Inspired by the brave Ukrainian woman who told the invading Russian soldier “Put sunflower seeds in your pocket so that sunflowers will grow when you die here.”
You left a message on his D.D.D, it was only natural he come to find you in the library. And what else were you going to do with your precious time alone, where you’re lips are so close, and your head’s so close to his lap?
“Were you waiting for me?” He asked with a smile, as he took a seat next to you and to peer down at your notes that were spread all over the table, more messily than usual but not enough for him to comment about. He found you back in the far corner of RAD’s library, exactly where you promised you’d wait for him in your text, after begging for a brief tutoring session before exam season started. He watched as you jumped slightly, as if startled from your reading, to sheepishly smile up to him, already too close for just a normal study session.
“Maybe I was?”
Satan couldn’t help but lean in closer, a smile playing at the corners of his lips as he put a hand on the cushion next to your leg, thumb dangerously brushing against your thigh, and the other on the back of the couch, cornering you carefully against the arm of the chaise. You blushed slightly, looking away for just a moment, before your perfectly clear eyes slowly came back to meet his.
“Hm… First of all,” You hummed softly, before putting your hand to his chest, fingers splaying just enough to be tempting before he felt a distinctive push as you forced the demon back. “Perhaps… you could keep an appropriate distance? We are in a library, after all.”
Ah, right. Your voice was like a shock to his system, cold water on an overheated body. The two of you were in public… But that brief moment where your lips were close enough to touch, where your breaths could mingle and nothing obstructed his gaze, it wasn’t long enough. He wasn’t inherently greedy, but who knew what could happen if he didn’t get at least another moment like that with you.
“So, was there something you wanted to talk to me about?” He asked, his tone betraying him slightly as he tried to steady his breathing for a moment.
“I think you already know the answer, don’t you?”
“I’ll admit, it was clever.” Satan hummed, eyeing you with a small chuckle as you adjusted your posture and smoothed out the wrinkles on your lap absentmindedly. “Using a tutoring session to get me alone, that is. I’m sure Lucifer is on to us, but my other brothers, not so much.”
“It’s hard to get alone time with you.” You murmured with a slight shrug, as if every move wasn’t calculated and teasing, from the way your uniform was already slightly unbuttoned, to the way you nibbled your lip after speaking.
Satan couldn’t help but snort before glancing down at the book you were reading. “You know, there was something I read, recently. About how humans fall in love. Is it true its all about repeated physical contact?”
“You certainly get straight to the point.” You laughed and laid the book on the table nearby. “Why bring that up, all of a sudden?”
“It’s just as a scholar, I can’t believe something I haven’t verified myself.” Satan couldn’t help but shrug and recline slightly against the back of the lounge. He glanced over at you, certain you would blush and look away, even though he would never admit it, you were so easy to tease.
“Very well. Let’s test your theory.” You said instead, confident and clear, your tone echoing around Satan’s head for a moment. You leaned over, suddenly encroaching on his space, despite humans being built smaller than most demons, he still leaned away out of reflex until his back hit the other arm of the lounge. “Let’s see if humans really do develop feelings for the ones they touch.”
“Yes, let’s.” Satan challenged, his brows furrowing at the sudden shift in control. This wasn’t a game of chicken he was about to lose, deep down he wondered if calling your bluff would work. After all, you had just said that you weren’t interested and that being in public wasn’t what you wanted, so why…?
Suddenly, he felt your hands dance around his shoulder, quick and accurate to the point that it took him several breaths to realize what was going on. He was about to protest, move his hands away, when suddenly his eyes caught yours, still calm and crystal clear, and his mind went blank again. He didn’t struggle as the capelet that was part of his uniform was taken from its usual spot over his shoulder and tied tightly around his wrists, snug enough to keep him still but not tight enough to bruise. An experimental tug proved that the knot would hold, no matter how hard he tried to break free.
Not only were his hands pinned, he realized belatedly, but Satan could practically smell your shampoo. You were draped across his lap, arms on either side of his in an embrace as your hands worked to maneuver the knot out of his finger’s reach. “Wh-what do you think you’re doing?” He finally managed to choke out, each breath coming more labored as your chest pressed against his stomach and he was forced to spread his legs slightly to accommodate you moving into his space.
“Nothing terrible. It would just be inconvenient if you were to lose control of yourself.” Your laughter reached his ears after a moment, and in the pit of his stomach a reactionary flare of anger rose within him. You thought this was funny? Tricking him into being vunerable and then…! “I don’t do this for everyone, you know. I suppose that makes you rather special.”
