“What?” You asked them for the third time, acting as if you didn’t hear them correctly the first two times. 

With a heavy, slightly irritated sigh, Satan repeated his words, “Mammon is cheating on you.” 

For just a moment, your face became void of expression, but much to Asmo and Satan’s surprise, your shoulders began to shake, your laughter echoing through the grand foyer of the House of Lamentation. 

“Asmo, Satan, since where did you learn how to make jokes?” You asked, wiping away the tears collecting in the corners of your eyes. “Props to whoever is teaching you.” 

Not expecting such a reaction from you, the brothers exchanged a puzzled look before turning their gaze to you. The Avatar of Wrath, still confused by your expression, questioned, “Do you trust Mammon that much?” 

“Yes.” Your straightforward reply further stunned them, but neither of them spoke as they waited for you to expand on your answer. “Mammon would never hurt me.”

That wasn’t the exact reply they were looking for, but Asmo cupped his cheeks and squealed in delight, “That is too sweet!” 

A light shade of red crept on your cheeks as a delicate smile tugged on your lips, “Mammon is the best thing that has ever happened in my life.” 

With those words, you closed your eyes – who would have guessed that the worst day in Devildom would have led to the best moments in your life. 

—-

“Which one of ya is choosin’ the movie tonight?” Mammon asked while shifting his gaze between the first, third, fourth, fifth, and seventh brothers. 

“Does it matter?” Belphie replied, sinking into the sofa and preparing to take a nap. 

“He’s asking because he doesn’t want to watch a horror movie,” Levi chuckled.

“I am picking the movie tonight, and there will be no horror movies,” Asmo replied as he shuffled through the large DVD collection on the other side of the room. 

“So we’re going to watch a gross, sappy movie,” the third brother mumbled under his breath. “Great.” 

“At least it ain’t a horror movie…,” Mammon added, throwing his head back onto the sofa headrest and staring at the ceiling. “Not that Mammon the Great is scared of horror movies or anythin’…” 

The room grew silent aside from the sound of Asmo shuffling the plastic DVD cases. Comforted by the silence, the brothers on the sofa felt their muscles relax as they let the weight of gravity sink their usually tensed bodies into the cushions. The week was finally over, and they could let go of every difficulty they faced and look forward to the upcoming week. Nothing could disturb their moment of peace…except you entering the room and declaring at the top of your lungs, “Popcorn’s here!”

Lucifer let out a sigh and massaged his temples, but luckily for him, everyone got situated quickly, and the movie began shortly after. The movie began with a comedic scene, making you laugh, and for the first quarter of the film, you were enjoying yourself, but soon, the romance kicked in. 

Mammon, on your left, noticed you shifting in your seat out of his peripheral vision but didn’t want to ask you any questions in the presence of his brothers. Every so often, he took a break from the movie to observe your expressions and noticed your discomfort growing – from changing seating positions to nervously tapping your hand on your thighs to staring at your hands to looking around the room. Mammon wasn’t the only one – Lucifer, on your right, also noted your behavior. 

Then came the scene in which a side character accused the main character of cheating, and their fight grew uglier by the second. You dug your nails into your palms to divert your attention from the fight, but it was already too late – your mind had drifted to the dark place you loathed from the bottom of your heart. 

“Cheating is okay. There’s nothing wrong with giving a little attention to someone else for a while. It will only add to our relationship. Besides, why are you upset, (y/n)? You love me, don’t you? Just as much as I love you.”

“Pain? How old are you? Ten? As an adult, you shouldn’t feel pain. That’s a sign of weakness.” 

“Pain, distress, and jealousy are signs of being mentally weak. It’s not right to have those emotions, and if you feel them, it’s your own fault. Learn to control your mind…and stop being weak.” 

Your eyes stung, and your vision grew blurry, and in a flash, you jumped to your feet before running out of the room. The demon brothers tensed up for a second and stared in the direction of the exit, except Mammon. He hopped to his feet, knocking the tub of popcorn in the process and chasing after you. Asmo stood up to follow his older brother, but Lucifer commanded everyone to stay where they were and watch the movie. 

