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devildom-drabbles · 4 months

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Story - What's Important

Summary: Beelzebub seeks advice for a new phone background. Main Character: Beelzebub Other Characters: The demon brothers and MC Word Count: ~3.3k Warnings: None, just silliness with a fluffy ending Notes: This story is inspired by a page from the short Obey Me! manga on Twitter (as seen in the panel at the end). It also serves as a headcanon for what each demon brother has as their phone background (when their relationship with MC is purely platonic, that is). Happy Holidays, everyone! However you choose to celebrate these final days of the year, I hope you’re able to spend it with the people and/or things that are most important to you. 😊💕

“And...done!” Leviathan declared. “All the data from your old D.D.D. is now transferred to your new one.”

“Thanks, Levi,” Beelzebub said as he retrieved the phone from his older brother’s outstretched hand. “You’re a lifesaver.”

“No problem, but try not to eat your phone anymore. I don’t want to have to keep doing this.”

“Right, sorry...”

Leviathan picked up his wireless controller and resumed the video game he was playing before Beelzebub had entered his bedroom. “I meant to ask earlier, but why did you eat your old phone anyway?”

“Oh, it was because of the background I had on it,” Beelzebub explained. “I was really hungry, so I was going to order some food on Akuber. But when I grabbed my phone and saw the photo of the Bloody Terrine that Barbatos made for my birthday on the screen, I ate it without thinking.”

“Seriously?!” Leviathan shouted. “Geez, your stomach always manages to act before your brain can, huh?” He continued pressing away at the controller’s buttons without looking at the larger demon beside him. “You’d better choose a new background then, otherwise Lucifer will do worse than just giving you extra chores. You’ll probably have to pay for the new phone next time, too.”

“You’re right,” Beelzebub agreed, his eyebrows furrowed with concern. “What if he won’t let me eat until I have enough money to buy it? Or he puts a curse on the fridge so I can’t ever open it again?” A loud growl from the Avatar of Gluttony’s stomach seemed to make Leviathan’s room shake. “Just thinking about it is making me famished. Levi, what should I do? I don’t want to eat my phone again.”

The aforementioned demon felt a pang in his chest in response to his younger brother’s worried tone. “Uh, well, you just need to choose a background that isn’t food-related. Then you won’t accidentally eat it, right?”

“Sure, but...I don’t know what to change it to,” Beelzebub admitted.

“How about an epic screenshot from a video game?” Leviathan suggested. “I’ve got a ton of them saved on my consoles’ photo galleries!”

“Is that what you have as your background?”

“My gaming PC, yes. My D.D.D., not a chance! Only the lovely Ruri-chan is allowed to grace my phone screen! Take a look!” The otaku paused the game again to proudly hold out his phone for his brother to see. “This is a screenshot from the Season 3 finale when Ruri-chan gives an epic yet heart-warming monologue about her time in the human world. She talks about the friends she’s made, the battles she’s fought, and the things she’s come to love about that realm, and how she’ll continue to protect the human world no matter what evil tries to stand in her way. It’s my favorite speech in the whole series! And by this episode, the animators have mastered Ruri-chan down to the tiniest detail, which is easy for a true fan to notice when you think about the animation style in Seasons 1 and 2—”

“Most of the anime I like has food in it,” Beelzebub interjected nonchalantly, “and there aren’t any games that I like that much. What else could I do?”

“For starters, don’t interrupt me!” Leviathan then sighed while pocketing his phone. He redirected his focus to the screen, unpaused his game, and said, “I don’t have any other ideas right now, so try asking Belphie or something. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a legendary weapon to find!”

“You’re trying to come up with a new background for your phone?” Belphegor questioned, sitting up from his nest of pillows and blankets in the attic to give his twin his undivided attention.

“That’s right,” Beelzebub answered with a nod. “I need something that won’t make me think of food.”

The younger twin mulled over the dilemma for a few moments. “Why not just copy my background?”

“Yours? It’s a picture of some of the Devildom constellations, right? That suits you well, Belphie, so you should keep it for yourself. I don’t want to copy it.”

“Are you sure? I honestly don’t mind.”

“I know, but I’m sure. That’s special for you.”

“All right. Then maybe you could use a different photo of outside scenery. Is there a specific view that you enjoy?”

"I like seeing a huge meal being placed in front of me at an outdoor restaurant," Beelzebub replied matter-of-factly.

Belphegor shook his head tiredly, partly blaming himself for not clarifying his question further to avoid this predictable response. "Beel, I meant 'outside scenery' as in something in nature, like how I chose the constellations."

"Oh, right." Beelzebub considered the question more carefully this time. "I like the beach. I had a fun time with everyone when we went there last summer.”

Belphegor smiled at the memory. “That’s a good one. We did a lot on that trip, didn’t we?”

