the decisions that lead to your current predicament? The way your eyes glitter when you consider the nature of your relationship? 

"Comfortable." He finishes your thought, "That's the word you're thinking of, isn't it?" His eyes meet yours cautiously, ready to leave at a moment's notice. 

"How did you know?" You smile easily.

"You're only this reserved when it comes to me. Don't think I haven't noticed." His voice is such sweet sorrow, the gentle twangs of melancholy ringing in your ears behind the softer, more playful façade. 

"I…" 

Satan's words replay in your mind. 

'The problem with emotional demons…is we're also impressionable in that state.'

Looks could be deceiving. Lucifer was rather adept at that himself, seeing as the act of keeping up appearances has been threaded throughout his entire life. Besides…everything you said mattered, impressionable demon or not. 

"I want to find my footing with you, Lucifer. I know I don't need to act a certain way with you, but that doesn't make it easier to figure out where we are…"

"'Where we are'?" The wording caught his attention. He wasn't the most well versed in the nuances of a relationship, but the question was usually 'What are we', wasn't it? It was clear to him that you'd been very deliberate with your choice of words, where are the two of you as a… He didn't feel the need to define what you were, as the demon felt that, whatever you were, you were on the same page about it. 'Where' as a word is a question of time, of history, his beloved human wanted to know exactly where you'd been in your relationship in order to determine where you were now. That was a damn good question. He wouldn't act like he wasn't a cryptic bastard on occasion, but when it came to you, he did his best to be as transparent as possible, never hesitating to let you know how he felt when the time was right. Chances were, you already knew the extent of his feelings for you, and he would be right. Is that what you needed to hear now? Because your silence makes it seem as though you want to hear something from him, but…he had his fair share of questions for you. 

"What keeps you from embracing me fully?" 

How the hell were you going to tell him? Especially after…

Your fingertips find the dark band around your neck, its color still dormant. 

That night, when you made your pact with Lucifer. 

His eyes scan yours and comb over little details; the faraway look in your gaze as you consider how to say what you needed to say. He may joke about your lack of fear, even finding it endearing, but he knew better than that. He recalled your conversation just yesterday morning…you were thinking about what you had to do. 

He said he didn't belong to you. 

Lucifer wanted you to do what you thought was right, but…

You belong to him. 

Things weren't as simple as either of you had made them out to be. 

He was projecting when he said that. The truth was…

Since then, you'd learned a lot about his feelings for you. Like how he got anxious whenever he couldn't lay eyes on you, or that whenever you left the Devildom, he would be distracted by thoughts of you, even considering going up to steal you away and keep you by his side on more than one occasion. 

He needs you. 

He hadn't even realized he'd been holding his breath until you'd set it free. 

"I don't want to hurt you. Not again." Your voice cuts through frigid, tense silence like a well-tempered and sharp blade. 

With the utmost care, he places your hand on his chest to prove something. Beneath your palm, his heart beats like clockwork. It ticks and it ticks and it ticks away. His pulse is slow, nearly every other second you feel a sign of life. Ba-dum. Ba-dum. Ba-dum. "I trust you." 

"I could say anything right now." You warn him. 

"You aren't going to say just anything." There's a smile on his face. 

"What am I going to say then?" 

"As if I'd let you off the hook by saying it myself." 

"…" His statement is met by silence. The hand on his chest folds into a loose fist. You knead your bottom lip between your teeth before exhaling profoundly and returning his smile with ears tipped in red. 

"Care to tell me what's been eating at you?"

You find your way back to his lips. There's a spark of delight; with your hand against his chest, you're able to feel the very moment his heart skips a beat and does a sweet waltz for you. Round and round he goes… That only stops him for a moment, however— you feel his back tense as if he's about to pull away, his voice trapped in his throat, a question no doubt. Your hand trails along his spine and you inevitably feel him relax with a soft sigh through his nose. Unbeknownst to you, though you hoped this would be the case, Lucifer finally allows himself to piece it together. You weren't trying to distract him with this kiss, this was your answer to his question. A risky move with plenty of opportunity for a misunderstanding…but you trusted his judgement. He knew that. 

What was it you were so concerned about? He had a few clues— Mammon's scent clung to you, and he'd just witnessed you and Satan acting more than a little familiar with each other. At first, he'd just brushed off both as odd coincidences, you and Mammon had spent the whole day in close proximity, after all, it would be strange if you didn't smell like him. As for Satan, he was always looking for new ways to piss Lucifer off. He'd never gone so far as to kiss you, however; that was the bizarre part. Satan would never be so overt with you…unless you'd made the first move. Lucifer's eyes shoot open. 

He places both hands on your shoulders and pulls away from you abruptly. That was a little more forceful than you anticipated— that. That probably wasn't your smartest idea, was it-? Ehehehe…fuck. You should have just gone with plan B and asked him out on a date-! 

"Just so I have one thing clear…"

Oh boy. 

"How do you feel about me?"

"I love you, Lucifer." 

His cheeks turn pink again. Was he really not expecting you not to say it after he'd asked you directly?

"Oh. Why didn't you begin with that? It would have saved you a lot of troub—"

"The night before I left the Devildom for the first time, you were going to ask me a question after I kissed you and didn't let it go any further, but you stopped yourself."

'Do you feel the same way about my brothers as you do about me? Are we all the same to you?'

"Is there one of us who stands out…who's special?" His voice balances like someone attempting to rest a mirror on a needle's point. His eyes, their color was so rich that you were transfixed, suspended for a moment in time. This moment. This one moment feels a little too tight. 

"You let me get away with not answering because you said that a kiss and my company were good enough for the night. But it's not good enough for me, not anymore. You deserve an answer." You swallow. 

"If that's the case then…let's hear it after we've taken care of your injury. It's starting to look rather…impatient." Lucifer offers you one of his gloved hands and you accept without a second thought. 

He…deflected again? Could it be that he wants time to prepare himself for what you're going to say, or even try to figure it out ahead of time in order to soften the blow? No…there's no way he doesn't know the situation by now. If it were as simple as letting him know that yes, you do return his feelings, the both of you wouldn't be so…gah! You hate this! You didn't want Lucifer to feel like he was 'just another name to be crossed off'! And that's why it was so hard to tell him— you're worried that no amount of explaining yourself in words or gestures will get your point across; Lucifer was special to you, but not because you favored him. You didn't favor anyone, and you refused to try and rank them. But it wasn't like you went into this like 'awooga, demon men', they were your friends first. You had different relationships with them; they're all special to you. 

That was where you were. You knew for a fact that wasn't what he wanted to hear, but that was the truth. Besides, if you always told Lucifer what he wanted to hear, you'd be the worst kind of liar. 

The walk to the kitchen is a quiet one, with only the sounds of your shoes to keep you company. Lucifer was brisk, he doesn't want to waste another second dawdling since the two of you had waited long enough— he'd foolishly allowed the swelling to go up. You wince when the ice makes contact with your head, both from the general displeasure one would feel with ice on their head and from the contact with your still sore bump. 

"Just how hard did you hit your head against the frame?"

"I got spooked by the knock at the door!" You uh. Weren't inclined to share that the reason you were spooked was that you were more than distracted by Satan at the time. "It didn't feel that hard. But with how you're looking at it, you would think I ran face-first into a wall…"

"It's only a welt, really. I just don't like to see you hurt." His brows furrow the slightest bit. 

"Oh—" You know he's a sweetheart but that wouldn't stop every reminder of that from absolutely taking the wind out of your sails. You blush a little and scratch your cheek. 

"It’s cute how that gets you every time."

"W-what gets me?" 

"You like when I dote on you, don't you?" Lucifer smirks knowingly, even leaning in to prove his point. 

As expected, your blush darkens. "I'm definitely not opposed to it." Your posture straightens up the closer he gets. 

"I'll have to keep that in mind." He readjusts himself in his seat with poise, crossing one leg over the other. 

"Keep what in mind, Lucifer?" Satan was standing in the doorway to the kitchen with a mortar in hand, you can just make out a dark green substance from where you sit. The salve, no doubt. 

"Don't worry about it." Lucifer smiles at his little brother. "You've already finished?" 

"It is just a welt. Nothing serious, but you can never be too careful." Satan gives you the mortar while he pulls up a chair one-handed, in the other, he clutches a bandage and some gauze. Once seated, he 'gently' elbows Lucifer. "Give me some room."

Lucifer scowls at Satan and retracts the ice, setting the napkin on the table and folding his arms across his chest. 

"This should sting, so don't be alarmed." With two fingers, the blond streaks the green substance across your welt, trying to be as gentle as possible while he massages it into your skin. Tears sting your eyes on reflex and you see both demons shift rather noticeably. 

"It doesn't hurt that badly! You can relax, I already feel it starting to numb. Thank you for your help." You smile and hold still while Lucifer applies the bandage (Satan needed to wipe his hands, so Lucifer took the opportunity). 

"Don't hit your head on anything else if you can help it." Satan returns your smile with one of his own. "That should clear up within the day if you already can't feel it."

"Wait, really? That's incredible! You'll have to show me how you do it some time." You outstretch your arms with the bowl cupped in your hands for Satan to accept, and he takes it back. 

"Are you busy now?"

"Well, no, but…"

"Don't worry about it. My door is always open for you." 

"I appreciate it." You chuckle softly and watch as the blond goes to rinse out the mortar in the sink before taking his leave. "I'll see you later! "

Lucifer waits for Satan to be out of earshot before he speaks. "If you're holding off because of me, we can always finish our conversation at a later time." 

"That won't be necessary. Do you want to go for a walk? I haven't gotten a chance to really stretch my legs after that car ride, either…" Not to mention you didn't want to have another emotional encounter in your room today. Please no more. 

"It'd be my pleasure. Shall we?" He rises from his seat and offers you his arm. You raise your hand and leave it floating for a moment before deciding to reach for his arm and walk to the back garden with him. 

To say the first moments were spent in silence would be incorrect; with the two of you electing not to speak, your surroundings would step up for you. Flaming insects buzz about, flowers and grass flutter in the wind. There's a smokey floral scent in the air that's sweet to the senses. A horned sparrow perches atop one of the stone benches that have been placed along the path. It hops around curiously before its black eyes spot you and Lucifer. You take notice of it; the bird tilts its head almost immediately as if evaluating whether or not it should flee, but the two of you pass by without incident. The sparrow is content to watch you for a while longer before taking flight. 

Devildom creatures could be quaint, couldn't they? To you most things down here were quaint, but you'd gotten used to that idea. What did a sparrow need horns for? Who knows. Fortunately, that wasn't the question you came out here to answer. 

Lucifer ponders how to go about this. He can always make the first move if you don't feel up to it. Or were you waiting to speak for a reason? He opens his mouth, but you beat him to it. 

"I don't feel the same way about your brothers as I do you, Lucifer." 

Wow. Straight to the point. But there's more, so he reserves his reaction for now. His eyes fall on you as you speak, his walking speed slowing to something more befitting conversation. 

"…though I wouldn't say anyone particularly stands out to me, either. Not for a lack of interest…" As you'd demonstrated earlier, "But because my heart belongs to all of you."

With how quiet he is, you almost feel like you're speaking to yourself, it takes looking at him to remind you that while you'd accepted this reality a long time ago comparatively, he's hearing all of this in its entirety for the first time. 

"You're not all the same to me. Not by a long shot. The day I stop viewing you as individuals is the day I stop being myself." You slow to a stop and sit down, pulling Lucifer with you. 

He takes the opportunity to wrap his arm around your shoulders and coax your head so it rests on him. His embrace never fails to remind you of…wings wrapping around you to shield you from harm. It's strange, you've never experienced that, but that warm feeling never fails to stir something in your chest. It's oddly familiar.

"You truly are something else, do you know that?" 

"What do you mean?" 

"This goes without saying," Lucifer retracts his arm in order to allow his hands to rest in his lap. He sits up straight, with his ankles crossed— that was his tell. Whether he was aware of this habit himself or not, he tended to do it whenever he got into his more poised persona, like a power pose. The shift wasn't an unusual one, it normally came about when he was putting others before himself, Lucifer the dutiful demon. Although…this felt different. He was asserting that aspect of himself without letting it be a shield to his inner thoughts. "I would do anything to protect my brothers." Those words are an extension of every breath he takes, and the descending red contained within the black of his irises makes itself known to you. He laces his fingers, both thumbs pressing against each other while he meditates on what will be said next. 

There isn't a hair of hostility; he is as tranquil as the stillest part of the ocean, the surface only able to reflect the sky back at itself. Your heart is at ease. 

"If there was anyone I'd trust them with…it would be you." He scoffs warmly. "Not that my feelings would change how they feel about you. You did that all on your own. Made yourself a part of our family." His stance corrects itself again; he sits with his arms folded across his puffed-out chest, one leg crossed over the other. His eyes close on these words, "The question is, are you prepared for such a responsibility?" 

"Would I have come to you if I weren't?"

"…I don't think you want my answer to that." Lucifer opens one eye to look at you, brows lowered and lips curled with amusement. He chuckles sweetly when he feels the expected shove in retaliation, the kind of laugh that will always draw a little smile out of you. You join him with a giggle of your own once enough time elapses, but soon enough you're quiet again. 

He's returning the look you're giving him. You thought he looked…satisfied to leave it at that, but something caught your attention. He'd given you his blessing, yes, but… "Where does that leave you?"

"It took you long enough to notice. As for me, I very much intend to continue what we've started…my little lamb." Oh if your face could be any redder— Just like that, his hand has captured your chin, and his eyes have entrapped yours. Lucifer leans in and steals a kiss for himself. 

"I appreciate you being considerate enough to tell me all of this…" He runs his thumb along your bottom lip. "If what I witnessed earlier is any indication, you've had this on your mind for quite a long time." 

"Of course! It was really hard to keep my feelings to myself, but I needed to be absolutely certain before I told you. There's enough stress in your life, Lucifer. I'd rather not add to that if I can help it." You rub the back of your neck with a sheepish laugh. 

"How foolish." 

"Wh-"

"I'm always going to worry about you. And before you start thinking of yourself as a burden, perish the thought. You're more than worth the trouble. Do I make myself clear?"

Your flustered expression shifts to one of determination and you give Lucifer an affirmative nod. You're still blushing quite ferociously, but that was to be expected considering who had only just let go of your face. 

"Good. Run along now, you must need a break from such an emotionally charged day. I take it you told Mammon yesterday and Satan just before I'd arrived, yes?" 

You cover your face. "Yep. I was wondering if you were going to mention that." And you were hoping to have gotten away without him mentioning it outright— 

"It was very evident even before Satan became a showman about it." He was beyond unimpressed.

"I'm not trying to hide it or anything..!" Your ears turn an even darker shade of pink. 

"I'd recommend taking a bath if you need to relax. It will likely help deter 'what did you do with Mammon' questions." 

As embarrassing as it felt, Lucifer was right. You'd only gotten cornered by Satan because the trouble with Mammon was so easy to read on you! And smell. That was such a weird thought, you must always smell like the House if not just the demons you made company with— a bath sounded nice right now. 

"It almost sounds like you want me to invite you." You tease, but Lucifer returns the taunt tenfold. 

"On the occasion that you do, I'll gladly accept. I'll have to advise against it this time, however. You wouldn't be getting very much relaxing done…" 

Smug bastard! He might have been right, but still! "Oh hush." You flap a hand in his direction and look away from his smirking face. "I would be able to relax in a bath with you!" Granted, if he wanted to be ogled the whole time. You'd barely even seen his collarbone, and definitely not anything below that— 

"Shall we test that theory?" 

Snake! He was hoping you'd say that! "I never said I'd be able to pull it off with you right now, so there! Technically I'm still right." You huff, cheeks still red. 

"I'm looking forward to it," Lucifer smiles before he kisses your head. "Now get going before someone else tries to steal your attention." 

That was— he really wanted to kill you today! 

Your face was red all the way back to your room, but you kept your pace quick enough to evade any other eyes. There wasn't a bath in your bathroom, so you'd need to sneak back out into the shared one. The system you'd all agreed upon when you arrived for the first time was that if there was someone in the bath, they should write 'OCCUPIED' on the chalkboard outside the door; the House had to get it enchanted because too many people kept forgetting to write on the way in, leading to more than a few surprises for your human eyes— sometimes there'd be a knock on the door, presumably because some of the brothers don't mind sharing the large bath. 

You weren't worried that someone would walk in on you, at most you'd get a knock on the door. You undress and fold up your clothes neatly, a fresh towel and robe laid out beside the stack waiting for you when you're done. The steam is dizzying, it's a wonder the water doesn't just evaporate with how hot it is…oh right. Magic, if you had to guess. Maneuvering to the dials is always a challenge since they sit over the scalding water, but with the handy stick someone had been kind enough to leave for you, you're able to turn the cold handle all the way up. The steam starts to cool down, and eventually, you're brave enough to dip your toe in the bath. Ah…that's perfect. You step in and submerge your body completely, eyelids fluttering at the heat rushing your body. 

A few minutes go by. Your eyes are closed, your breathing slow and steady, you feel how your heart beats. The steam almost tastes sweet, maybe that's a sign you should get lunch soon. After a nap…you pause that thought to yawn…maybe. A nap sounds great right now. You're starting to nod off from how relaxed you are, which is absolutely a good sign to get out now. 

When you check your D.D.D. for the time, your eyes shoot open— you'd actually been there half an hour! And you had a few missed messages…ah, just the House group chat. You take the opportunity to send Mammon the picture you took with him yesterday. Hopefully, he was doing okay…

[Mammon]

< [Image attachment] 

< !I forgot to send this sooner
。。。
✓
👁️

That was quick. He didn't seem like he was going to respond anytime soon though…oh well. Time to get out of the bath and take a nice, well-deserved nap. 

Mammon is in his room when he reads your text, stubborn blush on his face. He wouldn't call what he was doing 'moping'. Anyone else would though. Dear Mammon here was still wound up from yesterday's events; first, he gets one of the best dates of his life completely by accident, he actually has his feelings reciprocated, there's chemistry, there's history, sexual tension, a beautiful budding relationship! And then, boom. He realizes that the one thing he didn't want to compete over, he's gotta compete over. He wanted all of you to himself. He's had that feeling for the longest time now, only buried just out of reach in order to make the day-to-day more bearable. But being as special as you are, you just haaad to go and reawaken that in him. What even made you so special? 

If there were two of him, he'd slap himself. Hell, if anyone else heard that, he would get throttled on the spot! Mammon lays on his bed, tossing a rubber ball up in the air and watching as it bounced against his ceiling back at him. He plays a little game with himself, seeing how slight changes in trajectory affect how the ball rebounds into his palm. He was hoping this would take all of his focus, but once he figures out the trick, he's on autopilot, leaving him with his thoughts again. He catches his ball one last time before throwing it back into the bin with his other fidgets. He shifts around and his finger catches a pillow that ends up in his arms. Back to you he went… 

Mammon closes his eyes and draws in a breath. He feels so heavy…but this pillow is comfortable. It anchors him right now, keeping him from falling asleep right then and there. It's a curse, really. If he's asleep he doesn't need to think, but he doesn't want to waste his whole day in bed. 

Why did you have to be so damn good!? Seriously, how? He hugs his pillow tighter. Without you right in front of him, he had to make due with his idea of you, which was ten times worse. So selfless and kind and and— stupid! What kind of human actually falls in love with demons!? What kind of human makes demons fall for them… He rolls around in bed dramatically and groans, chucking the very same pillow at his wall hard enough to make a sound that could be heard from the hallway. Whoops. 

Sitting around wouldn't do him any good anyway! He needs a good scheme, something that'll make him feel b— make him some money! Mammon hums to himself as he walks out of his room, minding the bags with recent purchases still sitting on his floor. He didn't really feel like going through them right now…

The greedy demon rubs his hands together with a grin on his face. He takes a few steps outside his room now, only to spot a focused-looking Satan heading his way. Mammon had seen the group chat, so he knew that Satan was probably coming from hanging out with you, which naturally meant Mammon was gonna duck in the COMPLETE opposite direction, only, as soon as he pivots on his back foot, Satan calls for his attention.

"Mammon, have you got a minute?"

"Nope. I'm a busy demon, I gotta get going." 

"Busy throwing stuff at walls, right?"

"No, that's—! Pssh, that's ridiculous." Mammon laughs uncomfortably and waves his hand dismissively. "I've got somewhere to be like I said so I'm gonna go now—"

"You know," Satan shrugs his jacket back into place, "I learned something pretty interesting today. Wanna hear about it?" The cat-eyed demon studies his older brother calmly, mostly trying to evaluate his current state. The more Satan said, the less Mammon could look at him.

"I said I gotta go. If you're gonna hold me up, at least be fucking quick about it." Mammon shoves his hands in his pockets and directs his ire to the floor. Satan's eyebrows shoot up in surprise.

"Fine, fine. I'll make this quick for you. We'll see how busy you are then." Satan runs a hand through his hair to push it out of his face. He blushes the slightest bit when he recalls the memory and relays it to Mammon. "I got confessed to today."

"They certainly wasted no time," Mammon mumbles to himself, lips pursing.

"Watch that tone. They only told me because I was able to figure out that something happened between you yesterday." If Mammon was going to badmouth you, Satan wasn't sure he'd be able to hold back.

"I'm waiting for the part that's s'posed to be interestin'." 

Unimpressed by the display of aloofness, Satan has to keep his eyes from glazing over. Mammon puts his hands on his hips. Then starts tapping his foot with his eyes closed.

"…Don't just stop talking! How much did they tell you?" He blurts out suddenly.

"I pushed them a little hard, so they actually ended up telling me that they confessed their love to you first, but I did get them to explain the rest. I almost didn't believe them when they told me that you didn't take the chance to—"

"Alright, I get the picture! What's it matter to me who they tell? As far as I'm concerned, they can say whatever they want." Mammon huffs impatiently. 

"You were the one who asked! I seriously question their taste…but enough of that. They're still pretty hung up on what happened— or, I guess, what didn't happen." Satan corrects himself in a mumble, notices Mammon about to interject immediately, and the blond beats him to it. "Before you say anything stupid! It's because they're worried about you." 

"…Why'd they tell you about it instead of coming to me?" The white-haired demon looks back over to his younger brother with a quieter expression.

That got his attention? At the very least, he was still the same old Mammon. "For starters, I wasn't the one who freaked out over something we suspected could happen." Satan folds his arms across his chest. "They confided in me because I was the one who got them to talk, I doubt they'd come to you about it because you made it pretty clear how you feel about the whole thing, and they wouldn't want to make you feel worse." 

"Let me guess. They send you to talk to me?"

"I asked if I could, actually. I thought they could use the help."

"…That's not gonna win you any points, you know. You'll never be their favorite." Mammon fiddles with the hair on the back of his neck and frowns at the ground.

"You really are an idiot. They're never going to have a favorite. Is that really what's bothering you? That they might have a favorite and it's not you?" Satan takes a step closer, eyes flicking up and down Mammon's body. He has a hand shoved so deeply in his pocket that a good deal of his arm was stuck in there along with it. His shoulders are slumped forward slightly, hair out of place, his usual sunglasses are absent from his face. 

In other words, he's a put-together mess. "What the hell is that supposed to mean!? I was their first, of course I'd be the favorite." Mammon's eyes shoot back up to Satan's almost immediately after the younger demon takes his step forward. Has Satan struck a nerve?

"Damn it Mammon, you're not listening!" Satan snaps, but he reels it in with a sharp inhale and exhale. Maybe he should change his methods. "It's not that your efforts go unnoticed. Anyone can see how much they love you." 

"But— But I don't want to try something that someone else has done. I want to be responsible for that first spark of joy in those big eyes of theirs. Me. It'll be way harder to pull that off if I gotta worry about other people trying to do the same thing." Mammon fidgets with one of his rings, eyes now locked on the ground in front of him instead of to the side.

Satan clutches his pearls. That was new information— he can work with this! It sounds like…Mammon isn't so much opposed to the engagement as he is intimidated by his competition and insecure that he won't do so well when stacked up against his brothers. He's afraid that if you know something 'better', you won't want to be with him. Satan frowns internally, it'd probably break your heart to hear Mammon's fear for yourself. Satan had to keep on an antagonistic aura though, so his competitive gaze didn't let up. "So you mean to tell me you're giving up? Is that it? It's too hard to try so you just won't? That's pathetic, even for you."

"What!? I ain't givin' up! As if I'd leave them all for you guys. They were my human first!" 

"That so? You won't be able to show them anything if you get in the way of your own plan. Whether you like it or not, the rest of us are after their affection too. You won't get anywhere slacking like this." 

"Hey— so you ARE trying to get points with them for being so dependable!" 

"I'm not that shallow. I just don't like them having to worry about you so much when there really shouldn't be a problem. And I'll admit— seeing you genuinely mopey is disturbing. It was bad in my head when they told me about it, but as soon as I laid eyes on you, I'd already decided I don't wanna see you hung up on a relationship ever again. Jeepers." Satan sighs softly. 

Mammon looks at him weirdly.

"What are you looking at?" Satan's hair fluffs up and Mammon puts his hands up in defense.

"Nothing! Chill out!" He waves his hands before heaving a heavy sigh. "I was just gonna say…thanks for checkin' up on me and all that." Mammon kicks an invisible rock and looks at the floor as he speaks.

"Ew. Gross. You can go ahead and keep that to yourself, thanks." Satan turns up his nose, but there's a faint pink decorating his ears.

"Yeah, I felt my stomach turn right after I said it, ugh— I'm gonna be sick." Mammon holds a hand to his abdomen and bows over slightly. 

"That's all I needed, so I'm going to go now. And please, Mammon. Just go talk to them. They'll only worry more if you make yourself scarce." Satan shakes his head before going on his way, defined footsteps echoing in the quiet passageway. Mammon watches him leave, what was the greedy demon to do now?

Chapter Text

Great, you'd made it back to your room without bumping into anyone! It was strange, you'd almost always see someone at the very least… Once you arrive in your room, you disrobe in front of your dresser after deciding on a comfortable outfit for the rest of the day. The bath had cleared up most of your physical exhaustion and left you feeling refreshed, but your mind was still somewhat fatigued. When your body hits the mattress, it doesn't take very long for you to fall asleep…

A delightful feeling ripples down his back. His tongue rakes across his teeth, sharp without his more humanoid cover. He'd been on the brink of sleep himself, but feeling your consciousness slip away made Belphegor want to purr. Your sweet tendrils of sleep almost beckoned him in with how active they were, and in the middle of the day too! That cute little soul of yours must be working overtime~ not that he was complaining, no sir. Just what made your sleep so deep? He wonders. Surely you wouldn't mind a little peek…sure, he could always ask you what was up later, but just satisfying his curiosity now would be much, much easier…

He couldn't help noticing that they felt…desperate? Suffice it to say, he needed to go in for your sake more so than his own.

A blissful smile overtakes his face as he clutches his pillow and allows himself to go under. It had been far too long since he'd dreamt with you, but he wasn't planning on making his presence known and playing copilot like he did all those times when you were away, no. Your dreams were busy today, some of them flowery, some of them tasted a little sour…why the sour dreams today, human? He was trying to enjoy this, but there was a nagging feeling holding him back just enough to make him worry.

He watches from above, from your sleeping consciousness. At this distance, he couldn't make out any details, which wouldn't do at all. He'd have to encroach more if he wanted to satiate his curiosity, his hunger for your dreams, that annoying feeling at the back of his neck that needs him to find out what's wrong… The demon drops down to walk along your subconscious now, no longer taking cover in your dormant consciousness. The metaphysical floor very closely resembles a fluffy cloud; if he weren't at his most awake when he was asleep, he might've taken a nap right then and there. But where were you right now? The scene before him is very ambiguous, he can only see vaguely demonic-looking shapes just hanging out. By his count, at least eight dough demons playing in their fluffy living room with no human to be found.

Cute, you actually let demons run around your mind rent-free. If the others only knew the things he could learn by sifting around in here…they'd never let him sleep until they'd placed a protective charm on you or something. Belphegor looks around for you before approaching what he figures can only be Beel's cloud double and getting a good look up close. For his own amusement, he helps you out by fluffing out the horns and making sure they come to a point just like the real ones do. There, that should do it. He smiles at his fluffy brother and moves along.

He was surprised that you still had room for dough replicas when it was clear your subspace was fixated on something very tangible by the strong scent. Simply meandering down a fluffy staircase led him to what he expected to find when he tasted your sweet and your bitter dreams. He also tasted a bitter sprig of anxiety when he stuck his tongue out, nothing quite as bad as the first time he'd trespassed here. You tasted delectable back then, but it was worth not eating you if it meant he could kick off his plan to ruin Lucifer— such good times, those were…the only difference being that he didn't want to eat you anymore, nor did he want you dead. 

Within moments of setting foot on the staircase, his shoes squeak against stone stairs. Solid ground…when he rounds the corner, he spots a memory— it must be something impressionable to be rendered in such pristine quality. Your memories kind of look like…watercolor paintings. He finds them really beautiful, but he expects nothing less from the naïve and starry-eyed human. Finally, some good fucking food..! Predictably, you weren't in the scene since a) memories playback from your point of view; if you were dreaming this encounter, you would have a stand-in for yourself that looks like whatever you think you look like, but that doesn't happen in your memory of something that's actually happened— there's nothing to imagine, so instead there's a blank figure of yourself occupying where you would have been in the moment, and b) even if this was your dream, you're far too busy running around somewhere to sit in place for it. You in particular are strange in this regard, despite not dreaming lucidly, it seems like there's only ever one 'you' present at any given time, the real one, your soul. Other creatures conjure up many selves to populate their dreamscape including the one representing their soul, but from the strolls that Belphegor has taken, he's only ever felt one such construct in here with him. What a strange human…

Memories and dreams taste different to him. Memories tasted so much…sharper. Like if he could have a meal of a dream, he could only have a few drops of a memory because the flavor was so intense and oh-so filling. It was a pretty good deterrent for him in all honesty— people needed their memories way more than they needed their fleeting dreams. In any case, he wasn't going to eat your memories! He didn't even know if he could now that you had a pact— memories were an extension of your soul after all, and if your soul got a little bite taken out of it, that might count as intentionally hurting you. He was getting a little hungry.

