( ☆_@ )

“good afternoon, barbatos!” the butler turned towards the sound of your voice, smiling in greeting.

“good afternoon, MC. i’m glad you could join me today. come, i’ve just finished laying out the ingredients we are to use.” barbatos gestured towards the numerous bags and containers in front of him, then pushed a recipe book towards your direction. “this is what we are to be making. please read over it.”

you skimmed over the page before looking back up at him dubiously. “we? as in you and me? i’m not so sure about that, barbs. i’ve never really baked before, i’ve only watched.”

“precisely, you’ve watched,” he said. “you’ve watched me countless of times baking assortments of desserts. surely you’ve retained some information, yes?”

he had a point. everything that was in the book were things that you already knew just from observing barbatos in his element.

“i mean, yeah, but... what if i burn down the castle?” 

barbatos chuckled at your pessimism. “i highly doubt that. have confidence in yourself, MC.” he entrusted the whisk he was currently holding over to you. “would you mix the chocolate and the butter together while i beat the egg whites? thank you.”

hesitantly, you took the whisk from barbatos’s gloved hand. he offered an encouraging smile before turning back towards the pile of goey clearness that you assumed were the egg whites. 

“may i ask why we’re making this dessert in particular?” you asked, the whisk gliding through the dark mixture. “if i remember correctly, these cakes are massive. why would you want to bake one if you didn’t really need to?”

“the young lord has invited quite a number of people over today, and he requested that i create something special for them,” barbatos replied.

you turned this information over in your mind, adding the cocoa powder into the mixture. “and another thing, why not ask luke to help you instead? even if luke refused, i’m pretty sure you could do this without anyone’s help.”

barbatos was quiet for a moment, his cheeks tinged a subtle shade of pink. “i desired your company. baking with you is always an enjoyable experience.”

“thanks, barbs,” a smile blossomed across your face. “i really enjoy baking with you, too.”

a comfortable silence overtook the room, the sounds of whisks scraping against bowls filling the empty space. your bowl had been thoroughly whisked within a couple of minutes. barbatos, on the other hand, was still occupied with getting the egg whites to form soft peaks. not wanting to break his concentration, you simply decided to examine your surroundings, your eyes naturally drifting towards the demon in front of you.

it was obvious that barbatos took his title as pastry chef very seriously. every single pastry that he baked was the result of meticulous work, and this pastry would be no different. he would carefully add a small amount of sugar, whisk the eggs, then add more. his brows were furrowed ever so slightly, as if he were counting every single grain of sugar that entered the bowl. you found it endearing.

“may i ask why you’re staring at me?” barbatos’s question popped your little bubble, grounding you back into reality. his cheeks were once again that warm shade of pink.

“ah, sorry,” you awkwardly looked away, the mental image of barbatos’s baking face making you inadvertently smile. “it’s just.. you put a lot of time and effort into everything you bake. i admire you for it.”

 the normally calm and composed butler seemed caught off-guard by your response. it’s true, he’s heard this from many other appreciators of his pastries, but hearing it come from you was entirely different. “you have no idea how happy that makes me. thank you, MC.” with one last test, barbatos lifted his bowl and brought it next to yours. “excellent job. i couldn’t have done it better myself. would you please whisk the egg yolks and the hell poison honey while i mix these two?”

you did as told, bringing over your bowl back over to barbatos, who took it with a ‘thank you’ and poured it into the main bowl. he methodically folded it over and over, taking great care not to move too fast.

“barbs? i have another question.” he hummed in response. “why don’t you just mixed the whole thing? it would be a lot faster.”

“are you getting bored of me already, MC?” he mused.

“n-no! it’s just—”

“i’m only teasing,” a playful smile overtook his features. “but to answer your question, i’m taking my time to prevent the mixture from deflating. it wouldn’t be a black cloud cake if it didn’t have a cloudy texture, now would it?” barbatos poured a little bit more of the egg whites into the main bowl, repeating the methodical folding process. you hoisted yourself onto the counter, idly kicking your legs.

“talk to me, barbs. it’s too quiet in here,” you complained, folding your knees into your chest. “c’mon, quiz me!”

“if you insist,” barbatos decided to give you an easy one. “what temperature should we preheat the oven for a black cloud cake?”

your mind blanked. “oh, crap... uh.. 350 degrees?”

“fahrenheit or celsius?” barbatos’s teasing smile showed itself again.

“fahrenheit.” you replied, biting back the urge to add an ‘obviously’ at the end of your sentence.

“excellent. if you wouldn’t mind, could you please preheat the oven now? i’m just about done with this bowl.” barbatos folded it a few more times as you turned the knob on the oven, making sure there were no unmixed pieces hiding in the abyss-like mixture. you lifted yourself back up onto the counter, the two of you waiting patiently for the little ding! that the oven would make. 

you hummed a tuneless song while barbatos folded the mixture a couple more times just to be safe, the ding! of the oven echoing through the shiny room. without hesitation, barbatos opened the oven door, slid the cake inside, and closed it back up again. the first time he had done this in front of you, your jaw dropped from the shock. barbatos rarely wore oven mitts, but then again, he didn’t really need them.

“is something the matter?” the butler always seemed to notice every little change in expression that gave away your thoughts.

