~Jelly~

Lucifer stared at the ceiling as he thought about Mc. He finally finished work but sleep would not come to claim him. He replayed the memory of the attack in his mind, trying to understand what he was thinking. It was all fuzzy and strange. He doesn't know what's so wrong with him or why he hurts them all in his attempts to save them. In those kinds of moments he couldn't remember hitting them. Lucifer remembered the lights, the way the room was too warm, the anger that rose with his discomfort, how he hadn't slept in eight days, how his brain went to fast to understand what he said and did, and especially how not a second of it felt real. Lucifer's head hurt just trying to remember. He should apologise to Mc, he couldn't remember if he did.

Lucifer picked up his phone and sent a text demanding Mc come to see him. He should use gentler words, it doesn't matter it's already sent. Lucifer sat up and fixed his hair while watching the door. It was late, he's sure they're asleep and won't see it till morning but he still waits. Lucifer was surprised to hear gentle footsteps that he memorised as Mc's coming from down the hall followed by their gentle knock on the door.

"Lucifer? Is everything alright?"

"Yes Mc, come in please."

Mc entered and looked at Lucifer with concern as they walked over to where he sat. Lucifer's eyes were glued to Mc's scar from the moment they entered. Mc knew where he was looking, Lucifer always stared at the scar he gave them when he felt guilty. Lucifer reached up this time, finally touching it for the first time since that day.

"Did you need anything?"

Lucifer slowly ran his thumb across it "I don't remember apologising to you for this."

"You did."

"Was it a good apology?"

"At the time, you didn't like me at all so it's not like I set my expectations high and we did let Luke in without telling you, and the book was dangerous to your brothers so we shouldn't have touched it, and-"

Lucifer lifted his hand to halt Mc's ramblings "That's not an excuse, I'm sorry."

Mc smiled and moved to kiss the palm of his hand "at least you are aware. Is that all you summoned me for?"

"Yes."

"Oh, ok, move over I'm staying in here, I deserve it."

Mc started getting under the covers and Lucifer let them. It's not like he could do anything to kick them out even if he wanted to but Mc does wonder how Lucifer had forgotten the last several times he apologised like this. He still stared at the scar even now that his hand is removed. He cannot undo it, it will fade but never leave. Lucifer hopes Mc's presence will be as permanent in this house as the scar he gave them. He listens to them breathing all through the night, just to make sure their presence is still there tomorrow.

Mammon did not know Mc would take it so literally when he told them to just keel over instead of letting anyone else save them. Mc promised him that day he wrapped their wrists in bandages, and the scars on their neck were proof they kept it. Mammon didn't fully understand all the time bullshit, the two timelines were somehow smashed together so he remembered the first and the second as well as his brothers, but that also meant Mc kept the scars from their death. He couldn't save them, they couldn't breathe. He remembers drowning once, Lucifer had to lift him from the water because he was just learning to swim. He wonders if the feeling was similar to how Mc felt, but somehow worse. He knows it's worse.

Mc laid beside Mammon, passed out while he couldn't sleep. Mammon gently traced his fingers over the scars, reminding himself that they weren't a cold corpse in his arms anymore. Mammon would sentence himself to eating all of Solomon's cooking if that meant the sorcerer made Mc immortal, but Mc might not like that. He moved his hand down to Mc's chest, feeling for himself the rise and fall of every breath. They were warm, not cold. Their neck was unbroken and the bruises were gone, the scars remained but their breathing was only taken momentarily. Mammon would ask Barbatos to fix the timelines so Mc's skin could be clear, but Mc would rub those scars to ground themselves. They shouldn't need to do that at all. Mc mayq have forgiven Belphgor, but Mammon hadn't. Mammon never said anything because he didn't know if it was to keep the peace, to keep Belphegor out of prison to correct the other timeline, or if they were simply too exhausted to fight after everything.

Mc's eyes opened and they smiled at the blur of Mammon they could see through sleepy eyes. They used their hands to crawl up his body and find his face to cup his cheek since it was too dark to see. They smiled at him until they felt something wet against their fingers.

"Mams?"

Mammon's voice wasn't showing any signs of distress, he must've been practiced at hiding it "Yes treasure?"

"Why are you upset?"

"It's nothin' Mc."

"It isn't nothing if you're crying Mammon."

Mammon placed his hand on Mc's neck "I told ya ta keel over if I couldn't save ya, ya shouldn't have kept yer promise. Please, if yer in danger again, don't die, please?"

"Oh Mammon, I'll stay safe. If I do die then I'll come back and haunt you."

"Promise?"

"I promise" Mc kissed Mammon "you can hold me till you feel better but I need to go back to sleep. Wake me up if you start feeling worse ok?"

"Ok treasure."

Mc snuggled their way into Mammon's arms and he held their head against his chest. It was easier to feel them breathe with them on his chest. Mc fell back to sleep while Mammon counted their every breath. He laid his head down once he was certain their warmth wasn't something he was making up and that their death wasn't the true timeline. The scars were a sign they had healed. They were alive.

