Work Text:
If you had to think about it, you supposed the first time was right after forging your second pact.
So much had happened at the beginning of your stay in the Devildom, your presence the flap of a butterfly’s wings in the House of Lamentation. Simply breathing was enough to set the seven brothers on edge, unsure of how to coexist with a human exchange student. Thus, you believed it to be valid that the more mundane memories would blur together, would grow fuzzy around the edges. It was hard to hold the recollection of Mammon accidentally using Satan’s toothbrush (a window was shattered), or Asmodeus testing a new eyeliner on Leviathan’s Seraphina figure (the stairs were destroyed), to the same sharp quality as nearly dying a handful of times.
It was easy to become accustomed to the bizarre when you were muddling your way through an unfamiliar world with a rather eccentric cast of characters. In fact, it was becoming increasingly difficult to surprise you with each passing day.
Maybe that was why, a month into your exchange term, you started to scrutinize things you had previously dismissed. Maybe that was why you frowned down at the chocolate bar in your hand and thought—When exactly had this started?
“So? Less or more?” Leviathan peered at you from beneath his fringe of indigo hair, orange eyes curious as they darted between the candy and your face.
You understood what he meant. It was routine by this point. What he was asking was simple – did you like the chocolate less or more than the gift he had given you yesterday?
“Um,” You furrowed your brow as you read the fine print—heinous honey and acid lavender white chocolate. That, actually, sounded pretty good. “More. Definitely better than the bloodberry dark chocolate.”
He nodded enthusiastically, strands of purple flopping with the motion, “This one is Belphie’s favorite!”
You weren’t sure how to feel about that, and it must have shown on your face, for he was quick to add, “Er, not that that’s important at all! You, uh... Maybe don’t think about that.”
“It’s fine, Levi.” With a sigh, you curled your fingers around the chocolate a little harder than necessary. The wound ripped open by Belphegor’s betrayal and murderous intent had yet to fully scar, but you were getting used to the seventh brother’s presence in the house.
A beat, and then, Leviathan was muttering something about a new game to which he was about to dedicate his evening. “Okay s-s-so, see you around?”
“Of course,” You offered him a small smile, having expected him to dismiss himself from your room with some sort of excuse. “Thanks for the chocolate.”
He laughed sheepishly, ducking his head in a failed attempt to hide the vibrant blush brightening his face “Yeah, well, can’t have you eating normie snacks down here.”
And with the door closing behind him, he was gone.
Placing the chocolate bar next to the textbook open on your pink duvet, you counted back on your fingers. Had it really been that long?
For three weeks now, Leviathan had—like clockwork—walked into your room every Monday and Tuesday afternoon, gift in hand. You had never asked him to bring you anything, and there was rarely any significance to the presents. They ranged from a pretty aquarium stone (placed upon your shelf, glittering in the low lamplight of the guest room), to the aforementioned chocolate that you were convinced had you high as a kite for a whole two days (Lucifer was unimpressed). A gel pen in a lovely purple gradient rested between the pages of your textbook, paired with a Ruri-chan highlighter in neon pink.
Each time, he would ask you to compare the gift, as if he was making a chart of your preferences for who knew what reason. Then, he would dismiss himself in lieu of keeping you company, or having meaningful conversation, just to repeat the same charade the following week.
At first, you thought it was coincidence. He had seen something, thought of you, and in an attempt to be nice , had given it to you. When you considered the outcome of the TSL quiz competition, the gesture didn’t seem that weird. He had tried to kill you. Perhaps he had felt bad, and it just so happened that his remorse fell on the same two days, two weeks in a row.
The third week was harder to explain. You shrugged it off as a Levi-ism. It was no secret that he housed a plethora of idiosyncrasies. He always cut up his food first, and then stabbed the bite-sized pieces with his fork. He had a favorite spoon. He triple-checked the placements of his figures every morning and every night, ensuring the dust on the shelf was not disturbed by a particular demon looking to make a quick Grimm. He greeted his pet goldfish before even glancing at his D.D.D. in the morning, and when forced to make the physical trip to RAD, he insisted on walking on the right side of the group (You had a hunch that it was to do with his peripheral vision and his bangs, placing his brothers in his blind spot in order to feel secure out in the wild . Though, he would never admit this to be true).
You accepted this explanation, never bothering to question the specific timing of the gifts, or the lack of ensuing conversation. It was cute, in a strange way. You made sure to put each little present on display in your room, or use it to the best of your abilities. Just this afternoon, you had noticed his eyes light up at the sight of the aquarium pebble.