“no, no, it’s nothing,” you shrugged off the unease. “could you just wear mitts every once in a while? i’m scared you’re gonna burn yourself one of these days.”

barbatos laughed at this, leaning against the oven. “it would take quite the oven to burn me.”

“what if i gave you oven mitts?” you suggested. “would you wear them?”

the hypothetical made barbatos strangely happy. “i would gladly wear anything you gift me.”

barbatos could certainly be a teasing nag at times, but he could be a sweetheart when he really wanted to be. though you haven’t put it together yet, barbatos only shared these moments with you. the more you two spent time together, the more barbatos found himself feeling more drawn towards you. he had no idea when or how a human became so important to him.

the sound of your sigh broke off barbatos’s thoughts. “what should we do with all of the excess ingredients? we still have a whole bunch of that liquid chocolate, we didn’t even use the flour, and there’s still some sugar and eggs. do you think we should bake something els— oh!” the feeling of something slimy slid down your hair and onto your back, causing a shiver to wrack through your body. 

“i have a vague idea of what i would like to do with the excess,” barbatos replied, smiling cheekily. a broken eggshell was in his hand.

“barbatos! what the hell was that for?” despite wanting to sound upset, you couldn’t hold back the bubbly laughter that came out with it. you quickly took another egg from its container, aiming for his head. the demon was far too fast for you, instantly catching your wrist before your egg could come into contact with him. “cheater.”

barbatos only gave you that same mischievous smile, his arm easily overpowering yours, using your own hand to crack the egg onto your head instead of his. you used your other hand to reach in back of you, grabbing a fistful of flour and ruffling it into his hair, barbatos releasing your wrist in surprise.

“ha! karma!” you grinned. barbatos’s smile only grew wider, adding a more sinister tone to it. aw, crap.. you had unintentionally started a food fight. barbatos would more than likely finish what you had begun.

 you squirmed past the butler, careful to maintain your distance as the two of you began throwing all sorts of things at each other. clumps of butter, streaks of melted chocolate, handfuls of sugar and flour, pretty much whatever you two could get your hands on. you ran all around the kitchen, using the island as a sort of barrier between you and barbatos, who looked nothing like he usually did. his neat hair was disheveled and white from the powder, his apron was stained with chocolate and butter, and he was absolutely enjoying himself. this was, by far, the most fun he’s ever had with baking, and to be sharing this experience with you only added to it.

in one swift motion, barbatos slid across the island and grabbed hold of your wrists in one hand, the other hand menacingly holding a handful of dripping chocolate.

“wait! wait!” you cried out. “truce! please! i give up!”

barbatos smiled triumphantly. “what was that? i’m not quite sure i heard you.” his hand drew closer and closer to your hair.

“truce! i give up!” you yelled, hanging your head in defeat. “i’m no match for you, barbs..”

barbatos withdrew his hand, although he did not let go of your wrists. his eyes scanned your face, your clothes, before glancing around the room. “oh, dear. it appears that we’ve made quite a mess,” he looked down at his own clothes, smiling almost chastisingly. “what am i going to do with you? it’s hard to be upset when you look so adorably funny.”

you two couldn’t help but erupt in a fit of giggles, barbatos’s hand traveling from your wrists to your shoulders. “look at you, you’ve even got chocolate in your hair.”

“and whose fault would that be?” you retorted, barbatos reaching up to gently pull at the strands of hair covered in chocolate, tucking the strands away neatly. 

“i’d have no idea whose fault that would be” he replied innocently, his fingers combing through your hair before settling on either side of your cheek. your giggling fell silent, the intensity of barbatos’s gaze sending a painless jolt through your body. barbatos couldn’t bring himself to look away from your face, drinking in every single feature. drips of egg yolk on your forehead, a smudge of chocolate on your cheek...

“you seem to be quite the messy eater, MC,” he teased, his thumb softly caressing your cheek. your eyes narrowed at that, earning another laugh from the demon. “you have a chocolate stain on your cheek. allow me to clean it for you. stay still, please.” you locked your joints into place, afraid that if you moved even a fraction of an inch you might scare away barbatos or something. slowly, carefully, barbatos leaned in, pressing his lips to the smeared chocolate. the feeling of his tongue gliding against your skin made you shudder.

he pulled back to look into your face, blinking once, twice, then smiling apologetically. “please pardon me. i don’t know what has gotten into me as of late. i hope i didn’t make you uncomfortable.”

“no, no,” you replied hastily, your hand moving to lay atop his. “it’s fine... thank you.” another comfortable silence blanketed over the room, except this time, it felt more.. intense. as if the entire room was filled with electricity. your cheeks stung without pain where barbatos held them.

“i’m not the only one with stuff on their face,” you grinned, cupping barbatos’s cheek and turning his head slightly. “you have chocolate right... there.” your thumb brushed against the corner of his lips, the demon’s eyes fluttering shut at the sensation. “please, allow me to clean it for you.”

barbatos fully turned his face towards you, a tender smile curving his lips. his thumb brushed against your cheek once more as the two of you slowly began leaning into each other, the warmth of barbatos’s chest seeping into your own. 

gradually, barbatos’s face drew closer and closer to yours, your lips only centimeters apart.

his sweet breath fanned across your face..

ding!

the sound of the oven made you both jump, your cheeks becoming overwhelmingly warm underneath barbatos’s touch. barbatos didn’t take his eyes off of you.