Leviathan watched Mc's scars peek out from underneath their sleeves as they drew in their sketchbook. He could hardly believe how stupid he was then, causing them pain over a little quiz. He knew he managed to break both their wrists, Mammon's sloppy healing magic bringing it down to a simple sprain but he couldn't undo the scars from where skin had broken. He'd curse Mammon for his poor work on their wrists but he was the one who caused it anyway and he was even worse with healing magic. Mc used their hands a lot, they loved to hold his hand, draw, trace their fingers along strange textures. To think he could have taken that away if he wasn't stopped, there would be no hand holding his cheek and telling him that it was going to be ok. He kept staring at the scars, there was nothing he could do about them even now.

Leviathan's hands hovered, wanting to touch Mc now that they were alone in his room to rewatch Madoka Magika but he was too scared. Mc looked over at his hand and took it for themselves. They pulled it up to their cheek with a smile. Leviathan blushed and turned his head away in embarrassment, they were too sweet to someone such as he. Mc tightened their grip a little and Leviathan could feel the scar near the base of their palm. He cringed with guilt at the texture, hating what he had done. He remembered the event so well, especially the sound of the bone cracking and tearing of flesh as the bone went through. It was a horrible noise that had to have hurt much worse than it sounded. Mc tilted their head noticing how Leviathan was starting to cry.

"Levi? What's wrong?"

"You shouldn't be smiling at me when I hurt you. I'm just some gros-"

"Hush. If this is about my wrists they are fine, see, "Mc let go of Leviathan's wrist to run their hand through his hair and used the other hand to boop his nose "all good."

"But I'm-"

"Hushhhhhhhhh, you acknowledged it was wrong and you have apologised. You have learned."

"But humans are so fragile, what if you lost your whole hand."

"I'm pretty sure Solomon has a spell to regrow entire limbs, stop worrying about what ifs unless it's regarding drowning me and your entire family by summoning Lotan."

"Is this about las-"

"Yes it's about last night, you're such a good demon I know you can do better."

"I'm not good, you're just too nice."

"You're someone worth being nice to."

"But I-"

Mc licked Leviathan's face before he looped back to feeling yucky over hurting them as nothing else could shut him up. Leviathan sat perfectly still, trying to understand what was happening. His mouth opened and closed as Mc paused the anime to prevent future distractions. They moved closer until they were pressing against Leviathan. They waited for Leviathan to mentally return before taking his hand and placing it over their scars.

"You feel them don't you? Scars are a sign of healing for humans, my hands are ok, they don't hurt at all unless I do something stupid, like punch Lucifer, it's like punching a wall."

"You punched Lucifer?"

"Irrelevant, focus of the latter about my hands. You are not gross, you have learned, I am fine. Perfectly fine I'd say since you're going to protect me, right player one."

Leviathan nodded and swallowed against his dry mouth. Mc kissed his cheek in a final reassurance before unpausing their show. Leviathan's hands stayed on Mc's, feeling the scars as he tried to remind himself of their words. He wouldn't be the person they'd need protection from anymore, he would protect them, however considering Mc's magic prowess probably not, but he could support them.

Satan was a very angry demon prone to temper tantrums and violence. He didn't understand why he was violent, he doesn't always want to hurt people. He didn't do it on purpose at all in his rage but his still hurt them. In his tantrum he had thrown a chair that hit Mc, leaving a little scar on their shoulder. It wasn't anything big, but it made him calm down. He doesn't know how many times he apologised for it but he didn't stop until Mc made him. He was a violent man, but he was very self aware so he couldn't fully understand why Mc would stay so calm around him when he hurt them.

Mc slept against Satan's shoulder. They had fallen asleep sometime during their after dinner study session so now they were there, trapping Satan underneath their gentle snores. Satan thought it foolish, humans were supposed to have better survival instincts than that. He wished he could cast away the thoughts of how dangerous this was since everyone walked on eggshells around him for a reason. He could see the evidence of his violence on Mc's shoulder, peeking out from underneath their loose shirt. Satan gently reached and touched the scar, feeling the proof that the human body likes to keep a reminder of previous injuries just as much as the brain did. Mc twitched before opening their eyes. They sat up and yawned before blinking themselves awake.

"Mngh, I fell asleep, sorry."

"It's alright Mc."

Mc brushed off where their head was on Satan's shoulder "if you say so."

Satan continued to stare at Mc's shoulder and Mc stared right back at him. Mc had no idea why Satan was staring at them, or perhaps through them. They broke their own stare to check behind them after following Satan's line of sight but there was nothing. Satan was perfectly still in his thoughts. He could almost feel the chair leaving his hands before it had hit Mc. He felt a pressure on his shoulder as Mc gently shook him back into reality.

"Satan! Are you alright?!"

"Oh, yes, I am fine."

"I think you needed a nap more than I did."

Satan looked into Mc's eyes then back to their shoulder "Maybe I did."

"You're still staring, what's going on in that head of yours."

"Does it still hurt?"

Mc followed Satan's line of sight again now to their scar "My scar?"

"Yes, your scar, what else would hurt."

"I dunno, my neck where Belphegor choked me, where my back was hit getting thrown down the stairs, my hands that Lucifer almost broke at a party or when Leviathan actually broke them, When Beel tried to ea-"

"I get it, you get hurt a lot."

