#❤ I’m Greedy For Your Love ▸▸ « Xavier & Mammon »

[clavicula-ovis]

     » » @xamassed dares to ask; ❝ 🍺 ( xavier and mammon! ) ❞

     From Caught Drunk

     ›› Human world alcohol was such a rarity these days — with him living in the Devildom for quite some time now and the infrequency of visits to his old world on top of the fact demons couldn't really enjoy mundane alcohol, there was never a reason to get any. However Xavier had been gifted ( or rather, he had become the unwilling recipient of ) some when a witch had thrust a box in to his hands and told him to enjoy the contents because she certainly wasn't. It was a curious encounter, but it left him with quite a few bottles of some top-shelf rum and seltzers that he was rather curious to taste-test.

     ›› The rum was tried first, and after a few sips he decided that was definitely not his speed on its own so he moved to a seltzer — and BOY was that a winner. The bubbly, fruity taste masked the strong kick of alcohol enough that he found himself treating it like any other beverage; it was this misguided judgment that left Xavier a couple whole bottles deep and slumped back in his chair as a giggly mess, face flushed a bright red, eyes darting around the ceiling where his various little floral lamps hung until he heard his door open. The sight of a familiar white-haired demon stepping inside brought a wide smile to his lips as he scrambled up out of his chair with swaying, uneven motions.

    ❝ Maaaaammooooooooon~! ❞ ›› Xavier's coo slurred out as he closed the gap between them, immediately throwing all measly one-hundred-and-fifteen pounds against his boyfriend and wrapping both of his arms firmly around Mammon's own in a surprisingly clingy, almost possessive manner despite his warm and sunny, sloppy grin.

    ❝ Myyyyyy handsome and lovely and... pretty and sweet... and super cool Mammooooon~ Theeeere you areeeee! You took... you took so loooong but that's okaaay because I forgive you, and I forgive you so much... 'cause you're Mammon and you're my Mammon... Ehehehe~ ❞

[clavicula-ovis]

     ›› Caught out, and all because of a little oversight in the heat of the moment. Xavier's gaze shifted down to the way his smaller hand seized a bit across Mammon's own, his fingers having to slip between Mammon's to find any purchase to ground the muscles a bit. It wouldn't do to lie about this and there was no reason to do so now that it was noticed, so he just sighed and smiled up to the demon with a sheepish expression.

    ❝ I always enjoy your company! But this is... Well... Promise me you wont worry yourself with this? ❞ ›› Despite the rising intonation, it seemed more like a request than an inquiry into what Mammon would respond with. ❝ Uhm, you heard how I was sneezing earlier, right? W-Well... When I sneeze, sometimes it causes my hand to do this. I don't know why, maybe it's 'cause it pinches the radial nerve in my arm... ❞

     ›› The human paused suddenly in realization he probably WAS wording that in a worrying way, so on instinct he laughed and clasped his other hand onto Mammon's to hold it sweetly, warmly, to reassure him that all would be well; even now, the muscles seemed to already begin relaxing a bit.

    ❝ But I'm not worried, because the Great Mammon's here! ❞ ›› and he meant it. He had faith in the second-eldest; with the right kind of teaching and the right motivation, Mammon could do a lot more than the others believed he could — that's what Xavier truly thought. So he now pulled his hands away completely to give Mammon the reigns once more, and decided to throw a little bit of a curveball in to cheer him back up.

    ❝ What do you want me to do, chef? I'm all yours! ❞

"I am doin' pretty great, huh?" The way Xavier threw around praise made him crave more, but the light-as-air feelings deflated the slightest bit when his older brother was mentioned. "Like he'd punish ya. All the blame would be thrown on me, anyway, and I'd end up hangin' from the ceiling again. . ."

A pinch of shame brought his mood down a fraction more, like a sandbag attached to the side of an already descending air balloon. Old habits threatened to kick in when he felt the exchange student's hand fit over his. Give up, you look like a moron. You're not doing it right. He could have shaken the hand off and stepped aside, bitterly told him to do it himself.