The dream eater wasn't about to try biting your memory anyway, considering the disgust that he feels in his being when he's confronted with the demon in the memory. Fucking Lucifer?? A whole Devildom of demons and this posh asshole was one of the memories on display today? The flowery fragrance was a fresh one, much like the scene. If he had to guess, this happened today; you were with Mammon all day yesterday and the scene was too fresh to be any older than that. There wasn't a stunning amount of detail on the surroundings; besides the stone bench your white silhouette and Lucifer sat on and the wall and window behind you, the detail faded out rapidly along the edges; he does take notice of a bandage on the body double's forehead. Belphie cups his ears to listen to what the always dolled-up Lucifer had to say to you. Ugh, he reeks of affection even in your recollection of the event, the gentleness of his face was disgusting…

" I would do anything to protect my brothers. If there was anyone I'd trust them with…it would be you… "

Belphegor bears his fangs at how freely Lucifer said those words and he glares through the window he stands behind: 'protecting' his brothers also included hurting them himself to keep them from something HE decided was worse. The noble and protective big brother act was bullshit— they were equals as demons, even if Lucifer was much stronger than them all; the young demon didn't NEED to be coddled like a child, he could bear the weight of his actions, and damn it, they shouldn't get left in the dark for EONS about their own little sister's fate. All the worst parts of himself, Lucifer had put there with his self-righteous fucking cover-up. But that was all over now. It was behind them…mostly. He'd never regain the same respect he once had for Lucifer. 

…what made this memory so important to you, anyway? So far it just sounds like shit you've probably heard before.

No, that wasn't right. ' If there was anyone I'd trust them with, it would be you' '? What, was Lucifer retiring? Wait fuck he'd missed some of what was said—

" —are you prepared for that kind of responsibility ?"

What were the two of you talking about so cryptically??? Why did it sound like you were getting entrusted with some secret mission? Belphegor was ready to sit there and wait for the memory to reach the end and replay from the beginning, but a combination of hating to look at his eldest brother's tranquil face and a familiar laugh made leaving the far easier option. 

Belphegor was in your bedroom now, but not the real one. The background was more filled in, presumably because you knew your room better than the path trailing through the back garden. He'd manifested in a blind spot, your closet, and through the crack between the doors, he spied your shadow and Satan looking reaaaaally cozy. No fair~ Belphie wanted to lay his head in your lap too. Miniature betrayal aside, the sleep paralysis demon's eyes glow purple from the comfort of your dark closet. Again, he cups his ears to listen to what his brother was saying.

"…You're worried what'll happen if you try to explain that you're in love with all of us."

Oh REALLY? This memory was slightly older than the last one from what Belphie could tell. His tail swishes around, still confined in the armoire, why did he choose this spot again? Surely being the demon under your bed would have made listening much easier, but he didn't want to take the chance of disturbing the scene and fuck up your memory.

" It'd feel too impersonal just saying it all at once, and saying it in a way that didn't make it seem like I view you all the same— which I don't! " Your voice echoes slightly, it's a side-effect of how you hear yourself speak. Belphegor can't help but crack a smile at what was probably your honest attempt at explaining yourself. If it were him, it'd probably be easier to rip off the bandage and deal with the fallout as it came, but then again, he isn't nearly as considerate as you are. Nor careful. 

Heh. Part of him actually wanted to see what would have happened if you'd just come out with it instead of trying to go one by one. It must be awkward for you to consider the ones who didn't know, make that heart of yours turn. There was no way that there wasn't a part of you that just wanted to be done with it. If he was interpreting these memories right, Satan and Lucifer knew, but—

" —that's why you and Mammon didn't get down to business, do I have that right?"

Belphegor flinched in surprise, he'd definitely heard Satan correctly but WOW was that a shocker! Were they all thinking of the same Mammon? The one who pretends he's not into you while being all over you? He rubs his eyes and leans in a little more to listen, though it didn't help much.

"…He needs some space to think it over. "

Bad call, human. Were you really sure about that? It was Mammon, if you left him alone too long he'd start to experience withdrawal symptoms from not being around you. Chances are that dumbass already has his mind made up, he's just worried about something he can't possibly know without seeing for himself. Belphegor guesses that even you must have your off days; evidently, you've got a lot on your mind. He carefully shifts and shuffles so that he's facing the back of the closet, making sure his tail doesn't accidentally hit one of the doors and give away his location. He touches the wall in front of him to find his way out— But suddenly, the floor comes out from underneath him and he's tied up, hanging upside down and suspended by a thickly woven cord.

You'd finally caught the trespasser! You stare at him with arms folded and eyes stern. Your soul glows with a soft black outline, little particles shooting off around the very edges of your body; the aura's vastness cannot be perceived by Belphegor's bare eyes alone, he can only see your metaphysical self and what he can only assume is the color of your soul. You tap your foot in silence while waiting for some kind of explanation, but Belphie only smiles at you. 

"You have nothing to say for yourself?"

"Did I do something wrong?"

"Uhh, yeah! You can't just go through my memories and not expect me to be upset when I find you!" 

"What's the harm? You were planning on telling me all of this anyway." The tip of his tail is the only free part; it flicks patiently, and the smile on his face doesn't change.

"First of all, I wasn't going to tell you everything you ended up seeing! And second of all, wait for me to be ready first, Belphie!" You manifest a ruler in your hand, bend it back, and let it smack Belphegor dead center in the forehead.

His eyebrows scrunch, but it's obvious that had no actual effect on him. "Reliving your little injury? I didn't see who fixed it up, but I can only assume it was Satan and Lucifer since it appeared in Lucifer's confession, but it was absent during Satan's."

"I—  you really want me to be worked up, don't you?" Your cheeks turn red.

"How do you even know what memories I saw?" 

"I didn't know about the first one, but I got you to mention it a second ago, didn't I?"

"Ooo you're clever, I can see why so many demons like you." 

Your soul crosses its arms. "You talk like you're not one of them." 

"I don't know, am I?" His eyes shine brightly in your direction, the smile on his face pulling further back to display his sharp teeth.

"The creepy 'I'm a demon, you idiot…' routine stopped working after you gave me this." You roll up your sleeve to reveal the runes that tattered your arm; they were more pronounced on your soul, the light used to represent them on your arm was an even richer shade of black than the aura around your soul's body— no light escaped the bands on your left side. Your gaze is unimpressed as you study the now wriggling Belphegor. 

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry. Can you let me go now?" The demon pouts at you and you sigh profoundly. 

"I know you're not actually sorry."

"Then you also know I didn't come in here cause I wanted to intrude on your thoughts."

"Nope! You're not gonna weasel your way out of this one, you chose to go in deeper. You could have stayed at the top and had a snack like you usually do and then been on your way."

"Tch— alright, I give up, you caught me. When I felt how badly you needed the rest, I was kinda just…sucked in. It felt like you needed help, I couldn't not investigate. It's the same as seeing you awake and anxious, but I can save you the trouble of having to tell me what's wrong." Belphegor sighs through his nose. His eyes close, lips pursing. "Doesn't that work out better for you?" 

Oh, how the tables had turned…did your dreams really cry out 'help me…' that loudly? Or was he playing up his concern to excuse his curiosity? You could always make him tell the truth but…gaaaaah that always felt scummy. You would never accuse Belphegor of not caring about you— well, these days. "I can accept that. But don't think this means you're off the hook, Belphegor. Next time you can sense that I'm off, just try talking to me. I'll take it way better."

"It's too bad you won't remember any of this when you wake up." His voice was flat, but his eyes looked down— up. His down, your up.

Belphegor was right, you didn't have the ability to create a memory by hand yet. Any dreams you'd shared needed to be told back to you when you were awake, but the feelings that came from them did leave their mark here. For example, when you do wake up from your nap, you'll feel upset with Belphie for a reason you can't place; this has happened more than once already, so your waking self knows when to compel the dream eater to talk— "I still need to tell you how I feel. When I see you next, I'll know something happened. Are you going to at least pretend to be surprised when I come out with it?"

"That'd just be mean. You'd get upset if you realized I already knew like you are right now—" He wriggles against his restraints again. "Sorry to cut this short, but you need to let me go NOW." There's nothing but urgency in his voice.

"Why the sudden—" Your soul braces itself for the tremor that rips through the dreamscape. "Why didn't you warn me sooner!?"

"It's your body, I assumed you'd know when you were about to wake up! Let me go!" Belphegor thrashes now, only managing to swing helplessly before you had the sense to make the rope disappear in a cloud of smoke. You reach out your arms to catch him but only end up breaking his fall— ow! He catches your eyes a moment and goes for a kiss on the cheek that makes your soul turn pink before scrambling to his feet and taking off. "Bye-bye now! I'm looking forward to that confession." He smirks with a little wave before sprinting as fast as his feet can take him.

Your soul tries to help by making sure his path back up through your subconscious and now awakening consciousness was as unburdened as possible, but the tremors make your creations shaky and uneven. He jumps up to reach the ceiling but— it's too late.

You wake up in a cold sweat, but your body refuses to move. Your vision is dark around the edges, your eyes only open a crack, just enough to tell that the lights were on in your room. You breathe automatically, your heart is racing, a single phrase crosses your mind— Sleep paralysis. Belphegor must've been rooting around in your dreams again. 

Your suspicions are confirmed in a single, chilling moment. There, in your closet, a pair of glowering purple eyes greet you when you dare look in their direction. You instantly know who it is, but the hold on your body still makes the anxiety set in. What a paradox this was; knowing so deeply in your core that you're completely safe, but still feeling your heart tremble where it lay in your chest. Your eyes see movement; a dark shape flicking in the armoire and making it shake the slightest bit. The figure leans out and the lights go dark— you're only left with the sound of his heavy breathing. 

The dimness reflects off of the familiar black horn, the twice-round curl drawing you in along with the glowing eyes. Gone was the glower, however…at this distance you see the drool glistening on his sharp teeth, and his eyes look blankly at you. You can't speak, so you can't ask what's going through his mind, but you see him flinch when your doorknob rattles.

"Belphie!! Are you in there!? " 

Beelzebub bursts through your door, nearly taking it off the hinges with the strength of his shoulder spear. The red-headed demon looks on at the situation with distress lighting up his eyes. It sends a pang through your chest immediately.

"Let them go." Beelzebub's voice booms and makes your room feel smaller than it actually is, despite also sounding gentle. How did he do it? He just had a way of being so…big, but not imposing until he needed to be. The shock makes Belphegor flinch and come to his senses. His eyes return to normal and he brings his hand to his head with a groan. 

"You had me worried! You just up and poofed out of the room with that look in your eyes again!" Beelzebub talks with his hands, eyes still big and brows lowered in concern.

"How did you know where to find me..?" Belphegor closed one eye and looked over from you to his concerned twin. He's still waking up from what you can tell, but he's doing his best to shake it off.

"All you could think about was eating for a second, then I saw them ." Beelzebub holds his stomach. "I know you don't actually eat people when you get like that, but…" He looks back to you, his eyebrows knitting. 

You're a little shaken up, breathing heavy, hand on your chest to make sure your heart hasn't quit on you yet. "I'm okay. You don't need to worry." You swing your legs out so that your feet touch the floor, looking up at both of them. 

"Are you sure?" The look on Beelzebub's face is enough to put your heart at ease. The gentle giant frowns from his eyes, so you smile for him. As for Belphegor, well…he looks more than a little disconcerted. His tail rests on the floor as limp as his expression, eyes downcast as if he's mulling something over.

"I'm sure. Is it alright that I talk to Belphie alone?" If not for the encounter with the sleep paralysis demon just now, you may not have realized what had happened so quickly. Not only did you want to reassure Belphegor that you weren't upset about getting paralyzed, you also had the feeling you needed to have a little chat with him— a minor interrogation of sorts. Just what had he seen in there..? His expression wasn't giving you any hints, it rarely did; you did see that he was a bit fidgety now that he was wide awake.

"Should I make us lunch?" Eating always makes him feel better, so you figure he just wants to bring the mood up. 

"I'd love that! Thank you." You smile right back at him and he nods before leaving the room. 

Leaving you and Belphegor alone again. The situation had changed thanks to Beel's intervention, but the heavy air of earlier had by no means dissipated. Belphegor would have let you go, you knew that, that wasn't the problem here (as scary as sleep paralysis with a hungry demon might have been). Now that you thought about it… "You never did tell me why that happens."

"You're going to need to be a little more specific." Belphegor stands there awkwardly with nothing to do. You wave him over to sit next to you on your bed; while he does look confused, he obliges out of curiosity.

Your bed creaks when he sits, his weight enough to make you shift closer to him. With a weak laugh you readjust yourself so there's more space between you; remember what you're doing here! Once you were done with the small talk, you needed to find out what he knew. "Sleep paralysis. How does it work for you?"

Belphegor swings his feet one at a time, palms pressed flat on your mattress as he tries to find a way to explain it to you. He hums for half a second before opening his mouth to speak, "When I enter someone's dreams, I make a connection with them. Here, hold out your hand." He angles himself to make it easier to look at you, raising his own hand. When you comply, he laces his fingers with yours, careful that none of his sharp nails scratch you. "Like a bridge." His other hand stands in for him, two fingers walking over his arm and on to yours.

"When that connection gets severed abruptly, like when the other person wakes up, that part of me gets trapped with them and has to force itself out." Belphegor lets go of your hand, but his finger puppet stays on your arm. "Their eyes might open, but they can't wake up for real until I get back to myself. My afterimage induces paralysis until I'm whole and awake again." His finger puppet 'jumps' off of your arm and 'runs' back to Belphie, who has a little smile on his face for some reason.

That makes sense…hey wait a minute! "That doesn't explain how you actually show up in my room..! Or why you looked like you wanted to eat me."

"Take a guess." His tail swishes behind his back and he tilts his head at you. 

"You said you make a connection when you enter someone's dreams…but we already have a connection?" 

"Our pact. What's one of the things you can do with it?"

"..! Oh! I can summon you! I'm not very good at summoning though." You scratch your cheek in confusion.

"Exactly. That's why I'm not all there when you wake up, and because I'm not all there…"

"I get paralyzed. What about the hunger? That was…new." You rub your left arm unconsciously.

"I left your dreams without eating a thing, so I was really hungry when I got out. I haven't eaten in sooooo long, you know." On 'so long', he leans against you enough for you to lean with him, so you push him back with a laugh.

"That's not my fault! You sleep all the time, you should be able to eat enough to get your fill." 

"Demon dreams aren't NEARLY as filling. It'd be easier for me if someone just let me have a bite here or there…" He leans in close to your face, but your hand stops him, slightly squishing his nose when you push him back.

"I'll consider it after you tell me what happened in there. Or I guess, in here—" You point at your temple. 

"Aww I was hoping you'd forgotten…you sure you really want to know? It could be super embarrassing for you."

"I said what I said, Belphie. Now talk." You fold your arms across your chest, eyes flicking to his with an unimpressed look about you. Belphegor's expression doesn't change. His tail flicks again. You'd given him an order.

"Alright, you asked for it." Belphegor yawns and stretches his arms up above his head. "Did you confess to Mammon too?" 

…He was good. He'd said everything by asking only one question, the ultimate timesaver. So he'd seen Satan and Lucifer, but only heard about Mammon…Your expression drops, eyes wide in surprise at the revelation. 

"Could it have been anything else? I told you, your soul, I went in cause I could feel how worried you are. So unless you have other things to worry over…" He'd nearly forgotten that there was a whole conversation he'd had with you that you wouldn't know about.

"Hey! I'll have you know I have other things to worry about." 

Belphegor doesn't dignify that with a response. He just stares at you blankly.

"…I see your point." The cheeky bastard. "To answer your question, I told Mammon first." Your ears get hot as your arms cross your chest.

"No fairrr, I wanna go on a date with you." Belphegor leans against you enough to knock you over again, so you push him back playfully.

"There will be time for that, but I'm not going to say yes just because you're jealous of Mammon." You laugh softly. 

He settles for laying his head on your shoulder. "Man, you're dense— I want to go on a date with you cause it's you, stupid." Belphegor groans. You look over to see he's sporting a slight pout with closed eyes. 

Careful not to disturb his resting spot, you raise your arm up behind his shoulders and card your fingers through his dark hair. You notice a smile creep up on his face. "Do you want me to fall asleep..?" His voice is but a whisper compared to the little smirk tugging at his lips. 

"Not a chance. Do you know how hard it is to wake you up?" You scoff warmly despite being dead serious.

"Zzz…"

You try to jostle him, gently shaking him before giving up momentarily, "Oh fuck me."

Suddenly his eyes open, "Is that an order?" You just make out his fangs when he smirks your way.

"N-No, of course not!"

"Ooo, was that a stutter I heard~? So you've definitely thought about it, good to know." That smug bastard! The audacity today, oh my Diavolo— he leans in closer!

On reflex, you lean away, but you forgot to retrieve your arm and ended up pulling him with you. His arm snakes behind the small of your back to keep you from landing in your bed. "Falling for me again already?" 

There's a deep satisfaction in his gaze as it pours over your expression delicately. Two beautifully big and flustered eyes glued to him and his movements, red creeping into the color palette of your cheekbones, a pair of lips parted ever so slightly to catch the breath that had been stolen by his advances. His tail flicks behind his back. You gently trace one of his horns with your finger in admiration and he blushes. Then you flick his forehead.

"…You wish. Let's not keep Beel waiting any longer, Dreameater." You let him go and stand up with a stretch.

"Ugh, don't remind me, you'll just make me want to go back to sleep again." He rubs his forehead sluggishly before following you out of your room and into the kitchen.

Just being near him sometimes makes you feel a little more tired, slower. You thought it was a coincidence before, but after learning how his power works, it was possible he made those around him tired when he was hungry as a way to have a snack. Or maybe it was a kind of 'yawning is contagious' deal, where because he's perpetually sleepy, he makes you feel the same way. If you asked, would he even know? It could just as easily be an unconscious ability or a coincidence. Note to self, read up on demon physiology later. 

Seeing as the kitchen is right around the corner, it takes no time at all for you to find Beelzebub hanging up his apron with a spread of food on the table. "Please tell me you guys are ready to eat, the food looks so good I just wanna taste it for myself."

A quick look around reveals crumbs and peels already populating the outskirts of the table, and if Beel hanging up his apron just now was any indication— he'd only just finished making your food, and he'd already tried a lot of it. Oh, Beel.♥

The twins sit with you at the table and you dig into the hearty lunch Beelzebub had been so kind to make for you. Heartbreak, lettuce, and tomato sandwiches always hit the spot, there was a certain kick to them that you couldn't get enough of sometimes, mmm…

You don't have much to say since you're focused on the food, and the hungry Belphegor had already finished his sandwich and passed out there on the table. Picking up a napkin, you wipe off your mouth and look up to see Beelzebub just smiling at you idly. You tilt your head at him and he mirrors you with a little laugh.

"Did you need something?" He chimes.

"I should be asking you that." You rest your head on your hand and look up at him from the slouched position.

"You have a bedhead from your nap."

"…Oh. Could you get it for me?" 

"Sure, let me just wash my hands first." Beel stands up from his seat, washes his hands thoroughly and pats them dry before he walks up behind you to carefully fix your hair. Having him pet your head like this felt really nice, you understand why people enjoy when you do it to them now— but soon enough he was done.

"There, you look…just as good as before. It wasn't all that bad to begin with." 

"Then…why were you looking at me earlier?" You follow him with your gaze as he circles around the table and back to his seat.

"I like looking at you." He replies candidly. "Do you want me to stop?

Chapter Text

“I like looking at you." He replies candidly. "Do you want me to stop?" A pair of owlish purple eyes make your acquaintance as well as that signature light smile. You readjust your posture to hide your blushing face— his earnestness combined with your easily flustered state was quite the combo right then.

“That’s okay, I guess I’m just a little self-conscious.” You scratch your cheek with a quiet titter, your gaze resting on the table where your hands lay.

“Really?” Beelzebub’s eyebrows raise in surprise; it’s not as though he thought you were incapable of being self-conscious, he was just unsure why it would come up now. Your eyes flick up to him before flicking away, and you rest your head on your folded arms.

“Whenever someone stares at me, I can’t help wondering what they’re looking at.” You draw circles on the table with somewhat narrowed eyes, your brow shading your sight from the light from overhead. “I know I’m an oddity around here, but… ‘what are they thinking about me this time?’” 

“Is that something you worry about a lot?”

“No, not at all. I think it’s mostly when I’m tired and need a break from people.” But this time, it wasn’t exactly people per se; you were just hoping that the day would end without another confession or intrusion of your thoughts. Finding out that Belphegor walked around in your head and learned how you felt about him before you were ready to tell him, while it did save you the trouble and it did end well, it left you concerned that your thoughts were written all over your face, or so obvious that you didn’t even need to explain yourself, like what happened with Satan. If someone else sussed out what your plans were, you’d be put on the spot again, and you’d reached your limit with the sleep paralysis.

“Okay. And what about now?” Beel leans toward you to hear what you were saying better since you’d begun mumbling into the table. 

Shit, he was already on to you, wasn’t he? If he can sometimes feel what Belphegor is feeling, then maybe he has some idea of what went down after he left the room—! “What do you mean, Beel?” There's only the slightest pang of nerves in your voice.

“You said ‘mostly’, so I thought I would ask. Is something bothering you?” Beel's brows furrow a little more after hearing you speak.

You internally groan, why did he have to be so attentive!? You didn’t feel right lying to him either, so… “I promise I’ll tell you when I’m ready, okay?” You raise your head from the table and smile at Beel, it’s his turn to look down at the table in thought. He looks back at you and nods affirmatively.

“Okay.” He smiles, figuring he can take your word for it. He pauses a moment to consider something before speaking, “I was just thinking about how you feel a little different. Not in a bad way! …I think.”

Did he just..? Beelzebub you absolute sweetheart, he went ahead and told you what was on his mind when he was looking at you so that you wouldn’t worry about it. “You think ?” You tilt your head again, more curious than anything. 

“Yeah.” 

“...” You wait expectantly.

“What?”

“You aren’t going to elaborate?” You rest your head on your hand again, slightly squishing your cheek. Beel rubs the back of his neck slowly while he tries to find the words.

“You smell different. I can’t really explain it beyond that.”

There was your damn scent again! How many times was a demon going to comment on your scent?? You knew that everyone had their own smell and all that, but you felt a little left out with your less sensitive human olfactory senses (TvT). It was always possible that Beel was especially sensitive since smell made up most of the sensation of taste (was that still true for demons? Another note for your physiology studying later!). “You’re not the first person to tell me that today.” You slump in your seat a little more. “Do all demons have such a strong sense of smell or are you an exception?”

“I think I’m an exception for smell and taste at least. I don’t know about all demons, but I do know that a demon’s senses get stronger when they’re emotional. Aren’t humans like that too?” He scratches his head. 

Are humans like that? You perk up a bit as you mull the idea over. “When someone is in danger, they might get stronger? Like a regular human lifting a car to save a trapped infant. I’ve also heard about people in life or death situations becoming more aware…I guess you’re right!” 

“Wait, really? That sounds pretty rough.” His brows lower in slight concern — no that was definitely a pitying look. You laugh a little.

“It’s fine, I don’t see myself needing super senses any time soon. Oh, did you know that when a human loses one of their senses, the other ones get sharper?”

“We have magic for that, but I wouldn’t be surprised if there were demons who chose not to take advantage of it.” He grips his forearm, “Satan knows a lot of people, maybe you should ask him?”

“That’s a good idea, thanks, Beel.” You lean over the table to kiss his cheek before starting to clean up the lunch the three of you shared, including the scraps Beelzebub left from snacks he had before he finished preparing the food. Beel raises a hand to his cheek where you kissed him and blushes the slightest bit before getting up to help you with the mess. 

“…What are you doing later?” He tosses the fistful of wrappers in the trash and dusts off his hands, looking at you from across the room. 

That was a good question. You want to do something fun to relax and take your mind off of what’s happened so far… 

You lean against the kitchen table and fold your arms to think it over when suddenly a memory resurfaces; singing with Mammon in the car, you remember thinking that it might be fun to try karaoke. Maybe today was the day? 

“Hopefully it’s karaoke with the House. What do you think?”

“Are we eating out too?” Beel’s eyes light up when he imagines the food the karaoke bar will serve and you can’t help laughing softly, some things never change. 

“Sure! If the others object, I wouldn’t mind going to get dinner with you myself.”

“I’d like that.” The red-head beams at this with a nod, and Belphegor shifts in his sleep.

“I’ll go too…” The sleeping demon mumbles before slowly sitting up with a hearty yawn. “Do you like to sing?” He looks up at you with one eye while he rubs the other.

“Yeah, I think it’s pretty fun! But I mostly want to hear you guys sing, you’ve got such nice voices that I’m curious~” You grin mischievously, “Do you think the others will want to come along?”

“Trust me, if it’s you asking they’ll be tripping over themselves wanting to go. Just be prepared, Asmo is going to hog the mic.” Belphie’s posture deflates with a sigh.

“I’ll go ahead and send the text now then.” You pull out your D.D.D. and open up the House group chat.

[House of Lamentation]

< ?Would anyone want to go out for karaoke tonight

Asmodeus: Would I ever! Finally, a chance to share my gift with the world~♥

Leviathan: Sorry, I’ve got a date with my games tonight, karaoke sounds wayy less fun.

Aww, I was hoping we could sing some anime OPs together, Levi… >

“Ooo, you’re crafty.” Belphegor snickers as he reads the incoming messages. 

“I was planning on it anyway! Theme songs are fun.” You wave your hand dismissively.

Leviathan: You should have led with that!

Lucifer: Karaoke? 

Lucifer: That does sound like a good way to unwind. 

< !Great

Do you know any good places nearby? >

Satan: I do. There’s a bar with private rooms, we could always rent one of those.

Mammon:

Mammon: How considerate of you to treat us all to a round of karaoke and drinks!

Mammon: I’d be down for that.

Satan: Mammon you cretin— that’s obviously not what they had in mind.

Satan: If you don’t want to go, just say so.

Mammon: HOLD ON A SEC!

Mammon: When did I ever say I didn’t wanna go!?

Leviathan: You said you’d want to go for *FREE* specifically— 

Mammon: WELL 

Mammon: Screw you guys, I’m going anyway!

Yay! I was worried you wouldn’t want to come. >

Mammon: Whaddaya mean? Why wouldn’t I?

Oh, sweet Mammon. Were you wrong to be relieved that he was confused by your concern? There was always the chance he was being facetious, but that didn’t seem like his style. 

Mammon: Don’t just go quiet!!

Right, you should say something back— uhhh… Shoot, what could you say without compromising any information? You haven’t spoken to Mammon since you got back from your trip, so you don’t know where he is in terms of… you. Was it presumptuous of you to assume you two were still weird? You think of a reasonable cover and send it in the chat.

I wasn’t sure you’d want to split the bill! >

Lucifer: He doesn’t.

Mammon: Don’t butt in! Lemme speak for myself, damn it!

Lucifer: Care to run that by me again?

Lucifer: Mammon?

。。。

Asmodeus: I wouldn’t be surprised if he was writing his will.

Satan: What would that even look like? Would he make out all his possessions to himself?

Leviathan: He’d find a way.

Mammon: Lucifer is completely right, I don’t want to split the bill, and I’m very sorry for being rude.

Beelzebub:

Belphegor: The Fear Lucifer juice is strong today, poor Mammon.

Lucifer: That’s enough of that. Have you decided on a time? 

Does six work for everyone? React to this message with a ‘yes' if it does. >

7

Hopefully, tonight will go well and you'll all have a good time. Hopefully. You're a little nervous, but the idea of getting out and having some fun calms your nerves. It wasn't like you'd sworn the boys to secrecy over your plan, but you were fairly certain they knew you didn't want them telling the other three, you have nothing to worry about.

Beelzebub tucks his D.D.D. away and shakes Belphegor awake fully so the two of them can head back to their room. Before he leaves though, Beel turns to look back at you with a little wave of his hand. "See you later. I'll make sure Belphie is ready in time."

"Heyyy, I'm not just gonna sleep through karaoke. Do you really think I'm that inconsiderate, Beel? I'm hurt." Belphegor pouts with a hand over his heart.

"No. But you are that sleepy. Let's just get going before the bath is all busy." The two of them keep talking as they walk away, and you can't make out what they're saying. You follow their lead and take off.

You stop by the library before heading to your room since you had a bit of time to spare before you needed to start getting ready. There was no way you'd get to reading now , but it might be a good idea to at least start looking. Demon physiology, demon physiology… Demon Physiology for Li'l D's??? What was a book targeted at Li'l D's doing here? Wait— Barbatos wrote this!? 

That makes sense, actually. No. 2 mentioned that Barbatos is a tough boss, so having supplementary materials for them made sense, but you wonder whose idea it was for these notes to be published. You give the book a flip-through to glance over the contents, the glossary, illustrations…he did those too? A demon of many talents…you smile a bit as you thumb the pages, eyes darting across the pages as you read over Barbatos' polished notes.

Annotations? The library did belong to the house, so it wasn't like it was public property, but you did wonder who the scribbles belonged to. Faint music trickles in from the other room— Lucifer's private study. The music is more contemporary than you're used to hearing from him, so naturally, you step closer to examine. There's a distinct baritone hum tangling with the music…

"We've talked about this; what's the point in lingering outside when you wish to enter?" 

