"Are you sure you don't have superpowers?" Dan says, he and Nyx having just brought in their fourth killer of the week. "It's like you can just read their minds and get them to say what they're thinking.
Nyx smiles lightly. "I feel their minds calling and I can't resist taking a peek."
"What am I thinking right now?"
Nyx tilts his head, taking a look into the detective's mind. "Lucifer and Pierce... having a seafood dinner together?"
Dan lets out a huff. "I tried to think of something you wouldn't be able to guess. You're either really good at guessing or can actually read minds, I don't know."
"I can prove it if you want," Nyx suggests. "By the way, I'm quite sure Luci's not fond of seafood."
"I'm good without proof," Dan says. "But maybe one day."
"One day," Nyx repeats. "... D'you feel like coming to Lux for an hour or two? I'd say we're done for the day, we can start on another case tomorrow."
Dan thinks for a few seconds before nodding, "Alright. Celebrate a new and good partnership. But if I get drunk, you're taking me home."
Nyx grins, "deal."
⚯
Lucifer walks down the club's stairs after a successful evening sting operation. His eyes are immediately drawn to his lover, standing in the middle of the floor and singing along with the rock song playing through the club speakers.
"Do you remember all the plans we made?
Hopin', prayin' for a better day
Tell me what ever happened to the love we gave?
The promise that we both betrayed
And the songs we sang
The times we fought for everything
Tell me what ever happened to what I've become?
The pain I feel for where I'm from
Do you remember all the plans we made?
Hopin', prayin' for a better day
Tell me what ever happened to the love we gave?
The promise that we both betrayed"
The song ends and the draxon heads over to the bar with a wide grin. Lucifer walks over, seeing Nyx talking with Dan.
"How was that?" Nyx asks. "Up to your expectations?"
"And quite a ways past them," Dan says. "Hey Lucifer."
"Daniel," the devil greets. "Nyx."
"Luci," Nyx says happily, putting an arm around the devil's shoulder and pulling him close. "How'd your operation go, love?"
"Huge success and another killer is behind bars," Lucifer replies, his muscles releasing their previously unnoticed tension. "How's your little party of two over here?"
"Dan thought I couldn't sing," Nyx says with a pout.
"And you proved me wrong," Dan says. "Now, it's getting late and we have work tomorrow, and I've had too many drinks to be legally allowed to drive..."
Nyx smiles. "Alright, I'll drive you home."
Giving the devil a quick kiss, the two head out of the club to Dan's car. Dan falls asleep in the passenger seat on the way, Nyx already knowing where to go since they'd gone over the detective's address earlier.
Nyx hums himself as he parks in Dan's driveway and carries the sleeping man inside after finding the keys in Dan's pocket. He gets a glass of water and places it on the nightstand next to the bed where the draxon lays the man down. He locks the front door then flies out of the house, landing just a block away and deciding to walk back to Lux.
Nyx takes a deep breath, enjoying the cool, clear night.
Dear draxon, a young voice suddenly whispers in Nyx's head, making him freeze. I... I don't know if you're real, but if you are, I really need your protection. That's something you do, right? I heard you protect the ones who rightfully need it. I saw Daddy stab Mommy and now he's looking for me and I'm scared. Please, help me.
A growl escapes Nyx's lips, his eyes flashing. His wings come out again and he flies to where the prayer came from. He finds a young boy running down the sidewalk, terror dancing in his wide eyes as he occasionally glances over his shoulder. Nyx lands a ways ahead of the boy, keeping his wings out.
The boy gasps, slowing to a stop and looking at the winged man that appeared in front of him.
"W-who are you?" he whispers, eyes wide.
"The one you prayed to," Nyx says. "And you're right; protecting the ones who need it is what I like to do. Come, I will not let you be hurt."
Looking over his shoulder again, the boy hurries into the draxon's outstretched arms. Picking up the young boy, Nyx turns and walks towards Lux, reaching out with his magic to find the boy's father. He locates the man in his home where he's now working on hiding his wife's body. Nyx also finds the boy's name, Alec Reeves.
