#polyamarous relationship

"It's hurting them," Luke vented as Simeon sipped on his tea across from him. "They've become quieter and they're apologizing for everything! It doesn't even matter if it's actually their fault, they've started putting blame on themself for anything that goes wrong and it's all those cursed demons' fault!"

Simeon hummed in consideration as he set down his teacup. "I see. That is quite concerning. We'll keep an eye out for them and try to help where we can," Luke pouted at the lack of action involved in the answer. Simeon chuckled. "Don't get upset. MC is a smart person. If something really is happening, once we bring it to their attention, I'm positive that they are more than capable of addressing the issue themself. This is their relationship after all."

Luke whined and threw his head back against the couch he was sitting on. "But what if they don't listen?" He turns to Simeon with wide innocent eyes pooling with concern. "Those fiends have hurt them so much already. I don't want them to crush them emotionally as well."

Simeon smiled and moved to sit beside his charge and gently pulled him into his side. Luke accepted the embrace easily and snuggled up against him. "It'll be okay," Simeon whispered as he carded his fingers through Luke's hair. "Don't underestimate, MC. They are extremely strong and know their worth. They hold control over the seven lords and are more than capable of putting them into their place," he gave Luke a gentle squeeze as he felt the little angel tense. "I also know that they care about a certain young angel as though he is their brother," Luke's head snapped up to look at him. "If you bring your concerns to them, they'll listen Luke. Trust me. Trust MC."

Luke pursed his lips in thought for a moment before he nodded and hugged Simeon tightly. "Okay. I'll talk to them tomorrow. Will you come with me?"

Simeon grinned and hugged him back. "Of course. We can handle the matter together."

The next day the two of them managed to wrangle you away from your current watch-demon (today's brother of choice was Leviathan, so it wasn't entirely difficult considering he praised the ground Simeon walked on) and got you alone.

Luke fiddled with his hands as you looked down at him. "So, um, MC, we uh, we wanted to talk to you."

You glanced curiously between the two angels and offered Luke a gentle smile. "Sure. Whatever it is, you know you can talk to me, Luke. I'm all ears."

Luke slumped forward a little at words, letting out a heavy breath as he nodded. "Okay. Okay. Um, I-I've noticed a couple things about your relationship with the brothers and I-I'm worried about you."

At the mention of your lovers, you instinctively felt yourself frown. You glanced over at Simeon, hoping for some kind of context or help, but the older angel only looked at you with an expression of concern and comfort.

You felt a shiver of caution run down your spine as you turned back to Luke. "What are you talking about? I know that you're not a fan of demons, Luke, but everything's okay. I'm perfectly happy and safe."

"But your not!" Luke quickly cut off. You felt your eyes widen at the certainty in his tone. "You've been pulling away from us, from yourself! They're getting into your head and making you feel guilty about things that aren't even your fault, all while shaking off their own blame in things!"

Your breath hitched at Luke's judgement as you took a step back. Simeon placed a hand on Luke's shoulder. "Calm down, Luke. This isn't something you can just throw at someone. Take a deep breath."

Your mind was reeling at the words. Luke hated all things infernal, or at the very least pretended to, sure. But he had always been careful to watch his tongue when it came to matters concerning your relationship, seemingly understanding that your love-life wasn't his place to meddle. You tried to consider your recent behaviours and habits, but you just couldn't piece it together. You desperately let your eyes fall to Simeon. "What do you mean? I don't ... I don't understand."

Simeon nodded. "What Luke meant to say is that he's concerned about how the brothers have been dealing with conflicts within your relationship. From what we've seen, you're always the one to apologize and never them. Is that correct?"

You opened your mouth to argue when the realization hit you.

It was true. You were always the one to apologize, every single time. Even in the circumstances where you had started off defending yourself and arguing with them, it always ended with your overly-sympathetic heart giving in and apologizing for the concern, worry, or hurt that you had inadvertently inflicted upon the brothers.

You blinked as you felt ice settle in your veins. How long had this been happening? Were the brothers aware of the manipulation that they were doing? Were they trying to shape you into something more obedient and timid for them?

Your mouth clicked shut as you curled your hands into fists.

Simeon and Luke exchanged worried glances as they carefully approached you. "MC, we're sorry if we offended you-"

"Don't," you snapped, avoiding their gaze as you pinched the bridge of your nose. "Don't apologize. Please. I just..." you shakily exhaled as you ran a hand through your hair. "I need to process this."

Simeon nodded as Luke anxiously shifted from foot to foot. They let you run through your thoughts and watched carefully as you seemed to flicker between hurt, anger, and self-deprecation.

Eventually, you offered them both an unsteady smile. "Thank you for bringing this to my attention and looking out for me. I was...unaware that this was even happening. I'll keep an eye out for it," Luke opened his mouth to speak, his eyes pleading you to allow him to explain and comfort you, but you dismissed him with a small shake of your head. "If you'd excuse me, I need to gather myself before class begins again."

Without another word, you walked away, leaving the angels alone to ponder on their actions.

***

The lords of the Devildom were concerned to say the least.

Ever since lunch hour, you had been quiet and strangely distant from them. Mammon and Beelzebub had tried to pry you for more information, but you just gave them a fake smile and told them you needed space to think about some things.

That statement in itself was terrifying.

Mammon pouted to his brothers as they all sat in the lounge. "Did we do somethin'? Why are they actin' all cold and stuff?"

Satan sighed as he put down his book. "They said they needed space right? They might be going through a personal dilemma. They'll come to us in their own time," he frowned as he picked back up his copy of Human Psychology, "Or at least I think that's how these kinds of things are supposed to work."

Levi's mouth twitched as he picked at his hands. "I don't like it. They only started acting like this after Simeon and Luke pulled them away during lunch," all eyes in the room snapped over to him.

"They were with Luke and Simeon earlier today?" Mammon questioned, his eye narrowing in suspicion. "What did they talk about?"

Leviathan froze, only now realizing the tenseness lingering in the air. "Oh, um, I don't know. Simeon said he wanted to hang out with them a bit, a-and Simeon's good and able to look out for them in case any trouble sh-shows up and he promised to sign some of my books in return, later on, so I didn't think it was that big of a deal."

Belphegor scoffed, "Simeon isn't the problem. Luke is. The chihuahua hates us and with how MC is acting who knows what kind of celestial bullshit he fed them."

"Excuse you?"

The brothers all frowned at the sound of your hardened, stern voice. You stood in the doorway, glaring daggers at Belphegor.

Lucifer stood to intercept you, "MC, we were just discussing possibilities on why you were acting so strange today."

You crossed your arms as you met his glare. Lucifer zeroed in on the slight tremble in your hands and the deep hurt that barely revealed itself in the depths of your eyes. "I told you guys I just needed some time to think about some things. Since when did needing some alone time warrant you all being suspicious of me?"

There was a bite to your tone that told the boys that there was something bigger hiding behind your question. Asmo flashed you a soft smile as he moved to embrace you. "We aren't suspicious of you, lovebug. We're suspicious of the angels," you took a step back before he could wrap an arm around you. Asmo sighed and let his arms fall to his side. "You know how it is between angels and demons, and you know how Luke feels about us. Of course, we're going to be concerned if you were alone with them and then suddenly start acting so weird."

Your lips tightened into a thin line as stared into his worry-filled gaze. You shook your head as you looked away from him. "They're also my friends and just want what's best for me."

Mammon snapped his fingers as he pointed at you accusingly. "So they did say somethin' bad about us!" Your eyes widened as he narrowed his own eyes at you. "They told ya some lie about us to try and get ya away from us and back onto 'the path of righteousness' and ya fell for it!"

