Chapter Text
The clatter and clunk of broken machinery echoed through the caverns of the Magic Ore mine, closely followed by the disgruntled yelling of their inventor. Usually filled with workers and operators, the mines were unusually quiet today - probably due to the repeated outbursts of their supervisor. Mammon removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes as his inventions whirred to a frustrating halt, smoke rising from the still-sparking circuitry, the caves returning to their eerily silent state.
“What in the hell is causing the malfunction this time?” he grumbled, letting go of the control pad and letting it swing from the strap around his neck. He leaned over the machine, deft fingers picking their way through the hot wires and blown chips. The temperature didn’t phase him at all; his demonic origin gave him an almost unnatural resistance to all things fiery. This came in extra handy when things went awry, as he could do onsite repairs while things were still volatile - this had saved both his inventions and himself on numerous occasions, although not without the odd minor explosion.
“Aha!” he exclaimed after a moment of searching, tugging on a very melted piece of equipment. Whatever fire it had caused reduced to little more than a simmer, allowing the smoke to clear as the demon investigated the undecipherable piece in his hand. It was at this moment that the Village Elder, with whom he had struck up quite the partnership, made themselves apparent.
“Everything okay Mammon? I heard your shouting.” They looked back and forth at the empty tunnels, voice trailing off as they wondered if this was really a good time. Mammon’s head shot up with a kind of excitement usually only reserved for his eureka moments.
“It’s better now,” he stammered shyly with an almost embarrassed laugh. “I was messing about with a new invention but it seems the power it requires is far too much for some of the hardware I’d installed. I hope the disruption didn’t disturb you?” The Elder shook their head, a relieved smile on their lips.
“Not at all, I was just worried about you.” They seemed to realise what they had just said, expression morphing to one of shock before they clammed up. Mammon’s face mirrored theirs for a moment before he coughed a little and composed himself.
“This is nothing, I assure you. A… minor malfunction. I’ll just need to go back to the drawing board for this one before it’s work-ready.” He held up the melted component as if to demonstrate his point. The faint sensation of liquid trickling down the side of his arm gave him pause, but the Elder was on it long before he was. As he brought his arm down to investigate, they had already put their hands on it, scrutinising it thoroughly.
“A minor malfunction that seems to have given you a minor injury,” they said almost scoldingly. Mammon felt the heat rise in his cheeks as he said nothing. The Elder rummaged about in their pack, retrieving a potion and a bandage. There was a tense silence as they set to work, applying the potion liberally to the wound and wrapping it in gauze.
“You didn’t have to do that,” Mammon said finally when it was finished, admiring the delicacy of their work. “But thank you.”
“Well, I knew you wouldn’t if I didn’t,” they muttered almost wistfully as they refilled their pack. “And who knows what nasty bugs are on the metal in that machine! Heck, I’m sure I’ve seen those parts in at least three other projects of yours and I bet they haven’t been cleaned even once.” That pricking heat burst into a blaze on Mammon’s face.
“Five projects, actually, and they probably could do with a dusting now that you mention it…” The Elder laughed, a soft, melodic sound that filled the silence beautifully. They straightened themselves, pulling their pack back onto their back.
“You’re as silly as you are smart Mammon, you know that?”
“Be careful, that almost sounds like a compliment,” the devil chuckled, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. “Don’t tell me you’re leaving so soon?”
“I thought maybe you’d want to finish fixing this, now that you’re all fixed up yourself.” The Elder shrugged almost nonchalantly, but there was melancholy in their tone.
“Maybe you could… stay? Help me work on it?” He paused briefly. “S-since you’re such a good fixer-upper, obviously.” The sarcastic joke didn’t come off quite as cool as he had hoped. He cursed himself a little at his inability to stay calm in front of them. He had felt this way before, as a much younger man. It had been acceptable then - surely he was a little more adult now, had grown out of such things?
“That would be great! As long as you don’t think I’d get in your way. I would love to see your process.”
“You couldn’t possibly. Please,” he stood, “take my seat and let’s get started.” The Elder made themselves comfortable, peering curiously into the open compartment with wide-eyed awe. Mammon gave himself a moment to watch them before approaching, leaning over their shoulder.
