Something sweet as sugar & slightly nonsensical
Short o7: The one with jealousy
"I-it's not fair… I-it's really not fair…! W-why are they all so mean to me? U-uwaah… …"
Snivel, hic.
"I understand, but you shouldn't get so upset about it. I'm sure your sisters don't truly mean it."
"B-but t-they always call me things like that, t-they always… t-they just… I… I-I'm not ugly- t-they say I am, b-but… but I'm not… …! U-uu… uu…"
Leviathan sniffed and hiccoughed miserably; tears running down her flushed face quicker than she could wipe them away. Her attempts to retain a little dignity were useless. It seemed like that mean nickname her sisters threw at her all the time, 'cry baby', really was true.
Leviathan had never been very good at hiding her emotions.
"U-uwaah… aah… I-I'm not ugly… … I-I hate being teased this much… I-I really hate it!"
Unlike some of her other sisters, Leviathan was not a particularly ambitious or manipulative person- and, sadly, neither was she all that intelligent. She was a fairly simple, ordinary girl who derived joy from the simple things in life, such as teasing Battler, or curling up under her duvet on cold mornings, or cooking. Maybe you could have called an easy-going nature like that 'lazy'; but it wasn't really. She just lived at her own pace.
Her other sisters weren't like that. They were all hard workers- and those who weren't (such as Beelzebub and Mammon) were cunning and crafty to make up for it.
They were all desperate to prove how much better than each other they were.
Leviathan always felt like the odd sister out in that regard- and that made her feel so jealous. She was jealous… because she wasn't like the others. Her personality didn't match up.
So she was always left out.
She was the one who was teased the most, because she was an easy target.
Her sisters called her stupid.
Weak.
A liability.
A cry baby.
And… she hated it…
S-she really, really hated it… …
"U-uu… uu… haa… I-it's… it's not fair… … It's not…"
By this point, Leviathan's tears had started to dry up. It wasn't as if she had recovered from her sadness. It was more like, she had been crying for so long she had exhausted whatever moisture she might have been able to force out of the corners of her eyes. She was still just as miserable as before, but now she had no way to express that misery.
She continued to tremble, and hiccup, and sniffle miserably, making small snuffling noises like a rabbit burrowing into a heap of sawdust. Her nose was running, hair sticking to her wet cheeks, and her eyes were red, puffy and swollen from crying inelegantly for so long.
"Uu-uwaah… haa… h-haa…"
Ronove looked at her with concern for a few moments.
The tiny girl was shivering before him, continuing to weep, and completely unable to stop herself. She was pouring her heart out to him, most likely, because he was the first person she had stumbled across during her quest to eat as much comfort food from the kitchen as possible, and she just wanted somebody to talk to.
Well… he would definitely try to cheer her up.
It would be unforgivable if he left a person to cry like that.
Ronove smiled softly.
"Uu… u-uwaaah… …?"
And he pulled her into a tight hug.
"H-haau…? R-ronove…?"
Leviathan's face turned bright red.
She couldn't remember being hugged like this before; n-not useless her sisters were in high spirits- then, occasionally, they all crowded together in slightly awkward, but still incredibly sweet group hugs… but that was very, very rare.
It'd been a while since she'd had a hug like this.
And, even if it was only Ronove… it was still nice, and warm, and- ahaha… h-he really was quite a bit taller than her, wasn't he? All of a sudden, she felt very, very short.
S-stupid demon butler, stealing all her height…
That was something else to be jealous over.
"It's a shame that your sisters are so cruel to you… but I am sure they don't mean what they say. They can be quite amicable girls by themselves; although it seems, together… well, maybe they inspire one another to be naughty. But I'm sure they don't hate you. After all, you're a very charming girl. And there's little about you to hate."
"Y-you… … y-you really think so…?"
"Absolutely." Ronove laughed gently. "Would a gentleman ever tell a lie to a fair lady such as yourself?"
"Ahaha… u-um… W-well, I guess not…"
"Then that's all there is to the matter, pu ku ku~"
Leviathan smiled nervously- the expression flickering across her face tentatively, as though her smile was shy, and unsure whether it wanted to take center stage on her face or not.