Your shocked expression quickly morphed into restrained anger as your hands curled into fists. "That's not what I said,"

Beel placed a hand on Mammon's shoulder. "Stop it," he commanded before turning to you. "We're just concerned about this. You have to admit that you have been acting off all day."

Levi nodded frantically, "You didn't even come back to me after you talked with them! You just went straight to class, and you've been avoiding the rest of us ever since!"

You groaned and ran a hand through your hair, "Because they did give me something to think about and I needed some space to think it over. They're looking out for me. They aren't trying to tear us apart."

"How would you know?" Belphie calmly brought up, his annoyingly neutral face not giving away the slightest hint of his true feelings. "What do you know about angels and their intentions? You're just a hu-"

The air was sucked out of the room as the unfinished statement lingered around them.

You gritted your teeth as you felt tears prick the corners of your eyes. "I'm just a what, Belphegor?" you spat as you moved closer to him. Belphegor went white as he silently shook his head, holding his hands up in defence and taking a step back. "Just a dumb, naive, little human who couldn't possibly protect themself or know anything at all about the big bad world and its dangers?"

Satan's breath hitched at the wrath pouring off you. "MC, he didn't mean it like that."

"No," your voice cracked as you glared at them. "That's exactly what he meant. It's how he sees me. It's how all of you see me, isn't it?"

Lucifer's eyes scanned you, looking desperately. "MC, no. We love you. You know this."

Your lip trembled as you shook your head. "I know you love me, but this isn't about that. This is about if you respect me," you let out a tired laugh as you ran a hand down your face. "Do you want to know what Luke and Simeon brought up to me today?" You looked at them with wet eyes filled with betrayal and heartbreak. "They had noticed that in every time we argue, in every incident we've had where we something bad happens, I'm always the one to apologize. I'm the one who takes the blame."

Leviathan narrowed his eyebrows at the statement. "That... That can't be true. We've apologized to you before."

Satan stiffened as he took in the situation. He let out a shaky breath and his hand moved to cover his mouth. "We have, but we also made sure that they apologized for their part as well."

You nodded and moved your arms to wrap around yourself. "I'm always in the wrong," you were struggling to keep your voice steady as it wobbled with suppressed sobs. "It's always my fault for not knowing about a certain cultural practice, or my fault because I was never informed, or my fault for just trying my best in a world that people have barely taught me about," you closed your eyes as you tried to regather yourself. "I needed space because I was trying to figure out if this was just some kind of subconscious thing from years of demons being against humans or if this was something you were doing on purpose t-to manipulate me-"

"What? Manipulate you? Treasure-"

"Mammon, please just let me speak," you croaked looking straight at the white-haired demon as tears finally began to spill down your cheeks. "I knew that this probably wasn't on purpose. But this, this whole discussion, this is exactly what they were talking about. Even if you don't realize it, deep down, you all still see me as a weak human who's stationed below you in power, intelligence and ability."

None of them dared to argue with you this time; not after everything that had been brought to light.

You bit your inner cheek, fighting desperately to remain calm in front of them, even though their silence was ringing loudly against the cracked pieces of your heart. "This can't stay like this. Not if we're going to work. You need to see me as an equal."

Lucifer tensed at your wording. Everyone in the room suddenly became aware of exactly what was at stake here. "How do you recommend we reconcile that? As you said, this is an unconscious behaviour, it's not something we can fix instantly."

You stood still for a moment, gaze fixed to the floor in thought before you let out a heavy sigh. "I need you all to think about everything that was said tonight, and really think deeply about how you see me and things that you have done that treated me as lesser than you. Once you know that, you can come up with ways to stop those habits or trains of thought," you lifted your chin as you finally met their eyes. "In the meantime, we'll take a break. I'll stay at Purgatory Hall. You can message when you feel you're ready to try this again on an equal playing field, but only then."

Levi let out a choked noise as he looked at you with wide eyes. "Y-You're breaking up with us?"

You shook your head carefully. "No. I said that we'd take a break. This is serious, and I need you all to prove that you're willing to take this matter seriously. If not, tell me now, because I-I will break up with you. I can't," you paused as your voice cracked, "I can't be in a relationship with people who think I'm beneath them."

Lucifer placed a hand on Levi's shoulder, silencing him before he could speak any further. "Then we'll do it. We'll give you space and do as you ask. Just," he swallowed thickly as he looked down at you, "please give us the chance to repair this. I think I speak for everyone when I say that we treasure you, beloved, and we don't want to lose you."

A strangled sob slipped from your lips, "I don't want to lose you guys either, b-but-" you couldn't bring yourself to finish the sentence as your emotions began to overwhelm you.

"But you need to set boundaries to protect yourself," Satan finished smiling softly. "It's alright, MC. We'll do our best to prove that we can respect you and your boundaries. You'll see."

Belphie sighed and nodded. "Yeah. Maybe we do have some things to think about," he looked at you with a remorseful expression. "I'll start by apologizing for my words earlier. I shouldn't have snapped at you like that or called you a human in such a-a," his nose scrunched up as he tried to find his words, "a demeaning way. I truly am sorry. I'll work hard to become worthy of you, Angel."

Beel hummed in agreement beside his twin. "We all will. I just want you safe and happy."

Asmodeus tilted his head as he tapped his chin. "Speaking of safe, if you really are gonna be staying at the Purgatory Hall for a little while and plan on heading out to tonight, you should probably let one of us go with you," he held his hands up defensively as everyone narrowed their eyes at him. "Hey! I'm not saying that I think they're weak. But our dearest MC is an entire meal and there are all kinds of demons lurking around at night that would love to take advantage of that. If anything, this is for my own sanity to know that they make it there safe," Asmo blushed at the admission.

You sent him a watery smile, "Thank you, Asmo. I definitely wouldn't say no to an escort this late at night."

Levi narrowed his eyes at Asmodeus before scoffing. "Fine. But we're all escorting you together. That way we can all get to say goodbye."

Mammon looked over at you anxiously. "But just clarify, this ain't goodbye, right? I-It's just a see ya later? Once we all stop bein' morons?"

Your face softened at the words, "I don't think you're morons. I just think that the Devildom society raised you to think a certain way and that you haven't quite unlearned those things yet. I know this isn't easy, but it is necessary."

Lucifer, to everyone's surprise, bowed his head to you. "And we will work, educate ourselves, and wait as long as we need to until we have shown that we can do just that," he glanced up at you from where he remained bowed. "I truly am sorry for our treatment of you, MC."

You watched with tear-filled eyes as your lovers, one by one, bowed before you, and with the one simple action, sparked hope into your weeping heart.

You knew this wouldn't be easy, and that there would be trial and error along the way. But you could see that your lovers were genuinely sorry and even disgusted by their past actions. You knew your boys were a determined lot, and that when they made these promises to you, they meant them.

This would not be the end of your relationship. This would just be a bump along the way, and you had no doubt that in end, you would all come out with a deeper understanding of one another.

***I hope you all enjoyed that! Thank you so much for reading and taking in this with me. This is honestly kind of therapeutic to write 😅 Thanks for the love and support. Love you guys!***

TAGLIST:

Satan looked around at the coastal village you all seemed to be in. "You know, no matter how many times I've visited up here or seen it pictures in books, the real thing never fails to impress me."

