Chapter Text
Loneliness attracts loneliness, or so you found out. Asmodeus’ charming nature and need to be in everyone’s lives was too much for you, as was Beel’s hungry personality. Lucifer and Satan scared you, although you knew they weren’t bad people; you just had an insane amount of respect for both of their beings and it’s hard to fully relax, especially if both of them are in the same room. Mammon was nice but he was loud and obnoxious, too. Belphegor wants nothing to do with the world which you completely understood but due to that, having more than an hour conversation with him was also close to impossible. Leviathan would be your next go to but he always gets caught up in his own world and becomes so hyper-active every time he sits in front of his screen for too long.
They were your friends, yes, but you weren’t truly close to any of the brothers. Instead, you found that loneliness attracts loneliness, and you found yourself in the Demon Lord’s castle on more than one occasion. Diavolo, even with everything that he has, which certainly isn’t anything you have, is still the only one who you feel understands you. He’s never too pushy with you, although he does like to have fun, and that’s okay. The demon is quite the character, if you’re being honest. Half of you sees a party animal; someone who goes out and gets wasted and has fun with hundreds of people because he has no issues making those connections. The other half of you sees that he’s truly just lonely, like you. He doesn’t know who to trust and he doesn’t trust easily. He likes to keep to himself and dreams of the days where he could just lock himself up in one of the castle’s many towers and just paint or stare at the Devildom sky.
Diavolo is someone who can play whatever part people want, or need, him to play, but you know better than to believe most of it. At the end of the day, he’s just a child in a man’s body, begging for attention, love, and security. There’s nothing wrong with that. You became friends with this man-child and you pride yourself in being so close to him now. Not many get the chance of ever being near the future King, let alone hold more than a few business-like conversations with him. But you… you were something else and Diavolo, although he has yet to admit it out loud to you, or anyone else for that matter, knows just how special you truly are. Hell, he’s making it quite obvious in his own demonic ways.
You caught his eye the minute you approached him so fearlessly. There was no sign of respect in you, or at least not the kind that he’s used to. You weren’t rude, not by any means, but you weren’t covering in fear and bending every which way to please him, either, and that was such a refresher to him. Sure, it’s probably because you never thought you’d meet the literal Devil until that day, but even if you did somehow think you’d meet the Devil someday, something tells him that wouldn’t necessarily have changed your approach to him.
And then you’re so open, too! You’re fun and compassionate and you don’t see him as another royal with money and status. You listen to him and you comfort him even if you’re unaware of that. He can’t even begin to put into words how much he appreciates that. It’s like he can finally breathe! So many people want him for his money, or the status, or the fame. He never understood why, but of course he was born into this life and he doesn’t know it any other way. Maybe from the outside it truly is something everybody wants, but from the inside? He begs to differ. It’s not all about sunshine and rainbows, gold and fancy items. It’s tough being him and dealing with all the things he deals with. No one knows that. No one sees the weight on his shoulders and sleepless nights filled with calls and paperwork and trying to keep a whole Kingdom intact. No one except Barbatos and Lucifer.
And you. He’s opened up to you quite a lot because he deems you trustworthy. Of course, there’s still things he keeps to himself; things he could never openly talk about, and things that he isn’t quite sure how to tell you yet. These feelings are getting overwhelming, though, and every fiber in his demonic being is trying to get him to claim you, to mark you as his, to take you. It’d be so easy, too. You’re just a tiny human compared to him and he could easily tower above you, both figuratively and literally, especially in his truest form, but he would never put that on you. He’d never force you or put you in a position where it was anything but your choice . Your own honest desire.
And yet, in those moments where his hands linger on yours just a little too long, or where his nose gets buried deep into your hair to try and commit your scent to memory as if his life depended on it, or when he lets out a growl that seems a little too deep to be considered natural by both human and demon standards; when he gets possessive of you, of the thought of you getting so close and open and knowing someone else as deeply as you know him… in those moments, he can feel his demonic side take over and try to just claim you. Right now he can still hold back and oh he’s been trying. He’s been trying so hard. But it’s difficult to go against one’s natural instincts while also remaining sane.
You had started to notice, too. The small phrases of, “Diavolo what are you doing?” followed by your sweet, confused laughter every time he does something that seems a little too abnormal for him or anyone else keeps reminding him that he’s never as subtle as he thinks.
“You just smell really good today, (Y/N).”
Or
“I don’t think those demons had good intentions when they looked at you.”
Or
“Oh, my apologies dear. I hadn’t noticed how long I was holding on, haha. I guess I needed that today.”
