Chapter Text
“Asmo, when I said you could help me pack, I didn't mean by adding things into the suitcase,” you exhale a breath after the exasperated statement, pressing as much of your weight as you can with your elbows on to the top flap of the bulging luggage. Its rough fabric didn't help much in terms of how comfortable this position is, either— knowing the fifth-born brother beside you, his attention completely honed in on forcing the zippers beneath you shut, he'll likely make you apply lotion or some other soothing product to the joints later. That's just who Asmodeus is, you've come to learn over the time you've known him: impossibly attentive to detail and unwilling to look over a single one. It would be impressive if you weren't so annoyed with how forceful he can be because of it.
“Just push a little harder, darling, I promise I just need a little more!” Asmodeus coaches you with enthusiasm, hoping that perhaps his positivity will spur you further into helping him zip up the suitcase besides just lying there like a log over it. “I'm telling you, everything I put in there was completely necessary— the weather up there is absolutely dreadful right now! You can't possibly go there without them.”
“Without three pairs of rain boots, Asmo?” You ask, quirking an eyebrow in the Avatar's direction.
“One to wear, one just in case, and one in case the first doesn't match the outfit you wanna go out in~” He explains, releasing his hold on the tiny zippers to display three fingers in front of you. He waves them dramatically. “Hehe, I stole the ‘Three Rule’ thingy from Levi. I think it's quite smart, don't you?”
You want to point out how those last two uses could go towards a single pair of boots, but you refrain— seeing his smug yet excited expression makes you hold your tongue. You wouldn't want to douse his enthusiasm like how the rain is currently drowning the location in the human world you had plans on going to. You had originally wished to return to your home world at a later time, when the weather was much more amicable to drive around or even walk in— not to mention, the seven brothers you'd come to love would have very much appreciated the extra time with you— but unfortunately, Lucifer had accelerated your plans. He made the argument of not delaying the inevitable, insinuating that any work you had to get done in the human world must be taken care of in order for you to live comfortably wherever you'd like, including in the Devildom alongside their demon kind. You couldn't exactly argue with his point, as is true of the majority of the points Lucifer makes, and so you reluctantly agreed to leave sooner than you'd originally liked.
“Yoo-hoo. Hey, are you listening?”
You blink, finding yourself returning to reality with a now shut tight piece of luggage underneath you. You stand back upright with a sigh, patting it down with the flat of your hand to ensure that it wouldn't even threaten to pop open again before lifting your gaze up and joining with the demon's honey-colored one. “Sorry, zoned out there for a moment,” you hand him an apologetic smile before continuing. “You always take such good care of me. Maybe even too good, arguably.”
“No such thing, hon.” Asmodeus's lips curl into a cheery smile, and he clasps his hands together in front of him as if to congratulate the two well done on finally zipping up the luggage in between them. “Everyone needs to be taken care of at least sometimes. Besides~ you're you.”
“I'm... me?”
“You're you!” He echoes, his voice laced with more excitement the second time around. “You know, our beloved human who loves each and every one of us— with me being in first place, definitely— but doesn't have enough love for themself. You of all people need the extra care.”
You don't know whether to be offended or heartened by his observation. You totally had love for yourself! ... At least, a little bit. Sure, you couldn't even count on one hand the amount of situations where your self-confidence had hit rock bottom, but at least you weren't as bad as Leviathan was. Your hesitation in your thoughts stops you from retorting against him; besides, it isn't as if anyone could compete with Asmodeus's love for himself. It had at first come off as exceedingly vain and self-centered of him, especially when half of his off-handed comments in conversations derailed the whole thing to be about him, but with a little more time and experience? You'd seen a little more of the actual Asmodeus: not the one tastefully covered in makeup or distractingly dazzling clothes, but the demon inside that showcase instead. Asmodeus is somebody with a large heart connected to an endless source of appreciation and support, and having him on your side has shown just how loving he can really be. Hanging out with him often times turns out to be rejuvenating and sweet, a welcome difference from the majority of his brothers with their weird and wild antics. The most Asmodeus had forced you to do was go shopping with him, which to be fair was quite the task in and of itself, but at least there was little risk of angering Lucifer compared to, say, any prank orchestrated by the Anti-Lucifer league.
“Sure, I'm me,” you decide to say instead of arguing, a laugh bouncing your shoulders up and down. “And you can be you.”
“How lucky of us, we get to be the two best people in all the worlds~!”
“Haha! Yeah, yeah— now come on! Help me roll this outside, will you? You're the one who added more weight to this, so you can carry it.”
