Stop oml, I'm soft. Look at Tae's smile - awh.
|Six|
⑉
The pale lights flickered on slowly, the power beating through each circuit until the slender room relished in a frosty glow.
As soon as there was enough light to see my feet running in front of me, I was out of there. Moving until I was back in the safety of the Dome. The soft spot where Agramon couldn't hurt me. It made me rethink my morals as I stood hunched over, breathing unevenly. Lucifer was right in a crude way. Demons were similar to me, only they and different end goals compared to me.
What made the wound sting even further was how I had moaned at Lucifer, telling him how cruel his actions were with starving his demons. But when the chance had arisen for me to do just that? I couldn't do it. I sank beneath waves of doubt and worry.
⑉
I left it roughly a week before I showed my face in the Underworld again. My sense of pride wanted to keep me from returning longer only the monachopsis knocking at the frail window in my mind caused me to retreat earlier. Embarrassment taunted at me, sneaky words like those whispered from a pesky garden goblin swam into my ears, breaking through the door to my head. My face flushed at the thought of my actions. I was a coward.
I hope he wasn't pissed off at me. I didn't need an angry demon child wanting me dead every time I ventured down into the world below. That would make this whole ordeal an entire level more difficult.
Searching for Lucifer's whereabouts was never my favourite task. He never seemed to be where I left him last. He was like a snake; agile, fast, and could travel through the shadows. I found him after a few slow minutes of gingerly poking my head through a few portal mirrors. There. He was sitting rather elegantly at the end of a black silk-clad bed, in nothing but a pair of black slacks. His snowy shoulders rolled back as he lifted his hand to coat a layer of shaving cream over his sharp jawline. The bone structure so defined, that the sheet of foam almost cracked under its strength.
He spotted me straight away. His eyes stayed trained on my own as he continued to slather white foam across his chin and down his neck.
"Cut-throat razer," I tilted my head to the side, taking in the dark colour pallet that made up Lucifer's bedroom, "how traditional."
Typically, the Underworld was gelid. Only in here, the opposite happened - the hot air pelted from all angles, smearing the atmosphere with sultriness. As I watched the fallen Angel before me, I noticed how much he was a man of precision and great skill. Even as he swiped his razer against a fresh blade to sharpen them - he made the act look like an art form. Like watching an artist react with their favourite medium, the outcome was beautiful.
"You're back," Lucifer said, his voice as soft and diapason as ever. He brought his hand down from his chin, placing the blade on the soft-threaded towel next to him. "I wasn't expecting you so soon."
Neither was I. But life is full of surprises, isn't it?
"You weren't?"
"Nope." Lucifer shook his head and folded over his arms, the defined muscles rippling as he moved. "The shade of your cheeks when you ran out was enough to tell me you were deeply embarrassed. Assumed I wouldn't see you for at least another week. It's pretty though, your blush. Like an autumnal sunset - rich in pinks and reds."
I bit down hard on my inner cheek to stop the scenic scene from painting itself across my face. "You caught me off guard. That's all there was too it."
"Oh really?" Lucifer almost mewled, the instrument in his throat soaring in a devilious tune. His eyes brightened from the inner star of mischief and Lucifer left a strong pause to ignite his hidden meaning. "It wouldn't matter either way because if you were to sin, you wouldn't have to travel very far to repent."
My cheeks betrayed me. They heated up hot, burning at the memory of Lucifer's words. He wasn't able to let me visit without embarrassing me.
"Uh," I trailed, wracking my brain for anything that would act as a Segway out of this conversation. "You have a nice room!" I blurted out loud. "Could use a bit of colour though."
Lucifer raised an eyebrow bemused. "Really? Nice room?"
I nodded, "Yeah. Why so much black?"
"Because it matches my soul."
I laughed. "How cliche."
"Oh really? Cliche, are they? Let me guess the colour of your bedroom walls then. Hm, are they the colour of purity, innocence perhaps? Am I close? Have I hit the nail on its head?"
"I didn't choose the colour of my walls Lucifer."
"You're avoiding the question."
"And you're irritating."
"And you're acting like you are seven. What was that comeback?"
"Whatever. I don't remember painting my walls. For all I know, I could have wanted them orange."
"Here," Lucifer said, holding his open palm out for me, the razer resting on the skin.
The blade felt heavier in my own palm. It was drenched with power and trust. But was it a bluff?
"You're trusting me with a blade?"
"You're not giving me a reason not too, " Lucifer replied, tilting his head back to open up the space. I took a slow step forward to stand in the gap between his knees. I didn't get the chance to make the first stroke before Lucifer's arms had dived under my legs to pull me onto his lap in such skilled manner that I now straddled him.