You flinch, how did he always know when you were there!? He was right though. You set the book down to be picked up again on your way back and pass through the corridor to the hidden room. You peek your head in with a small smile. "I didn't want to disturb you."

He returns the smile with a soft look of disappointment, his eyes resting on the desk in front of him. "I'd hardly call it a disturbance. What brings you to the library?" His eyes flick back to yours; there's a clear spark of engagement and curiosity within them that makes you smile a little more. 

"I've been meaning to look into demon physiology, actually. I wanted to pick out something for later, and I found Barbatos' book on the subject." 

Lucifer shakes his head, "I already told you to come inside. Have a seat if you'd like, make yourself comfortable," he beckons. Only once you've stepped inside fully does he continue. "Which book was it?"

"He's written more than one?" Why did that not surprise you? "'Demon Physiology for Li'l D's.' I thought it might be a good read."

He hums in thought. "What brings you to the subject in any case?" 

"Oh— I've just realized that there's a lot I still don't know about how a demon functions, so I thought I'd do my own research!" You laugh softly.

He scoffs with a smile of his own. "You can always ask me, I'd be happy to help better your understanding. I get the feeling some of your inquiries aren't answered in Barbatos' crash course…" 

It wasn't like you hadn't thought of that, you just wanted to make sure you had some more know-how to save you time with questions! Getting tutored by Lucifer sounds lovely though… "I'm looking forward to it!" You chirp.

With that out of the way, you're left listening to the music. To Lucifer, the sudden lull in conversation made him blush the slightest bit. He looks over to you expectantly, then at his music player, then back again.

"Okay, I need to ask— are you checking out the music I recommended right now on purpose, or is it a fun coincidence?" 

"If you're implying that I'm preparing for karaoke, you'd be incorrect. I just happened to be in the mood." His head leans to one side, more than amused by the accusation despite the red hue gracing his cheeks.

"Even if you are telling the truth, you have to know how you sound right now." You offer a lopsided and mischievous grin. 

"Either way, I must say…you have good taste in music." 

"It took a while to put the playlist together— I wanted to balance what I knew about your likes with stuff I thought you'd enjoy." You rub the back of your neck sheepishly. "How are you liking it so far?" 

Lucifer leans forward in his seat, using his desk to support his elbows. With eyes closed, he takes a moment to appreciate the music…and you take a picture as discreetly as possible.

He cracks an eye open to observe you; you immediately pocket your D.D.D. at the speed of lightning. 

"Don't share that with anyone, understand?" His words might have been firm, but Lucifer was still smiling, maybe even more so now that he'd caught you. 

With a blush, you nod. "I won't! I just couldn't resist the opportunity…you looked so— soooo…" 

"Use your words." 

"—Your smile is precious to me." The sentiment rolls off your tongue so easily you can't take it back, not that you'd want to.

"..!" Lucifer uses his hands as a shield for his pleasantly surprised face. You see the blush penetrate his ears, he'd severely miscalculated how his teasing would have affected you. Behind his cover, he bites his lip, eyes glued to his desk as he tries to recover some composure. Deeply red eyes find the courage to meet yours, "Is that so?" 

"Of course! I'm always a little proud when you smile so openly." You rub the back of your neck. His hands rest flat against his desk, fingers still laced.

Lucifer clears his throat before speaking, "If that's the case, we should spend more time together. You have a way of…lifting my spirits." 

"Only if you can spare the time," you caution. He nods in agreement.

"Naturally. I very well can't be in two places at once…" The dignified demon rises from his seat. "I should be going. You don't want to be late for your own event, do you?" 

You blink and check the time, he was right as usual— you could always pick this up later. "I'll see you later, then." You say with a quiet laugh.

The two of you exit the study one after another, but when Lucifer pauses to close the door, you lean in and kiss his cheek, and leave without giving him a chance to react, only giving him a happy little wave. "I forgot to mention this earlier but, your voice is beautiful too."

You leave him stunned, and only once you exit the library, book in hand, do you allow yourself to grin. That felt so GOOD, oh you liked being more open… 

You head back to your room and get ready for the night ahead, first picking out an outfit, and then starting to get dressed. It was a casual look just dressy enough that you'd be considered nicely dressed, something you wouldn't mind getting sweaty in given how hot karaoke booths can get. You're about to apply a scent…

But there's a knock at your door. Who might it be at this hour? You could have sworn everyone was getting ready right now. With a renewed curiosity, you open the door to find— "Asmodeus?" 

"Hi, hon! I just wanted to lay eyes on you and I am so glad I decided to stop by. You're stunning as expected, but if you'll allow me to add some finishing touches…I'd love to bring out your radiance." 

"That's really sweet of you, Asmo." You were both relieved and disappointed he hadn't come while you were still picking out an outfit; relieved because there was no telling how long that might have taken (or what would have been chosen), but disappointed because that might have been fun, especially with your new clothes from the city. "What do you have in mind?" 

"Be a dear and do a little twirl for me." He makes the spin motion with his hand and pointer finger. You oblige, turning slowly enough for him to get a good look. Asmodeus bites his lip with a hum, "Oh you're so cute, I could just eat you up~♥" He coos. "You've made my job easy, I'll just add a little something to bring out your eyes," A color palette is measured against your cheek, but brought down. "How about an ear cuff…what do you think of this one?” He holds up a silver dragon in front of your face so that you can see before he holds it up to your ear to evaluate for himself.

You accept the cuff and fasten it to your ear, standing in front of your mirror to check yourself out. “It pairs really well!” 

“Perfect! Now hold still.” He gently takes your jaw so you face him directly, carefully maneuvering it as he puts a brush to it. As promised, it was only ‘a little something’, just a bit of highlight to your cheekbones to bring out your eyes. “Ooo, I see I don’t need to add any blush~ I told you you made this easy for me.” 

With him so close and so focused on you, it was no wonder you’d started blushing! He likely knew that this would happen, you recognized it by the glint in his eyes… At this distance, you picked up on a peculiar scent; it was faint but once you’d become aware of it, the scent almost seemed to strengthen. It was sweet, with delightful undertones of fruitiness. “Oh, are you wearing the new perfume you mentioned?”

“Close! Good guess, but not the right occasion for me. If you’d like to try it for yourself, I’d be happy to go and get it for you.” There’s that mischievous little twinkle in his eye again, just what did he think you were up to tonight?

“M-Maybe another time, I don’t need to do any bewitching today!” Shit, you stuttered, Asmo can probably feel your weakness or something—!

Asmodeus’ eyebrows raise as his lips form into a catty grin, “REALLY now? You don’t need to…does that mean you want to?” 

Oh good, he got the wrong takeaway from your terrible evasion. If you played your cards right, you could leave this encounter without tipping off Asmodeus. “Not tonight, anyway. I just want to have fun with the House, but I promise we can try out the Devil Cactus Rose essence another time, okay?” 

“I’m holding you to that! If you’re all done getting ready, let’s head out to the foyer together.” 

“Let me just get a quick spritz in…“ You grab the bottle of fragrance you were intending to use earlier and you’re careful not to envelop Asmo in the lovely scented cloud when you do spray. 

The demon takes his arm in yours once the coast is clear and he proudly marches you out to the front where the others were waiting for you… Well, you certainly wouldn’t say patiently; aside from Lucifer, Leviathan, and Satan, they’d all looked like they’d just gotten there, and Mammon hadn’t even arrived yet, which was fine, you arrived a few minutes early. 

“PDA Police, step away from the human!!!” Leviathan points his finger at Asmodeus and Satan is slow to jump in like he normally would. Asmo doubles down and tugs you closer to him, your arm pressed up against his chest.

"You'll never take me alive~!" 

"PERFECT!" A new voice joins the fray, it's Mammon, standing at the top of the stairs! He dashes down toward you, "Hands off my human!" 

"Since when were they your human???" Asmo taunts, making Lucifer, Satan, and Belphegor straighten up a hair rather subtly. Asmodeus sticks his tongue out at Mammon, who slips on one of the steps and tumbles forward. 

"W-WOAH—!"

You pull away from Asmo as soon as you see him slip and shout, your left arm reaches out to him, "Mammon, stop falling!" With all the conviction you can muster. The ring on your finger glows a bright gold color, the shimmer radiating out before dissipating.

His body freezes mid-air, his eyes wide and breathing heavy. You clammer up the stairs to meet him and stand right in front of him, "You can move now." 

He very gently falls into your arms, but instead of relishing the contact like you thought he might, he looks at the wall beside you with pursed lips and eyes downcast. "I didn't need ya to save me or whatever. You can let go now." 

You do as he asks and backs off, heart thudding in your chest; was he mad at you now? Or just upset in general? You walk down the stairs behind him in silence, catching Satan's almost apologetic look on your way. Leviathan rubs his arm awkwardly and mutters something to himself, but you don't catch it.

Belphegor clears his throat, "Let's go before I fall asleep." He yawns, sleepy tears beading up at the corners of his eyes. 

As rude as that might have sounded, you're grateful for the diffusion that did get the group out the door and toward the karaoke bar. Right, you were here to have a good time! But you were also worried about Mammon, what was going through his head right now?

Satan catches you boring holes into the back of Mammon's head and keeps pace with you to have as discreet a conversation as you can have while in the presence of other people. 

"Are you okay?"

"Me? I'm more worried about—" 

"We know. I talked to him earlier and he seemed alright, so I don't know what's up with him now." 

"Perhaps it was seeing Asmodeus clinging to you so affectionately." A different voice answers, a familiar baritone.

"That would make sense— who said you could join this conversation—!? When did you even—"

"Remember how you left me alone with him?" You rub the back of your neck shyly. "We had a little talk."

"Mammon wasn't kidding, you did waste no time..!" He didn't seem judgemental, he was almost impressed by your ability to maneuver what he assumed to be fairly heavy emotional moments.

"Hush, Satan, you'll cause a commotion." Lucifer's eyes roll over to his spawn and narrow the slightest bit. "I didn't think I would need to remind you that discretion is the goal." 

While the blond growls, another voice chimes in, "Riiight, remind me again what's so discreet about you and Satan talking civilly?" The tired voice sighs, the dark-haired demon appearing on your left and occupying your shoulder with his head.

"Belphie, we were just talking about how PDA probably pissed Mammon off— wait, when did he—?" Satan is beyond bewildered now, looking to you for an explanation.

"He was dreamwalking again..! Happy accident." You laugh awkwardly.

"You dream of us..?" Lucifer clutches his pearls in gentle surprise.

"Wouldn't be the first time, you know…" The blush on your face mirrors his.

"Ohhhh yeah, it was a real party in there, but I'm pretty sure you're just stressing them out right now. Isn't that right?" Belphegor tilts his head to look at you with a smile and you laugh awkwardly again.

"…I just want to have fun tonight. This might be unfair of me to ask, but…would you please not rock the boat? Please?" Your plea makes them flinch, not because you'd ordered them to do something, but because you hadn't. You were trusting them to behave, which may be less secure, but it gave them more of a desire to see it through.

Belphegor sighs again and lifts his head off your shoulder, stretching his arms above his head with a yawn. "Let's make this a great night then. Don't fuck up, Lucifer." He scoffs, walking up ahead to where Beel was shortly thereafter.

"This shouldn't be difficult even for you, Lucifer." Satan snickers to himself and likewise walks up ahead— he was supposed to be showing you all the way anyhow.

Lucifer takes a deep, deep sigh. Don't rock the boat. With Mammon as sensitive as he was right now, that might prove to be more difficult, but he finds his resolve rather quickly when he sees the way your soul flickers— anxiety. He will respect your wishes, but… "It'll be okay. He'll figure it out. Try to focus on enjoying yourself." Lucifer raises a hand to squeeze your shoulder, but he stops midway. 

Who would have guessed that he'd be comforting his lover over one of his brothers? He really had changed…it felt odd, but not terrible, nor unfamiliar. In a way, it was sweet how dedicated you were to making sure they were all okay, not unlike himself. 

Eventually, Satan does successfully lead you to the karaoke bar, aptly named The Siren's Pub. The decorations were on brand— an iridescent scale pattern lines the walls, seashells are decorating the barstool legs…this place is cute! The hosts are a mix of sirens and demons in costume, and the establishment itself is moderately sized. There's a good amount of traffic today, but the sirens don't keep you waiting long.

Asmodeus is enthralled by the cute outfits on display, with each host dressed uniquely but keeping in theme. You had to admit, siren outfits ARE really pretty and stylish, but you weren't sure you'd be able to pull off maritime devil chic. The group produces their preferred method of payment, but Beelzebub has to catch Mammon to ensure he pays his part of the bill.

With that out of the way, it's karaoke time!

"As a reminder, you're each responsible for your own tab, so don't go overboard." The room is just big enough to support the faint rumble of Lucifer's voice, which only made you more excited to hear them all sing, finally!

The remote rests right in front of your seat, so you seize the controller and start to scroll through songs while a few of the brothers check out the food and drink menu. "Who wants to go first?" 

"Ooo ooo, me!" Asmodeus pops out of his seat to assume his ~rightful~ place at the microphone. "And I'll siiiing…right there~! That one." You select the song and watch as the Avatar of Lust begins his performance. 

And you can't take your eyes off of him. His voice is striking, dulcet high notes ringing whiny, but not in an annoying way— they gave his singing character that was unmistakably his. His lower notes are just as sweet, pulling your attention whenever they're sprinkled in to add more depth to his vocal performance. As if that wasn't enough, he was also putting on a bit of a show and moving in accordance with the music; his hips sway with the rhythm and his dance moves, while not full-on concert mode, feel like a sample, a taste to leave you wanting more.

In short, Asmo was trying to seduce you. Was it working? Maybe, but you were mostly happy to see him enjoy himself. He offers his hand for you to join him like a performer to his audience and you laugh, why not. As soon as Asmodeus pulls you from your seat, the brothers that hadn't been looking were suddenly very interested, namely Mammon and Leviathan.

The moves were simple and effective, so you had no trouble following his lead, picking up the second microphone to join him for the latter half of the song. It took almost no time at all for the room to get hot between the heat of the projector and the eight bodies populating the room, thank goodness you'd thought ahead and dressed for that. 

While you were up having fun, this felt more like an endurance test for the rest of them. Leviathan sighs to himself seeing how easy it is for Asmodeus to captivate your attention, a skill he'd never envied before (miss him with that normie shit), but today it got to him. Maybe it was Mammon's nervous energy, or how you'd let Belphie hang off of you while the eight of you were walking, or how lucky Mammon was that you'd reacted so quickly to save him, but he's honestly kind of bummed. That is, until he remembered that you wanted to sing with him! If no one volunteered to go next, maybe he could—

"I get next," Mammon calls dibs as soon as the song finishes, causing both you and Asmo, who'd ended the song by meeting eyes, to flinch and look in his direction. "I'm singing with ya, got it?" 

Your eyebrows furrow, lips pursing. You weren't a fan of his demanding tone, not in the slightest. "I'll sit this one out, but you can sing if you want to." You hold out your microphone to him, hip cocked and weight resting on one leg.

Mammon huffs softly, "I can wait." His bite deflates, but the frustration remains. "I'm gonna get something to drink…" And with that, he leaves the room.

“I think I’ll go next.” Belphegor sits up in his seat and stretches, “Wanna join me, Beel?” 

“Sure, but can we order food first?” 

“You guys have been looking at the menu, right? I can go and tell them what we want.” You set the microphone back in its stand and pull out your D.D.D., poised to take notes. You go from demon to demon, taking their orders and leaving the room once you’re done, leaving the remaining six alone together.

As soon as you shut the door, Asmo pops up out of his seat again. “Does anyone know what Mammon’s deal is today? He’s acting even more like a baby than usual!” Asmodeus crosses his arms with a half worried, half annoyed look, looking at his brothers’ faces to gauge any sort of reaction.

“It’s Mammon, it could literally be anything.” Belphegor shrugs, sitting up in his seat so he can watch Asmodeus.

“No, that doesn’t seem right. There was something especially passionate about what just happened.” 

“And you know passion…” Satan mumbles, eyes still on the door. 

“Exactly! Thank you, Satan. Do you think they got into a fight on their date?”

“Date!? Who said they were on a date?” Leviathan’s eyes widened in surprise. 

“Oh, my sweet summer child— you don’t spend a whole day with someone you have that much sexual tension with and NOT make it a date, even Mammon isn’t that stupid. That lucky bastard~! I bet they shared a room, too…” Asmodeus brings the back of his hand to his forehead and tilts his head up dramatically.

Lucifer clears his throat, posture erect, one leg over the other and arms folded across his chest. “Asmo, why not ask Mammon yourself? This kind of speculation isn’t very productive. The conversation is tedious.” He closes his eyes, jaw somewhat tense. Satan’s eyes go to Lucifer, then back to Asmodeus, what should they do?

“As if Mammon would tell me anything, it’s obvious he’s jealous, but it feels WAY worse than usual.” 

“I’ll be right back,” Leviathan stands up with a sigh, “It’s too warm in here, I need some air, you’re way too into this Asmo.” The purple-haired demon opens the door to the private room and steps into the hallway outside. 

“Hey wait, would you leave it open a—”

He shuts the door behind him.

“Little.” Satan sighs, head hanging in defeat. He stands up to open it a crack and let the air circulate while Belphie and Beel get ready to sing.

Levi looks both ways; one leads to more rooms, and the other was the way he came. He heads in the direction you all came from, but he almost immediately runs into a disgruntled Mammon taking cover in a hallway that goes to the staff back area. The light is low all around, but it was bright enough to make out silhouettes and some detail thanks to the light coming from the kitchen at the end of the hall.

“Tch, fuck… this blows. I just get so…ugh seein’ them all cozy with everyone. They’re probably mad at me for bein’ a jerk after they went to all the trouble of telling me they love me…” Mammon sighs softly into his Paradise Blue before taking another sip, but when he looks up, he’s faced squarely with a glowering Leviathan. 

“That’s your problem!?” His eyes are a deep purple, aura already beginning to leak and come off of him.

“W-Wha— Levi you scared me!” Mammon puts his hands up in surprise, nearly dropping his drink but managing to keep his grip and his wits about him. He laughs nervously. “Ahahaha how much of that did you hear, little bro?”

“You’re unbelievable. Do you even know how LUCKY you are!?” Leviathan hisses now, only making the greedy demon stand up even straighter.

‘He doesn’t know, does he?’ Mammon bites the inside of his lip, eyes looking off to the left as he tries to figure out how to get out of this situation. Levi wasn’t stupid nor angry enough to attack him, but if Mammon says something inflammatory that can easily change, and Mammon wasn’t pissy enough to blurt out the truth. “Levi, you don’t know everything—! Just calm down!”

“Why should I!? It sounds like you’re being the same scumbag you’ve always been!” 

“Oh yeah? Why’s that?” Mammon huffs haughtily, letting his head tilt to one side. 

“You’re being cold with them just because you’re jealous? Do you know how stupid that sounds!?”

“And why do YOU care so much, huh Levi?” His eyes glimmer yellow, nose wrinkling with the furrow of his eyebrows.

“W-well, cause… They’re my best friend, and they don’t deserve your bullshit!” 

“You’re just as jealous as I am, ya damn hypocrite! Look ‘atcha, confrontin’ me for doing the same thing you’re doing!” 

“Hey! Don’t lump me in with you! I’m not the one being an asshole to the person I love!”

Mammon freezes up like a deer in headlights.

“What’s the problem…now…“ Levi looks over his shoulder to see what Mammon is staring at and the color leaves his face.

Lucifer stands there, bright red eyes glinting in the low light. Mammon hears his heart pounding in his ears and Levi’s eyes are so big they look like they might pop out of their sockets. Beside him are the other demon brothers: Asmo with a hand over his mouth, Satan grimacing, Beel with his eyebrows raised, and Belphie shaking his head. Just how much had they heard? 

To answer that, let’s go back a few minutes, to when Satan first cracked open the door.

The blond was seeking relief from the heat, but when he opened the door, a chill wafted in from outside not long after; harsh words start coming from down the hall, he can’t make them out right away but that changed as soon as he felt the pressure one of the voices was exerting over the other. A dark fog of energy rolled in, not one that was seen but one that was felt. No doubt about it, that was Levi’s energy…

“You’re unbelievable. Do you even know how LUCKY you are!?”

Satan noticed mere seconds before Lucifer did, who, when Satan looked back, was glaring at the very openly in the direction of the disturbance. The familiar wave of Lucifer’s feelings washed over Satan, he knew exactly what he needed to do. At that moment, Satan closed the door, but it was too late— the yelling had already been noticed by Beelzebub, who immediately set his mic down and looked between the others, “That’s Levi, isn’t it?” The redhead held his forearm, “You’re not going to go check on him, Satan?”

“Levi, you don’t know everything—! Just calm down!”

He’d been caught red-handed! What did he even say in this situation? Think, Satan… “It sounds like he and Mammon are having a private conversation, I don’t want to get in the middle of that.” He bluffs. Stupid! If they all listened hard enough they’d be able to hear the conversation very clearly! And the more Levi’s energy intensified, the more the rest of them would try to hear what was happening just outside.

“I’m going, one of them could get hurt.” Beelzebub walked toward the door but seeing Lucifer rise stopped him in his tracks.

“I’ll put the matter to rest—”

“They’re my best friend, and they don’t deserve your bullshit!” 

“—Myself.” Lucifer sprouted a vein in his temple, crossed the room with haste, and allowed his brothers to trail out after him and Beel. 

“You’re just as jealous as I am, ya damn hypocrite! Look ‘atcha, confrontin’ me for doing the same thing you’re doing!” 

When Lucifer finally stands face to face with the fearful Mammon and Leviathan, he directs most of his ire at the older of the two, his aura immediately suppressing Leviathan’s and nearly paralyzing Mammon. His shaky exhales are visible, each breath resulting in a puff of smoke that dissipates quickly. “Maaaaaammoooon?”

“Wouldn’t you both agree… ” Mammon breaks into a cold sweat upon hearing Lucifer’s words, “ That this conversation should be had somewhere more private?” He smiles at them.

Leviathan swallows. “Y-Yeah, that’s okay, I just want to go back to karaoke now—”

“I, for one, want to hear what that was about! I can’t be alone, right?” Asmodeus looks between the rest of them with his hands up and the corner of his lips turned down.

“What doesn’t Levi know, Mammon? You said he didn’t know everything, are you okay?” Beel frowns, looking to the white-haired demon for answers, only for Lucifer to begin shepherding them into the room with his arms outstretched.

“That’s enough, it can wait until we’re back inside.” Lucifer covers his eyes with his hand and sighs, shaking his head. At the very least, he’d fulfilled his promise to you, but it would seem that this confrontation was inevitable regardless of your actions. Although, it might have been a good idea for him to have talked to Mammon before you’d all gotten there…There’s nothing he can do about it now.

“Is it cool if I lead the interrogation?” Asmodeus hums, sitting poised in his seat and staring at Mammon.

“Why wouldn’t I do it?” Lucifer tilts his head in confusion.

“Oh Lucifer, you’re in on it too, aren’t you? Did you think I wouldn’t notice how quiet you were? And trying to send me to find out what was up with Mammon: deliberately trying to end the conversation there. How VERY naughty.” Asmo tsks, “I’m going to ask the questions now.” 

Lucifer’s expression buckles and he sighs through his nose again, busted, by Asmodeus no less. “I suppose you’ve earned it. Very well, don’t hold back.”

“Lucifer!” Mammon pleas, but he only receives a disapproving look in return, he’s made his own bed, it was time to put the concerns to rest.

“With pleasure~” The Avatar of Lust purrs with a grin as he sets his sights on Mammon.

“Hey, come on, don’t tie me up, where’d you even get the stuff to tie me up!?"

“Answer Beel’s question, and I’ll consider it.”

Mammon struggles against his restraints with a nervous laugh, “What’d he say again? Am I okay? I’m fine Beel, you don’t gotta worry about me! But it would be nice if you’d help me out—” 

“I don’t believe you.” Beelzebub frowns again, clutching his forearm. “What are you hiding from us now?”

“Oh, uhhh, lotsa things! You can’t expect me to be one-hundred percent transparent with you all the time, right?”

The redhead shakes his head no. “You know that’s not what I meant.”

“I’ve got this Beel,” Asmodeus reassures him, “You know that’s not what he meant! We want to know what it is that Levi doesn’t know about THIS specific situation!” 

“Lots. Of. Things. Shit, there’s probably stuff I don’t know either, you can’t expect me to know everything.” Mammon huffs and looks away from an increasingly impatient Asmodeus.

“Ughhthisissobadformyskin— MAMMON! What did you say to get Levi so mad?”

“Oh, I’ll answer that! He was like, ‘dang, they probably hate me for being a jerk after they told me they love me, woe is me!’ And it really rubbed me the wrong way! How could you be a jerk to my best f-friend!” 

“First of all, I do NOT sound like that. Second of all, you did it again! You can’t even say they’re your best friend with confidence, damn otaku!”

“Nothing is stopping me from strangling you, Mammon! Maybe I’ll get the money you owe me back while I’m at it!” Levi bares his teeth and Mammon returns the favor, but Beel immediately holds Levi back. “H-Hey, let me go!”

“That’s right, Beel still respects me!”

“It’s not okay to let kids fight.”

“HEY, I’M OLDER THAN YOU!” They both shout.

“And what good is it doing you now?” Beelzebub scowls at the two of them. They immediately settle down like wounded pups.

“Bruuutal. I didn’t know you had it in you, Beel.” Belphie grins and pats his twin on the back, but his brother just looks back at him with a neutral expression.

“You know what’s going on too, don’t you? I’ve had the ‘I need to watch what I say, or else’ feeling this whole time, but that’s not my worry— it’s yours.”

“Guilty.” He puts both of his hands up, eyes closing. “I wasn’t even supposed to know,” He covers his mouth for a yawn, “so I thought I’d keep quiet out of respect.” Belphegor stretches. “If you’re going to keep interrogating Mammon, could you maybe keep it down, Asmo? All this yelling is exhausting to be around.” 

“Oh, I’m SO sorry I’m disturbing you, Belphie.” Asmodeus offers a sickly sweet smile, “I’ll be sure to keep it down.”

“Thanks, I appreciate it.” The sleepy demon smiles right back and gets comfortable against Beel’s side.

“ALRIGHT MAMMON!” Belphie flips Asmo off in his sleep, which the other demon so graciously returns before returning to his primary concern, “Just because I’ve discovered another traitor doesn’t mean you’re off the hook. You seem to be the source of the problem anyway, which isn’t surprising.” Asmo grumbles. 

“That ain’t fair at all!” Mammon growls.

“Oh? Care to share why not? Prove me wrong, Mammon, I dare you.”

The door to the room opens again, "Sorry I was gone so long, they were having trouble at the— bar. Why is Mammon tied up? And why is Beel holding Levi in a headlock? Why do some of you look so tired?"

"You brought our refreshments, how thoughtful…a shame you didn't get one for yourself. Have a seat." Lucifer pats the spot beside him and you take it after passing out the drinks.

"Wow, that's just so comforting." You say flatly. "Out with it— what happened here??"

"Mammon and Levi started fighting in the hallway but we got there before they could lay hands on each other," Beelzebub responds softly, causing you to quirk an eyebrow. "Something about you being in love with Mammon."

"Oh, don't worry darling, he's only tied up because we didn't want him trying to run away, he hasn't tried to hurt anyone."

"I know he wouldn't." You meet the sulking demon's eyes. "Not really." 

Mammon looks at his knees and sighs. "You're not mad..?"

"I'd like to hear what happened first." You stand up and gently shoo Asmo so you can get started in untying the rope.

"I didn't wanna snap earlier so I stepped out, and I was talking to myself, but Levi heard me and got pissed, so we started yelling—" 

"So it was an accident?" 

"Yeah! Ya gotta believe me, I was upset but I'd never sell you out!" 

"Is this what you didn't want to say earlier?" Beel perks up at the realization, lips parted in surprise. He lets Levi go now that he seems to have calmed down.

"I can only handle so much teasing~!" Asmodeus is at the edge of his seat.

"You mean there is more than just what Mammon said?" Leviathan looks between the two of you.

You suck in a breath, "I thought I'd be more ready to say it by now—" Your cheeks grow hot, "I-I um…" Gah, who do you look at?? 

You close your eyes and swallow, "I love you. All of you. It didn't happen all at once, but I've felt this way for so long now…" With the bandaid ripped off you timidly look up to see each of their faces, "That I needed to let you know. I couldn't take it anymore." 

Asmodeus holds a hand to his now rosy cheek, he's by no means surprised, but hearing it said aloud made his heart race. "I have a question." 

"You want to know if we were supposed to get private confessions, right?" Beelzebub was admittedly curious about the same thing since some of them already knew beforehand; he was doubtful you'd purposely leave them out if it had been a group confession. Asmo nods in agreement.

Your blush darkens, "Mhm. I thought it would be best to tell you individually so you'd know I was serious about it…" 

"Mammon, you've stolen the unthinkable! Look at what your jealousy got you, now I'll never get to hear 'I love you' for the first time alone!" Beel has to wrap his arms around Leviathan again—

"A tender moment with my love, gone!" Asmo also tries to go for Mammon, who backs away now that you've untied him.

"H-Hey did you miss the part where we said it was an accident!?"

"An accident stemming from your foul mood," Satan says under his breath.

"DON'T GIVE THEM MORE REASONS TO FIGHT ME!" Mammon cries out, but his panic doesn't last long.

"Asmodeus, Leviathan, settle down!" The runes along your arm glow a bright orange and pink, the magical sunset traveling through your palm and radiating out toward its intended targets. They calm down begrudgingly, but they do listen to you. "I know this isn't ideal, but…you still have me." 