It warmed your heart. If you were making him happy by playing along with... whatever he was doing, you would continue to indulge him.
Besides, Leviathan’s disappointment following the formation of your pact, when he had believed you to have only wanted to use him, still bothered you. Sure, you had required access to his TSL vinyl, but that hadn’t been the only reason to make a pact with him. If you were going to be in the Devildom for a while, you wanted to befriend your housemates.
It was a quest proceeding at a glacial pace, with some (Mammon and Beel) more receptive than others (Lucifer), but you did feel as though you were making progress. Asmodeus did your nails on the regular, now, and Satan would help you study from time to time. You no longer flinched in Belphie’s presence, and Lucifer was slowly starting to ask more from you, starting to rely on you a little bit more.
Leviathan, however, was elusive. If he wasn’t in his room, he was... you weren’t sure—in the bathroom? Really, Levi was either in your presence—whether in class or at meals—or in his seascape haven. And yet, despite knowing his near constant location, you found it difficult to casually spend time with him. Where you got away with sharing the same space with the others, without any clear motivation, approaching Levi in his room meant you had the intent of seeing him, talking to him, watching him play a game or accompanying him through a new anime.
And regardless of the weekly gifts and stilted small talk, he still seemed uncomfortable with your company for an extended period of time. You tried not to let it get to you when he would abruptly ask you to leave his room so he could sleep, even though you knew he would be up for hours still, even though you wanted to know what happened next in the anime. Social interactions were draining, you understood.
Still, you wouldn’t be deterred. You’d move at his pace. Slow and steady.
As you unwrapped the chocolate, nibbling tentatively, you considered that maybe you should gift him something in return. Creamy sweetness flowing over your tongue, you hummed in delight, making note of the foil around the treat once more—you had to remember this brand. You could mark it down as a snack to pick up next time you were out. While you were at Condemned Confectionaries, you could grab something for Levi too.
As long as you didn’t start hallucinating within the next hour.
Really, you were quite proud of yourself.
How you had managed to shrug off Mammon in the winding halls of RAD, you weren’t sure. How you had managed to avoid Beel on your way back to class with a bag full of snacks was even more astounding. You had thought that your text to the group chat explaining your absence over the provided lunch hour would have tipped off the Avatar of Gluttony, but it seemed the others had kept him distracted with the cafeteria slop that only he could stomach.
Which left you with the freedom to mosey through the academy, plastic shopping bag swinging from your hand as you made your way to Curses and Hexes at a leisurely pace. If you had the timing right, you’d get to class early and hide the candy in your desk before Beelzebub could sniff it out.
Your D.D.D. dinged, prompting you to dig in your uniform jacket pocket with your free hand, scrolling through the messages while you waltzed down the hall.
12:20pm – Beelzeburger in House of Lamentation (New)
Hey, @human. Can you pick me up two dozen Gigadeath Burgers from Hell’s Kitchen on your way back to RAD?
12:20pm – stn in House of Lamentation (New)
Class starts in ten minutes...
12:21pm – Beelzeburger in House of Lamentation (New)
Mammon’s gotten me food in less time than that.
12:21pm – AsmoBaby in House of Lamentation (New)
Our darling human would get windburn if they tried to make that delivery!
12:21pm – Mammoney in House of Lamentation (New)
What Asmo said! You’re lookin’ at the Great Mammon, fastest demon in the Devildom!
12:22pm – Beelzeburger in House of Lamentation (New)
Okay. @human , can you summon Mammon to bring me two dozen Gigadeath Burgers from Hell’s Kitchen?
12:22pm – Mammoney in House of Lamentation (New)
With an amused snort, you rounded the corner towards the classroom, nose buried in your D.D.D. It was never a dull moment in the Devildom.
Which was only proven when you walked right into someone’s chest, your bag of snacks tumbling to the ground and spilling all over the stone floor.
“Oh! I’m so sorry!” You startled, immediately falling to your knees, fingers anxiously gathering the individually wrapped Comfort Candies in various, glittering hues. They shone like edible gems in the warm light of the RAD hallway.
It caught you off guard when the resounding squawk of surprise was familiar, indigo fringe hiding Levi’s eyes as he ducked down to help you clean up the mess. “I-it’s okay! I, uh, wasn’t looking where I was going either.”
You offered him an apologetic smile, shoving the pack of fried bat chips (hard beryl salt dusted, of course) into your bag. Praying to the Celestial Realm above, you hoped he wouldn’t notice that the selection of snacks was tailored to his taste, all orange flavored sweets and miniature pancake pastries complete with a honey and yogurt glaze.