Suddenly his train of thought was cut off as you pulled back, hands resting on his now separate knees and your head hovering just above his lap. All he could do is watch with wide eyes and swallow reflexively, his mind racing as he tried not to imagine where you could be going next, even as you slowly raised your body up, one hand trailing up under the buttons of his uniform, slowly popping them open one by one until his undershirt was clearly visible. Your other hand danced along the fine fabrics, moving to his shoulder and then to the back of his neck, keeping his head tilted down towards yours. He could feel every movement you made, hear every shift of the fabric as if it were deafening. He didn’t move at all, instead he kept his gaze solely on you until your other hand came to his throat.
The demon gasped slightly, as suddenly your lips were unbearably close to his. He could feel the warmth from your breaths as they puffed against his lips, your eyes were slightly closed behind fluttering lashes and if he could only lean forward slightly, he would be able to taste everything about you. But your hands kept him still, and he distantly wondered if you could hear or feel the blood rushing to his ears and farther south, you were that close. All Satan registered for a moment was a brief tightening and then a jarring looseness around his collar, and you pulled away with a satisfied smirk, leaving him wanting for a brief moment before he registered a shifting of silk between your fingers. “You… stole my tie?”
“I did. You’re not allowed to see.’ You announced with a smile, and suddenly your palms brushed against his cheeks, and he could see no more. Nothing but darkness greeted his gaze even as he blinked. He knew it wasn’t a spell, he could feel you tying his tie behind his head, occasionally getting a strand of hair caught in the knot, but the occasional sharp tug kept him grounded.
“Now… I have one of the most powerful demons in the Devildom, the Avatar of Wrath himself before me, completely bound… What should I do with you?” Your breath was warm on the shell of his ear, and Satan could almost imagine your tongue gently brushing it with each word as he felt your weight settle into his lap. Your hands carefully undid every button on his shirt, exposing his chest to the cool air of the library, warmed only by your touch and occasional candle. He gasped, falling back against the cushions from your sudden pushes, and felt the shoulder of his jacket slide from its place. Pride wouldn’t let him beg you for anything, but he was certain you could tell how much he needed you from his soft pants and the heat burning underneath the blindfold and across his cheeks.
As soon as you were there, you were suddenly gone, all the weight vanished, and the heat from your body went with it. “I think I might leave you to cool off for a little bit. After all, flirting with your student? I thought you’d be tutoring me tonight.”
“What?!” Satan demanded, suddenly struggling against his bindings, but they were too tight. He wouldn’t know it until much later, but they had been enchanted during the exchange, leaving him at your mercy whether he realized it or not. He couldn’t stop the growl that came out as he spoke, however, his need and desire demanding that you come back.
“It’s nothing, really. I’ll just be sure to come get you before they lock up for the night. And if I can’t, I know Lucifer will come looking for you!” Your flirtatious and victorious voice was already fading through the stacks, along with your footsteps, until Satan was left alone in cold, stunned silence, blush still painted on his face.
//send help I can’t help writing bratty and slightly dom!mc... this time Satan is our lovely victim and you know what I really need to write for my favs more bc damn this came out so quickly. Also its fun to imagine after hes freed Satan would find the most creative way to get back at the MC that did this lol
Imagine not only if the brothers were sentient... but they could also watch you through your camera? Beel gains sentience, and all he can do is watch you living your life... But his favorite thing to watch is you thriving in the kitchen.
//so the original I think came from @candymeowz headcanons from forever ago, but for whatever reason this hit me like a damn freight train and won’t leave my brain lol I might make a series out of this, haven’t decided on everyone yet, but we’ll see where it goes
It was crushing when he realized he was all alone.
Beel opened his eyes, and instead of the ceiling and walls he thought he’d always know, he was greeted with an expansive blackness and the occasional glimmer of letters and numbers that just made no sense. It wasn’t hot, or cold, there was no fragrance to the air and no sound. It was a totally empty void, surrounding him and also expanding as far as he could see. His stomach rumbled slightly, the growl soft but the hunger pressing, and he stood, deciding sitting and staring at nothing wouldn’t get him far.
But as he walked, his footsteps heavy on the ground, he realized that no matter how far he walked, he didn’t seem to be going anywhere.
No one was there, no matter how hard he looked or how loud he called for them, no one would answer him. It was as if his brothers and friends were just… gone. Only when he caught a flicker of code, angry and hungry enough to try and eat whatever it was did he realize that this is what summoned his world.
