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beels-burger-babe · 2 years

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Changing Behaviours

***This is a prompt I've had in my drafts LITERALLY since I created this blog (aka a year and a half ago). I changed the angle to better suit my spooky month needs, and I am so so excited! I hope you all enjoy this as much as I do! As per usual with my darker stuff, PLEASE exercise self care before, during, and after reading this fic. KNOW YOUR LIMITS. READ THE TAGS. Please read safely. Love you -B***

Summary: Something has MC shaken to their very core. The brothers can see it, but they don't know how to help.

CW: Paranoia, Mentions of past abusive relationships, very brief implied suicide (of a background character), thoughts of murder,

Since your arrival to the Devildom you were a constant to the brothers.

You were a support system that they could rely on at any moment. You were a friend — family. You had introduced love and light back into their lives and showed them that they could be good.

Now, after two years of being down below, they had come to depend on the security that you offered in the warmth of kindness.

But all good things come to an end.

Upon later reflection, none of them could pinpoint the exact moment when you had begun changing. It had been subtle, fast, and all too easy for them to brush aside as their human having a bad day.

When establishing a timeline for the trial, Beelzebub would testify as the first of his brothers to notice something was off.

Two months before the incident, Beel had gone to the gym for his typical workout. But as soon as he entered the room, the steady sound of fists against a punching bag echoed through the otherwise empty, concrete chamber.

With a frown, he wandered closer to the noise when he spotted you. Your fists were bare and knuckles were bruised, sweat dripping down your face with gritted teeth as you pounded into the punching bag with a dazed, yet fearful, look in your eyes.

"MC?" Beel called out, concern pooling in his gut as he watched the skin stretched around your taut knuckles begin to split. "MC!"

An infuriated shout filled the air as you swung your leg around and kicked it harshly against the bag before stumbling away from it.

You leaned against your knees, panting heavily, as Beel looked at you with wide eyes.

"MC," he tried again as you wiped the back of your hand across your forehead, staining your skin with blood.

"Yeah?" You panted, wincing as you looked down at your trembling hands.

Beel pressed his lips into a thin line, watching as crimson began to drip down your fingers, and your legs threatened to give out beneath you.

He sighed and moved over to you, offering out his arm. "Come here," he mumbled softly. "You need to take proper care of yourself before you begin a workout like that. Wrap your fists. Stretch."

He led you over to a wooden bench sitting nearby and pulled a small bag out from his gym duffle bag. He quietly grabbed a bottle of hydrogen peroxide and looked at you warily. "Just um ... this might sting."

You hissed through your teeth as he poured the clear liquid over your poor hands. It was strange to see you standing so quietly as he bandaged your injuries. There was a stiffness to your shoulders and a furrow to your brow that he didn't quite understand, but he didn't like it.

"Is everything alright?" He forwardly asked. "I mean, I don't usually see you down here and ... you look upset."

You looked down at your hands, silently clenching and unclenching your newly-dressed fingers. "I'm alright," you muttered distantly. "Just needed to let off some steam."

It pained Beel as you continued fiddling with your fingers and avoiding his eyes, but he didn't push. He reached forward and squeezed your shoulder. "If you want to start working out with me, or get into your own routine, I can help you out if you'd like."

You paused before nodding your head. "That'd be nice," you smiled gently at him. "Thanks."

He grinned, letting his hand drop to his side as he began to put back his medical supplies. "No problem. What is it that you're wanting to work on, anyways?"

A glint of something so grimly intense and horrifically unfamiliar flickered through your eyes. "Kickboxing and weight training," you flashed him a strangely sharp grin and goosebumps formed on the back of his neck. "Have to be able to defend myself, you know?"

Beelzebub couldn't help but frown at the words. He took a step closer to you. "You ... You know that we'll protect you. Right? You're safe with us, MC."

