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You’re standing in the dining room, trying to decide if you want any more food, when there’s suddenly a hand on the small of your back. You flinch and swivel around, only to find Asmodeus smiling at you. The Avatar of Lust greets you and the two of you quickly fall into conversation.
“I was hoping I could test out those products I was telling you about...?” Asmodeus eventually asks, once the conversation had begun to fade. You sigh, remembering your talk with him from a few days prior. Asmodeus had been complaining about not having anyone to put cosmetic products on and you foolishly offered your assistance. You didn’t think he’d actually take you up on it. Ah, well. You did promise him, after all...
“Alright,” you agree. Asmodeus claps his hands together and shepherds you off towards his room. In the blink of an eye, you’re seated in front of his rather large mirror and makeup collection. There’s a devilish gleam in the demon’s eyes. You begin to regret agreeing to this, especially once you see all the medieval-looking devices strewn about.
“What’s that?” you can’t help but ask, as you stare at a long object with strange bristles on it. It’s almost reminiscent of a makeup brush, but it looks far too sharp and dangerous.
“A makeup brush,” Asmodeus replies in amusement, confirming your suspicions. You frown and continue to look around the space, pointing out random objects that you want to know the identities of. Eventually, you come across a flat metal piece that has a power cord extending from it. It looks out of place amidst the rest of the supplies and materials.
“And what’s that?” you decide to ask, pointing at the metal piece. Asmodeus follows your hand and he looks askance. The Avatar of Lust almost looks ashamed. Your heart rate begins to pick up. Why does Asmodeus look guilty?
“A portable grill for cooking humans,” the demon responds, suddenly entirely unable to meet your eyes. Your heart is hammering in your ears now. A grill for cooking humans?! Surely that can’t be what it is. There’s nothing but calm composure on Asmodeus’s face, however.
“Is it really?” you grimace, thoroughly rattled. You look to Asmodeus in the mirror. He takes a deep breath and you mentally prepare yourself for the justification and excuses.
“Of course not,” Asmodeus laughs, his troubled demeanor shattering in an instant. You’re immediately hit with a wave of relief. “You should’ve seen the look on your face!”
“Very funny,” you frown.
“Darling, don’t frown too much—you’ll get wrinkles on that beautiful skin,” he chastises you. “Now, let’s see... I triple-checked to make sure these are all human-friendly, so you should be good to go!” There’s an apprehensive expression on the demon’s face and you shake your head at him.
“Go crazy, Asmo,” you say with a casual wave of your hand. The Avatar of Lust’s face lights up. He tilts his head, as if to question your sincerity. “It’s fine. Do whatever you want.” There’s a devilish grin on his face now. You roll your eyes fondly.
It’s nice to have time like this, you begin to realize. You feel as if you rarely get to spend time with Asmodeus on his own. The two of you talk about everything from your adjustment to the Devildom to Asmodeus’s rather amusing stories of his brothers. It’s nice to have someone to vent to about how annoying Lucifer’s tasks are, or how weird demon food tastes. You do a hell of a lot of venting but, thankfully, Asmodeus doesn’t seem annoyed by it. In fact, he’s a great listener.
Still, you begin to feel a bit self conscious about how much you’re talking about yourself. “Anyway. What’s on your mind?” Asmodeus frowns as he’s lining something under your eyes. He’s quiet for a moment as he continues, until he’s finished with the makeup. The Avatar of Lust takes a step back and evidently contemplates the question.
“I’m starting to think that people just pretend to like me because I’m decently attractive.” Holy shit, that came out of nowhere. You blink once, twice. It takes you a moment to process that statement, to determine if you actually heard it or if you just imagined it. There’s so much wrong with that claim... Not to mention, decently attractive is the biggest understatement you’ve ever heard.
“Are you alright?” You bite your lip at him and look at him in the mirror. Asmodeus smiles as he continues to busy himself with gathering supplies. The smile looks forced, almost painful. “You always seem so confident, but...”
“For most people, confidence is a front, a mask,” Asmodeus remarks lightly. The statement is vague enough, but there’s a hint of an uncharacteristic emotion in the demon’s expression. You take a slow breath in and try to decide what to say next.
“Is it a mask for you, too?” Asmodeus doesn’t say anything. You sigh. “That’s sad,” you whisper. You think back to all the times Asmodeus displayed boundless energy and limitless happiness, even in moments of stress and strife. You had thought him to be unaffected by things. It seems you were wrong.
“I didn’t realize it was that sad,” Asmodeus answers, blinking at you. You immediately feel guilty for saying so. You’re about to apologize when he interrupts you. “I’m just joking, darling.” His smile looks a bit more relaxed, but his shoulders are still tight with tension.
“I’m just surprised,” you admit. Asmodeus raises his eyebrows and gestures for you to continue speaking. You’re not even sure of what he’s doing to your face anymore. He tilts your chin up and you look up to the ceiling, trying to remember what you wanted to say. “You always seem like you have it all together.”
“Ha, well,” Asmodeus breaks off, momentarily pausing in the makeup application to glance at your face. You blink at him and he shakes his head, putting the item in his hand back on the counter. “Good to know I’m a skilled actor.”
That breaks your heart right in two. The thought of Asmodeus putting on a happy, confident face even when he’s suffering makes you want to cry. There’s a sudden burning feeling in your throat. Before you can quite recognize what you’re doing, you’re getting up from your chair. You turn around and throw your arms around the demon in a fit of spontaneity. Asmodeus stiffens and freezes, clearly not expecting the gesture.
“I think you’re pretty great,” you murmur, closing your eyes and hoping the demon’s unmoving stature speaks to his surprise, not fear. Asmodeus inhales sharply in a hitching breath that hits your neck. He lunges forward and wraps his arms around you. His grip is tight but reassuring. You tug him a little closer and the demon presses his face into your shoulder.
