Morning light filtered into the bedroom, reflecting the dust in the air. It frittered about lightly, shimmering like glitter. The demon’s eyes cracked open, his body curled up on its side. Belphegor squinted in the light, a hand groggily lifting itself from the warmth of the sheets to rub the sleep from one of his eyes. His guess was that it was seven in the morning.
It had been a rough couple of weeks. His body was sore and ached from the beatings he suffered through, while his mind was polluted with heinous memories of painful words being thrown about as if they were confetti at a birthday party. Beelzebub was calling him off the hook. Sometimes, Belphegor would be able to ignore it. But then there were those rare times when he would heave a heavy sigh and lift the buzzing device to his ear. He would answer with a soft; “Hello?” Then, Beelzebub would apologize profusely, saying how much he loved Belphegor, needed him and craved him. He would speak in such a sickeningly sweet tone, use such loving words and present kind promises… But when Belphegor would go and visit him to have that ‘face to face conversation’ that they so desperately needed, Beelzebub would show his true motives and lash out at his ‘precious husband’ with all of his strength. It was a tiring, vicious, painful roller coaster. Belphegor was getting sicker and sicker as the days dragged on.
Belphegor was about to sit up when he felt an arm around his bruised torso tighten. He blinked, blue eyes wide with momentary fear, before he realized who it was. Immediately, his muscles relaxed and he exhaled a lungful of air.
“Jacob,” he breathed, his voice so quiet he wasn’t sure he even heard himself. The name rolled so easily off his tongue, leaving a sweet taste in his mouth and a fluttering feeling in his chest. Jacob. Ah, yes, that was right. He was in Jacob’s arms, in Jacob’s bed, in Jacob’s room. When the realization hit, everything hit. The man’s scent intoxicated Belphegor to the core, a dull fuzzy feeling washing over his body. Jacob’s breaths could be felt on Belphegor’s skin. His clock was ticking soundly, reassuring the demon that Jacob was, in fact, alive and right beside him.
Belphegor looked over his shoulder. The man’s face was buried into the small crook between Belphegor’s neck and shoulder, just above the collar bone. His breathing was soft, slow, and even. Undertaker was still sound asleep, his squeezing of Belphegor’s torso having been completely subconscious. In a way, that left a slight rock in Belphegor’s stomach. He wasn’t conscious yet, so Belphegor couldn’t kiss him without waking him. Undertaker didn’t sleep much. So whatever sleep he got, Belphegor preferred he could have the maximum amount.
The demon turned back forward. He laid completely still, left with just his thoughts. He stayed paralyzed for about 15 or 20 minutes, simply letting his thoughts and feelings writhe about one another until they were both beaten so badly that there was no new perspective that he could approach the two with. That included both positive and negative. It was such a complex string of thoughts. He’d think to Beelzebub and the loving times they spent. All the kisses, the killings, the laughs, the promises… All of it was crumbling before his eyes. Beelzebub was crumbling. He could see the man of his previous obsession beginning to crack - to slip into someone he said he would never be. Violent, malevolent, disgruntled, selfish, dangerous… In a way, Belphegor felt like he was watching Beelzebub turn into his father. The ‘Lord of the Flies’, known to be one of the most vicious demons known to man. (Second only to Satan himself, of course.) And Belphegor wondered… Where would that leave him? Belphegor wasn’t turning out like his own father. His father was a fat, hairy-looking creature that sat on a toilet and was probably one of the laziest men he’d ever met. Tempting poor mortals with promises of riches and then dragging them to Hell was a hobby. Belphegor was nothing like that. Seemed as though the only thing they did have in common was the fact they found mortals attractive.
Speaking of mortals, that lead Belphegor to his more positive string of thoughts. He thought of Jacob. Belphegor… Really, really liked Jacob. Jacob made him feel like a king. He would buy Belphegor whatever he wanted. He gave him the utmost attention he craved and was focused solely on him for the past couple of days. Jacob belonged to him and him only - something he never had with Beelzebub. Belphegor always had to share Beelzebub. Sharing was not something Belphegor enjoyed doing. So, to have Jacob invest so much time and so much attention solely on the two of them, it made Belphegor giddy. Finally, something was his and his entirely. Call him a fool, but he felt like a lovesick puppy. Jacob would allow Belphegor to dominate him entirely; ravage him, destroy him, tear him up, claim him… Oh, it sent chills down Belphegor’s spine just thinking about it. Undertaker was his. Belphegor was Undertaker’s. Just thinking about the two thoughts were enough to make Belphegor let out a soft whine of delight.
Eventually, Belphegor tired of thinking. So, he slid out from underneath the sheets and Undertaker’s loving embrace. The demon grabbed the sheets and draped them over Undertaker’s sleeping frame before he grabbed the white button-down shirt Jacob had worn yesterday before it had been so eagerly torn off. Belphegor slipped into the large fabric. It hung down a few inches above his knees, to his delight. He buttoned up the shirt and pulled the sleeves down enough to cover his hands. He left the room after giving Undertaker's pet mutant, Delilah, a good morning kiss.
