#and as satan is canonically prone to fits of rage

[666writingcafe]

The Bookstore

Content Warning: anxiety attack x Satan

"I have to say, I really like this bookstore," Satan tells me softly. "It's so quiet and peaceful in here, and they have a really large selection of books."

"I've always been drawn to this one," I reply. "It feels more cozy than a traditional store. Sadly, I've had to limit the amount of time I spend in here, because otherwise I'd go into debt from spending all my money on books."

"Does your employer not pay you enough?" I sigh.

"I mean, I have enough to cover bills and other necessities. I just try to have some money saved up in case of an emergency."

"I see." Satan pauses long enough to clear his throat. "So, um, it's been a while since I've read anything from the human world, and I was wondering if you had any recommendations."

"Define 'a while'." He glances down at the ground, a slight blush developing on his cheeks.

"Shakespeare..." Honestly, that sounds about right. I figured it must have been a few centuries ago.

"Comedy or tragedy?"

"It was a comedy, I think. Much Ado About Nothing? I liked the dynamic between the two main characters. Benedict and Beatrice." Perfect.

"Follow me."

~~~

In the end, we've settled on ten books: The Importance of Being Earnest, Pride and Prejudice, Jane Eyre, Great Expectations, The Mysteries of Udolpho, The Castle of Otranto, Frankenstein, Dracula, Interview with the Vampire, and A Clockwork Orange.

There's a lot more that I think Satan would enjoy, but I don't want to overwhelm him. Knowing him, he'll have these ten books finished in a couple of months--and be able to talk intelligently about them.

"Hey, do you remember which way we came from?" Satan asks. "I want to say it was from the right..." He stops mid-sentence. "Wait, no. Maybe it was the left?" He's getting anxious. I can tell.

"Take a deep breath and try to relax," I instruct. "If we stick together, we'll find our way out." He doesn't seem to hear me.

How could he? He's having an attack.

He doesn't allow many people to see him like this, not even his brothers. The only exception is Asmo, although Lucifer does know about them.

It's not like Satan wanted me to witness him in this state, either. I merely stumbled into the situation the first time.

What makes his attacks different than, let's say, a human's, is that his anxiety is quite prone to becoming anger, and considering that he's the literal Avatar of Wrath...

Not even the amount of money Diavolo gave me would be enough to cover a damaged bookstore.

I set my stack of books down before grabbing his from him and putting it next to mine. Then, I gently guide him to sit next to me on the floor.

"Count or touch?" I ask him. Sometimes, he's able to handle external sensations when he's in this state, but other times he doesn't want to be near anything that can even remotely brush up against him.

Silently, he scooches closer to me.

"Are you sure?" He nods his head, and I wrap my arm around him. I don't mind that he's currently not talking. That means that he still has some control over his emotions.

After a few moments, Satan sighs.

"If only I could have you this close all the time," he murmurs. "You have a soothing heartbeat."