That Awkward Moment When...

Ch. 6-Fear and Loathing in the Devildom

It was Friday...or at least Aerith thought it was. She still felt the pillow she'd had on her face,as she flung the pillow off to the floor.
   Her head was pounding,and her eyes hurt. She rubbed  her hands over her face,as she groaned. She felt like she had a hangover from hell.

    Trying to still decide whether to get up or not,she shut her eyes again.
When she did,hazy fragments of her dream from the night before appeared.

  The phantom contact of flesh on flesh,lips meting in unyielding pressure.  A tear slipped down her cheek.
How long had it been since since she experienced physical contact? Had someone show her affection? Always feeling like the affection was an obligation they gave to her rather than of their own free will.
An obligation with ulterior motives.
   Aerith breathed a heavy sigh, as her mind answered her question.  13 years...it's been 13 years,she's been deprived,and longer still since anyone had laid their lips upon her.

   She laid there for awhile longer,letting her tears of disappointment fall. There's no way,Beelzebub shared the same same feelings she had for him. He was just being nice to her,because he saw her as a new friend. And,if this was just like her experiences in the human world,that's all he would ever see her as. They never saught anything more with her,unless they just wanted to blow off some steam with meaningless sex or have her be their rebound bitch.

     With an unmotivated sigh,Aerith decided she she needed to put on her "big girl boots",and start her day.
After she showered,she threw her hair into a bandanna, put on her In this Moment High Priestess t-shirts,and ripped jeans.
As she shut her bedroom door behind her,and turned around, she ran into a brick wall. The wall was Lucifer.

  Aerith backed up and readjusted her glasses,as she viewed Lucifer's imposing form. His perfectly coiffed hair, uniform pressed and starched,and his jacket hanging regally from his shoulders. His arms were folded across his broad chest in a relaxed form,and a slight smile was on his face,as he looked down at Aerith.

     " H...hey Lucifer.  I figured you'd  all be at the academy by now. I was gonna just grab a quick bite,then start my cleaning," Aerith explained.
Still holding the same expression on his face," I'm the only other one here. But, I was just heading out myself,"he pulled a folded piece of paper from his breast pocket, and handed it to Aerith.
   She took it from his slender fingers and began to unfold it. "What's  this?,"she asked,starting to unfold the paper.
   "It's  your to-do list for the day.  You should have plenty of time to complete it."

   "Ok." Aerith started walking toward the stairs to go down.
Lucifer strode in the opposite direction, as he stopped, glancing over his shoulder.  "Oh, and Aerith...next time you decided to administer some self care. Try doing it more quietly," he smirked,as he continued on.

   She froze at the top of the stairs,her face beet red for just an instant. She balled her hands into fists,as she practically ran down the steps as she shouted,"Asshole", in Lucifer's general direction.

        ------Later in the day--------
With all cleaning done from the list,Aerith decided to check all the lights to see if they needed changed. She changed ones that needed it. And then went to her room to retrieve something.

  She flicked the light switch. Nothing. Couple more times...nothing.
"Well,shit...it was working fine this morning," she grumbled as she went to get the step ladder and a bulb.
"Being short sucks," she thought, as she got to the top most step,and changed the bulb.

    As she started her descent off the ladder,Aerith misstepped, and lost her balance.  She braced herself , reflexively shutting her eyes because she had not been able to regain her balance. Imagining a possible sprain or break, she waited.

   The fall never came. She opened her tight shut eyes to find she was in Beelzebub's arms looking into his purple eyes.
" I gotcha," he reassured her,smiling down at her.
" Thank you," she whispered.
It was as if they were entranced by one another.
"You smell good Aerith. Like pomegranate, cherries and wildflowers", he complimented in a husky tone.
Her mind was startled, and she couldn't find her voice,as those same words came back to her from the dream.

   Beel seemed as if he were closing the small gap between them,as he attempted a kiss.
Aerith readied herself,as she craned her neck up to meet Beel's lips.
Inches away,their breath on one another. So close.

   "Aerith!! I've been trying to create a particular Persona.And I want to see..." Levi trailed off,as he had looked in the doorway and saw what was going on. Or not going on.

They both had laid their eyes on the Otaku 3rd born,as Beel set Aerith gently upright on the floor.
A purely irritated looked appeared in Beel's eyes,as he stared at his older sibling. 
One would have thought Levi had one of Beel's custards,with the way he was throwing daggers at Levi.
   "Epic fail...I...I'll just ask you later,"as he scurried back to his gaming.

   Beel looked back over at Aerith, smiling shyly.

As an awkward silence filled the space,Beel departed,saying,"I really like your shirt. I'll talk to you later."

    After dinner,Aerith sat in the parlor reading a book from the houses  library. She looked up from her reading,as Satan took a seat near her on the couch.
"What are you reading today," he asked,trying to start a conversation.
"How to Tame Monsters and Win Over Demons. It seems to be a very interesting piece of literature. "
"It is ...but some if it you shouldn't take as mere fantasy and make believe",Satan cautioned her.
"I'll keep that mind. Thanks," she replied, as she started to read again.

He sighed,snatching the book from Aerith,laying it on an end table next to him. "Why'd you do that?," Aerith asked frustrated.
"Oh, I don't know...why do you insist on wearing blinders to what's going on around you? Or have you always been like that?"

" I don't know what you mean," Aerith said defensively.
"I know you know what I'm talking about. Your so oblivious ..."
She cut Satan off,"Better to not know,or expect what you want.Only to have it turn out the opposite way,and you have to sit there with the rejection, " Aerith,wiped at her eyes to stop the tears that wanted to escape.

    Satan was taken aback, as she continued. "When,you've put all your feelings into that one sliver of hope that someone could ever love you time and time again,only to find out they never have and never will see you like that you give up,because you feel like it'll eventually cause you to die of a broken heart if you keep it up."
   
   "I thought that was just a part of the human experience," he unquestioningly mused.

"Yeah well, the whole human experience can kiss my fat ass. I'd rather not be able to feel anything at all, " she spat cynically, as she got up and left the room.

   "It won't be like that forever," he whispered, as looked at book on the end table.