“Hey, don't body-shame the poor suitcase!” He jokes, his own laugh chiming like bells as he drags the luggage off of your bed, pressing a button and pulling up its handle so that it can be wheeled around instead. “That wasn't even that heavy, hon,” he tells you, a smug look on his face.
“Okay, Mister Demon Strength,” you exhale a lighthearted scoff. “Why are you dragging it, then?”
“Because that's how everyone does it in the movies! Carrying some luggage around with the small handle makes you look way less flattering than having it roll behind you, you know. That way, you and I can even take pictures with it, and it'll have the airport aesthetic and everything~
“Asmo, we aren't even going to an airport,” you interject. “It's a direct portal there. And even without that— why are you planning on taking pictures with my suitcase, anyhow?”
“For Devilgram,” he answers rather simply, as if those two words provided all of the explanation you needed. You let the topic be with a shake of your head, moving to smooth out the wrinkled covers on your bed from where the luggage had sat before moving to grab its long handle, wheeling it away from the fifth-born avatar.
“Come on, if we keep going back and forth like this then I'll never get to the human world.”
“Ah...” His good mood subsides a bit with your words. “...What if that's my plan?” He asks, giving you a hopeful look.
“Asmo...” you stop in your tracks, the suitcase forgotten for a moment as you stand in front of him. “Don't make me all sad, I haven't even left yet.”
“Hehe, sorry. Just trying to make light of it,” he tells you with a nod, toning down his playful nature a bit to put a hand on your shoulder. “I really am going to miss you.”
“I'll be back before you know it, I promise. I'll try my best to call you every day, and as soon as I get the chance, I'll even summon you there,” you assure him, lifting a hand up to put it atop his. “It may be wishful thinking, but who knows? Maybe both of our schedules will clear up at some point.”
Asmodeus lets a long, drawn out sigh escape his painted lips. “Goodness... I still can't believe all of the extra work RAD is giving us. You're so lucky to be in the exchange program, seriously... less expectations, months to years off at a time; you can practically go to school whenever you'd like!”
You laugh at his half-hearted complaints, a smile stretching across your face. “You're adorable when you complain.”
“Excuse me! I'm always adorable!” He retorts with a huff, turning away for just a moment before his acting softens, his face morphing into a kinder one. “In any case, be sure not to work yourself too much either, alright babe? Try and have fun while you're up there.”
“I will,” you nod, your teasing smile warming up at the kind words. It isn't like you had completely cut ties off with the human world— you had family to take care of and friends to catch up with— and so you needed to see them at least every few months or so, if only to keep appearances and not be deemed as a missing person. With those who weren't as close with you, it was easy to simply tell them that you spent the majority of your time traveling to other places, but with family? It was... a different story. Honestly, you weren't sure just how you managed it. Some thought you were away at college, others convinced that you were just a shut-in who never came out to parties or get-togethers... others, you had no choice but to tell the truth to. They were trustworthy, though, so you knew it would be okay as long as they didn't say anything to anyone.
“That's good,” Asmodeus says, cutting off your thoughts with the sound of his voice. “Oh, but don't have too much fun without me, okay darling? If you're staying out late, then be sure to do your skincare routine afterwards no matter how tired you are. Oh, and NEVER go to bed with makeup on! It's bad for both you and your poor pillow.”
“Okay, okay!” You exhale, your cheeks tightening. Your hand removes itself from Asmodeus's own to instead latch itself around his neck, pulling him in for a hug. “Thank you, Asmo. Both for helping me here and just caring about me in general,” you specify, hoping your gratitude showed enough with the embrace.
“Hey now...” He trails off, remaining still for a moment before returning the gesture with twice as much energy. His arms wrap around and latch to your back, and he presses you to his body whilst rocking the two of you around for a bit. “You never need to thank me for loving you,” he tells you, his voice calmer than normal. “I do it willingly because I love you, and because I— love loving you!” He giggles at the weird string of words. “Now, let's get you over to Barbatos so he can get that portal open for you, okay?”
You know you should nod, or affirm his words to some degree, but... you instead still yourself, only tightening the embrace between you two. “Just a few minutes more,” you tell him, burying your face into him and shutting your eyes. You inhale his scent, flowery thanks to one of his many perfumes, and feel your sadness lessen just a bit. “Just a few,” you repeat, telling yourself more than the demon before you. At some point, you'd have to let go. But before then...
“... Alright. A few minutes it is,” he mutters, stacking his chin on your shoulder as the two of you remain standing there. The luggage remains abandoned for now, both of your attentions focused solely on each other. Soon, this wouldn't be so easy to do, to just fall into each other's arms whenever it's convenient or when one of you needed cheering up. All that you'll be met with is air, and the memory that once warmed your body just as much as it will warm your heart thinking about it.