You beamed at him brightly, "That's how I feel about the Devildom," you shifted your gaze over to your other lovers as you gestured to the space around you. "I thought that since you guys have shown me the things you love most about the Devildom and taught me about your culture, it was about time that I did the same with mine," you blushed as noted that Mammon and Beel were still gaping at you, and nervously fiddled with your hair. "I-If that's okay with everyone. I can, uh, we can always go back to the Devildom and have a movie night or something if you guys aren't comfortable but-"

"Are ya kiddin' me?! Why the hell would I want to go back to that musty old place, when I can spend the day with you up here?" Mammon shouted. "I love the human world! You guys have some of the best Casinos in all of the realms! Granted, I've only ever been there for work reasons, but still!"

Lucifer sighed at Mammon's comment, but even so, the subtle smile gracing his lips remained as he looked down at you. "I'm sure we won't be going to any Casinos today, Mammon. MC probably has an entire day planned to show us their favourite things about the human world, don't you?"

You pouted at just how easily Lucifer was able to deduce everything. "You didn't have to guess it so quickly."

Lucifer chuckled as he leaned down to peck your lips. "Apologies, Beloved," he whispered, taking great joy in the flushed look on your face.

"S-So!" Levi shouted loudly, very clearly interrupting your moment with Lucifer. "Where are we going to first?"

You pulled out a folded piece of paper and looked down at it. "Well, according to the schedule I made, we're headed to the boardwalk. They have all kinds of stuff to do there. Shopping, an aquarium, an amusement park, and of course the beach. So we can easily spend the rest of our day over there before the fireworks start tonight," You tilted your head as you looked back up at your lovers. "How does that sound?"

Asmo giggled as he wrapped his arms around you and pressed a kiss to your cheek. "That sounds perfect, love. You really do know how to spoil us, don't you?"

You turned your head to softly kiss Asmo's cheek in return. "Well, after everything you've all done for me, it's the least. I can do," your eyebrow furrowed slightly as you sighed. "Since we've all got together, you guys have always been the ones to treat me and take me out, and I've been slacking off and not returning the favour," You flashed them all a guilt-filled smile. "You all deserve the best, a-and maybe I'm not always able to be the perfect partner, but I want to try."

"Oh MC," Beelzebub cooed as he took your face in his hands. "To us, you're already perfect. It doesn't matter if you can't always arrange dates or surprises like this. We don't date you for those things. We date you because we love you unconditionally."

You felt your eyes burn with the threat of tears as your heart melted at your lover's words. You wrapped Beel into a hug and muttered a soft thank you as he held you tightly.

You took a shaky breath as you pulled away from him and ran a hand over your face. "O-Okay. We haven't even gotten started yet, I can't start crying already," you giggled as you grinned at your boys. "Allow me to show you the wonders of the human world."

The sun beamed down on the eight of you as you made your way through the urban, sea-side streets and wandered over to the bustling boardwalk.

It had been decided after a solid ten minutes of bickering that you would begin your day at the small aquarium that sat near the end of the docks.

Levi had practically dragged you to the building, gripping tightly onto your hand.

He gaped and awed at the creatures surrounding him. He had been to an aquarium before, the Devildom had a few, but the fish there were mostly monstrosities in their own right. He had never seen these elegant, almost ethereal, underwater creatures, that glided inside the tanks around him.

Levi blinked over at a glowing blob that casually floated up to the glass next to him. He beamed over at you as he pointed to it. "Look at this MC! It's so cool!"

You smiled and moved closer to him. "That's a lanternfish. Cute, right?"

Beel perked in interest and peered down at it. "A lanternfish? Do they have a little lantern inside of them or something?"

A mischievous grin climbed onto your expression as your eyes lit up, "Not quite," you stated with certainty. You could see Satan smirk out of the corner of your eye. "Lanternfish were created when a small fish swam a little too close to the surface during a storm one night and got struck by lightning. The lightning gave it its bioluminescent properties which allow it to glow in its deep-sea habitat."

Beel and Mammon gasped and turned to the lanternfish with great interest, soaking in your every word.

Lucifer rose an eyebrow as he nudged you with his elbow. "You know, you shouldn't lie to him like that."

Satan flashed his brother a catlike grin as he leaned onto you. "But Lucifer, who said that MC was lying? The science of reanimation using lightning has been around in the human world for years. It all began after the incredible research of Dr. Frankenstien in 1817," he scoffed and looked down at you. "Man, kind of embarrassing that he doesn't know one of the biggest names in human science."

You nodded in agreement as you looked at Lucifer. "Yeah, truly a shame, especially after all Frankenstein did for humanity. Sounds like you need to hit a few books, eh Lucifer?"

Lucifer narrowed his eyebrows and you could practically see his brain attempting to processes your stories. He clearly recognized the name Frankenstein, but not well enough to call you out. His obsidian gaze flickered over to the lanternfish once more, eye twitching before he confidently turned back to the two of you. "I've heard of Dr. Frankenstien before, I just wasn't aware that his efforts had such a profound impact," he turned on his heel and walked deeper into the aquarium, missing the low five exchanged between you and Satan.

After another hour of water-painted walls and half-spun lies about the origins of octopi, crabs and other fish, you all finally made your way out of the aquarium and hopped down to the beach for some relaxation.

Well, mostly relaxation.

You fondly watched as Mammon screeched, running away from Beel, Satan and Levi who were all armed with water guns.

"Oh Lovebug~" You looked over at Asmo was waving you over to the umbrellas and towels he had set up. He lifted a bottle of sunscreen and shook it. "Why don't you come over here so I can apply your sunscreen?" He smirked tilting his head as he innocently rested a finger against his cheek. "Wouldn't want your beautiful skin getting burnt."

You giggled as you walked over to Asmo and sat down on the towels in front of him. "Thanks, Asmo."

He pressed a playful kiss to the back of your neck before beginning to rub in the sunscreen. "Anything for you, love."

A groan tore both of you from your thoughts as you looked over at Belphegor laying face first in the sand. "It is way too hot and gross out for you two to be this mushy."

You snorted and flicked some sand at the demon. "No need to be grouchy, Bel. If you're feeling gross then get under the umbrella and drink some water."

He let out an even louder groan as he blindly stretched an arm out towards the shaded area. "But it's too far and I don't want to get up."

You rolled your eyes and walked over to the lazy demon. Belphegor turned his head to look at you and raised a suspicious eyebrow. "What are you doing?"

You smiled sharply at him, "Well, if you're too lazy to get up," the demon yelped as his world spun and he suddenly being carried bridal style in your arms. His cheeks flushed red as he clutched onto your shirt. "I guess I'll just have to carry you~"

You could hear Asmo cackling and wolf-whistling at the two of you as you carried Belphie back into the shade. You set him down on a towel and wiped the sand off your hands as you passed him a water bottle.

He blushed deeply as he accepted it, muttering under his breath. "Thanks, Angel."

You were about to lean down to give your partner a kiss when a strong pair of arms wrapped around your waist and you were suddenly hoisted into the air.

"Try gettin' me now, ya bastards!!" Mammon screamed as he took off down the beach with you in his arms and a protesting Beel, Levi and Satan chasing him. "I got MC!"

"Mammon, be careful!" Lucifer shouted out from his own towel. "Don't run like that, you idiot! You're going to-"

Mammon yelped as his foot got caught on a piece of driftwood. A scream tore its way from your throat as you went soaring through the air and into the water.

"MC!"

You popped your head out of the shallow waves and spit out a mouthful of saltwater. "I'm okay!" You graciously accepted a fretting Beelzebub's hand and rose back to your feet. "I'm alright. I didn't hurt anything. Just a little wet."