Alas, your prayers fell short, for his amber eyes widened in surprise, a purple sucker twirling between his fingers. “H-hey! Um, good choice,” his chuckle was more of a wheeze, “I like these.”
Fingers brushed as you both reached for the same glimmering candy, a pretty sunset gradient catching in the overhead lighting. You tried to ignore the pleasant thrum of electricity that lanced down your arm.
“I know,” and despite your best wishes, blood rushed to your face, warming your cheeks. “I got them for you.”
Levi blinked. “You... You did?”
“Well, yeah.” With a shrug, you averted your gaze, a nervous smile tugging at your lips as you straightened up, as you handed the replenished bag to his startled hands. “You’ve been so nice to me. I want you to know that I appreciate your effort. You’re a good friend.”
“F-Friend?” His painted nails tightened around the handles, a sparkle of hope in the veins of purple crackling through his orange eyes.
Your smile came easy. “That’s what I said.”
With an awkward parting wave, you turned away from him, a sudden absence in your chest sending a chill over your skin. For a moment, you considered that you had turned away from the sun, stepped into the shade, and as you rushed off to Curses and Hexes, you thought you heard his voice like a summer breeze over the curve of your ear.
“Two-heart event...”
“C’mon, Asmo!” Mammon whined, a pathetic sound cutting through the rush of running water. “We’d be done by now if ya just helped!”
“And dunk my delicate hands into boiling dish soap?” Looking up from where he examined his manicure, leaning against the kitchen counter, Asmo sniffed, “You’re doing fine on your own.”
“Argh!” There was a splash as Mammon’s palm smacked the bubbling water in the sink, a sharp-toothed scowl splitting his face as he protested, “Can ya dry, at least?”
“And risk chipping a nail?”
“I’m gonna kill ya!”
You took Mammon lunging towards Asmo, soaked hands outstretched and aiming for the latter’s neck, as your leave, slipping out of post-dinner dish duty before you had to justify the inevitable mess to Lucifer. Really, it was his fault for pairing Asmo and Mammon together to wash dishes. Lucifer may as well have been asking for trouble.
Seeking refuge, you scurried upstairs, reluctant to return to your room lest you be found and dragged back to the sopping dishes and bubble spotted floor. You debated knocking on Satan’s door, aware that he would always play along if it meant an inconvenience to Lucifer, but the overall layout of his room left few hiding places that weren’t crouching behind a pile of books.
Music spilled from the gap between Levi’s door and the floor as you passed, prompting you to lean against the panel and softly tap, calling, “Hey, Levi! You in there?”
The melody lowered in volume, joined by the scrape of chair wheels on tile. “It’s unlocked!”
“The second lord...” You paused, your hand falling to the handle “Wait, what?! I didn’t say the password!”
This time, you heard the wheeze of a seat cushion, the padding of sock-covered feet making for the door. It opened a sliver, Levi leaning against the frame to regard you with thinly veiled curiosity. “It’s fine.”
“Really?” Your heart squeezed inside your chest. You couldn’t tell if something was wrong or if this was a sign that he didn’t... well, maybe he wasn’t as nervous around you anymore. You pursed your lips, waving your D.D.D. with a, “I mean, I know the password. You texted it to me this morning.”
Levi shrugged. “I don’t know... It just, um, feels like you don’t need it anymore.”
You took that as your cue to follow him into his room, trailing after him in awe as he let you into his sanctuary, as he returned to his desk chair. You decided you liked the way the back of the chair creaked when he slumped into its cushioning.
“Seeking assistance from Leviachan,” He tented his fingers beneath his chin, “You are.”
Humor snapped like lightning in in his playful eyes. It was a good look on him, confidence in the comfort of his haven. With a sheepish grin, you admitted, “I’m hiding from dish duty.”
There was a crash somewhere below. Most likely a pot thrown in a fit of anger. Nothing a simple spell couldn’t fix. Besides, it was hard to feel guilty when the pulsating light of the aquarium waves in Levi’s room were so calming, captivating your attention as you watched the thin veins of light wiggle and dance across the ceiling, the walls, the painted faces of Ruri-chan on display with her shovel hoisted to the heavens. It reminded you of the little toy shovel he had gifted you just yesterday. A Tuesday, of course, following the Azuki-tan sticker he gave you on Monday.