He went about his morning routine. It took about an hour. He padded silently around the house, simply listening. He had found Sher-sha and Akhenaton curled up in their places on the couch. Sher-sha had stirred awake and stared for a moment at Belphegor who had taken the initiative to clean up the living room (Todo had ruined it with his Yahtzee obsession; Sher-sha chewing up one of Penelope’s toys didn’t exactly help either). The hyena watched the demon move with silent grace, collecting the mediocre remains of the stuffed rabbit before he realized he had an audience.
“Go back to sleep, Sherri,” Belphegor said quietly, his voice soft and gentle. Definitely not a tone the canine was used to hearing. At least, not coming from the prince.
Sher-sha smirked. “How can I, with a cute blond like you wandering around?”
“Speak again - I’ll have Undertaker on you faster than your silly African cheetahs.”
The hyena’s smirk turned into a smile before he plopped his head back down onto his brother’s back. He fell back into his slumber almost immediately. The demon grumbled something to himself before finishing up the living room and walking out. He dumped the rabbit’s remains into the trash before he walked into the kitchen and decided he deserved some coffee.
He brewed a pot silently and poured himself a cup. Already he was tired and he hadn’t even been awake two hours. Guess that’s what happens when you go through unhealthy relationships.
Belphegor was about to take a sip of the blackened liquid before he felt arms wrapping themselves around his smaller frame. His eyes widened and he slammed the cup down. “Sher-sha I swear to-”
“Calm down, boy.”
The familiar accent filled his ears and he immediately relaxed. Shaking hands gripped onto the cup and lifted it again, head tilting up. Undertaker flashed him a loving smile before he kissed his forehead.
“Jakey…” the demon breathed, eyes softening. “Why’re you up?”
“You left my side.”
“So?”
The man simply smiled, taking Belphegor’s mug and sipping some of his coffee. The demon watched him, taking the cup back and taking his own sip. He waited patiently for an answer, but it didn’t seem Undertaker was going to give him one.
Belphegor compressed his lips and he leaned back into Undertaker’s chest. It was amazing, really… The demon always thought those sayings and lyrics in songs about how another person’s arms becoming your home were outrageously ridiculous. But now, it all made sense. Being in Undertaker’s arms and against his chest could easily be the place Belphegor felt the safest.
“You should go back to bed,” the blond whispered quietly, leaning up to kiss the man’s jaw line.
“Only if you come with me,” was the immediate response, Undertaker opening up a drawer and pulling out a small bag of gummy worms.
Belphegor frowned. “You know I can’t sleep after I wake up. Especially after drinking this stuff.” He held up the coffee cup, to which Undertaker dropped a gummy worm in it. Belphegor blinked and brought it back down to stare at the black surface.
“I do,” Undertaker murmured, kissing the blond’s temple.
“So then I can’t sleep.”
“And neither can I.”
Belphegor sighed, leaning forward and setting his cup down. Undertaker smiled triumphantly, his hands sliding delicately up the fabric hardly covering up the demon. Belphegor’s stomach tensed when his mate leaned forward against him, hands ghosting over his chest and stomach while his lower torso pressed into his own.
“Come with me anyways~?” the older man purred into his ear.
The demon heaved a heavy sigh, finding himself relaxing when Undertaker rubbed his stomach. He hummed, low and soft, his eyes closing and he leaned forward onto his arms. “I’ll think about it.”
A kiss was laid to the back of his neck. “How ‘bout now?”
Belphegor couldn’t help but smile. “Let me meet you up there, okay? I’m going to clean the kitchen up a bit for Pop. I’m feeling in a really… Nice mood.”
Undertaker hummed and pulled him close for a minute, giving him a hug. He kissed the blond’s temple and pulled away, grabbing his bag of gummy worms and leaving. Belphegor waited a minute to open his eyes. When he did, he was staring at the granite counter tops, his head a mess of emotions. His chest was threatening to burst. His mind swam. His toes curled themselves and he drew in a shaky breath.
Belphegor pushed his coffee cup away. Undertaker drove him mad. Complete and utterly mad. He needed the man, but not… Not in one specific way. No. He wanted Undertaker - Jacob. He wanted Jacob for all that he was and all that he was soon going to become. He wanted every flaw of Jacob’s, every unique quality. Every laugh he wanted to be because of him. Every tear he wanted to be the cause of. He wanted to make Undertaker his and his only.
The demon stepped away from the counter and quickly headed off the way to Undertaker’s bedroom. The door was left open a crack, Undertaker having left it open just for him. Belphegor slid inside and closed the door softly behind him before he bolted for the bed and the occupant in it.
Undertaker’s arms slid around him and brought him down into a loving embrace. He hummed in delight, pulling Belphegor’s smaller frame close and kissing his head. “There you are.”
The demon smiled weakly, clinging to the man’s neck and burying his face into the crook that lay there. His scent filled his senses, numbing him almost instantly. He gently dragged his nails down his chest, legs wrapping around his lower torso. He took a deep breath.
“Jakey?” he asked shakily.
“Mmm?”
I love you.
“I-I… Never mind.”