Beel frowned, eyes searching your body for any signs of bruising. He huffed and glanced over at the others. "I'm hungry. We should take a break and get some food from the boardwalk."

Mammon let out a loud whine. "What? But we were just havin' fun!"

"No, Beelzebub's right. It wouldn't be bad to take a break from... all of this," Lucifer scrunched up his nose as he gestured to Mammon still holding a water gun in one hand.

You giggled and ruffled Mammon's hair as you walked past him. "It's alright, Mams. Besides, there are all kinds of games and rides on the boardwalk. I'm sure you'll find some kind of fun up there."

Levi groaned from behind you, "Do not give him ideas."

As you all made your way up to the more crowded paths of the boardwalk, you couldn't help but notice the wide-eye stares that the brothers seemed to attract. You brushed off the attraction the best you could; a few stares could only be expected with how intimidating the brothers were, after all. Everything was fine.

The group of you found a couple tables not too far from the rows of food stands and food trucks and made quick work of pushing them together to have enough space for everyone.

You grabbed Beel's hand and waved back at the others. "Beel and I will go get food for everyone, you guys save our table."

Beelzebub clung tightly onto your hand as he excitedly eyed all the new food around him. You looked adoringly up at him, taking joy in the unrestrained happiness that lit up his entire expression, as you pulled him over to the stands. "There's all kinds of junk food here. Carnival food can be a little hard on the stomach, so we probably shouldn't get too much, but you're welcome to try what you'd like."

He leaned down close to you as he grinned widely at your words. "What do you recommend? I want to try all of your favourites!"

Your chest warmed and you placed a tender kiss on his nose. "We should probably get some actually meal-like foods. Corn dogs are a carnival classic, but they won't fill you much," you thought out loud as tapped your chin. "Some nachos would be good for sharing with everyone, and we can get some cotton candy for a treat afterwards. Maybe some slushies to cool down."

"I don't really know what any of that is, but it sounds delicious!"

You giggled and affectionately nudged the giant redhead as you brought over to a food truck. "Then prepare to have your mind blown!"

The two of you walked over the truck and waved at the cashier. "Hello, um, can we have seven orders of extra-large nachos, eight bags of cotton candy and eight slushies, please?"

The cashier's eyes widened as they stared at you. "Seven? Are you sure? That's a lot of food?"

Beel leaned down to look into the window and flashed them a bashful smile. "Sorry. I'm a big eater, and we have a large group with us."

The cashier's cheeks reddened as they nodded. "O-Oh! No, no problem at all! Of course! We'll have it ready soon. You can wait by the side window over there. Here are your cups for the slushies," They handed you the cups, not once dropping eye contact with Beel. They giggled as Beel paid with the card you had handed him earlier. "You know, you said you're a big eater, but you really don't show it. You're in great shape."

Your eyes narrowed slightly at their actions. You cleared your throat, forcing them to look at you as you gave them a sharp, tense, grin. "Thank you," you turned to Beel and pressed a kiss to his cheek. The demon's cheeks flushed as he blinked in confusion. "Come on, babe~" you spoke in a sickly sweet voice as you took his hand into your own. "Let's go wait for our food."

Beel nodded enthusiastically and followed you without so much as glancing back at the cashier.

Belphie smirked at you as you and Beel brought the food back to the table. "What was that?"

You raised an eyebrow at him as you set down a tray in front of him. "What was what?"

Levi snorted and dramatically bat his eyes. "Come on, babe! Ignore this flirty cashier and pay attention to me. Let's go wait for our food," he spoke in a false falsetto.

You grumbled and took a sip of your slushie. "They were eyeing up, Beel."

Beelzebub's eyes flickered between his laughing brothers and you before his jaw dropped in realization. "You were jealous?"

You felt your cheeks heat up at his words. "I wasn't jealous! I-I just didn't like how they were looking at you. That's all."

Beel chuckled as he took his seat beside you. "It's okay, Hun. You're allowed to get jealous sometimes," he pecked your lips before turning to his food. "Just know that I've only got eyes for you."

Asmo nodded in agreement as he licked some cotton candy off his fingers. "Besides, you're hot when you get all possessive over us."

You groaned and dropped your forehead onto the table as the boys erupted into laughter.

Once everyone had their fill of the food and teasing you, your group ventured further down the boardwalk to inspect the different games and attractions.

Mammon gasped as he spotted a giant crow stuffie wearing sunglasses on display at a shooting game. Before anyone had a chance to stop him, he rushed over to the stand and slammed his hands on the counter.

"How much for the crow?"

The man running the booth smirked as he saw the greedy stars dazzling in Mammon's eyes. "I'm afraid it's not for sale, son. You have to win it. Knock down that target, and ya got yourself a deal."

Mammon scoffed and pulled out his wallet. "Easy. A silly, human-shooting game is nothin'."

You frowned and quickly grabbed Mammon's arm before he could give the carnie his money. "Mammon wait. These games are usually rigged to be impossible to beat. You shouldn't waste your money."

You should've known better than to tell Mammon that there was something he couldn't do because the moment you did, the determination in his eyes tripled as handed his money over. "Don't worry, Treasure. The Great Mammon's got this."

The Great Mammon definitely did not have this.

Mammon was now growling, down to his last few bills as he handed over more cash for what would be his tenth attempt at shooting down the target on the wall.

The carnie simply stood to the side, smugly counting his money as Mammon fired pellet after pellet and continuously missed the target.

"Gragh!" He shouted out as he tossed down the fake gun. "This thing has to be broken!"

Satan shook his head at his brother's antics and made his way over. "You probably just aren't doing it right. Let me try."

Mammon huffed, but having nearly run out of cash, handed over the gun.

Satan confidently spun the gun around before aiming it carefully at the target.

Ping! Ping! Ping!

You winced as the brothers let out shouts of victory and Satan hit the target, dead center in quick succession.

"Now," Satan grinned at the carnie. "I believe we're owed that giant crow stuffie."

The carnie scoffed and shook his head. "Sorry pal. Target's still standin', so no big prize." He reached behind him and grabbed three, small, neon-coloured, stuffed stars. "Here's what ya get."

Satan's eye twitched as he crushed the stuffed stars in his hand and glared at the carnie.

Realizing that the demon was about to burst into a rage any second now, you quickly grabbed your partner's shoulders and smiled politely at the carnie. "We should get going. Thanks for letting us play!"

You quickly dragged Satan away from the booth before any more of a scene could be stirred up.

The rest of the day passed smoothly as you all explored the rest of the docks. Before you knew it, nighttime had fallen.

The eight of you had returned to your spot on the beach where you now had a small bonfire going. You sat against Lucifer's chest, relaxing in his arms, as you watched the boys laugh amongst one another, roast marshmallows and exchange stories.

You sighed in content as you leaned against Lucifer; he nuzzled his face into your hair in return. "Thank you for this, beloved," he whispered into your scalp. "You have no idea how much today has meant to all of us. You're truly incredible, and thank Diavolo every day for bringing you into our lives."

"It's the least I could do," you said softly. "Being with all of you has been some of the happiest moments of my life. It might be ironic to say this, but I feel so blessed getting to spend my days surrounded by all of you and loved by all of you," you turned your head to look at Lucifer. His expression softened as your eyes met. "I love you guys, and I just wanted to make sure you knew it."

Before Lucifer could respond a resonating boom pierced through the sky. You all gasped as colours exploded in the inky darkness above you, and sparks fell like glitter over the boardwalks skyline.