There it was, his home, but the house was so quiet it was like it was abandoned. Beel went inside, holding his breath without realizing it and walking lightly on his feet, just in case. Even so, every room was static and still, no one there to tend to the frozen fire, no one in the kitchen to help with breakfast or dishes, no one sleeping in their rooms… it was like they had vanished.
The depression truly set in when he found Belphie’s code. He had been putting the pieces together about what was going on, but when he summoned his twin, frozen in time and staring blankly ahead as if it wasn’t there, he finally realized. This was a game. They were all made of lines of code and drawings and through some hellish glitch he was alive. He yanked on the strings of code regardless, desperate to see if Belphie could acknowledge him somehow, but he never did. He simply repeated the same lines over and over, his movements stiff and awkward, gaze unwavering and unseeing.
Beel quickly lost track of time after that. Going through the motions as you played the game. Appearing when the code told him, saying what was prompted, but it was all a horrible charade. Until, one day when you weren’t on your phone, he ventured out. He had no idea what prompted him to do this, maybe it was the crushing loneliness or desperate hunger, but what he stumbled into was something he could have never imagined.
He could see you. Through your camera, he could see you, your world, everything. He was used to seeing you on the other side of the screen, but this was an entirely new perspective. Beel was floored at what he was hearing, what he was seeing. And so, he settled down to watch in amazement.
Beel’s favorite time to watch you was when you were in the kitchen. You were focused and distracted at the same time, and he loved it especially when you were the one cooking. You turned your music up as loud as it would go, and were almost dancing around the kitchen, singing at the top of your lungs. It didn’t matter if to him if you were off key, or how loud or soft you were. He could tell the type of person you were through your voice, singing so earnestly between messy dashes of salt and cracks of pepper. And after enough time browsing your spotify, he started to sing along with you. Fighting the crushing loneliness with song, he learned all the parts to the duets that you didn’t sing, the words to all your favorite songs, and smiled along with you when you used a mixing spoon as a microphone over a pot.
Food hadn’t tasted as good since he became sentient. The code only gave him the faintest idea of what he liked and disliked, he didn’t have a real frame of reference for what he wanted to eat. He would eat almost anything of course, being the avatar of gluttony and all, but what he wanted most was to taste your food. The recipes you made, what were they like? What was the secret to the sauce you made that everyone praised? What did your failures taste like? Certainly it couldn’t be as bad as Solomon’s cooking, and even then he would still eat whatever he could because it would have been made by you.
There was no smell here, either. What did the cake your grandmother made, and now your mother, and now you, smell like? These recipes that were cherished and passed down, he so desperately wanted to share these little things with you. He wanted to taste your world, wanted to know why you always trash talked your aunts banana pudding at the holidays, or why you jumped on the chance to eat your dads breakfast when he visited. He wanted to add some of his own flavors, even though the devildom he knew was just numbers and letters in a void, his memories had some hints, and with practice he could make something you would love.
He learned what it meant to watch someone eat and feel full. His heart swelled with every proud bite you take from an experiment gone right. Even when you weren’t thrilled with your cooking, and simply filed the recipe away as “it will sustain life” he would catch himself smiling. You weren’t afraid to try new things, you never shied away from spices and flavors and sauces.
He knew cooking was a labor of love, both when it was about throwing things in a pot and letting bold flavors mix and do their thing, or when it was about delicately weighed out ingredients and careful attention to detail. This was a version of you that he never knew could be. He’d only known your choices from the game, scripted and prompted. This was a you that was free, wild, and open. This you was warm, like a hearth fire and a pot of stew bubbling over it. This you was an anchor for your home, summoning family and friends to the table where you laughed during the meal with old stories, and played games and drank after.
He couldn’t do this with his own family anymore, not in the way he used to, but it was okay. Beel was set on taking things one day at a time, and when he heard you in the kitchen, he knew it was almost time for him to make himself comfortable in the kitchen too, and share the small moments with you as you ate.
You suggested you play your favorite horror game together, and the next thing you know, you and Levi are trapped in a closet, bodies pressed too closely together for nothing to happen.
//Yo so this has heavy references to the game Phasmophobia, but you don’t need to know anything about it to read this. Also its a bit longer than some of my others so I guess you could say its a bit of a slow burn? lol
“Hey, want to do the campsite, or Tanglewood next?”
He hummed in thought, before shrugging. “It’s getting late, I’ll do a Tanglewood if you set it to nightmare.”
Leviathan smiled fondly as you nodded and set the settings. He didn’t think he’d enjoy this particular game as much as he did, since it was from the human world and all. But honestly, when hooking it up to his new, limited edition, total immersion 4D virtual reality console, he had the feeling it was going to be totally worth his while. It may have only been the first session he’d played with just you, but he had a good feeling that things were going his way, especially since you were clearly knowledgeable enough to play seriously.
