Reblogged

A Love like Ours

A/N: I started writing this Lucifer fic, like, almost a year ago, and I only just picked up continuing it today! I managed to finish it, so there’s another story to be taken out of my ‘Unfinished Fics’ documents folder XD Hope you enjoy!

Set before Lucifer meets Chloe.

Title: A Love like Ours

Summary: You tell Lucifer something that gives him the opportunity to step out of his Devil suit and become the angel he’s always been.

Words: 6980

You and Lucifer had always had a special relationship. He was second eldest, you were the youngest; it was to be expected, really. Like any little sibling, you followed your big brother around everywhere, wanting to be just like him. Now? Though you could skip the part about wanting to be exactly like him, there was no change in your relationship. He was Lucifer. Punishing people was in his nature and you couldn’t change that. Nevertheless, that didn’t mean you were going to follow in those particular footsteps. Despite not agreeing entirely with everything your brother did, you left him to it and got on with your own things. Being an angel had its perks – one of those being you weren’t entirely prone to… feeling. Sympathy, emotions… not really your thing.

However, when God had cast Lucifer out of Heaven, you hadn’t been able to stand for it. Living millennia without him would have been too difficult for you, and he’d felt the same way, if not more. And so, though your father had wanted his youngest angel by his side always where he could best watch out for her, he agreed to let you stay in Hell with him, solely because he still loved his son through everything he’d done and didn’t want him to suffer completely. Of course, he gave you permission to enter Heaven whenever you wanted. You were not an outcast; you were simply there to be with Lucifer.

It’d been five years since the Devil decided the two of you deserved a vacation. You were now living together in the penthouse above Lux that he had fairly earned. You were proud of him, if you were being honest; it was hard enough for an angel to befriend and live amongst the humans, but how difficult had it been for a fallen angel, who’d been chucked out of heaven because he protested against the humans, to do it?

You loved being with your brother, but the people… it was slightly more problematic for you than it was for him. Being so young – the human equivalent of a seventeen-year old – you’d barely gotten used to the ways of the angels before you’d been thrust into this new life. You kept it hidden, of course, but you couldn’t help but wonder how different everything would be if you were still in Heaven, surrounded by your brothers and sisters and your father. Nevertheless, you always imagined it with Lucifer. You weren’t willing to go anywhere without him. He, on the other hand, tended to have other thoughts, often finding himself seated on his couch, head in his hands as he, too, thought about how different it would be. How much happier you would be. This wasn’t your world. This wasn’t your life. He couldn’t help but think he’d taken you away from something better.

He had an inkling your thoughts were similar to his, but he knew you’d never tell him. Which was why, as you kept silently cursing your father, it would have been a good idea for your old man to make you able to resist his hypnosis. But he hadn’t. And so, you were as much a victim to the Devil finding out about your biggest secret than any other vulnerable human in this damn world.

Truthfully, you never thought it would have to come to that, but you weren’t surprised when it did; he was Lucifer. An archangel. Yes, he was fallen, but he was still one nonetheless. He was a being of pure power; the purest power in the galaxy and getting you – a mere angel compared to him – to tell him the truth when he wanted you to was nothing. However, above all, he was a big brother. Your big brother. And, if there was one thing all big brothers knew best, it was their little sibling. In this case, you. That man knew you more than he knew himself; he’d spent years raising you and was an expert on anything that had to do with you. It was a wonder, really, that you hadn’t turned out like him. If you’d calculated it correctly, you’d spent more time with him than your father, so how you weren’t currently a mini Devil went far beyond your train of thought. Though, Lucifer knew. Of course he knew. The answer was simple: you were Y/N, and he was Lucifer. Two completely different angels. Two completely different personalities. He raised you into the person you’d wanted to be, not the person he’d wanted you to be. Sure, he’d deemed it pretty awesome to have a little clone of himself running after him, but he’d never trade you for it. Never. He loved you as you were, and he was proud of the angel you’d become, even if the two of you were complete opposites.