“Yeah. We had swimming races, water gun fights, snowcones, broiled deathfish—” A familiar rumble abruptly silenced Beelzebub. “Uh-oh, the beach makes me think of all the things we ate there. I don’t think I can use it as my phone background after all.”

“In that case, any photo from the trips we’ve gone on probably won’t work either,” Belphegor realized, lightly scratching at his cheek. “Hmm, what else might work?”

Just then, the pair heard footsteps reaching the top of the attic stairs and saw their blond-haired brother peeking inside the room.

“There you are,” Satan sighed. He appeared somewhat disgruntled at the sight of Belphegor—bedhead, dried drool, and all—sitting comfortably atop the low rounded bed. “I had a feeling you’d be napping up here when you didn’t show up to our Anti-Lucifer League meeting.”

“Ah, sorry,” Belphegor apologized half-heartedly, “I overslept a bit, and then I got distracted while helping Beel.”

“With what?” Satan inquired.

“I’m trying to pick a new background for my phone that won’t make me want to eat it,” Beelzebub explained. “What do you have for your phone, Satan?”

“Mine is a photo I took the other day of two stray cats sleeping beside each other,” Satan answered. “They looked so peaceful snuggling together that I couldn’t help myself. Before that, though, it was a photo I found of Cat Island in the human world. Images of cats are always wonderful to see.”

“No surprise there,” Belphegor commented. “Well, did that give you any inspiration, Beel?”

“Actually,” Beelzbub began, “remember that animal documentary we watched last week, Satan? I think a background of one of those animals would be nice. Can you help me find a picture?”

“Sure,” Satan agreed, “but then Belphie and I really need to get to work on planning our next prank, okay?”

After searching through online photos of Devildom animals, Beelzebub settled on a picture of some baby devil chickens, which Satan promptly saved to set as his younger brother’s new phone background.

“Nice choice, Beel,” Belphegor remarked, having gotten off the bed to look at his twin’s phone screen.

“It’s not as good as cats,” Satan noted, “but devil chicks aren’t so bad either.”

Beelzebub smiled warmly, glancing between his brothers and then back to the image within his hand. “They’re cute, especially that really tiny one that’s with them here. Ah, that makes me think of how nice and plump they’ll all be when they grow up into big devil chickens.” His rumbling stomach echoed through the room. “Oh... Now I want to eat fried devil chicken.”

“I guess you’ll have to forego a background with animals, too,” Satan concluded with a shrug. “Belphie and I have to get going now, but we can help you brainstorm some more ideas later, if you still haven’t decided on one. In the meantime, why don’t you ask Asmo for advice?”

“My wallpaper?” Asmodeus repeated while fixing his long bangs. “Why, it’s me, of course! I pick a different selfie every day to admire on my phone screen.”

In retrospect, Beelzebub realized that he should’ve seen this coming. Nonetheless, he figured that some follow-up questions may better aid him in his quest to choose his own phone background: “But why? You see yourself in the mirror and on Devilgram every day, don’t you? Why do you need to see yourself on your phone screen, too?”

Asmodeus immediately ceased fidgeting with his appearance in his vanity mirror and twisted back to stare at Beelzebub with a gobsmacked expression. “Um, isn’t it obvious? Who wouldn’t want to see such a gorgeous face gazing at you any chance you get? I mean, look at me!” He stood from his chair to gesture to his entire body.

Beelzebub’s brow furrowed as he stared back at the Avatar of Lust. “...I’m looking?”

Asmodeus huffed in surrender. “Give me your D.D.D.,” he ordered. “Maybe it’ll make more sense if you had a photo of yourself as your background.”

“I’m not sure...”

“You won’t know until you try! Just hand it here!”

Without further protest, Beelzebub relinquished his phone to Asmodeus. He watched quietly as his older brother opened the Devilgram app and scrolled to a particular photo from his AsmoBaby account. A few taps later and the image was boldly displayed as Beelzebub’s phone background.

“Is this one of the photos you took of me while we were working out together?” Beelzebub asked, the device now returned to him.

“Yup, that’s right!” Asmodeus admitted with a cheery nod. “It blew up on my page after I posted it. You even gained more followers, as well!”

“Really? But it’s just a picture of me doing a push-up.”

“What are you saying?! Look closely!” Asmodeus started pointing at specific parts of the image while he spoke. “That determined expression, those toned arms, the sweat dripping from your face, your fitting clothes... Whether it’s this photo or one of my countless selfies, don’t you feel absolutely enamored and energized upon witnessing such a breathtaking figure? That’s how everyone in the comments felt!”

Beelzebub tilted his head quizzically, not understanding his brother’s—or his fans’—enthusiasm over the photo. “I just feel hungry,” he stated simply, his hand resting on his stomach. He had been trying to solve his phone-background-predicament for quite a while without a single snack, and the hunger was now becoming too much to bear.

“Ooh, yes!” Asmodeus exclaimed excitedly. “Plenty of the comments here mention that they experienced a sort of ravenous urge when they viewed this photo.”