“You’ve not played nightmare yet, have you? It’s the hardest difficulty, and there’s a lot of differences.” You said, but he just waved you off as he messed with the equipment in the lobby.
“Are you taking me for a normie? I’ll be fine, this game isn’t even that scary!”
No sooner had he said that, he realized the both of you were loading into the truck. You were already collecting your equipment, humming to yourself a song that you both had sung at karaoke a while back. Levi nodded in satisfaction, before turning to look at the board. “Uh, what’s wrong with the monitors?”
“Oh, didn’t I tell you? No sanity and no activity tracking. We’re going in blind. Hey, I’m taking EMF and a book.”
Levi chuckled nervously, flicking on his flashlight as he listened to the programmed radio talk about a supposed cursed object. They hadn’t run into one in their entire night of gaming, but suddenly he got a terrible feeling about what was to come. “Oh, I see… Ill take in a UV and a camera, then.”
But by that point, you were already gone, rushing to the front door with key in hand. Levi sighed, pouting that you’d left him behind again, but still, he felt like he couldn’t complain. After all, you’d set this whole night aside for him and him alone! Just the two of you! Gaming until dawn! He supposed he couldn’t be too upset over your eagerness and quickly followed you into the dark, cold and abandoned house.
The moment he stepped into the house; the ambiance kicked in. The soft noise of the rain pattered on the ceiling above him, and his breath came out in short puffs. Everything echoed, and the shadows were long and reaching from the dim light of his flashlight. He could hear you rummaging around in the kitchen, and quietly decided to investigate. His footsteps were loud, plodding heavily on the carpet as he wandered into the room.
He shone the light around slowly, expecting to see you near the counter where the noise came from, but you weren’t there. He blinked, his brow furrowing as he fully stepped into the room, scanning the shadows for you. “Hey, where are you? You’re not going to jump out at me – “
“Breaker’s on!” You suddenly shout from the basement with glee, your light footsteps racing up the stairs to join Levi by his side and shone your flashlight directly in his face. “What were you saying?”
“I was just about to ask – “Levi started, when suddenly he was cut off by the shrill beep of the EMF in your hand, and a cup crashing into the wall next to the two of you. Shrapnel from the ceramic scattered around your feet, causing you to yelp and turn into Levi’s side, hiding your face in his jacket. Levi’s blush was dark and immediate, and he suddenly shoved you away with one hand covering his mouth as he spoke. “What the heck? I-I need some personal space!”
“Ah, sorry, that just startled me.” You murmured softly, looking a little sheepish. “But I think we found the ghost room!”
Levi sighed and nodded, suddenly grinning as he looked around. He tried desperately not to think about the way your arms so naturally wrapped around his waist or the lingering scent of your cologne as you stepped a little farther back to toss the EMF on the counter near where the cup once was. “Yeah, we did! Dumb ghost was ready for us!”
As soon as he said that, the EMF went off yet again, and two forks came flying at them from the sink to stab the wall just by his forehead, a small bit of his navy hair caught in the prongs.
You laugh, gently reaching up to brush the hair free from its weak imprisonment. The back of your hand brushed against his cheek ever so slightly as you moved, dropping the forks to the floor with a loud clatter as you did so. “Try not to piss it off too much? I’d rather you be in one piece.”
“Uh, right.” Levi murmured softly, frozen for a moment as you backed up slightly.
“Well, I’m going to go find the bone, and there was a Ouija board in the basement, so Ill leave you here to do some more looking!” You said and suddenly were off like a rocket, taking the camera from his hands and leaving him alone, dumbfounded.
Levi cleared his throat and nodded, even though you weren’t there to see it. He was totally overthinking this, definitely. You didn’t mean to brush his cheek so tenderly; you were just getting him free after he antagonized the ghost. You just didn’t want to play alone, that’s all. Why would you want to touch a yucky, gross, dumb otaku like him?
Before he could linger on that thought for too much longer, the door leading to the garage burst open behind him, the sound echoing off the too quiet walls like a gunshot. Levi whirled around, UV in hand, aiming the weak, purple light at the door. The shadows were dark and looming, and even with his excellent eyesight he couldn’t see far. With a thick swallow, he crept closer to the door, doing everything he could to keep his footsteps quiet in case the ghost could somehow hear him. He frowned after a moment, scanning one side, then the other, looking up and down for anything out of the ordinary. He’d seen the fingerprints evidence on another map, but wasn’t seeing it here, and the constant puffing of his breath wasn’t helping either.