You were pretty sure your father had foreseen this moment and so purposefully made it so you couldn’t resist your brother’s hypnosis, he would find out what you were hiding, and then boot you back to Heaven. Or, maybe, it was because he knew you were the fieriest of his angels and therefore wanted to allow Lucifer at least a little control and leeway over you. The latter sounded more plausible. But, whatever the reason was, God was in your bad books for it. You hated when your brother used his power over you, and he knew it, too. It just… you weren’t keen on being forced to tell someone something you obviously did not want to say. Your brother understood and stayed away from using it as much as he could, but he did love using it, and it was needed sometimes…

It’d been a long night, to put it plainly. Lucifer had had to break up a couple arguments at Lux and had thrown the same person through a window twice. As usual, you stayed out of the way and up in your room, waiting for your brother to kick everyone out when it was time to close the club and settle down to watch a movie or something with you. Nevertheless, you’d had four hours in your room to contemplate things, not exactly having much else to do, and the things you’d contemplated had been… well. Let’s just say they were based around you, Lucifer, Heaven and Earth.

Lux had closed just over half an hour ago, and you’d trudged down the stairs not long after to throw yourself onto the large sofa in the living room. You couldn’t be bothered to switch the TV on so simply lay there on your back, staring up at the ceiling. You hardly registered Lucifer walking in and rambling on about the people he saw at the club that evening. He’d walked straight over to the bar and poured himself a drink, talking about ‘pathetic little humans and their tendencies to make him want to impale himself’. He must have noticed your silence and lack of response, however, as the next thing he said was aimed directly at you. “Are you even listening to me?”

No response.

“You’re quiet tonight.” It was nothing but a statement. An observation. Turning over, you noticed your brother leaning against the door frame, the glass of whisky in his hand and that look on his face that you would have considered concerned if he wasn’t Satan.

“I’m fine,” you said.

“Ah, so you’re not.” Lucifer smiled, pearly white teeth shining in the dim light. Your eyebrows furrowed; the day he would actually make sense with what he was saying would be the say he returned to Hell. Never. The answer was never.

“Luce, I just said. I’m fine!”

“But, I didn’t ask if you were fine, did I? I simply speculated that you were a little more quiet than usual.”

It was silent for a moment, Lucifer’s eyes locked onto yours, a glint shining in them that clearly said ‘ha! I caught you!’ Well, he wasn’t wrong. Honestly, you’d expected him to go straight for it and ask if you were okay, to which you’d respond with the answer you’d given him. You glared at him for a minute. He’d known your train of thought. That son of a bitch – no offence to your dad – had played you. With a groan and an eye roll that wasn’t at all discreet, you turned over, back facing the grinning angel.

Lucifer chuckled. “So,” he said, “are we going to tell big brother what’s eating at you?”

“No.”

“And why is that?”

“Because nothing’s wrong. Simple.”

“Simple,” he repeated, lifting his chin a little higher and narrowing his eyes the faintest bit. In all plainness, he wasn’t used to seeing you like this. Despite that, however, it didn’t mean he was clueless and had no idea what he was doing here; you weren’t his only sibling, believe it or not, and you hadn’t been his last. His glass touched his lips and the remnants of the alcohol slid down his throat as he lifted his head. Once the drink was gone, he reached behind him and placed the empty glass on a table, never once taking his eyes off your curled up form on the couch. With both hands free, he was now able to cross them over his chest and at least attempt to look somewhat more daunting than he did before. It would have worked if he was trying it on someone else – his blue button-up and matching navy tight-fit blazer hugging his figure made him seem especially regal and not one to be messed with – but, firstly, he was trying it on you, and, secondly… you couldn’t even see him. Nevertheless, his intimidating façade didn’t last long; his narrowed eyes dropped to his shoes as he thought for a second, and he subconsciously bit his bottom lip before staring up at you again. “Was it something I said? Did?” A small sigh of relief left his lips at the shake of your head. “Oh, thank Dad,” he breathed, “I’m awful at apologies.” He half-expected you to at least show some sign of amusement at that, but you didn’t so much as move a muscle. A frown quickly took his grin’s place, and he slowly began to walk over to you.

“Alright, you know I’m not one for emotions, but neither are you. You’re not supposed to be… sad.”

