Barbatos doesn’t know how it started. 

Well, alright, he knows when he first noticed it. But he has a feeling the feelings had been there, building, culminating, for a lot longer than that. 

He first noticed his affection for you on a spring day, one of the warmest the year had seen so far. You’d shed your uniform jacket, rolled up the sleeves, and gone outside during lunch, claiming the quad as your own. Claiming the attention of everyone on the quad. And like moths to a flame, everyone had followed, as they always did. Him included. 

“It feels so nice out,” you’d chirped, face turned up to the non-existent sun, and Barbatos had become aware of a buzz under his skin, a curious warmth that he’d never really felt before. It didn’t take a genius for him to place the feelings, and he accepted them a lot easier than he thought he would, with them clicking into place like the last piece of a previously hidden puzzle. He finally understood what everyone was talking about, finally understood why people were pushed to invent, to create, to conquer in the name of love.

Of course, while he was going through all of these realizations and acceptions, time had moved forward, and you were now surrounded by everyone, with him on the outside, like always, slightly distanced, the few feet like an uncrossable gorge. But you, you with your crooked half-smile and wonderful gleam in your eyes, had looked through, to him, smile somehow widening just for him, and that had made it all okay, made that gorge seem like nothing more than the few feet it actually was.

Now, he keeps his feelings close to his chest, aware that he’s not the only one who holds them for you. That knowledge should be souring, should bring him to his senses, but it doesn’t. Maybe it’s because of you, because of how you make time for him, make him feel like the only demon in the world when you look at him, make him believe, if only for a second, that impossibilities are possible. Okay, yeah, it’s definitely because of you.

So he holds his feelings, keeps them to himself, and it’s okay. He’s not prone to jealousy, or possessiveness, has learned over the many, many years to be satisfied with what he has, and what he has is more than enough. He has Diavolo and a place in a wonderful community filled with wonderful people, and your friendship, which is more than he could’ve dreamed of.

“What are you thinking so hard about?” you tease, poking him lightly with the blunt end of your pencil. He blinks, coming back to himself, coming back to the club meeting, and gives you a half smile. The club was one you both co-ran, some ‘community wellness’ thing that you were a lot more passionate about than he. But he put his everything in it, for you.

“I apologize, I must have been distracted. Remind me of our discussion,” 

“Barbatos? Distracted?” Your face is bright, cheerful. “Who are you and what have you done with the real Barbatos?” 

“Funny, really,” he returns, and the laugh he is gifted with is quickly saved, pressed into the scrapbook of his memories, to be taken out and admired every now and again, treasured close to his chest. 

“Anyway…” you pull him back into the meeting with vigor, with enthusiasm, as with everything you do, and he lets himself be pulled willingly. What a fool he must be, to take the chains from your hand and wrap them around his wrist himself.

Once the meeting is over you check your D.D.D., cursing. He directs an inquisitive look at you, and you grin guiltily. The school is dark, and mostly empty, and it feels like the two of you are the only ones in the world.

“It’s a lot later than I thought it was,” you explain. “Is there any way I can beg a ride off of you? I’d be really thankful.” 

“I suppose,” Barbatos replies, making a show of being long-suffering. You draw out his humor in a way no one else does, and he’s grateful, so immensely grateful, that you see his dry, deadpan remarks for what they are and don’t just think he’s dreadfully boring. 

“Thank you so much!” You squeeze his side in a hug, apparently not feeling the staggering static that emanates from where the two of you touch, that sends shivers of electricity up and down his entire frame. “I owe you one.” 

“You always say that,” he accuses lightly. “At this point, I believe you owe me a lot more than that.” 

“Probably.” You shrug, unrepentant. He really shouldn’t find that shamelessness so charming. 

Being in a car with you is like torture. Torture he can stand, revels in, delights in. 

You’re close, within touching range. Not that he’d ever put his hands on you without your express and explicit permission, but the forced intimacy gets to him. You’re so comfortable in his car, shown by the way you commandeer the radio, the way you dig through his glovebox like it was yours for the taking. 

(Everything of his is yours for the taking, for the having, for the keeping.) 

“What’s this?” you ask, more to yourself than anything, but he looks over anyway. You’ve got a CD in your grip, reading the back. 

“That,” he says, “is my favorite CD. So be careful with it, please.”

“It’s your favorite?” 

He nods, and you give him that crooked smile, ejecting the CD that was in the player, exchanging it out. 

“We don’t have to listen to it,” he tries, and you wave him off. 

“Of course we do! It’s your favorite, and I want to hear it too!” 

 You pull pieces of him to the surface, almost by accident, and he stands there in front of you, exposed. But you’re always careful with the new parts of him that are revealed, treating them as preciously and as kindly as you’d treat an invaluable glass sculpture.

The first track starts and he keeps his gaze on the road, humming along. He can feel your eyes on him, and eventually, eventually gives into the urge to look over, meeting your eyes. 

“I can see why you like it,” you murmur, quiet for once. “It’s very…” you hold the words in your mouth, tasting them, savoring them. “It’s very you.” 

“Thanks, I think.”

“You’re quite welcome.” 

It’s quiet in the car, aside from the CD, of course, but he doesn’t mind the silence. Never has. Others feel it as a pressure, but he doesn’t, and knows, despite your propensity to talk and laugh and be in constant motion, don’t either. It’s a comfort, to be in silence with you. 

The drive to the House of Lamentation takes forever. Isn’t nearly long enough.

When he pulls into the circle drive, past the immaculately pruned bushes and other ostentatious landscaping, he resists the urge to go slower, to coast at a snail’s pace. He’s better than that. Barely. 

“Thanks for the ride,” you say as he pulls to a stop, lowering the volume of the music. “I really appreciate it.” 