You hear someone take a deep, steadying breath, someone else shifting in their seat. A quick look around tells you that they're a little shifty, not necessarily on edge, but they're all blushing except for the half-awake Belphegor.

After a moment of calm, Beelzebub lets Leviathan go, and there's a knock on the door. His nose twitches, "Food's here." 

"Are you still up for karaoke?" Lucifer nudges your side with his arm gently.

"I'm not gonna let the night go to waste!"

Chapter Text

"I'm not gonna let the night go to waste!" You pop up out of your seat. "Besides, we already paid for the session, so I'd like to make sure we get our money's worth."

"Just say you wanna hear us sing." Mammon leans back in his seat with an amused look on his face. 

You huff, "I-I mean. Yes. But I'm not the only one here, now am I?"

"Oh, we're singing again?" Belphegor rubs his eyes. "I guess I'll wait for Beel to finish his food before we go up."

Now was his chance! Leviathan stands up and straightens out his outfit with a determined look on his face. "Let's do this! I saw one of our songs on the list earlier when you were scrolling through the options. Let’s sing that one!" 

"'Our songs'..?" Mammon mumbles to himself.

"Wait, which one…oh the 'Hinahika Wants to Be a Battle Hero Superstar: Requiem' fight song!? Levi, you want to battle me?" You're touched, even sniffling dramatically.

"There's no one I'd rather take on!" He bounces on his heels and hands the microphone to you.

"I'll do my best!" You grin and bump your forearms with him.

"This is a battle, so you guys will have to judge, okay? Well, I don't expect you to know what to judge, but you normies will have to do." Levi shrugs before looking at Asmodeus with an excited grin, "Hit it, Asmo!"

The prompter counts down, three, two, one: the opening beat rolls in, you lock eyes with Levi, and you both bop your heads to the second. He taps his foot as a half-grin overtakes your face. You'd sung with Levi before, in the privacy of his room to intros and outros, theme songs, the like. You knew what he sounded like, but you'd never competed with him over it, so the prospect lit you up!

Levi began, his first lyrics fast-paced and mumbly, but he was precise on every syllable. 

Your audience is lukewarm at best, but the song’s energy acts as a whip curling around their attention and pulling them in one by one— soon enough, all eyes are on you in budding anticipation. 

This time, you didn't mind being stared at, not in the slightest.

。

。

。 

Karaoke x Demonus is a beautiful combo. No one got hammered; you hadn't paid for enough time in the booth to let everyone get hammered, a strategic move on your part. That and drinks weren't included, so the demons knew they could only drink as much as they’d bought. The alcohol seemed to leave the demons in better spirits, the tension of earlier all but dissipated— as far as you could tell. You would need to chat with Leviathan, but that could wait.

Asmodeus kept looking your way the entire duration of the walk home, clearly not wanting to speak to you with the others still present. He'd better get in line; after a shower, you were headed STRAIGHT to bed— no question about it. You had fun despite being forced to lay your cards out on the table, and it almost felt… better(?) not having to worry about telling them individually. No, there was undoubtedly a weight lifted off your shoulders. But you did feel terrible about Beel, though, seeing as you'd nearly told him earlier today— no! You need to take care of yourself first and foremost. Checking in on Beel would also have to wait.

Getting ready for bed is a blur. Your head pulses from fatigue, your heart palpitates in your ears, your vision is not quite blurry but somewhat unfocused if you allow it to be. Going through the motions of taking a shower and brushing your teeth would be the last thing you did before hitting the mattress and letting sleep whisk you away.

--- 

Belphegor felt the familiar ache of his teeth when you fell asleep. Another restless night then? You poor soul. He would offer to help, but he had the feeling you weren't going to appreciate him meddling in your dreams for a bit. You were a big human; he trusted that you could sort that out yourself. 

The demonus had worn off by the time the twins made it back to their room, leaving the avatar of sloth hardly awake and ready for bed— he couldn't fall asleep. Something felt wrong in his chest. Only he couldn't quite place from why or where it had originated. Tch, not right nowwww…he just wanted to sleep. It was only when he lazily rolled his head over to look at Beel that he understood from where the pang in his chest had originated. Beelzebub hadn't laid down yet but was instead sitting at the edge of his bed, his back to Belphegor, head resting on his folded hands. 

Beel's brow furrowed slightly. He couldn't help it. Now that he knew what you wanted to tell him earlier, he wasn't sure what to think or how he was feeling. Love..? He'd never been "in love" before. He knew what it meant, and he knew he loved his family, which included you. But he felt differently about you specifically, and he hadn't even noticed it before. When you tell him he'd done a good job, or spend time with him, kiss his cheek, hug him, it would make him really happy, not just content or satisfied. You gave him more than that. He felt full with you. But was that all there was to it?

Beel ran a hand over his face. Did he love you the same way you loved him? He didn't want to disappoint you if he was wrong about this, especially not after tonight. You looked pretty worn out by the time you'd all gotten home. Were you okay? His first instinct was to check, but his next thought was to let you rest. He'd waited too long. You were probably already asleep. 

"Go to sleep." Belphegor groans with eyes closed, tone more gentle than annoyed.

"Am I keeping you up? …I'm sorry." Beel shifts to look at his younger twin with an apologetic glint in his violet eyes. He clutches his forearm and moves to lay down.

Belphie didn't need to see him to tell he was making a puppy face. He sighed softly and shifted, so he was sitting up, beckoning Beel over. "C'mere already. You wanna talk about it?"

The redhead tilts his head. "Talk about what?" 

"You're thinking about them. What's the matter, Beel?" 

"Oh…that." He stands up and shuffles over to Belphegor's bed before joining him in it. Beel takes a profound sigh as Belphegor wraps his arms around him, letting Beel rest his head on his chest. The redhead is quiet while the other demon pets his hair. It's comforting, being held. A few minutes of silence go by, with Beel just feeling Belphie's chest rise and fall.

"Well?" 

"Well what?"

Belphie doesn't reply. Beel thinks about what he wants to say for a moment before opening his mouth again.

"How long did you know?"

"Not much longer than you. I found out today."

"I meant loving them. How long did you know?"

Belphegor pauses. Was there a particular moment for him? He didn't want to sift through his past thoughts right now, the hour was late, and sleep was at his doorstep…but he'd give Beel a proper answer. 

"It was some time after they freed me, I think. When they were helping me reconnect with you guys…." He smiles a little to himself. "I clung to them even when I could tell they didn't like me, but they made helping me their problem anyway. I still think that was a pretty stupid idea, but the kind of stupid that gets things to change, you know? I didn’t hate them, but getting to spend that time with them after the fact made me realize what the big fuss was." His tone was uncharacteristically dreamy, only a whisper in the night. “They really are something else…. “

"They aren't stupid. You’re just not used to people being kind." Beel's voice was a smidge defensive, and lips bent in a subtle frown.

"Hey, I never said they were stupid…but I guess you're right…they're just that nosy and kind. I still don't get it." 

Beel was quiet again, clearly mulling something over. His breathing was tense, eyes bleary with sleep, but the demon was much too awake. Belphegor allowed the silence to sit before pressing Beelzebub again.

"You're not actually asking about when, though. What are you really worried about?"

"…who says I’m worried about something else?”

“You did. Just now. Come on, Beel, it’s not like you to be so evasive.” Belphie rubs his brother’s back while the redhead looks down at Belphie’s chest. His lips press into a line as his brows pinch in something of a worried expression. 

“Okay. I think I love them too.”

“You think ?” Belphegor’s eyes widen slightly, but Beelzebub isn’t looking at him. “Is that what’s bothering you? That you don’t know?”

Beel shakes his head affirmatively. “I don’t have anything to compare the feeling to. And I don’t want to be wrong…." 

Belphegor takes a breath, really savors it, and sighs softly. "I'm listening." 

"To what?" 

"Tell me how you feel. Maybe saying it out loud will help?" He covers his mouth to yawn, tears beading up in his eyes.

"Okay." Beel allows the words to sit at the tip of his tongue. They roll around like tart cherries before he finally bites into them. The juice bursts out, drip, drop… and he doesn’t say a word. Belphegor hangs on a moment.

“Oookay. You not ready to talk about it?”

“I really don’t know what to say.” 

“That’s alright. We can just go to sleep.”

“Mm.“ Beel replies. A beat passes. “Thanks, Belphie.”

His brother’s light snoring told him he should probably get some rest, too.

。

。

。

Wow, Leviathan’s head hurt an atrocious amount compared to how much he’d had to drink yesterday. The purplish blue-haired demon sat up in his bathtub and stretched, cracking his back in the same three places he always did before emerging from his comfy hiding place. Vacation meant no alarms needed to be set, meant he had slept well past noon and through breakfast, not that he minded getting the well-needed rest. His ears had already recovered from the loud music of the previous night, but the dryness of his skin and apparent dehydration in his eyes certainly did not. He needed a soak before he started to look scaly. 

While prepping his bath, his D.D.D. buzzes for the first time since he’d woken up today. It was a message from you that simply said:

[Leviathan]

We need to talk. >

Let me know when you get this. >

—————————————————

Oh no. Had he done something wrong? Were you mad at him? You probably were. He was just a worthless otaku, after all. You probably thought he was only good for messing things up and being gross. That's why you didn't tell him how you felt before the situation had forced your hand. You were probably just being nice by including him. He was very tempted to crawl back into his tub and pretend to be asleep, but that would probably inconvenience you more, and that wasn't good. Reluctantly, Leviathan texts you back, 

[Leviathan]

Leviathan: Okay!

Leviathan: Come by whenever

Leviathan: Is everything okay?

[…]

Leviathan: Hello??

I'll be by soon. >

———————END———————

Scary…was it about yeste—

Knock knock.

“EEK!” He squeaks in panic. His posture overcorrects itself, his shoulders scrunched up in surprise. That was NOT soon! That was right then! Why wouldn’t you have just said you were outside his door??? Were you fucking with him on purpose? 

The truth was, poor Levi had been so nervous about your ‘ominous’ text that he experienced time much faster than it was. What had been a millisecond for him was, in truth, a few seconds of you pacing down the hall until you’d arrived at his door promptly and knocked at a reasonable volume.

“T-The door’s open!”

You push it gently, a look of surprise crossing your face. “That’s a first.”

“I um, I was so tired yesterday that I forgot to lock it, lmao.” Levi tries to act natural, resting both hands behind him and on the rim of his tub. 

The pose made him lean away from you, not that you needed body language to know that Leviathan was more than a little nervous.

“S-SO! You said you wanted to-to-to talk?” He notices your eyes on his hands and quickly shifts so that he folds his arms instead.

“Is everything okay? I didn’t interrupt anything, did I?”

“No! Not at all! I just woke up, and I was about to take a bath too.” He shakes his head profusely.

“I can tell. Your hair is still sticking up all over the place.” You chuckle a little into your hand. Leviathan raises both hands to his head to feel around, and his eyes get big. 

“Aaaa don’t look at me—!” Leviathan covers his face and doesn’t notice you cross the room until he feels a hand on his head, smoothing out his hair. He flinches at the contact initially but another second saw his shoulders relaxing. 

“There. Better? You haven’t been this tense around me for a long time.”

He exposes his face. “Don’t send such an ominous text! I was worried you were mad at me.” When he opens his eyes to greet you, he’s immediately flustered by how close you are, but upon observing your apologetic expression, his stomach sinks. “Oh.”

You take a step back and stare at his feet. He feels heat build up on his back the longer you take to speak. By ten seconds, he’s already chewing the inside of his lip. There's a harsh grip in his chest, a coil tightening in his gut.

“I mean, I was mad. Only for a little while.” You finally admit.

“Really!? I knew it. Damn it— “

“Let me finish!” You wave your hands for his attention frantically. He notes the lack of compulsion over him.

“I’m sorry!”

“You don’t even know what you’re apologizing for, Levi.”

“Oh— um. What are you— were you mad about?”

“Take a guess.” Your expression flattens, brows lowered with a spike of annoyance clear on the tip of your tongue.

“Eek! D-don’t look at me like that! It makes me nervous!” 

You purse your lips.

“Okay, fine!” He studies your expression cautiously, combing over every detail for any hints he might find like a detective examining a crime scene. The answer was obvious once he’d calmed down. “…You’re mad about yesterday.”

“There you go.” You sigh before looking back at him. “You went too far, Levi.”

“But Mammon was the one who— “

“Don’t even start!” You hiss. Leviathan flinches and physically shrinks away. Your expression softens, but he isn’t looking at you. “…I’m sorry for raising my voice. But Mammon isn’t the one who picked a fight.”

“It’s okay. I know I’m your least favorite. You probably don’t even like me.” His deeply indigo eyes are glued to the floor. 

“That’s not what this is about. Hey. Look at me.” You take a step closer without breaching his personal space. 

“…” He sighs through his nose. “You didn’t say I was wrong.”

“I don’t have a least favorite.”

“Don’t lie to me. Please.” His voice is about to break. 

“Look at me.” You softly insist. He relents, lips pursed in a pout and eyes watery. You see scales crawling up his neck, but you’re unsure if he’s noticed yet. “I’m not lying, Levi.”

He sniffles. “Okay. Then what do you thin-think of me?” 

“You already know what I think of you. You just can’t accept it.”

“That’s not—“ He begins, but a raised eyebrow from you makes him reexamine his thinking. “That can’t be right!”

“I love you, Levi.”

His face turns red, but he says nothing.

“If I really hated you, why would I even bother talking to you about this?”

“That’s not a good defense. I’ve seen Satan say all kinds of stuff to Lucifer, and Satan swears he hates him.” Leviathan scoffs assuredly but is unable to look at you. It was too — too intimate! He wanted to take a step back, but he was right up against his tub. You get the message and give him some more room before continuing.

“Well— that’s not really— “ You couldn’t bring yourself to say the words ‘I don’t think Satan hates Lucifer as much as he claims to.’ It was almost like something was keeping you quiet on the matter. Seeing as you can’t pursue this line of thought, you decide to switch gears. “Hate is the wrong word. If I didn’t care about you, I wouldn’t be here.”

“Okay, fine. That makes sense. But why would you love a miserable whelp like me? Best friends, I understand, but…I don’t get what you see in me. You even came here because you were upset about me defending you yesterday.” Leviathan shakes his head and pushes his hair out of his face. The color of his eyes began to look murky, his nimble fingers twisting the end of his bangs idly. The tension in his posture caught your attention next— he almost seemed confrontational now. If you could have told him under better circumstances, would he have shared his insecurity with you like he was doing now? Your mind moves from the subject quickly since you couldn’t answer the question in any meaningful way: you would never know.

“First of all, I don’t need you to ‘defend’ me in that scenario. If I need help, I’ll ask. Mammon and I will…sort ourselves out.” You see his eyebrows flinch at what seemed like adding insult to injury in his mind, but he decides to hear you out before saying anything. ”But more importantly, why do you say that like it doesn’t make sense for me to be upset and love you at the same time?” Your delivery is gentle, maybe even a little confused.

His cheeks turn red, eyes burning holes into the floor.

“I’m upset because I love you. I don’t like that you put yourself down. I don’t like that you can’t see how great you are. Saying you’re gross and surprised that I’d want to spend time with you…I know you believe it when you say it. But I don’t. I never have.” 

“ Don’t forget what I am .” He cautions. You smile a little, but its presence is bittersweet, and its stay is short.

“You and I both know that you’re more than that. More than just your sin.” You take his hand, and he leans forward to rest his head on yours. You accept, raising your other hand to let your fingers graze the scales that were showing on his cheeks. “You need to start believing that. When you do, let me know, okay?”

“W-wait, what do you mean?” He breaks out of his previously relaxed state and meets your gaze, eyes attentive and bright orange.

“…I don’t think you’re ready for a relationship. Not right now.” 

“Wait, wait no— how can I prove that I’m ready? What do you want me to do? Please tell me, please .” As he pleads with you, there’s a panic in his tone that makes you pull away. He initially leans after you, but you raise a hand in protest.

“I can’t be your player 2 for this, but remember that I do love you. You’re more than good enough for me. This isn’t a punishment.”

He opens his mouth to say something else, but the words don’t come. His head hangs in defeat, but you plant a kiss on top. “If you say so.”

“I know so. Trust me on this.” You wipe a stray tear of his with the back of your knuckle and take another step back. “I’ll be around, okay? I’m leaving now.”

“Okay. Make sure to lock the door on your way out.” He sniffles. 

“Should I be leaving you alone right now, Levi?”

“You can leave. I’ll be fine.” He asserts firmly.

“But are you fine right n— “ 

“Obviously not! Besides, shouldn’t you be checking on Mammon ?” He says immediately, eyes squeezed shut, horns out, and tail pushing his tub back a good foot. There’s a horrid screech from the tub, the sound of porcelain scraping against the sea-colored tiles. You stumble back in surprise, eyes wide but otherwise unharmed. At the sight of your trembling frame, Leviathan’s face pales. His blood turns even colder — he’d frightened you. You might try to deny it, but he’d scared you. The look of shock on your face melted to hurt; the familiar sense of shame burned at the back of his throat. In a quiet, pleading whisper, he asks you to leave again. “Go. I’m sorry. Go.” 

You’re sure to lock the door on your way out. You hear a frustrated cry as well as another thud, but you don’t stick around to speculate what’s happened.

---

On the other side of the House, one (1) Asmodeus was strewn across the couch, painting his nails. There was a Devildom soap opera on, one of his favorites. It was one he’d seen with Satan previously, but since this was a rerun, he had no qualms about watching it alone. Ordinarily, he’d be clutching something on the edge of his seat, be it his pearls or a pillow, but this was one of the less dramatic episodes. Nevertheless, he was enthralled by how effectively drama was established! Speaking of Satan, though… How could he!? Keeping such a vital thing to himself, Asmo thought the two of them were closer than that! How exactly did you go about enlightening each of them? Who would you have told last? Did you care about the order? There was no doubt you singled out Mammon first… Back to his regularly scheduled programming, Asmodeus feels his mind wander back to you, his adorable and precious human. He was very intoxicated at the time, but he does remember your confession so long ago… would you have done it again? Or did you trust him just to know? 

He was a master of body language, but that didn’t mean he didn’t like verbal affirmations as well. He wanted to hear you say that you loved him again.

…how were you doing? Yesterday was a shitshow if he’d ever seen one, but you managed to pull through like you always do. At breakfast that morning, you seemed energetic enough, but he distinctly remembers that the odd quiet around the table originated from you. Poor Beelzebub even tried to reanimate the atmosphere, but he was never the best at reanimation— unfortunately for him. Asmo would allow himself to swoon over the memory of your pensive, lucid, and focused gaze…but that could wait! After examining his nail beds a final time (quality assessments are VERY important for rolling out a product! Always quadruple check your work!), he rose from the couch and quickly packed up his nail kit. 

[Asmodeus]

Asmodeus: Hi hon! 

Asmodeus: I was just thinking about you. ♥

Asmodeus: Are you feeling okay? You seemed super off at breakfast. :(

I don’t wanna talk about it. >

Sorry. >

Asmodeus: There’s no need to be sorry! I understand. 

Asmodeus: I hope you feel better though.

Asmodeus: Let me know if I can help at all.

[…]

Thanks, Asmo. I appreciate it. >

—————————————————

Oh, that wouldn’t do at all. Unacceptable. He couldn’t sit idly knowing that you weren’t okay! Ughh, but he also didn’t know what could have happened. He should do something nice for you, maybe that would help? But what to do? Should he text you back or let the matter rest before checking in later? 

“Asmo.” 

He worries one of the rings on his fingers, staring out blankly into space.

“Asmodeus.” The baritone voice commands his attention suddenly, making the pale-haired demon snap to focus.

“Lucifer! How are you today?” He rests his head on his hand and looks up at his older brother. Normally, seeing the demon would lift his spirits somewhat, but the smile faltered after a few seconds.

“I have no complaints. I had a good night’s rest…and yourself?” Lucifer clears his throat, eyes narrowing somewhat. 

“And what’s that look for?” Asmodeus titters, crossing his legs and sitting with his back against the couch. 

“Is there something I should know about? You seem concerned."

Dilemma. Choice time! Did he: A) Tell Lucifer that you were in low spirits or B) Keep it to himself, because either of those could bring about a far better or worse situation. His main concern was Lucifer would catch on if he tried to lie and say nothing was wrong; Lucifer was as cunning as he was beautiful, unfortunately for Asmodeus. He needed to think quickly; would Lucifer be able to attend to you if he knew something was wrong? No, wait, you want to be left alone. Should he just say that??

“Are you not going to respond when I speak to you?” There was a whip of annoyance in Lucifer’s tone that made any kind of false confidence Asmodeus was projecting to avoid suspicion fall entirely to the wayside.

“I’m worried about our human.” He says suddenly. He’s ready to explain further when he hears a little ding from his D.D.D. 

[Asmodeus]

Hey, um >

Do you want to hang out? >

I could use the company. >

—————————————————

“Was that them just now?” Lucifer raises his eyebrows, “Are they alright? What happened?” The corners of his mouth turn downward in a display of concern. Like Asmo and the others to some extent, he, too, noticed your odd aura at breakfast. It wasn’t enough to worry him then, but had he been wrong to let that go? Or had something worse occurred more recently?

“They didn’t want to talk about it.” Asmo typed a response to you while talking to Lucifer.

[Asmodeus]

Asmodeus: Of course! 

Asmodeus: I’m not in my room, but if I don’t get back before you get there, make yourself comfortable, dear.

Thanks, I will. >

———————END———————

The younger demon rose from his seat, nail kit in hand, “I’ve got to go.” 

“Hold on just a minute.” Lucifer insists, but Asmo isn’t going to keep you waiting.

“Sorry~ I have somewhere to be.” He waves his fingers individually and starts to walk off. “I shouldn’t have said anything to begin with, really. You understand, don’t you?” He keeps his eyes on Lucifer as he makes his way closer to the hall. He’s unafraid naturally, knowing his brother did, in fact, understand where he was coming from.

“That doesn’t mean I’m fond of it, Asmodeus.” The raven-haired demon folds his arms, a dissatisfied grumble underscoring his exhale. He casts his pride aside for a moment; his dark eyes caught Asmo’s just before he’d stopped looking at Lucifer. “Do let me know how they’re doing when you’re done.”

“Mm. Okay. ♥” Asmo nods, “Just for you.”

“Oh, don’t misunderstand. That wasn’t a request.” Lucifer seems amused at the insinuation and scoffs accordingly.

“Sure it wasn’t.” The Avatar of Lust winks knowingly. 

“Oh, while I have your attention, have you heard from Levi at all today?”

“Levi? Now that you mention it, I haven’t seen him around at all. Maybe check his room?”

Lucifer hums, and pauses a moment. Asmo waits patiently before Lucifer perks up again, “That will be all. Hurry along, now,” and Asmo finally takes his leave. Oh, Lucifer was positively radiant when he was in love, wasn’t he~? ♥ The way he allowed himself to express his concern for you was refreshing. Asmodeus almost couldn’t take it~! Something about the way he was asking for Levi though…hopefully everything was alright.

That warm feeling in his chest, he hoped, would make it easier to comfort you, assuming that’s why you were coming to him. He knew better than to think you just wanted to admire him in the hopes of restoring your mental health with his beauty alone. You could cuddle, but if you needed someone to cuddle you, surely the twins would have been the better choice? Getting swaddled by Beel’s strong arms and snuggling up to the positively adorable Belphie just sounded lovely… 

But when he opened the door to his room and found you just sitting on his bed holding yourself, he was sorely mistaken. No, nothing could ever prepare him for seeing you distressed. You flinch, and your eyes immediately take notice of the new presence in the room, almost like a frightened child deciding whether to run or hide. Recognizing Asmodeus, you quickly wipe the tears from your cheeks and try to pass the moment off as though nothing had happened. You even try to smile, but the worry never leaves Asmo’s face. 

“Do you still not want to talk about it, hon?” He goes ahead and sits next to you, motioning for you to lay your head on his shoulder or his lap so you don’t feel the need to look him in the eye if you didn’t want to.

You sniffle again, but the tears are still beading up. “No, not really. I’m sorry.” You do decide to lay your head on his lap. He takes the opportunity to rub little circles into your scalp, uncaring of his freshly done nails, and you hum with approval.

“Shhh. What did I say earlier?” His voice is but a windchime tinkling and telling you to relax, attempting to soothe your worries. A few more tears roll down your cheeks and stain his pants, causing him to look down so he sees you. “What do you have to be sorry for..?” 

“I’m sure you don’t want to deal with this.” 

“Of course not! That would mean you’re distressed, and I’m not exactly a fan of you being in pain.” There’s a twinge of sadness in the smile he gives you. You see it out of the corner of your eye before shifting around in his lap, so you look up at him. “I will never have a problem looking after you when you ask me to.”

Your lips purse together as you look down with just your eyes; your lashes are heavy with the tears that didn’t quite make it through, with you both able to feel the upper and lower lids try to stick together when you blink, and feeling where they touched your face when they were open. Taking note of this, Asmodeus carefully wipes any stray tears with the back of his knuckle before allowing himself to cup your cheek. Upon feeling the hand on your face, your eyes look back up to him. A sweet sunset hue greets you, and the longer you stare, the pinker the sunset becomes. 

“Do you feel better at all? Do you want some water?” He offers, and it only takes you a moment to nod and sit up so you’re both free to move.

“Mhm, I can get it myself—“

“Oh no you don’t.” Asmo pouts. “I’ll get it. You lay down, and I’ll be right back, okay?”

“But— “

“Do you really want someone else to see you like this? Your face is puffy, and your eyes are shot, hon. I don’t think you want to be forced to explain yourself for the second time this week.” He seems to grimace at his own words, almost as if regretting ever bringing it up in the first place. You look him over gingerly, combing over every detail as he shifts beneath your scrutiny once he catches your eyes. “Aha, If you keep looking at me like that, I might take it a certain way…~ ♥” He starts to blush, almost ready to squirm, but you shake your head with a semi-exasperated groan.

“You know what I’m thinking.” Your delivery is flat and unamused, causing him to sigh forlornly.

“... I was hoping you would forget to mention it. You seemed more concerned with whatever happened today…. “

“How could I forget? You were the ‘lead interrogator,’ weren’t you?” You frown slightly. Ughh, fuck… You should have let him get the water first before continuing this conversation; your head was starting to hurt from all the crying you’d done today. Your eyelids feel like they’re running across sandpaper.

“Okay, I’ll admit. I pounced on Mammon a little unfairly. But he was being shifty!”

“Be honest, did you have any idea what this was about before you started pressing him?”

The demon shuts up very quickly. 

“ Asmo. ” Your brows furrow. You knew what the response would be when you asked, but you needed to speak the question into the world.

“…Once I realized Lucifer was in the know, it was pretty obvious.”

“So you pushed anyway?” You frown very openly now.

“I just wanted to help. I thought it would be easier for you to rip off the band-aid. Besides, I don’t think any of us were really surprised.” Asmo has the audacity to shrug.

You cover your face with your hands, your ears hot now. “You know that’s not the point. If I wanted to do the easy thing, I would have just sent it to the House group chat and locked myself in my room for a week out of sheer embarrassment!” 

He sees your slight glare through the spaces between your fingers, and it’s like a little tack is lodged in his heart. Eventually, your hands drop, and he’s forced to take in your features all at once, but then one at a time. Angry, puffy eyes. A deeply furrowed brow. A pout that’s intended to be a frown. Your back was tense, and your knees pulled up to your chest in a guarded stance. Your hair was messy from fiddling with it anxiously. That was to say, you’re disheveled and look completely unflattering, and he was partly to blame. He was almost disturbed by how it twisted him up inside, but it made sense given his position, how he felt about you. His chest is tight. He worries his lip between his teeth, resting his eyes on his mattress before meeting your harsh gaze. 

“I’m sorry. I should have thought about how you would feel.” Tears are precariously close to falling down his well-maintained cheeks. Both of you are surprised, Asmo’s eyes immediately getting bigger, and your displeased face dropped to one of earnest shock. It doesn’t last long, though. Soon enough, precarious becomes apparent, and before you know it, you find yourself opening your arms to the crying Asmodeus as your legs relax and rest flat. Sure, you were rightfully upset. But you hadn’t wanted to make him cry, either. He's about to lean in before he remembers, "I should get you some water first,” and he pulls away.

Oh— thanks." Your hands sit in your lap, thumbs twiddling awkwardly. Asmo dries his tears and scampers off to get the water, leaving you to simmer with your thoughts. Your head was pounding, and your heart hadn’t recovered the unease you’d gained after being cast out by Leviathan. 

‘Besides, shouldn’t you be checking on Mammon ?’ 

His jealous rage echoes through your head cacophonously. There was so much spite in his tone. He may have apologized for it as soon as he’d let it slip, but you knew better. That was how he really felt. Your heart pangs further as you ruminate over what the roots of the problem could be, and you get the sense that the problem didn’t start with you. Unfortunately, you’d probably only added fuel to the fire. Asmo is gone for what feels like an eternity, leaving a cold feeling in your breast that causes you to pull your knees back in for support. Asmo’s mountain of pillows hadn’t yet been warmed up by your body heat, leaving you shivering, and not completely focusing on your surroundings. Your eyes are unfocused, thoughts going in no particular direction but also moving with incredible purpose. You wanted to patch things up with Levi. He was hurt, and you wanted to make it right, you want to make it right, you couldn’t sit right if the two of you weren’t alright…

By the time the demon does return, glasses of water in either hand, his face pales. You’re sitting there in front of him, but it was immediately clear you weren’t fully present. If he thought he was bothered before, he swore the room’s temperature had dropped enough to give even a demon hypothermia. He calls out your name, and when you don’t respond right away, he rushes to your side.