You couldn't help but grin at the wide-eyed wonder that filled all of their expressions at the sight, and prayed to whatever higher being was listening that there'd be many nights like this in your future with just you and your boys.

***Thank you all so much for reading! You guys are amazing and I am always in shock of all the love and support I receive from you. I hope you enjoyed the fic! -B***

TAGLIST:

***

The brothers all made their way around the breakfast table with varying degrees of consciousness. The only two people not at there were you and Lucifer.

Food was slowly passed around and divided among them with little to no conversation happening. It wasn't until Beelzebub shook a sleeping Belphegore awake, that someone finally spoke up. Belphie glanced around the table before frowning at your absence. "I'm not the only one who heard a yelp last night, right? Specifically a MC yelp?" Everyone froze and looked at Belphegore as he continued, "There's a chance it was a dream, but I could've sworn I heard them cry out in the middle of the night."

Asmodeus furrowed his brow in thought. "I don't think I heard anything, but I'm a pretty deep sleeper. Beauty sleep and all."

Everyone turned to look at Levi, as the otaku was notorious for his all-night gaming sessions. Leviathan blushed and looked at his plate. "I had my headphones on all night. I-I didn't hear anything besides the sweet sound of Ruri-Chan's voice."

Satan leaned back in his chair and held a finger under his chin. "The only other person, besides the two of you, who is usually up that late is Lucifer. Considering the two of them are missing currently, I wouldn't say it's unrealistic to assume that MC had a nightmare last night and went to Lucifer for comfort. You know how soft he is for them. They're probably sleeping in."

Leviathan huffed and stabbed a piece of fruit, obviously jealous that you had gone to Lucifer out of all the brothers.

Mammon made a similar noise and took a bite from his breakfast, "Yeah well, as long they're gettin' some sleep." Everyone looked at him strangely, obviously curious about the open show of concern. Mammon blushed and looked away from the staring eyes, "J-Just cause they're cranky when they're tired and it ain't no fun they're upset like that."

Asmodeus snorted and shook his head. "When will you stop covering up your feelings like that? You obviously love MC, Mammon. We all do. That's why we're dating them."

Mammon grumbled to himself and dug into his food, purposefully ignoring his brothers' laughter as they mocked his tsundere behaviour.

They carried on with their day, completely ignorant to the fact that you weren't, in fact, with Lucifer.

***

Lucifer finally came out of his office around lunchtime.

He had holed himself up there this morning after having his first peaceful sleep all week. Lucifer's few hours of sleep had been interrupted every night that week by a particularly greedy Mammon who had been trying to steal an expensive cursed record he had recently acquired.

But not last night.

Lucifer had prepared for Mammon and set up a trap for him. To his great pleasure, Lucifer had found it triggered this morning. He went to work smiling and productive, knowing that Mammon would learn the hard way to stay away from his room.

The eldest hummed to himself cheerfully as he entered the kitchen. He had just begun to assemble a sandwich when Satan entered.

Satan seemed to pay him no mind at first but then did a double-take as though realizing something. He glanced at Lucifer's sandwich, frowning, before peering around him.

Lucifer sighed and turned to face him. "Is there something about my lunch that is particularly bothersome to you?"

Satan's eyes glinted with annoyance as he continued to look around Lucifer. "Yes, actually. I was just wondering if you were planning on keeping MC with you all day and why you weren't making them lunch when I know for a fact that they haven't eaten all day," his arms crossed over his chest; clearly displeased with the alleged mistreatment of their partner.

It was Lucifer's turn to frown as he raised an eyebrow at Satan. "What are you talking about? I haven't seen MC since yesterday."

Satan's eyes widened and he moved towards Lucifer. The firstborn was shocked at the sudden distress and concern that coated Satan's expression. "You really haven't seen them all day? They didn't go to you last night?"

The repeated question caused even more suspicion to arise inside of Lucifer, especially since the situation involved his beloved. "No, not at all. Satan, what is going on?"

Satan took a step back and froze. His thoughts ran rapid, trying to think of all the possibilities of where you might be or what might've happened to you. If you weren't with Lucifer and no one had seen you all day, that only left a few options and none of them were good.

He turned to Lucifer. "MC and you were the only two not at breakfast this morning. We had all assumed that they were with you. But if they aren't and they haven't been with any of us..."

Lucifer's eyes widened in understanding before his brain picked up on something within Satan's words. "Wait, only MC and I were missing? Mammon was too, correct?"

Satan tensed and narrowed his eyes at his elder. "No. He was there being his normal stupid self. Where did you think he would be?"

Lucifer paled as the dots connected in his head. "Get the others. Now! I think I know where MC is," without waiting for a response, Lucifer took off towards his room, dread and regret swirling faster and faster in his stomach with every step he took.

***

All seven brothers stood furious around the rune circle in front of Lucifer's door.

"So you mean to tell me," Belphie growled lowly, "that because of your stupid, overly cruel, trap that you failed to warn the rest of us about, MC has most likely been hiding from Cerberus all day, if not being torn to pieces?"

Everyone flinched at the mental image.

Lucifer glared right back at him, "I wouldn't even have a need for such a trap if Mammon hadn't been such a greedy scumbag and continuously attempted to break into my room."

Mammon sneered at his brother and shoved him out of the way as he stormed towards the front entrance. "Yeah yeah. Blame it on me. That's what your best at. We ain't got time for arguin'. I don't know about you all of you, but I'm going to make sure that my significant other isn't dead because someone can't figure out how to punish people without at least half a pint of their blood spillin'."

It was obvious Mammon was pissed. They all were. But deep down, he couldn't help but feel partly responsible. Lucifer was right. The trap wouldn't even exist he hadn't been such a screw-up all the time.

As much as the others wanted to yell at Lucifer and demand how he could be so careless with something so dangerous when you, their precious fragile human, lived under the same roof as them, they knew they didn't have time to.

Time was of the essence. If there was any chance that you were still alive, you would most likely be greatly injured. They needed to get to you and get you help as soon as possible.

The brothers rushed through the gardens to the heavily locked back courtyard where Cerberus lived.

Lucifer began to cite the unlocking incantation, but Beelzebub couldn't wait, not when he knew that you could be in pain. He roared as he slammed his foot down on the lock of the door and broke open the metal door. Without waiting for the others, he surged forwards.

"MC?!" He called out, his eyes scanning the ground for any sign of you. "MC where are-" Beelzebub stumbled to a stop, his brothers slamming against his back, as he choked at the sight in front of him.

Cerberus laid asleep, just outside of his dog house. Laying unmoving between his huge paws with your foot twisted at a gruesome angle, was you. Your skin was pale, and coated in dirt. Your eyes were closed, and your face twisted in discomfort. From where your lovers were standing, you looked dead.

"O-Oh my God." Asmodeus breathed, his voice tight with tears as he looked at you.

Leviathan shook his head as he felt panic fill his chest. "Th-This has to be a dream right? Th-They can't actually...They aren't..."

A loud growl tore from Satan's throat as his demon form flickered into existence. He bared his claws and teeth, red filling his vision as he darted towards Cerberus with the intent to kill.

Before he could get too close, one of Cerberus's ears perked at the sound of the air shifting. He looked up and spotted the threat. His eyes narrowed dangerously and barked at Satan before sending him flying against the wall with a swipe of his paw.

"Satan!" Asmodeus rushed over to his brother, while the others quickly changed to their demon forms. Ready to fight Cerberus, and at the very least, get your body back.