After a while, however, her genuine feelings of happiness won out.
There was a warm, soft feeling inside her chest- and her face was steadily getting pinker and pinker.
At first, Leviathan's back had been poker straight from surprise, and she had resisted the hug purely out of shock. The longer he held her like this, however… the more she started to grow accustomed to it.
And the more she realized just how nice it felt.
When she made that realization, and her brain slowly connected all the dots, like some kind of puzzle game…
Well, the obvious conclusion appeared to be resting her head against his chest and returning the hug. She wrapped her arms round Ronove's middle like he was a stuffed toy; just like the ones she cuddled when she went to sleep at night (i-it was a little embarrassing she had such a childish habit, but it was fine so long as none of her sisters found out, right?)
"T-thank you for being so friendly… Um, and I… Well… …" Shyly, she looked down at the floor; face flushing. "You're so nice… w-when you're not making fun of people, ahaha… t-that… w-well… I-I don't know why you'd bother taking care of me… w-when you could be, I-I don't know… a-actually with somebody you like?"
"Hm, yes… it is a mystery~ Although, there is one slight problem with that statement."
"What…?"
"For it to be true, it would have to imply that I dislike you- and that's simply not the case. Pu ku ku~"
"H-haau… u-um… … m-muu… I-I... a-ahahahaha…"
"And, if it will make you feel better… I will also gladly confide that, occasionally, I also feel upset from time to time. So you're hardly the only one."
"E-eh…? E-even you? Y-you feel that way as well?" Leviathan squeaked in awe; her eyes widening with surprise.
Ronove smiled. "Mmhmm. Particularly when I see Battler getting along so well with Milady~ And so I am fated to be forever spurned by the person of my affections~ It's quite sad, pu ku ku~"
Leviathan blinked up at Ronove in confusion for a few moments, her lips parted- ready to say something comforting (she didn't know what), like 'that's terrible…?', or words to that effect.
And then, when she stared at Ronove, her head tipped back… she saw that signature teasing smile on his face… …
And he was grinning.
Urgh…
Leviathan scowled.
No, that wasn't it.
She was downright pouting.
"H-hey!" she snapped, "I can't believe I nearly fell for that! Stop trying to make me sympathize with you over a relationship issue that isn't even an issue or a real thing! Stop making fun of me! I'm not stupid!"
"Of course not you're not~" said Ronove, voice mischievous, "I was only trying to cheer you up. Please don't think of it too much- only about 20% of my speech is serious anyway… You should know that by now. I suppose you and Battler do have some things in common; that naïveté being one of them… That's why you're both fun to talk to. Pu ku ku…~"
Leviathan snorted and stuck her nose up in the air huffily- pushing herself out of Ronove's embrace. She kind of missed the warmth, and regretted the action the moment she did it, but she couldn't back down. She had a front she needed to keep up, as a proud Sister of Purgatory!
"Humph! Well, I still think making a girl worry like that is mean! You're really mean!"
"What happened to being 'nice'?"
"H-hm… haau, you're both at the same time- just like sweet and sour sauce! D-don't ask me to explain it! I-idiot…"
Leviathan continued to glare at the floor for a few moments, her red face a contrast against her green hair as she sulked.
H-honestly- why did she always fall for it when people played tricks on her? Gaap did the same thing sometimes, and once Beatrice had tricked her into consuming that cup of balsamic vinegar…
Not to mention the things all her sisters did…
I-it was really annoying. Just because she was trusting, it didn't make her stupid, did it?
Well… maybe, given the company she kept, she should have been a little more suspicious of their motives- but, even so!
Leviathan sighed.
And then…
She stopped.
And she started to think.
If Ronove was going to tease her, she should just stop being upset… and try to play along with it. That was definitely the smart thing to do.
