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Lucifer: Mammon?
Lucifer: Mammon!?
Lucifer: Mammon, where are you?
Lucifer: Mammon.
Lucifer: Respond immediately!
Mammon awoke to the sound of his DDD screaming. He glared at it, before picking it up with a huff. He stared at the texts for a moment, before typing a response.
Mammon: I was ASLEEP!
Mammon: I’m in my room. What do ya even want?!
The message was marked read immediately and Mammon couldn’t suppress the nerves that rose. It was four in the morning, what could Lucifer have to talk about this urgently?
A moment later, his bedroom door swung open and he flinched at the intensity.
Lucifer stood in the doorway, eyes wild and looking like a wreck. He scanned the room until settling on Mammon.
“Luc—“
Mammon cut himself off as Lucifer rushed up to him. Mammon tensed, arms up in pure instinct before Lucifer wrapped him into a hug.
“…Lucifer?” He questioned softly, “What’s going on with ya?”
“Thank our Father, you’re talking to me.” Lucifer said quietly. “I’m so relieved.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Mammon laughed, softly returning the embrace nonetheless. “Did ya have a bad dream?”
“The worst,” Lucifer muttered, releasing his grip around Mammon just enough to press a kiss to the greed demon’s forehead. “I love you.”
Mammon let out another laugh, pulling back so he could look Lucifer in the eyes. He wasn’t nervous, he was just… concerned.
“What was the dream?” He asked, then winced. “If ya wanna talk about it?” Lucifer was never willing to talk about his bad dreams, but looking at his brother, it felt it might be a different story this time around.
The usual charade that Lucifer put on was entirely gone. He seemed haggard and meek. Not the humility that he once symbolized, but sheer fear and exhaustion.
“You…” Lucifer started and then stopped. He raised a hand, cupping Mammon’s cheek. Relief sparkled when Mammon leant into it. “You hated me.”
“That’s all it takes?” Mammon didn’t intend to sound so sardonic, but the words slipped out before he could think of a way to rephrase them.
Lucifer sighed, “We were… in the Celestial Realm. You weren’t with me so I went to find you.” The intensity of his gaze was enough to make Mammon squirm, even if it was a gaze filled with affection and love. It was like Lucifer thought he’d disappear in a blink. “When I found you, you were with Michael. ”
Mammon flinched.
“You were following him so happily,” Lucifer’s expression soured further. “I called out for you and—” He stopped to take a deep breath. Mammon remained silent, tugging Lucifer’s hands into his own without a word. “I had thought it was a pleasant dream initially. One of the few soft days of the past, but you looked at me. Mammon, you looked at me with disgust. You clung to Michael like he was some kind of protector-! ” Lucifer spat the last word, huffing a heavy breath.
“Ya know that never happened, right?” Mammon said. “Ya know that I hate him, right? I’d never went anywhere near ‘im unless I was forced.”
“I know,” came the low response. “But it struck me at my core. Out of all my brothers. Out of all the angels. You were never supposed to be touched by him again.” Lucifer’s voice cracked and he pulled Mammon closer. Hiding his tears, obviously. “I felt as though I had failed in the most important duty I had.”
“Which is?”
“Protecting my brothers, a duty that began with you, Mammon.”
Mammon could feel the dampness growing on his shirt as Lucifer squeezed him tightly. Even despite the tears that rarely fell from Lucifer, Mammon found himself giggling.
“Ya can be a real dummy sometimes, Lucifer,” Mammon softly laughed. “Look right here, ya have yer proof ya didn’t fail. Not once.” Moments ago he had been half-asleep and exhausted, but now Mammon teemed with energy. Desperate to jump to his feet and show off exactly how he knew Lucifer had done right by their brothers.
Now wasn’t the time for his wiggles, unfortunately.
“You’re a good brother, Luce.” He said after a moment. “The fact ya even had a nightmare over it kinda proves how much it worries ya.”
“I suppose,” Lucifer answered without much conviction.
“You’ve always been my savior,” Mammon admitted. “Even if yer punishments are awful and ya can be real annoyin’ at times. I told ya centuries ago, to be proud in yerself. It would take a nightmare world to get me unstuck from yer side!”
Lucifer chuckled at that. “That is a good point, isn’t it?”
Mammon nodded eagerly, before realizing that their hug made it impossible for Lucifer to really see his response.
“I’m just relieved to see you here,” Lucifer said. “Alive and breathing and annoying as ever.”
“I—Oi!” Mammon gasped, “What’s with that?!”
“Oh, come on!” Lucifer’s voice suddenly held a hint of mischief. “Michael turned you so terribly boring. I’d never admit it to Simeon, but it’s a relief he turned you to his side of playful chaos.”
Mammon let out another insulted gasp, wrapping his arms around his brother in order to tug him down onto the bed.
“Awful, ya are awful!” Mammon rolled his eyes and laughed. “I’m definitely tellin’ Simeon ya approved of his pranks! And mine!”
Lucifer rolled his eyes, an act only visible thanks to the creeping light that signaled daytime was soon to come.
Mammon frowned at the light. “Luce, let’s sleep. We’re both gonna have been up all night if we don't.”
Lucifer matched the frown, looking at Mammon. “Very well.” He tried to sit up, quickly realizing Mammon’s arms were still wrapped around him. “Mammon?”
“My bed’s cozy,” he explained simply. “Ya don’t need to worry ‘bout where I am if we’re together, ya know?”
Lucifer paused for a moment, before offering a small smile to Mammon. Without another word, he laid back down. Mammon kindly releasing him so he could get comfortable.
Mammon closed his eyes, taking advantage of the moment to snuggle against his elder brother. “I love you, Lucifer.”
He could feel the warmth in Lucifer's quiet purr. “Thank you for that. I love you just the same, Mammon.”