"Somebody is eager," I said with a coy smile, resting my hand on Lucifer's jawline as I used the other to make the first cut. I trained my focus to his defined jaw and his neck, refusing myself the sneak peek of what was on open display below. I couldn't do that to myself, not so soon.
We stayed like this, weirdly intertwined for a long while. The two of us acting like Ying and Yang or paired salt shakers you would find in restaurants. Being this close to Lucifer, I felt like I had successfully gotten past the first barrier, or at least made a crack at the surface. It was therapeutic, listening to the raw steady sound of his heart beating.
Suddenly, he spoke, breaking the casket of silence that had begun to settle. "My life in your hands," he whispered as I carried out the last few cuts on his neck.
I felt my lips curve up into a small smile, "So soon?" I teased, allowing our eyes to meet for a brief second.
"You know," Lucifer began, turning his face so I could access the other side of his neck. "I did wonder how long the Fates would wait before sending me you."
I paused, mid-way through a cut. "Did you? Why would you think that?"
"Because they sent us down on the same day," Lucifer said, his voice low and smooth like his words were obvious. "Or up, who knows when it comes to the Fates. But that must mean something."
"It might do," I said, not paying much attention to his words. "Does anyone call you Luci?" I sat back, reaching for the towel to wipe away the excess foam on his jaw.
"No."
"Then I will call you Luci."
"No, you won't."
"Why?"
"Because I don't want you too."
"And I don't want you to call me darling, but you still do," I said, standing up.
"Yes, you do," Lucifer said with a slight smirk.
"I don't."
"Well, I don't believe you."
"Now who is the one making comebacks like they are seven?" I teased, reaching up to ruffle Lucifer's hair.
Noticing my action, I pull back. "Sorry! I didn't mean to."
Lucifer shrugged, "Don't work yourself up about it darling."
After that small moment of awkwardness on my part, Lucifer packed away his shaving equipment and disappeared into the bathroom, returning with a pack of playing cards a minute later.
Why there were playing cards in the bathroom was one of life's many wonders.
We ended up flopped on his bed, playing a few intense games of Snap.
It was nice being able to relax and play something so human. Although, I was still unsure of whether or not Lucifer was playing the game or not. And, I wasn't talking about the cards. Did he treat all of the other Angels in this way? Is that how he won over their hearts before mercilessly crushing them? By acting somewhat sweet to fool them?
⑉
It had just gone past ten when I arrived back in the Light Paradox, completely worn out from the number of board games we ended up playing. Lucifer was quite the competitive player. At one point, I swear he was going to throw a tantrum. It was almost adorable.
"And what time do you call this?" Raphael's soothing voice carried over the air of tranquillity.
"Woah." I pressed my hand on my heart, "you scared me."
Raphael tapped his imaginary watch. "So what did you and Lucifer do that involved staying there so late?"
"Late? It's not even eleven yet grampa. You can relax."
"So," Raphael began, brushing off the grampa comment with the click of his tongue. "Did you have a nice time?"
"I suppose. We didn't do much, played board games all evening."
Raphael squinted his eyes, "You're missing something out. What happened? Did you kiss or something?"
"What? No! Of course not!"
"Then what happened? You have this glint in your eye."
"Nothing! I helped him shave that's all."
Raphael's eyebrows raised."That's an odd activity to do for fun."
"He was shaving when I arrived anyway."
"What type of razor does he use?"
"What?" I replied with a giggle.
"Razor. What razor does he use, I'm curious!"
"A cut-throat one."
"Woah. That's hot."
"Raphael."I said with a laugh, holding my palm out to feel his temperature, "are you okay? You went from stating this was a weird activity to saying it's hot."
He swatted my hand away. "It is! You could have killed him!"
"Except, I didn't." I was cut off by the dreadful, repetitious beeping blasting in my ears.
"Are you okay?" Raphael asked, his tone dropping as he reached out to place a hand on my shoulder.
"Mm," I hummed, closing my eyes tightly. "I think I have a headache coming. I've had this beeping in my ears start at random times. It's quite annoying." I brush off his concern.
"Oh?" Raphael replied with a frown etched onto his blond brows. "Have you been sleeping well lately?"
I nodded, "I think so. Oh well, it should go away soon." I brushed off, watching Raphael who nodded slowly, something unknown glinting in his deep blue eyes.
Something he knew that I didn't.
He was keeping secrets from me once again.
⑉
Oh, Raphael what is on your mind?
until next time my angels,
-V
Edited: 19/06/18