The monstrous-sized dog took note of their defensive state and rumbled dangerously as he rose to his feet. Keeping your body between his paws as though you were a bone that they were attempting to take from him.

Lucifer felt sick at the sight and glared at his pet. "Cerberus! Stand down!" he commanded.

To his surprise, the dog's growls grew volume as one of his heads snapped at him.

A small groan caught everyone's attention.

In an instant, all of Cerberus's ears perked up as he turned away from the brothers and gently laid down to sniff at your body and whimper.

Mammon tried to charge forward, clearly thinking that beast was about to eat you, but Beel quickly caught him. "Wait," he pleaded, "I...I think he's helping them."

The brothers nearly collapsed in both relief and shock as they saw your eyes flutter open. As if the fact that you were alive wasn't enough of a surprise for their poor hearts, you smiled softly at the monster and reached out two arms to scratch two of his heads. "What's got you all worked up boy, huh? I'm trying to sleep here you know."

The boys' jaws dropped and the head that you weren't paying attention to barked and licked the side of your face, causing you to giggle. For Diavolo's sake, his tail was wagging!

"M-MC?" Levi finally stuttered out.

Both you and Cerberus turned to look at them. Your eyes widened as you finally noticed their arrival and you smiled brightly, while Cerberus's ears tilted back and growled in warning. You patted the dog's head. "Easy, Cerb. They're just here to help me," he glanced between you and the demons as though he was unsure and let out a whine that none of the brothers had ever heard him make. You just laughed and nuzzled one of his heads. "Thank you for protecting me, boy. Such a good guard dog. Yes, you are! My sweet boy!"

The brothers could only watch in bewilderment as Cerberus barked happily and gently nudged you back onto your feet.

With the oversized puppy satisfied you turned to the brothers. "So you figured out where I am, huh?" you laughed, but the sound didn't meet your eyes. "I-I was pretty scared, not gonna lie. I don't even know how I ended up here, or if anyone knew where I was or how long I'd be stuck here. Cerberus was great company though." The dog yipped at the mention of him.

Lucifer swallowed down the guilt that weighed heavily in his chest. "MC. We need to check you for injuries. Could make your way over to us? I don't believe Cerberus will let us any closer."

You frowned at the serious tone in his voice and gave Cerberus one final pat before limping over to the brothers.

The moment you were out of Cerberus's reach the brothers were crowding you, speaking over one another. Some were crying, others were shouting, some just held you and you mumbling to themselves.

You felt yourself become flooded with concern and worry as you gently kissed the top of Leviathan’s (the otaku was clinging onto your waist as he sobbed into your shirt). "Woah, everyone calm down. I'm alright, really!"

Mammon snarled as his hurt gaze frantically bore into yours. Your heart broke at the tears dripping down his cheeks. "We thought you were dead, MC! You were laying there, not movin' underneath Cerbeus a-and we thought we were too late! That Lucifer's stupid trap had killed ya!"

You pulled him in for a hug, and tightly held onto his shivering body as he cried against your shoulder. The distress of the brothers suddenly made complete sense. "I'm alive, loves. I'm safe and I'm alive." You reached an arm over to pat Beel's hand from where it was squeezing your shoulder. "Cerberus never hurt me. Sure he growled a little when I first fell into his yard. But, um, but I guess he just liked my vibe. He cuddled with me and let me sleep on his paw."

You decided now wasn't the time to tell them that what really caught the dog's attention was your cries. He noticed your obvious distress and your injury and tried to calm you. By the time you stopped crying, the dog had become attached and protective over you.

Still, Belphie frowned at your words. "What do you mean fell in here? Is that what happened to your leg?" he sneered at Lucifer who, you noticed, hadn't even approached the group. "Just how sadistic did you make that fucking spell?"

You paused as your brain finally processed what the boys were saying. You spent half a day, shivering, crying, and injured outside because of some kind of trap Lucifer made.

The firstborn looked defeated in a way you had never saw him. He stared at the ground with brow furrowed and head dropped in shame. His shaking fists were clenched so tightly that you just knew his nails must be breaking the skin of his palms.

"Lucifer?" He refused to look at you.

Satan scoffed and kissed your cheek as he nuzzled your shoulder. "Pathetic. He won't even admit it. Not even when it's his recklessness that could've killed you," Lucifer flinched at the venom in Satan's words. "Lucifer Morningstar and his fucking pride in all its glory."

"Enough," you ordered, causing everyone to look up at you in confusion. Your gaze wasn't angry or upset, simply stern. "I understand you're angry because of what happened, but look at him. He knows that he messed up. There's no need to rub it in even further."

Asmodeus whined and nudged your neck with his nose. "But MC! It was his trap for Mammon that got you hurt!"

You paused at that. You had no doubt that if it was Mammon that landed here and not you, Cerberus wouldn't have been nearly as friendly. Mammon would have been seriously injured.

"Is that true?"

Lucifer's knuckles turned white as he tightened his fists. "Yes," his eyes didn't once lift off the ground.

You inhaled sharply at his confession and held onto Mammon a little tighter. This had to stop. The brothers constantly going at one another with no regard for each other's safety had to end now. "Tell me Lucifer, why is it so wrong for me to have fallen through such a dangerous trap, but perfectly fine for your younger brother?" you frowned as he remained silent and sighed. "You boys have to stop this."

A couple of them squawked in defence at the accusation in tone as they finally began to release you from their tight grasps.

You held up a hand to silence them. "No. It's not right for you to always be hurting one another, whether that's verbally or physically," your gaze turned desperate as you looked at them. "Do you have any idea how much it hurts to see my boyfriends always degrading one another? How much it hurts knowing that you would laugh if one of your brothers came home bleeding?" they all looked away in shame. You crossed your arms over your chest, "I love you. All of you. I would spend my last breath defending you and doing everything I can to make you happy, just like I know you would me. But what am I supposed to do when it's one of my partners that is the reason that the other is sobbing into my lap?"

The lords were quiet as they took in your words. Guilt filled each of them as they thought of the way they had been treating one another.

"We're sorry MC," Beelzebub apologized, his eyes glistening in pain and disgust with himself.

You gave him a small smile. "Beel, darling, I love you and thank you for the apology, but you're probably the one with the least to apologize for. Besides, I'm not the one you should all be apologizing to, it's each other."

Asmodeus groaned and dramatically dropped his head on your shoulder, "Why are you always right?"

You giggled and ruffled his hair, "Because I know my boys, and I know that deep down you all love one another and would be horrified if one of you really were injured."

"MC's right," everyone whipped around to look at Lucifer in shock. He stared at the group, his head held high. His eyes were sharp with regret and remorse. It was clear to all present that your words had gotten through to him. "I, more so than everyone else, need to apologize for how I've mistreated all of you," he walked up to the group and lightly placed a hand on your elbow as he looked at the others. "Though perhaps we can continue this conversation inside? MC hasn't had anything to eat today, and I'd like to get their ankle checked. After that, I promise, I will sit down with you all and discuss this."

Though some of the brothers seemed reluctant to hold off the discussion, they silently agreed that your safety and health were most important.

Beel scooped you up in his arms and carried you back inside as Asmodeus walked by his side ranting about the spa treatment he was going to give you to get the dirt off your skin.

That night was one of the most open and vulnerable nights that the brothers had ever had with one another. Following Lucifer's lead, they each confessed their sins and expressed their pain. Though it didn't fix everything, it was a step in the right direction, and you couldn't be prouder of your boys.