“it appears that the cake is done baking,” he said simply.

“...yeah..” was all you could say. “you’d better.. go get it before it burns.”

“that would be the wise thing to do.” he still didn’t move an inch, his eyes piercing into yours.

barbatos's loving touch made your brain feel fuzzy. your grip on his sleeves grew tighter. “i’m sure diavolo’s guests wouldn’t mind a little crispiness to their cake, right?”

“i believe it is called black cloud cake for a reason.” he agreed

barbatos pressed his lips onto yours without a second's delay. he found that you tasted sweeter than any pastry he's ever created.

satan, for the first time in a while, felt gratitude towards his brother. the first person he told about this was his dear human, rambling on and on about how difficult it would be to take one cat and one cat only, sniffling at the thought of countless cats out there who wouldn’t be able to take shelter in his room. he must make his decision wisely, and he trusted you to make the decision with him.

“um... what about a black shark cat?” you had suggested, sprawled out on satan’s bed while he paced around the cluttered room.

“that’s a good one,” he paused his pacing for a brief moment, resuming it again. “but they have really sharp teeth. what if it chews on my books?”

“you’re right.. hellfire ragdoll?”

satan stopped again, deep in thought. you resisted the urge to laugh. he was really taking this seriously.

“no... they require lots of love and attention and they get bored very easily. i’m afraid i won’t be able to tend to its needs while i’m away at RAD.”

satan took a seat next to you, the two of you pondering silently when a lightbulb when off.

“why don’t you just adopt the stray you like so much? sir cat, is that what his name is?” you thought about it for a couple more seconds, pleasantly surprised when satan took your face in his hands, pressing a grateful smooch to your lips.

“you are an absolute genius. i’ll be right back, i need to go look for sir cat. will you inform lucifer for me? love you!” he called over his shoulder, eagerly stumbling out the door. 

..

sir cat nestled himself comfortably in satan’s lap, the two of you laying side by side, satan giving his newfound companion his undivided attention while you readied yourself for bed. 

“you really adore that cat, don’t you?” you mused, kissing his cheek while settling into the purple sheets beside him. sir cat rose from satan’s lap to lay down on yours, staring at you with bright, intelligent eyes.

satan was delighted. “look at that, he’s taken a liking to you already. well, who wouldn’t?” he smiled, wrapping an arm around your shoulder. he cuddled up closer, sighing contentedly when you rested your head against his chest. he loved the warmth you gave off. 

you rolled your eyes, nuzzling deeper into your demon’s chest. slowly, your brain began fading into unconsciousness...

satan poked your cheek. “darling? would you mind watching sir cat tomorrow..? i need to stay at RAD for a student council meeting. i’d greatly appreciate it.”

“goodnight, satan,” you grumbled.

“... is that a ye—”

“yes.”

..

no

oh, no no no no no...

crap, what have you done?

sir cat had been under your watchful supervision, just as satan requested. the two of you snoozed, ate, and lounged about, wondering when beloved satan would return. sir cat pawed at satan’s window, his meowing growing progressively louder.

“i know, i know. you miss him too, don’t you?” you murmured, taking the feline into your arms and rubbing its ears. sir cat allowed himself to be pampered before trotting back to the window, looking out, then looking back at you. 

“would you like me to open the window?” you walked over to where sir cat sat, gently unlocking the hatches and pushing it open, a gust of a fresh breeze filling the room. it was awfully warm in satan’s room. maybe that’s why sir cat wanted the window open..

then, in a flash of white fur, sir cat launched himself out of the room. holy shit?! you leaned out the window, hoping, praying, that you wouldn’t see sir cat smushed like a pancake. you breathed a shaky sigh of relief when sir cat emerged from the bushes, staring back up at you with those same intelligent eyes.

“sir cat! no, no, get back here! please? hey!” sir cat ran off into the house of lamentation’s garden, his bright fur dissolving into the green shrubbery. what were you going to tell satan?

speak of the devil, and the devil shall appear. satan walked into the room, loosening his tie.

“oh, my love, the student council meeting was absolutely... exhausting..?.. what are you doing?” he inquired, his eyes moving from the open window, to your body halfway out of it, to the rest of his room. “where is sir cat? i need to relax, and i’d like to do it with him.”

you hesitantly turned to look at your lover, your eyes looking everywhere but the demon in front of you. “satan... i’m so, so sorry... sir cat was.. meowing and he wanted the window open and i just... i thought he wanted fresh air and he.. jumped out..”

satan visibly paled, walking over to the window in quick strides and looking out. 

“he’s not dead! i should’ve clarified that... he ran off into the garden,” you stood back, giving satan space. he stood, motionless, staring out of the window, before turning back to you. he tasted the warm, bitter feeling of rage on his tongue.

“i can’t— you— you absolute— why would—” satan wanted to say a number of things, something, anything, to get this horrible taste out of his mouth. as much as he wanted to, he couldn’t. he wouldn’t. not to you. satan kept a hand over his mouth, leaning against the wall for support. you stood there silently, unsure whether to stay or leave.

finally, satan cleared his throat. “MC, would you please.. leave? i need my space as of now.”

silently, you obeyed, closing the door. you heard the thunderous sound of something breaking as you walked away.