“Of course,” he says. “You know me. Barbatos: butler, glorified babysitter, and part-time chauffeur.” 

He’s rewarded again with your laugh, but it fades into something thoughtful, something intimate.

“You’re so much more than that,” you say, and when he looks over at you in muted surprise, you’re not returning his gaze, instead focused somewhere in the far-off distance, maybe in the far-off past. Either way, you blink and come out of it quickly, but don’t take your words back. Instead, you do something, that even with all of his overthinking, his planning, his habit of examining every possibility, he’d never seen coming: 

You lean over and kiss him on the cheek.

Your lips are warm, and dry, and un-lingering. He stares at you in shock as you pull away, heart pounding a mile a minute. 

“Well,” you say with another laugh, much more high-pitched and nervous than the others he’d heard from you, “thanks again. I’ll be going in now.” 

You slide out of his car quickly, crossing the distance between it and the door in seconds. He almost thinks you’re not going to look back, until you do, that damned crooked smile on your lips, fluttering your fingers in a wave, even as embarrassment and joy war in your eyes. 

It takes a long time, too long, for him to pull himself together enough to pull away from the House of Lamentation, and he has to take the most convoluted way home he can think of to fully rid himself of his blush– a herculean task, considering that kiss plays on repeat in his head, the memory of your smile almost tangible. Who would have thought a simple kiss on the cheek would have been enough to bring the always-composed, always-distant Barbatos back down to the realm of unstoppable, human emotion?

Maybe you returning his feelings isn’t as far-fetched a possibility as he’d thought. 

You almost miss the soft rustle coming from the direction of your clothes rack. Out of the corner of your eye, you notice something slipping out of your uniform pocket and fluttering to the ground. Tilting your head slightly to get a better look, you sigh at the tiny piece of paper staring back at you.

It’s a voucher for this boba tea cafe that Asmo had introduced you to several months ago. Levi had gotten it for free with one of his recent Akuzon purchases, and gifted it to you in exchange for helping him queue for some exclusive merch. The cafe had been growing in popularity with RAD students lately, and you were hoping to invite Mammon out after school today to redeem a one-for-one drink from their special menu.

Unfortunately, Mammon said he had “errands” to run (which you knew meant the witches were after his ass again) and quickly ran off after the last bell, leaving his younger brother to escort you home. Watching Mammon rush out of the school gates as though Cerberus was hot on his heels sent a pang of regret through you, for taking so long to gather the courage to ask him out, especially given that the voucher expired the next day.

You sigh again. Your guardian definitely had a nasty habit of always getting himself into trouble, that silly, lovable demon.

Lovable… Your cheeks warm at the thought. But not all hope is lost, and you can still salvage this situation yet. Maybe you could go with him after dinner? It’s the weekend tomorrow, so surely Lucifer wouldn’t mind letting the two of you stay out a little longer tonight. If Mammon even comes back by then, you think gloomily. If he’s dealing with the witches, he’s usually gone for a few days… 

Something raps at your window, the sharp sounds abruptly jolting you from your reverie. You sit up to see a large black crow perched on the sill, cawing loudly at you from the other side of the glass pane, begging to be let in. You recognize him right away; it’s not the first time one of Mammon’s familiars has stopped by to visit, and you’re actually glad for his presence right now. 

“Hey Karasu, it’s been a while!” Feeling a little more energized now, you give the bird a bright smile as you lift open the window. “What are you doing here? Sol told me your chicks hatched the other day, so shouldn’t you be with your mate taking care of them?”

Karasu cocks his head to the side, looking somewhat confused. But he seems insistent on coming in, and, well, who were you to deny the adorable little thing?

“Are you hungry? I still have some of your favorite peanuts left.” You pull open your desk drawer and rummage around for one of the leftover sachets. Karasu waits patiently as you tear it open and pour it out neatly at his feet. “Go on, eat up!”

He appears hesitant at first, but opens up obediently when you pick up a piece and nudge it at his beak. Soon enough, he’s happily vacuuming up the entire pile peck by peck.

“There’s nothing like human world peanuts, am I right?” You laugh at the sight of the crow greedily going at his snack like a woodpecker, and toss the empty package into the trash can. “I don’t have much left, but I’ll be sure to pick up more the next time I go back to visit. Don’t tell Beel, okay?”

You stroke Karasu’s feathers when he’s done eating and giggle as he puffs up in response to your gentle touch. Spending time with animals really never fails to improve your mood. No wonder Satan’s always seeking out cats to hang out with.

“Such a good bird,” you coo. “Your mate’s so lucky to have you.”

Again, at the mention of a mate, Karasu appears startled. He can’t seem to look you in the eye, and his gaze darts everywhere but at your face. It eventually lands on the shiny, laminated coupon on the floor, and he lets out a questioning caw.

“Oh, this? It’s just a voucher for a drink.” You walk over and pick it up with a small huff of disappointment. “I wanted to invite Mammon out to redeem it today, but he already had other plans.”

Karasu perks up at the mention of his master. You start to feel a little bad for talking about Mammon behind his back, to one of his trusted familiars no less, but you can’t help the words spilling out anymore. Just being able to tell someone about this is cathartic, even if you are venting to a crow.

“It’s a one-for-one voucher for drinks at Spoopy’s, and it was going to be my treat so he wouldn’t have to spend a Grimm. It makes me happy when he takes me out and buys me stuff, even if he denies it, so I wanted to return the favor. I want to make him feel as special as he makes me feel.

Sometimes I think Mammon’s brothers are a little too harsh on him. Everybody makes mistakes, and it’s not fair that he gets disciplined the most for succumbing to his greed. I can’t say I know what it’s like, but being an Avatar of Sin mustn’t be easy.”