Levi nodded, sympathy in his gaze as he cracked his knuckles and turned back to his computer. “I don’t mind if you hang out here... But is it okay if I play a game?” His shoulders hiked up defensively, even as his voice pitched higher with unearthed enthusiasm, “I’ve been trying to reach the bottom of the mines in Devildew Chasm.”
The room filled with soothing video game music, plucky strings and whimsical woodwinds welcoming you to scrolling pixel art of moonlit hills, large bats fluttering past a rustic wooden title reading Devildew Chasm. Levi glanced over his shoulder, unjustified shame in the tremor of his lips.
“Of course,” You reassured, dragging the ottoman over to the desk for a better view. “I’d love to watch you play.
His long lashes fluttered in surprise, a soft pink brushing his cheekbones as he hastily selected his save file. With a nervous nod, he began to explain the basic mechanics of the farming simulator, and you swiftly lost yourself in the pretty world of the game, something about the pixel style leaving you nostalgic for your youth.
A sense of calm washed over you, not unlike the calming dance of the aquarium waves, complimenting the cool colors of the game’s Albatross Town . It felt as though you were cocooned in a bubble, detached from reality, safe and serene. You wondered what it would be like to sway among the kelp, to float among the bubbles.
“I’ve never asked you,” You interrupted Levi after his day in the game had ended, giving him a moment to converse. “Why do you have such a large tank in your room?”
Levi’s tiny frown almost resembled a pout. “I like it.”
“It’s nice of you to give Henry so much space,” you tried, your eyes focusing on the latch at the top of the wall of glass. “I mean, you could probably even go for a dip in there.”
“It’s nice,” he agreed, nodding absently.
That piqued your interest. “Wait, so you do swim in it?”
And just like that, Levi’s hands flew to his face, covering the brilliant flush that overtook his skin. “GAH! That’s weird right?!” He squawked, his indigo hair flopping as he frantically shook his head. “Ah I’m sorry! This is why you shouldn’t waste your time on a loser like me!
Your heart panged at his choice of words, and for a moment, it caught you off guard. It wasn’t the first time that Levi spoke poorly of himself in front of you. Why did it bother you now?
Trying to level your expression, to smooth the furrow of your brow, you gently soothed, “What? No, Levi, I think that’s pretty cool.”
His fingers split just enough for you to make out a narrowed orange eye, watching you carefully. “Y-you...do?”
“Yeah! Can you breathe underwater?” You barreled on, allowed the interest to build as he nodded his head, the slightest upturn to the corner of his mouth. Rocking forward on the ottoman, you admired, “That’s awesome. Seriously, so cool!”
Finally lowering his hands, Levi ducked his head to hide the red tint to his skin. Though he murmured that he didn’t necessarily agree, you couldn’t help but notice the way his spine straightened, the way his shoulders dropped in relief.
A quick glance to the aquarium had you sighing, “I would love to get away from... Well, everything, sometimes.”
“It’s quieter underwater,” Levi whispered. You could feel his gaze flitting over the slope of your nose.
There was another crash that sounded from the general direction of the kitchen, this one accompanied with a shrill screech and a shouted promise of death. You bit your tongue to stifle your laughter as Levi winced.
“Yeah.” He met the amused crease of your eyes, his lips tugging into a smile. “It is.”
6:49pm – L3V1
Hey, can you do me a favor?
6:50pm – Human
What can I do for the Lord of Shadow?
6:51pm – L3V1
You! You can’t just call me that!
Um...
Sorry... I’m... I’m happy. Does that mean you rely on me?
6:52pm – Human
Of course I rely on you!
We have a pact, don’t we?
6:54pm – L3V1
I won’t let my Henry down!
6:55pm – Human
You needed to ask for a favor?
6:56pm – L3V1
Oh right! I was wondering if you could grab me a D+ energy drink from the kitchen? Sucre Frenzy’s livestream is about to start and I don’t want to miss a single second!
You smiled at the request, pulling yourself up from the couch where you lounged against a snacking Beelzebub and pocketing your D.D.D. Though Satan kept his nose to the page of his novel, Mammon looked up from where he had been doomscrolling Devilgram.
“Yo,” he drawled, “Where ya goin’?”
There was an interest in his eyes that screamed can I come too and you almost felt bad answering, “Just ensuring Levi stays hydrated.”
Sure enough, Mammon deflated, sinking further into the couch with a roll of his eyes. He grunted, “Let him fend for himself. He's a grown demon, ya know.”
You stuck your tongue out, arguing, “Then maybe I just want to see him.”