***I feel kind of iffy about the ending, but I hope you enjoyed!! Excuse any weird formatting. I typed out most of this on my phone and will be going through it to edit when I get home! In the meantime, I hope you liked it @ester-is-here and thank you for this wonderful request!***

Taglist (Just realized I forgot to put it up! Sorry it's late)

@mimik248

@my-wildflowergirl

Lucifer, not even looking up at his brother, squeezed your hand and he pressed his forehead against it. His shoulders shook as sobs began to come from his mouth. "I-I don't know, Satan. I...I just don't know if we can." Seeing Lucifer crack was enough for the entire group. Soon they were all leaning on one another, sobbing as they mourned what their relationship with you once was and feared for what would come in the future. In the midst of the crying, Leviathan felt a small squeeze on the hand he was holding. He quickly looked over at you and tried shushing his brothers. "I think they're waking up!" Lucifer looked over at Asmodeus. "Go get Simeon and Solomon!" Knowing that now wasn't the time to argue, Asmo merely nodded before taking off. There was some movement behind your eyelids, and you squeezed Mammon's hand tighter, but still no words or opening of eyes. Belphie ran a hand through your hair from where your head was in his lap. "Come on, Angel," he whispered desperately, "open your eyes for me. Wake up." A small groan came from you as the door flew open and Solomon, Luke and Simeon rushed into the room.

"All of you out," Solomon ordered as he shoved Levi out of the way and took his place. All of the brothers instantly tensed in defence. They opened their mouths to argue, but Solomon raised a hand to silence them. "We don't have time to argue this. Considering the situation when MC last saw you, I don't want to risk stressing them more by them waking up being surrounded by the seven of you. You can wait outside. We will let you in again if, and only if, they want to see you. Now, go," his words were quick and heated, though the wizard wasn't even looking at them, too focused on you. Lucifer growled lowly, before shaking his head and turning away from the wizard. "I hate to admit, but they-" "When he said we don't have time, he meant we don't have time!" Luke snapped and pointed at the door. "Out! Now! You should be grateful we even let you see them for this long!" Satan's head snapped towards Luke at those words. All of the rage that had been lying dormant inside of him, suddenly washed over him as he went to charge at the small angel. Luke didn't so much as flinch, even as Beel restrained him and the demon began snarling and thrashing. He did, however, react as a whimper spilled from your lips and you turned you began to move restlessly. "I said out!" he picked up the closest item to him, a pillow, and threw it harshly at Lucifer. "Take your feral brothers and leave." Lucifer glared at the child but did as asked. With some not-so-mild complaints from the others, the lords left the room. Luke stomped over to the door and locked it shut behind them. Simeon replaced where Belphegore had been sitting, and placed your head in his lap gently, as he watched your eyes begin to softly flutter open.

*** Pain and shouting. That's all you could hear and feel. What was happening around you or what even happened to you, you couldn't recall. You wanted the noise to stop. You wanted the pain to go away. You tried to open your mouth to ask for as much, but all that came was a whimper. The shouting got worst, and the ringing in your head grew and grew until finally, a peaceful silence filled the room. It was now just you, the darkness, and the pain. Or so you thought until you felt someone place your head down on something soft. Mustering up what little strength you could pull from your body, you slowly blinked open your eyes. Blue eyes. At the sight of them, you instantly felt the panic that you hadn't even realized had built up, deflate within you. Blue eyes had saved you. Of that much, you were sure. You couldn't quite remember the details. But you knew that a person with blue eyes had saved you from something...something horrible. These blue eyes in particular were surrounded by warm brown skin and framed with dark hair; making you realize that this was not the person who saved you. Simeon

Your mind provided. His name is Simeon. Simeon smiled peacefully at you. "Hello, MC. It's lovely to see you with us again." You heard little footsteps rush across the room. When you looked over you found your true saviour, Luke, looking at you with a concerned, teary-eyed expression. "Are you in pain? Do you remember what happened? Simeon said that you hit your head pretty hard, but we wouldn't know the extent until you woke up. D-Do you remember me?" You chuckled, though the sound was dry and cracked from disuse and you nodded. "Of course, I remember you, Luke. You saved me," you croaked. At hearing your voice, Luke gasped and grabbed a glass of water from the side table. He handed it to you as a white-haired man, Solomon if you could recall, helped you sit up. "Th-That's good! That means you're okay! R-Right, Simeon?" Luke stuttered tearfully as glanced up at his superior. You weren't listening though. As they moved you into a seating position, you had suddenly become fully aware of something, or rather, your lack of something. "M-My...My leg," the room fell silent as you lean forward and brushed your fingers against the bandages. It all came flooding back to you. The fight. The demons. The complete and utter terror that filled your body. The excruciating pain as you believed that you were going to be eaten alive. You gasped and pulled back as though you had been burned. "Oh-Oh my god!" you choked out as you brought a trembling hand to cover your mouth as you stared at the space where your leg used to be. "Th-they- I almost- I-I think I'm going to be sick." Solomon's eyes widened as he quickly grabbed a nearby vase and placed it under your face. You gripped onto it tightly as you spilled your stomach contents inside it. Simeon whispered small words of comfort as he rubbed your back. "Let it out. You'll feel better afterwards. " You whimpered and passed the vase off to Solomon who set it aside. Your heart was racing in your chest as your thoughts travelled at a mile a minute. Your body trembled as a few cries slipped from your lips. You felt nothing and everything at once. What were you supposed to do? Simeon, Solomon and Luke were here, and you were so grateful for them. But they weren't who you wanted. They weren't who you needed. "The brothers-" You sobbed as you gripped onto the blanket that hardly maintained your modesty. "I-I want my boys. Please? A-Are they here? D-Do they know a-a-about...about-" Solomon gently squeezed your arm as you began to sob. "They know and they're here. They're a bit of a mess, but they're here," although his tone was soft, there was an edge of displeasure in it. "We know about the fight, so we thought we would give you the choice of whether or not you wanted to see them." You nodded your head weakly. "Bring them in." Luke whined and lightly pulled on your hand. "B-B-But MC! It's their fault you were out there! How could you possibly want to see them after all of that?" His eyes were wide with both desperation and confusion. He couldn't understand how you would want to see people who had caused you so much pain. He couldn't fathom why you would want to see the men who shared the same infernal species as your attackers. He didn't know why you would rather their hellish presence over his angelic comfort. But you did. You wrapped your arms around yourself as you answered. "I don't care what they did, right now. At the moment, all I care is that they're here, which means that they must have some level of concern for me. Right now all I want and need is my significant others to hold me and tell me that I'm going to be okay," you looked over at Simeon with water-lined eyes as you pleaded. "So can you please bring them to me. We'll sort the rest out later. Right now, I just want them by my side."

Simeon's lips parted in shock of your words and, for a moment, a flash of disappointment flickered across his eyes before it was quickly replaced with acceptance. The angel smiled gently at you before placing a kiss on the top of your head. "Of course, little lamb, I will fetch them right away." From your right, Solomon let out a heavy sigh as he squeezed your shoulder once more. Simeon merely had to unlock the door, before your lovers came tumbling into the room. They all rushed over to you, quickly blanketing you in hugs, kisses, and frantic apologies. While you were buried in the chaos, Simeon sadly smiled at the group before leading both Luke and Solomon out of the room. You shushed your boys and felt your heart warm at the feeling of being in their arms once more. "Apologies can come later," you began, causing Beel to whine in protest. "We have a lot to talk about, yes. B-But right now, I just want you guys to love me and hold me," your bottom lip began to tremble as you choked on your tears. "I-I know that I'm asking for your attention, once again. A-And I know that having to share me with each other is a-a-a lot but-" You were cut off by Mammon pulling you against his chest and burying his face in your hair. "I never should'a said any of that, treasure. I was wrong. S-So fuckin' wrong." Lucifer pressed a kiss to one of your inner palms before placing it on his cheek. "But, it's as you said. This is a conversation we'll have when you're ready. For now, will you allow us all to love you unconditionally, just as you deserve?" You could only nod, as sobs overtook you once more. You were held in every direction. Kissed on your wounds, as though the magic of your love could heal the damage that was done. Praised in the gentlest and most affectionate of whispered. Caressed with hands so careful and attentive, that you would think they were holding the world. And if you asked the lords, they were. Things weren't fixed, and they weren't perfect, but for the time being, you didn't need them to be. For now, you were all together. You were all loved, and you were all alive. And just for now, that was enough.