“Thank you,” Asmodeus whispers into the crook of your shoulder. His hands are shaking as they grasp the back of your shirt. It’s as if he’s afraid of letting you go, afraid of letting you slip away from him. You put a hand to the nape of his neck in what you hope to be a reassuring gesture.
For a long while, the two of you stay like that- embracing each other tightly. After an immeasurable amount of time, Asmodeus breaks away from you. You release your grip and let him take a small step backwards. Upon closer examination, it seems he was crying. There are tear stains on his cheeks and his lips are quivering.
“I’m sorry you have to see me like this,” Asmodeus murmurs, glancing askance. You shake your head at him immediately, wanting to disprove the assumption. Ironically, he looks just as pretty with glassy eyes and tear-stained cheeks as he does any time else. You have to take a moment to refocus.
“I’m not sorry,” you murmur, scratching at your arm for a moment before looking up at him once more. “We all just need to let it out, sometimes. It’s not healthy to keep everything bottled up.”
“I suppose,” Asmodeus remarks. The Avatar of Lust is clearly not convinced. You want to argue with him, but you know that Asmodeus can be extremely stubborn and headstrong on occasion. The demon looks rather uncomfortable now. “Shall we?” Asmodeus asks, gesturing back to the makeup booth. You want to ask him more questions, but he evidently wants to change the subject. You nod in response and let him lead you back to sit, rolling your eyes when he gently takes your hand as if you're a royal.
“I didn’t mess it up, did I?” you ask, looking at your face in the mirror. You hope you didn’t ruin all the work Asmodeus did.
“What a silly question,” Asmodeus shakes his head at you. “You didn’t mess anything up.” That second statement feels more weighty and all-encompassing. It feels as if he’s reassuring you for your actions earlier—for throwing your arms around him when the words wouldn’t come out right.
After a while, it seems Asmodeus is finished, as he clasp his hands together and grins widely. You try to take a look at yourself in the mirror, but he is quick to block your view with his hands.
“Can I look now?” you ask nicely, refusing to admit that the anticipation is starting to get to you. You try to push Asmodeus’s hands away, but he doesn’t budge. He lets out a chuckle at your effort.
“Hm... nope,” the demon responds. You can’t see the expression on his face, but you can assume he’s smiling mischievously. “What’s the magic word?” Sure enough, his next words are spoken with amusement.
“Please?” you ask uncertainly.
“That wasn’t it,” the demon sighs. “But I’m nothing if not charitable.” Asmodeus dramatically removes his hands from where they’re hovering over your face. You look at yourself in the mirror, surprised to find that you look almost exactly the same. You squint at your reflection and lean a little closer.
“Um, I can’t really see it...” you admit with a grimace, waiting for Asmodeus to berate you for not knowing the difference. The demon blinks at you a few times, confused. Maybe your human eyes aren’t able to see it?
“You thought it was makeup,” Asmodeus states aloud, before you can begin to ask something else. The demon shakes his head in disbelief. “Oh, sweetheart, you don’t need makeup! Although, I am a sucker for a good winged eyeliner.... I just used some skincare products. We can save makeup for another time.” The demon’s eyes light up with excitement at that last statement.
“Oh,” you respond, bringing a hand up to your cheek. Sure enough, the skin is surprisingly soft. You look in the mirror once more, only to realize that any blemishes are entirely gone. Your skin looks incredibly smooth. “Thanks, Asmo.” You smile at him.
“Of course!” Asmodeus is quick to respond. He looks pleased with himself, as he looks at your reflection in the mirror. His gaze feels particularly intense and heated, and you avert your eyes with the sudden pressure of it. “This was terribly fun; we should do it again some time.”
“Definitely,” you nod in agreement. Of course, your DDD chooses to ping at that very moment. You pull it out of your pocket and open it up, only to find a message from Lucifer. You read through it, realizing that he’s requesting your presence. You glance up at Asmodeus, only to find that he’s smiling softly at you.
“Duty calls, hm?” he asks. You nod regretfully. Asmodeus’s smile flickers for a fraction of a second. You think you see disappointment etched into his features but, the moment you recognize it, the expression is gone. Asmodeus smiles once more. “I wish I could keep you here forever, but alas, you have things to do—and I do, too!”
“Thanks again, Asmo,” you say as he leads you through his room and to the door. The demon has a hand on your shoulder and his grip is reassuring. “This was really fun.” Asmodeus squeezes your shoulder.
Asmodeus’s room is rather big and it takes you a moment to get your bearings. After a few moments, you find the ornate wooden door that evidently leads to the hallway. You walk along towards the exit. Asmodeus beats you to the door and he opens it for you, to which you roll your eyes at him affectionately. You walk past him and take a step into the hallway. Just as you’re about to turn to walk away, his voice reaches your ears.
“Wait,” Asmodeus suddenly says. You freeze and turn back around to face the demon. The Avatar of Lust looks uncharacteristically nervous, as he fidgets from his position in the doorway. You frown at him, confused as to where this sudden anxiety is coming from. Asmodeus takes a step forward and then another, until you’re practically standing chest to chest. “A kiss for the road!”
“What—?” you stammer. The demon’s hands come up to bracket your cheeks. Asmodeus kisses you, quick as lightning, before backing away with a sheepish grin on his face. He sends you a cheeky wave and shuts the door.
You’re left staring at his closed bedroom door in disbelief. Your lips are tingling and you can still feel the phantom of his touch on your skin. Your mind is reeling as you replay the entire interaction you had with him—the brutal honesty and the devastating confessions. Shaking your head, you begin to walk down the hallway. Asmodeus is somewhat of an enigma, but today helped you to understand him a bit better.