Your heart aches as you give Karasu a sad look, because it’s true. Mammon’s always the butt of his brothers’ jokes, always taking the brunt of Lucifer’s harshest punishments. And yet, he never stops smiling, never stops looking out for his family because he loves them so much despite how badly they treat him sometimes. Plus, tsundere attitude aside, he’s only ever been kind to you after you had first been teleported to the Devildom. Knowing all of this, how could you not fall for him?

“If I can make him happy, even just for a little while, it’ll be worth it,” you whisper, seemingly to yourself. “That’s what you do for someone you love, isn’t it?”

Karasu gives a loud caw, snapping you out of your depressive thoughts. You think he must be pitying the lovelorn expression on your face, because he hops closer to nuzzle your jaw with his beak, just below the corner of your lips.

“Aww… Thanks for trying to cheer me up, Karasu. You’re so sweet!” You pet the crow on his head, smiling softly. He really is such a good bird. “I wouldn’t want your mate to come after me, so I’ll give you this instead.”

You put your middle and index fingers together on one hand and kiss the tips, and then you press them to Karasu’s beak. 

A sudden burst of light blinds you, sending you reeling backwards with a startled yelp. Something— someone— reaches out to steady you, their arms around your waist and shoulders, preventing you from toppling over and hitting your head. When the brightness finally fades, you blink the spots in your vision away only to see…

“Mammon?!” You splutter in shock. “What— How did—”

“I can’t believe one of my familiars has been cozying up to ya,” the white-haired demon grumbles, still holding you in a dip pose as though the two of you had been dancing together at one of Diavolo’s fancy balls. “Gonna have words with that bird, I swear—”

“Mammon! How are you here?” You push lightly at his chest, trying to stand up properly. Your face is burning from the sinking realization that you just confessed your feelings to a crow that had actually been the object of your affections all along holy shit—

“It ain’t my fault, it was those damn witches and their nasty curses! More importantly, don’t ya go giving your kisses to anyone else but me, ya hear?” Mammon demands, his face equally flushed. He helps you up gently, and a distant part of your brain notices that he doesn’t let go of your hand. “Forget dinner with my brothers; I’m taking ya out, and then we can go grab some boba tea later! How’s that sound, huh?”

With the sheer amount of hope and excitement swelling in your chest, you have to remind yourself to breathe. “That sounds perfect,” you manage, your cheeks starting to hurt from how wide you’re smiling.

Mammon pulls you into a tight hug, one you don’t hesitate to reciprocate. You know he’s trying to hide, too embarrassed to face you directly, but his next words tell you all you need to know.

Ah, it was hell coffee. He should have known. He drank some more, allowing the bitterness to overwhelm his senses.

You had only served him hell coffee once before you had started dating him. It was purely by accident, but the drink was as bitter now as it was back then, maybe even more so. Lucifer’s body warmed up as he traced the thinnest of cracks etched along the side of the mug. 

He wondered if you had brewed him hell coffee on purpose this time as a way to show your feelings. He set the cup back on the side table and glanced over at you. There was no knowing smirk or mischievous eyebrow raise evident anywhere on your face. Instead, you continued to watch the movie with an earnest grin, blissfully unaware of his longing gaze.

His arm was lazily draped around your shoulders, but there was a sliver of space between the two of you. That sliver could have easily been miles for what he was concerned about. 

You tucked your hands underneath your underarms and leaned into the crook in his arm. After a minute, you repositioned yourself, and, after another minute, you did it again. You were trying to be discreet about it, but Lucifer could feel you shiver from a mile away. He silently pulled you closer to him. 

For the first time since the movie started, you tore your eyes from the screen to smile sheepishly.

Lucifer said, "I want you to be comfortable."

You mumbled something that sounded similar to 'thank you' before resting your head against his chest. You were now so close that he could feel your body's steady rise and fall with every breath you took. It comforted him. He pressed his lips on the crown of your head, and you hummed in response. 

He was about to kiss you again when a song started blaring on the television. It was laden with static and just a tad too slow to be considered pleasant to human ears. However, the soft tinkling of the piano in the background never failed to tug on Lucifer’s blackened heartstrings. 

He did not have to look up to know that this was the ballroom scene where the demon and their lover danced their hearts out in front of a crowd of guests. Although Lucifer had always appreciated the movie’s soundtrack (he had a weakness for the classics), he had always made sure to take an extra long sip of wine whenever this scene had come on in the past. It was too cheesy for his taste with the gaudy dresses and overacting. He could never understand the appeal of dancing while everybody else does nothing but watch. Wasn’t there a better use of their time?

But now–

Lucifer caught himself staring at you again. He usually did it unabashedly, but now he was starting to get embarrassed. He took another sip of his coffee, allowing the bitter aftertaste to burn in the back of his throat.

He felt you speak rather than hear it. "That's so pretty," you said. Your cheek was squished against his chest, which muffled your words.

"It truly is." Lucifer wasn't referring to the movie.

…When did he get so cheesy? It was a mistake to watch this with you.

You nodded, "Yeah, I wish I could do that." You drummed your fingers against Lucifer's knee.

He frowned. "Do what?" The characters weren't doing anything of note to be envious of. They were just…dancing. The demon's dress flourished and swished with every step they took, and their lover was not far behind with their outfit sparkling under the light. Lucifer pressed his lips together. 

"Oh, you know…" you sat up, but you stared bashfully at the floor, instead of at him, "...dance." You scratched at the back of your neck when you finished your sentence, turning your head away from him.

"You don't know how to dance?" He asked. There was a hint of a chuckle in his tone, and he had already given up on hiding his smile. Lucifer hadn't meant to sound so amused at that tidbit, but you had caught him off guard. As he had gotten to know you over the years, you had become stronger and more talented than he thought any human was capable of being. During your time here, you learned how to wield your pacts, how to use magic, and, most audaciously, how to wrap one of Devildom's most powerful demons around your finger. He had never imagined that you didn't know how to dance of all things.

