When Barbatos Closes One Door-

Part 1

Two men crash into each other in a closed bar. The bartender looks surprised as the taller man backs into a table. The other fell to the ground with a resounding thud.

"Jesus, where did you come from?" Barbatos said with the usual softness found in his voice, fled.

Mammon got up, backing towards the door. "Well, this is a conversation I'd rather not have. Goodbye!"

Mammon took another step towards the door, and found it shut tightly by the taller man's hand. The quick move made him flinch, falling back into the door.

The confusion he felt as Barbatos had changed completely left him slightly dizzy as he tried to change his perception so quickly.

Barbatos stood in front of him, sizing him up. If there was one thing Mammon did know, it was where he was in the pecking order. He could not take barbatos in a fight.

What was there to do? Mammon couldn't really run and they did not want to get beat up today.

"Look! I'm sorry for stealing the rings!" Mammon said, emptying his pockets onto the floor. The beautiful decadent rings fell to the floor with soft chimes as they hit each other. Barbatos looked down at the rings and back up at Mammon, who'd surrendered their loot.

Barbatos knelt down, looking at the glittering rings. A moment passed. And then a couple moments passed. Mammon took this opportunity to move back, and hopefully gain some information. Barbatos was acting so strangely, he's usually so thoughtful while he pretty much ignored Mammon.

Not that Mammon blamed him, the rings were some of the nicest things in the whole castle. It took months of planning just to get this rings. Mammon wanted to cry, he wasn't ever going to get past Barbatos. He just always knows his every move.

While Mammon sat at the bar with his head down, pouting, barbatos put grimm down for 2 drinks.

"What would you like?" Barbatos said,  tapping Mammons back. Eventually flicking his head.

"It's bad enough I failed this hard don't rub it in Barbatos." Mammon said, digging his head in his arms.

"I'll get you demonus." He pushed the coins toward the bartender.

The bartender sighs. "So you don't pay your tab and expect me to serve you drinks for your friend here."

"Yes, my tab can't be that much it's only a few months now right?" Barbatos says, further perplexing Mammon who could feel the brainpower draining out of him. He couldn't even remember the year that dd demon war ended. How was he supposed to internalize this?

"Who are you, and how did you know my name?" Barbatos said, and went completely silent. There wasn't much way to get around the question anymore.

"Mammon, I walked through one of your doors." He said, kind of frustrated. "Your kind of famous from where I was."

Barbatos started smirking in a self-fulfilled way while Mammon described his future to him. His pride started overflowing, and Mammon had to take frequent pauses, Barbatos was completely different.

"I guess I do secretly want a stable job, isn't that surprising Il?" The barkeep looked barbatos up and down, his face showing sarcasm.

"No. Kids like you land on your feet long as you don't go too far."

Barbatos scoffed. Obvious that he wanted to be perceived as tough.

"How old are you now?" Mammon asked, it was the only good question for him to ask.

"2214" Barbatos replied.

"2132" Mammon said, echoing.

Mammon leaned back. This knowledge calmed him somewhat.

"So in this future, am I single?" Barbatos asks, curious. Mammon realizes Barbatos should know this since he sees the future.

"Why can't you see the future? In this future you had knowledge of all timelines." Mammon looked at him, eyes slim as he felt embarrassment rise. He was being played a fool again.

"Only up to 20 minutes." Barbatos says "It's killer in a fight though."

Mammon wasn't exactly at ease with the information, but never planned to fight barbatos, so he starting drinking. Mammon wasn't a bad drinker, he could usually last about 6 glasses before getting drunk. One wouldn't hurt.

Barbatos laughed, staring at Mammon.

"So... are you single in the future?" Barbatos says, leaning into Mammon. Mammon flinched again, Barbatos moved the glass back to the edge of the bar. "Another round, after all we deserve it"

Barbatos twisted Mammons hair, and finally backing up. Mammon fell back into his hands. Barbatos exhaled triumphantly. "You fucking dick, I just got here" Mammon dropped his head back onto the bar, falling into the fibrous wood.

Barbatos lifted his head and put his hand under it. "I don't want to know what's on that counter." The heavy silence that fell on them as Mammons hair slowly fell down to the bar. As it fell it started to irritate Barbatos's wrist, when it twitched Mammon sat back up. Barbatos did not like the nervous body language Mammon kept spewing. It annoyed him that future him fucked this up so bad for him.

Barbatos slipped a pouch of coins to Mammon, tilting his head at the ceiling, internally cursing. "Finders fee, I'm not a scumbag"

"You need a place to stay right? You can crash at my place tonight." Barbatos said, extremely frustrated at whatever reputation he'd built up.

"Yeah, better than sleeping on the street." Mammon got up and walked to the front door, softly laughed, and opened it. He searched through his pockets, and inhaled the cool night air.

Mammon looked straight up at the sky, took a coin, and threw it as far as he could.

"Fuck"