—-

‘Why? Why did I let him treat me that way? Why didn’t I stand up for myself? Everything he said and did was to hurt me…yet I let him mistreat me. All those years of feeling weak and worthless…I thought I was over it, but…some scars just don’t heal – no matter how many times you try to bandage them.’ 

Mammon flung open your bedroom door and ran into the room but stopped in his tracks when he saw you on the bed, crying your heart out. Each sob shook the strings of his heart and only made him question himself more – what could he do to take away your pain? Though he didn’t know the answer, the demon dragged his feet closer to you and sat down on the ground beside your bed. 

“I know this is a stupid question, but are ya ok? Um…that’s my way of askin’ if ya wanna talk to me ‘bout it. I’m all ears,” his voice was gentle with a hint of pain and nervousness. 

At first, you hesitated, but upon feeling the warmth of his large hand on top of yours, followed by a reassuring squeeze, you revealed the scars on your heart – one by one. 

“I was in a toxic relationship before. My boyfriend cheated on me every chance. Everything he did was right, and anything I did was wrong…” 

“Are you happy?” Your boyfriend gave you a nasty glare as he stood above you in front of the sofa you were relaxing on. You gave him a clueless look, adding to his anger, “Why are you such a nuisance!? Why do you always call at the worst time possible? Thanks to you, my lover broke up with me.” 

He clutched his fists, his expression growing darker by the minute, “Tears…are those tears in your eyes? You…You are so insufferable! Your crying is insufferable! Your emotions are insufferable!”

“He did all he could to control my emotions…and the worst part is, I let him convince me I was wrong. I tried to improve myself…I tried to be quiet and understanding…told myself everything was fine and perfectly normal. I tormented myself mentally and suffered mental breakdowns…”

In a dark corner of your room, you hugged your knees closer to your chest and rested the back of your head against the wall. Your eyes were squeezed shut, but a steady stream poured out onto your cheeks. 

“If you feel distressed, that’s your problem.”

Tilting your neck forward, you put a little space between your skull and the wall before jerking your neck back and colliding the back of your head with the wall. 

“Your tears make me not want to love you.” 

You moved your neck forward again and hit your head against the wall with more force – once, twice, thrice.

“You shouldn’t feel pain.”

Your brain yelled enough, but once more, you slammed your skull as hard as you could. As the pain reverberated through your head and neck, a small voice whispered in your ear, “See, you do feel pain. It hurts, doesn’t it?” 

Resting the sore spot on the back of your skull against the wall, you screamed.

“I even thought to end…it all…”

Enough. Enough. Enough. Enough. No more. No more. No more. With a trembling hand, you picked up a knife on the kitchen counter and stared intensely at the shining metal. It will all be over. Everything will be over. For the best. 

Through the invasive thoughts, a small, frightened voice gathered enough courage to speak up. Please don’t. It’s not your fault. It never was, so please don’t. 

“Somewhere in my heart, I knew that voice was right. Why was I hurting myself when I wasn’t at fault? So, I put the knife down that day and went to the doctor. As expected, they advised me to break up with him…and I did.” 

This whole time, Mammon sat perfectly still, not moving a muscle – not on his body, not on his face. His mind was blank, and his breath was ragged. He never expected to hear such words from you, but what you said next shook Mammon to the core.

“Since then, I was too scared to date anyone…I still am. I can’t trust anyone, but most of all, I don’t want to get hurt again. That’s why, after the breakup, I told myself I would never fall in love or trust anyone. Ever again.” 

Was this your way of telling him that he didn’t stand a chance with you? No. You weren’t going to do this to him – he wouldn’t let it happen. Mammon turned his body towards the bed, got on his knees, and placed his hand on your upper back. 

“Y’know, you can’t group all men together with your shi*ty ex. Not all guys are like that…I’m not like that,” he mumbled under his breath. “I’ll change your mind about me…you just wait.” 

—-

At the end of the day, you still had no idea why Asmo and Satan said Mammon was cheating on you, but you chuckled at the thought. Snuggling into his bedsheets, you let Mammon’s soothing scent fill your lungs. “He would never do that to me, but what is taking him so long?” 