“That’s...not what I meant. ...I think? Never mind. A picture of myself—or you—won’t work for me, but thanks for trying, Asmo. I’m going to the kitchen.”

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I won’t do it again, Lucifer! I promise!”

Beelzebub halted briefly at one of the breaks in the staircase within the entrance hall area. He glanced over to find an annoyed Lucifer in the midst of restraining a pleading Mammon who will soon be strung from the ceiling (i.e. a common scene in the House of Lamentation—nothing noteworthy, in Beelzebub’s opinion).

“If I had a Grimm for every time you’ve ‘promised’ that, then your latest debt would be easily paid off,” Lucifer remarked, unfazed by his younger brother’s begging.

“I mean it this time! I swear!” Mammon declared as he squirmed relentlessly within the strong rope being tied around him. He then noticed Beelzebub wordlessly walking around them to head to the kitchen, hoping to remain unseen. “Beel! Hey, Beel! You believe me, don’tcha?! Tell Lucifer what a great and trustworthy demon I am!”

“I’d rather not be involved,” Beelzebub responded, uncomfortably rubbing one of his hands over the other.

“I’ll buy ya a meal at Hell’s Kitchen!” Mammon bargained.

“Mammon is a great and trustworthy demon,” Beelzebub promptly stated to Lucifer.

The eldest brother shook his head with a sigh. “I can assure you that Mammon doesn’t have the funds to buy even a crumb of food,” he said. “Perhaps spending the night here will remind him why he needs to manage his money better. Speaking of managing things, have you refrained from consuming your new D.D.D. thus far, Beel?”

“Yeah, I still have it. I’m trying to decide on a background that won’t make me want to eat it again. Belphie and the others have given me suggestions, but nothing’s worked out.”

“That’s probably ‘cause they were thinkin’ about stuff that they like,” Mammon asserted. “Lemme guess: You’ve been told to try something with fictional characters, cats or animals in general, selfies, and relaxing outdoor views, right?”

Beelzebub blinked in astonishment. “Wow, you listed everything they said.”

Mammon gave a short victorious laugh before exclaiming, “Of course I did! You guys are so predictable!”

“Is that so?” Lucifer questioned with a knowing smirk. “I believe you’re just as predictable, Mammon. If I had to guess, I’d say that every time you unlock your phone, you’re met with a picture of my credit card, correct?”

“Her name is Goldie, ya know!” Mammon paused as the rest of Lucifer’s words caught up to him. “W-Wait, how did ya— Whatever! That was just a lucky guess! Now it’s my turn to prove how predictable you are, Lucifer.”

“You’re awfully cheeky for someone who’s about to be hanging upside down for the next several hours. But go ahead, let’s hear it.”

“Your phone background—” Mammon stopped for a second to create a dramatic effect. “—is just the default one!”

“You mean the image that’s already there when you get a new phone?” Beelzebub inquired.

“Impressive,” Lucifer complimented the second-born demon brother. “You were right, Mammon.”

“HA! I knew it!” Mammon cheered. “Man, that’s so lame— OW!! I-I meant ‘tame!’ ‘Cause, y’know, you’re so prim and proper and a total straight-laced stick-in-the-mud— GAHHH!! Quit tightening the rope so hard!”

“Apparently you didn’t hear me,” Lucifer stated with another sharp pull on the ropes, “I said you were right. As in, that used to be my phone background until some time ago.”

Beelzebub was once again amazed by Mammon’s skill in guessing such information about his brothers, but now he was curious about Lucifer’s phone. “So, what’s your background now?” he asked.

“It’s a photo of Diavolo, Barbatos, and myself at the castle," Lucifer explained. "Diavolo discovered that I never changed my background ever since I got my D.D.D. and pestered me until I agreed to replace it. Making it a group photo was Barbatos’s idea, and that’s how it ended up including all three of us.”

“Do you not like it?” Beelzebub wondered.

“I wouldn’t say that. I don’t see the background that often because I’m usually using an app on the phone, so that’s why I was indifferent about what the image was. Diavolo believes that choosing a background makes a phone more personal and special to each individual. I suppose I can’t disagree with him on that. Should I ever misplace it, I’ll know right away that it’s my D.D.D. from the one-of-a-kind picture on the screen.” Lucifer tied the last knot on the ropes and added, “But that's enough talk for now. I need to finish with Mammon's punishment.”

Blocking out the sound of Mammon’s wailing as Lucifer proceeded to string him up to the ceiling, Beelzebub slowly trekked toward the kitchen while mulling over all of the ideas that his brothers provided. However, no matter what he came up with, each potential background made him feel hungry in some kind of way.