It was not lost on you that your answer seemed to upset not only Mammon, but Satan as well, as the latter glanced up with a prickly surprise in his narrowed eyes. Beelzebub, however, smiled through the crumbs dotting his lips. “There’s a bloody orange D+ in the fridge.”
“Thanks Beel,” you patted his shoulder and excused yourself to the kitchen.
When you grabbed the drink from the fridge door, you also snagged the canned sinful sakura-flavored bufo egg tea that Levi had bought you from Café Lament. It was a new release, if you recalled correctly. This week’s Monday gift from Leviathan. You hoped that Levi would let you watch the livestream alongside him. He spoke so highly of Sucre Frenzy , and Leviathan only gave his stamp of approval to media that he deemed worthy. It was only natural that you’d be curious about the idol group.
“Ah! You’re here!” Levi rejoiced as you slipped into his room, stumbling to his feet from where he had sat on the rug in front of his television. He lunged for the drink in your hand, beaming giddily, “Th-thank you! You saved me!”
You couldn’t help but cock your head, peering over his shoulder to the bright lights flashing across the screen. “Aren’t you missing your livestream standing here?”
Levi waved his hands, pure joy lighting his features as he clarified, “Oh! Uh, yeah, um, it’s a sponsor break, but Zaramela is about to debut a new song from her solo album after!”
“That sounds cool,” you held up the canned bufo egg tea, “Can I watch?”
“You... want to hang out? With me?” Eyes going wide, Levi stiffened like a statue, immediate fear seeping into those pretty amber irises. “Uh, really, you don’t have to waste your time... I’m just a gross shut-in otaku and—”
You pushed past him, making yourself comfortable on the cushy ottoman by his bathtub. Bedtub? Tub. Mustering your most charming smile, you gestured to the spot where he had been sitting, “Get over here! Zaramela’s about to start!”
And you weren’t sure why he hesitated, why he looked at you with such awe in the part of his lips and the flutter of his lashes, but it didn’t matter, for he was shaking his head like Cerberus fresh out of the bath and joining you in front of the television. The warm, pink hue you had begun to associate with Leviathan in your presence was fainter this time, and the chance that he was actually becoming more comfortable around you simultaneously lifted your heart and squeezed it tight.
“Oh! I think I’ve heard this song before!” You exclaimed sometime after Zaramela had been rejoined by the other members of the group on stage. A sugar rush of synth was injected directly into your lungs as the chat on the livestream went wild, a new song beginning as the idols performed a choreographed routine.
“Of course you have! Everyone knows Cloudhopper!” Levi nodded excitedly, pointing to the easy-to-replicate movements of the idol group. “I mean, there’s even a dance!”
“There is?!”
He looked at you with what you considered to be an incredible Asmodeus impression. He really nailed the judgment in the lift of his brow. You could have sworn he has about to scold you for not being up to date on the latest Devildom fashion trend, but instead he scoffed, “Well, yeah, don’t you know? It was a viral challenge on Fabsnap !”
“I’m not from here, remember?” You pouted playfully, putting on your best hellhound eyes. “Can you show me?”
“Huh?! Me?! Show you the dance?!” Squirming under your stare, he pointed accusingly at the screen. “But they’re, um, they’re doing it right now!”
Sure enough, Zaramela was leading the group in a fun and flirty dance that accompanied the upbeat pop melody perfectly. The chat was overwhelmed with heart emojis, with fans expressing their love for every member of Sucre Frenzy, and you wondered if Levi would be contributing in the same manner had you not interrupted his watch party.
Though, when you glanced his way, he didn’t seem the least bit upset. In fact, there was a certain challenge in the curve of his lips, in the set of his shoulders that spurred you forward.
“You know it, don’t you?” You insisted.
Just like that, his chest inflated with pride, seeping up his throat and across his tongue as he boasted, “What sort of stan would I be if I didn’t know the Cloudhopper dance?! Of course I know it!”
And that was how you ended up cheering for Leviathan in his bedroom, overwhelmed with happiness as you watched him perform the same moves as the professional idols with impressive coordination. Sure, he was a little stiff, a little behind on the occasional jump or turn, and sometimes he went full wet noodle, but the sheer delight that radiated from him as he belted out the lyrics made it a top tier performance. Just like that, you forgot about the livestream, far more interested in the unbridled laughter spilling from Levi’s infectious grin, in the, as he would put it, ultra-rare pull of a performance you had somehow won. The gacha gods were in your favor.
When the two of you had finally stopped laughing, light wheezes interspersed between gasps for air, you cracked open your drink and took a large sip. You must have made a face, for Leviathan watched you curiously, prompting, “So?”