"No," you answered, "That's why I always hung out at the beverage table during Diavolo's parties." You picked at a stray thread on your shirt. Instead of snapping, it elongated, and you clicked your tongue.

"You told me you liked the punch."

"That too."

Lucifer laughed but had the grace to cover his mouth with the back of his wrist. You shot him an unamused look with a stiffened frown. That only made Lucifer want to laugh harder, but he maintained his composure after that initial moment of weakness. Lucifer stood up and held his hand out.

You recoiled into yourself, hunching over and bringing your knees together. "What are you doing?" You asked after a brief second of hesitation. Lucifer didn't miss the way your gaze shot over to the television.

"What do you think? I'm asking you to dance." He kept his hand stretched out in front of him.

You glanced back and forth between his eyes and his hand before shaking your head. "Oh, no, no," you said, "I could never. I'd probably just trip or trample over your feet or–" you let out a dry chuckle, "or do something else embarrassing." You were smiling, but it was half-hearted and wistful, utterly different from the blissful expression plastered on your face five minutes ago.

"You won't."

Your breath hitched. One side of your face was illuminated by the low light of the screen. He could see the demon and their lover reflected across your dewy eyes. The haunting music lulled in the background, filling the silence between you two. "Okay," you said, your voice was quiet, holding that vulnerability that captivated him. 

You tentatively placed your hand in Lucifer's. He wasn't wearing his gloves, so he was well aware of the warmth of your skin against his. Your palm brushed against his. Your touch was so light that you were practically hovering above his skin. Lucifer's fingers curled around your hand. You tensed under his grip as a reflex before allowing yourself to relax. Slowly, you stood up and held your other hand out toward him. Before he could react, you drew your arm back into yourself. Your eyebrows were furrowed in silent uncertainty. Lucifer placed his free hand along your upper back, near your shoulder. You stepped closer on instinct, shortening the space that separated you two. Maintaining eye contact, you hovered your hand over Lucifer's shoulder. The look in your eye silently asked him if you were doing the right thing.

Lucifer gave you a reassuring smile and nod. He trailed his hand from your shoulder to your wrist and guided your hand to its rightful place. You squeezed his shoulder for reassurance, and Lucifer held your back again.

"Follow my lead," Lucifer said as he began dancing to the music. He stepped forward, but you kept your feet awkwardly planted on the ground. He nudged you slightly. "Hurry," he tilted his head toward the television, "The song is about to end." He kept the sound of his voice scarcely above the macabre music emanating from the movie.

You bobbed your head and stepped backward, taking care to follow Lucifer's footsteps. He matched his steps in time with every note.  Lucifer led you around the room, dancing in circles. You kept your head down, and he wondered why you suddenly seemed so uninterested until he noticed you mouthing numbers. He raised an eyebrow. Were you keeping count of each step? How…cute.

He leaned in closer to say, "You have to look at me, dear."

You didn't move your head, but Lucifer noticed that you were now peering at him through your eyelashes. "I know," you responded, "I just don't want to step on your feet and trip you up." Lucifer spun you around, and you yelped.

With a small stumble, you landed back in his arms. "What did I say earlier? You won't," Lucifer said. You gulped in lieu of a reply. It was barely audible, but Lucifer could hear the way you sucked in a short inhale as he led you up and down the room. 

And then, you tripped.

Lucifer had taken a step forward, but you, mistiming the music, also stepped forward. You stomped on his toes, and Lucifer barely staggered back before regaining his footing. He quickly steadied himself and was about to grab your shoulders to steady you, too, when you slammed into his chest, sending him tumbling down. 

Seemingly by instinct, you jutted out your hands and grabbed him by the waist. Lucifer took a sharp, but imperceptible, breath once you caught him. He allowed himself time to blink once before smirking. You had dipped him. It was inadvertent, of course, but still shocking.

Lucifer brushed his thumb against your forehead to wipe the bead of sweat that threatened to trickle down the side of your temple. “And you said you didn’t know how to dance.” He hoped his smug aura would mask the sudden onset of tachycardia. 

Your face was pinched up into a tight grimace, which only worsened at his remark. Upon catching wind of your expression, Lucifer immediately stood up. That seemed to break you out of your stupor. 

“I’m so sorry,” with shaky hands, you smoothed down his collar that had partially popped up after the kerfuffle, “I didn’t mean to bump into you like that.” You began to dust off his shirt.

Lucifer tenderly grabbed your hands and pulled them off of him. “Hey, it’s okay,” he said. He was speaking softly but not quietly enough for his words to be classified as a whisper. 

“Alright, but I really am sorry.” You took a deep breath to, presumably, calm yourself down. After a beat, you chuckled faintly, “You should have seen your face.”

“What about my face?”

“Nothing!” you laughed out loud, “I mean, there was nothing. Your expression was completely blank, even as you fell.” You rocked back on your heels, “Though, I did hear you gasp when I caught you. What was that about, huh?” You beamed at him in such a way that Lucifer could only describe as endearing. 

Any retort he might have had died on his tongue. Instead, Lucifer gave you a helpless look. “You are far too perceptive...much to my detriment.” He let go of your hands in favor of cupping your cheeks, “But, I must admit that it’s one of the many things I adore about you.”

He felt you flush at the sudden compliment. 

The music shifted, and Lucifer took the opportunity to loosely wrap his arms around your lower back. “Shall we continue where we left off?” he asked. 

Your arms awkwardly hung in the air before finding their way around his neck. “I’d love to,” you said with a certain lilt that was absent before.