Beelzebub was about ready to bury his problem under the weight of all of the food in the kitchen when he passed by MC’s bedroom. He peeked through the crack in their open door to see them working on something at their desk, their familiar refreshing appearance effortlessly subduing his hunger pangs. They always seemed to know how to aid him whenever he felt troubled, so maybe they would know the perfect phone background for him. A knock on the door was all it took for him to be granted access to his favorite human and share his dilemma with them.

MC hummed in thought as they processed everything Beelzebub told them. “When you think about it,” they began, “all of your brothers chose pictures of things that they like, right? Or things that are important to them. What’s most important to you, Beel?”

“Most important to me...?” Beelzebub murmured. Within the next few moments, a grin stretched across his face. “I got it. I know what I want my background to be, MC.”

“Okay, everyone!” Asmodeus called out cheerfully after adjusting the tripod that held Beelzebub’s phone. “Move in closer so we can all fit!”

The seven other inhabitants of the House of Lamentation attempted to maneuver into two straight rows in front of Asmodeus.

“Ugh, I don’t want to be any closer to Lucifer than necessary," Satan grumbled as he settled into place in the front row.

“Are you still bitter that I caught you and Belphie preparing that shoddy trap for me in front of my study?” Lucifer inquired with his arms crossed while he stood tall behind the Avatar of Wrath. “Next time, the two of you should plan it out better.”

Satan gritted his teeth. “Oh, believe me: We will.” He then shot a glare at the youngest brother beside him. “Won’t we, Belphie?”

“Yeah, yeah, I shouldn’t have nodded off while we were working,” Belphegor admitted. “More importantly, Mammon, stop pulling MC away from me so that they can be closer to you.”

“I-I don’t know what you’re talkin’ about,” Mammon argued. “I’m just makin’ sure ya don’t try to snuggle up to ‘em and take a nap on their shoulder during the photo!”

“At this point, it looks like I’m the one snuggling up to you,” MC noted, their side pressed against Mammon’s. “Let’s all just be next to each other in a normal way.”

Mammon released his tugging on MC and turned his head away to hide his blush. “F-Fine. Just don’t come cryin’ to me if ya get drool all over ya.”

“Sounds like someone’s salty about getting rejected, LMAO,” Leviathan snickered.

Mammon turned around to bark at his younger brother, “Shaddup!”

“Levi, make room for me at the end there so I can be more behind MC!” Asmodeus instructed.

“Huh?! I have to move over even more?” Leviathan inquired in disbelief, already feeling claustrophobic.

“HA! Serves ya right!” Mammon jeered.

“Will you stop shouting, Mammon?” Satan complained.

“All right, all right, let’s all calm down,” MC spoke up. “We’re supposed to be taking a nice photo for Beel to make as his phone background, remember?”

“That’s right,” Lucifer chimed in. “I expect you all to behave, or else we’ll be retaking this photo all day until we get it right.”

“Beel, is this fine with you?” Belphegor asked worriedly while glancing back at his twin.

Beelzebub nodded with a bright smile, grateful that everyone had accepted the request he had made the previous day. “Yeah, this is perfect.”

“Looks like we’re all in,” Asmodeus announced. “I’m starting the timer now!”

The steady ding of the phone’s camera timer counting down echoed in the House of Lamentation’s living room while Asmodeus hurried over to his spot and everyone else prepared themselves for the photo. Beelzebub’s gaze grew more tender as he looked at each member of the group from the back row. These were the individuals he was happy to call “family,” and they were more important to him than anything else in the three realms. Overcome with joy and love, he leapt forward just as the camera’s flash went off, wrapping his arms around those next to him and leaning closer to those in the front row. The action startled most of them, evident in their expressions captured in the photo. Although it turned out to be a more candid shot than originally intended, Beelzebub treasured this picture that he kept as a permanent background on his phone.

#Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

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devildom-drabbles · 4 months

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Snippet - Under the Mistletoe with MC

🎄Merry Christmas (Eve)!!🎄 As a special gift to you all, and a big thanks for over 550 followers, please enjoy this long snippet with all the characters (minus Luke and the three newest ones) sharing a kiss with MC under the mistletoe! Since each part got pretty long, I broke it up into bullet points for easier reading. I really hope you enjoy this! =) ❤️

How would everyone respond to being under the mistletoe with MC?

It was the holiday season, and after a trip to the human world, Diavolo had enthusiastically decided to celebrate some of its traditions in the Devildom. The festivities were held at the Demon Lord’s Castle, where the interior was decorated with various holiday items that intrigued the demon prince enough to bring back from the human world. MC and Solomon had to explain most of the holiday traditions and the purpose behind the different decorations to the demons and two angel exchange students, but the whole celebration made the two of them feel a little less homesick.

Everything was going well until Luke noticed a sprig of mistletoe hanging from one of the doorways and questioned MC about it. They explained to the innocent angel that there’s a tradition where if two people walk under a mistletoe, then they’re supposed to kiss each other as a sign of love. They asked him not to tell anyone else about the practice, though, since it could cause a stir anytime someone walked under it. Plus, it was just an old tradition, not something anyone had to follow. Luke promised to keep it a secret, but someone else had already overheard their conversation.