..

you couldn’t remember the last time you slept in your room. you were so used to the scattered mess of satan’s room that your room looked strangely.. empty without all those books laying around. you gingerly made your way to the unused mattress. it was stiff. and cold. most likely a result from being unused.

the blankets were also cold. slowly, you got yourself settled in, when a knock so soft sounded at the door you almost didn’t know if someone was actually there or not. you worried it might’ve been lucifer, who would surely scold you if he saw you awake at this hour. you quickly closed your eyes and feigned sleep, your breathing deep and exaggerated.

“MC?” that wasn’t lucifer’s voice. it was satan’s. “what are you doing in here?”

you sat up, nervously fidgeting with the sheets. “um... i wasn’t sure whether or not you wanted me to sleep with you tonight or if you needed space, so i just.. decided to stay here, i guess.”

satan shook his head, pulling back your sheets and climbing into the space beside you. “i don’t want space anymore, love. i’m sorry for my outburst.” an awkward silence settled over the two of you. “...may i.. hold you?”

you nodded slightly, satan’s arms almost instantly snaking their way around your waist, nuzzling into the crook of your neck. his warm breath tickled your skin. satan had always been a major cuddler. he wanted his hands on you all day, every day. he said it made him feel more secure when he was touching you. it was almost like he was afraid to let you out of his sight, out of his grasp.

“i’m.. nervous,” he mumbled against your neck. “nervous for sir cat. i hope nothing unfortunate happens to him...”

slowly, you rubbed his back. it was warm, comforting. satan melted further into your body. “i’m sure he’ll be fine. he was a stray, wasn’t he? he must know his way around the streets.”

“you’re right.. but, we weren’t able to get a collar for him today. what if someone finds him and doesn’t realize that he belongs to someone?” he fretted. his grip on you increasingly became tighter and tigher.

you couldn’t help but feel more guilty about this situation. satan cared deeply for this cat, and you felt like you were the main cause of his disappearance. “sir cat loves you, satan. he’ll find his way back, i’m certain.”

satan sighed once, pulling back to gaze intently into your eyes. “you’re certain of this?”

“i’m certain,” you repeated, fondly pinching his cheek. 

satan’s anxious frown faded into a subtle smile. he pressed a kiss to your nose. “..thank you. you say the words i want to hear the most. and.. another thing,” he cupped your cheek, placing another kiss. “i need you to know i don’t blame you for sir cat’s disappearance. if i were you, i most likely would’ve done the same thing. i love you, MC. i don’t blame you.”

it felt as if a heavy weight had been lifted from your stomach. satan’s eyes were so filled with reverence, with admiration, you wondered how you could ever think that he would hold a grudge against you. 

“how about you and i go on a little search and rescue for sir cat? we can make flyers and post them around the streets,” you suggested, satan resting comfortably on your chest.

“i would like that. thank you, love.”

..

“hey, belphie, where did you get that cat?” beelzebub peered over at his twin, who was currently curled up in a ball with an identical sleeping ball of fluff perched on top of him.

“..hmm? oh, i dunno. i found him wandering outside the garden, and then he just started following me. i’m surprised lucifer hasn’t said anything about it.”

“how odd.”

©2023 please do not repost, modify, or claim as your work.

leviathan had gotten his hands on a limited-edition of ‘super demon brothers’ for the devilcube that day, and it was all he could think about. he couldn’t wait to speedrun the whole thing! maybe he’d even set a record..

“levi!” he snapped out of his trance, focusing his attention on his beloved human, smiling sheepishly. whoops.. “did you even hear a word that i said?”

“s-sorry! it’s just,” he paused for a moment, choosing his words carefully. he didn’t want to seem like more of a loser than he already was, especially in front of you. “i ordered a new version of a game i really like, and i got a notif from akuzon saying that it came in today.” 

your hand rested against your cheek as you propped your arm against the table, humming thoughtfully. “today? you’re gonna put off playing it until tomorrow, right? because...” your voice grew dimmer and dimmer in levi’s mind, his thoughts already wandering off to his new game. he wondered what the new levels would look like...

as soon as levi got home from R.A.D., he hastily made his way up to his room, a promising-looking package in front of his doorstep. there it is! it’s really here! levi seized his package, glancing around to make sure mammon wasn’t around, and shut himself in his room, taking the shiny disc out of its container and placing it in his devilcube, the opening theme of ‘super demon brothers’ tinkling throughout his room. levi picked up his controller and plopped himself down, immersing himself in the game...

the demon nearly jumped when he heard pounding on his door. how long has it been..? levi checked his phone. it had only been about 5 hours since he first started playing. he breathed a sigh of relief. last time he had played for two days straight, only stopping when lucifer dragged him out and gave a lecture that felt way longer than the two days he spent gaming.