Those types of excuses only get him so far and he’s slowly running out of them. No. Actually, he has run out of them. A small part of him views you asking him why he tends to do things as rejection, too, although realistically speaking there’s no reason why you should reject him. You guys have great chemistry, he’s able to provide for and protect you, has a damn castle to woo you, and a great sense of humor! Why wouldn’t you accept him as your mate?! You’d be crazy not to! Or that’s at least what he keeps telling himself to calm his own nerves.
Of course you had feelings for him, too, or you wouldn’t try to be around him every chance you got. You’re sure that Barbatos is beginning to get tired of always seeing you at the castle’s doorsteps, but what can you say? The man of your dreams is right inside and there’s nothing keeping you out! At least nothing has tried to keep you out up until now. But he was beginning to act weird and you weren’t dumb. You knew it was more than the excuses he gave you. There’s always more than the excuse anyone gives, but you didn’t want to push it. Maybe it was personal and he wasn’t ready to tell you yet.
That doesn’t mean you’re not curious, though.
“Lucifer?” Of course the only other person that would know what was going on would be his best friend; Lucifer. Barbatos probably knew too but Barbatos is a little snitch and the minute you would ask him, he would already be off to tell his Lord about it and you didn’t need that. You admired the guy’s loyalty to Diavolo but wow you hated his big mouth.
“Come in.” You always dreaded hearing those words. Lucifer wasn’t exactly mean toward you or anything, but he was still Lucifer and thus, very intimating. Lucky for you, you avoided any and all things that would get you on Lucifer’s bad side, at least permanently. His room always reminded you on a mixture of Fifty Shades of Grey and a early 2000s movie about a medieval King that never quite got the memo that torture times were over now. Still, you had to admit the man had style. “Sit.” His words were sharp, quick to the point as always and before you could look around his room any further, you did as he said.
“Sorry to interrupt, I just have questions that keep nagging at me and you’re the only person I believe could answer them.” Quick to the point. That’s what Lucifer wants. At least, that’s what Lucifer wants with most people. You’re sure he actually doesn’t mind beating around the bush with someone he fancies. As a matter of fact, something tells you he quite enjoys a little game of cat and mouse, and making his partner feel especially nervous.
“Oh? Should I feel honored at that?” But you’re not his partner and his attitude can get quite on your nerves. You groaned and leaned back in the chair you sat yourself in, looking back at him and watching as he did the same, putting his pen down and leaning back in his chair. “What is it? It does seem to bother you considering you’re tapping your fingers and looking at me like I’m some type of quantum physic equation.” He’s so observant.
“I just… I’m confused I guess. It’s about Diavolo.” Lucifer’s eyes immediately hardened, although you weren’t quite sure if that is because you failed to put a ‘Lord’ in front of Diavolo’s name or because it’s about Diavolo himself. Lucifer was so hard to read sometimes.
“What about him?” Hm… definitely the latter. You looked at Lucifer again as if he was, like he put it, some type of quantum physics equation, trying to figure out how you should exactly word this. How do you word something that you don’t even understand?
“Well, nothing is wrong with him, per se, he’s just been acting weird? Strange?” You could tell that that meant absolutely nothing to Lucifer because Diavolo is widely known as ‘strange’ especially to demons so it’s no wonder that Lucifer is raising an eyebrow and begging you to continue.
“It’s like… like for example! The other day, he took me out to eat. Nothing special, just some lunch although Barbatos begged us to just stay at the castle and eat something healthy, but I was craving burgers and Diavolo immediately jumped up to go and get burgers, Oh…! That’s another thing! He would do literally anything for me and I appreciate that but it’s like this… this impulse it almost feels like. Like, if he didn’t do it right then and there to make me happy, he’d die or something!”
Realizing you had gone off topic, you quickly shook your head and continued, “nevermind, sorry. Anyway, we went to get burgers and as we were walking around eating them and talking, he would just look around him, almost nervously, and just growl. He’d move closer too and at some point I just took his hand because I thought he wanted to hold hands or just needed someone close? But I don’t think it did anything because his hand just clasped around mine and wouldn’t let go until we got back to the castle. He seemed really on edge the whole way there and… I mean I could just be imagining things.”
You took a deep breath and continued, “and then another time, at that one party a few weeks ago, you remember? I was with him and he was talking to these demons… I don’t even remember their names to be honest but I’m sure they were important. He was talking to them and his grip on my back was so tight… like a death grip, Lucifer. And then, once they left, he just turned and put his nose in my hair, just inhaling. This low rumbling came from his throat but I honestly thought it was his stomach at first. I thought he was hungry.” You looked at Lucifer, trying to figure out if he was even following, but the demon in front of you seems lost in thought. “Lucifer?”