Later on, while everyone was opening gifts, MC left briefly to use the restroom. On their way back, they suddenly ran into someone just as they were passing underneath the doorway with the mistletoe. They glanced nervously between the mistletoe and the face of the individual they bumped into.

Lucifer exhibited his typical serious expression after MC’s bodily impact, but on the inside, he was full of pride by how well everything in his plan had fallen into place. After overhearing MC’s explanation about mistletoe to Luke, he came up with a few ways that he could be alone with the human underneath the mistletoe. Their trip to the restroom worked with one of his ideas, so when he thought MC would be on their way back, he excused himself from the group gift exchange under the guise of “needing some air from all my brothers’ nonsense.” It was shortly thereafter that he came across MC at the exact time they were approaching the doorway with the mistletoe.

He initially acted oblivious to their nervousness while he explained why he had left the others for a bit, secretly enjoying the look on their face, but he soon pointed out how they kept peeking up above them. Even if MC tried to brush it off, Lucifer was insistent they tell him exactly why they were so distracted by a tiny plant decoration. “Perhaps it has to do with the tradition humans have about kissing underneath one?” he wondered aloud, pleased by their surprised reaction and the blush that followed it when he moved closer to them. “We’ve been following all of the other practices you and Solomon have taught us about tonight, so I don’t see why this should be an exception. What do you think?”

Once MC consented to it, he added with a grin, “Very well. Consider it an extra gift from me then.” He gripped their chin between his thumb and index finger and placed his other hand on their shoulder to keep them in place as he pressed his lips onto theirs. He let it be known that this was his kiss, asserting the most control during it, although the kiss also revealed how much he had been craving MC’s touch. He broke apart from them a little early just to feel their lips chase after his--well, and also because the last thing he wanted was for Diavolo or someone else to suddenly walk in on the two of them. “Hm? Was that not enough for you?” he inquired, a smirk playing on his lips. “In that case, when we return home tonight, we can continue this in my room. After all, I don’t need to use some plant hanging above us as an excuse to kiss you.”

Mammon also had this encounter planned out, and it surprisingly worked out almost exactly like he wanted it to! He had left the others behind by complaining that MC was taking too long in the restroom and needed to go check on them. Then, he waited near the doorway until he heard them coming. However, he got distracted by a painting on the wall that he thought could sell for a high profit, which caused MC to crash into him.

He started telling them to watch where they were going but fell short when he noticed their glances at the mistletoe and remembered why he was there in the first place. He cleared his throat and tried to put on his usual bravado, saying, “Well, I’m in a good mood, so I guess I can forgive ya for crashin’ into me. Though, I mean, ya could do somethin’ to make it up to me. Like, maybe…” Now he was the one looking back and forth between MC and the mistletoe, his blush growing more visible by the second. When MC asked him if he knew about the mistletoe custom, he adamantly denied it, his tsundere personality taking over until he finally admitted to overhearing their conversation with Luke.

He’d gotten himself too worked up now to initiate anything, so MC had to grab his face and give him a quick kiss on the lips. His face could’ve rivaled a ripe tomato with how red it was from the sudden action. “H-Hold on, I was supposed to do that!” he argued, wrapping his arms around MC’s waist to prevent them from retreating. “‘Sides, ya call that a kiss? C’mere, I’ll show ya a real kiss.” Mammon immediately dove in for a long, deep kiss with MC. His greediness for them required him to move one hand to the back of their head to stop them from dipping too far back. He especially enjoyed it when MC returned his energy, making him hold back a bit so they could lead more instead. Once they both broke apart for air, Mammon rested his forehead on MC’s. “I like ya so much it’s crazy, MC,” he murmured. “I just can’t get enough of ya. Let’s stay here a little longer, until my brothers come lookin’ for us. I don’t wanna let ya go yet.”

(Forget the expensive painting, he definitely stole the mistletoe to make sure no one else could use it to kiss MC--and to keep as a memento…and maybe future use.)

Leviathan was just as startled as MC when they bumped into each other. He was playing through a limited time holiday event on one of his mobile games and was so absorbed in it that he hadn’t heard the human’s approaching footsteps. In fact, it was because of his inattentiveness and frequent exclamations while playing this game that the others decided to temporarily kick him out during the gift exchange, which left him wandering the halls--still on his phone--until he was allowed to return.

He began to explain this to MC--and how normies could never understand how important these kinds of game events are to obtain special loot--but got annoyed when their focus kept drifting upward. A strange noise escaped his mouth when he realized they were looking at the mistletoe hanging over both of them, his mind recalling its purpose from MC’s discussion with Luke. He became far more flustered about the situation than the human was. “I-I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to be under the mistletoe with you!” he declared, starting to ramble. “I heard you say it’s a human world thing to kiss someone under it, b-but that’s not why I was here! And, I mean, of course you wouldn’t want to be forced to kiss a yucky shut-in otaku; who could blame you? And honestly, that’s fine, because this sort of thing is totally something only normies would do! Though, I wouldn’t mind being able to kiss y-- Gahhh, n-nevermind!! Why are you still standing there anyway?! Shouldn’t you have left by now?!”