“go away, i’m busy!” levi shouted, his eyes never leaving the glowing screen of his television. the pounding didn’t cease. grumbling under his breath, levi begrudgingly paused his game before walking over to his door, flinging it open. “you’re interrupting my gaming time! what do you w— o-oh, MC! i thought you were one of my brothers. wanna come watch me play?” he offered, eager to show off in front of you.

his enthusiasm faltered when he saw the look on your face. he had been in his room for five hours... no wonder you were angry. he hadn’t given you any attention since he got home. “..um...i see you’re upset..”

you barked out a laugh. “oh, really? upset doesn’t even begin to cover it, levi. what have you been doing all this time?”

levi gestured towards his television, still brightly displaying the pause menu. “i told you earlier, my game came today. i wanted to complete it as soon as i got it, but i should’ve invited you to watch me, huh?”

his words did nothing to soothe you. “that’s not what i’m upset about, levi. do you even know what today is?”

“um...” levi withdrew his phone once again, checking the calendar. oh, crap... no wonder you were so furious! his eyes grew wide with horror. “MC, i’m so, so sorry! i must’ve completely forgotten—”

your hands folded in front of your chest. “what the hell, levi? what could’ve possibly distracted you from our one-year anniversary?!”

levi didn’t know what to do in this situation. you two have had your fair share of fights, of course, but this paled in comparison to every little squabble you two had. his heart beat wildly in his chest. his veins pumped with adrenaline.

“u-um... MC... i’m r-really, really sorry..! it’s just... this game.. i got distracted—”

“you promised me,” your voice broke, tears beginning to blur the face in front of you. levi blanched, torn between embracing you and fleeing the scene. “you promised me that we’d do something special. it’s our anniversary!”

he felt like that one time henry 2.0 had launched himself out of his tank and flopped on the ground, gaping for air. he didn’t know what to say, what to do, what should he do? “i’m s-so, so sorry, MC... i’m such a worthless otaku.. that game was really important to me and i couldn’t wait..”

his words only fueled your anger. you furiously wiped away the tears streaming down your face. “so your game is important to you, but i’m not?”

levi immediately shook his head, his eyes growing increasingly wider. “no, no, that’s not what i meant! MC, please—”

you had stormed off at that point, slamming the door in his face.

levi waited for you at the dinner table, poking at his food. he didn’t have much of an appetite. you never came down. the chair next to him remained empty. 

levi waited for you in his bedroom, his eyes darting towards the door any time he heard a noise. you never came. it was well after midnight, and levi just couldn’t bring himself to fall asleep. he needed... some sort of plan. he absolutely refused to lose you like this. you were so kind, so incredibly brave, so appreciative and encouraging... ah, the list goes on and on in levi’s mind.

to think that you might leave him and find someone else... ugh. the sheer jealousy made the demon’s head spin, a bitter taste in the back of his mouth. he needed to formulate a plan to make it up to you. he’d need to enlist the help of one of his brothers.

levi nodded a couple times, his plan waning, dwindling, then solidifying in his mind. he knew exactly what to do. satisfied, levi removed his headphones, slumping deeper into the tub and closed his eyes, preparing himself for his grand plan.

..

you had gotten little sleep that night. it felt as if your eyes squeezed out every last tear in your body, and then some. you were thankful that there weren’t any lessons planned today, otherwise you wouldn’t have been able to hide the puffiness of your eyes even if you wanted to. you snuggled deeper into the covers, exhaling deeply.

a rhythmic knock sounded at your door, followed by asmodeus’s voice. “MC! time to get up, cutie!” you groaned, pulling the sheets over your head. asmo knocked again before entering your room, tutting at the pitiful outline of your body.

“i didn’t say you could come in.” your voice was muffled by the sheets.

“come on, get up! we have a lot planned for you today!♡“ while asmo was certainly more gentler-looking than his brothers, he was still a demon, and he was still far stronger than you. he tore off the bedsheets and lifted you up like a ragdoll.

no doubt asmo saw how puffy your eyes were from all that crying you were doing, but he chose to say nothing. “let’s go, cutie! let me work my magic on that sweet little face of yours.” he dragged you off to his room, setting you in front of his vanity.

“...and.. perfect! you’re done! oh, you’re so adorable! i could just eat you right up♡“ the demon gushed, squishing your cheeks. “do you want me to change you, too?”

“nope! i can do that myself, thank you, asmo,” you assured him.

he pouted. “fine, if you say so. there’s already an outfit for you in there. hurry up!” asmo ushered you into his closet before shutting the door behind him, leaving you alone with nothing but asmodeus’s countless clothes to keep you company.

..

“where are we going, asmo..?” every single time you had asked him this, he gave a very vague answer in response, which did nothing to quell your nerves. asmodeus, being the cheeky little demon he is, had put a blindfold on you and led you through the corridors. you had no idea where you two were at right now. asmo could be leading you into oncoming traffic and you’d have no idea.

“relax, MC, we’re almost there,” came asmo’s reply. judging by the sounds of nearby leaves rustling, you could only assume you were somewhere outside. “...ta-daaa~♪ we’re here!” asmodeus carefully undid your blindfold, revealing your surroundings.

“wha—”

you didn’t recognize your surroundings immediately. the harsh moonlight made you squint, the melodic sounds of a windchime being heard in the distance. rows and rows of floral arches combined with beautifully shaped topiaries stretched as far as the eye could see. fairy lights illuminated the gazebo you were currently in. you recognized this place now. this was the house of lamentation’s garden. but why...