Instead of guiding you around the sofa and back, Lucifer swayed in place in time with the now even slower song coming from the television. You rested the side of your cheek against his shoulder. The sudden intimacy made Lucifer hold you tighter against him. He took note of the scent of your shampoo, searing it to memory.

"We should do this every night." When you merely hummed, Lucifer elaborated, "I mean, I can teach you how to dance. If you would like, the next lesson can be conducted in the privacy of my own room." 

You buried your face in his shirt. After a beat longer than he would have liked, you answered, “Yeah, I’d like that. I’d like that a lot.” You bit your lip. It was evident that something else was on your mind, but Lucifer didn’t pry. He kept holding you in his arms until you pulled away slightly to look him directly in the eyes. He tilted his head quizzically, which is what made you sigh. “Lucifer, are–” you paused, seemingly thinking about the best way to word your next sentence, “are you going back to work after this?”

Lucifer peered over at the forgotten, half-empty cup of hell coffee he had left on the table. It hadn’t been long enough for the drink to be cold, yet, but it was probably lukewarm at this point. If someone did not know where to look, they would hardly notice the crack that ran up and down the mug. He had no idea how it broke: he took the mug out of the cabinet one day, and the crack was there. Not that he was expecting anyone else to, but nobody had dared to confess to the crime. Lucifer supposed that was due to the fear of the punishment that may arise, which he fully intended to dole out, until he realized the cup was still usable. 

That mug was his favorite for a reason: it was one of the first gifts you had gotten him as a couple. He could hardly throw it out, so he continued to use it for his breakfast coffee, late nights in the office, and pick-me-ups on especially emotionally taxing days. You never commented on the sudden crack, but he did catch you throwing a few curious glances in his direction whenever he would drink from that cup. You stopped after a few weeks and even started to use the same cracked mug to surprise him with a midnight brew in his office, just like you did tonight.

He turned his attention back toward you. “No, I changed my mind,” he pressed his forehead against yours, “I would rather spend the rest of the night with you.” 

“I’m glad,” you said, “You’ve been working hard lately. You deserve a break.”

You took advantage of the proximity to give Lucifer a chaste peck on the lips. He was hardly satisfied with how short it was. Lucifer caressed the sides of your face and pulled you in for a kiss. Although he was the one that initiated, you still stole his breath away. You ran your hands through his hair and sighed in contentment. 

A tinkling of laughter echoed behind you, causing you to jump back. You whipped your body around in the direction of the sound. It took a second before your eyes settled on the television. The ballroom scene was long over, now replaced by the characters, still in their gowns, drinking tea in the garden. 

You rub your upper arm and let out a small, sheepish laugh of your own. “Oh, I completely forgot about that movie,” you shook your head.

“That’s surprising. You were so enthralled by it earlier that you could hardly take your eyes off of the TV.”

“I suppose I got distracted by something a bit more interesting.”

Lucifer gestured toward the sofa. “Would you like to continue our little movie night?” he asked. As much as he enjoyed dancing with you, he couldn’t forget why you were here in the first place.

Without further prompting, you flopped back down in the spot he was pointing at. “Of course,” you said, “Hey, after this movie is over, can I play one of my favorites?”

He pretended to contemplate your request, “Hmm, a movie from the human world.” He sat down next to you, “Sounds fascinating.”

“Oh, it’s so good. You’ll love it!” You scooted over so that you were practically sitting on top of him. 

Leviathan was reluctant to face the human world after being selected for a one year vacation but after everything…he was excited to find all of the new content he could get his hands on. Animes were even more popular in the human world, so he had really found his people. He was glad he was selected, and found himself…in a regular cafe. 

He knew who his favorite worker was, and they always seemed happy to see him. At first it was really awkward, he didn’t know much about coffee, but he wanted to try your favorites. A blush here, a stutter there…and he was infatuated. It was nice to meet someone who likes anime too. He would come to the cafe daily, until he learned your schedule. He seemed to always be there on days you worked. 

You worked almost every day, and he learned it was to cover the bills you had on top of owning your own cat. He thought the cat was cute in your pictures…and you always seemed excited to talk about him to Levi. He couldn’t help but think…maybe he could visit your apartment someday before he returned to the devildom. But he could never ask to do so. He was too scared of rejection…

But when you didn’t show up today…he got worried. He sat and waited, one of your coworkers tried to take his order but he shut her down quickly, saying he was waiting for someone. She smiled and walked off. 10 minutes turned to 30, and 30 to an hour. After an hour and a half, he finally had enough and walked up to the counter. 

The woman smiled, “Can I help you with something?” Levi’s stare at her seemed to make her falter but she continued to smile, trying to be polite. 

“Where are they?” He asked, barely making eye contact. He fidgeted in his place, wringing his fingers together, still pent up from all the worry. 

“Oh! They’re sick today. They should be back tomorrow!” She apologized, and went back to work. 

Sick…? Fine. He would simply see them tomorrow. 

So he came back the next day…but you weren’t there again. He huffed, returning to his temporary place. Then the next day passed, then the next. 

If he wasn’t worried before, he definitely was now. 

It was the fourth day when he returned once again to your cafe, and he was so excited to see you! You looked a little worse for wear, but overall much better than his anxiety-riddled mind created due to his vivid imagination. 

He ran up to you, and you turned, excited to see your favorite regular. 

“Levi! Hi!” Your voice was a little hoarse, and face slightly pale, but still alive. That’s what matters. 

He sighed in relief before borderline glaring at you, “What’s wrong? Why were you sick for so long? Are you okay? Do you need medicine? Was it the flu?” His questions came at you a mile a minute, and you couldn’t hardly process one before he moved to the next. “Are you feeling better now? Are you good to be at work? Can-”

You cut him off with a cough, but answered quickly knowing he was simply filled with worry “I’m fine! It was just a cold. I promise, I’m all better now!” You gave him a wide smile, and seemed to subdue him for the moment. 