"Alec?" Nyx says softly, looking at the boy.
He gets no answer, and the draxon realizes the poor boy has fallen asleep, his head tucked against the draxon's chest. Nyx smiles softly, flying the two the rest of the way to Lux's penthouse.
"There you are," Lucifer says, sitting on the couch. "I was wondering what was taki— Is that a small child you're carrying?"
Putting his wings away, Nyx steps over to the couch, sitting next to the devil and cradling the boy. "His name's Alec."
"Why on earth did you bring a small child here?" Lucifer asks. "Wait, Nyxeus, did you kidnap him?"
"No, Luci," Nyx replies, his eyes locked on Alec's face, "He prayed to me."
Lucifer pauses, hearing the wonder in the draxon's voice. "He did?"
Nyx nods. "I... didn't think humanity knew of me... I only spent two centuries or so in their existence."
Lucifer smiles, "Well, if you weren't around to tell your stories, someone had to, love."
Finally, Nyx turns his gaze to the devil. "You...?"
"Of course," Lucifer replies, resting his head against the draxon's shoulder. "I wasn't going let such a huge part of the universe, and of my life, go unknown by my father's creation."
"And how'd he take that?"
"Not fondly, but he let it happen. He did eventually get some of my brothers and sisters to help tell stories that weren't cock and bull... Cain helped as well, he quite liked you... Why'd the child pray to you?"
Nyx scowls. "His father killed his mother and was looking to kill him too. I'm planning to bring Alec to the precinct tomorrow morning, he's exhausted so I thought I'd let him rest."
"We don't need him to bring his murderous father to justice," Lucifer says. "We don't need the LAPD either."
"As much as I like that idea, If we took care of it on our own and made it seem like his parents only went missing, how would we explain Alec being with us? And it's late, Luci."
Lucifer sighs, pouting. "... Fine, we'll go to the precinct tomorrow. You're not bringing the child to our bed though."
⚯
"Wow," Alec whispers, looking wide-eyed around the precinct, fingers grasping Nyx's hand.
"Indeed," Lucifer says, walking on Nyx's other side.
Pierce walks over per Nyx's telepathic request. "Nyxeus, Lucifer. Why is there a child in a police precinct?"
"I found him last night," Nyx says. "We need to talk, preferably in one of the conference rooms."
Nodding, Pierce leads the three to one of the glass-walled rooms of the precinct, gesturing for Chloe and Dan to join them.
"Who's this?" Chloe asks as they all sit down, her, Dan and Pierce on one side of the table, Alec, Nyx and Lucifer on the other.
At Nyx's encouragement, the young boy whispers, "I'm Alec Reeves."
"Hold on, aren't you in Trixie's class at school?" Dan asks.
"Trixie Espinoza, yeah. She's nice... Kind of loud though."
"Now why'd you bring him here?" Pierce asks.
"Daddy stabbed Mommy last night," Alec replies quietly, "He tried to stab me but I ran away."
"I'm sorry, what?" Dan says. He looks to Nyx, "Why didn't you bring him in last night?"
"It was late and he was sleeping," Nyx replies. "I wasn't going to disturb him. It won't be too hard to arrest his father, he has no experience in hiding bodies and concealing evidence."
"How do you know that?" Chloe asks.
"Mind reader," Nyx says, tapping his temple.
"Don't question it," Dan adds, seeing Chloe's expression.
"Alright," Pierce says, "Decker, I want you to interview Alec here. Espinoza, take a team and find his father as well as gather evidence. Lucifer, go with Espinoza this time, something tells me Nyx won't be leaving the boy."
Surprisingly, the devil doesn't protest, giving Nyx a look of 'I'm find and punish the scumbag who did this' as he follows Dan out of the room.
"Alright Alec," Chloe says gently. "I'm gonna need you to answer some questions for me."