“asmo, why did you—” asmodeus had silently left while you had marveled at the flora around you, just leaving you and.. “levi?” your demon visibly jumped at the sound of your voice, his thumbs twiddling about nervously. his face displayed an equally wobbly smile.

“what do you think? pretty great, right?” levi hoped to the high heavens that he sounded a lot more confident than he felt. your demon took two great strides to be closer to you, his hands finding yours. behind him was a picnic basket. 

“oh, levi... this was your idea this whole time..?” you could feel the willpower to remain angry at him slowly melt away. “you even got a picnic basket?”

leviathan smiled proudly, your reaction boosting his confidence. “i did! i remember you saying you wanted to go on a picnic a while back, so i got asmo to help me clean up and decorate this place. you would not believe the things i had to do to keep that picnic basket away from beel,” he mentally shuddered at the memory. “but it was all worth it in the end. you look...” levi hesitated, red slowly beginning to creep up on his cheeks. “astonishing. you always do.” he raised your hand to his lips, inwardly pumping his fist in the air. that was so smooth, levi!

“levi...i.. don’t know what to say..” despite wanting to be overjoyed, your heart ached with sadness. 

he smiled gently in response, taking your hand in his once again. “that’s okay. let me do all the talking. MC,” he gently lifted your face, his eyes intensely peering into yours. “i can’t express to you how really sorry i am. yesterday, a day that held so much importance to the both of us, i completely abandoned you. i failed epically as your boyfriend.”

“i shouldn’tve ditched you when you needed me most. and the fact that i ditched you for a game is something that i’ll be mortified about for as long as i exist... but! i’m going to do everything in my power to make it up to you. this is just the beginning. i’m not gonna give up, even if you tell me to get lost. because.. you’re more important to me than any game, any collectible, any Ruri-chan figure,” your eyes widened at that.

“i need you to know that you mean everything to me, MC. you bring me and henry 2.0 so much joy. you make me feel so loved and cared for, it honestly takes my breath away. i even started attending lessons in person just for the purpose of being closer to you. i’ve never... had this kind of love and affection from anyone before, and now that i have, i’m not gonna let it go anytime soon.” 

leviathan’s confidence gave way at that point, the sheer intensity of your gaze turning his face a bright shade of red. his cheeks prickled with heat. “...look at me... you’ve got me saying normie stuff now...” he shyly fidgeted, his eyes glancing down at the floor. “..even so, i want to thank you, MC. thank you for being mine. thank you for taking the time to get to know me. i wouldn’t be who i am today if it weren’t for you. this picnic is the very least i could do to show how grateful i am. i.. i love you, MC. i always will.”

in spite of wanting to stay annoyed at your demon, a blissful smile spread across your face, your cheeks warm with joy. your arms wrapped around levi’s neck, feeling him exhale in relief as he buried his face in your hair in an effort to hide his flushed face. that was so scary..! he was half-convinced you would reject him.

levi could feel the blood pulse in his ears when you kissed him, his heart thrashing wildly in his chest at the feeling of your soft lips on his. you could kiss him for the rest of eternity, and he still wouldn’t be able to get used to it. after a year of being together, he still didn’t know where to put his hands. they hovered uselessly for a moment before settling for your face, his thumb gently caressing your cheek.

he was the one to pull away first, fearing that if he’d kiss you any longer he’d pass out. and yet, he couldn’t tear his eyes away from you. you were so captivating in everything that you did.

“oh, levi... you said the l-word. you really are turning into a normie,” you teased, pressing a tender kiss to his nose.

“s-s-shut up! i’ll say it as many times as i want!” he retorted, his cheeks flaring up once again.

you laughed, the sound all silver and sweet to leviathan’s ears, as you placed another kiss to his lips. “i love you, too, levi.. now come on, the food’s probably all cold by now.”

belphie had invited you to go stargazing with him, his eyes even droopier than usual with sadness. 

“that idiot has been hogging you all day, every day,” he lamented. “he doesn’t even let us nap together anymore.” belphie clung onto your arm, putting nearly all of his weight on you. as soon as his skin made contact with yours, mammon came barreling into the room, snatching you up and putting a good ten feet between you and belphie.

“just what do ya think you’re doin’, snoozeface?! who gave ya permission to touch MC?” mammon shouted, shielding you from the sleepy seventh-born as if he’d pounce on you at any given moment.

belphie, dusting himself off, glowered at mammon. “last i checked, MC was their own person. they can do whatever they please. MC,” he turned to you. “do you want to go stargaze with me at the planetarium? if so, i’ll see you there. i’m too tired to deal with this scumbag.” and with that, belphie left, climbing the stairs.

“that’s no way to talk to your older brother!!” mammon called after him before turning to you. “honestly, kids these days! have no respect for ya— MC, where’re ya goin’?”

you gave your demon an apologetic smile. “belphie has a good point, monnie. i think you’re forgetting to take my feelings into consideration. i’m gonna go to the planetarium. spend some time with your brothers, okay?” you gave mammon a swift kiss on the cheek before going after belphie, leaving mammon in the common room.

you were expecting one of mammon’s usual ambushes when you came back. the common room was empty. odd... maybe the kitchen? beelzebub was rooting through the fridge, as per usual. where the hell was mammon? you spent a solid twenty minutes searching for mammon, only to find him in his bedroom, lying motionless on his bed. 

