"...Where's Belphie?"
The room stilled at Beelzebub's question. Some of the brothers began to fidget, while some merely frowned in pity. Mammon groaned at the tense silence as a certain human sighed.
"He's in the attic, Beel."
"...Again?" The orange-haired male looked dejected.
"I think you'd best not to interrupt his sleep. You can visit him, but-"
"Satan, all this sleep has been starving Belphie, you know?" Beelzebub interrupted the blond. Satan sighed, unable to argue.
"I mean..." Leviathan trailed off awkwardly.
"He hasn't been looking so great." Asmodeus remarked. "But he gets really miserable every time you wake him up."
"...Beel, I think you should go visit Belphie and try to get to the source of his problem." Lucifer spoke up.
It had already been a few months since Belphegor was released from the attic. A few months since the issue of his imprisonment had been resolved and over with.
But as much as they'd preferred everything went back to normal, Belphegor was the one who changed.
As everyone thought, Belphegor changed because he got locked in the attic, naturally. However, this was dismissed when Belphegor began to act miserable, searching for someone.
He frequented the attic, resting there for days on end.
And no matter how Beelzebub and the rest would try and coax him to come back down, he would barely budge.
It wasn't healthy, and Belphegor merely gave away a few hints to his condition.
What was it, truly?
What was the Avatar of Sloth desperately searching for?
...
They weren't aware Belphegor himself didn't know either.
"I'll wake him up and get him to eat. I can't let him starve himself." Beelzebub reached a decision. Lucifer took a deep breath before nodding.
"Alright then. Take care of Belphie, Beel."
"You don't have to tell me that. I will."
None of them really took it against Lucifer for doing the things he did on a whim.
Beelzebub carefully carried a pile of food that he was well aware Belphegor favored. Quetzalcoatl brains, sushi, and some donuts. He also brought a large meal, so that he could bribe Belphegor to eat first before the treats.
Beelzebub smiled at the thought of his twin waking up to enjoy the food he brought with him.
Finally, the Avatar of Gluttony arrived at the entrance of the attic. He adjusted the food in his grasp to make room and went inside.
He carefully set the food down and called out. "Belphie."
"..."
"Belphieee..." Beelzebub made his way over to the bed. Belphegor didn't move in his position.
"Belphie, wake up. I brought your favorite food." He arrived at the foot of the bed. He reached a hand out to shake his twin awake.
Just as his hand hovered above the male's shoulder, something caught Beelzebub's eye.
The male blinked twice.
"A paper?"
In the sleeping male's grasp, was a small slip of paper. Something was scribbled on with a pencil. The paper was slightly creased.
Beelzebub leaned over as peered over his twin's body to see what the writing said. Though unfortunately, he couldn't read it from such an angle.
Beelzebub quietly reached over Belphegor, fingers clasping over the thin sheet of paper. Carefully, he drew his hand back to snatch the paper from the younger twin's grasp.
Beelzebub smoothened the paper slightly.
And so, he began to read to himself.
━✩【❖】✩━
You didn't tell me your name
But you had a really pretty smile.
I don't remember your eyes,
But the way you looked at me made my chest lighter.
I don't normally compliment my name,
But hearing it come out of your mouth made it sound special.
I don't remember how you sound or feel like,
But I know every move of yours gave me comfort.
When you embraced me, It wasn't warm, nor cold...
Maybe it was because it was a dream.
It doesn't feel right how I can only remember you when I'm dreaming.
I don't want to think of the possibility of you leaving my memories entirely.
I hate the way you overstep my boundaries,
and yet you won't even let me take a peek inside your mind.
My memories of you are gradually disappearing, aren't they?
Your figure is becoming more and more transparent.
I have a bad feeling about this.
You're not going anywhere, right?
Please make it stop.
Your name...
I remember it. It suited you.
Your name...
___
I'm sorry.
━✩【❖】✩━
"..."
"...Beel, do you think I'm bitter and stubborn?" A voice was heard as the said male had just finished reading the note. He perked up and turned to the bed.
Belphegor had his eyes open, as empty as they could be. He was staring blankly at the ceiling of the attic.
"Belphie... You're awake."
"...You read the note, right?"
"...I'm sorry."
"It's fine." Belphegor sat up, his blanket falling to his lap. "...Do you think all the decisions I make are poorly thought out?"
"Who told you that?" Beelzebub frowned, sitting down next to his brother. Belphegor averted his gaze and opted to look at the paper wistfully.
"...He did."
"...Well, he's wrong."
"Actually, I think he had a point." Belphegor countered. "All this time, I've made a lot of decisions because I haven't...moved on from her. And all those decisions lead to a lot of negative outcomes."
"...But Belphie, you were grieving, right?"
"...Beel, you don't have to baby me when it comes to this." Belphegor chuckled blandly. "He thought it was understandable, but that didn't mean there wouldn't be consequences."
"...Who was he?"
"...Someone who was in my dreams."
"...What's his name?" Beelzebub lifted his legs above the bed and folded them, resting his arms above his knees.
"...I don't remember."
"What did he do?"
"...A lot of things." Belphegor smiled sadly. "...But all of them come as a blur now."
"..."
"...You must think it's ridiculous that I keep thinking about him even though I can't recall much about him."
"Well, is he important to you?" Beelzebub dismissed Belphegor's concern.
"...What?"
"...Is he important to you?" Beelzebub smiled softly. "Someone you value, even though your memories are clouded. Someone you know will hold a space in your heart, because even now that he's gone, you still want to see him."
"..." Belphegor gazed into Beelzebub's eyes for a few seconds.
His halt in speech didn't mean he was contemplating, but rather he was gathering all his feelings into one word.
"...Yes."