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Beel has never seen Mammon so genuinely happy since their celestial realm days.
And it hurt because it wasn't him nor the rest of brothers that had rekindled that smile.
He clenches his fist as he sees Mammon laugh and ruffle Luke's hair as he picks him up like how he did when he and Belphegor were still cherubs.
Still pure. Saints. Angels with so much going for them.
And Mammon is fucking glowing, eyes dewy and youthful again, the gold in them shimmering with mirth.
He almost looked pure again as Beelzebub swears he sees Mammon's white hair turn whiter.
"Are you coming to the carnival with us, Mammy?!" Luke asked, excitement dripping out his voice. Beelzebub held back a gasp.
The avatar of gluttony turned to the (actual) youngest and almost felt his heart break as he sees Satan's emerald eyes hold this look of soft betrayal and guilt.
Emerald eyes so much like Lilith's.. Beel shook his head. No, Satan wasn't Lilith. Satan would never be Lilith.
Satan is not Lilith's replacement. Satan is just Satan. Their surprise of a little brother, or as Mammon tried to tell them.
Mammon did everything in his power to make sure the other brothers got into their head, especially Lucifer, that Satan was their little brother –or father for some– and that he wasn't a mistake.
Beel was one of, if not the very first, to understand that.
"Ya bet I am!" Mammon grinned, canines showing. Again? Mammon was leaving, again?
That–
Beel had to stop him somehow, someway. He just couldn't let Mammon slip away from them even more than he already was–!
He made a move to grab Mammon's wrist and stop him from going with them. Beelzebub felt something stop him from doing so, he cranes his head to the source and freezes.
Diavolo.
The prince's eyes were glowing a warning yellow, as if keeping Beelzebub in line with just his eyes, the once welcoming and friendly smile turning sarcastic and menacing.
Diavolo was warning him not to step out of line.
Beelzebub clenched his fist in defeat as Mammon was wisked away by the young angel.
His stomach growled at the smell so familiar, it smelled like..
Mammon's specialty arepa con queso? They're was something else in the air as well. It smelled sweet, was that star dust beignet Beelzebub smelled?
Mammon.. Never cooked his arepas anymore, Beelzebub missed them. How cheesy Mammon would make them, how warm and cozy they felt when eaten.
They had even joked that Mammon's arepas could heal any injury as it seemed like whenever they would get hurt Mammon would make a quick batch and the injury would heal faster than normal.
Of course, it never really did.
But by Father were they absolutely delicious, so unconsciously Beelzebub's feet led him towards the kitchen as was greeted with a familiar sight he had almost forgotten about.
Mammon in his apron, humming as he kneaded the dough then sprinkled a generous amount of cheese on top of the arepa.
It was almost like he was transported back in time, from when he was still a little cherub. The sight of Mammon cooking his specialties made Beel feel nostalgic.
Mammon was also making star dust beignets, another one of his staples back in the celestial realm.
The avatar of gluttony couldn't help but wonder why Mammon was making celestial food after practically a hundred millennias had passed already.
Had one of them been especially good that week? Was Mammon finally going to spend time with his brother's again?
Whatever it was, Beel couldn't wait to dig in to his brothers cooking–
"GAH, Beel!"
Mammon's yelp brought Beelzebub back to reality, "Hi." Beelzebub greeted.
Mammon sighed, patting Beel's shoulder as he did, the younger of the two also acting as the older's support.
"How in the world do ya manage ta sneak up on people like that? Especially with yer frame.."
Beelzebub said nothing, only eyeing the food that was plated behind Mammon, "Can I–?" His hand reached for one of the arepas and beignets.
But he was quickly shut down by Mammon who snatched the food from his reach, leaving Beel puzzled.
Was the food still hot and Mammon was scared of Beel burning his tounge? That thought.. makes Beelzebub feel light and fluffy.
Giddy, almost, at the prospect of Mammon worrying about him in this motherly way.
"Ah, ah..!" Mammon smiled an apologetic look on his face, "Sorry, Beel, but these are for the purgatory hall."
..Huh?
The food.. Wasn't for them? Why?
"Oh.." Was the only thing Beel could muster, Mammon ruffled his hair. Still smiling at him apologetically.
"What's the occasion?"
"Oh," Mammon smiled now turning to packaging the arepas and beignets in cute little bento boxes, "Luke an' Simeon–"
It's always about Luke or Simeon, what happened to Beel? Or Lucifer? Or all of his other brothers for that matter?!
"–have been cravin' some celestial food, which then caused 'em to gettin' homesickness. So I offered to make these babies!"
Beel craved celestial food from time to time, why didn't Mammon make them then? Beel also got homesickness on his bad days. Where he missed the times he'd felt full.
Why didn't Mammon make his arepas then? Or his beignets? They wouldn't do much to stop the feeling of emptiness buy they'd provide some sort of comfort at least.
"I am a little rusty, but I pushed through!"
The avatar of greed packed up the last bento, "Solomon wanted to try my beignets too so I thought why not just make both for all three of 'em. " Mammon dusted off his hands with a few short claps.
Beel watched as his older brother checked the time and quickly took the bentos. Hands clenched and a feeling of uneasiness in his chest.
"Bye, Beel!" Mammon waved, out of the kitchen door in a hurry.
"Tell Lucifer I ain't at the casino for me, kay?" He was gone before Beel could even nod or say yes.
The avatar of gluttony was left there. Left to wallow in the emptiness of his stomach.
"Why'd ya even go to R.A.D if yer sick?!"
Beel couldn't help but focus his attention on the sound of Mammon's voice. And by the looks of it, his older brother was scolding Raphael in his worrywart, motherly tone.
To which the angel only stayed silent. Was that.. a small pout of Raphael's face?
"Ya better be glad it was me an' not Simeon that found out first, he would'ave been runnin' yer ear off by now!" Mammon continued to scold.
Raphael just huffed and grumbled under his breath, "Yer runnin' my ear off, right now though.."
Mammon stayed silent at the comment, scowling down at Raphael like Lucifer would. But, Mammon looked kinder. Maybe it was their eyes.
Lucifer held this sort of stern discipline in his eyes, they were cold and frigid when he scolded one of the brothers.
Mammon's though.. Held love in them. No matter how stern they were, there was an underlaying of gentleness in them that said "I love you, but you are in big trouble, mister."
Wait, when did Raphael have an accent?
That thought was quickly set aside as Beelzebub sees Mammon take Raphael's bento, that the angel was most definitely having trouble holding as his hand had trembled even holding a spoon.
"Hey–..!"
Raphael was cut off as the spoon met his lips, Beel's eyes widened. Mammon was feeding Raphael?
"Shh, eat." The avatar of greed insisted, the angel stared at the older. Unmoving.
"I'll make ya all the arepas ya want after R.A.D."
Raphael gave in almost instantly after Mammon's offer, taking a bite out of the scorpion curry that Beelzebub recognized was also made by Mammon.
Beelzebub couldn't help but turn into his demon form, a strong grip on the wall that the demon lord almost broke it.
He wasn't hungry anymore.
Yet he was so, so empty.