He was right. You were an angel, and though angels were put there by your father for the good of the humans and therefore the Earth, you weren’t people. You couldn’t feel much. However, both you and your brother’s time on earth had seemed to take its toll. “I’m not sad,” you insisted. You didn’t make any sign of moving to talk properly with him, but your brother didn’t seem to mind.

“Yes, dear, you are.” You moved to lift your legs when Lucifer came to sit next to you but found that you didn’t have to as he picked them up, sat down, and then lay them across his lap, resting both hands on your ankles. He looked at you for a second, clearly studying you. “Did something happen while I was at Lux?”

“No.”

“Did Maze say something to you?”

“No.”

“Did our delightful big brother drop in for a visit?”

You rolled you eyes. “No. I’d have told you if Amenadiel came.”

Lucifer smiled. “Yes, I know. I’m still not quite understanding, though.”

“You don’t need to. Just leave it, Lucifer.”

“I’d much rather not.” The Devil’s eyes narrowed further, and he tapped your ankle in a clear sign that he was growing frustrated – not at you, but himself. He hated not knowing what was bothering you, seeing as he found it in his nature and his job as older brother to look after you always. You sniffed and turned your head further into the cushion beneath you once you felt his eyes boring into you. He waited for a moment before shifting a little on the couch, pulling one leg underneath him so he could sit more comfortably while turning slightly in your direction. “Listen,” he started, “I regret to say I also have something on my mind that is bothering me, which does not happen often. Maybe we can tell – and possibly help – each other.”

The idea tempted you, if you were being honest. Your older brother was a closed book when it came to talking about the feelings this world had passed onto him, not wishing to look weak. Of course, it didn’t. It just made him more human. Nevertheless, if he was upset over something, you didn’t want to tell him your troubles only for it to upset him further. “Or,” you suggested, “we can leave it and watch a movie. If you don’t want to or are too tired, please let me know so I can go to bed.”

The Devil rose an eyebrow, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly. “You’re acting very strange tonight, aren’t you, Y/N?”

A barely audible growl left your throat. “I’m not.”

“Oh, you are.”

“Lucifer!” You hadn’t meant to shout, but your pent-up emotions had been locked up inside you for far too long and you hadn’t been able to keep them there for much longer; you weren’t used to it. Rolling over, you caught your brother’s calm gaze in your own angry one and tried to relax your breathing. “Leave it. Please.”

Despite him most certainly not wanting to leave it, Lucifer’s face softened a little. He didn’t seem overly bothered with showing how concerned he was now, unconsciously sticking his tongue out to the side of his mouth in a way you’d noticed he did whenever he was thinking. “I won’t lie to you,” he said, “I’m not overly keen on how you aren’t willing to tell me. I mean, I’m your big brother. Shouldn’t I be your – oh, what do the humans call it? – go-to! Right. Shouldn’t I be your go-to? The one you’re supposed to go to if you’re ever feeling down? You’ve done it before. What’s different now?” He moved only slightly, barely noticeable to you, but just enough so that he was fully facing you. Those bright eyes locked onto yours, holding them in a gentle gaze that had never once shown anything but love and adoration. You didn’t think to move, simply wanting to look your brother in the eye and search for the compassion you knew you’d find there. Lucifer opened his mouth to speak. “Tell me, Y/N, what is so different about now that you feel like you can’t speak to me? Talk to me, darling. Tell big brother what the bother is, and he’ll fix it for you.” You didn’t have time to look away before your brain registered what he was doing, simply staying where you were and becoming enthralled in his voice and glistening eyes. They weren’t like how you saw them with other people when he used his power; he’d never looked at you with that same lust and desire for information. He was staring at you with a certain consideration in his eyes – a clear want for information. A need. Like he needed it to be able to sleep peacefully that night.

“I- I,” you couldn’t stop yourself. Nobody could when faced with the Devil. “I can’t tell you becau- because it concerns you.”

Lucifer started. “Me? It concerns me how, Y/N?”

“I can’t- I can’t-“

“Yes, you can. Come on.”