When MC admitted to Levi that they wouldn’t mind kissing him, his face turns an even darker shade of red than it already was. “R-Really?!” he questioned them doubtfully despite feeling on cloud nine from their words. “You want to kiss me? You’re not messing with me, are you? I don’t need your pity, if that’s what this is!” MC had to give him a quick peck on the lips just to prove their sincerity--and shut him up for a bit. Hoo boy, there had to be steam coming out of Levi’s ears from that simple action. Finally convinced that they were serious, he grabbed MC by the shoulders and practically crashed his lips into theirs, for if he took it too slowly, he’d psych himself out and wouldn’t have been able to do it at all. It was a short kiss since he’s inexperienced, and he couldn’t get himself to relax until the last few moments. He then turned away and attempted to hide his bright blush behind the back of his hand. “U-Um, sorry if it wasn’t good,” he apologized meekly. “I would’ve liked it to be more like the ones you see in anime, but-- Um-- Listen, I really like being able to kiss you, MC, so I promise I’ll get better, okay?”

(If MC suggests trying again right then and there, he might just collapse. But once he recovers, he’ll go for it.)

Satan felt fortunate that he got to learn about an intriguing human world tradition that he could actually use to his advantage over the rest of his brothers. Some time after MC had left for the restroom, he convinced the others that the human may have gotten lost on the way back and that he would go look for them. This plan ended up working since most of his brothers bickered that they should be the one to look for MC while he remained calm and rational (on the outside), which prompted Lucifer and Diavolo to agree that Satan could go find MC. He sighed while walking down the hallway, exasperated from his brothers’ annoying arguments over something so minor, only to accidentally collide with the human he was looking for.

He apologized to them for his lack of awareness, but they were more concerned with what was above them. He glanced up as well and was somewhat shocked that they both happened to meet up directly under the mistletoe. “Well, isn’t that something?” he noted aloud with a grin. “I was hoping to catch you here, but not quite like this.” When they asked what he meant, he replied, “You see, I just so happened to hear that there’s a practice in the human world where if two people are found underneath a mistletoe, which just so happens to be the plant hanging over our heads, then they must kiss each other. Care to elaborate on the topic?” He laughed lightly at their startled reaction before explaining himself. “I was thinking,” he then said, “since you’re the human world expert, maybe you could educate me on how this custom is done? For the purpose of expanding my knowledge…and having the chance to kiss you.”

After receiving MC’s approval, Satan rested one hand on their cheek and positioned the other on their waist to carefully bring them toward him. Any frustration he was feeling earlier melted away through their kiss, gradually making his movements even softer. He held MC like they were the most precious object in existence, and in this moment, they made him feel like he was truly his own person--not a fragment of a fallen angel or the embodiment of wrath. Once the kiss was over, he grasped the hand MC had on his face and turned his head to press a gentle kiss to their palm. “I never liked the idea of being vulnerable around others, but with you, MC,” he remarked, “I feel I can let my walls down completely. I hope you can feel the same way with me. Oh, and thank you for this learning experience.”

Asmodeus was full of smiles, as MC had fallen right into his trap. He’d kiss himself at how smart he was and how well he timed this, if he could! Well, he could in the mirror, but that would have to wait. “Hi, MC~!” he greeted them cheerfully. “I wasn’t expecting to bump into you here. What are the odds? Perhaps we’re just naturally drawn to each other, hm~?”

He tried to play innocent, saying he was on his way to freshen up in the restroom, but MC noticed him looking up at the mistletoe more often than they were. Soon enough, he admitted to having heard them talk about the human world tradition of kissing underneath the mistletoe. “I was hoping we could experience this special custom together,” he explained, his cheeks becoming rosy. “So, MC, will you let me kiss you?”

Once MC gave their consent, he brought his hands to their face and whispered for them to come closer, slowly decreasing the distance between each other until their lips finally touched. The kiss was gentle at first--with Asmo initially taking the lead to test MC’s comfort level--and gradually grew as passionate as MC allowed it. Somewhere along the way, Asmo moved one of his hands to MC’s lower back to ensure they stayed as close to him as possible. Even when they both separated, he kept a firm hold on MC, his thumb stroking their cheek as he studied their expression. “I could kiss you forever and never grow tired of it, MC,” he said, staring deeply into their eyes. “It must be because of how much I love you, and because of how great your love feels whenever I’m with you. ...Say, since we’re still under the mistletoe, does that mean we can kiss again? We may as well, right?”

(He also totally stole the mistletoe later for future use with MC, regardless of what time of year it is.)