“It’s...alright.” You sucked on your tongue, trying to process the bizarre flowery, yet somehow entirely too sweet drink.
“Neutral or dislike?” He pushed.
After a moment’s consideration, you decided, “Neutral.”
He nodded in satisfaction, whipping out his D.D.D. to make a note, as you had grown to expect after sampling one of his gifts. You wondered just how long his list was at this point, why he was so interested in your tastes at all, but before you could ask, Levi’s excited shout brought your attention back to the livestream.
Oh well, whatever made him happy.
Time passed faster than you would have liked. Days turned to weeks, turned to months, and all of a sudden your exams were finished and the exchange program was coming to a close. It was with a heavy heart that you returned to the human world after attempting to spend as much quality time as possible with each of your demon pals. You had reassured yourself many times that it wasn’t necessarily goodbye, that you would see them again, that you could still call them and text them and stalk them on Devilgram.
It wasn’t the end.
So why did you feel so empty?
Your return to the human world had gone... surprisingly smooth. A few lies here and there, fabricated proof courtesy of Diavolo to answer any pesky questions, and your life was back to normal. Same old friends. Same old family. Same old job. Same old apartment.
If you were being honest, you hated it. It wasn’t that you disliked your family and friends, it was simply that the Devildom had opened your eyes to a fantastical world beyond your wildest imagination, and shutting the door on a land where adventure and mischief lurked around every corner felt wrong in comparison to the mundane, to the predictable routine of the human world.
And oh, how you missed them. You missed that tired, resigned smile that Lucifer would shoot you over piles of paperwork when you visited him in his study. You missed the way Mammon would cower behind you whenever he stuck his nose into trouble. You missed the way the tip of Asmo’s tongue would peak between his lips as he fixed up your nails; the soft, reactive hums Satan would make while he read; Beelzebub’s sturdy heart; and Belphie’s snores when he drifted off against your shoulder in the planetarium.
But most of all, you missed Leviathan.
You missed his bright eyes and his floppy bangs and the way his entire body moved when he talked. You missed his enthusiastic rambling, passion seeping from every pore as he explained what new game, or anime, or manga had caught his attention. You missed the low curses he’d hiss when his raid teammates left him out to dry on an infamously difficult dungeon.
You missed his flustered blush. His long fingers and slender hands. His skin ghostly pale in the blue glow of his room.
You had made it a point to contact him on the regular. You’d frequently text about various game updates and the weekly episodes of human world manga, but it rarely extended beyond that. However, after a particularly soul-sucking day at work, you decided you needed more. Starfishing across your bed, you anxiously listened to your D.D.D. connecting to a call, desperate to hear the voice from the other end.
“H-hello?”
You couldn’t remember the last time you had smiled so wide. “Leviathan!”
“H-huh?” His voice poked at your eardrum, a bit too loudly, like he had shouted into the receiver. There was a scuffle, a thud, and the way Levi swore in the background had you positive he had dropped his D.D.D. You waited a moment for him to return with a meek, “W-why are you calling me? Don’t you have better things to do than talk to a good-for-nothing, yucky otaku who—”
"I need a distraction,” you sighed, putting the call on speaker and placing your D.D.D. next to your head. You made yourself comfortable on your bed, suggesting, “Tell me about Devildew Chasm?”
“You want me to just talk to you about Devildew Chasm?” He sounded surprised, “Um, I mean, you’ve watched me play it.”
“Yeah.” A wistful smile pulled your lips. “It was one of the first times we really hung out together.”
“You were hiding from dish duty.”
“And you were trying to make it to the bottom of the mines.”
There was a soft chuckle on his end, one that sent your heart into your throat. You had to swallow it back down to push, “So what’s your goal in the game right now?”
He hummed, clicked his tongue like he was thinking too hard about a simple answer. “Well, I took a break for a bit—lots of anime to watch, lots of games to play—but I actually have been playing recently. How’d you know?”
“Just a good guess.” You shrugged, though you knew he couldn’t see.
“It’s like how Henry just knows when The Lord of Shadow needs help.”
“Exactly.”
Clearing his throat, he spoke with new confidence, and you recognized the intonation in his words to mean he was about to Ramble™, much to your delight. “Okay, so Devildew Chasm. I'm in year two now, and I’ve decided that it’s time for my farmer to settle down. I've been trying to romance Amelia, the shopkeeper’s daughter.”
You laughed, “You can romance NPCs? That’s so cute!”
