❝LITTLE SYMPATHY FOR LITTLE OLD ME, EH?❞
In which Annika Hayden is the innocent little angel, who makes the Devil himself come undone.
[LUCIFER SEASON ONE]
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
SINCE THE BEGINNING of her career, Annika had mostly relied on Maeve, and Maeve only. As expected, the rest of her co-workers liked her, but when it came to friendships outside school hours, the Hayden wasn't the best at keeping in touch — Maeve, however, had befriended her, forcibly, if no other way. That was exactly why Daniel was a breath of fresh air, his invitation to get a coffee immediately accepted by Annika who couldn't wait to get Lucifer out of her head for a little longer.
Nonetheless, she had meant what she had said in the morning, and that was why she was keeping things between him and the new substitute completely professional. Not to mention the rumors that would spring to life if anyone caught a whiff of a romance brewing in the teachers' lounge.
"So, why'd you move to L.A?" Annika questioned politely while munching on the donut Daniel had bought for her at a nearby coffee shop. So far, the man seemed not only friendly but funny, too, and it was safe to say that Annika's grim day had taken a much-welcomed twist for the better. She would certainly have to give Maeve a call afterward and boast about the new friendships she was forging — though she suspected that the woman would take a drastically different approach to their new, dashing substitute.
Considering his answer for a moment, Daniel licked his lips and chuckled quietly. "I came here to find my brother, actually. He's a bit of a... brat. He ran away from home and my father sent me to find him but so far, it hasn't been a success. So, suffice to say, I have experience with children", he explained with amusement, and without knowing better, Annika broke into a fond laugh.
Still, she hoped to give him some advice, as she definitely had met her fair share of misbehaving children, as well. "Remember to think about it from his perspective, you know. Consider how he feels. If he doesn't want to leave, then there must be a good reason for that", Annika pointed out softly, knowing from experience that ignoring the child's side of the story never worked out. The look that Daniel gave him seemed meaningful, but she couldn't decipher it, so she simply moved on with a shrug and a grin. "Or bribe him with some candy or new toys."
That was all she could say when Annika's phone buzzed in her pocket, and with a quiet apology, she snuck the device out just in time to see a message from Lucifer. Seeing his name written across the screen sent blush creeping up her cheeks — it was good to know they were still on speaking terms, but there was no love lost in his simple message announcing that he needed to pick her up at this instant for something critically important. With her heart rate picking up, she scribbled a quick reply of her location before turning to Daniel and flashing him a warm smile.
"I'm sorry, I have to help a... friend out. But thank you so much for this", she insisted with a wave at the empty coffee mug and the napkin where once a sweet donut had rested. In return, the man thanked her for the company, giving Annika the deep-rooted hope that she had made a new friend.
With her stomach twisting and turning, the brunette desperately hoped that whatever Lucifer was in a need of, she'd be allowed to hold onto the bud of happiness beating in her heart.