It’s only when you feel a weight displace you in bed that you flinch again. Thankfully, it’s just Asmodeus come to tend to you with a renewed look of worry. 

“I’m sorry.” You accept the glass of water meekly, and Asmo sighs.

“What do you think you need to apologize for?”

“I didn’t mean to make you cry. I was too impatient with you.” You have a hearty gulp of the water to help your parched throat.

“No, you were right to be.” He looks into his own cup of water, but the shaking of your head made him raise his eyes again.

“You don’t understand — I was only snippy with you because of what happened before I texted you. It happened because of last night, but him figuring out wasn’t your fault anyway, so I was just displacing my stress on to you, which isn’t fair. I’m sorry for that.”

“Wait wait wait. Back up.” Asmo motions with his hand for you to slow your roll while he takes a drink of his water. “Of course I’m not mad at you for getting upset, you’re allowed to be snippy when you’re stressed, love. But what happened before you came here to get you so shaken up? I can’t overlook the fact that when I walked in here just now, you looked like your soul was in the process of moving out.” Asmo was pushing for you to tell him now. His brow was furrowed now, tone still gentle but clearly with a sense of urgency. 

“…I accidentally stoked Levi’s jealous rage while trying to reassure him that I do, in fact, love him and he unleashed his demon form—“

“I swear if he hurt you—! “ Asmo’s eyes are immediately enraged, causing you to fling your hands up.

“No! No, no no! This is why I didn’t want to say anything right away!” You exclaim, eyes wide and pleading. Once you know that Asmo is listening, you continue. “He didn’t hurt me. He just… scared me. It was only for a second. I knew I wasn’t in danger, but that wasn’t the problem.”

“Then what was?”

Your head hangs naturally with your deflated posture, anxious hand gripping the back of your neck. “He’s hurting really bad. I know it’s not my problem to solve. That’s what I had to tell him, and he spits it back in my face as me just wanting to run back to Mammon. It…hurt. A lot. And I know he meant it.”

“…” Asmo takes a breath, then another drink of his water, before putting his arm around you. When he feels you rest your head on his shoulder, he squeezes your side before letting his arm rest naturally. “You made the right call, you know.”

“Ughh. I know. I just wish the right call could be the easy one for once.”

“You think helping unburden a demon several millennia-old from his internalized conflict is the easy call?” He pauses to consider his words. “Oh wait. You would think that.” He snickers.

“Hey! That’s not even remotely what I was implying!” You lightly swat Asmo’s side with an angry pout, but his snicker only devolves into giggles in response and he holds you closer to him until you just melt into his arms. The two of you are quiet for a moment, just taking a moment to be there with each other. Your glasses of water are set atop his bedside table the same way your head is set atop his chest. His heartbeat is steady, but it starts to quicken. He swallows before speaking.

“…Can I tell you a secret?” 

“Of course.” Your eyes look over to his pensive expression.

“You’re the most beautiful person I know, inside and out.”

You wait for him to add his usual, ‘besides me, of course,’ but it never arrives. His heart starts to beat faster.

“Asmo..?” You shift so you’re resting on top of him, arms folded across his chest and legs intertwined.

“You also take on way too much. Like Lucifer does it because he has to, but you’re so much of a gem that you do it because you feel like it should be done.” He seems a lot more relieved after getting that off his chest. He looks up at you and eventually smiles. “I could get used to this view.” He coos, and you scrunch your nose with a scoff.

“Don’t get your hopes up, I am nooot ready to start that journey today.”

“What about the one you’re already familiar with?” His expression brightens up even more.

“Hmm, whatever could you mean?” You giggle. Asmo is unamused up until you seize him by the collar and give him a kiss square on the lips. “Did you mean like that?”

“Oh, you tease!” His face flushes. “That isn’t what I meant either.” He mumbles, lips slightly pouting now.

“Huh?” You’re genuinely surprised by that, and it didn’t seem like he was being facetious about it either. The more time passes, the more you start to frown; with the way he’s pouting about it, it really feels like you ought to know what he wants. A journey you’re already familiar with..? 

He eventually does look back at you. There’s a gentle yearning in his eyes as he looks up at you, and suddenly you think you understand.

“I love you, Asmodeus.” You blush a fair amount, still shy about saying it in this particular context, and unsure if that’s what he was asking of you.

His eyes glitter a gentle pink, wide and wistful. “You have no idea how happy it makes me to hear you say that again.”

“Ohh.” You hum, “Did you think I stopped loving you after the first time I said it? Or the second time?”

“Well, no, but — I’m a demon of simple needs, and—“

“Shhh.” You put a finger to his mouth with a devilish chuckle of your own. “I’m just teasing you, Asmo. I’ll gladly say it again.”

He huffs. “I take it back, you’re the worst. Playing with my heart like this—!” He swoons dramatically, as per usual, and the two of you burst into another fit of laughter. 

---

Knock knock.

Leviathan doesn’t startle at the noise, only looking over at his door in annoyance. “I’m not accepting company for the next 800 years.” He hisses.

“Now, is that any way to speak to your older brother?” The baritone voice coos, instantly making Levi’s face contort with regret. He was really on a roll today. 

Chapter Text

Knock knock.

Leviathan doesn’t startle at the noise, only looking over at his door in annoyance. “I’m not accepting company for the next 800 years.” He hisses.

“ Now, is that any way to speak to your older brother? ” The baritone voice coos, instantly making Levi’s face contort with regret. He was really on a roll today. 

“I-I’ll be right there!” He flops out of his tub for the second time that day and scrambles to his feet. He hadn’t had time to take his bath yet, but after you left, well, after he kicked you out, he’d lost all desire to do much of anything, retreating instead to the tub he called his resting place instead. 

When the door finally opened, Lucifer took pause, carefully reaching out to his dejected younger brother and plucking a scale that was threatening to fall off his face, much like one would with a spare eyelash. Lucifer’s eyes narrowed the longer he looked Leviathan over. Unkempt hair, a pained expression, he was picking at the scales on his arm and inexplicably unable to look Lucifer in the eye. Lucifer had gone in with questions in mind but decided instead to wait patiently and see what Leviathan would do.

Levi only grew more anxious after being met with silence under this scrutinizing gaze. Was Lucifer mad at him too? Or worse, did he already know what happened? Oh, Diavolo, he probably did, he was in for the worst day, wasn’t he? Any time he tried looking at Lucifer’s expression to figure out what he could want, he panicked a little more. He didn’t want to know. He wanted to shut the door in his face and go back to his happy place, except it wasn’t happy anymore, no, he’d ruined the tranquility himself with the stunt he pulled, what was he thinking snapping at you like that? That was it, he wasn’t thinking, if you didn’t hate him before, you certainly would now, and he couldn’t even blame you, this was what he was trying to warn you about, he was no good, he was a wreck of a demon, a worthless otaku and most of all —

“Stop it, Levi, you’re bleeding .” Lucifer smacked the hand that had been picking at the scales, having observed the phenomenon while he waited for Leviathan to say something. 

Levi flinched and immediately examined his nails, then glanced at his arm. A moderately sized wound had opened where the scales had been, his nails now stained. The demon’s eyebrows narrowed in perplexion at the sight, as if it wasn’t him that had inflicted the damage. Then, he looked back up to Lucifer with the same perplexed gaze. 

“Are you going to say anything or just stand there and make me nervous?”

“The only thing that should make you nervous is that tone.” The corner of Lucifer’s eyebrow twitches. “Why do you think I’m here?”

“If you wanted to make sure I’d eaten, you would have just texted me, sooo… Why are you here?” Levi chuckles uncomfortably.

“I felt an energy spike, your energy spike. Care to explain yourself?” Lucifer crosses his arms.

“I’d rather not.” 

“Oh, you misunderstand. That wasn’t a suggestion. ” 

Leviathan went quiet for a moment, weighing his options. If he fessed up, Lucifer would punish him. Badly. Right? If he kept quiet, he’d get punished, then Lucifer would inevitably find out, and he’d get punished again. "…Okay, fine! I got…upset. Really upset. I got rejected…"

"What. Did. You. Do?" Suddenly the air was thick with suffocating energy, almost enough to make Leviathan's eyes water.

"I didn't hurt them! Do you really think I'd do such a thing?!" 

"I never suggested that you did. Answer my question while I still have the patience to entertain you." 

"I…yelled at them for trying to comfort me. My demon form came out for just a second, but a second too long, yes I know already—"

“Leviathan quit picking at your arm!" Lucifer snaps for his attention.

Levi flinches again. He's almost afraid to look, but the familiar warmth trickling down his arm was enough of an indication that his nervous tick had gone too far. The sea snake shrinks into himself as if held up in his own personal cave, anxiously peering out at his brother for guidance. Lucifer's hardened gaze is long gone by this point, his eyes— now a rubied hue— trailing along Leviathan's quivering frame with well-guarded concern. He sighs through his nose.

"Let's get you cleaned up, shall we? It seems you're long overdue for some water." 

"What? You're not m—"

" I said , come along. Make haste, you're getting blood on the carpet." Lucifer all but drags him by the collar of his jacket, not unlike a mother scruffing her young to bring them out of harm's way.

Despite Lucifer's brusqueness, Leviathan is grateful.

----

As their names appear on the board outside, Leviathan sinks into the heat of the large bath. His arm remains above the surface, with Lucifer keeping a watchful eye over it, casually cleaning it with soapy water. Every brush of the cloth causes Levi to flinch, only for Lucifer to finally click his tongue.

"Hold still." 

"Could you be gentler?" Levi winces again, "Ow, you're doing that on purpose now!"

"I can always leave if you'd prefer to sort this out yourself." 

"…"

"Thought so. Now hold still . That'll teach you not to pick at your scales." 

"I can't help it."

"You can, but haven't learned how to yet."

"…We're still talking about my scales right?"

"That depends." Lucifer pauses to focus on wrapping up the cut securely. 

"On what??"

"What do you think, Levi? There are only two of us here."

"I think I prefer when you're angrily direct." 

Lucifer tightens the bandage too much, "What, like that?"

"OWOWOW I'M SORRY—" Lucifer stops and Leviathan slumps into the water slightly. "Alright, I get it! You're mad about what happened. I'm already over it. Just punish me." 

Lucifer scoffs, allowing Leviathan to sit with what he'd just said. 

"What? I mean it. I wouldn't want to date…a normie like them , anyway." 

"Clearly." 

"Don't look at me like that!" 

"Since when did you give me orders, Levi? You really are taking this rejection in stride, if this wound of yours is any indication."

"…I think this is actually worse than punishment. The steam is making me dizzy and I have to sit through whatever this is." 

"I'm not keeping you here. If you have nothing to prove, you're free to exit the bath."

"I have nothing to prove!" Levi hisses.

"Then why were you an utter wreck just a moment ago?"

"I—" He stammers, "I'm always a wreck! What did you expect me to say? I'm always nervous, I get in the way, and all I can do is screw things up! Do you need to rub it in more, Lucifer?! Why are you even here?!" Leviathan's tail splashes the water behind him, and a few stray droplets land on Lucifer's cheek. 

The older demon's eyes narrow. He raises a bare finger to his face, wiping it with the back of his knuckle. Leviathan bites his tongue, already sensing that his hurt got the better of him for the second time that day. He opens his mouth to apologize, but Lucifer interrupts his efforts. "Do you honestly believe I came to torment you? I doubt I could inflict anything so harsh as your own self-esteem." 

Lucifer stands from where he'd sat down to tend to Leviathan, gathering the spare belongings he'd brought along. Levi watches as if he's helpless to stop him.

"Wait for me!" 

"Why should I? I thought you didn't even know why I was here."

"I'm sorry."

"I know you are."

"I just…" 

"Put your clothes on before you get started. You've been here too long."

"Right! Sorry."

----

"You didn't have to give me a massage yourself, you know. I can tell you did your nails recently." You sigh sweetly, sprawled out on Asmo's bed beside him.

"Oh~! You're so attentive~! It was my pleasure, hon, you know I'm good for it." Asmo coos excitedly.

"Well, still, thank you, Asmo. I needed this." You sigh softly. You're certainly more at ease, but something is nipping at your consciousness hungrily. Hungry… "Oh my god Beel." You sit up with a sudden urgency.

"What about Beel??" Asmo perks up at the sudden shift in tone.

"Ahhhhh I need to talk to Beel! I still haven't filled him in!"

"Well, if it's any consolation, I think he already knows," Asmo whispers like he's letting you in on a secret.

You snort. "Okay, ruuude, but not the point! I hope he doesn't think I'm avoiding him or anything."

"He wouldn't assume you were unless someone gave him that idea." 

"Okay. I'll text him then—" 

Asmo gently grabs your shoulder. "Waaaait a sec there. Love, you JUST got relaxed again. Hold on a minute."

"But but— It's Beel! I'll be fine. He's probably worried about me." 

"That would make, I dunno, all of us?" 

"What do you mean?" 

"Okay, you're a smart cookie, you can figure this one out. What do you think happens when a bunch of stupid, silly demons gets a human to crack under pressure?"

"Oh. Really? This might sound mean but I really couldn't tell that you all might have been worried. Everyone was so awkward— oh. I see it now."

"The only reason I  took so long to come around was that I thought I'd done enough already."

"Huh. Do you think Beel's avoiding me ?"

"That, I couldn't believe. If you really want to see him, just try making yourself a sandwich."

"Why wouldn't I just text him at that point?"

"Then you'd have to wait for his response." Asmo wags his finger knowingly.

" Asmodeus , I'm not fragile right now, I think I can wait for a little text."

"Full name?" He gasps, " Did I say something wrong?"

You cover your eyes with one hand and sigh. "No, I'm sorry. You have a point, I think I'm still a little wound up. I could use a snack anyway." 

"Does that still entail talking to Beel? Because my bed is always open if you'd rather spend the rest of your day with this snack." He purrs.

"Cute. Not today though." You kiss his nose.

"Aww boo, I only meant we could cuddle more, you seem to love that~" Asmo kisses your cheek.

"And while I do, I would just worry about everything else the whole time. I want to be with you when I'm with you." 

Your fingers find his almost shyly, intertwining as you look him in the eyes. Oh, you're serious, he realizes. It makes him blush. 

"I'm going to be honest again—" Asmo studies your gaze. "I'm not used to anyone being serious in…this way. About me." 

You take his hand to your lips and plant a kiss on it.

"And that's part of what I love about you." He admits. 

"I love that you're willing to take a chance with me. I really appreciate it, Asmo." You rub the back of his hand with your thumb. 

Asmo revels in your affection for a moment before coming to his senses. "Okay, you can go now! Don't let me keep you." 

"You don't have to say it like you're hiding me from your parents—" 

"Ooo, like in those human teen dramas? Scandalous. But still, go." Asmo plants a quick kiss on your lips.

"Okay, I'll go. Text me if you need anything." 

"Nuh-uh. Text me if you need anything, hon."

"I will, I will." You stand up. "I love you, Asmo. I'll see you later." 

"Eek-! Go before I change my mind!" He hides his face.

You giggle and finally take your leave.

----

"So, what were you going to tell me a moment ago?"

Lucifer sits on his bed, inviting Levi to sit beside him. Levi stands close but doesn't sit.

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

" Leviathan . This isn't going to work if you don't talk to me." Lucifer crosses one leg over the other.

"I don't even know what this is! I can't remember the last time you tried to talk to me like this, it's weird!" 

"Weird that I would be concerned for you?"

"YES! You're always so worked up and busy dealing with everyone else's problems, we don't talk . You lecture. Or punish." 

Lucifer is quiet.

"Honestly, I don't know how you do it! You take care of us, clean up our messes, help Lord Diavolo, you basically run the Student Council, AND you're dating one of the coolest people to ever exist ever. WTF!"

The Morningstar can't help but feel a smile tug at the corner of his lips. He doesn't move to interrupt.

"And I'm just…" Leviathan is burning holes in the ground with his eyes, about ready to start a fire. He clenches his fist, arm trembling from the force.

"Leviathan." His voice is gentle.

"What?" Levi gasps as he realizes too late that Lucifer had been standing in front of him— a pair of arms and two pairs of elegant black wings had already ensnared him in their warm embrace. 

"You're the Leviathan, the third eldest, one of the princes of the Devildom, the same demon all the realms tell stories about, the grand and powerful beast lurking in their oceans. You are not just anything. You are, among other things, my younger brother. You'd do well to remember that before you knock yourself down. That's my brother you're talking about."

Leviathan was speechless, eyes wide at the sudden touch, but clinging on to Lucifer not a moment after feeling it. He was warm, and it felt safe in the cover of his wings. His eyes welled up, a wave of his own emotions crashing at them and knocking tears free, so many tears. He rests his head on his older brother's shoulder and grips the back of Lucifer's jacket, sobs muffled by the layers of clothing and feathers.

"You don't need to prove your worth to me, or anyone else. Do you understand?" 

Levi only holds on tighter, more tears flowing.

"You are more than enough. It's about time you caught on." 

The younger demon pulls back to wipe his tears, eventually nodding in agreement. "Yeah…I guess so."

"That's not good enough."

"But you literally just said—"

"No no, I am aware of what I said. But you cannot 'guess' so, you need to know so." Lucifer makes an open gesture with his arms and closes his eyes. "After me. Say, 'I am worthy.'"

"C-Come on, you don't expect that to really work—"

"That's not what I said at all." Both of his eyes shoot open to glare, and Levi jumps, closing his eyes and raising both arms in the same way Lucifer had them.

"I a-am worthy!"

"I am powerful."

"I… am powerful." 

"I am more than enough."

"I am…" His voice trails off. Lucifer waits patiently, expectantly. 

Silence befalls the room, leaving only the rustle of Lucifer's jacket as his wings ride on his breath.

"More than enough." Leviathan finally says though it was clear it was half-hearted at best. Lucifer had another idea, though he wasn't sure how willing he was to proceed. Seeing his brother's stoic demeanor fall further still was what prompted Leviathan to pay attention again. He didn't know why, but he had the feeling something important was about to happen. His fingers brush up against his now wrapped up arm, indigo gaze watching carefully. 

"How do you think I became the Avatar of Pride?" 

Levi startles, he'd been looking so closely that Lucifer's voice was a surprise, even more so how…shy it sounded. Lucifer was unsure of something, and uncertainty wasn't something Leviathan was used to seeing on him. 

"Is that a trick question? Once we became demons, we all fell into our greatest vice."

"But if you recall, that didn't happen overnight." 

"…What are you getting at?" 

" Why do you think I became the Avatar of Pride?"

"Why? What do you mean, why?" 

"Don't repeat what I'm about to share with you to anyone else, do you understand?" 

Levi nodded affirmatively.

"The first time we were allowed to rest after making it to the Devildom, do you remember how things were? How did you feel?"

"I was…scared, really scared. Surprised to be alive. The others were still trying to figure out how to live again, what being a demon meant. You kept us together." 

"Truthfully, I was barely holding on. I have my own doubts, my own fears, my own weakness. My own guilt." He looks down at his leather-clad palm, watching it flex as he clenches and unclenches his fist. "I'd just about worried myself to death over you all." He shook his head. "…Mammon brought me out of it. When I expressed regret for allowing you to get hurt on my behalf…he reassured me that you were all where you wanted to be. Told me that I couldn't waver if I wanted you to feel safe…" He scoffed in amusement. "He told me, 'Be who you are, Lucifer.' No matter what, no matter how dire the situation, I should never be anything less than the person who knows he's the best. So proud that everyone would say I'm full of myself."

Leviathan stared and studied Lucifer, a hand covering his mouth in disbelief. 

"So, even you have your doubts…"

"Yes, even me. Is that so surprising?"

"Uh, yeah! Are you kidding? You're so…SOOOO…"

"What?"

"Cool! Prepared! IDK. Even when you're surprised it feels like you were ready the whole time if you're ever even surprised."

"Well, to your credit, I am ."

"Surprised?"

"No, prepared."

"You're proving my point!"

"I am not always as assured as I seem. Part of it comes from the understanding that if I believe I can do something, I will succeed no matter what."

"So you bluff like Mammon playing poker?"

"Not quite." He quirked an eyebrow.

"Then what is it? How do I get this power-up?"

Lucifer's brow furrowed in confusion. "I'm not suggesting that you do. This kind of resolve is from millennia of burden, Levi, it does not come lightly, nor is it something I'd wish upon anyone else."

"We're a burden to you..?"

Lucifer squints. "Don't be ridiculous. Of course you are."

"LOL, at least you're honest—"

"However, I am exactly where I want to be, Levi." 

Leviathan clutches his pearls. "That's even harder to believe than Mammon being the reason you are the way you are, no wonder he's your favorite…"

Lucifer is about to retort, but he pauses. He was beginning to notice a pattern, but he needed to see if this theory of his held any weight. "He's not the second oldest for nothing, after all." 

"Okay now you're really starting to freak me out— you're being WAY too honest with me right now, I feel like I'm hearing stuff I shouldn't. You're not even denying that Mammon is your favorite!"

"Are you, perhaps, jealous of him?" Lucifer looks amused.

"What?! I'm jealous of a lot of things, but I'd never envy that…that scumbag! What's even there to envy?" Levi's face is pink from embarrassment.

"Ah, my apologies, did that strike a nerve? Is that something you'd rather not talk about?

"You really are full of it! Don't think I don't know what you're doing, Lucifer! You're obviously trying to bait me into talking about my feelings. Jokes on you, I've read too much manga to fall for that!" 

"So you admit there's something else bothering you."

"Ugh. Yes." Levi slumps his posture and covers his eyes. 

"What now?"

"I don't want to talk about it." 

"Hm. Very well. What are your plans for today?"

"Huh? Oh, I was just going to play some videogames."

"Do you mind if I join you?"

"WHAT?! You want to play games with me?"

"Why not? Worried you'll lose?" Lucifer smirks.

"Wh— you're on!" 

----

Beelzebub holds his phone above his face as he looks up at it from where he lay in his bed. The House group chat was quiet. Belphie was off taking a nap somewhere. He had the day to himself, and yet, he didn't know what to do. Something was bothering him, and it had to do with you. His stomach growls for his attention, and he almost ignores it, but a whiff of a recently opened bag of bread catches his attention. His mouth begins to water, and the gentle redheaded giant is up on his feet without another thought. When he arrives, he perks up at the sight of you using the stove to cook things for the sandwich you're about to make, presumably for yourself. Likewise, you also perk up when you finally notice him, but you smile a second later. "Should I make one for you too?"

"Oh! Thanks." He beams. "It's been a while since I've gotten to eat your food."

"Really? That won't do at all." You smile more and get to work. The void eggs sizzle when you crack them into the pan with a bit of impseed oil, the naturally spicy smell filling the air and your nostrils once you take a breath. Now it was your turn to salivate a little, but there was work to be done! "Beel, would you chop these red hell peppers for me?"

"How should I cut them?"

"In rings." Your eyes flit over him briefly. 

"Got it." Beel makes some space for the cutting board, grabs the knife you were going to use, and gets to cutting. His efficient chop chop chop was so rhythmic it was nearly timed to your heartbeat. 

When he looks up from the knife, he sees your smiling face and sets it down. "Did you want to talk to me about something?"

"How did you know?"

"You keep looking at me like you want to say something." 

"Ah— busted." You start to assemble the sandwiches after turning off the heat.

"Is everything alright?" 

"I wanted to check in after what happened last night." 

"..!" He blushes faintly. "Me too. You seemed stressed at breakfast, I wasn't sure if I should look for you."

"I'm doing better now, thanks." You give Beel a lopsided smile as you wash your hands.

"I'm glad." He nods with a smile right back. "Is the food ready?" 

You held up the plate with the two sandwiches to him, and while it looked like he wanted to grab them both, he only grabbed one. While you had a seat, you watched him go one bite at a time, eyes closed as he hummed in delight. You can't help admiring how good he makes everything taste, eating with company does make food taste better. Oh well, your turn. 

When you bite down, the rush is a kaleidoscope of flavors. The spicy tang of the void yolk, the slight sweetness of the behemoth ham, the crunch of the toasted bread, mmmm… you couldn't help humming too. He looks over at you with an expression that says, 'Right?? Isn't it good?' You try to hold back a giggle so you can focus on eating, but you can't help smiling a bit.

"What?"

You swallow your bite. "I can't help it! You're too cute." 

He blinks. " You think I'm cute?" 

"You don't?"

"I don't really think about it." 

There's a natural lull in the conversation, leaving the two of you making eye contact.

"Um…about yesterday…" He rubs the back of his neck.

"Yeah…I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner."

"No, that's okay. I know you wanted to. You don't need to apologize." His eyes are big and full of worry as he clutches his forearm.

"Thanks for understanding." You sigh. "Sooo…what do you think?"

"I love you too." He blushes a bit more. "It took me a bit to figure it out."

"You weren't sure?"

"Well…I've never felt this way about anyone else as long as I've lived, so…" He rubs the back of his neck. "Yeah. But I know now." 

"Can I ask how you figured it out?" You rest your head on your hand, looking up at him with a curious little grin. 

"Food tastes better with you, but I'm not as hungry." 

Your eyes get big. "Really? You mean it?"

"Did I say something wrong?" 

You shake your head, "No no, that's just…that's so sweet." 

"You think so?" His face lights up.

You motion for him to come closer with your finger, standing from your seat to meet him. "More than think so." You're brushing noses with Beel at this point, looking between both his beautiful purple eyes.

"I'd really like to kiss you." He says with his look.

You close the distance not a second later, resting your palms flat on the counter between you. His lips are sweet from the sandwich, and he was probably tasting the same on you by the way he leaned in even more. The warmth in your chest just about exploded to the rest of your body, the bats in your stomach taking flight. You raise a hand to his face and lose balance, your chests pressing together now. He instinctively holds you close so that you don't hurt yourself, but then he's confronted with your blushing face so close to his once again. That thudding against your chest, is that his heartbeat? 

"My wrist is starting to hurt." You laugh softly, glancing down at your other arm that was still pinned between you.

"Oh— right." He lets you go without hesitation, a cute little smile sprouting from his face. 

"Would you help me clean up? I don't think it'll take too long." You walk over to the other side of the counter where he and the sink were.

"I'm going to the gym today. Would you like to come with me?" 

"Sounds like a plan." You smile warmly.

----

Belphie awakes from his nap clutching his chest. Why is his heart fluttering? This didn't feel like anxiety, but it did at the same time. He stretches enough to loosen himself up before sighing heavily. Ah, that was it. These weren't his emotions, were they? If he had to hazard a guess, you and Beel finally talked things out. Good for you both. Belphie wanted to go back to sleep. This reprieve from the daily hustle and bustle he was normally made to get up to was a welcome one, a vacation of this length provided Belphegor more than enough time to do what he wanted at any given moment— within reason. Always within reason, and a certain someone's reasoning no less. Belphie often dreamt of times when Lucifer was laxer, some of those memories dating back several millennia, and some of those dreams taking place in worlds not too dissimilar from the current one. There's a memory in particular that stokes his curiosity from time to time, one where he asked about the nature of his dreams, if they were dreams at all… 

He thinks about that day often, and the answer he received wasn't entirely straightforward, which was expected given who he'd consulted. 

The demon perks up at the feeling in his back, someone close by had gone to sleep all of a sudden. No, they weren't physically close. He was confusing proximity with familiarity again. They hadn't gone to sleep. Knocked out maybe? That wasn't good. A pit began to form in his stomach as he tried to sense out who that could be. It wasn't you or Beel for sure, not Lucifer, Levi, Asmo, Satan…

[House of Lamentation] 

Belphegor: Hey uh

Belphegor: Has anyone seen Mammon today?

Asmodeus: Not since breakfast, why?

Satan: Did he steal something from you?

Belphegor: No no, I just felt him suddenly lose consciousness.

Lucifer: Can you tell where he is?

Belphegor: He's not really asleep so it's hard to tell without looking for him myself

Lucifer: Hop to it. Take someone with you, I'll do what I can. 

Lucifer: Tread lightly. 

Belphegor: I know, I will.

Leviathan: What do you think happened to Mammon???

Satan: I don't know. Could be anything with him, really…

---END---

Belphie sends Beel a quick message, it was a no-brainer who he'd pick.

You read Beel’s eyes after he gets a message, it's obvious what's happened. You're unsure if you should ask, but—

"I don't think that's a good idea," Beel says first.

"Why not?"

"…it's not safe." He insists.

"When has that ever stopped me?" You scoff lightheartedly but Beel only frowns.

"I'm not playing." 

"Fine, but I still want to help in any way I can." 

"Stubborn as always, I see." A familiar voice catches your attention, and immediately you're greeted with white hair—

" Solomon ?"

Lucifer, who stands beside Solomon, has his arms folded. His eyebrow seems to be on the fritz, twitching enough to make you anxious.

He must be worried about Mammon. 

"I'm here to help." The sorcerer smiles charmingly, raising a hand of his to greet you.

"I can see that. Have you already got an idea of where he might be?" 

"I'll explain, but Beelzebub should join his twin before he falls asleep." Solomon points a finger at Beel, who'd been carefully observing the situation since Solomon walked in.

"Got it." The redhead nods, glances at you a final time, then exits the room.

Now with just the three of you left, Solomon has you walk to the library to meet the others in the lounge where they'd been waiting for you. 

"Simeon and Luke too?"

"Surprised?" Simeon laughs sweetly, but it rings flatter than usual. "Solomon told us that Mammon might be in danger, so we wanted to offer our assistance in looking for him."

"Ah, but it's not the looking for him that'll be difficult, that might be the easier part depending on how this turns out…" Solomon chimes matter of factly.

"Depending on..?" Levi tilts his head.

"Well, what do you think could put the second eldest demon brother out of commission?" Solomon raises an eyebrow.