He did none of those things because he felt it, tendons growing tight then slack, then fluttering and twitching along the backs of his own knuckles. Mammon assumed it was his own hand, until he glanced down and noted the spasms in Xavier's hand.

"You nervous or somethin'?" He assumed it was nerves until he felt and saw another little mess of shuttering twitches. "What, does bein' this close to The Great Mammon get ya all antsy?"

[clavicula-ovis]

    ❝ I might sell some, but — ❞ ›› No use finishing the sentence when Mammon was already headed off to get things ready. It got a cute little giggle out of him as he followed behind, though not nearly as swift as the king of agility himself. By the time the human caught up, Mammon would have had plenty of time to pick the perfect spot to lay the perfect towel, all prepped and ready to go. After knocking on the door and entering the room, Xavier would already bring out his two bottles again in one hand, and a small amber-hued candle in the other.

    ❝ Whenever you're ready, take off your jacket and shirt and lay face-down on that towel for me. It won't take long to get these warmed up; I got a special fire-attuned candle to make sure it gets to the right temperature quickly! ❞

     ›› This was supposed to be about testing the oils, and Mammon was his first choice for many reasons — the fatigue from Lucifer's punishments being a big one — but there was an extra little bonus for Xavier, too. A small thought in the back of his head was giddy with excitement at seeing his favourite demon shirtless — a sweet little treat for the eyes as reward for soothing Mammon's muscles.

     ›› Not like he'd ever say that out loud unless pressed about why he had that little glimmer in his eyes, of course. [ @xamassed ]

Not remembering felt wrong. It was perfectly natural to forget small details, and he was still fully capable of doing so, but missing out made his heart feel heavy in such a discouraging way.

Besides, it was hard to miss Xavier's dedication to the project when it had meant grumpy mornings, nights spend listening through the door to be sure he was well and the constant scent of oils clinging to his clothes and skin.

"Y'know, if ya perfect that, you could be rollin' in grimm. Slap a label on it, get someone to shoot some ads — boom, instant millionaire!" He assumed he would be filthy rich by association. He was the one that help test them, therefore he deserved a sizeable chunk of the revenue. 70-30 seemed fair.

Or he could take the massage and forget his plans to market Xavier's oils and keep them for himself like the greedy demons he was.

"You meet me in my room, get what ya need set up! I'm gonna go grab a towel!" He assumed it would shorten the wait if they split the work, though Xavier would have more to do given the type of favor offered.

This enthusiasm was matched, Mammon's lanky form darting away. "I'll see ya in a second! Ya can't take it back now!"

[clavicula-ovis]

     ›› It was only after Mammon had caught the sounds on the sly that Xavier started to sniffle and whine under his breath about needing to clean the room up a little bit. Once he caught his bearings and was able to go without making more of those noises beyond a sniff here or there, he wheeled around on his heel and immediately yelped upon seeing Mammon. Tan cheeks burned a bright crimson out of embarrassment as Xavier spluttered out on the spot,

    ❝ M-Mammon! How long were you standing there?? ❞ ›› The demon would recognize that tone as Xavier's apologetic-and-flustered voice, equal parts concerned he had somehow ignored the other and also panicked that Mammon heard him have his little squeaky fit moments ago.

Behind the poor human, Mammon stood there with his DDD in hand. The other hand moved to cover his mouth, stifling the growing urge to snicker at how damned cute Xavier's sneezes were — if he hadn't, the recording he had taken would be ruined.

"Totally usin' that. . ." Half a minute later, it was cropped down and set as his personalized text tone. "Ha!"

[clavicula-ovis]

     ›› Every little reaction made every little bit of Grimm spent so worth it; restless nights spent hunched over magical tomes, cauldrons, alchemical tools, every second he broke his back in to work those extra shifts at work on top of all his classwork, all of it culminated in this moment and he could not be any happier with the way Mammon responded. To see how carefully he preserved what had once adorned the box, the way he went from confidently excited to an absolute mess of sputtering his words out, it was... cute. So cute. It certainly got Xavier to just beam ear to ear, almost giggling now at everything he said.