Something in his words caused you to shudder as you glanced down at your hands. "But not all the time," you mumbled in reply. Before Beel had a chance to question you, you shook your head and began to leave the room. "I'll meet you back here tomorrow. See ya."

And that was that. Only it wasn't.

You were jumpier, more an edge than normal. If the brothers tried asking about it, you should brush them off and insist that you were fine.

Belphie wasn't so sure.

Only two days after the gym incident, Belphegor had begun to find you walking around the house late into the night. There didn't seem to be any specific intent or purpose to your midnight brigades — just senseless drifting from room to room.

The one night he hadn't found you walking around, he came across a different problem entirely.

Your shrill scream pierced the air, and Belphie ran faster than he had thought was possible.

He burst into the room, panting, to find you wrestling with your blankets, screams and shouts continuing to pour from your lips and your eyes squeezed tightly shut.

Belphie cursed under his breath and rushed over to you. "MC! MC! Calm down. You're having a nightmare," he grabbed onto your shoulder, but quickly reeled back as your screams and thrashing only grew. "Shit," he breathed as panic flooded his heart. He felt sweat line his palms as he gently placed a hand over his pact mark on the back of his neck and felt it grow warm. The demon squeezed his eyes shut, channeling his energies of sloth through the symbol. "MC. Wake up"

Your eyes snapped open as a terrified gasp was ripped from your lungs and shot out of your bed. "Stop it!" You shouted in sleep-riddled-hysteria before you finally began to recognize your surroundings.

Your shoulders hunched as you curled in on yourself and ran a hand through your hair.

Belphegor swallowed thickly before ever-so-slowly approaching you. "MC are you-"

"Get out," you choked.

Belphie's heart clenched in his chest. "W-What?"

"Just-" a sob slipped from you as your grip tightened on your hair. "I need to be alone. Please. Just get out!"

The demon shakily nodded, beginning to take steps backward toward the door. "If ... If that's what you wish. I'll be in my room if you want to talk."

You responded with a barely noticeable nod.

Belphegor waited outside your room for several minutes. He had expected to hear cries, or whimpers, or even screams.

But all he got was silence.

A week of more sleepless nights and forcing Belphegor out of your room later, you had confronted Mammon.

The white-haired demon stood in the corner of your room with a deep frown as you began drilling a strange contraption to your window. "And what exactly is this meant to do again?"

"It'll make sure that no one can sneak in through the window," you mumbled, fiddling with the device a little more. "Not only will it lock it, but it's also sounded with an alarm that will go off if anyone manages to break the lock."

Mammon pursed his lips in thought. "But you're on the third floor?"

You scoffed, as though his argument was completely invalid. "As a demon with wings, you should know it's not impossible for someone to get up here," you stuck your head out the window and glanced down. "Even then, there's ivy all up this wall. ... Hey, can I have your help removing that after we finish this?"

Mammon narrowed his eyes in suspicion as he felt his heart sink at the slight tremble in your voice. "Oi. What's all this about? Is someone threatenin' ya or somethin'? Do I need to give someone a beat down?"

"NO!" Mammon flinched back as you practically screamed in his face. You both stared at each other for a moment with wide, frightened eyes.

You winced as you quickly took a step back. "I-I mean no. I'm just-" you groaned and glanced back over at the device. "It's nothing. I can do this on my own. You can go back to what ever you were doing."

Mammon clicked his tongue and stubbornly sat down on your bed. "Like hell I am! You've been actin' all weird lately and you've got circles under your eyes darker than Lucifer's! What's wrong?"

You glared at the demon before silently turning back and continuing to fiddle with the device. After a single minute of silence, Mammon let out a loud groan. "Come oooooon! You can't just give me the silent treatment and expect me to drop this!"

He didn't get an answer in response.

With a heavy sigh he finally got back to his feet. "You don't want to talk? Fine. But this isn't done. We will be talking about this later."

That conversation never did happen, and after everything that went down, Mammon regretted that more than anything else.