“I- no! No, Luci- Lucifer, no…” you trailed off, shaking your head and trying to move your eyes off your brother’s. He gently took your hands in his and rubbed his thumb over your palm in a soothing manner he’d always found to work effectively.

“It’s alright. Just a little longer. Tell me what concerns me. Come on, sweetheart, I know you want to get it out of your system. I can help you-“

“NO!” You pulled away, wrenching your hands out of your brother’s grasp and not even sparing him a glance before you shot up from the couch and ran off down the hallway. Lucifer stayed seated, momentarily at a loss for what to do. He jumped slightly as the slam of your bedroom door echoed around the building and released a long sigh, crashing his head into his hands. Never once had he doubted his ability to be a good big brother; he knew he was good, and he knew he was doing it right. Nevertheless, as with any older sibling, there were always uncertainties – always thoughts that maybe there were things he could do better.

His head was still in his hands and he was still mentally cursing himself when Maze walked into the room, raised eyebrows on her perfectly sculptured face. “What did you do?” she asked, a clear hint of amusement and curiosity in her voice.

Lucifer groaned. “Have you come to mock me, Mazikeen? If so, do it quickly, for I need to go and talk to my beloved sister.”

Maze’s smile dropped – she knew that tone of voice. It was the one that was least Lucifer-like. That underlying tenor of self-loathing. One would think it was easy for the Devil to hate himself, but he really didn’t. As far as he – and everyone around him, for that matter – could see, there was no reason to. However, that doubt that everyone possessed always came back to haunt him when something had happened that revolved around you. “Okay,” she drawled out slightly, “what happened?”

“I did what she hates most, Maze,” Lucifer said exasperatedly, lifting his head to stare up at the demon.

Maze’s eyebrow rose higher. “You tickled her?”

“No,” Lucifer said, a smirk quickly taking its rightful place on his lips, “though that is something I should consider doing to get that smile back on her face. But, no, my dear Maze. I used my power on her. I could see she was upset but she would not tell me why! What do you expect me to have done?”

Maze sighed, something most unbecoming of her. She looked at her boss for a moment, seeing he was so clearly in distress. “Maybe not do it? Look, Lucifer, you either listen to me or you don’t, but… you know I care for Y/N, too. And, if there’s one thing I’ve learned about her over these years, it’s that she always ends up telling you if anything’s bothering her. But, only when she’s ready. You pushed her this time, Lucifer; you forced her to tell you what was upsetting her and that’s what made her run. You need to speak to her and, even if she tells you to go away, don’t. I know you don’t like doing it but apologising to her will be the only way she’ll forgive you for using your power on her despite knowing how much she hates it.”

It wasn’t often that Lucifer didn’t interrupt his demon while she was attempting to give him some helpful advice, but he just hadn’t been able to order her to stop, this time. Maybe it was because she looked so sure of what she was saying, or maybe it was because he knew she was right, but whatever the reason, he sighed once again in a most defeated manner and stood to his feet. He clasped both hands together and looked at Maze, the woman stood there staring back at him expectantly. With a growl and a roll of his dark eyes, he stormed past her. “I hate it when you’re right,” he said, and Maze smiled. She knew that was him thanking her, in his own special way.

It wasn’t often you got mad at your brother, but when you did, it wasn’t always aimed entirely at him. By living on Earth, the both of you had started to gain traits only humans could possess. This meant many things, including personal stuff such as simply feeling emotions. It wasn’t an angel thing to do. You weren’t meant to feel things. But you did, and it made you all the more upset. It wasn’t that you hated the humans and wanted to be nothing like them; you admired them, in fact. It was the simple reason and fact that you were an angel. Your father had taught you to never change for anyone, so what good would it have been if you’d morphed into a completely new species?

Lucifer using his hypnosis power on you reminded you of these small changes that had been made to you over the past five years. He only ever used them on humans – he wasn’t able to do it angels, you being the exception – and so it made you feel as though you were no longer an angel and had fallen just like your brother. He knew that, and he’d promised to only ever do it if he deemed it one hundred percent necessary… how was snooping around inside your head to find out what you were hiding necessary?

