i see “beelzebub and gabriel only cared about each other and that’s why they ran away” and i think that’s valid but also, beelzebub and gabriel had never been cared FOR in their 6000 year existence and i think that counts for a lot. they were created to do god’s will, and then were put into these leadership roles where they spent the next 6000 years waiting to command a war. they didn’t make friends (which makes sense when everyone around you is a work subordinate), they didn’t have families, they didn’t have people to check up on them, want to hang out with them, spend time with them, gift them things, comfort them etc. they existed solely for the cause.

so of course they ran away together. 6000 years of loneliness and they didn’t even realize that’s what it was until they met each other. “no one has ever given me anything before” gabriel says and it’s the most emotional and vulnerable we’ve ever seen him. beelzebub is hard and mean and cruel to everyone else because that’s been their eternal role, but with gabriel they’re soft, giving, caring.

so is it about selfishness? partly, yeah. gabriel and beelzebub did not really live lives that gave them the opportunity to care for anything but themselves and god’s/satan’s will. so any being who was raised that way and then stagnated for 6000 years in that mindset would naturally be selfish. but their love for each other? they fell for each other because they could be selfless around each other. gabriel made a jukebox play beelzebub’s favorite song without expecting anything in return. beelzebub gave gabriel the fly because they wanted to, not because they needed to. their meetings weren’t beneficial to them. it was literally to be in each other’s company.

i mean, gabriel was willing to fall to be with beelzebub and beelzebub was willing to give up being duke of hell if it meant gabriel was safe and with them. that’s very selfless of both of them.