“Yeah, you just gotta raise your friendship level high enough to give them a devil rose bouquet, to express romantic interest!” You heard the squeak of his desk chair and pictured him leaning back, speaking with his hands, that infectious light in his eyes. “You see, you can increase your friendship level by talking to the character daily, and you can gift them two presents a week. If you gift them something they really like, then you’ll get more points towards leveling up your friendship! And then, once you’ve got a certain number of hearts with a character, you get to experience little cut scenes that help flesh out the character and show them getting closer to you! So there’s, like, two-heart events, and then four-heart events, and then once you get to ten-hearts, it’s a romantic confession! It’s not too difficult to get to ten hearts, as long as you can consistently gift items the character loves!”
Your heart had skipped a beat the moment he had said “gift them two presents a week.” You could barely contain the amusement in your voice as you breathed, “...Levi.”
“Y-yeah?”
“Have you been trying to raise our friendship level a la Devildew Chasm?”
“EEK!” He yelped, and you had the vivid mental image of a guilty puppy with its tail between its legs. Holding your breath, you waited one, two, three seconds before he whispered, “...Er, maybe? Pleasedon’tbemad!”
Your smile was making your cheeks hurt. With a breezy laugh, you soothed, “I’m not mad! I actually think... You know, it was pretty smart. How many hearts do you think we’re at about now?”
“Um...” Exhaling slowly, Levi guessed, “Uh, maybe 8 hearts?”
You nodded. “Yeah. 8 seems right. Chasing you and Mammon through the Devildom felt like an appropriate heart event. It was a side of you I don’t often get to see.”
He made a noise that sounded like a snort crossed with a whine. It was quiet for a moment, and when he spoke, there was a vulnerability in his voice that you hadn’t expected. “Hey. You’re my Henry, you know. You’re my one true friend.”
“Yeah, I know,” you sang softly, despite the chasm opening in your chest.
You weren’t sure what it was, if it was the rain or the nostalgic scent in the air. If it was the tendrils of water racing down the foggy window pane, or if it was the damp ends of your hair. Regardless, you had failed to beat the storm to your apartment, had drenched your coat and flooded your shoes, and as you locked the door behind you, a sob erupted from your throat.
You sank down to the floor, ignoring the drops of water running slick from your jacket. Knocking the back of your head against the door, you cried, the sound so loud despite the storm rattling your windows.
It was so strange how the heavens could lament so loudly, yet dampen the noise of all around you. It was almost like being underwater, your life muffled by the pitter patter against the glass.
It’s quieter underwater.
Before you even considered changing into warm, dry clothes, before you even thought to put on the kettle for a soothing cup of tea, you clutched your D.D.D., frantically typing out a message. It was all too much, this boring life, and you had reached a breaking point.
4:56pm – Human
Hey
How do I summon a demon who I have a pact with?
4:57pm - The Witty Solcerer
That’s a bit advanced, isn’t it?
4:58pm – Human
Did that stop YOU?
5:00pm – The Witty Solcerer
...
Typically, you’d need a special item gifted from the demon for the intent of summoning.
But you can do it the old school way if you so desire.
Here, let me snap a photo from one of my books.
5:00pm – Human
Huh? How did you know I wanted to summon Levi?
5:00pm – The Witty Solcerer
5:01pm – Human
And HOLD ON!
Why do you know the summoning circle for him anyway?
5:01pm – The Witty Solcerer
Good luck!
5:02pm – Human
HEY! No! You get back here!
I need more info than that!
Solomon!
Sol?
C’mon. Please?
The next hour consisted of Solomon teleporting directly into your apartment, just to insist that you went to clean yourself up while he gathered all he needed for the summoning circle. Though you could do without his tone-deaf whistling as he set about preparing your kitchen floor with chalk, you were simply operating on autopilot, hoping that this would work, that you would see Levi again.
When Solomon explained the ritual in depth, emphasizing three whole times that this would have quite the physical toll on your strength, you promised him that you had made up your mind, that you had something to say and that you wouldn’t rest until you could say it. He seemed to like that answer, leaving you with a cheeky grin that you wished to punch from his face, and you decided then that you would have to buy Solomon an extra special thank you card. The moment the door of your apartment clicked shut, you were on your knees, channeling all your magic into the center of the circle and reciting the incantation as he had instructed.
It felt as though you were caught in the middle of an earthquake, the floor trembling as thick plumes of orange smoke seeped from the chalk lines on the kitchen tile. Your arms felt like they were about to be ripped from their sockets, the power surging from your fingertips nearly too intense to control. You coughed when you accidentally breathed the tainted air into your lungs, brushed tears from your eyes as you willed this to work.
