LIGHT ME UP ↝ Lucifer Morningstar

SEVENTEEN.

       SOMETHING FELT DIFFERENT. Benjamin couldn't quite put his finger on it, but as he sat in Lucifer's Corvette in silence and looked at the bright lights of the city, he was somewhat... nervous. Lucifer tried to relieve the tension with a few of his usual jokes and sassy comments, which did pull chuckles from the Espinoza, but even when they finally arrived at Lux, there was a sense of awkwardness in the air as they both reached for the door, only to stumble into one another, leaving Lucifer with his large hands gripping Benji's biceps to keep him steady. And on the outside, it did work, but on the inside, it only made matters worse.

However, he was truly glad to see the club still standing. "I love this place", Benjamin admitted as they walked towards the elevator, his eyes looking around the surroundings, for which he now had a far greater appreciation than before. It was true that sometimes it took losing things and people to realize their value, and now that Lux's future had been at risk and Lucifer had nearly been evicted, there was an undeniable warm shade of relief in Benjamin's rapidly beating heart.

The elevator ride up to Lucifer's penthouse was just as painful, with both of them staring at the doors in silence, overwhelmed by the hot air they were surronded by, their aftershaves colliding in the middle as they waited for the right floor to arrive. And when the doors finally parted, they both headed for the exit, only to run into each other once again, which made the men laugh quietly.

"My apologies, I'm not quite sure what's got me so tongue-tied", Lucifer shook his head, and offering a smile, Benji reassured that it was alright. "Perhaps we just need some liquid courage. It has been a long day, after all", the Devil sighed, before turning to Benjamin, "especially for you."

Laughing, Benjamin shrugged. "It's no big deal, really. Not my first night in a holding cell", he gulped whilst he wandered around Lucifer's penthouse, always so impressed by the sophisticated sight, from the grand bedroom to the shiny piano, and the large bookshelves adorning the walls. Once Lucifer had poured them drinks, though, Benji settled for the leather couch where he proceeded to sip on the delicious alcohol — which he definitely needed in his system to break the ice. Although, he wasn't quite sure why breaking the ice was even necessary, in the first place.

"I think it is a big deal, though. Thank you, Benjamin, truly. You've shown nothing but support for me and everything I stand for, and that's—that's more than I can say about most people. And you defending Lux, my home... well, let's just say that I greatly appreciate the lengths you've gone to. Bailing you out was the least I could do", Lucifer breathed out while his eyes remained stuck on Benji, who pursed his lips in a sheepish smile. It did warm his heart — it made him feel less like a disappointment to everyone around him, to know that someone didn't see him like that. Of course, Dan was always there for Benjamin, but what he had with Lucifer... It was a different kind of connection.

"Thank you for that, by the way", he commented, grateful that he didn't have to spend the night in the holding cell that had began to seem more and more dreary with each slowly passing hour. "So, Chloe saved Lux, huh?", Ben let his gaze roam the apartment whilst he remembered the mention of his sister-in-law, but eventually, his soft blue eyes landed back onto Lucifer, who was seated on the opposite couch, looking irresistible as always.