He did something…he was scared to do. He pulled you into a hug, his head resting on your shoulder as he held you close. “Please…don’t ever do that again.” He sniffled, all of his worry finally overflowing. “I thought…you were never coming back.” 

You were shocked, did he really care about you that much? You would be lying if you said it didn’t make you feel good…he was really your favorite regular. You gently pulled him off you, a soft smile on your face as you looked him in the eyes. 

“Levi…I’m fine. Promise. I didn’t mean to make you worry so much, and I’m sorry.” Hesitantly, you put your hands on his cheeks, and he instantly flinched away. “I…I’m sorry…I didn’t mean, I just!” Now you turned red, thinking he didn’t want the affection. 

He looked you in the eyes for a second, before his gaze darted away, then back to you. “It’s…fine. I’m just not used to…well…touch.” His face turned even more red than yours, and he carefully guided your hands back to his cheeks. 

He then did the cutest thing in the world…and nuzzled his face against your hands. Now you were both red in the face, all the way to your ears. However, both faces contained a smile of pure joy. 

“If…” You blushed, now looking away from him. “Um! Never mind.” And you took your hands away from his face to cover your own. 

With confidence he didn’t know he had, he carefully removed your hands from your face so he could see you. “What is it? You can tell me anything…” 

You gulped at the intensity in his eyes, but decided to just spit it out. “Maybe…if you wanted…you could come visit me after work?” At the words, his face turned to shock. “YOU DON’T HAVE TO IF YOU DON’T WANT TO!” It came out much louder than planned, and you looked around to see a few people staring. You cleared your throat, and continued “I just figured…if you’re worried about me…you could spend some time with me outside of work…? If that would help?” He was still silent, mouth wide open. “I…uh…I mean…” He tried to form words, but couldn’t. He had to take a few deep breaths, and smiled. “I would love to.” He held one of your hands in his, and he looked so happy. Still red in the face, if not even more so than before, but he was filled with joy. 

“Oy! Get back to work!” Your manager called over to you, but with a smirk on his face. 

You didn’t see it, but Levi glared daggers at the man. Who did he think he was? This was quality time you were sharing, and he dares to interrupt? 

When you turned back to Levi, he replaced his glare with a soft smile. “Sorry Levi…I get off work in around 4 hours, you don’t have to wait for me for that long, though!” You rested a hand on his shoulder for a moment, before returning to work. 

He sat down, and spent the remainder of the 4 hours just…adoring you. You were so kind to everyone you worked with, both coworkers and customers, and he found himself liking you more and more…and every once in a while, you’d return to fill his coffee cup, and give him a big grin. It made his whole day for you to be so kind to him, although maybe jealous when you shared a similar smile to other customers. 

After your shift, you gave him a “just a second” and went back to your locker. He was eagerly waiting by the entrance for you, and you were off! It was a short walk to your apartment, and he wanted to hold your hand…so badly. It was almost an awkward silence, and you would both catch the other glancing over, only to dart your eyes back to the ground. 

You walked up to the right door, and let him in. You had been talking regularly for a few months, but neither had the courage to invite the other over. Harboring feelings was difficult, especially when both parties were secretly scared of rejection without the other knowing so. 

You walked him over to the couch, and sat down next to each other. It was silent for a while, both trying and failing to spark a conversation. 

The silence was broken when he looked around and saw an anime poster! “What anime is that from?” He inquired, turning to you fully, giving you his full attention. 

You looked to see which poster and smiled, “Oh! It’s actually not from an anime, it’s from a game! His name is Zhongli, and he’s from Genshin Impact!” You then proceeded to ramble about the game you loved so much, and he even asked questions about certain things to let you know he was listening. 

After a while, you blushed, “I’m sorry…I can really ramble, huh?” And looked away shyly. 

He gasped, and held your hand “N-no! I mean. You do ramble. But I ramble too. It’s nice to see someone you care about passionate about something!” He realized his own words and tugged his hand away, turning a deep shade of red once more. 

It was your turn to look shocked now. “Y-y-you…care about me?” And he looked at you, looking almost afraid of your reaction. 

“Yes…I…I do. A lot.” He stood up, and walked quickly to the door. 

“W-wait! Levi!” You called, rushing after him. “I care about you too!” It stopped him in his tracks. 

He turned to you, looking so full of hope. “Then…maybe we could play genshin together. As a…a…d-d-d-d-date?” His statement was more of a question, but the meaning still came across. 

“Levi…” You all but whispered, and both parties looked reluctant. “I would love to have a date with you.” And you gave him the biggest smile he’d seen from you yet. 

He sighed, with a smile matching yours. “Here we are, two otakus…talking about a date. Ironic isn’t it?” And he chuckled, which only made you do the same. 

You dissolved into fits of laughter, and that was how it started. Something you would never regret, is inviting him over to your apartment on that day. He was precious to you…and eventually, he would even tell you who…or what he was. But that was for another time. 