     ›› When he felt his body pulled flush up against of the avatar of greed's own, there was a brief moment of considering how nice this all felt; he seemed to fit almost perfectly there as if it belonged, able to look up at Mammon in a way that let his head rest against the other's shoulder — and in that moment, perhaps Mammon could see the human's eyes fill with such a soft, unfiltered love. The way Xavier looked in to Mammon's own eyes made it clear as day that he really did love him in a way he never thought he'd ever have a chance to express.

     ›› It was no surprise then that when invited to go out with the demon, Xavier immediately nodded his head and let loose another unrestrained giggle that marked his excitement.

     ❝ I've never actually been invited to spend Christmas just having fun around town, ❞ ›› he confessed with a small nod up to Mammon. ❝ In fact, I don't think I've even been able to celebrate it at all since I was just a kid, so you really are my first for a lot of things, huh? ❞

     ›› Then his hand would reach up, soft digits moving to ruffle Mammon's messy locks up even further; a sign of affection he'd picked up doing to those who reciprocated it well. This time though it was used as an excuse to very gently push the back of the demon's head forward until he could raise onto the toes of his own boots, closing the gap just enough to leave a soft peck with velvety lips against those warm cheeks as his own flared up a sort of pinkish tone.

     ❝ What are we waiting for then? Every second we spent here is another second we'll get caught, so let's make like bananas and split out of here before someone capitalizes on our idleness! ❞

⟬ @clavicula-ovis ⟭

Xavier had tapped Mammon's shoulder to get his attention, earth brown-and-green eyes full of anticipation and joy, and in his hands a present. It is wrapped in a golden, shimmering wrapping paper, topped with a sparkling pastel rainbow ribbon and bow that never seems to be the same colour twice somehow. It was relatively small, no larger than the palm of his hand, and felt like it weighed nothing — but its contents were worth far, far more in the weight of Grimm. … Literally! When Mammon opened it he would find inside the present was a prepaid card and a few rings he had been eyeing for a month or more, all lined up neatly to catch his eye one after the other.

❝ Mammon, on that card you'll find a couple million Grimm, and it's all prepaid so you wont have to worry about owing anything for spending it. I've been pouring Grimm in to this card all year to get it ready for today, and spent some extras on some commissions to afford those rings for you... I even had one engraved with your name to make it truly one-of-a-kind, just like The Great Mammon himself. It's the least I could do for my first demon! ❞

Always greedy, always anticipating that someone would have a gift for him because he was The Great Mammon, he was quick to snatch the present from Xavier's hand. Only when he noted the brilliant smile and the feather-like weight of the box did his deeply sown sin slow down.

The gorgeous paper and enchanted ribbon were set aside as keepsakes, neither so much as a wrinkle out of place save for the ones his the human put there himself. They were keepsakes, a reminder of their first Christmas together. As materialistic as Mammon could be, he was equally as sentimental. He had a feeling that in a small handful of years, he would find that ribbon and think back on the overwhelming sensation of warmth he felt in his chest right now.

"Wait, are these those rings I was lookin' at? How the hell did ya know I wanted these?" As if the way he drooled over them at the shop window hadn't given him away. Still, the fact that someone thought to remember a set of things he wanted without ridiculing him was a gift in itself.

You have enough already! They're too expensive, and you couldn't save Grimm if your life depended on it.

He could if it mattered! And it had mattered, but Xavier had beaten him to the gift-giving first.

The rings he slipped on were cool to the touch, the light of the fire as it danced across the faceted surface of each jewel reflecting in those warm, honey-gold eyes. "Hah, I knew they'd fit perfectly! S'like they were made for me!"

That's when the sputtering started, when his surprise took him so suddenly that he choked on whatever thanks he had mustered up.