With all the things that had been happening at that time, it was a shock to everyone when you eventually approached Leviathan and asked if he wanted to go to an arcade.

The question shocked and flustered the demon (mostly because it sounded an AWFUL lot like a date, and he wasn't sure if he should dress up or just go normally) but he agreed none the less.

It's how he found himself standing slightly behind you with his jaw dropped as you took out zombie after zombie with a plastic arcade rifle and a cold, ruthless glaze to your eyes.

"Fucking hell," Leviathan swore as your name appeared at the top of the scoring chart. "How the hell are you this good at shooter games?!"

You flushed as you glanced down at the toy gun in your hands. "I don't know. Just ... did it."

Leviathan laughed as a slew of tickets came pouring out of the machine. "Well you're a freaking natural! Damn MC! You could seriously take someone out with that aim!"

You tensed at the comment, your eyes freezing on him with an intensity he had only ever seen in the ghosts haunting the Devildom. "You really think so?"

He chuckled and slipped a couple more coins into the machine. "Don't take my word for it. Go again."

And you did. Again, and again, and again. With each round your gaze grew less cold and more determined. Each round your score only grew more and more.

Eventually, Leviathan dragged you away from it (and no, it was not because he was jealous of the stupid game getting all your attention) to play something more multiplayer like Dance Dance Ruri Tunes, but you weren't there. Not mentally anyways.

Your mind was somewhere else along with the delighted grin on your face.

Satan recognized exactly what expression Leviathan was talking about when he described it in court.

Levi had used the word "distant," but Satan preferred the word "crazed."

It was one that he was no stranger to. He had seen it a number of times on himself whenever his brothers got shots of him setting up his pranks against Lucifer.

He had never expected to see it on you. Especially not when you were simply reading in the library.

He personally had gone in to do some reading on insomnia remedies for humans to help you with the nighttime issues that Belphegor said you'd been having, when he spotted you.

You were sitting at the table, smiling to yourself as you drank a cup of tea, scribbled down some notes, and read from your book.

In normal circumstances, there would be nothing wrong with the situation. If anything, Satan would've encouraged it and joined you to bask silently in each other's company.

But you were reading Demon Abilities and Weaknesses.

A book that he knew was not on your RAD curriculum. A book that he never expected you to have an interest in.

He tilted his head as he stalked over and quietly sat down beside you. You spared him a glance and nodded at him, before continuing your studies.

"Curious book?" He questioned gesturing to the text. You hummed thoughtfully. "Any particular reason for reading it?"

You scribbled down a couple more things before looking at him. "Like you said. It's a curious book," you leaned forward. "Did you know that despite what common human lore says, Holy water doesn't actually kill a demon? It just temporarily paralyzes it," you chuckled and shook your head as you looked fondly back down at the book in your hands. "It's fascinating what humans have gotten so so wrong about you guys."

Satan nodded in agreement and leaned forward onto his elbows. "Yes. Humans have remarkable imaginations and quite an interest in wrongly interpreting us."

You hummed in thought as you starred at the book in front of you. "Do people ever end up here by accident?"

Satan blinked at the question, his mind momentarily stalled by its suddenness. "Diavolo tries to avoid it, but I imagine it does happen from time to time."

"What about those who are purposefully brought here? The ones who were t-terrible awful people in their real lives?"

Your heavy stare was now fixed directly onto him and was unwavering. Satan felt chills run down his spine at the sheer desperation in your voice.

He would later testify that, in this moment, he wrongly thought he had figured out what had been bothering you.

"You aren't damned, MC," tears lined your eyes at his answer as he placed a hand over your trembling grasp. "When your time comes, I think you'll be one of the unique few who get a choice on where you go. Regardless, you'll be okay. We'll make sure of it."

You silently shook your head, and Satan took it as a sign to pull you into his arms and hold you. For the first time in a month, you broke down and began sobbing. The demon said nothing as your ugly, loud cries shook your frame and your tears soaked through his jacket. He just held you, allowed you to embrace your vulnerability.