“there you are, monnie! i couldn’t find you anywhere... whatcha doing?” you sat down with a huff, the bed dipping down underneath your weight. mammon didn’t reply. he didn’t look at you. he simply stared at the ceiling. 

“mammon? helloooo... can you hear me?” you snapped your fingers near his ear, a frown of annoyance twitching your demon’s lips. “oh, come on, are you really upset about me going with belphie?” you jokingly nudged his arm. no reply. “..are you really upset?” silence.

the audacity this demon has! “fine, then. sulk all you want, i’m not babying you this time!” you got up and swiftly made your way to the door, slamming it on your way out.

that was a week ago.

mammon hadn’t uttered a a single word to you since then. how long was he going to let this drag on? you sure as hell weren’t going to apologize, and it seemed like he wasn’t going to, either. 

“MC, check out this new game i got! pretty sweet, right?”

“MC, what do you think of my nails? i just had them painted last night♡”

"are you going to finish that, MC..?”

“stay still, MC, let me rest on your shoulder.”

dinner was exceptionally chaotic today, mammon taking his plate and trudging up towards his room, leaving the rest of the brothers to chatter over each other in hopes of gaining your attention. the brothers loved you dearly, and you loved them, too. just, not in the way you loved mammon. 

you had been sleeping in your own room for the past week, giving mammon the space you thought he needed. today, you firmly decided it was time to take back your spot on his bed. despite his childish behavior, you missed him dearly. it was difficult falling asleep without having mammon draped over you like a weighted blanket.

once night rolled around, you excused yourself from the common room, the brothers objecting the moment you stood.

“MC, where are you going? it’s barely... uh... 11:23...” levi trailed off, scratching his cheek. “huh... i guess time really does fly now that you’re back.”

it was, in fact, the complete opposite for you. “i’m sorry, i’m just so tired. i’ll see everyone in the morning!” you sluggishly walked up the steps, feigning exhaustion.

once out of sight, you bolted towards mammon’s room, taking a moment to compose yourself before gently knocking on his door. “monnie..? can i come in, please?”

minutes passed. not a noise was heard. you turned your back to leave when the door creaked open.

“hurry up ‘n get in, then,” mammon grumbled, holding the door open before making his way back to his bed, which was... lined with pillows down the middle.

“are you serious, mammon?” you gestured towards the divider, your stare incredulous. you would’ve laughed if his face wasn’t so cold.

“if ya wanna sleep with me tonight, then yes, i’m serious,” he replied, pulling back the silky black sheets and settling in.

if this was going to help the tension between you and mammon... sighing heavily, you followed him to the mattress, laying down on the other side of the pillows. this was no better than sleeping alone. if anything, it was far worse. mammon was so close... why did it feel like he was light years away?

mammon turned off the lights, moving as if his limbs were made of stone. 12:00 came around, and the two of you were still wide awake. you were, at least. judging by the way mammon wasn’t snoring yet, he was, too.

“...mammon?” you called out, your voice smaller than you intended it to be.

“y-yeah..?” came your demon’s voice on the other side.

you shuffled around to face the pillows, subconsciously tugging on one of them. “are you really upset at me for spending time with belphie?”

he was silent for a moment, a gust of air blowing past his lips. “...no. i could never really be mad at ya, treasure. it’s just...” mammon mentally grasped at nothing, struggling to find the words to explain what he was feeling. he wasn’t the best communicator. you remained quiet, patiently waiting for him to finish his thoughts. 

“it’s... difficult... not havin’ ya by my side all the time. every time you’re away, i’m always worryin’ about ya.. worryin’ that you’ll be hurt, or that there’s someone out there whose company you enjoy more than mine..” mammon took a moment to clear his throat, chasing away the huskiness that gathered in it. “ya know me, MC. i’m a greedy demon. i want ya all to myself.”

“..’n so as a result, i tend to... shut down.. instead of conveyin’ what i really feel. and what i really feel is..” the pillows began to be removed, one by one. slowly at first, and then all at once, as if the demon on the other side was too impatient. mammon’s warm arms wrapped around your body with ease, pulling you into his broad chest.

“... sad. an angry typa sad. i was sad when ya left me for belphie, and the more i thought about how much fun you two were probably havin’ i started gettin’... mad. i know, i know, it’s irrational,” he added hastily when seeing the expression on your face. “it’s just... i wanna be the only demon to make you happy. i wanna be the only demon to see that smile of yours.” mammon gently brushed away the hair that covered your eyes, a fond smile curving his lips. your face warmed in response to his touch.

mammon immediately started backpedaling, your flushed face instantly reflecting onto his tenfold. “n-n-not that i think your smile is... precious, or... gorgeous... or anythin’ like that. nope! not a chance!” he stated firmly. the heat from his cheeks radiated onto your skin.

a small laugh bubbled up your throat, your hand coming up to caress mammon’s cheek. “i understand what you’re trying to tell me, monnie. but you need to understand that there’s going to be times where we can’t be together all day. some days i’m going to want to see my friends. and you should spend more time with your family.”

mammon groaned in response, burying his face in your hair. “it’s not like they give a rat’s ass about me, anyway. ya see me for who i am, and ya still accept me.”