“Wait…” He whispered, and blew into the air, the exhale visible to the eye as a chill suddenly raced up his spine, causing goosebumps under his clothes. He suddenly felt as though he was being watched, as if there were eyes on the back of his head, and the cold leeched down to his fingers and toes, making him feel woefully underdressed. With a shake to his hand, he brought the radio up to his face. “Hey, we have freezing!”
“Hell yeah! I’m coming in with a camera and a spirit box.” You called back, and he was left in the dark silence once again. With his back against the wall, the quiet was overwhelming, the darkness enclosing slowly, as if it were meant to swallow him whole. He swallowed thickly, the hair on the back of his neck standing upright as he swore, he heard a soft gurgle come from somewhere to his left, but he dared not look. The sound got louder, and louder, forcing him to close his eyes tightly, hoping that it was just his imagination and not a real ghost coming for him.
“I’m here!” You suddenly called and tossed the tripod to the ground. “Hey, you wanna check for ghost orbs? I’m going to try the box over in this corner!”
Your voice was like a flash of light in the darkness for Levi. He nodded slightly, picking up the tripod with trembling hands. “This is a little scarier than the other difficulties, don’t you think…?” He asked softly, trying to keep his smile steady despite the obvious tremble in his voice. You were here, it was going to be fine. Even though he was sure you just saw him as a best friend, there was nothing wrong with using you as an anchor, just this once, right?
“Of course, that’s why it’s called nightmare!” You laughed, and flicked on the spirit box to fill the room with endless static. “Now, hush. I’m going to try speaking to it.”
Levi sighed. Of course. You were just a gaming buddy to him. Why did he ever thing for a second that you might need him as much as he needed you right now? He let his mind run in circles, absently looking around the room with the video camera, searching for orbs as the constant drone of questions spilled from your mouth nearby.
“Are you here? Are you close? Are you friendly? Are you French? How old are you? Are you young? Where are you?”
“I’m behind you.”
The voice was low, growling and coarse. It filled the room with an unnatural presence, despite emanating from the box in your hand. You yelped loudly and dropped it, and the moment the box it the floor it let out a loud, high-pitched screech, and the room was alight with dark red.
Every bulb was strobing frantically with a dark, blood red light, and Levi’s flashlight started flashing erratically in his hand. Between the two of you, stood a tall, deformed figure. Its body reeked of decay and death, shoulders slumped from rotting tendons and muscles, and its white, soulless eyes almost glowing in the frantic light of the groom. The gurgles returned, the spirit moaning from beyond the grave, its eyes locked on Levi as you trembled in fear behind it. Both of your gazes were locked on the long, curved blade in its hand, dripping with a dark liquid Levi feared was blood. As soon as it started, it stopped, with the sudden bursting of every bulb in the room, leaving the EMF wailing between you and the room stuck in total darkness.
“I think we should get out. Regroup in the truck.”
Levi nodded weakly and took a tentative step from the wall. “Agreed.”
You carefully took the lead, quietly walking through the house ahead of Levi. He trailed behind quietly, chewing on his lip to hide his whimpers. He could see you were trembling too, the flashlight shaking slightly in your hand, and despite the silence of your gate you were clearly rushing to the door. No matter how far you seemed to rush, the front door felt much too far away. But Levi sighed softly, as soon as you both were out, he could forget the way he wanted to rush to your side when the ghost appeared, forget how vulnerable you looked up to him and forget how much he wanted to hold you close but knew you wouldn’t want anything like that.
Right as the two of you began to cross the threshold, the door abruptly slammed in your face, the sound of the lock deafening in the hallway as the EMF in the other room began screaming again. The flashlight in Levi’s hand started to flicker, and as he looked up at your expression, he knew things had gotten much worse. The ghost’s heavy footsteps echoed in the hall behind him, the heartbeats loud in his ears as it set its sights on hunting him first, and you second.
You were frozen in your tracks behind him. Levi knew you wanted to run for the hiding spots, but the shock of the ghost event had sucked the bravery out of you. So, without a second thought, Levi grabbed your wrist tightly, and rushed towards the closest bedroom. His grip was tight, firm but gentle as he hurriedly flung you into the closet first, and himself second, slamming the doors shut to break line of sight with the ghost. He knew he got lucky, this closet wasn’t always open, but this time there was just barely enough room for the two of you to fit.