Eventually you sniffled, and pulled away looking at the book once more. "Satan," you mumbled hoarsly. "There are bad people down here."

He chuckled and ruffled your hair. "Yes. It is Hell. But those insufferable twits are meant for nothing more than be slaughtered and put in their place over and over again. Rest assured that you aren't one of them. You're safe here."

Your lips pulled into a thin line as you scooped up the book and put it in your bag. "Thanks Satan. You've given me a lot to think about," you didn't say another word before taking your leave, leaving the demon alone and concerned.

Asmodeus had heard about your meeting with Satan from the demon himself and knew that he just had to do something to cheer you up. Clearly, the best way to do that was a shopping.

Still, he was surprised when you agreed so easily.

The strawberry blond happily thumbed through a clothing rack beside you. "See?" He chirped excitedly. "Isn't this just what the doctor ordered? A nice relaxing day out with your favourite and handsomest of pact holders!"

You made a small noise of agreement as you pulled a black turtleneck from the rack and stretched the fabric a little.

Asmo cooed as he perched himself onto your shoulder. "Oh! Very chic. It'll be good for layering in these dreadful temperatures," he warily watched as you added the shirt to your growing pile of black fabric. "Though, might I recommend a little more colour, darling? You'd look radiant in a deep magenta."

You snorted and poked his cheek. "You're just saying that because pink is your designated colour."

The demon giggled and kissed your cheek in return. "So what if I am? It's hardly my fault that I have the best colour of all."

You shook your head in amusement. "Well thank you for the recommendation, but I'm aiming for a different look."

He picked up the black cargo pants you had deposited into your basket. "Ah. Is this an upcoming emo or punk phase? I suppose it makes sense."

You raised an eyebrow at the demon. "What do you mean?"

Asmodeus carefully threaded his next words together at the edge in your tone. "I just mean you seem to be doing a lot of reflection lately. Which isn't always bad, but ... You've been really quiet and distant. I miss being able to go out and just chit chat like old times with you."

You went silent as you fiddled with a pair of gloves you'd found. "I ... I've had some bad memories resurface lately. It's affecting me more than I thought. But don't worry," you smiled softly at the demon, oblivious of the nervous glint in your eyes, "I'm taking care of it."

The demon hummed and nuzzled against you. "So long as you're happy. I miss that wonderful smile of yours," he finally unlatched himself from you as he dragged you toward the cash register. "Now come on. I want to pamper you with some proper skin care products. You seem like you could use it."

You chuckled, squeezing lightly onto the demon's hand. "Okay, okay. But only if we can stop at the general store. I need to pick up a few things."

During all of this, Lucifer was taking notes.

Every interaction reported to him, every oddity that he noticed, he wrote it all down. He didn't know then just how helpful his notes would be — he only knew that something was wrong with you and he was determined to figure out what.

The night before the incident, his concern reached a climax.

He just returned from a tediously long meeting at Diavolo's castle and went to his office to complete his notes and paperwork regarding said meeting.

But when he got there, he wasn't alone.

You hadn't heard him enter. You couldn't have — Not with the way you were muttering to yourself as you dug through the chest behind his desk.

He cleared his throat, crossing his arms over his heavily beathing heart.

Your yelp echoed through the office as you whipped around.

"I don't believe this is your room, nor do I think you can find your bed in my private belongings.

You gulped and nodded. "Right. Yes. S-Sorry. I-I'll go."

He sighed as you tried to scurry past him and planted a heavy hand on your shoulder. Conflicting guilt coursed through him as you scrambled back from his touch. "MC. Sit down," he instructed.

He glided across the room, taking his place behind his desk, but you remained frozen. "I-I'd prefer to stand, th-thank you."