"Oh, that's easy; Cerberus, Lucifer, Lord Diavolo, Barbatos for sure—" 

" Levi. " Lucifer cuts him off before turning his attention back to Solomon. "It's quite bold of you to assume he's 'out of commission.'"

"And it's quite optimistic of you to not entertain the possibility! If I didn't know any better…" 

"Can you explain what your plan is, Solomon?" Luke interrupts, and you aren't sure if that was intentional or not, but either way you're grateful to the little angel.

"Right, I'm going to perform a locator spell to first ascertain where we might find him. The tricky part is, if he isn't in the Devildom, the results are less accurate…" Solomon starts drawing out a magic circle. "Satan, would you give me a hand?" 

"On it."

While the two of them work, you eye Lucifer, looking between both of his eyes. His gaze is fixed on the quickly forming circle, and you watch as he grips his own arm from where it was hidden when he folded his arms together. The wrinkles on the sleeve of his jacket entranced you for a moment before you looked back to his face, only to find him looking back at you. Now, Lucifer had a devilish poker face, he looked as poised as ever despite the circumstances, but you thought you knew him better than that. 

"How are you doing?" You stand close enough that no one could hear your conversation without deliberately trying.

"Do you even need to ask?" He treats you to the side-eye before turning back to Solomon and Satan.

On Belphie's side of things…

He and Beel had already fallen asleep on the living room couches together, the twins walking amongst the nearby dreams.

"Belphie, I'm kind of sleepy…" The redhead yawns.

"You know you can't sleep in here." The dreameater gently scoops some of the fluff that lined the vague wall beside them as if it were cotton candy, handing it to his brother. "Just let it dissolve."

The fluff was refreshing like a frozen treat and cold like one too. To Beel, it was like sucking on a slightly sweet ice cube, cold enough to keep him awake in the threaded dreamscape. What followed were a series of bridges and staircases connecting people's minds, each being built by the combined efforts of Belphie and Beel's power. The redhead grounded the younger twin's airy constructs and allowed them to take physical form and progress closer to their goal, closer to finding Mammon. While most of their surroundings were a comforting pastel pink, blue, and purple nebula, there were some darker spots that drew the eye every now and then. The environment was living and breathing, alive on every level, and it could feel the two demons. 

"So, the two of you finally talked it out?" Belphegor's tail flicks.

Beelzebub raises an eyebrow. "You want to talk about this now?"

"Why not? Mammon will still be knocked out by the time we get there. Maybe." 

"We don't know that." 

"Lighten up." Belphie jumps up and allows himself to float nonchalantly. "We can handle anything here."

"Get down!" Beel yanks his brother by the tail so that he's flat on the ground he'd been walking on, just narrowly avoiding the inky black creature that had lunged at Belphie.

"Ughhh not this again…" Belphie groans and pulls himself to his feet, putting his hands up in front of his face.

"What kind do you think this one is?" Beelzebub is already armed with a ball of destructive power.

"Seems like an antibody." Belphie shakes his head. "We might have been too rough walking around here and accidentally cut the thing. Told you we should have lightened up." 

"No, it would be too easy to knock us around like that." Beel evades the creature's lunge once more by ducking under it and forcefully sending his energy into it. The shadow creature thrashes violently before exploding into purple electricity and fizzling out. "We're walking ." The older twin asserts.

"Beel. You have wings. You don't have to worry about flight control."

"…you want me to carry you?"

"…I never said that."

"You want me to carry you so you don't have to walk."

"It would keep you awake, right?" Belphie grins mischievously.

Beel narrows his eyes, but obliges, allowing his wings to lift him and gently picking Belphie up from his underarms. 

"If anything else comes at us, I can handle it." The younger twin asserts.

"I know." 

The further they went in, the more the colorful landscape began to darken. It seemed endless, with no easy way to make sense of where they were and where they were going. Fluffy pink clouds turned into rain clouds, thunder accompanying their voices while lightning casually threatened to whip them as they whizzed by. Belphegor had traversed the landscape many times out of curiosity, the environment shifted with every passing dream, every nightmare. Humans tended to have more nightmares, for some reason.

"Ugh, who told Mammon to get taken so far away? We left the Devildom ages ago."  

"Can you still feel him?" 

"Of course. I would have said something if I lost— Beel! Look!" Belphegor's tail wacks his brother across the chest suddenly, a sharp nail of his pointing at a particularly dark set of clouds.

"Mammon?" 

"Has to be. Even from here, the fumes are making me dizzy…" The dreameater holds his head. "See how dark it is?"

"That means he's not dreaming, right?" Beelzebub conjures a pair of masks for them to breathe properly. Belphegor takes a deep breath after putting it on.

"This is bad news. How hard did he get knocked out?" Belphie shakes his head.

"Let's go in." 

"Are you nuts? We wouldn't be able to see anything."

"Maybe at first, but couldn't we get to his memories and find out what happened to him?"

"This is Mammon's mind we're talking about here. Who knows what's in there? What we'd see ? I don't wanna know."

"Belphie. He could be in real danger, do you really want to take that chance?" 

Belphegor takes another breath, only to sigh. "…No."

"Then let's go find him." 

Chapter Text

"Belphie. He could be in real danger. Do you really want to take that chance?" 

Belphegor takes another breath, only to sigh. "…No."

"Then let's go find him." 

What greeted them was as pitch black as anything could be. Their footsteps did not echo. Their surroundings swallowed any breath they took. Both of them saw well in deep darkness, but even this was too much. Seeing required some light, after all. Their purple eyes carry a faint glow. Wide-eyed, they walk with caution in Mammon's dormant subconsciousness. Belphegor would know the entrance to his older brother's memories when he saw it. It shouldn't be all that difficult to find. Suddenly, a loud crashing sound steals their attention. The two demons turn on their heels to look for the source of the disturbance. They look, and they look, but they only realize what's happened once the floor disappears from under them. 

"What are you doing here?!" A brown pair of hands yank them away before hitting the floor. 

"Looking for you, dumbass." Belphegor responds dryly.

"Who's the dumbass?! You're the ones walking around in the dark like idiots." Mammon— his essence, stood before them, eyes wide but relieved. 

"Someone's happy to see us." The younger twin snorts.

"Don't get it twisted. You shouldn'ta come after me. I can handle myself just fine!"

"What are you hiding, Mammon?" Beel sounds as unamused as Belphie looks.

"Hey! Who says I'm hidin'—" The twins glare at Mammon, "You're the ones bein' nosy! Who says a brother can't have secrets?!"

"Lucifer. He's worried, you know." The redhead frowns.

"…Tch!" Mammon sucks his teeth, runs a hand through his hair, and shakes his head. "And whose fault is that?"

"Still yours. It doesn't matter how he found out." Belphegor squints. 

" Mammon . Answer my question." Beel furrows his eyebrows.

"Okay, fine! Shit, I outta send you back upstairs…follow me and see for yourselves." 

Mammon's memories are laid out like an outlet mall: his current car, a Demonio 666, sat on a raised and slowly rotating platform in the center of the room. Along the walls are various entrances to different "stores," each marked with another period of his life. There was no rhyme or reason for what could be a label; there were wings for different significant periods, such as the Celestial Wing and the Devildom Wing, but once inside the Devildom Wing, the store names make less sense when compared to each other. Some titles include: "Literally All of The Last Week," "Greatest Jackpots," "Times I've outsmarted Lucifer!", "The Human™ and Various Fun and Special Moments with them (NO ENTRY TO ANYONE BUT THE GREAT MAMMON!!!)", "Finest Fits of The Great Mammon," and "First Year in the Devildom." 

The Avatar of Greed shows them into Literally All of The Last Week. He's careful not to let them stray too close to anything he doesn't want them to see. Most Mall of Mammon stores are clothing stores, and Literally All of The Last Week is no exception. Inside they find an assortment of mannequins, all dressed like familiar people, posing in place and waiting to be activated. Folded piles of clothes are lined up near them, most of which seem to be the clothes Mammon has worn or seen in the last week. The "Yesterday" aisle of the store is close to the entrance, much to his delight, as it meant the twins didn't get to witness firsthand any of his private moments with you on your date a few days ago. Despite having seen you that morning, Mammon felt rather far away from you with everything that had happened since. The demon gets into position for the memory with a sigh, this time with the twins taking watch. The mannequins come to life, and the mystery begins to clarify itself.

A spotlight shines on Mammon, the store around them suddenly appearing like his room in the House of Lamentation, only if it were lit like a stage play. Mammon is the main character, and he takes a phone call from a contact that simply reads, "The Coven." 

"Yo, is there a problem?" 

"We need more money this month." A higher-pitched voice responds, cool-toned and easy on the ears.

"What?! But I just sent you money!" 

"Hey. Human needs are expensive; need we remind you of what this money is for?" A different voice responds, this one sweeter than the last but still just as demanding.

"Send me a receipt."

"Whoops— no can do, Mams." The first voice snickers.

"I swear if you wasted it on some dumb shit—" Mammon grits his teeth.

"Relax. We're messing with you."  The second voice responds. "But, we do need more money. There was an unexpected complication here at the shop, which set us back a couple of weeks or so. We can't keep the place open to make it back, so…" They sigh softly.

The demon's eyes get wide. "What kinda… complication we talkin'?"

"Someone accidentally blew up the back room." The sweet voice continues.

"I said I was sorry, Marcel!" A third adult voice shouts from further away.

" Save it! Keep cleaning up the debris here…." The first voice says, also from the background.

"What the hell?! Are you guys okay? Why didn't you call sooner?!"

"We tried! You haven't been answering!" 

Mammon stops to check his call logs, eyes getting big. "Ah shit, you're right…How much do you think you'll need?" 

"12k Grimm." 

"TWELVE— I don't have that much on me!" 

"That won't do at all. You're on vacation, right? Better start working." 

"I ain't got any photoshoots for a hot minute. How soon do you need it?" The demon starts to sweat.

"Considering this is for day-to-day stuff mostly, ASAP." 

"Fuck…it might be faster just to summon me up there. I should be able to get a job or something to help out for a few days. I'll think up an excuse later."

"That seems like a lot of effort for something that could be resolved by telling your family—"

"Don't fuck around, Carmen. You know I can't do that." 

" Woah, sorry I brought it up. Jeez. Where do you get off talking to me like that?" Carmen scoffs.

"That was harsh of me. I'm sorry. Look, things would get too complicated if they knew…."

"Easy for you to say. Keeping it secret means you don't have to raise your daughter. She still asks for you, you know." 

"Don't do that. You know I want to be there." 

"Start acting like it. We'll summon you once we can clear the floor here. Shouldn't be long." 

"Fine. I'll see you soon." 

Mammon puts his phone away and stretches, but then the spotlight blacks out completely, a shattering of glass accompanying the darkness. 

"That just happened." The lights come alive and are all back in the store, just as they were before. The white-haired demon examines his baby brothers' faces, waving his hand in front of their blank expressions. "Say something, dammit! Hellooooo?" 

"You have a daughter? Since when? How? What the absolute FUCK Mammon—?" Belphegor nearly bites the hand waving in front of his face.

"When did you..?" Beel tilts his head.

"When did I do what? OH. NO. I DIDN'T— NO. I'll explain everything later, but you gotta leave, like now. I think I'm startin' to wake up. Shoo!" Mammon grabs both demons by the shoulders and teleports them to the edge of his pitch-black consciousness. They turn to look at him, and he plants his foot square between them before literally kicking them out. " And don't come back!"  

The twins hurtle back into the stormy nebula, both spinning until they manage to gain their bearings. 

"Did he have to kick us so hard?" Belphegor groans.

"Why did he react so strongly to my question? I was only asking when he passed out." Beelzebub raises an eyebrow, looking at Belphie.

"Oh. Uh. He thought you meant something else, Beel."

"What do you mean?" 

"He thought you were asking when he— never mind." Belphegor waves his hand dismissively. "Anyways, we better get out of here before the others leave us behind. I bet Solomon already found Mammon's physical body." 

"Do you think we can meet them in the human world?"

"Oh, for sure. But we'd have to explain how we did it, and I'm not too jazzed about letting Lucifer, and, inevitably Barbatos and Lord Diavolo know just how much I can do with my power. I'll take us back to the House instead."

The redhead nods and holds on to Belphie. "Ready."

"Let's get out of here, Beel." 

----

Solomon's expression twists into a satisfied grin.

"Have you got a read on his location, Solomon?" Lucifer taps a finger against his own folded arms, having done just about everything to avoid pacing. "Can someone check on Belphie and Beel? I don't want to leave before we know what we're getting into, but every second is precious time…." 

"Let's not be so hasty, Lucifer. If you sent the twins off to gather information, wouldn't it be smarter to wait for said information?" Simeon gently puts a hand on the demon's shoulder and smooths the fabric. It had become bunched from Lucifer scrunching his shoulders.

"He's in the human world, not too far from Sorcerer HQ. How quaint…" Solomon hums.

You eye the exchange between the angel and demon and say nothing. Luke walks up to Lucifer and plants his feet firmly on the ground. "I'll go check on them! Should there be anything I'm looking for in particular?" 

"Look for any signs of them waking up."

"Understood." Luke nods and takes off to the other room, only to back up as he'd nearly run full force into a sprinting Beelzebub (and almost got sent flying!). "HEY—" 

"Oh, Beel, Belphie, you're awake! ~ ❤️ We just found Mammon! Did you have any luck?" Asmo clasps his hands together with a smile.

" You didn't do anything to help, Asmo." Satan's expression is flat.

"You're so mean! I was cheering you and Sol on the whole time!" 

"We found him. He's not in danger." Beel looks from Asmo to Lucifer.

The eldest brother allows the sigh to leave his chest. "But he is in trouble, isn't he?" 

"I guess some things never change." Solomon smiles.

"Should we be worried?" Levi raises an eyebrow at Belphie.

"No. But I think we should still go anyway."

"That was never a question. He still doesn't have permission to be up there." Lucifer shakes his head.

"I take it that means you know what's going on then, Belphegor, Beelzebub?" Simeon looks to the youngest brothers.

"Yeah…we do." He covers his eyes, still processing that information.

"Belphie?" Beel puts a hand on his shoulder before looking back to the rest. "…it might be better to show you."

Simeon's eyes got big, " All of us? Did Mammon say that was okay?" 

"He didn't want anyone to know, but it's definitely about time we did," Belphegor answers cryptically.

Lucifer nods. "Solomon, Satan, are the preparations ready?" 

"Just waiting for you all now. Step into the circle when you're ready, and remember, watch your footing!"

Usually, when something went wrong like this, it would put a knot in your stomach. Nothing like that happened this time. You were almost nervous that you weren't nervous, but Luke tugging on the bottom of your shirt brought you back into the moment. 

"Yes, Luke?" 

"Would you hold my hand when we go through? It helps with balance." 

Luke has never had a problem landing after portalling, so the request strikes you as odd, but you smile and accept anyway. "Okay, I can do that." The two of you walk into the circle together, not the first to go but not the last.

All ten of you fell through the magic circle once Solomon spoke the incantation. You're still not used to this weightless feeling. You've been in water before, but water could never be fluid like air. No perceivable weight is attached to your limbs and body movement. Some of your companions made it look so easy. Just relax and let the portal drop you where you need to go. Yeah right. Luke squeezes your hand. "Not to worry, I've got you!" He beams.

"I appreciate it, thanks." You pat his head and smile, and the boy giggles gleefully.

"Levi, how did you end up upside down?" Satan raises an eyebrow.

"I DON'T KNOW! Could you flip me? I don't wanna land head first!" 

"No problem." Satan pushes Levi's shoes but does so a little too hard, to the point that Levi is just flipping through the air.

"Hey! I'm gonna be sick…." 

Solomon shoots a little bolt of magic at Levi's head to reverse the force enough to stop him. "Better? We're about to land." 

---- 

Mammon ices his head with one eye closed, the other looking at the floor. There was a pit in his stomach, dreaded anticipation keeping him awake. There was no way the twins didn't snitch. And if they didn't, he would still be expecting company. Lucifer wasn't the type to just let something like this go. Mammon was breaking the rules just by being here without permission. He's sitting in the backroom of a tailor shop, alone for the moment, chewing his lip. The trip here knocked him out, Carmen made a small error when she and Marcel summoned him, but he was unharmed. A rock fell and disturbed the markings of their circle, and it threw them off.

He heard a pair of footsteps around the front of the shop, tending to the customers who came in. The witches hadn't asked him to help just yet, seeing as he'd just gotten there. 

"Mammon! Why the long face? Aren't you going to say hello to me?" The third voice from the phone call, the smallest witch of the three, peeks their head into the room. 

"Wait a minute— ain't you the one that blew this place up?" Mammon scowls, and they jump and hide behind the door.

"I said I was sorry!!" Her eyes well up in an over-the-top fashion. "Carmen already gave me a lecture, and I don't need another!" 

"What happened, Andrés?" 

"Marcel was teaching me how to mix a specific kind of potion that's VERY volatile if you do the steps wrong and…hehe. Kaboom. Whoops. I was at least able to give them their eyebrows back." His blank expression made them retreat behind the door even more. "I'm sorry you had to come all this way."

"Nah, don't worry about it." He shakes his head. "I'd been wantin’ to visit anyway. Where's the kid?" 

"The little one? She's doing homework upstairs; it's about time for her to take a break. She doesn't know you're here yet, so be careful not to frighten her. She can't help getting lost in her work. What a darling." 

"Right…" Mammon raises an eyebrow, but he rises from his seat. "Would ya put this back in the freezer for me? I'll go check on her." 

"You're not gonna give me a hello hug first?" Andrés frowns, but it's short as Mammon wastes no time bringing the short witch into his arms. Their long dark blue locs tumble over his shoulder, brown eyes big with surprise. "You missed me?"

"Course I did, gremlin." 

"I am NOT a gremlin! I oughta curse you!" 

Mammon pulls away with a smirk and a snicker. "You can't curse anything yet, short stack."

"Piss off!" 

"That was the plan, little witch." The demon walks to the door hiding the stairs going up, about to open it when he hears a jingle at the front, and…ten, he can make out ten pairs of footsteps. His posture goes rigid. They're already here?

----

You walk into the tailor shop ahead of everyone, just as curious as they were. Before you were a few stands with folded-up clothes, some of them reminding you of the things Solomon would wear on the regular. 

"You're on the right track." Solomon nudges you. "They do sell sorcerer's robes here. Given its proximity to our headquarters and the masked magic that I'm sensing, it seems that this store's main clientele are sorcerers. Isn't that right, Carmen?" He raises his voice so the witch can hear him, a smile on his face.

"Solomon the Wise. To what do I owe the pleasure?" Her crimson-coiled hair falls out of her face when he looks up to address the sorcerer. Atop his head is a broad black hat with a chain wrapped around its body and hanging off the side. It rocks back and forth when she tilts her head at Solomon and his company. The witch is sure to scan all of their faces, one at a time. His body language doesn't change: her arms stay folded, her expression is not antagonistic but neutral, and her eyes linger on you the longest before looking back to Solomon.

He looks up at her, "I'm not here for business if that's what you mean. It's more of a personal matter. You see, my friends here are looking for their brother. You wouldn't happen to know where Mammon is, would you?" He places his hands on his hips.

"You dare bring the Princes of The Devildom into my home…without fair warning?! What the hell is wrong with you! We haven't had time to clean up the debris from the mini-explosion we had the other day." 

"Solomon, you know this person?" Levi looks up at Carmen, shrinking away the slightest bit at his size and energy compared to the rest of them. She stood a good few inches taller than even the tallest of your friends. It was a miracle he could fit in the doorways here— oh. You look over at the door leading into the back area, presumably a workroom or his private residence, and the door looks made with her height in mind.

"This is The Grand Witch, Carmen. We've been acquainted for just about a century at this point. She's partially in charge of Witch-Sorcerer communication. Think of him as an ambassador of sorts." He turns his attention back to her. "I would have called ahead of time, but this whole thing was short notice, you see. We thought Mammon might be in danger."

"When is he not getting into trouble?" She sighs. "It's very nice to finally meet you all. Lucifer, Simeon. I don't believe I've ever actually had the pleasure of speaking to you outside of our jobs." 

"Oh, you still remember me?" Simeon chirps. "I've only been the representative a few times since Michael decided I needed some more experience with the people I'd be working with." 

The four of them continue talking for a bit longer, but it all goes over your head. You paid attention to Lucifer's body language: he knew Carmen, not personally, but he knew her. The aura of suspicion he walked in with seemed to dissipate— his posture relaxed.

You had the same questions, you were about to ask, but Lucifer beat you to it. "Carmen, you're not stalling for him, are you?"

"How rude of you. He's told me enough about you to know that he could try running, but you'd catch him, wouldn't you, Lucifer?" 

"You're correct about that." Lucifer huffs. "May we see him now?" 

"Right this way." 

----

"Something the matter, Mammon? I've never seen you look so nervous…." Andrés worries a loc between her fingers.

"Ah, it's nothing, just…my family's here to visit, and some friends."

"Your WHAT—" 

"I KNOW, I'M NOT READY TO SEE THEM!"

"Do you need to hide?!"

"No! No, I should be fine. They were gonna find out eventually." 

"You sound defeated."

"Who're you callin' defeated! You're talking to The Great Mammon! I ain't afraid of anything."

Just then, the door swings open with a bang, making them cringe.

" So this is where you went." The calm, baritone voice graces his ears suddenly, and he's met with familiar black eyes.

"Eep—! Lucifer!" His voice cracks, prompting him to clear his throat.

"Care to explain what you're doing here, of all places?"

"What, I'm not allowed to visit people I know?"

"Stop hiding, Mammon." Lucifer folds his arms.

"Stop acting like you don't know exactly why I'm here." 

"Watch that tone. It's not my piece to share, Mammon." He sighs profoundly.

"You didn't tell them either?" He looks at the twins, exasperated.

"It didn't feel right for us to say anything." Beel frowns.

Satan perks up, "Wait, Lucifer, you know what's happening? Oh, right, of course you do." He glares openly at the eldest brother.

"What happened back here?" Luke gawks at the dusty state of the backroom, careful not to trip on any splintered wood.

"That would be too easy for you, Mammon. That's definitely the kind of thing you should tell everyone." Belphie shakes his head with a yawn.

"You couldn't do me that favor?! Some brothers I've got…." Mammon takes a deep breath and runs a hand through his hair. 

"Ugh, more secrets? What could it possibly—" Levi begins.

" Shaddup already! Wait here. You'll understand in a sec." He backs away toward the stairs. "I'll be right back. And no! I'm not tryna make a getaway. I mean it."

Andrés is left with the group, twiddling their fingers. "Um…hi there, welcome to the shop?” She pauses, “So you're Mammon's family?" She looks at the demon brothers, walking up to them one by one and observing them as a curious cat would. "And you must be the people from Purgatory Hall. It's nice to finally meet you! Hi Solomon!" They shake hands with Simeon and give Solomon a hug before stopping to look at Luke.

"Who are you?" Luke brings both hands up in front of him, and Andrés mistakes that as a sign to hold them.

"I'm Andrés! Carmen runs the place, and she and Marcel are my mentors. I'm just starting out as a witch. You must be the chihuahua!" They bounce on their heels excitedly, but Luke pulls his hands away.

"Ah, that would explain the mess…" Solomon uses a little wind magic to gather some of the dust from the explosion.

"Oh, you don't need to do that. I can get it!" Andrés pushed their glasses up, with one lens completely cracked; she'd managed to keep all of the pieces in the frame, at least.

"I am NOT a chihuahua! My name is LUKE! I'm going to be a great angel someday!" He declares.

"You're not? Oh, right! Mammon says that you act like a chihuahua but that you're actually just a cute little kid trying to be grown up!" Luke’s face turns red, but he doesn’t get the chance to get another word in.

Simeon contains a chuckle. "Andrés, how long have you known Mammon?"

"Six years now! Something like that. Yeah, I'm turning nineteen soon, so that makes six years."

"Six years?" Solomon's curiosity was only piqued.

The door to the stairs opens. Out steps Mammon…

And a little girl. Roughly ten years old, honeyed brown skin, with the brightest dark eyes. When faced with a room full of strangers, even though she recognized them, she shrank away behind her dad.

"Hey, Andromeda. It's okay, sweetie; these are my family and friends. They're safe people. You're okay." He tries to soothe her, but she hugs his leg and stays behind him instead. 

"Papa, why are they all looking at me like that?" Her voice isn't quiet. She's whispering to him and not doing an excellent job at it. 

"Don't be silly. They're looking at me funny because they didn't know about you until today. You're a surprise."

"Good surprise or bad?" She frowns.

Mammon swallows and quickly scans for immediate reactions. "Of course it's good. Why would you be a bad surprise?"

"Cause you seem scared, too." She fidgets with the bottom of her shirt. 

"I ain't scared, kiddo. Do you wanna ride on my back so they're not so big and scary anymore?"

He crouches so she can get on, and she fastens her arms around his neck loosely. "'kay."

"Why don't ya introduce yourself to everyone?"

"I'm…Andromeda. It's nice to meet you. Hi Uncle Luci!" She tries to look everyone in the eye but can't manage to do so. She clutches Mammon's shoulders. "Okay, I said hi. Can I go now?" 

"Oh— sure thing, sweetie. Short stack, could you take Luke and your sister into the kitchen for me?" He turns his head to look at his daughter, "D'ya want a snack?"

"Yeah!" She jumps off his back and looks over at the little angel. She felt they were the same age; she was slightly taller than him. "I like your hat. Do you like sweets?" 

"I make sweets! Can you make sweets?"

"Yeah!"

"Okay! Andrés, does your kitchen have an oven?"

"Uh— yeah. Do you guys wanna make sweets for everyone?"

"I wanna help!" Andromeda bounces on her heels. 

"Of course! We'll make them together. It's just this way." She waves the kids over with a soft sigh. She knew the adults needed to talk now. 

The room is silent enough to make your heartbeat race. Beel didn't even think to go to the kitchen despite already knowing this bombshell of information. Your eyes are as wide as everyone else's besides the twins, and no words pass your mouth. You look Mammon over. His head hangs, a hand on his neck as if he's waiting to get scolded or admonished or—

Say anything! Mammon's heart was about to break out of his chest; if his hair weren't already white, it would have lost all color. His face was hot, not with shame or embarrassment, but the adrenaline telling him to book it was the same adrenaline keeping him in place. 

"When were you going to tell them that they became uncles?" Lucifer's lips curl into a half-smile, his black eyes starting to ruby over.

"Uncle Luci?" Levi's eyes are wider than they were a moment ago.

"Say that again, and you die." 

"Got it!" Leviathan shrinks.

Mammon's head shoots up. "Huh? That's all you got to say?" 

"I have plenty more I could say, Mammon. Accept my congratulations. The girl seems healthy." Lucifer's chest is slightly puffed out, and his gestures are open.

"I would have told the rest of you eventually!"

Simeon looks from Lucifer to you with a raised eyebrow. Was that hubris you detected? You couldn’t tell from what.

"You mean Mammon managed to keep this from you guys for six years?" You blink like an owl. 

"I…guess so. He's always sneaking off for one reason or another, so I never noticed that anything was going on." Satan exhales. 

"Ooh, but your little girl is so cute Mammon! I volunteer to be the hot wine aunt~ I'm not sure how she turned out that way coming from you, though." Asmo coos.

"What's that s'posed to mean?!" 

"Don't worry, Asmo. Mammon doesn't get to visit often, so there's less chance she could turn out like him." Belphie stretches his back and cracks his back idly.

"Mammon, don't listen to them." Your smile radiates a gentle kindness that makes him relax. "What's important is that she feels supported." 

"You ain't mad?"

You raise an eyebrow.

"I mean, I kept her from you too…."

"Oh! No, I'm not mad, but uh.” You rub the back of your neck. “Let's talk about it later." You fiddle with your hands but keep eye contact with Mammon.

You swear he gets a shade paler. "Ooookay. Anyone else? Levi?"

Leviathan had been holding back his immediate thoughts up to this point, but everything spilled out once the attention was on him. "This is just like this anime that just came out! My secret niece! " 

He's about to keep rambling, but you clear your throat before anyone else can interrupt him. 

"Right— I'm PRETTY sure we all have the same questions, like, does she even know that you're a demon?"

"Shhh, not so loud..!" 

"Well, that answers that. Does she even know her parents are witches?"

"Yeah…when she was a lot younger, back when I first found her, she needed me to explain things to her to make sure they lined up with what she understood. Otherwise, she'd get real anxious. She's the one that told me that they're witches. I already knew, but she didn't need me to tell her. I don't know if she knows I'm a demon. I've been super careful not to talk about it."

"She must suspect something." Solomon chimes. "You don't look old enough to stay the same for six years." 

"Aww, thanks! I know I got that youthful glow about me." 

"Wait, he means that you would look different over six years if you were human." You clarify. "She could think you're a witch?" 

"Maybe, but I dunno…." 

Belphie elbows the eldest. "Hey, Uncle Lucifer . How many times have you visited?"

Lucifer glares for a moment, but answers. "Watch yourself. Sometimes I'll come up here with him, but he insisted that he do most of the work for her while he's here, isn't that right, Mammon?"

"Well, yeah! I can't have her forgetting who her dad is!" He stamps his foot.

"When did you find out?" You think you're starting to figure out why he looks so proud. 

"Mammon asked me for help on the first day, and I put him into contact with Carmen and her partner. I joked that he would have to be her surrogate father, but he went behind my back and actually did it." He sighs. "I was surprised when he invited me to join him on a trip to visit her, and the little one ran up and called me uncle. She could tell who I was supposed to be right away…." The smirk on his face shrank to a simple smile to match the distant look in his eyes. He wasn't somewhere else, but it was clear that this reminded him of something else.