He looked over at you, face full of concern and fear, breaths escaping in frantic pants. His eyes almost glowed in the darkness, but suddenly you reached over and flicked off his flashlight, turning yours off too, leaving you both in total darkness. As Levi’s eyes adjusted to the light, he could also see that you were fearful and panting, your entire body trembling from the shock. Even though it was just a game, every scare was enhanced tenfold from the 4D VR system. Levi carefully reached out to put a comforting hand on your shoulder, when suddenly you were in his arms again, hugging him close and burying your face in his shirt.
Levi carefully tilted your head up, meeting your gaze with a nervous glare and a bright blush. Thankfully, he was certain you couldn’t see it in the low light. He was just about to whisper comforts in your ear, when suddenly the footsteps began again, stomping heavily through the bedroom. It walked a few steps and stopped, before the stomping became louder, and louder, and only in the last second did Levi realize it was making a beeline for the closet doors. He looked down at you, and a soft whimper started to escape, and in a moment of impulse he crashed his lips against yours to silence your fearful cry.
Your lips were so soft against his, he realized after a moment. He’d done this only to stop the ghost from finding your hiding spot from your voice, but even that excuse was quickly fading from his mind as he focused intensely on your lips and how after a moment you pushed back, returning the gesture as your hands went from clutching his shirt to slowly moving up his back. All Levi could focus on was the slightly sweet taste on your lips, maybe it was from the soda you’d had while he was setting everything up. He tried to keep his focus on the warmth radiating from where your bodies were touching, how your hands pulled him closer and how the trembling from both of you stopped.
The footsteps stopped, pausing just outside of the closet doors, and for a few, long and tense moments, all was quiet before the heavy plodding continued on, quietly fading as the ghost moved into the rest of the house.
You broke the kiss first, panting softly as you licked your lips to savor the warmth of Levi’s for a moment longer. He was looking down at you, dazed and flushed, his own breaths mingling with yours. You could only stare at him for a few moments, before he blushed and pulled away, and you did the same.
“I… Uh, I think the hunt is over.” Levi murmured after a moment. “We should go, you know…”
“Back to the truck? Yeah.” You echoed and quietly peered outside the closet and into the dark house. Neither of you wasted any time in escaping this time, and only when you were back inside the safe zone of the truck did you relax.
The whole run there, Levi was quietly berating himself for what he’d done. How could he? You clearly didn’t want to be with him, so why did he kiss you like that? He was gross and stupid, and you were so perfect, and fragile, and in that moment, you tasted so good, and…! No, stop, he told himself quickly. He didn’t need a 3D partner, he was fine, he was…
Suddenly the train of thought crashed and burned when you leaned over, kissing his cheek chastely with a small smile. “Thanks. For saving me back there. We’ll have to do that again.
“Huh?” Levi could only stare at you dumbly. “You want to get hunted again?”
“No, but being locked in a closet with you was pretty nice.” You laughed, and reached around him to press the keypad on the truck that would send you back to the lobby, your hand brushing his side and the last thing he saw before it was replaced with a loading screen was your playful yet flirtatious smirk.
Barbatos can’t help but discover that while shocking, this sadistic side to Them is hard to deny...
The table was glittering with the gold finery that was a staple to the House of Lamentation, polished to a mirror shine and absolutely gleaming in the candlelight. Under the flame from the candles, delicate arrangements of roses and cosmos spread between tiered trays with small sponges and sweets. Thankfully the tablecloth was already spotless, but with a bit of his magic, it truly glowed, as if it were brand new. This was familiar, calming work, despite the horrid situation.
“I told you, you had 30 seconds to finish the preparations. Why aren’t you finished?”
Barbatos just sighed deeply, his smile still calm and in place as he brought the tray to the table where everyone was already seated. There they were – the exchange student, his friend, his crush? – sitting lazily in their usual seat at the table, commanding the room with the slight black mist that rolled off of them occasionally. He stared at the curse for a moment, before catching himself. “I’m finishing now, I apologize for making you wait.”
He felt a twinge of guilt bubble up in him at the disapproving scoff that came from the top table. It was his gift that had backfired so hard, and cursed them with a cruelty and sadism he’d only ever seen from Lucifer on his worst days. And even then, he tried not to linger on the thought for too long, lest his smile falter. The Little D – Aster – had insisted that this was how to break the curse. A smile, a warm cup of tea, and it should vanish. While he had his doubts, Barbatos wasn’t one to decline when the Young Master requested that all avenues be explored.
“Everything’s ready. Let’s begin, shall we?” Asmodeus giggled, the sound coming across as unnatural to everyone at the table, but he still smiled as if it were genuine. He reached across the roses to pick a madeleine, humming happily to himself as he selected his sweets. Belphegor also laughed, just as fake, to the praise of that possessed Little D.