Lucifer's headache pulsed as he narrowed his eyes at you. "I've been informed that you've displayed some worrisome habits. You haven't been sleeping. You've been overworking yourself to the point of injury at the gym. You're questioning your place and security in the Devildom," your eyes darted to your hands as he called you out. "Why?"

You were tense, practically a rock with how rigid and stiff you were. But, both he and you knew that you would not be leaving without an answer.

"I can't tell you," you reluctantly replied.

"Can't or won't?" he countered.

You shook your head as your arms moved to wrap around yourself. "A mix of both, I-I guess."

Lucifer nodded and wished, not for the first time, that he possessed the ability to read your mind. "Asmodeus mentioned you've had some harmful memories resurface lately. Does that have something to do with it?"

"It has everything to do with it," you choked as your fingers dug into your flesh. Lucifer allowed himself to hope that maybe you would finally reveal the truth that he'd been chasing. "I thought it was over. It should have been over. I survived. I didn't have to be afraid anymore. But I was wrong. It'll never end."

Lucifer's heart clenched. He longed to comfort you, to hold you and personally reassure your safety, but he needed to remain firm. It would do him no good to soften his resolve just to lose grip on the cause of all of this.

"What will never end? What has you so afraid?"

You squeezed your eyes shut as you shook your head. "I c-can't. I can't tell you. Please."

He hated how weak towards your pleas he had become. "Fine," he relented. "Then why were you here? What were you trying to take that you felt you couldn't ask for?"

Your eyes shifted to the chest behind him. "I ..." your jaw clenched and unclenched with unspoken confessions.

"You're not in trouble. I'm not angry. I'm confused. What were you looking for?"

You swallowed thickly as your eyes darted everywhere but at the demon in front of you. "The Morning Star Blade."

His eyes widened and lips parted as he felt time halt. "MC," he breathed. "Do you know the properties of that weapon?"

"I do," you whispered surely.

"Then you know how dangerous it is. It has the capabilities of permanently erasing the existence of any creature it is embedded into."

"I know," you whimpered this time as tears lined your eyes. "I-I just. ... I need it. I'm so so scared, but with that blade nothing could harm me and-"

Lucifer didn't let you say another word before he wrapped you in his embrace. For once, he felt himself tremble with vulnerability as he held you tightly against himself. "I don't know what it is that has made you so distressed you would act so extremely, but I assure you there's no need. You're not alone, MC. My brothers and I will protect you and defend you until our dying breath. You have our seals on your skin to prove it," he pressed a gentle kiss to the top of your head before pulling away. He walked back over to his desk and pulled a small white bottle from the top drawer. "This is Holy Water. Blessed by Simeon himself. If you know about the dagger, I imagine you know what this can do," he held the bottle out to you. "Take it. Let provide to you the remaining comfort that I cannot provide."

You stared at the water as though it held the key to all your problems. With shaking hands, you grabbed it and carefully brought it to your chest. "Thank you," you breathed.

Lucifer nodded. "You're welcome. Come. We'll get you some tea to help calm you before you go to bed."

And that had been it. Lucifer was convinced the issue was resolved and that in a few days time you would come to them, newly rested, and explain everything.

He had been so very wrong.

The following day, at 3 a.m. the brothers had all been suddenly pulled from their sleep and summoned to a place none of them had recognized in the freezing pouring rain.

"Fuck!" Mammon shouted as he bellyflopped onto the ground. "For fuck's sake! What the hell is goin'-" he froze as his eyes fell to the figure standing in the darkness. "MC?"

There you stood, drenched, clothed in the black wardrobe you had bought with Asmodeus. A bottle of Holy Water was clenched tightly in one hand as a dagger quivered in the other. Your bottom lip trembled as horror and uncertainty battled in your eyes.

Those very same eyes fixed onto the brothers as you held out the weapons. "Take them. Quick. J-Just get them away from me."