Living in the Devildom has had its ups and downs, but I wouldn’t trade it for the three worlds, you thought. Sitting in the living room with the brothers, Belphie was laying his head down on your lap as Mammon and Satan went at each other. “Can y’all be quiet please? You are acting like children” you asked running your hands through the avatar of sloths hair. The second and fourth born stop and stare at you as if you’ve lost your head. “What did she just say?” Satan murmured as he looked between you and Mammon. “She said you guys are acting like children. Now please shut up, I’m trying to sleep here.” Came Belphegors voice, not even opening his eyes. Rolling his eyes, the avatar of greed moved from his spot across the room to the couch you were currently sitting on. Not saying a word, Mammon grabbed Belphie by the back of his hoodie and dragged him off the couch, unfortunately with you in tow as the latter had a grip on your waist. Yelping as you hit the hard wood floor, Belphie finally let go of you. “What the fuck was that for Mammon! You hurt her!” Satan and Belphie said almost in unison. “Guys I’m fine. A little sore but nothing major.” You said standing up to dust yourself off. Rolling your shoulders you looked at the three demons. “You guys seriously need to learn how to be adults. After all the time I’ve spent with you and I still can’t get over the face that being as old as you are, you still act like toddlers. I need a break from y’all.” With that you stalked to your bedroom not looking back. Closing the door, you made your way to your bathroom in hopes of running a relaxing bath. Filling the tub with water as hot as you could handle,you pulled a bath bomb that Asmo had gifted you for your birthday that you just haven’t had a chance to use from a basket on top of your counter. After tossing the bathbomb into the tub, you went into your bedroom to gather all the essentials for a relaxing bath, such as a speaker, the current novel that you borrowed from Satan as well as the headband that Belphie had given you for your anniversary. As you were about to head back into the bathroom, there was a loud knock on the door. “Mc? Are you in there still?” Came the smooth voice of your lover. Sighing to yourself as you placed your items down on your bed side table, you shuffled over to the door. Opening the door you were met with Belphie hand mid raise as he was about to knock once more. “Whoops,” he muttered as he slowly lowered his arm. Stepping aside to signal him to come into the room, he stepped inside but not before placing a loving kiss to the crown of your head. You hummed in content as you closed your door. “Are you ok honey? You seemed really stressed when you left the living room. I was going to check on you right away but Satan said it maybe best if I gave you a few minutes to cool down before coming in.” He started as he pulled you into his lap while sitting on your bed. Settling yourself down, you leaned your head on his shoulder as he wrapped one arm around your waist and the other rubbed soothing circles on your back. “I’m stressed but it’s nothing a nice warm bath can’t help with. I was actually getting ready to do that before you came in. I have the bath ready, I was just grabbing some essentials. You can stay in here until I’m out.” You said giving the avatar of sloth a quick peck on the check as you stood up off his lap.

After your bath, you went back to bed with Belphie. “Hey princess, feeling any better?” He asked as he rolled over to face you. Nodding your head, you got into bed next to him. Running your hands through his hair as he laid on your chest, “Hey, I have an idea!” Belphie suddenly shouted just as he was beginning to fall asleep. “And what is that?” You asked. Propping himself up on his elbows. “How about,” he began as he twirled a strand of your wet hair between his fingers, “we go on a little vacation?” He stated as his eyes lite up as bright as stars. Smiling to yourself you giggled. “I’d love that!” You exclaimed with a giant grin. Tackling you to the bed, Belphie peppered kisses all over your face. “Great! We can leave tomorrow then! Just you and me. No brothers to fight or bother you while you’re trying to relax. It will just be me and my beautiful girl.” He tried to hide his blush by burning his face in your shoulder, but you could see the red creeping up his ears. Belphie couldn’t believe that some human girl had him blushing so hard. He was just happy that no one who knew him before could see him in this vulnerable state, he wasn’t the demon that loathed the human race anymore, he was now a demon who was madly in love with one and wouldn’t want to change it for the world.

“..phie, hello? My love are you listening to me?” Being brought out from his own inner thoughts he looked at the h/c girl under him. “Sorry, what were you asking?” Rolling your eyes you repeated what you had said,”Where were you thinking on going? Do you have a place in mind or are we just going to go until we find somewhere that we deem suitable?” after a long pause, the seventh born responded with, “why dont we go to the human world? I’m sure if you asked Lucifer he’d let you go.” He watched the different stages of your reaction, your sharp eyes widening in surprise, followed with a look of happiness mixed with what he could only describe as weariness, followed by your actual response. “I think that would be a great idea! Why dont we go to a costal town! I’d love to be able to sleep near the water.” Nodding his head in agreement, Belphie reached behind him patting the bed trying to find his phone. Once he finally got a feel for it, he brought it up to his face and started to write out a few places to go while also texting Lucifer in hopes of getting permission to leave the Devildom, but even if the permission was denied, he wouldn’t listen and would just leave anyway.

After listening and discussing your options, you both decided on a nice town that shouldn’t be that busy this time of year, you both then decided to call it a night as it was much later than expected. The two of you really wanted to leave first thing in the morning, but seeing as you’re both heavy sleepers, that didn’t happen.

You were awoken by the sound of heavy knocking accompanied by the screaming of your name. “MC! Are you still asleep? I thought you were going to leave today!” That last sentence sent you into a panic. “What time is it?!?” Clamoring around looking for your phone, you saw that it was a little past 2pm, which shocked you. You never slept in that late. A grumbling coming from your left side broke you from your panic trance. “She was asleep! Before you woke us up…” Belphie murmured as he sat up in bed and rubbed his eyes clear of sleep. “Belph, we need to leave soon. It’s already 2 in the afternoon and we still haven’t packed anything.” In response to your fit of anxiety, Belphie only smiled. “Dont worry about packing. I did that for us last night. We just have to get up and go.”

With that you gathered your belonging and headed to the human world.

Placing your luggage down in the middle of the room you had booked, you couldn’t help but let out a few gasps of awe. “Belphie this is beautiful!” You said as you walked to the floor to ceiling windows over looking the crystal blue water. “Well I need a beautiful room that suites an equally beautiful women,” he whispered as he wrapped his arms around your waist from behind. You couldn’t help but blush at his comment. “We have this for a week. We can do whatever you want.” He continued as he moved his arms from your waist to your shoulder as he stood next to you to over look the water.

Without your knowledge he planned a perfect beach vacation. Swimming with dolphins, couples massages, a private dinner on a deck in the middle of the water, even a midnight swim session in the water right outside of your room.