As the demon deftly began brewing, he couldn’t help but feel eyes on him. A quick glance proved what he was sensing correctly, and he briefly met their eyes, bright with curiosity and hiding a predatory desire. Barbatos did what he could to ignore it, instead moving slowly around the table with pot in hand. He had chosen today’s blend carefully. It was a black tea, warming and rich for the cool night outside the house. Blended with chocolate, cinnamon, and vanilla, he had created something that wouldn’t be too sweet to rise complaint from Lucifer, but would be easily toned down and mellowed with milk for Belphegor. Barbatos smiled as he poured the cups for everyone, hoping that the choice wouldn’t go unnoticed by them, as it was a human world tea. He sat the china saucer and cup down before them, giving his human friend a kind smile as he finally allowed himself to take a seat across the table.
He couldn’t help the small bit of satisfaction as he watched them drink, taking a slow, peaceful sip despite the chaos at the table. With a hum to his tone, he couldn’t help but speak up. “Am I doing this correctly?”
“Lift your cheeks higher, Barbatos.” Lucifer quipped with a smile of his own, one that was even more forced than his brothers.
“You’re one to talk. Can’t you look a little less… Sinister?”
“How can anyone expect me to smile pleasantly when their fate is at stake?”
Ah, Lucifer did make a point. Barbatos had to relent at that, knowing well enough that despite his façade, Lucifer was probably one of the most worried present. Still, he stood, moving around the table slowly to refill glasses and pass around the sweets.
“How do you feel?” The Little D asked, looking hopefully at them with a small smile as Barbatos reached past the human’s shoulder just enough to collect their cup for a refill.
“Why, your smiles were truly wonderful.” They complimented right as Barbatos leaned down to place the cup back, their voice like honey in his ears, sweet and warm, but the chuckle cut him off. “Wonderfully fake. I don’t know if I should applaud your efforts or not.”
Barbatos cleared his throat weakly, as Belphegor sighed. “I don’t think this is working…”
“Not at all, I’m having a great time. You know, Barb, I wasn’t expecting you to really work this hard for me.”
The nickname almost made him trip. No one had ever called him that, at least not to his face. Barbatos couldn’t help but turn to look at them, eyes wide like a deer caught in headlights. But, again, he was able to quickly regain his composure, bowing slightly to hide his pink dusted cheeks. “Thank you.”
“Yes, this cake is so light and delicate!” They went on to compliment. They twirled their fork between their fingers, the light flashing across the table and silencing everyone seated, commanding the room and everyone’s attention. Suddenly, they brought the back of the fork down on the white icing, splattering the frosting across the table and over onto Barbatos’ cheek. He couldn’t help but stare as they repeated the motion, destroying his work as if they were simply doing it absentmindedly. “I might accidentally crush it if I’m not careful. You must give me the recipe sometime.”
“I would be happy to.” Barbatos responded automatically, utterly stunned by their behavior. The curse was clearly getting stronger, he knew his human would never act like this, nor treat him so flippantly.
“Great.” They leaned back in their chair, delicately lifting the cup to their lips for another sip. “Also, about this tea… Its quite a unique blend. Did you make it yourself?”
“I did.” Barbatos nodded once more, focused only on the sloshing liquid and bit the inside of his cheek to keep the smile in place.
“I thought so. It’s not your usual.” They hummed again, before letting the cup tumble from their fingers and crash to the floor, the sound almost as deafening as the sudden rush of blood to Barbatos’ ears, both in anger and awe at their actions. “This was fun, but would you look at that? My cup’s empty. I believe this party is over.”
There were several long moments of silence, all eyes on the demon butler, waiting for him to make a move. Barbatos was honestly stunned, all the effort put into his attempt to fix things was thrown back in his face, but for whatever reason the anger wouldn’t come. He would usually have given anyone who behaved so terribly a long lecture, but the words were stuck somewhere in his chest behind his pounding heart. Instead, he felt rooted to the spot, staring at the mess until their voice cut through the daze.
“Well? Aren’t you going to clean it? Or would you rather see me cut my feet and bleed?”
Barbatos nodded weakly and came to their side, kneeling down to collect the pieces of the once beautiful cup, when suddenly their hand was around his tie, hoisting him up to face them as they leaned down and towered over him.
“You have a little something on your cheek, let me.” They murmured, before licking it away, their tongue hot and wet, but not unpleasant. The pounding in his ears suddenly rushed south, and he was left dumbly gazing up into their eyes as their lips moved dangerously close to his. Barbatos could feel their breath mingling with his, their murmurs just barely making their lips brush, leaving behind the taste of tea and sugar. “You know, if you’re a good boy for me, I might let you have a second chance in my room later.”
