Chapter Text
The House of Lamentation was always the calmest at night. The wind could howl against the windows and the floorboards could whisper their secrets without being trampled.
In the calm of the night, when everyone else would be found fast asleep, Leviathan sat awake. His eyes were dry and bloodshot, and his hands could barely keep a hold on the controller as he mashed buttons like his life depended on it. Just one more round, he lied to himself for the the fourth hour in a row.
He knew it was stupid to stay up this late, practically frying all of his remaining braincells, but if he wasn’t spending his time practicing for the upcoming tournament this weekend, his time was being wasted. He breathed heavily into his headset, shouting out instructions to his teammates. He had a large group of online friends on his HellStation, and he had even more people added on his computer, so he never ran out of people to play with.
It was relieving to talk to other gamers and otakus who shared his interests. It wasn’t like his brothers hated him, but they never cared to listen to what he had to say. Maybe if I win this tournament, they’ll appreciate me. Thirty-thousand Grimm is a lot! Levi wasn’t a greedy demon, but he had to admit that having money like that was a dream come true. He usually wouldn’t enter tournaments with such intense prizes, but if he had that kind of money on hand, he could buy the soon-to-be released Ultimate Edition Ruri-Chan Beach Day figurine.
“On your right, Levi! The boss is coming up!” A voice crackled through his headset, giving him directions on which path to take in game. He followed his party through the large maze, coming upon a huge wooden door.
“Victory is within my grasp!” He tossed his head back with a laugh before sending his character through the door. The boss was a giant snake with dark red eyes and a venomous bite. He forced himself to be completely focused, making sure to counter on time and protect his team whenever he could.
He was just a few hit points away from defeating the boss when his controller blinked a bright red, signaling it’s untimely death. “No, no, no! This is unreal! Guys, my controller died! Someone cover me!” He tried to yell to his teammates, but with the death of his controller came the disconnect of his headset.
He felt his eye twitch as the boss KO’d his character with ease. His teammates were spamming the game chat with angry remarks, now having to start the battle over. In a flash, his horns sprouted and his tail slid out from beneath him. The swift appendage flicked forward, unplugging the cords of his HellStation. He pushed himself from his chair, seething with rage and panting like an animal.
It was ridiculous to be so frustrated over a game, but he couldn’t help it. He envied his teammates for not being so misfortunate. He envied people who didn’t feel the need to practice 24/7 to feel good enough at games.
Envy, jealousy, spite, resentment; whatever you wanted to call it, he felt it. It boiled beneath his skin, and in moments like this, came flooding out when he was too overwhelmed to control himself.
He let out an aggressive shout and pushed over his chair, sending his headset and controller clattering across the floor. He blinked back a few frustrating tears and turned towards the door. “I need a drink,” he muttered to himself as he staggered into the hallway, his tail dragging limply behind him.
He thudded down the stairs, every few stairs earning a mumbled curse word, and into the kitchen. He flipped on the lights, sparking life to the dull room. He pulled open the fridge, rummaging through it as it buzzed in his ears. He yanked a cola from the back shelf and slammed it shut, trying not to let the small noises irritate him.
“Beel?” You said through a yawn, dragging your feet into the kitchen. “Isn’t it a little late for…” You blinked, clearing your groggy vision enough to focus on the demon in the room. “Oh! You are not Beel.”
“Clearly,” Levi gave an awkward chuckle. “What are you doing awake, normie?” His eyes scanned your sleepy face, wanting to absorb every single bit of you. From your messy hair to the slight flush of your cheeks, Levi wanted it all.
“I could ask you the same thing, Levi. It’s late, and even a shut-in otaku needs sleep.” You approached the fridge, which Leviathan was still standing in front of. “Could I grab a drink? I’m pulling an all-nighter to binge watch this new anime… but you wouldn’t care about that.”
“Eh?! You’re watching anime without me, the biggest otaku you know? ICYMI, I care very much about anime! Can I come watch with you?” He stepped back from the fridge and pulled the door open, watching as you sorted through it to grab a tumbler you had slotted away in the back.
“Of course! I’m already a few episodes in, but I’m sure you’ve seen it already. Wanna stock up on extra snacks?” You stood up, turning to really look at him. His hair was pushed out of his face and you could easily see the exhaustion in his eyes. You knew he was the type to stay up later than usual, but unlike his youngest brother, he didn’t take enough naps to make up for all the sleep he lost at night.
“I have to go grab my DDD from my room, do you think you could carry the snacks? Sorry, LMK how I can pay you back for that when I get to your room.” He flashed a weak smile and an awkward wave before slithering back out of the kitchen and to his room.
You let out a light sigh and moved toward the cabinets, ready to collect the snacks necessary for the rest of your night. As the hands on the clock moved, making time feel stiff, you snuck back up the steps to your room.
You tossed the snacks onto your desk and flopped onto your bed, clicking your trackpad and playing the next episode of your anime. You hummed along to the intro, kicking your feet ad you waited patiently for the knock at your door to signify Levi’s presence.
But Leviathan didn’t come to your room that night.