"Yeah, I do, and my shoulder is fine. If you're going to feel guilty then apologise to the chair, have your chair privileges removed, sit on the floor."

"The chair doesn't have a scar on its shoulder."

"Yeah, it's in pieces, justice for the chair and it's family."

Satan gripped his knees in frustration "Mc, I am trying to be very sincere with you."

"and I'm telling you it's fine, you apologised and you're working on your anger, but did you apologise to the chair?"

"You are very frustrating."

"Yeah, but just a while ago you would have snapped at me two lines in about the chair, good job."

Satan looked at Mc like they were crazy "Were you ragebaiting me, to prove a point?"

"My point has been proven so I do not see a problem."

"You should be more concerned about me hurting you."

"I wish I could give you some fancy romantic spiel about how it's because "I love you" and some shit, but really in comparison to my literal murder by getting slowly choked them thrown down the stairs, your violence is the least of my concerns.

"Oh."

"Oh indeed. Your tantrums are bad but don't keep yourself up worrying about it unless you decide to throw another chair, they have feelings too."

"Mc please, enough about the chair."

"Hmmmmm, I'll consider it. It's getting late anyway, we should go to bed."

Mc stood and ruffled Satan's hair before heading back to their room "good night Satan"

Satan stared after them "good night Mc."

Satan stayed a while longer in the library. He knew they told him not to lose sleep over it but he couldn't stop thinking about all the ways he's almost hurt them. Just an inch to the side and he could have hit an artery. He sighed at his failure to heed Mc's words and decided it would be beat to go to bed. As Satan shut his book his chair gave out from underneath him. Perhaps Mc was right about chairs having feelings. Satan slapped himself for entertaining such an idea and picked himself up to go to bed where he would spend the next eight hours still overthinking it.

Belphegor was a murder in one timeline and a normal traitor in the other. He was unfortunate enough for them to have collided in a way which he remembered both. The body of Mc was from the original timeline where they lived, but due to the collision the scars on their neck remained. Belphegor vividly remembered putting them there, the power he felt to "avenge" his sister when he may as well have killed her. To compare Mc to Lilith was unjustified, Lilith was their predecessor by thousands of generations so it wasn't like Mc was her. Belphegor knew it would hurt Mc to look for Lilith in them, he had seen their eyes when he calmed down not because he had hurt them but because they were related to Lilith. Belphegor had also seen the way they still rubbed their neck like they were remembering if not attempting to remove the stains of his sin from their neck as they rubbed away at it. He noticed how Mc avoided going anywhere alone with him or doing anything beyond being polite, they avoided touch especially.

Mc was rubbing at their throat again. They always seemed to be doing that when Belphegor was around, but this was a rare occasion where they sat alone together after breakfast. He wondered if Mc rubbed any of the scars his brothers gave them, but they didn't. They had no reason to when they had survived those instances, just not his. He wishes he could genuinely feel bad, to have empathy or at least sympathise but all he really cared about was not being able to use Mc as his pillow and have them as his lover. He was aware it was wrong yet awareness did nothing for his knowledge on how to fix it. He really was a useless man when it came to this so all he could do is watch as Mc rubbed their scars. Belphegor decided to reach out and grab their wrists before Mc rubbed their skin raw.

"Stop that, you'll rub your skin off and die or something. You humans are so fragile."

"Yeah, you would know wouldn't you?"

"Tch, why do humans not get over things."

"Because unlike Lilith I'll only live once. To think it was so peaceful being dead then Brabtaos had to go and bring me back. It's not like anyone in the human realm was gonna miss me anyway, totally not, it's not like I have family, blood or not."

"I'm sorry."

"To think it took you so long to say something as simple as that. Also, forget the family bit, that should be directed at Diavolo for dragging me down here the first time without my consent."

Belphegor had never turned so fast in his life "Wait, you didn't want to be here?"

"Nope, I got ignored all the times I said I wanted to go home. I should've thrown a tantrum, but I don't have any regrets."

"Not even letting me out of the attic?"

"Nah, made Beel real happy to see you and it fixed a lot of things around here. It's not like you're super duper bad, you're just a sad demon with issues and I am slightly traumatised."

Belphegor blinked at Mc "I think it's more than slightly."

"Ehhhhhh, it's fine, let me just-" Mc pushed Belphgor out of his chair with a smile eliciting a yelp from the sleepy man "Yeah, that's better."

"Whyyyyy?"

"For throwing my corpse down the stairs of course, I actually have another scar from that."

Belphegor started crawling back into his chair "Oh. No wonder you don't like me."

Mc tilted their head "Who said I don't like you?"

"You avoid being in the room me like, all the time and you still finch."

"Well yeah, you still killed me. Humans have this thing called a fear response and pattern recognition. The last time we were alone together you lied to me and later killed me, I feel fine when someone else is with us.."

"How can I fix it?"

"You can't Belphie. That's not how that works."

"But I want to fix it. I want to be able to cuddle you so we can take naps together."

"You, want a hug?"

"Yes, I know what I did but I want to give you a real one."