“Do you see those wires there?” he pointed to a couple that were unattached at one end, “they used to be attached to the melted bit I showed you before. They lead to a motor and to a small chip down here which controls the movement of the arm within a set of defined parameters.” He followed the wires to each of their destinations as he spoke, pressing his chest a little against their back to reach. The Elder nodded and hummed with interest as he continued to describe how the machine worked, but something in their still frame told him they were distracted.
“Am I going too fast? Too boring?” Mammon paused his enthusiastic lecture to question.
“O-oh! No no, it’s all incredibly interesting and I love how passionate you are about it. I never knew how complicated your inventions were, or just how many intricate parts it would take to get it to work. I-it’s just…” They seemed to hesitate for a moment. “Your heart is beating really loudly against my ear and it’s… very distracting.” Mammon stood bolt upright at that, taking a brief half-step back as he tried to hide his face. He didn’t realise just how much his body was giving him away. The Elder spun around in their seat, reaching a hand out to take his.
“Please don’t worry about it Mammon.” They placed his hand on their chest, which made the devil freeze. “Mine is too.” He could feel that same thumping that was in his chest in theirs. The quick, juddering rhythm felt like it was dissipating through their skin into the palm of his hand and up to his own heart. They clearly had the words for this feeling that he did not.
“I really like you Mammon, if you couldn’t already tell.” Mammon was shell-shocked. Surely he didn’t just hear that.
“I-I like you too. I have for a while. Ever since you came here the first time, in fact. I’ve not been able to get you off my mind. Maybe if I thought about my machines as much as I thought…” He coughed and looked away, embarrassed. “Sorry, I’m rambling now aren’t I?” The Elder laughed, moving to kneel on the seat, making themselves heights with the devil. They pulled him in by the hand, grabbing his face and forcing him to look at them for a moment. Mammon could see that spark in their eyes, a fire he wanted to bathe himself in more than any other - one he couldn’t resist. Their thumbs brushed against the hollow of his cheeks as they shared this quiet moment, sussing each other out. It was Mammon who capitalised, leaning his head forward with all the bravery he could muster and stealing a chaste kiss. The Elder didn’t pull away, nor did they force anything further, but when Mammon pulled away, they smiled, eyes fluttering back open.
“Is that all?” they teased, letting their arms drop back to their sides. “And here I had heard that you demons were full of fire.” The wings on Mammon’s back flexed themselves instinctively, pushing him forward with more force than he had intended, sweeping the petite form of the Elder into his arms with ease. His lips captured theirs with far more passion, his feelings making themselves more apparent now with their invitation. The chair toppled over, sending a loud clatter ringing through the mines, but neither of them stopped to care. They were engrossed in one another. The Elder wrapped their arms around the demon’s neck, unclipping the control pad straps and sending it too onto the rocky floor. Mammon’s long legs carried them both over the toppled equipment, finding a wall to press them up against as he moved his mouth to their neck, catching his breath between soft bites. They tasted positively delicious - their fragrant scent filled his nostrils and their soft, pale flesh tasted sweet and earthy all at once. Catching himself, the devil hesitated for a moment, suddenly all too aware of how quickly this had progressed. He pulled his head back, feeling the sweat on his forehead, the labour of his breaths, all at once.
“I’m sorry-” He didn’t even get to finish his apology before the Elder had placed a finger on his lips.
“You should only be sorry that you stopped. This was just getting interesting.” Mammon could see how the Elder had maintained a loyal harem back in the village now. He had been his own boss for so long that he had forgotten what it felt like to take orders from someone else… it felt good.
“As you wish.” He leaned in for another kiss, one hand holding their rear as the other groped and explored. The Elder purred in delight, eyes fluttering shut as the arm draped over his shoulder scratched his skin through his shirt, their other hand grabbing one of his horns with knowledgable fervour. They stroked it as if it were something else, making his abdomen twitch in response. Mammon could only moan his pleasure against their lips, submitting to the sensations they were lavishing upon him…