It sounded like more fun than being upset, too…~
"Okay, that's fine," she said, flipping her hair over one shoulder elegantly. "You can take Battler, if you really want. But if you do, I get to have Kyrie aaaaall to myself!~ She'll be my mentor in envy, and my friend, and I'll play with her forever and ever, until she turns to ashes!~ Yes, that sounds like fun- that sounds like lots of fun!~ Ahahahaha~ I'm not an ambitious girl, but when I want something, I'll always get it, no matter how many humans or demons I have to stake to death! Gyahahahaihihi~ How does that arrangement sound?~ If I help you with Baaaattler, you need to help me with my lovely and wonderful Kyrie, okay? Okay? Ahahaha~~"
Ronove laughed; shaking his head in bemusement.
Leviathan was saying some pretty scary stuff- but, then again… she was a Stake; and, despite her cheerful demeanour, she was capable of doing some rather terrifying things.
It was a good thing this was all a joke, or else Kyrie might have been in some real danger.
"Pu ku ku~ Fine. I'll agree with that arrangement. And we can be allies in our romantic endeavors, yes?"
Leviathan's eyes began to sparkle- just like a heroine's in a shoujo manga. It was a surprise rose petals had not started to bloom about her (if she wanted them, she could always punch Ronove in the face a couple of times…)
"Yes!~" she declared exuberantly, throwing her arms wide, "We can be allies in love!~ Whoever stands between me and my adorable Kyrie, I'll kill! I'll seriously kill them! That'll show my sisters how 'incompetent' I am, gyahahihihi~ And then I can go off into the sunset with her, on a white pony… I'll stake her stupid husband in the head, of course- or maybe Belphie can have him, if she wants- and you can get Battler out of the way for me, Ronove, and… Haaau… What a good idea!~ What a perfect fantasy! Kyakyakya!~ Let's make our alliance official, okay!~"
"As you wish, Milady~"
"Ehehehe~"
"Ah, but… it might be inelegant to ask- but I am merely curious… how serious are your feelings towards Madam Kyrie? I feel it would become quite messy if you really tried to kill her husband, pu ku ku~"
"Mmm… uhuhu~" Leviathan grinned. "I don't knoo~oow~ I won't know until I have Kyrie aaall for myself!~ Ehehe! B-but, why are you asking me that question anyway? T-that's way too straightforward! T-think about a girls' fragile heart! H-how serious are your feelings towards Battler, anyways?"
"Mm… Well…~ Hn…"
There was a brief pause, during which Ronove looked… strangely lost for words- maybe even a little bit embarrassed; and Leviathan couldn't help giggle at this strange lapse, which was pretty satisfying to see. She liked picking out the weak points in people, after all, ufufufu~
"Oh dear~ What you said before… was that… seriously the truth? Were you… really telling the truth?~"
"Mn, I do wonder~ You believed it was a joke so quickly- so I assume my words didn't sound sincere at all. You can believe what you wish, Miss Leviathan." Ronove smiled. "I suppose they are about as serious as your feelings for Madam Kyrie?"
"Ooh?" Leviathan's eyes widened slightly. She grinned. "It's really at that level? Really? Wow… Ahaha! Well! If you really were being seriously serious about it, then I guess we simply have to make an alliance now! I know how painful it is to be jealous when the person you like doesn't like you back! But we can support each other, okay? I-I think we definitely can!~ Ahaha!~"
And so, with that rather rousing speech from Leviathan, the two friends gently bumped their fists together in a show of camaraderie. Leviathan's tiny, pale fist pressed against Ronove's own, considerably larger, white-gloved one, for a matter of brief moments.
They looked at each other directly in the eye- both smiling all the while.
Then, perhaps both a little abashed at how foolish they were being… they started to laugh.
When Leviathan laughed, it was almost impossible to imagine she was the same sad, lonely girl who had been crying just seconds before.
a/n: Oh and there isn't even any Ronove/Battler interaction in this one… Ahaha it's still pretty shippy though~ I-I-I really like hopeless one-sided crushes okay… o / / / o A-and sometimes feelings like that are best communicated via interactions with other characters...? ^^''
Cross-posted from my tumblr from, like, a month ago, but edited up and made nicer~
~renahhchen xoxo