"D—Did ya just say there's a c—couple million in there?! Like, for real?" Getting little cards like this was common enough for the Avatar of Greed. His brothers rarely knew what to get him, so they gave him what he loved most: money. It would be burned through in the span of a day thanks to how little they gave him, but this — it was almost too much.

Almost.

The card was immediately slipped into his wallet, where it made friends with his beloved Goldie. There would be no point in getting excited about it if he lost it. With it safe, Mammon could easily wrangle Xavier into a one-armed hug. He was tugged in close, made snug against the demon's side right where he was meant to be.

"Here's the deal! You're gonna open your totally awesome, totally thoughtful gift from me, then we're gonna hit the town! It'll jus' me me and you, and all'a this sweet Grimm ya gave me!"

Although, the idea of spending every single bit of it on himself didn't sound as appealing as it would have several months ago. Somewhere deep down, buried under all that was dark and twisted, remained a single sparkle of angelic generosity. He wanted to spoil his brothers, but more than that, he wanted to spoil Xavier.

A little softer and a little sweeter, Mammon gave the exchange student a squeeze around his shoulders. "C'mon, will ya go with me? I know we're celebratin' here and it's fun watchin' my brothers be goofballs, but. . ."

The awkwardness rose, the color in his cheeks grew dark and the fidgeting started.

"I dunno, I kind'a wanna just spend some time with ya before anyone else has the chance t'snag all'a your time. Ya even said it, I'm your first demon! I get t'call first dibs on spendin' Christmas with ya, and I get t'spend as much time as I want!"

[clavicula-ovis]

    ❝ Oh, this is the perfect time to break this out then, ❞ ›› Xavier cooed with a brightening grin as his hand went into that galaxy of a bag he kept on his hip whenever he was out and about. ( Would anyone try to figure out how it worked? Maybe some day. But it really was a mystery how he seemed to fit anything plus the kitchen sink in there. )

     ›› After some clinking and clacking, two round glass bottles were produced; both were lovingly, tightly sealed, both containing a somewhat viscous liquid — one in a shade of almost entirely clear off-white, the other in a deep, dark violet.

    ❝ Ja-jaaaan! Who's ready to be spoooooiled~? ❞ ›› Xavier sung, clearly excited for what he had brought out. ❝ I've been fine-tuning these for a few weeks, and I think I hit a winner. Wanna have all those aches and pains just melt off like hot butter? ❞

     ›› Of course Mammon did! He was mainly just saying it to let his precious demon know he was in for a world of royal treatment.

⟬ @clavicula-ovis ⟭

"Mammon! Mammooon~!" called a familiar voice; the little human exchange student had come bounding up beside him, his high-heeled boots making a click with each step until he stopped at the demon's side. Xavier had been looking all over for the Avatar of Greed, and finally found him.

After observing the other being wrapped up tight in rope from the House of Lamentation's rafters following a week of mishaps at RAD, he figured Mammon could use something nice for a change after he was freed from his punishment.

"Are you free at the moment? Or will you be free later today?" His tone indicated excitement, his hazel-green eyes sparkling with pure joy as his face lit up with his grin.

He was sore and dead-tired, and all he wanted to do was slink into the safety of his bed now that the school day was over. There was homework that needed to be tackled and chores that needed doing, but he disregarded both because he lacked the motivation.

Nothing was more important to him now than resting and wasting the remainder of his day — nothing, except his favorite person in all the three realms.

The sound of his heels and the call of his name did wonders for his mood. The urge to snip and snap at every that passed melted away into a subtle grumpiness. Sadly, the physical aches remained, but they hardly stopped him from turning 'round and passing Xavier a small, exhausted half-smile.

"I dunno, what did ya have in mind? 'Cause I ain't really feelin' up to doin' much right now."

He didn't need to explain, as every member of the House of Lamentation had witnessed his punishment's, but Mammon never passed up the chance to talk about his oldest brother behind his back. "Ya saw what Lucifer put me through! Bastard really had me tied up tight this time. . ."