Lucifer rolled his eyes at his brother's antics and looked back at Beel. "Something clearly happened during the date. Do you have any ideas at all at what it could've been?" Asmodeus stirred a swirly straw around in his drink. "I mean, I would be pretty upset if I spent three hours of my evening at a barbaric sporting event too," Asmo chuckled and smirked. "The only good thing about sports is that you get to see all those rippling muscles of the athletes in action." Beel scowled at his brother took a bite out of the omelet that was on his plate. "It wasn't because of the game. MC loves coming to my Fangol games and was having a blast with me until halftime. Something had to have happened while I was gone." Asmodeus opened his mouth to counter the statement when Leviathan came rushing into the room carrying his laptop. Lucifer raised an eyebrow at the sight, "What have I told you about devices at the table?" Leviathan shot him an annoyed look as he plopped down in one of the chairs. "This isn't about table etiquette. This is about MC," he looked over at Beel and Belphie. "I think I have an idea on what may have caused them to start distancing themselves." Everyone perked up in interest at the news; each one of them eager to know what was distressing their loved one so much that they felt like they couldn't talk to them. "Well are you going to tell us, or are you just going to sit there?" Satan quipped, his anger beginning to get the better of him as he sat on the edge of his seat. Levi gave him a flat look before he typed a few things on his keyboard. "I was doing a raid last night trying to keep my mind off of what might've happened with MC and decided to ask my party members about it," Leviathan's expression darkened as he began to explain. It was clear to everyone that whatever was said, wasn't taken lightly by the otaku. Rather than reading the conversation out loud, he turned his laptop screen for all his brothers to see. Leviachan: Gaaah! I just can't focus on the game tonight. My partner came back from a date tonight and has been acting kind of sus. There's definitely something bothering them, but they refuse to tell anyone. Ruri-Chans-Husbando: Dude, you're talking about that stupid human right? Why are you even with them? You shouldn't give a Normie like them the time of day. Waifu-Addict: Exactly! Listen, we've all been talking and you need to drop that whore. They're totally just using you and your brothers for your titles and power. The demons read in horror and rage as the chat room filled with messages from the members of Leviathan's party all saying similar garbage about you and degrading you in every way they could think of. Satan stood up and began to pace near the table as he used every inch of his self-control to keep himself from lashing out. "I want names, Levi. Who are they and why do they seem to think it's okay to talk about MC like- like that?!" Satan snarled as he curled his hands into fists. Levi tsked and crossed his arms, as Lucifer took the laptop to look more closely at the messages. "You say that as if I haven't already used my 'title and power' as Grand Admiral to have my men collect and imprison them. They're at the navy base waiting for us to get our hands on them as soon as we sort this whole mess out." Belphie growled, now sitting up and wide awake. "Get our hands on them is right. No one gets away with this shit," Asmodeus glared at the computer as though it had just dyed all of his clothing brown. "Rotten brats. They're all just jealous of stunning MC. Ugh, Diavolo, haters are the worst." Beel pushed his plate away from himself as he frowned deeply. "As disgusting and horrible as this is, what does it have to do with MC getting all quiet during our date?" A low rumble came from Lucifer as he handed the laptop back to Levi. A fiery hatred was burning brightly in his eyes as he gritted his teeth. "If a bunch of anti-social shut-ins are going around talking about our dearest MC like this, I believe Leviathan's point is that others probably are."

"Ouch. I wasn't going to say it l-like that, but yes," Levi winced and continued, "MC probably overheard people saying something about them. I mean, if people said that crap about me I'd probably hide in my room and not come out for months!" Mammon, who had been surprisingly quiet during all of this, had a very serious expression on his face. "Right, and we don't want MC to go through that. For Diavolo's sake, they've left alone to overthink this enough," Mammon stood up and headed towards the door again, Satan hot on his trail. "I'm going up to there to talk with them. Ya'll are welcome to come with, but you ain't stoppin' me." "Actually, Mammon, you're not. We should wait until MC comes to us," Lucifer interrupted. An animalistic snarl tore its way from Satan's throat as what little self-control he had snapped. Wrath incarnate lunged himself at Lucifer, grabbing his older brother by the collar of his cloak. "Are you serious, Lucifer?! You're seriously putting your stupid pride first, now?!? MC needs us!" Lucifer growled and pushed Satan off of him as he stood to size him up. "No. What they need is to not feel pressured to open up when they aren't ready! We can't make them feel like they can't come to us!" Mammon scoffed from where he stood in the back. "Oh, cause that's perfect logic! News flash, oh wise one, They ain't gonna come to us if they're thinkin' they're a burden! But you wouldn't know anything about that would you?!" Lucifer's eyes widen and he took a step back in shock at the statement. "What is that supposed to mean?" Mammon and Satan both opened their mouths to put Lucifer in his place when Beel all of sudden cleared his throat loudly. All three of the angry demons turned to snap at him but froze as they saw you standing in the room behind them. They instantly straightened themselves up gave you their full attention. The air seemed to lay still between you as everyone waited for the other to make the first move. As with almost every situation, it was Mammon who broke the silence. He took a step towards you. "MC, I was just coming to get you actually. There's somethin' we all wanna talk to you about." They could hear your breath catch in your throat as you took a step back. Panic filled your eyes the moment the words left his mouth. "O-Oh. I, um, I was actually just going to grab an apple and then head off to RAD for class. M-Maybe we can talk afterwards?" Satan frowned as you walked past him towards the fruit bowl. "MC, it's the weekend." You stopped mid-step. An uncomfortable tension filled the room as the obvious excuse was exposed. The brothers waited for you to move, to speak, to do something to give them any sort of sign for what you wanted them to do, but you just stood there, still like a statue except for the tremors in your hand. "Come on, Darling," Asmodeus spoke softly. His face clearly showed the hurt and concern that was coursing through him. "Everything's alright, I promise. We just need to talk about a few things." The brothers had thought of a number of ways you could've reacted to them confronting you. Lucifer thought that perhaps you would snap at them and distance yourself further. Mammon, Levi, and Asmo expected a few small tears followed by a cuddle session. Satan imagined a slightly more dramatic telling, like something from one of his novels, that ended him being your hero and massacring all those who dared speak ill about you. Beel thought perhaps you could talk over a bunch of comfort foods that allowed you to remain calm and feel safe. Belphie had hoped that perhaps you hadn't believed what you overheard, and the two of you could laugh at how idiotic even the idea of them not loving you was. But you, breaking down into tears, sobbing the words "I'm sorry" over and over again? None of them had expected, nor were prepared, for that. ***Apparently this is now going to be a three-part series. This part was interesting to write. I fully believe that if the brothers were in a poly relationship with the MC they would definitely bicker and argue about