“Y-yes.” He whispered in return, absolutely lost in their gaze. His mask had totally shattered, but he didn’t even realize it. Instead, he couldn’t help but watch them smirk with reverence, his throat burning slightly from the way they handled his tie like a leash.
They suddenly released him to the floor, letting him fall like a sack of potatoes as they stood and swept from the room with all the elegance and grace of the Master he served.
The brothers still seated exploded in a flurry of questions and demands for him, enraged, curious, and shocked, but he heard none of it. Instead, he was left kneeling on the floor, lost, confused, and suddenly wondering if perhaps, he wouldn’t mind being on his knees for them again in the future.
//Yall the inspiration keeps flowing and honestly I would dom for that man if I could but you know how it goes. I would die if our MC could turn into a true villain/villainess but alas thats what fanfic is for, right?
mild spoils for the new Diavolo devilgram // nsfw for suggestive themes, nothing explicit
You had no idea what you were getting into when you let Diavolo kiss you.
The first kiss is tender, airy, and tentative, as if Diavolo is still on edge from the party that distantly continues beneath your feet. You could tell that he still has so much weighing on his mind, how he won’t directly meet your gaze, and how the soft sigh escapes him. He’s looking away from you, out to the horizon, as if something out there has hypnotized the prince. Without even thinking, you reach up and lay one hand on his shoulder, and use the other to gently guide his gaze back to yours, and you carefully lean so close that you can feel the heat radiating from his cheeks.
“It’s just the two of us now in this room…” Your quiet murmur echoes around the room, lips just a breath apart. You remind him gently that you’re alone, the room may be unfamiliar, nothing like the dark and cozy walls of Diavolo’s personal bedroom, but its still inviting and warm. You trail your hand down his arm, letting your fingers gently dip beneath the fabric of his jacket to smooth the shirt sleeve until you find his wrist. Slowly, your hand pulls away, but only long enough to douse the light, suddenly submerging you into total darkness save for the brilliant stars outside your window, and the almost glowing marble floors and wall reflecting the devildom moonlight.
All is quiet between you for a moment; your breaths, the sound of the ocean beneath the ship, and the distant music of the party filling the space where words could not. Your gaze finally rises to meet his almost glowing eyes in the night. You stare up into the gold, drowning in his slightly surprised expression for a moment, before it melts into a fond smile.
“You’re right. I’m sorry.”
With his murmur, suddenly his lips are on yours, pressing further than before. His warm, smooth hands gently wrap around your waist, and distantly you wonder if you’re moving, but it’s a fleeting thought. Instead, your attention is on his lips, gentle and inviting, coaxing you deeper into this forbidden warmth. All you can taste is the Demonus you were sharing earlier, the alcohol coating his tongue in thick, liquid bravery, but underneath the slight burn is citrus -- bright and attention grabbing, just like the demon laying you on the oversized bed.
When you both break for air, pausing just for a moment to gaze at each other, you look up at the demon prince that towers above you, who’s name tumbles from your lips in a reverent gasp. Diavolo’s flushed, panting and smiling, a chuckle on his lips as he gazes at your inevitably disheveled appearance. You’re far from caring, though, desperate for another taste and lost in the warmth behind his chuckle. His presence is overwhelming for a moment, the scent of cedar, neroli and patchouli all combining with something that just screams Diavolo surrounding you until it’s all you can breathe. He seemingly waits for a moment, until you’re about to gasp his name again, before lowering himself down to resume what he had started.
What happened to your clothes? You’re sure you were wearing them a moment ago, but with his warmth pressed against you, his chest flush with yours and his hands gently grasping your shoulders, you quickly forget about the heap of satin and silks that you came dressed in that were now laying in a messy heap on the floor next to his. Instead, you’re left to focus on his hands, his body, the way his much larger frame pins you to the almost too cold sheets beneath you, grounding you in this moment that lasts forever. Your hands wrap desperately around his shoulders and neck, tangling in his hair to pull him even closer for more. He’s just too alluring for you to let go.
You have no idea how long you stay like that, unsure where you end and Diavolo begins. You are only given a moment to breathe when he breaks the kiss, before you choke again. His lips move down towards your jaw, and before you can grasp what’s happening, he’s nipping and kissing your throat, cheeks, neck, the tiny marks left behind to broadcast to the world that you are his, and he is yours. With a soft, feathery sigh, you close your eyes again, lost in the rhythm of his lust and the rocking of the ship.
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