"Isn't she great?" Mammon returns a dopey smile. "Look, I'm sorry I didn't tell you all sooner. I was hella worried it would have gotten back to Lord Diavolo or Barbatos."

"Why would that be a problem?" Beel tilts his head.

"I suppose that would mean you've been turning a blind eye to certain trips of his, Lucifer," Solomon asks point-blank.

Lucifer doesn't answer.

"I can't say I envy the position you're in." Simeon sighs. "But let's not talk about 'what would happen.' Our energy would be better spent getting to know little Andromeda, if that's okay with you, Mammon."

"Today. We only get today. It'd be suspicious if all of us were missing for more than that." Mammon asserts.

"Ooo, someone's being responsible. I'll have to ask Carmen where I can draw up another circle later." Solomon smiles cryptically, as he often does.

"Hold on, Solomon, have you ever visited Carmen at home?" You pipe up.

"Hm? Oh, I get supplies from her occasionally. But if you're asking, no, I didn't know Andromeda was Mammon's daughter." 

"Then why did you act like it was your first time here?" 

"You assumed it was." 

"I—" You blink. 

He chuckles softly and moves on to Simeon. "Do you want to check on Luke? I wonder if he's getting along well with his new friend." 

A loud metal clang is heard from the kitchen, making you all flinch. 

"Nothing broke!" Andrés shouts. "I just dropped a bowl!" 

"It sounds like they could use some help there as well. We'll leave you brothers alone to talk." Simeon laughs sweetly and walks off to the kitchen with Solomon.

The impromptu family meeting began as soon as the Purgatory Hall members cleared out. The five brothers started talking, voices on top of each other.

"Mammon, spill, how'd you end up with such a cute kid?!" 

"Lucifer, why would you keep this from us? We had to literally enter his dreams to find out what was wrong, but you could have told us from the start." 

"I can't really picture you being left in charge of yourself, let alone a whole child…"

"She seems to really like you a lot, Mammon."

"Why doesn't she know about the rest of us?"

"H-Hey, guys, chill out, one at a—"

"Be honest. Were you ever actually going to tell us?"

"What kind of food does she like?" 

"She couldn't even look at me…"

Lucifer looks to you. "Do me a favor, love. It's okay. " 

" STAY!!! " You raise your clenched fist, feeling the power of your pacts surge through you like lightning to a rod. You hadn't learned how to differentiate between commanding all or just one of them, so Lucifer and Mammon were also brought to their knees.

"Unh—" Satan looks up at you. "I know we were loud but was it really necessary to use so much force? You're like a venomous baby snake—"

"I could have used a warning." Belphie rubs the back of his neck.

"I dunno, I kind of liked it," Levi mumbles.

"I know what you mean!" Asmo sighs wistfully.

"Guys! You were overwhelming him." 

Mammon looks up at you. "Babe, I appreciate you looking out for me, but you probably could have just raised your voice a lil."

"It was my idea. You would have known that if you'd been able to listen to anything, Mammon." 

"See, I can't even tell if you were trying to be nice or not! What the hell!" 

"Hey!" You get their attention again.

"Oh— right, uh. Ask me anything?"

"Great idea…" Lucifer facepalms as the five immediately start back at where they were before. He's about to shut them up himself when Mammon raises his voice.

" One atta time! " 

"I'll go first," Satan cuts the rest of them off. "How the hell did this happen? You mentioned you found her, so that explains that, but why did you keep her?"

"Satan, could you not phrase it like I just decided to adopt a stray cat on a whim?"

Satan turns his nose up. "Don't be ridiculous." He huffs. "If it were a cat, I'd understand. But that's a child , Mammon. What's the point of being in her life if it's only part of the time? Are you not just setting her up for heartbreak by keeping the truth from her?"

"Now hold on a minute, what are you tryna imply here?" Mammon is about to step up to his younger brother, but you place a hand on his chest.

"Hold on." You tell him. He listens, but it's clear he's starting to get apprehensive. 

"She's human . You could be exposing her to danger—" 

"I'm not around all the time for that exact reason! I've got some of the best witches helping me keep her safe, too! Ugh, this is why I didn't wanna tell you guys. I knew you wouldn't get it!" 

"Mammon, calm down." Beel takes a step toward him, but Mammon contains himself, just baring his fangs. "We're not saying you're not a good dad to her." 

"I mean, we haven't really gotten to see much yet, have we? I'd like to see more of his parenting, myself." Asmo chirps.

"Look, I'm gonna have that conversation with her when she's old enough to understand. I try to be as careful as I fucking can, alright?! She's only ten— I can't do that to her, not right now."

"Wait, could you answer his first question? How did you meet her?" Levi curls the locks of hair sticking out from his bangs nervously.

"Ah…that feels like so long ago, even though it's really the blink of an eye. I took a trip up to the human world a couple of years ago…" He begins.

"Hey, brat! This here is my street. No one gets to pass through for free. You wouldn't want me going hungry, would ya?" The man bends over and gets up in the little girl's face. She was petite, even for a four-year-old. The man stood several heads taller than her.

"Do you have any food?" Her tone was point-blank, but her hands were shaking behind her back.

"Hey! Are you slow?!" He snarled at her, grabbing her by the arm with only enough care not to leave a mark. She screamed, punched, kicked, and tried to bite him as much as she could. He easily lifted her up by the scruff of her shirt, and she kept screaming and flailing, but there was no one around to hear it. "I'm sure you'll be worth something…" 

Except for Mammon, who felt his stomach flip and his blood boil as soon as he heard a value getting assigned to her life. His feet carried themselves to the scene, armed with a glare that rivaled Lucifer's. He knew he couldn't reveal his true nature, but a human disguise would suffice.

"Wanna repeat that for me?" The look in his eyes was murderous, but the rest of his face was calm, a trick of his brother's. His eyes turn from blue to gold, a bright, intense, shimmering gold, normally enough to lure someone in, but the intent was flipped on its head. 

"S-Stay back."

"Get lost already!" Mammon fake lunges at him, and the man jumps back, turning tail and running as fast as his legs can take him. The demon looks down at the wallet in his hand and raises an eyebrow, rifling through it, only finding a few bills and sighing. "This ID is the most valuable thing here. What a pain…" He mumbles. Without another word, he starts walking, and someone else starts walking with him. He made it a few blocks before turning to look at the little kid. "Where the h- heck do you think you're going? Go home already. It's not safe out here." He kept walking, and so did she, he started speed walking, and her little legs did their best to keep up with the much taller man. 

After ten minutes, he stops and turns on his heel, causing the little girl to bump into him. 

"Sorry," She says automatically. She's holding on to his jacket, and her hands are shaking.

"Hey, let go. Why haven't you left yet?" 

"Can't." Her answer is curt, her eyes avoiding his face.

"Whaddya mean ya can't..?" 

"I can't!" Her eyes well up. "Can't go back." 

"It's okay. I…I gotcha." Mammon extends a hand to her.

Mammon runs a hand through his hair, looking around at his younger brothers, who seemed enthralled by his storytelling, despite all the shit they gave him. It took him back to an earlier time when he used to tell them stories at night. He rubs his nose with his pointer finger, a smile on his face. Lucifer was sitting in a chair just off the side of the rest of you, who were seated on the floor with Mammon standing.. 

"Well? What happened next?!" Asmo flaps his hands. 

"Don't just stop there, I want to hear the rest." Satan huffs.

"That's when I entered the picture." Lucifer sighs. "Mammon, why did you decide to become more involved? She has two supportive parents and an older sibling, it would have been less work for you to mostly stay out of the picture. This isn't a criticism, I'm just curious." 

The demon curls a lock of hair in thought. You notice him worry the inside of his bottom lip between his teeth before he sucks in a breath and answers. "I just wanted to see how she ended up, is all. Kid like that deserves someone like The Great Mammon lookin' after her, or do ya got a problem with that?" He offers his older brother a shit-eating grin.

"How so very like you. I wonder who you got that ego from?" His tone was snide, but his prideful smirk said otherwise. 

"As if you don't know." 

Chapter Text

“I wonder who you got that ego from?" Lucifer’s tone was snide, but his prideful smirk said otherwise. 

"As if you don't know!” Mammon snickered.

“Hm.” The eldest folded his arms across his chest and glanced back at the rest of his brothers. “I shall fill the rest of you in. Mammon, go check how things are going in the kitchen.”

"Huh? Okay." Mammon shrugged his shoulders and headed over to the kitchen.

With a hand in his silvery hair, he stuck his head in the room to see his daughter and Luke discussing the nuances of a little extra cocoa powder in their mix. Andrés was busy talking to Solomon with a bit of a panicked look in their eyes, nervous laughter, wringing their hands, and the like. Mammon admitted that it didn't cross his mind that Solomon followed Simeon into the kitchen. Andrés was doing them all a favor by taking this L. Mammon should probably try to get Solomon out; otherwise, it could mean their lives..!

"Solomon, heyyy, you got a minute?"

"Can I help you, Mammon? It's a bit cramped in here for so many people…." 

"Carmen said she wants to talk to you. You definitely don't want to keep him waiting." He lied through his teeth.

"Is that so? Did he say what he wanted?"

"Nope! Just told me to get ya!" 

"Solomon, it would be rude to keep her waiting." Simeon cautioned, trading a look with Mammon and Andrés. Solomon tilted his head in confusion but obliged, seeing himself out.

Once the wily sorcerer was out of earshot, the group heaved a sigh of relief, making the little girl look at them curiously. "What did Mama want?"

"Mama wants you to survive tonight, so no eating anything Uncle Sol says he made, okay?"

"’kay!" 

“That was quick thinking, even for you, Mammon.” Luke shook his head.

“What’s that s’posed to mean? I’m thinking quick all the time!”

“Now, now, Luke, that’s impolite.” Simeon chided.

“Not to mention plain wrong..!”

Luke grumbled to himself but returned to work with Andromeda on the sweets. Mammon was so engrossed in the scene before him that lightly tapping his shoulder made him squeak in surprise. 

“Don’t sneak up on me like that!”

“Simeon,” You glanced at the angel. Then Luke and Andromeda.

“Not to worry, I’ll watch them.”

“Huh? What’s goin’ on?”

“Thank you. Mammon, I need you for a minute.”

“Just one?” He laughed nervously. 

“Is there somewhere we can talk, just the two of us..?”

“Upstairs.” He gulped.

Simeon gave you a little wave as you left the kitchen. The two of you passed by the story time Lucifer was holding before making your way to the stairs. Once away from prying ears and eyes, you threw your arms around Mammon and squeezed him tight. Tighter than your chest was when you got the text that he might’ve been in danger. “Don’t disappear like that, please. I was worried I’d lost you.”

“Woah! Gimme a warning before you throw yourself at me!“

“Mammon.” 

“Sorry!” He squeaked. After feeling your heartbeat against his chest once again, he exhaled softly. “…I’m sorry I made you worry.”

You’re quiet again, not looking him in the eye.

“Say somethin’. I’m beggin’ ya.”

“…I’m sure you had reasons for not mentioning that you have a daughter.”

“I’m sensing a ‘but’ comin’.” He winced preemptively.

“It must’ve been hard keeping her from your brothers.”

Mammon’s expression softened. “You don’t need to act like it don’t bother you.”

“What do you expect me to say?”

“I ain’t expectin’ anything. Spit it out already.”

“I just want to know why, Mammon. I mean it. I’m not upset.” You frowned.

“…All this time with demons, you still haven’t gotten better at lying. You’ll get into trouble with such an honest expression, y’know.” He shook his head and waited before divulging his answer. “I’ve gotten real used to keeping my lives separate. I met her way before I met you, so telling you ahead of the others…never crossed my mind. That don’t mean I didn’t wanna tell you ever, but— “

“You don’t need to explain that part. I get it.” You rested your hand on his cheek and studied his expression. “You’re allowed to have things you want to keep to yourself.”

“Well…” There was a lull again. When he looked down at the floor, his silvery hair shifted to be more in front of his eyes. You noticed his breathing slow down until he finally heaved a sigh. “I didn’t want to keep her from you guys.”

“Is it because you're worried about Lord Diavolo?”

“That’s part of it.” He scratched the back of his head. “Okay, this might sound silly 'cause I know he’s been nothin’ but nice to ya, but he’s still the crown prince. What he says goes. Lucifer’s ass already got busted once for protecting Belphie instead of turning him in. Still, I don’t wanna be responsible for him getting taken in for treason or anything like that. It’s not that I don’t like the guy or anything, but I’ve never really felt like I could let my guard down around Lord Diavolo, even after seeing how things changed when you got to RAD. Besides, the less people know, the better. I know she’s in good hands with Carmen and Marcel, but I have more than a few people who’d wanna hurt me….”

“Wouldn’t Lord Diavolo be able to help protect her? It might help to come clean, Mammon.”

“Yeah, that’s if he doesn’t flip his shit about me lying for six years. He might ask to meet Andromeda, too, and I dunno how good he’ll be at pretending to be human for her.”

“Assuming she hasn’t figured it out already.”

“What? You really think she might know?” His eyes widened in honest shock before narrowing, “Hey! You’re not just messing with me, are ya? It ain’t funny!”

You laughed sweetly. “With a dad so sharp, who knows?”

“Okay, now I really can’t tell what you’re tryna tell me.”

“I love you, Mammon. No more disappearing on me, okay?”

“I-I already said I was sorry about that!” Mammon stammered, his lips pursed before he settled into the warmth of the hand still resting on his face. “Do ya want me to promise or somethin’? Ain’t it bad manners to make a promise ya can’t keep?” 

You remained quiet. A quick look at his eyes, shaded by the dimness of the upstairs, told you he was being sincere. “You don’t think you can keep that promise?”

“Darlin’, I’m always gettin’ into some shit, whether I start it or not. Fatal flaw. I know, even The Great Mammon has one.” The demon stepped back to throw his hands up, blowing hair out of his face with a huff. You leaned in after him, using a single pointed finger to poke right where you knew his heart was. You’d know that thump, thump, thump anywhere. You had felt his pulse so many times.

“This is your fatal flaw.” You poked his chest once more for emphasis. 

“…my left boob?” 

“No! I’m talking about your—” Mammon snorted before you could get your thought out. “I’m trying to be serious!”

“I couldn’t help it. Ya just had this adorable look on yer face…"

“I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself.” Your tone was flat, but you blushed slightly.

“What were you gonna say?”

“Your heart, Mammon.” You insisted gently.

“My…heart? What about it?”

“You’re passionate, protective, and warm. Your brothers might give you shit, but they would be lost without you. Your daughter is lucky to have you, even if you can’t always be there for her. It’s your heart that gets you into trouble. You throw yourself into something headfirst and figure the rest out as you go, and you’re reliable when it really counts.”

Mammon swallowed as if tasting your words for himself. He could say a million and one different quips, but none were right. You were right; he knew it, but admitting as much was still tricky. He raised his hand to the nape of his neck and fiddled with his hair.

“I’ll think about coming clean to Lord Diavolo. I’d have to tell Andromeda first. I don't want her to be the last to find out, just in case the Prince decides to do what he does best. I dunno if she's ready to hear about any of this yet."

“You'll know." 

"'preciate it." 

With that conversation finished, all that was left was to gaze into each other's eyes. He'd missed you. You hadn't been apart very long, but that didn't matter to him. Almost shyly, now that there weren't any words to distract you, he reached out and twined his pinky in yours. He heard his heart in his ears once it had dawned on him. A smile graced your face when you witnessed the familiar red color seep into his cheeks.

"I love you too!" He blurted out with urgency.

You snorted, raising a hand to cover your mouth so you didn't let yourself get too loud. His blush only darkened in response, the embarrassment fluffing up his hair.

"Hey, don't laugh!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I just…" You allowed your laugh to die out. Taking a step toward him so you were chest to chest, you gave him a tight hug and buried your face in the crook of his neck. "I wish I'd come clean sooner. I really love saying that I love you to your face." 

"You're telling me! I was so in denial that I couldn't take it anymore."

"So we…"

"Kissed. Right when you were about to leave. I knew I was gonna see you again. No matter who tried to stop me, I would see you again. But leaving me like that was plain cruel." 

"I didn't have a choice; my year was up. And I didn't want to leave you in the dark, either, sooo…Lesser of two evils?" You tilted your head with a sheepish giggle.

"As if a kiss from you could be any kinda evil…." With a devilish grin, he stole a kiss from your lips.

There was another crash in the kitchen downstairs. Mammon pulled away with a soft sigh. "I'm gonna go check on the kids." He made his way to the stairs with you not far behind, your pinkies still linked.

"Such a dad thing to say."

"Shaddup!"

"I think it's cute." 

"Oh."

He cleared his throat.

"W-well, yeah! I'm The GREAT Mammon! Of course you think I'm cute."

"There he is." You sighed with a honeyed smile. Mammon pulled you downstairs and back toward the kitchen.

----

"Dang. I didn't know Mammon was so impulsive that he'd adopt a whole kid." Leviathan hummed once Lucifer finished telling the story. The eldest had kept it relatively brief, sticking to the bare essentials, seeing as there wasn't much to say in his opinion.

"And you, sticking your neck out for him by not just turning a blind eye, but coming up here to lend a hand." Satan folded his arms into his chest.

"Not for him, for our niece. Did you see how she clung to him? Andromeda may not look it now, but she's a rather sensitive child; new people are frightening. I expect all of you to be on your best behavior if you want to build a relationship with her."

"Won't that be kind of hard? I mean, we're not you. We can't all sneak up here without getting caught." Belphegor's face contorted into a soft frown. 

"He has a point. It would be entirely too suspicious if we all started disappearing without explanation." Satan shook his head. "It's not as though I'm not curious about our little niece, but…"

"Who said anything about a lack of explanation?" Lucifer interrupted. "Say you did it under my orders."

"Wait." Beelzebub's eyebrows pinched together. "You don't seriously mean that you'll take the blame for us, do you?"

"No, he's serious alright. He's doing the big brother pose again." Leviathan's posture deflated.

"Fuck no."   A familiar voice called from the stairs.

"Maaaammmmoooon?" 

"Eep-" He flinched but kept going down the stairs. "Y-You heard me! Not gonna happen! If anyone is taking the fall for it, it'll be me, obviously! She's my kid. You wouldn't have stepped in at all if I hadn't decided to help her." 

"Since you're so emboldened today, enlighten me. What exactly is she to do if you're never allowed to see her again?"

"I…"

"Mammon. You're not allowed to make a gamble like that. I forbid it. She's human. Any kind of light sentence for us is years off her lifespan. You won't get that time back." He scolded, but his tone was gentle all the same.

In the presence of so many demons, you're reminded of your mortality. You felt some other eyes in the room drift you, and then they understood. It made your stomach turn, but you'd bite the feeling back. There was a better time for this.

"Allow me to handle Diavolo, should it come to that."  

Belphie made eye contact with the floor, fists scrunching up. "What about us, then?" 

"What's this all of a sudden, Belphie?" 

"You asshole. " 

"Hey, calm down—" Beelzebub reached out a hand to Belphegor's shoulder, but the younger twin shrugged it off immediately.

"No, Beel, he still doesn't get it! Let me spell it out. What happens to us if something happens to you, Lucifer?! What are we supposed to do..?" 

The overhead light glinted off his glossy purple eyes as they welled up more and more. 

"Belphie, I—" 

"Damn you! You locked me in an attic for a year, and I still … gah! And you did it to protect me! I didn't ask you to do that, and right now, Mammon isn't asking for it, either! You don't need to keep putting yourself on the line. One day it'll mean you have to leave us behind, and you said you'd never do that! Was that a lie, Lucifer?!" Hot rage streamed down his face, eyes wide and brows pinched in the center. His tail flicked behind him impatiently. "Answer me."

"Time and place! Stop it, all of you!" Asmodeus threw his hands up, shielding Lucifer from Belphegor's view of him. "This is something we should discuss when we get home, 'kay? Can you wait until then, Belphie..?" Asmo's eyes drooped, bottom lip trembling.

"Thank you, Asmo."

"Don't." Asmodeus whipped his head to glare openly at his oldest brother. Tears had already streaked his face. "This conversation isn't over, Lucifer."

Music started playing from the kitchen at a moderate volume. Lucifer's D.D.D. dinged a second after. It was a message from Simeon simply reading: Keep your voices down.  

"Very well then. We'll…talk later. Try to make the most of your time here. We’ll depart shortly, in about an hour or so. I suspect we’ve already been here too long."

"Mammon, where's the bathroom?" Belphegor wiped his face with the inside of his wrist. 

"I'll walk ya, Belphie…"

"Thanks." 

Once they'd departed, the room felt much colder. The sound of music coming from the kitchen seemed to taunt Lucifer, so he decided to step out to get some air. Asmodeus wiped his tears without another word, not exchanging glances with anyone but the floor. You touched his shoulder, and he moved into your embrace.

Eventually, Leviathan cleared his throat. "Are you guys okay? I wasn't expecting Belphie to flip his lid like that to defend Mammon, of all people."

"Yeah, well, lots of surprises today." You shook your head.

"It wasn't about Mammon." Beel clutched his forearm again. "He's wanted to say that to Lucifer for so long now. I can feel it." 

"I'm still surprised he chose to say it now." Satan sighed. "The children should be done with their baking soon. Try to liven up. Remember, not a word about what just happened. There's no telling what the little girl heard." 

"No problems here." Leviathan stretched out his hands.

"I'm worried about Belphie…" 

"He'll be okay with Mammon, Beel. I'm sure he'll come back later." You reached out your other arm to his back. 

Over the sound of the music from the kitchen, a timer went off, drawing the attention of the five of you. "All done!" Luke called out. "I just need to get it out of the oven." 

"Be careful now, Luke. Make sure your mittens are on properly." 

"Oh, oh, can I take the other side?" Andromeda reached out for one glove.

"Um, okay! Together then." Luke took the glove from his hand and offered it to her.

The two kids carefully pulled out the tray of angel-winged brownies before placing it on the cooling rack Simeon had set out for them.

"I should save one of these for Barbatos so he can see my improvement." Luke seemed more than pleased by this result.

"Won't it be cold by then? Maybe he'd like a fresh one better." Simeon looked over the tray of brownies and found it was much too small, considering the company they had. Beelzebub could and would eat at least thrice as many as they'd made. Would that look suspicious to Andromeda? He wondered. Ah well, if she asked, the angel was sure someone would be able to explain it in a way that made sense.

"That's a good idea! I'll make some more when we get back. I'll take a picture for now." Luke chimed, D.D.D. at the ready. When he pointed his camera at the brownies, Andromeda leaned over to look at them, getting both arms in the photo. "Oh, I'm sorry, Andromeda. Could you move back?"

"'kay!" She stood up straight next to Simeon, and Luke snapped a few more pictures before sending them all to Barbatos. 

His back was to Simeon, so the older angel didn't notice Luke's face turn pale, but Andromeda raised an eyebrow at the sight. Luke swallowed and put his D.D.D. away. Once the brownies had cooled sufficiently, Andromeda and Luke brought them to you and the four brothers with you. Beel perked up once the brownies were in sight, but you knew he smelled them the whole time they were baking. 

Beelzebub grinned, a bit of drool accompanying his hungry smile. Luke instinctively held the tray away from him, "Let everyone else go first!"

"Aww, okay…" 

"Why don't you try one first, Luke, Andromeda?" You smiled at the two of them. The little angel lifted a corner piece from the batch and sunk his teeth in. He smiled widely with wonder, impressed by his and his new friend's work. 

"You should have some too." He nodded at her. She obliged with a little squeak of delight.

"I'm not surprised it tastes good. We made it." She giggled sweetly, and Luke agreed. Slowly shuffling up to her uncles, she held up the brownies for them to take, stating quietly, "For you. Don't eat them all." 

"S-Sure thing!" Leviathan tittered nervously and reached out for one of the sweet treats. He took a bite, eyes going wide and a sweet little smile forming on his face.

"I'll have one." Satan reached for one.

"They look so cute. How could I not try one!" Asmodeus squealed.

"Thank you." You smiled.

Finally, Beelzebub got to have his turn. Seeing the slight glare in Luke's eyes told him he should probably do like the others had and only take one, so he did. He tried to match their pace, one bite at a time. He didn't remember the last time he'd eaten so slowly; it was agonizing. Eventually, he was done.

The little girl frowned at him. Beelzebub's eyebrows pinched. "Is something wrong?"

"Did you not like it?" She frowned a little more.

"I loved it." He nodded.

"Then why did you look so sad eating it?" 

"Your Uncle Beel was trying to be polite by not eating as fast as usual." You rubbed Beel's shoulder again.

"Right!" Satan concurred, "He likes to eat, but he didn't want to finish all the food. Isn't that right, Beel?" 

Beel nodded, but Andromeda's frown was still present. She looked down at the brownies before clicking her tongue with an idea. "Here you go." She held up the tray to him. "I can make more. I don't want you to be sad eating." 

"Do you mean it?" 

"Of course!"

Beel accepted the angel-winged brownies with a smile that could light up a room. "Thank you.”

You smiled fondly at the little girl, but she noticed your eyes and immediately began to stare at you. It was unclear what you should do, but it felt like she was trying to look right through you. The others looked on in increasing bewilderment, aside from Beelzebub, who was enjoying every single brownie.

“You’re like me, aren’t you?”

You swallowed, trying not to betray your immediate thoughts. In typical child fashion, her words were vague but stoked your more profound concern. Mammon wasn’t kidding. Andromeda was a sharp kid. You could only imagine the kind of life she’d had to get there in the first place. “Haha, what do you mean, Andromeda?”

The little girl tilted her head in confusion as though the answer was obvious. “You’re not like Papa or the others. You’re like me.”

Satan traded a quiet look of panic with Asmodeus, clearing his throat to break the tension. “Why don’t we all play a game?”

“R-Right!” Asmodeus chimed in. He looked back at you with a nervous smile. “Maybe you’d like to go check on Mammon and sweet Belphie?”

Luke gently nudged you in the direction where Mammon and Belphie disappeared. “We’ll have a great time, don’t worry!” He glanced at Andromeda from the corner of his eye briefly before looking back at you with a thinly disguised nervous expression.

You could take a hint, but there was no way Andromeda would not find this behavior suspicious. Hopefully, this wouldn’t be a problem. Hopefully. Finding the bathroom in a further hallway, you knock on the door, and it swings open a little. “Mammon, Belphie..? It’s me.”

Two different hands pull you into the bathroom. There was plenty of room for the three of you to stand, maybe even room for a few more people, but that would be a tight fit. Belphegor only raised his eyes to acknowledge you momentarily before his gaze returned to the floor. Looks like he’d restored his human disguise already. He was holding his own arm, expression somewhere between a frown and a scowl.

“Go on, say it.” He grumbled.

“Say what?” You frowned.

“What, do you think I’d scold ya for defending me? Not a chance. Even if it wasn’t actually about me.”

“Give me some credit, that's only half true. Lucifer was out of line. He acts like we're not old enough to face real consequences. We didn't fight that war with him, by his side, for him to keep taking the fall for us."

Mammon fell quiet. It wasn't lost on him that he benefited from Lucifer's meddling on the day to day, considering how much trouble he made. Things were only getting more peaceful in the Devildom. Mammon considered his trouble to be playful mischief, but what he was doing here, this hidden life? This could be seen as a genuine insult. Something worth a more severe punishment.

But he knew that when he decided to become a father.

"You're right. You know what, I think I'm gonna come clean to Lord Diavolo!" 

"Hey hey! Wait a minute, that's not what I— don't be so hasty, Mammon!" Belphegor's posture shot up straight and he waved his hands to get his brother's attention. 

"Chill, I didn't mean right this second! Some stuff's gotta happen first. She deserves to know. But first…you doing okay? Don't think I don't see those tears."

"What of it? For a moment I really thought…" Belphegor dodged Mammon's eye contact. "No, Lucifer hasn't changed. The human sky is still blue. Nothing new there." There was an entire desert of dryness in his tone.

Mammon opened his mouth only to close it again. He held his tongue a moment, eyes tracing over the bathroom floor for the right words.

"How has he not changed?" You cut in. Both of their gazes turned to you and your chest tightened. Swallowing the lump in your throat, you continued. "Even in the short time I've known him, he's become more," You paused to figure out the right word. "Unguarded."

"No no. He's really nice to you." Belphegor wouldn't look you in the eye when he said that.

"Hey, watch it." Mammon tried to interject.

You sighed. "No, he's right Mammon." 

"Like you can talk either, favorite brother." 

"How is that my fault? I didn't ask to be the second oldest, but every day I choose to be your big brother. You can tell me I'm doing a lousy job, but if you think I have any control over how Lucifer feels and acts, you're outta your damn mind."

Belphegor's eyebrows shot up. Water dripped from the shower head into the floor of the bathtub loudly. Drop. Drop. Drop. The nape of your neck prickled with sweat. He folded his arms.

"I haven't slept enough today. Mammon's making sense." He directed his attention at you.

"Belphie, come on." You glared.

"Alriiight. I'm sorry, Mammon." 

He sighed. "Maybe hang with Beel if you're feeling better." Mammon patted his brother on the shoulder. 

“That hour can’t be over soon enough. I’ll see you.” Belphegor stepped outside the room, heading toward the other familiar voices. 

Alone again, it seems. Your head was spinning from keeping all of the information in your mind and having enough room for your loved ones in your heart. You could feel a headache coming along, pinching the bridge of your nose with a sigh. Immediately, Mammon put an arm around your shoulders and tried to pull you close, but you gently interrupted him.

“Mammon, I think I need to be alone for a bit. There are too many emotions in the air. I can feel it double with my pact marks…”

“...” It was obvious from his expression that he felt rejected, but he did his best to swallow the reaction. “Don’t go too far. Wouldn’t want ya getting lost.”

