Belphegor x Reader: Reconciled

Chapter Four

The Avatar of Sloth

Belphegor squeezed his pillow to his stomach, the feathers contained inside pricked at his palms. It wasn't as welcoming as usual, not compared to the shoulder beneath his forehead, the softness of the arm cradling the back of his neck. The woman's heartbeat, though swift, was consistent, steady. Rhythmic. The rise and fall of her chest. A low drumming, reverberating in his ears and guiding his eyelids closed.

He had no wings. He couldn't stop his decent. There was nothing to grab, nothing around him. He shouted. His voice made no sound. He could hear his voice in his mind, pleading, calling, begging for help. Anyone. He twisted around, lashing his arms and legs wildly, making no contact. Nothingness surrounded him. Help me.

"Belphegor." A voice. Where? Where did it come from? "Belphegor," louder, nearer. A pinprick of brightness. He writhed in the emptiness, willing himself towards to sound of his name. He shouted again. His voice was so weak, a trickle in the ocean of crushing silence and solitude. Help me!

"Belphegor, wake up." A firm hand grasped his upper arm, shaking him. He sat upright, his spine a ridged bar. He was overcome by vertigo, everything was spinning. He could feel the mattress below his knees, but it was swaying, dipping. What was that dream? Where was he falling? He dragged his hands through his hair, balling his fists over his ears. "Belphie?"

He looked; the face of the human woman was creased. Her eyes were bright, glossy. Concern? She spoke, but he couldn't make out the words. The tone, though, he recognized it. The voice through the door. Offering help. Promising freedom. Consoling. Gentle and reassuring, humming through his hands and into his head. He closed his violet eyes, squeezing them shut. Warm fingers slipped through his hair and prised the strands free of his fists.

"Belphie, open your eyes." She said, the words pushing through the haze in his mind. "You were having a bad dream."

"Ye-yeah. I was." Belphegor slumped down, his body going limp. The woman drew him to her, bundling him to her side. He sunk into her. She was so different from Beel, obviously, but not in the way her body was soft where his brother's was firm, or the size difference between the mountain-like frame of the Avatar of Gluttony and the human. It was in the way she held him. Like he was made of fine china and would break if she was rough. When was the last time someone treated him so softly? "Were you watching me sleep?" He asked, to distract himself from the writhing serpent in his stomach, coiling and uncoiling with each breath.

"I didn't have much else to do," she said, "I can't get a D.D.D. signal in here."

"Hm," Belphegor nodded in reply.

"Tell me about your dream."

"Why? Are you trying to get on my good side?" He said, forcing a barking laugh.

"Don't try and doge my question with your sarcasm, Belphie. Tell me." She said. She brushed his hair from his face, peered at him with soft eyes. He met her gaze, the snake in his belly slowed its undulations. She canted her head at him, fingers trailing through his hair, resting on his jaw. Warmth bloomed over his skin.

"I'm falling through nothingness," he began. Carefully recounting the details of his dream. The woman listened quietly; her expression somber but tender. Was this the face she wore when he spoke to her through the door all those nights ago? The warmth on his cheeks spread, flooding over his neck, down his spine, filling his entire body with a low, pulsating heat. "No one can hear me. I scream, but I make no sound."

The Human

My gaze swept over the demon's face. His features were fine, delicate bones beneath fair skin. His warm violet eyes were large, but perpetually hooded by a thick fringe of lashes and a sleepy expression. Navy dark hair, streaked with greyish-white, dishevelled and softer than clouds at midnight. The demon's long-fingered hands wrapped and unwrapped on the tassel of his cow-spotted pillow, tucked between his knees. He was close, nestled against my shoulder. The rich smell of sandalwood and the brightness of soap. Warm and clean, tickled my nose. He exhaled soundlessly.

"Do... demon's believe in dreams having meanings?" I asked the Avatar of Sloth. Falling was a common one for humans, but what about demons? With their wings and strength? But then again, didn't Lucifer experience the ultimate in falls? I twisted my fingers around in Belphegor's hair, my wrist resting on the nape of his neck. He was so warm. It was hard to stay irritated and aloof when he radiated unease like the sun radiating heat.

"Yes, some do." He said, hushed.

"Well, falling means insecurity. And nothingness can mean feeling hopeless or lacking love." I touched my fingertips to Belphegor's cheek, noticed the pink flush. "Does... that make sense?" I didn't need him to answer. I knew that the demon felt scared, I could see it in his eyes. In the tense muscles of his jaw. In the way he clung to his twin, desperately, when he thought no one was looking. Belphie didn't speak. He buried his head into my shoulder.

"You've got Beel." I said, "And your other brothers love you. They're just... unsure of how to act around you, Belphie." I moved my fingers from his cheek, drawing them through his hair, dragging my nails softly over his scalp and down his neck. Back and forth, hoping the demon would find comfort in the repetitive motion. He nuzzled closer, exhaling through his nose. My touch was working. I turned my body, adjusting myself to better wrap the demon in my arms. I brushed his hair from his eyes and pressed a small kiss on the newly exposed skin of his forehead, and rested my forehead in the same place. I smiled at him. He wasn't alone anymore.

"You're gonna make me blush touching me that much," the Avatar of Sloth said, a touch of coy cheekiness colouring his words. He looked up at me. His eyes were brighter, a more vibrant purple. Like the colour of lavender flowers at sunset; warm and sweet, filling your senses with something alluring.

I pinched his cheek in retaliation. He smirked. "And what about you?" He said.

"What about me, what?" I asked.

"Do I have... you?"