An hour later, your boyfriend entered his room while mumbling about his photo shoot finally being over. He was ready to drop onto his mattress and spend time with you in dreamland; instead, Mammon found you fast asleep on his bed. For a second, he stood in shock, but soon after, a warm smile danced on his lips. “Ain’t ya lookin’ cute…” 

He carelessly tossed aside his clothes before sliding into his pajama pants while watching your angelic face. Careful not to wake you up, Mammon crawled into bed behind you, wrapped an arm around your sleeping form, and buried his face in your hair. There was no way he would cheat on his beloved human, especially since you trust him with all your heart. He promised he would never break your trust, and that’s what he planned to do – now and forever. 

The following morning, you woke up to find Mammon fast asleep, and he looked dead tired. Did he come home really late last night? Not wanting to wake him up, you placed a soft kiss on his lips and got ready, but the events of the previous day still lingered in your mind. You kept questioning why Satan and Asmo said Mammon cheated on you. It wasn’t that you didn’t trust him, but why would they pull such a prank on you? 

Right on cue, Satan waved to you from the other side of the dining room. “ “Good morning, (y/n). Will you please follow me? There’s something you need to see.” 

The fourth brother led you to Asmo’s room, where the Avatar of Lust greeted you with a bright smile and hug. Then, he pulled out his phone, tapped the screen a few times, and handed the device to you. 

“What is this vide-” Before you could finish your question, you saw Mammon standing next to a beautiful succubus. “Isn’t this the model he had a photo shoot with yesterday?”

“Heya Mammon, it was an honor working with you. You are honestly just as handsome as I have heard.” She giggled while twirling her index finger into her lengthy curls. “My friends are going to be so jealous when they see the photos from our photoshoot.”

“It was nice workin’ with ya. Um…thanks. Look, I’ve got to get back home. It’s already late, and (y/n)-”

She put her hand on his chest, and with a swing of her hip, the succubus stepped in front of him. “Why are you in such a hurry?”

Your eyes narrowed, and your lips pursed, not at her actions but at seeing Mammon’s uncomfortable expression. Wasn’t it obvious to her that he didn’t like her touching him? Asmo and Satan expected you to get angry or say something; instead, you quietly continued to watch the video. 

“Mammon, do you think I am beautiful?”

“Everyone’s beautiful in their own way. ‘sides, to be a model you’ve to be good lookin’.”

“Then how about coming to my home? We can have a fun night~ just you, me, and my bed. What’s with that nervous look? Don’t worry. Your human will never find out.”

Your grip on Asmo’s phone tightened as your shoulders tensed up, but you refused to look away from the screen. Though you were immersed in the video, you thought you heard Asmo say something along the lines of “Here comes the best part.”

Mammon gently pushed away the succubus’s hand and stepped away from her, his face void of any expressions. “I’m not interested in goin’ anywhere with ya or anyone else. My human is waitin’ for me, and the only place I want to be right now is sleeping next to my human, holdin’ them in my arms.”

The video ended there, but you continued to stare at the screen as your mind carefully pieced everything together. Asmo slowly took his phone out of your hands while Satan chuckled, “We were only testing you, but seems like you were right to trust him.” 

He kept your trust. Mammon kept your trust. Tears pooled into your eyes as your cheeks and nose shined a bright red. Without wasting another second, you spun in your heels and dashed out of Asmo’s room while wiping your eyes with the back of your right hand. When you reached Mammon’s room, you flew down the stairs and jumped on his bed right on top of him. 

Your boyfriend stirred and let out a groan, “(Y/n)…lemme sleep…”

“S-Sorry, but Mammon…I’ve to tell you something…” 

“What?”

“I love you. I love you very much.” 

He slightly opened his eyes as a smile found its way onto his lips, “I love ya too…now lemme sleep. Also…you’re not goin’ anywhere…” 

Mammon tied his arms around you before returning to Slumberland. Knowing he wasn’t going to wake up anytime soon, you cuddled into his chest and listened to the rhythm of his heart. 

Since the day you poured your heart out to him, Mammon had worked hard every day to not only gain your trust but also heal your wounds. You had your doubts and fears – what if he hurt you too, would you be able to bear the pain – but in the end, you decided to push aside those thoughts and trust him. That was the best decision you could have taken, and you thanked your past self for believing in him. No matter how deep your scars are, if you find the right person, they can heal the scars, and your right person was in front of you – your beloved Mammon.