Liar in the Attic [Belphegor X Reader]

You ☆ Unintended Breakdown

You peeked through the bars cautiously and nearly yelped when you met a pair of unblinking amethyst eyes—it was almost as if he had been waiting for you all this time—his hand shot through the bars to cover your mouth, shushing any sound that was about to come out.

"Quiet." He hissed. "What if one of them hears...?"

Right. You should be a lot more careful. If Lucifer ever found out that you were not only able to see Belphegor but had also been regularly visiting him, he would try to kill you.... Except, this time, there would be no Diavolo stopping him.

You shivered. The memory... It was still so vivid in your mind. The cries from Luke and Beelzebub, your body instinctively moving to protect them, Lucifer's glowing red eyes, his expression as if he was ready to snap your fragile body in half.

Tears welled up in your eyes. You blinked desperately, in the hope that you could will them to disappear. However, you failed. Instead, they fell like uncontrollable raindrops, damping Belphegor's hand that was still covering your mouth.

Why were such things happening to you? You wanted to go back. You wanted to stay with your friends and family. You wanted to be happy and surrounded by what you loved. You didn't want to be here, barely holding onto your feeble little life.

You choked back a sob.

You had no choice, no choice at all. They just dragged you here into this place without your consent, without even informing you... or maybe they did, if you count the letter they sent you two minutes before you were whisked away from everything you ever knew.

You couldn't stop it. The tears just continued to fall without regulation. Everything that you tried to hold in just collapsed all at once. You cried and cried, silently, without a hint of sound, still afraid to rouse the sleeping.

Maybe... what if... what if this was all your fault? Was it your fault that you weren't more likeable, more intelligent, more powerful, more special...? Would everything be different if you were better?

You hated how you were thinking. You knew it was wrong. You should love yourself, embrace who you are. You're special, you're unique... but what if you just weren't special enough to survive the year?

You could still remember everything. They just kept replaying in your mind, over and over, like a looping movie. The screams, the fear, the advancing death, you could remember it all. His bloodshot eyes wide with anger, staring you down. The knowing that you could fall asleep at any moment and never wake up again. You remember the last thoughts you had, to return to the human world, to see the sunshine again, to say goodbye to your loved ones....

"Hey–!" You heard someone call your name, their voice sounded so distant and so... panicked.

"Why are you suddenly crying?"

Belphie...? You were startled at his call. Like always, his voice was soothing and sweet, akin to a gentle lullaby.

You hadn't even known him for that long so why were you showing such vulnerability in front of him? He lied to you when you first met. He was a literal liar. You knew, but yet... you couldn't help it.

At those thoughts, more tears formed and trickled down your burning red cheeks.

The things that happened have already passed for so long. Lucifer apologized for his actions already. You weren't even that affected before... except for the few nightmares you had after the incident.

Back then, you had been visiting Belphegor in the attic at night when you couldn't fall asleep. However, you didn't visit him just because you were worried he would feel lonely, you also had another more selfish reason.

Belpehgor's presence comforted you. Every night after speaking with him, your never-ending nightmares would take a respite, and soon, it grew into a habit. You knew it was because of him, maybe it was his power as the Avatar of Sloth or something but it was definitely because of him that you stopped getting nightmares.

You tried to swallow the lump in your throat.

It had been days since you had one of those nightmares, you had almost forgotten one of the main reasons you came to him every twilight. Not talking to him last night had definitely taken a huge toll on your sleep, but there had been nothing you could do since he had been busy resting–

"Good grief..."

Belphegor's voice made you snap back to reality. You sucked in a deep breath as his warm hands wiped the remaining tears from the corner of your eyes.

"Do you feel better now?" The Avatar of Sloth used his sleeve to dry your flushed cheeks before addressing you gently, "You can tell what's going on, you know? I'm here for you."

His eyes glinted a soft purple under the dim attic light. You felt your heart warm at his words. In a place like this, he seemed to be your only ally. The only trustworthy person here...

❁❁❁

The next things that happened played in a blur. Your memory could barely keep up with what was happening. One moment Belphegor was smiling sweetly at you while saying something, and the next moment you were already walking back to your room mechanically. It was like you made the decision yourself while you weren't in the right mind. It was like you were still you but not you at the same time. It was confusing... and scary.

.

.

.

.

.

Lucifer was in front of you, his demon form in full display. His eyes flared with anger as he reached out to grab you. Hands wrapping around your neck, he smiled coldly at the cries of his brothers. Your finger dug into his gloved hand, trying desperately to pull them from their position.

It was suffocating. You felt like you were drowning. Your voice could barely make a squeak. "Ugh–"

Beelzebub was holding back Luke from rushing towards Lucifer while—your vision was starting to fade away—Mammon shouted something indecipherable at his older brother. The others all were trying to reach you but the power of the eldest prevented them from doing so. You scratched and tugged, but Lucifer's hand only tightened further.

He could so easily kill you without a single ounce of pain so why was he choosing to choke you to death? Ha...ha... as if you didn't know the answer. He enjoyed tormenting you, enjoyed seeing you suffering, enjoy seeing your hopeless struggle–

"Seriously?"

Then... nothing.

Darkness surrounded you as you drifted peacefully without bound. The place was like an ethereal paradise of tranquillity, it was a magnificently perfect place to relax.... But before you could even start to fully appreciate everything, the landscape shifted.

You opened your eyes to a beautiful grassy plane, decorated with warm sunlight and refreshing shades. Your head was propped against someone's shoulder which caused you to straighten yourself instantly. Groggily rubbing your eyes, you stifled back a yawn. It felt like you were waking up from a very pleasant afternoon nap.

"Mhm... you're awake." The person beside you shifted. "How do you feel now?"

Truth be told, you felt amazing. It had been so long since you felt so refreshed.

"I could stay like this forever," you told them.

"That's good...then...I should send you back to let you sleep properly now..."

"Huh? No, it's fine! I like this!"

You didn't know if they didn't hear your protest or just chose to ignore you, but the dreamscape in front of you vanished and you felt yourself drown back into an interruption-less sleep.