“that’s not true,” you chided him gently. “they’ve all been pretty worried about you. lucifer even asked me to put aside whatever we were arguing about to check on you.”

he made a sour face. “so you’re only here because lucifer told ya to be here?”

“no, i’m here because i want to be here.” you reached up, pressing your lips to his in a kiss that could only truly convey what your feelings were at that moment. mammon sighed into your lips, every drop of tension melting away. a painless shock traversed through his body, his grip on you only tightening in response before engulfing your face in his massive hands, as if to trap you there. to prolong this moment. to keep yourselves glued together.

mammon was a hopeless fool. but he was a fool for you. he shows you a side he dares not show anyone else. you gently pulled away, your heart thrumming in your chest. mammon’s heart swelled with love for this fragile, sweet human in his arms. he couldn’t help the goofy smile that spread across his face. you were nothing short of perfect in his eyes. 

“no matter where i am, no matter who i’m with, i need you to now that i love you, mammon. you’re my first. you’ll always be my first.” the intensity of your words resounded through the empty cavity of mammon’s head. you always knew exactly what to say to calm him down.

“of course you love the almighty mammon! who wouldn’t?” he boasted, a cheeky grin plastered over his sincere smile. “..but seriously... thank you. and.. i’m sorry. i acted unfairly towards ya... please forgive me?”

pressing another kiss to mammon’s soft lips, he felt you smile against him. “only because you said ‘please.’”

the two of you cuddled deeper into each other, arms and legs entwined with one another’s. mammon’s carefree snoring soon filled the air, and not long after, you followed suit, your demon’s incredible body heat lulling you to sleep.

the soft sound of chattering downstairs and birds twittering outside alerted mammon that it was morning in the devildom. he instinctively began stretching, but soon stopped when he felt your body still nestled up against his. it was a very rare event, him waking up before you did. he leaned over to rest his cheek against the top of your hair, breathing in.

you smelled like him.

©2023 please do not repost, modify, or claim as your work.

“care to explain what you are doing, MC?” lucifer drawled, mammon swallowing as quickly as he could so that lucifer wouldn’t make him spit out what little food he had. 

this could go one of two ways. you could throw mammon under the bus, or, you could tell lucifer the truth. and what did you choose? the truth, obviously! 

“luci—” mammon snorted at the nickname, falling silent once lucifer’s eyes bore into his skull. “i think... you’re being too harsh on mammon. he’s been tied up all day! he deserves a little something to eat, don’t you think?”

lucifer’s eyes narrowed. “this is the only way mammon will learn, MC. do not take pity on a scumbag like him. i would appreciate it if you didn’t tell me how i should or shouldn’t treat my brothers in the future.”

a wave of mild anger crashed over your senses. was the natural superiority in his tone a result of being the avatar of pride, or waas it just him being an ass? 

“my apologies, lucifer. i’ll keep that information in mind for the future.” your teeth gritted, you dropped the plate right near lucifer’s feet (much to mammon’s dismay), and stormed towards your room.

“i’ll clean that up later.” you had grumbled over your shoulder.

and now, here you were, making your way towards lucifer’s room, praying to whatever god was out there that he was in his office or he was already asleep. naturally, god hates you. 

lucifer had documents in his hands, his glasses perched comfortably on his nose as he read through it. he did not look up, nor did he acknowledge your presence. ever play a game of mercy? that’s exactly how arguments with lucifer are. the two of you will keep putting more and more pressure on each other until one of you cries out. more often than not, it’s you. you were determined to win this round.

pulling back the sheets, you rolled away from lucifer and managed to get moderately comfortable. “’night, luci.” you stiffly called out, earning a frigid “goodnight, MC.” in response. 

it was moments like this where you wanted to crumble and crawl into lucifer’s arms. yet, you were determined not to. that’s exactly what he’d want you to do! and you weren’t about to give in just yet. you truly believed that you did the semi-right thing. sure, what mammon did was low, but he was still a person— er, demon.

after a few minutes, the hostility in your body seemingly evaporated, your mind foggy with sleep. lucifer exhaled, setting aside both his documents and his glasses before turning towards your sleeping figure, gently brushing the hair out of your face. he loved to admire you. even when he was angry, he wanted to gaze upon the face he adored the most. his pride would never allow him to admit such a thing.

the more he stared at you, the more he thought about how silly the whole ordeal was. you did something you shouldn’t have, but, he admits, he overstepped by telling you something so cold. in truth, he found it heartwarming that you cared for his brothers almost as deeply as he did. you were his lover for a reason, right? to keep him and his brothers in line. your portrait was next to his almost as if to enforce the fact that you were his, and he was yours.

he sighed again, pressing a gentle kiss to your cheek before cuddling up to you, wrapping an arm securely around your waist. 

“i love you,” he murmured, placing one more kiss to your neck. he turned around, shut off the lights, and embraced the warmth your human body provided.

you couldn’t help the small smile that tugged at your lips, forcing the “i love you too” back down your throat.