“You’re wanting to ask what all of this means?” You nodded at him and watched him sink further into his seat with a sigh. He was obviously debating on how he should even touch the subject but ultimately decides to lean back forward, his hands clasped together with his arms resting on his desk. “Listen to me. After I tell you what this means, I need you to answer a question for me and I need you to answer it honestly. Understood?” You nodded at him, leaning forward too in hopes of finally figuring out what all this weird behavior is likely the meaning of.
“Demons are complex creatures, (Y/N), surely you know that. Our instincts are different from your human ones and some might say they’re even animalistic. I’m sure you’ve seen the stereotypical growling demon in what you humans call ‘horror’ movies. However, demons don’t just growl to make their presence known or invoke fear, although that is its main purpose. They also growl to protect and claim. Essentially what Lord Diavolo is doing is trying to claim you, presumably as his own. Call it choosing a partner, mating, claiming… whatever you want. By keeping his grip on you, his scent on you, and snarling at other demons, as silly as it might seem to you humans, he’s telling them to back off and that you’re his. As for the smelling thing… When demons find mates, they tend to bring a sort of… comfort. Smelling you, inhaling your scent, and keeping you close to him is just a reminder that you’re there and you’re his and no one else's, although that’s not entirely true… Things can run several different ways from here on out, (Y/N)... if he’s really interested in you then he’ll only get more protective and possessive of you, but if you’re not interested in him...”
His eyes are scanning yours now, digging into your soul both because he swore eternal loyalty and protection to Diavolo and because he genuinely cares about the guy, “this is where my question comes in, (Y/N). Do you hold the same affection toward him as he does toward you?” Your mind was still racing with everything Lucifer just told you, which seemed so easy to understand but was simultaneously so hard to wrap your head around. Mating? Scenting? Claiming? Possessive? Surely this was all just a misunderstanding? The idea of being Diavolo’s and Diavolo’s alone was appealing, no doubt, but how far would he go for you? What if you said no? What if anything happened?
“I… I have feelings for him, Lucifer…. Why do you think I’m always over there? I’d like to think I know him almost as well as you do by now, maybe even better, and through everything we’ve done up until now… I couldn’t help but fall for him.” A part of you was embarrassed to admit that, although you knew Lucifer didn’t care in the long run; he was only looking out for a dear friend of his.
“Then it seems clear to me. Let him continue what he’s doing and try to show him as well.” It’s so funny how easy Lucifer was willing to be done with the topic. Of course he would be! It didn’t affect him, after all. But shouldn’t you be worried? Shouldn’t you tell him as soon as possible?
“What does it mean when he rubs his horns against my head?” That question seemed to throw Lucifer off because he abruptly looked back at you. He lets out another long sigh, presumably cursing Diavolo in his head although he can’t really blame the guy for finally wanting to mate; it’s only a natural instinct after all.
“It can mean a variety of things. It’s to rub his scent off on you mostly, but it’s also a sign of trust and affection… and it's the beginning of true mating.” He wrinkles his nose right after he says this. It feels like he’s having the birds and the bees talk with you and he really doesn’t know how to handle it, if he’s being honest. “To water it down… our horns are, for most demons, our most sensitive parts. It’s a sign of vulnerability and trust to let someone touch them, let alone rub them against that person. It’s also… a spot for pleasure for a lot of demons. I won’t tell you exactly what he’s doing but I’m sure you can piece the picture together when I say that he thinks about you quite a lot when he’s alone. Considering you’re always there, your scent is locked into the castle’s walls by now and presumably driving him insane.”
You knew what Lucifer meant and the thought of Diavolo being so weak for you, getting off to the thought of you while actively pursuing you… well, it did things to your own body as well. You nodded at Lucifer and then took a deep breath. “So… you said I should show him as well… How do I do that? You demons obviously do it a little differently than flowers and a coffee shop date.” Lucifer actually chuckled at that.
“Hm… without overwhelming both yourself and him? If you’re serious about him, I’d say stick close to him. Let him take the lead; he knows what he’s doing. Don’t push him away. Return the head rubbing but be careful… horns aren’t exactly soft and I’m sure he’s been holding back on scalping you. Wear something of his, if you wish to go that far. It leaves his scent on you and shows him that you don’t mind being covered in him, figuratively.” You nodded at Lucifer again before getting up with a sigh.
“I don’t understand most of this, Lucifer, if I’m being honest, but I do know that I really love him and if he’s, apparently, so obviously showing that he loves me, too, then I shall try to learn his language. Wish me luck.” There were so many things Lucifer could’ve said other than what he already told you, but something inside him is holding him back. You’ll figure it out.
You left Lucifer’s room after that, many thoughts just running wild in your head. You’d be lying if you said you understood any of what had just been said but you do know now that Diavolo fancies you just as much as you fancy him and that, in his own way, he’s been trying to court you this whole time. The least you can do is try and court him back through his own language.
“Tomorrow… I will start trying tomorrow.”