“This is the best thing i could ever ask for, I haven’t been this relaxed in ages” you gushed as you walked along the coast with the chill water hitting your bare ankles every now and then. In one hand you held your shoes, while the other was occupied with Belphies hand. The wind blew the swimsuit coverup you had on and it tangled itself around your legs as you walked. “Im glad i was able to help you escape the fire we call our lives.” He chuckled as he recalled the messages he received from Bel about their other brothers losing their mind with out MC there to take care of their need, as if she was theirs. Stopping to look at your boyfriend, you pulled him closer. “Thank you.” You said as you both shared a kiss in the beautiful sunset.

mammon's eyes were trained on the big plushie you were eyeing. the thing was a few hundred grim, and almost bigger than you were. every time he'd brought you shopping, you kept staring at that darn stuffie like you were in love with it, and mammon was having none of it. he wanted you to look at him like that!

"oi mc!" he called. "you tryin' to get lost? lucifer'll kill me if you run off somewhere you ain't supposed to."

once again, you were eyeing that damn toy. you smiled shyly as he stomped towards you. "sorry mams! i was checking out this stuffie. it's huge!"

mammon only grunted, gently pulling you away from the display case and not-so-subtly glaring at the thing. you raised an eyebrow. was he jealous of a stuffed animal? you smiled, that was such a mammon thing to do.

you cooed softly, allowing yourself to be dragged along to whatever store mammon wanted to go to next. hopefully it was to another cute store like this one.

back at the house of lamentation, you began writing your shopping list for the brothers. the new human realm perfume that asmo wanted, or the silky cow onesie belphie had been preening about. or some manga for levi, a gift card to beel's favorite restaurant, a romance novel for satan. and (almost) lastly, a new robe and set of fountain pens for lucifer. now...what to get mammon? money? no, not personal enough. defrost his credit card? no, lucifer would kill you.

maybe...yes! that would work perfectly!

so, with a new plan formulated, you went off to the nearest devildom mall to begin your christmas shopping.

meanwhile, mammon was at the toy store trying to wrangle that huge plushie onto the table to pay for it. he cursed it out while the clerk stared at him blankly.

after his...altercation with the stuffed animal, he then had to throw it into a huge bag and lug it home in his car. and then hide it from you. and his brothers.

you were coming home just as you heard a door slam upstairs. you quirked an eyebrow and ascended the stairs, aiming to place the bags in your room before confronting whoever was assaulting their door hinges. but when you saw lucifer, levi, and asmo standing outside mammon's door, you got more than a little worried.

"hey, what's going on?" you called, dropping your shopping bags on the ground. lucifer looked more pissed than usual, and levi and asmo didn't look too happy either. so what was up? "is mammon in trouble again?"

lucifer didn't respond, so you took to hammering your fist on mammon's door.

"mams! it's mc! are you okay? can i come in?" when the only answer was the sound of something falling on the floor and cracking, your worry grew even more.

"mammon!"

"hey, m-mc, stop bangin' on my door! i'm okay, just, uh, wanna be left alone right now!"

he wasn't convincing at all, especially when you could feel lucifer glaring holes into the back of your skull. but you knew mammon well enough that if he wanted to be by himself, you'd let him be. at least for a little bit.

the rest of your day was spent packing up the various gifts you'd gotten and wrapping them in festive paper with cute handmade bows. you wrote a sweet card, personalized for each brother, and slapped a few grimm inside for good measure. boom, presents were done.

except for mammon's. but that was more of an in-the-moment type thing.

you slipped into bed on christmas eve. the very next day, when you woke up you clambered down the stairs to silence. looks like lucifer let the brothers sleep in, you thought. with the presents in hand, you slipped them under the tree and crept quietly back up the stairs.

meanwhile mammon was rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. he heard the creaking of the stairs and the slight noise of your door shutting. he yawned, putting on his clothes (which happened to be a ugly christmas sweater you bought him). the real challenge was going to be lugging that huge stuffie down the stairs without waking you up– or any of his brothers.

mammon managed to place it under the tree with little fanfare (but he sure almost jumped out of his socks when he heard belphie getting up to use the bathroom) and put the stuffed animal as far under the tree as it could go.

then he carefully crept back up the stairs, before he reached your door.

"mc!" he whisper yelled. "mc, wake up!"

you blinked your eyes open at the sound of mammon's voice, rubbing the sleep from them. was it morning already? “come in, mams,” you croaked.

“mc!” he cheered, hopping onto your bed and grabbing your shoulders. “that santa guy must’a came, cause there’s tons a presents down there!”

you couldn’t tell if he was being serious or not, but you chuckled at how cute his excitement was anyway.

“uh-huh. that’s what santa does,” you yawned. “now, can i get some more sleep? normally you don’t even wake up until noon.”

suddenly mammon seemed to realize that he was tangled up in your blankets with you and unceremoniously fell onto the floor with a loud thump. “oh my god, mammon!”

with the loud thump (but more so your voice), all the brothers came rushing to your door to see what was wrong.

“mc, what was that— wait, mammon?!” asmo screeched, his face mask slipping out of his hand and onto the floor.

“ugh, m’ fine,” mammon groaned, rubbing his backside.

after explaining to asmo that mammon had definitely only come into your room a few minutes ago, you certainly weren’t getting any more sleep. so it was time for presents!

you descended the stairs with a gleam in your eye as you gasped at the sight of your stuffed animal. mammon had bought it? you squealed, throwing yourself on top of the white haired demon.

“thank you, mammon! thank you!” you kissed his cheek, holding him close. you nuzzled into his chest.

“h-hey, mc, uh,” he chuckled and cleared his throat, pointing upwards. “looks like you m-missed…”

you looked up to see a green ball of mistletoe hanging above you. blushing, you laughed. you’d be giving mammon his present already.