It had to work.
“H-huh?!” And then, you heard his voice, felt his hands grip your shoulders. “Henry? Are you okay? Are you hurt?!”
Slumping forward into his chest, you breathed in the scent of the sea (and the acrid smoke filtering through your apartment). In a near delirious state, the magic having zapped most of your strength, you managed to slur a simple, “What? I’m fine.”
Though your vision blurred, you caught sight of those brilliant amber eyes, crackling with purple veins like lightning as he stressed, “But you summoned me? Oh no, something really bad is happening, isn’t it? Why would you summon me? I’m just a worthless otaku! I'm no help at—”
You summoned enough strength to press your index finger to his lips. “Levi,” you insisted, a tired laugh wheezing from your lopsided smile. “I wanted to see you.”
“You... you did?” He stiffened, his hands lifting from your shoulders like he wasn’t entirely sure what to do with them.
“Yeah, I just...” Sniffling into his jacket, you tucked your head against his shoulder, and it all came out, “My day sucked and I miss you so much and I got caught in the rain and I just... Really needed to see you.”
“Oh. Um, okay.” And gently, carefully, he wrapped his arms around you. You heard a nervous trill in the back of his throat, followed by a soft chuckle, “Thank you?”
You stayed like that for a while. The two of you in the middle of the summoning circle, the haze of orange diffusing in your clothing, in your hair, and you didn’t care for all that mattered was the beat of Leviathan’s heart in his chest. It pattered in time with yours, speeding up when you squeezed him around the middle and his breath hitched. When you shifted, he moved with you, cradling your tired body against his as he lifted you from the ground, made his way into your living room, placed you upon the couch.
You protested when he pulled away, when he sat cross-legged in front of the cushion where your face rested. Worry creased his brow, fear flickering like a live wire in his eyes, and he fretted, “What’s going on? Are you feeling ill?”
“No,” You exhaled, and as if your body knew you were telling the truth, you felt your strength returning to you, ebbing like ocean waves over your feet. “I’m just... Not having a great time in the human world.”
“Oh.”
When he didn’t look the slightest bit reassured, you tried, “Solomon told me the summoning would hit a sorcerer of my skill like a bag of bricks. But I’m okay. You're here and... and we can watch anime together, or you can tell me all about the latest game you got!”
Levi’s bottom lip quivered, his eyes welling with moisture as he squirmed in front of you, as he choked on his words and settled for a strangled squeak, butting his head against you. You took a moment to brush the soft strands of indigo hair from where it hung in his shut eyes before sitting upright, moving his head to your lap.
You spoke softly as he clung to your legs, as he laid his head on your thighs despite the splash of red tinting his face. “I think this is our ten heart event.”
“What?! Why?” That had him rocketing up from where he sat, looming over you with shock in the slack o of his mouth as he protested, “The last event was so much more interesti—”
“I love you.” You cut him off.
He startled, “Wh-what?”
“I love you,” you repeated, meeting his gaze with a confidence you hadn’t known you’d be able to muster. You opened your hands, palms to the sky, and held them between the two of you. An open gesture. “And I don’t need our ten heart event to be anything extravagant. I just need you.”
“M-me?” His face burned impossibly brighter. Fingers shaking, he began to reach for your hands, just to pause. “Are you... are you sure? Are you feeling okay? Are you running a fever?”
“Levi.” You beamed at him, an effortless smile fished directly from your swollen heart.
He curled one hand into your open palm, the other lifting to hide his face, to scrub a tear away from his averted eyes. “You... really mean it?”
“With my whole heart.” It was the easiest truth you’d ever spoken.
And as he wiped at his eyes, at his nose, as his knuckles trembled in your grasp, he met your gaze. “I... love you too.”
With all your strength, you tugged him down onto the couch with you, laughing as he panicked, caught in your lap and unsure of where to look, where to put his legs, where to touch. With an overwhelmed whine, he settled for draping himself over you, his nose to the warm pulse in your neck and his arms circling around your middle.
“Hey,” He spoke against your throat, soft and timid, “What was your favorite gift?”
You laughed, “You.”
“That’s...” His frame tightened and you felt the scrape of teeth on your skin. “That’s lame!”
“Okay fine.” As you rescinded, you ran a hand down his spine, reveling in the way he melted into your touch. “The Cloudhopper dance.”
He groaned and as he nuzzled below your jaw, you swore you had never been happier.