Beelzebub looked at MC with concern and asked if they were okay after bumping into him. Upon confirming that they were fine, he grinned warmly at them in relief. He explained that he was on his way to the kitchen to find something to eat while Barbatos was distracted with the gifts. He was about to ask MC if they wanted to join him, but he noticed they seemed distracted by something.

He followed their gaze up to the mistletoe and let out a soft, “Oh.” He then told them that he had heard their explanation to Luke about kissing under a mistletoe, sending a light blush to both his and MC’s faces. “I...want to do that,” he admitted. “With you. Can I, MC?”

When they agreed, Beel’s expression softened from their words, his lower eyelids wrinkling slightly from the smile that had formed. His hands rested on the human’s shoulders to keep them in place as he leaned in toward them. The touch of his lips on theirs was soft and delicate, revealing his fear that he might hurt them if he wasn’t careful. He felt MC wrap their arms around his neck to pull him closer in order to ease his worries, and he finally began to relax and deepen the kiss. After the two of them pulled apart, Beel had a loving, giddy smile on his face as he gazed at MC. “Your kisses are the best, MC,” he remarked. “They always make me feel full, in both my stomach and my heart.”

(Even so, he definitely ate the mistletoe before they both returned to the others. Come on, it had berries; how could he resist?)

Belphegor had actually fallen asleep against the siding of the doorway, only to be woken up abruptly by MC running into him. He was groggy and grumpy at first, but once he heard the human’s voice asking if he was okay and what he was even doing there, he regained his senses. As he straightened his posture, he told them that he was getting bored at the group gift exchange without them around, so he had decided to leave for a bit until they returned but fell asleep along the way.

There was a mischievous glint in his eyes while he pointed out the mistletoe above them, and a smirk formed on his lips when he noticed them tense in response. “What’s wrong, MC?” he teased, inching closer to them. “You seem kind of worked up about this little bunch of leaves. Is it because the two of us are underneath it right now?” He chuckled at their reaction to his claim and then admitted to overhearing them talk about mistletoe with Luke. “But since we’re here,” he continued, “we may as well kiss, right? I mean, I’d like to anyway, even if there wasn’t a tradition.”

As soon as MC agreed, Belphie wasted no time in taking a hold of their face and closing the distance between the two of them. The kiss he gives, on the other hand, is slow and a bit lazy--he’d rather have MC do more of the work. Still, he refused to separate himself from them, wanting to draw it out for as long as he could and even taking the lead if MC was nervous or not too experienced. After it came to an end, Belphie smiled in contentment. “That felt really nice,” he noted. “Your kisses seem to give me more energy than a full night’s sleep, MC. Since I’m wide awake now, how about we stay here and kiss some more before we head back to the others?”

Diavolo quickly reached out to grab MC’s shoulders and steady their balance from their collision into his torso. He fretted over them, worried he may have hurt them, but they assured him they were simply just caught off-guard. He nodded his head at their comforting words and began asking them their thoughts about the holiday party--like he came over just to do some sort of check-in--, but his hands never left their shoulders. MC answered his questions while struggling to make eye contact, too distracted by the close proximity, his grip on their shoulders, and the mistletoe hanging above them.

Then he asked them about the mistletoe, making their body flinch. “I heard you explaining its purpose to Luke,” he confessed. “When I visited the human world, I thought it was merely a decoration since it was hung in random locations. I never would’ve guessed that there’s a custom involving kissing under it. It’s rather interesting!” His smiling face then became more serious. “Do you practice this tradition, MC? If you don’t mind, I’d like to experience it with you.”

Once MC agreed, Diavolo’s hands slid up to their jawline while he moved in closer to their lips. His kiss was gentle at first to avoid accidentally hurting the human, but he melted into it on his own as he grew more comfortable. The demon prince was starved for affection, and MC’s matching energy in the kiss made him feel so whole that he had no intention of breaking away until it was necessary. When they did, though, he kept his face close to theirs, the tips of their noses lightly grazing over each other. “I quite like this human world tradition,” he said with a grin. “I’ll have to hang up mistletoe around the castle next year, too. You’ll join me again for the holidays, won’t you, MC?”

Barbatos responded as any refined butler would: by calmly assessing MC’s condition after they bumped into him. He behaved like his usual composed self, so the human had no idea that he had fully intended to stop them underneath this specific doorway. He explained to them that he was on his way to the kitchen to fetch some more drinks for the guests, which was true, but he made sure to time his exit well enough so that he was more likely to encounter MC on their way back from the restroom.

Feigning innocence, he questioned MC about the mistletoe hanging above the two of them, his smile growing a little bigger from the blush that dusted their cheeks from his inquiry. He nodded in understanding during their explanation. “So in that case, since we’re both under the mistletoe right now, it’s customary for us to kiss, yes?” he concluded. “If it’s all right with you, I’m more than happy to follow this practice.”