Lucifer frowned deeply at the sight of the familiar bottle. "MC. What is this abou-"

"JUST TAKE THEM!" You screamed as sobs threatened to break through your voice. "Before I- ... He's down here and I was going to-"

Belphegor moved first, snatching the weapons from you just as you collapsed onto the ground.

Asmodeus quickly scooped you off of the cold wet earth. You were speaking words, but they were too jumbled and distraught for any of them to understand.

Beel quickly ripped off the sweater he hand been sleeping in and wrapped you in it. "It's alright MC," he soothed. "You're safe. No one's going to hurt you."

"It's not me being hurt I'm worried about," you cried. "It's me hurting him! Don't you get it?! I was going to kill him!"

A jolt ran through the brothers at the sheer idea of you even considering murder. Asmodeus held you tighter to his chest.

The dots began to connect in Satan's head, but he still had too may questions. "Kill who?" he pressed softly.

"M-My ex," you choked as you gripped desperately onto Asmodeus's silk pajamas. "I saw him. He's down here. He was j-j-just walking around when we went to the museum t-two months ago. As though n-nothing ever happened a-and I couldn't-" tears poured heavily down your cheeks. "I couldn't stand it. I-I'm not safe. Not with him here. Wh-What if he knows I'm with you and- and- and-"

Asmodeus gently soothed you before you could throw yourself further into your hysteria.

Belphegor felt a familiar coldness drip down his spine as he looked down at the dagger in his hand. "And this ex ... He hurt you?"

You shivered as you nodded. "He ... It was just verbal at first. Insults. Names. Jealousy. B-But then he started to lash out. One night, he went too far. The p-paramedics said I should've been dead. He must have thought so too, cause they found his dead body beside my unconscious one."

"Gods and Devils," Leviathan breathed. "No wonder he ended up down here. He fucking deserves it and worse!"

Your lip trembled as Asmodeus carefully took your clenching hands into his own and gently caressed them. "I didn't feel safe knowing he was here, that he could come find me any moment. A-And the only solution I could think of was- was to-"

"-Was to take his life before he could take yours," Lucifer finished.

"Shit," Mammon swore, moving over to Asmodeus's side. "Is this what you've been stressing out about lately?"

You took in a shaky breath as you nodded. "I was so torn. I didn't want to drop to his level. I didn't want to be evil like him. B-But I-I didn't know what else I could do!"

"I'll tell you what we're going to do," Satan spoke through gritted teeth. "We are going to bring the issue to Diavolo. Demons like him are supposed to be in a certain place in the Devildom. Sentenced to eternal punishment. Not flaunting about."

Lucifer hummed in agreement. "We'll take him to trial, and make sure he never tastes freedom again."

You couldn't help but cry at the words. A trial. Justice. Something you had never been given in human world.

The brothers said nothing. They merely gathered around and held you, whispering reassurances and promises.

They kept you under close watch for a while, never leaving you alone or allowing you to fester in your dark memories for too long. When the trial came, they stood by your said for every second of it and defended your name with all the ire of Hell.

You watched as the being who ruined your life was found guilty. You watched as he was dragged down to the pits of the Devildom.

You cried, and mourned, and grieved.

But you didn't do it alone.

*** OOF that was a big one. Thank you all so much for reading this. Happy Spooky Month, and remember to take care of yourselves. I love you all so much and thank you for the never ending support you all give me. Cheers -B***

TAGLIST:

@thegrimgrinningghost @henry-and-the-seven-lords @satans-beloved-riv @cosmixbun @sufzku @obey-mes-treasure @kissed-by-a-dementor @yukihaie @justtiarra @mammoneybb @poly-bi-mf @burrixino @salvationprodigy @pumpkins-mainside-blog @acousticpen @sucker-for-angst-and-fluff @itskrispy @10paradox10 @vallison-rea @ivoryclive @newfangled-artistry @pumpkinpatchkid @chirikoheina @sailboat21 @theother4 @todoroses @circus-of-freaks @mcx7demonbros @bloopthebat

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