You smile for him. “I’ll be okay, sweet demon. I shouldn’t be too long.”

He blushed at the new nickname, but he was completely happy with it. That gentle reassurance was enough for him to let you go.

---

The air outside was brisk. A welcome change from the house that had gotten hot from all the people, tension, and baking. The rich scent of brownies wafted out from the open windows, as did laughter and boisterous chatter. You find a wall to rest against and fold your arms with a heavy sigh. 

It wasn’t your job to mend all these relationships, but what were you supposed to do when they weren’t getting along? It was almost instinct at this point to insert yourself like a protective barrier, but as much as you were family to all of them, it wasn’t the same. Their relationships were so woven, so twined, and for so long that it was physically impossible for your brain to comprehend the time. They’d allowed you to be a part of their life, but that was just it. This was their life you were in. They were devoted to you, and you just as much to them, but that didn’t come without overwhelming emotions every now and then. You would be able to go back inside eventually, but for right now, you wanted to be alone…

You inhale deeply and try to clear your mind. The exhale that followed was one of relief. With closed eyes, the world around you disappears. 

Chapter Text

The outside air was brisk compared to the heat and tension inside the house. The rich scent of brownies wafted out from the open windows, as did laughter and boisterous chatter. You find a wall to rest against and fold your arms with a heavy sigh. 

It wasn’t your job to mend all these relationships, but what were you supposed to do when they weren’t getting along? It was almost instinct at this point to insert yourself like a protective barrier, but as much as you were family to all of them, it wasn’t the same. Their relationships were so woven, so twined, and for so long that it was physically impossible for your brain to comprehend the amount of time. They’d allowed you to be a part of their life, but that was just it. This was their life you were in. They were devoted to you, and you just as much to them, but that didn’t come without overwhelming emotions now and then. You would go back inside eventually, but you wanted to be alone for a moment.

You inhale deeply and try to clear your mind. The exhale that followed was one of relief. With closed eyes, the world around you disappears. You’re calm again. The breeze shakes up the grass around your feet. There wasn’t much time left before you all needed to go, but you didn’t want to leave as distressed as you had been.

Some time into this peace you find yourself in, another quietly joins you. You’d felt him coming; he was one of the demons you shared a pact with. For a moment, the silence is upheld.

“Wanted some fresh air?” You finally say.

“Needed some fresh air.” He corrected with a soft laugh.

With your eyes open, you greet him with a smile. “Hi, Satan. You didn’t come looking for me, did you?”

“Believe it or not, no. But you know that we’re drawn to you naturally. The pact and all.” He glanced at the mark around your wrist that belonged to him. 

You nod.

“...I’m not disturbing you, am I?” His gaze was gentle as he looked you over. You shake your head.

“I’d just finished calming down, is all. I’m not so much in the mood to talk if that’s okay.” You look at the ground in front of you pensively.

“I’m sure you’re exhausted.” He pardons with a wave. “Let’s just enjoy each other’s company, then.”

You step closer to him, to where your shoulders touch his. Satan was hot compared to the outside chill, but he jumped when he felt you against him, startling you in the process. He draped his jacket over your shoulders. “You’re freezing..! How long have you been out here?”

“...I don’t know.” You hadn’t been paying attention. It felt like time had slowed while you were out here, but you could be mistaken. He shook his head and stayed close to you.

“Maybe you’d like to come inside with me? It’s not good to be exposed for so long, you know. You could catch a cold…” He sounded worried.

You hadn’t meant to worry him, but at the same time… “Could we stay a bit longer? I just want some quiet before we say bye to the others.” You look over at him again with a profound sigh.

He saw a million different things behind your eyes when you looked at him. He could only oblige, especially when you asked him like that. He swallows, “Of course. We should have maybe half an hour or so left. I can keep track of time.”

“Thank you.”

His presence comforted you, especially after what happened in the living room. His breathing was calmer now that he could keep you warm, but it didn’t take him long to notice he had your attention. You said you didn’t want to talk and meant that, but you couldn’t help looking at him now that you’d calmed down.

You wondered if he’d ever felt on the outside of all of this, of his family. Some moments led you to believe so, but the subject hadn’t come up yet between you. 

Satan had never been one to shy away from your attention, but there was something so exposing about your gaze. His face flushed with color the longer he watched you watch him. Eventually, the silence was unbearable, and he caved. 

“U-Um,” He paused to clear his throat. He didn’t break eye contact with you.

“...Can I ask you a question, Satan? You don’t need to answer.” 

“Oh, Diavolo— I thought you’d never ask..! What is it?” He released a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding.

“Do you feel… left out at all?”

“Left out of…” His voice trailed off, and he seemed to understand your meaning as he finished his thought, “Left out of what?”

“Sorry,” You turn away. “That was vague. I meant if you’d ever feel separated from your brothers over the…” You thought of how to phrase this delicately. “The age gap.”  

His eyes widened. It wasn’t any less shocking to hear you say it out loud, even if he’d figured out where your train of thought was. He quickly tried to compose himself. What was it that you really wanted to know? The question wasn’t random; you were trying to reach out for emotional reassurance. The subject was something of a sore one for him, but he wanted to do his best for you. “Of course, I feel it often. But you already knew that, didn’t you? That’s why you asked.”

You nod again. 

“Well, if you want to know…I’ll tell you. But stop me if you need to.” Satan put a hand on your shoulder with a brave smile. With a reassuring squeeze, he began.

“There was a period of time where I was…awake, let us say.” He leaned against the same wall as you, looking up into the sky. “But I hadn’t attained my physical form yet. I was still a part of Lucifer. This is the closest thing I had to a childhood. I remember it like watching a movie through his eyes. I felt all of his feelings and many of my own. It was overwhelming, to say the least. But most of all, I felt his rage. His wrath was what nursed me through my infancy. It justified my existence. 

I was born long ago, during our first year in the Devildom. I also knew my brothers when we still lived under our…creator. But they didn’t know me. They only knew the me that was Lucifer. They say they felt me even then, but that’s hardly the same thing. There are no stories to share from those days that have me in them.” His voice wavered at the end, but he took a breath to steady himself. “But those days were mine.

It feels unfair. But there’s nothing anyone can do about it. If I had been made like the rest of them, maybe I wouldn’t feel this…resentment. I was there like any of them, but I am the only one who really knows that. And I… I can only explain so much to the others. There are limits to their understanding. After all, they got to fight alongside Lucifer for their freedom and be born and reborn as individuals. But I was him, and now I’m me.”

He’s startled out of his monologue by the feeling of your arm around his waist. You squeeze him close with a soft breath. “I appreciate you explaining it to me. Thank you for being you, Satan. I’m grateful.”

All at once, the color is back in his face. How was it that you’d managed to turn the tables on him? Wasn’t he supposed to be reassuring you? Bats erupt in his stomach. “I’m only doing what you’ve asked of me.” He puts his arm around your shoulders. 

“Mm. And I can’t thank you for that?” Your tone is sweet, teasing as you lean closer to his blushing face.

“I’m only doing what you would do.”

“Thank you all the same.” 

You plant a firm kiss on his cheek. Feeling bold, he taps his lips with a finger and a shy smile. You oblige, already feeling in much higher spirits. Just as soft as you remember from the other day… with an internal swoon, you turn your body to face his more directly, leaning in before pulling away. You brush noses with him, pressing your foreheads together. You take a deep breath, and he sighs.

“I could tell you the rest one of these days. If you’re interested.”

“Of course I am! You’re usually pretty guarded about it, and I didn’t want to press you…”

“My love,” He said shyly. He cleared his throat again, “You’re allowed to be curious about me. I can always say no.”

“Would you really?” You raise an eyebrow.

“Please, I am perfectly capable of speaking up for myself.” His tone was displeased, but his body language didn’t change much besides that. He stuck his tongue out at you, “Or did you really think I’d want to please you so badly that I’d become a doormat?” You laughed, and it brought a smile to his face. There was the look he was hoping for. He took one of your hands and squeezed it. “Are you ready to go back in, then?” You nod. There was a renewed warmth in your chest and a sense of ease that followed you as you walked back into the house with Satan.

When you returned inside, Andromeda was already playing with her dad and all her uncles. They were taking turns carrying her, each careful not to drop her. She squealed with delight, saying each of their names when the right uncle held her. Was this a name game? How cute! 

“Can we join in?” Satan got the attention of the others.

Beelzebub had the little girl on his shoulders, and she seemed content to stay there a moment. 

“Mmm.” Andromeda hummed. “Only if you can get me from Uncle Bee!”

“I don’t know if that’s a fair challenge, cherub.” Asmodeus cocks his head to the side. “Uncle Beel is so much bigger than the rest of us, besides your mama.” He laughed.

“I’ll accept your challenge, Andromeda!” You pipe up, getting closer to Beelzebub.

“Eek! Keep awayyyy!” She kicked her feet. Beel obliged and carefully maneuvered around your attempts to get the little girl.

“Beel?”

“Mm?”

“Could I have a turn, please?” You ask nicely.

“Oh, sure.” He plucks her off of his own back and offers her to you. The shock on her face makes you burst out laughing.

“Sorry, little one,” You wipe a laugh tear. “I don’t have to carry you if you don’t want me to.”

“No, that’s okay! I just don’t ‘member your name! Papa has talked a loooooooooooot about you, though.” 

You shoot Mammon an endeared look, and he’s conveniently not looking at you, fake whistling. “Don’t worry, I’ll tell you my name.”

After sharing with the little girl, her eyes lit up, and she kicked her feet excitedly. “Nice to meet ya! You’re a lot less… dreamy in real life. Papa made it seem like you always had sparkles around you!”

“That’s enough, sweetie!” Mammon protests, already embarrassed out of his mind.

You snort. What Mammon had been telling her? You couldn’t even be offended. You were too busy laughing at the implications. “Hopefully, I won’t just be a story anymore, right?”

“Come visit, please!” Andromeda looked out at all of you with a big, great smile. It warmed your heart that she’d warmed up to you all so quickly, all things considered. It helped soothe the tension in the room from before… It seemed like no one could stand to be moody when this ball of sunshine was around. You eventually let her onto your shoulders since Beel had patiently held her in mid-air for the last few minutes.

Your name game would continue for the remainder of the time you all had left, and the Purgatory Hall folks would also be invited to join in. There was merriment in the air, but inevitably, the fun would come to an end. Andromeda knew it was time to wrap up from how adults tended to shift and linger. It always made her laugh; couldn’t they get to the point? 

“Luke! Will you visit?” She bounced on her heels with a great, big smile.

“I’ll try! Maybe Solomon or Simeon can take me when they have work to do!” He looked over to the two, and Simeon nodded with a smile.

“I’m sure that can be arranged. There should be another summit soon, anyhow. It would be good for your training to see us in action. Is that agreeable, Luke, Solomon?”

“That shouldn’t be an issue for me. I’m sure Carmen and Marcel won’t object either.” Solomon agreed, looking down at the young girl with a smile of his own. “We’ll be back, Andromeda.”

“Thanks, Uncle Sol!”

As happy as she’d seemed at the prospect of seeing everyone again, her big smile weakened when she looked over at her father, who knelt to her level. 

“I thought you were gonna stay longer..!” Her little voice wavered. 

“I’m sorry, sweetheart, I need to take care of something back home. But I’ll try to see you real soon, okay?”

She pulled away to look at him and gave him a big nod. “‘kay. You promise?”

His expression wavered a moment. He resisted the urge to glance at his family for an answer. He bit his tongue but agreed, holding out his pinky. “Count on it.” 

She shook pinkies with a discouraged look about her, but she understood. He may never fully explain where he goes, but she knew it must be important for him to be away so often. The scene was hard to watch, but you didn’t look away. You would be back. You would make sure of it. Somehow! 

“I’m gonna get her to bed. Would you all get everything else together?” Mammon looked to you and his brothers, who all nodded or affirmed him quietly. He scooped her up in his arms and disappeared upstairs.

Solomon left to go assist Carmen with the circle, demeanor not changing. While the brothers were talking amongst themselves, separating into pockets based on what had happened earlier, you stepped over to observe the circle preparation and take a break from what had just happened. While you weren’t nearly as practiced as Solomon the Wise, at least you understood some of what was being written. 

Solomon may have been the first to notice you, but Carmen was the first to address you. He looked you up and down again, taking a second to really study your features. There was a bit of a skeptical look about Carmen, as if he was trying to size you up. But when she spoke, her tone was graceful and welcoming, even despite her being covered in dust and rubble from cleaning up this area enough to transport you all. 

“So you’re the human I’ve heard so much about.” Carmen tilted his head, voice smooth and sweet. “Tell me, how on Earth are you faring down there?”

“Oh, you know.” You wave a hand dismissively. “I’ve made myself comfortable.” You rub your arm, not looking at her.

“That’s one way to put it. Would you help us clean up a bit? While y’all were hanging out in my house, I’ve been trying to clear up this rubble.” He wiped some sweat from his brow.

“Right, s-sorry!” You immediately look around for a broom or something to help clean up with.

“I’m teasing.” He laughs again. “Oh, not that one! That’s my riding broom, get the other one.” 

“Of course.” You shake your head. “Why are we sweeping, anyway?”

“I would say to try a spell, but it’s important that the area doesn’t have any residual magic when we draw the circle. I don’t want any more teleportation mishaps.”  She got back to cleaning her section, and you did the same.

“...So you’ve had a long day, then?” Solomon addressed you. 

“Mm.” You kept sweeping. 

“What are your plans this evening?”

“Sleeping. Maybe reading until I fall asleep.”

“Sounds like a good day for it. I hope your rest is fruitful.”

You smile at him, careful to mind him and Carmen as you sweep. You would have asked for more help, but you had a feeling that crowding the room while they put down a transportation circle was just asking for trouble, especially considering what Carmen just said. The Princes could release their magical energy at any moment with the right trigger; trying anything while tensions were high wouldn’t be a good idea. Better to coast this out and get home without further incident. Who knows what would be waiting for you when you got back…

The thought sent a shiver down your spine. Solomon offered you something to chew on, but for your nerves, he said. 

“Make sure to spit it all out.”

“What happens if I don’t?”

“The concentration on that is really strong,” Carmen interjected. “If you swallow a little, you’ll likely be chilled out for one, maybe two days. That’s the only side effect.”

“What do you mean, ‘chilled out’?”

“Any stress you may have is dampened. If stress is high, it comes down to a normal amount. From normal to completely zen.” Solomon elaborated.

Huh. Swallowing it didn’t sound so bad, honestly.

You examine the herb curiously before looking up at the two. Surely it couldn’t hurt to relax after the day you’d had? You’d be going to bed soon anyway. You pop the sprig in your mouth and chew, making a face at the bitter, spicy flavor but making sure not to swallow any. It eventually became something more like a wad of gum, which was easier to avoid swallowing by mistake. How wonderful!

You thank the two of them and ask Solomon to tell you more about the herb another time. Was this the secret to his seemingly calm and distant, secretive attitude? He certainly was a mysterious guy. Never could get a good read on him. But you trusted him enough not to harm you in such an obvious way.

The effect is quick. The soothing waves wash over your tired body. You were more awake and attentive, but your vigilance didn’t carry the same weight in your body as usual. The taste eventually grows on you.

When the others finally entered the room to leave, the brothers seemed a bit more settled, maybe in a bad way. Simeon and Luke were certainly aware of the tensions but seemed content to ignore them for now, as did Solomon and Carmen. 

“Human!” She called. You perk up from putting the broom back where you found it. “Care to do the honors? You know how to send yourself through simultaneously, don't you?” 

“Yes, I can manage! I'll be relying on your support, though.” You nod, positioning yourself in the center of the circle.

“Safe travels!” Andrés waves you all off.

With a loud clap of your hands, the circle ignites in a dim glow, and your runes light up a deep amber color. A warmth washes over you and the rest of the room. Carmen kneels to the outer rim, slamming her hands down just shy of the writing. The circle erupts in a bright, shimmering light, cloaking the whole room and finally sending you back to the Devildom. 

The specific incantation that Carmen used made it so that you traveled straight to your destination with no travel time required. It was almost startling how quickly you'd arrived— you immediately knew you were home by the familiar moonlight greeting you, as well as the thicker air.

Carmen sent you all to the area outside the House of Lamentation. The Purgatory Hall residents went their separate ways for the evening, bidding their farewells.

Tomorrow was another day. You couldn't wait for today to finally end. You wouldn't even mind skipping the usual family dinner tonight, though you definitely couldn’t get away with that. 

Dinner was awkward. No one attempted to converse at the whole table, but the brothers were content to talk in their pods as they had been earlier that evening. That being said, though, everyone was cordial with each other. Mammon was the chattiest by far, keeping spirits animated as best he could by being his usual goofy self. Lucifer barely said a word. His posture was tense, his shoulders were back, and his eyes never strayed from his plate too long. He only spoke enough to keep up light conversation with Beelzebub, who sat not too far away from him. 

Belphegor was wide awake for once and very grouchy. His gaze shifted around the table lazily. He didn’t even bother pretending to hold a conversation. He was the first to leave. When he tucked his chair under the table, it made a horrible screech. Lucifer didn’t move to stop him. 

You all needed sleep. Right. Sleep would help. Wouldn’t it? 

Asmodeus left the table shortly after Belphegor, excusing himself quietly and gracefully.

You were next. “Good night, everyone. I’m gonna freshen up before I go to bed.”

The remaining brothers wished you a good night. You were left alone for once. At least no one showed up at your room. You did get quite a few texts, however. You kept it all short, saying you’d rather talk tomorrow, and then you were really left alone.

You were seeing thousands of years of sibling dynamics blowing up all at once. It was so much bigger than you. You didn’t like it when they fought. Tonight, however, you didn’t fuss.

Something told you it would work out.

。

。

。

The moonlight filtered in through your window, the light shimmering brilliantly to your eyes. Your body was stiff, and stretching couldn't alleviate the tension. You checked your phone—  You had enough time to bathe before breakfast! The only person who would be awake right now was Beel, maybe Lucifer. 

You pass the name board and walk into the large bathroom. It didn’t seem like anyone was in here, so you continued further in. Rounding the corner, you bump right into someone! It was like running face first into a wall—! 

“Sorry! I should have checked the board before coming in.”

“No worries.” 

It’s Beel! A quick glance told you he was in his towel and nothing else. You kept your eyes on his.

“I can always come back later; I mean, you were here first, and I don’t want to take up your time—”

He shook his head. “You can stay if you want. I don’t mind.”  

That didn’t surprise you. But do you mind? You did want to take a bath, and you trusted Beel…

“I’ll stay. Don’t feel like you have to look away from me, either.” You gave him permission. “I reserve the right to change my mind, though.”

You were both adults. This was one way to get to know someone better.

“Of course.” He nods. “I’ll turn the heat down to something safer for your skin.”

“Thank you.” You smile. “I’ll go get ready then.”

Beelzebub passed you, and while you got undressed and prewashed, he waded into the water, towel around his shoulders, to go turn the cold water up so it distributed in the bathwater. His ears perked up when he heard your footsteps, and he glanced at you from over his shoulder but instinctively looked back to the tap. After some time, he gave you the okay. 

You step into the bath cautiously, but you sink in happily after feeling the pleasantly hot water. “Thanks, Beel.”

“Mhm.” 

The bath was large, so you didn’t need to sit close. But you wanted to. Beelzebub’s shoulders scrunched up slightly as you approached, but he relaxed once you settled on a comfortable distance. You leaned back against the bath wall, sighing sweetly as you sank into the water, letting it soothe your body. You talked lightly with Beel about his morning workout, and he was happy to tell you all about it. There was a lull, however. He looked you over for a moment before starting to speak.

“Are you okay? Yesterday was…”

“I feel pretty normal. How are you doing?”

He curled in on himself. “I don’t like how separate everyone feels.”

“Me neither.” You pull your knees close to your chest. The moving water caught his attention, but he didn’t look at you long. “That fight Belphie and Lucifer had…”

“They never really made up,” Beel confirmed your concerns. “For the attic.”

“And then Asmo…”

“He only said what the rest of us were thinking.” He shook his head. “None of us want anything to happen to Lucifer. He already lost his—” Beel cut himself off, eyes suddenly wide. 

You stare at him directly now, tilting your head to the side. “Let me guess. Family secret?”

“It's not that you're not family, Lucifer doesn’t… You should hear it from him first. I'm sorry.” 

“Don't worry. I know.” You ease up on your gaze. “He doesn't hesitate to sacrifice anything for you all, does he?”

“No. He would never tell us if we asked directly, so the others don’t think to ask him.” 

“Why haven't you?”

“Maybe I will. I don’t know if he’ll budge.”

You hold Beel’s arm. He rests his head against you. Besides the sound of the water rushing into the bath, there’s no sound between the two of you.

“You have a really big heart, Beel.” You look over at him.

“I guess I do, it’s bigger than average to—”

You snort. “Your emotional heart.”

“Oh! Oh. Thank you.” He beamed, cheeks rosy.

“Wait, you have a big heart?”

“Weren’t you just telling me about it?”

“No, no, your physical heart!”

“It is! Barbatos said it’s bigger because I’m bigger, and my body needs the extra muscle to pump my blood.”

“Woah. Can I feel?”

“Go for it.”

He turns to face you, and you rest your hand on his chest. His heartbeat was powerful and a bit fast. You look from his chest to his face; his eyes are already on yours. His expression is a bit shifty, his gaze intense as he studies you. 

“What is it, Beel?”

“Were you going to say more about my heart?”

“I can.” You smile and lean in close. “Did you want me to?”

“Mm.”

You draw your hand down his chest. He shivers. You giggle. 

“I love how you love, Beel. People, food, sports… your family. You can’t get enough. You put your whole heart into it. It’s like you’re glutinous for love and the things that you love.”

“You forgot something.”

“Mm?”

“I can’t get enough of you, either.”

“Is that right?”

“See for yourself.”

----

By the time you showed up to breakfast, most of the others were already seated at the table. Asmodeus raised an eyebrow at your fashion choice. You’d been in a rush before, but you’d never worn your shirt inside out before. Satan raised an eyebrow at Beelzebub’s tardiness. He was never late to breakfast. Never. Beelzebub sat beside Belphegor like he always did, refreshed after his morning exercise and bath with you. Likewise, you were walking on air with a glow about you, your skin refreshed by the steam and hot water. You felt great after talking with Beel, but walking into the room with the other brothers reminded you of what it was you were worried about in the first place. Same pods as yesterday. Belphegor was happy to see both of you, but he did have a bit of a questioning gaze as you crossed his path to sit in your usual seat.

“What are your plans for the day?” Satan asks you. Your D.D.D. buzzed for your attention, and you looked down.

“I guess I’m going to the Demon Lord’s Castle today?”

You could hear a pin drop. 

“Barbatos and Lord Diavolo invited me for tea.”

Deep sighs around the table.

“Mammon, when are you planning to confess?” Lucifer folded his arms. “I would accompany you, of course, to provide the necessary context.”

“Woah, hey! It’s like 9 in the morning!” Mammon put his hands up. “We just got home! I haven’t had time to think it over yet, damn!”

“Is it really okay for you to go by yourself like that?” Belphegor shook his head. “They asked for just you?”

“Just me.” You confirmed. 

“It’s not like this is out of the ordinary.” Satan said.

Leviathan looked up from his D.D.D. for a moment. “Yeah, you go over there pretty often. Just feels too convenient considering the niece in the — not in the room.” 

“Hey.” Mammon shot him a look.

“What? She’s not here.”

“I wonder…” Asmodeus began. “Would she ever be able to visit?”

“One step at a time.” Lucifer cut in. 

“I think we should all be there when he tells Lord Diavolo.” Beel swallowed his bite. “To support Mammon. Would he be so mad if it was all of us at once?”

“That did actually work last time.” Leviathan nodded.

“Well, the problem was that Belphie was going directly against Lord Diavolo’s vision, right? I’d say the opposite is true here!” Asmodeus cooed. “Shouldn’t he be overjoyed that we have a human niece?”

“Seems plenty harmonious to me.” Satan agreed. “Maybe we ought to play it straight.”

Lucifer hummed. “Any further deceit is unnecessary and would certainly be punished. One thing, though.” He turned his attention to you. “You would do well to keep quiet about this until we’ve arranged a formal visit with Lord Diavolo. But try to enjoy yourself.”

“What should I do if they ask me questions?”

“Oh, easy,” Belphegor yawned. “Barbatos is too sharp to be lied to. So don’t lie.” 

。

。

。

You’d decided against anyone escorting you to the castle, but they all insisted you kept your D.D.D. handy in case of an emergency. As you gazed upon the castle’s exterior, you were reminded of its haunting beauty all over again. It was relatively empty for how big it was. Had it always been so empty? With the moon as your guide, you pass through the gates and inside the castle.

Barbatos was the first to receive you, with no young master in sight.

“Good morning, Barbatos!” You smiled warmly at him.

“Good morning. Feel free to leave your shoes at the door once I take your jacket.” 

His expression was as metered as it always was. You’d long since grown accustomed to the occasional anxiety you felt around Barbatos. He was always polite and cordial, but that was part of the problem; his behavior was so flawless that it made him impossible to read.

“Where’s Lord Diavolo? Is he still joining us for tea?” You stepped out of your shoes and into slippers, following Barbatos further into the castle.

“The Young Master is preoccupied with something at the moment and has requested that I keep you company in the meantime.”

“Oh.” You were alone with him? “That’s no problem. I was hoping to bend your ear about something anyway, Barbatos!”

“Is that so?” He raised an eyebrow. “In that case, allow me to pour your tea while I answer your inquiry.” 

The table had already been set for three when you sat down. Steam rose out of the spout of the teapot, and the aroma was flowery and spicy at the same time. The tea pastries seemed to pair well at a glance. When Barbatos filled your cup, the aroma hit you threefold. 

“What kind of tea is this?” You took a deep, steadying breath.

“Fairyroot. It’s quite rare in the Devildom.”

“Wasn’t fairyroot an invasive species?” You remembered hearing something about it in your botany class.

“Correct. The Young Master has a bounty out for it, and all collected samples come here, where we process them into tea. I hope it’s to your liking. I’ve made sure to neutralize any magical side effects, of course, so it’s perfectly safe for consumption.”

You blow gently into your cup and eventually have a sip. “That’s delicious! Did you add sugar?”

“No, that’s the natural flavor. I’m happy you enjoy it.” Barbatos smiles.

“Are you not having any? I see the table is set for three.”

“It is customary for me to pour my cup last.”

You quirk your lips to the side, humming until an idea strikes you. “Would it be alright if I poured your cup then?”

“Pardon?”

“Sit down. Let me wait on you, Barbatos.” You gently insist with a smile on your face.

He blinks, shaking his head a moment before obliging you. You stand and take his place, assuming his role. He seems weary the whole time you’re standing over him. As you reach for the teapot, his eyes are glued to your every movement, his scrutiny on full display. You shiver under his gaze, laughing weakly as you proceed.

“Um, would you like to say something? You’re making me nervous.” Your face and ears feel very warm.

“Oh! I apologize. I’m not accustomed to being waited on unless it’s for teaching purposes.”

“Would you rather be my teacher, then?”

“In that case,” Barbatos had you reset and immediately rattled off a list of things you’d done wrong already. Angle, posture, disposition, height of the teapot…it went on. His voice was so gentle despite the sheer volume of corrections, but you could tell he was holding back in the tone department. You could only imagine what No. 2 and the others had been through. 

“What was it you wanted to ask me, then?” Barbatos asked as if only just remembering.

“Do I have permission to speak, M-Master Barbatos?” Your voice was shaky, unsure if this was still part of training.

Barbatos’ face cracked into a small smirk before he began to laugh more than you’d seen him laugh before.

“My apologies for laughing. You’ve caught me off guard. Please, relax. Return to your seat. You’ve done enough.”

You nod and set the teapot down, getting back to your warm cup of tea with a sigh and a relieved laugh. His laugh was cute. You thought he could stand to laugh more.

“Right, so I wanted to ask you about the research you do. I read some of your book about demon physiology and was curious about what else you’ve studied. How much time do you have between all of your responsibilities?” You laughed.

“I see why you would be curious, but don’t be mistaken. I don’t have that much free time. I’ve simply lived a long enough life to have acquired all of this knowledge with some investigation.” He crossed one leg over the other, sitting back in his seat.

“Huh. That makes sense.” You sighed.

“What, were you hoping to become an apprentice of mine?”

“Not exactly.” You perk up. “Wait, you’ve had apprentices before?”

“They never did last very long.” The warmth left his eyes in an instant.

“No need to frighten our guest, Barbatos!” Lord Diavolo makes a big open gesture with his arms, laughing heartily. 

“Young Master! Allow me to pour your tea right away. Please, have a seat.”

“Thank you.” Diavolo sits down in the other empty seat, leaning forward to speak to you. “Do I have it right that you want Barbatos as a private instructor?”

“Well, no, but—“

“If I may,” He cut in, “I fear it would distract from more important responsibilities of mine, my Lord.” Barbatos set the kettle down, still hovering over the table. “And there would be no one to take my place in them.”

“I understand the concern, Barbatos.” Lord Diavolo nodded. “We can make it work if that’s the only issue.”

“Excuse me!” You finally get their attention.

“How rude of us, please go on!” Lord Diavolo apologized. 

“I was actually hoping to spend more time with the both of you.” You nod with a big smile.

“How charming!” Lord Diavolo’s face brightened so much you thought his eyes might even be glowing. “I would be happy to accommodate. Regrettably, I cannot make any promises. There’s always more to do around here.” He gave a strained laugh into his drink.

Barbatos buckled, but he recovered back to neutral quickly. “Pardon me for asking, but what prompted this change of heart?”

You chew on the inside of your cheek. “I’d like to not be so afraid of you.”