After MC agreed to it, Barbatos stepped toward them and gently cupped their face. He leaned in with his eyes closed, but he peeked open while his lips ghosted over theirs to observe the look of anticipation on their face. Amused by their expression and reassured that he wasn’t the only one who wanted this, Barbatos finally pressed his lips onto MC’s. Although he initiated it, he gradually followed their lead, not wanting to do anything they didn’t like and continuing until they were completely satisfied. Once they both separated, he looked back at them with a warm smile. “Thank you for this wonderful experience, MC,” he said. “Moments like these that I share with you mean a lot to me. I hope we continue to have many more of them.”

Simeon’s arms wrapped and hovered around MC’s body like a safety net to catch them in case they fell over from the sudden impact. He was just on his way to grab some more cookies that he and Luke had made to share with everyone else, but his mind was too preoccupied with other things to fully pay attention to his surroundings. He was relieved when the human was able to rebalance themselves and avoid getting hurt. He apologized for not watching where he was going while rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly, but he became concerned once again when he noticed that they seemed out of sorts.

“Are you sure you’re okay, MC?” he inquired, his tone laced with worry. “Are you maybe feeling tired from tonight’s festivities? I could get you some water, or--” MC tried to assure him that they were fine, but when he noticed them take another quick peek at the top of the doorway, he understood what was affecting their behavior. “Ah, it’s the mistletoe, isn’t it?” he asked, relaxing a bit while speaking in a more soothing manner. “I heard you telling Luke about the tradition humans have that involves kissing under it. You also mentioned that it’s not something that has to be done, and I have no intention of kissing you without your permission, so you don’t need to worry about it.”

However, when MC expressed that they actually wanted to kiss him, Simeon’s eyes widened in shock, not expecting them to say that. Even so, a blush crept on his face at the thought of kissing them and from how happy he felt that they wanted the same thing. After accepting their request, he rested one hand on their cheek and tenderly placed his lips on theirs. The kiss was brief and chaste, as Simeon feared that if he lingered too long, it would become increasingly difficult for him to stop willingly. Despite the kiss only lasting a short time, he poured as much love as he could into it so that MC could get a sense of how deeply he cared for them. Still, just in case his feelings didn’t reach them completely, he told them afterward, “You know you mean a lot to me, right, MC? You always make even the darkest days in the Devildom so much brighter to me, and I want to do whatever I can to keep that smile on your face each and every day. So, even if it’s just a kiss under a mistletoe, don’t ever hesitate to ask me if you want something, okay?”

Solomon had temporarily forgotten about the practice of kissing underneath mistletoe until he heard MC bring it up to Luke. He had disregarded this plant some time ago since it rarely worked well in potions and he didn’t feel inclined to follow this custom from his world that mainly affected couples. However, now that MC was around, the tradition became more appealing to him, so he plotted to get the two of them alone under this mistletoe before the end of the party. Not surprisingly, it was rather difficult, considering MC’s popularity and how possessive the demon brothers were of them. By some stroke of luck, he acquired an opening after MC had left and everyone was preoccupied with a magnificent gift Diavolo had given to one of them, allowing him to easily sneak out. He was a bit early, so he hid near the doorway with the mistletoe until he heard his fellow human’s approaching footsteps. He then popped out suddenly to surprise them, and they accidentally ran into him in the process. He apologized while they tried to regain their composure.

Half of MC's attention was already on the mistletoe, but Solomon pointed up to it to let them know he was focusing on it as well. “Are you familiar with mistletoe as a plant?” he inquired. “You may have seen it by itself in public places during this time of year, but in nature, it’s a parasitic plant that primarily lives off of trees. What’s more, every part of it, including its berries, is poisonous to us humans, should we choose to consume it. Though, I’m sure it’d have no effect on someone like Beelzebub.” MC wondered what he was trying to get at, so he resumed, “Anyway, despite this plant’s function in our world, there’s still the tradition where people kiss underneath it and view it as a symbol--or even a blessing--of love.” It was then that he confessed to unintentionally eavesdropping on their earlier conversation with Luke. “If you’re willing, MC, I’d like to follow this little tradition with you.”

After MC gave their consent, Solomon pulled them closer and tucked a loose strand of their hair behind their ear, his face flushed as he eyed their lips. He then confidently leaned in to kiss them. He was eager to express his feelings for them, and it was a big boost to his ego when the well-liked human reciprocated his kiss; it felt as though they were choosing him over the demons and angels that constantly vied for their attention--that he was able to stand out more to them than those powerful beings. He couldn’t stop his lips from curving into a smile on theirs just before the kiss reached its end. “I’ve met so many other humans in my extended lifetime, but none of them could ever compare to you, MC,” he declared. “If you’ll let me, I’d like to stay by your side and continue to show you my affection like this as often as I can. But for now, let me hold you in my arms a little longer.”

#Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

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