A tear slid down your cheek, causing you to clench your teeth in frustration and angrily reach up to wipe it away. Yet another reminder of how de-angelising you were becoming. The pillow underneath your head was slowly growing wet with tears and you sighed, moving to turn it over. You quickly stopped, however, as the door to your room slowly opened and Lucifer poked his head in. You had to give it to him; he was looking pretty concerned. Seeing you were crying, he frowned and quickly moved to walk inside, shutting the door gently behind him. “Oh, don’t cry, love,” he said, “it doesn’t look good on your pretty face.”

You wanted to roll your eyes, but you couldn’t help but simply want to rush into your brother’s arms. You weren’t sure why, considering he was the reason for your tears, but you had a sudden longing for Lucifer to wrap you in his arms and hug you tight in the way that always made you feel safe. However, it wasn’t in your best interests to admit this. “Go away,” you said, turning over in your bed and trying to sound as convincing as possible.

Lucifer chuckled. “I don’t think I will. Something tells me we need to have a little discussion.”

“And whose fault is that?”

“Ah. There’s that cheek I so love.”

You rolled your eyes. “Are you purposefully trying to annoy me?”

“Of course not. What kind of a big brother would I be if that was the case?” The man grinned, slowly walking towards you. You made no move to respond to that comment, instead choosing to huff and remain turned away from him. Once he reached your bed, he crossed his arms over his chest. “Are you purposefully trying to ignore me?”

You shrugged, and your brother rolled his eyes before quickly darting his hand out and jabbing you in the side.

“AH! Hey!” you yelped, jumping and lifting your head to turn an angry gaze on him. “What are you doing?”

Lucifer’s grin widened, and he sat next to you on the bed, cocking his head slightly to the side. “Why, trying to lighten you up, of course! Come on, would it hurt you to at least try and smile?”

“Leave me alone, Lucifer.”

“Nope.” And that was the last thing he said before the Devil grabbed you up into his arms and lay you across his lap with such a speed you barely knew what was happening. He stared down at you, a grin on his lips, and tutted as you tried to get your hands out of his iron grip. “Ah, ah,” he said, “can’t have you running off before I’ve had my fun, now, can we?”

It was at times like this that made you wish you weren’t the last angel to have been born. That way you’d, naturally, be older and stronger and actually capable of at least having a chance of trying to escape Lucifer before he unleashed the Devil’s work on you. However, as this was not the case, you had no choice but to simply lay there on your brother’s knees and take it as those damn fingers started skittering along your stomach.

“AH! Luhuhuhuhuce!” you squealed, giggles already spilling from your lips as you kicked your legs out and squeezed your eyes shut, all the while attempting to wrench your hands out of the man’s grasp. “Stohohohop!”

“No, thank you,” Lucifer said, moving his hands and digging into your ribs. “I’m going to talk to you for a little bit, and you’re going to listen, if you’re actually able to hear me above all those laughs.”

“LuhuhuCIFER! STOHOP!”

“Now, then. What was I going to say? Ah! Right. Y/N, my sweet sister, I’d like to apologise for… well, you know what for. It was wrong of me to do and I am as sorry as Satan can be.”

You shook your head in response to his fingers moving higher and wedging themselves under your arms. “LUHUHUHUHUHUCIHIHI! LUCE! STOP! PLEHEHEHEASE!”

Lucifer’s grin widened. “I can’t stop until I know you’ve forgiven me.”

“I FOR- IHIHI FOHOHOHOR- FORGIHIVE- I CAN’T! LUHUHUHUCE, I CAHAHAN’T!” You were surely going to go mad after this. The laughs you were currently producing would make any person’s day brighter, whether they be the Devil or an angel. Lucifer was holding your arms over your head, still tickling you to pieces, and you were in absolute tears.

“What was that?” he asked, cocking his head to the side.

“STOP IT! IHIHI- I CAHAN’T SPEAK!”

“Well, you obviously can, love, else you wouldn’t have said that to me.”

“YOU KNOHOHOHOW WHAT I MEAN! SUHUHUCH AN IHIHIDIOT!”

“Oho, am I?” Lucifer chuckled, suddenly letting go of your hands and digging all ten of his dexterous fingers into your underarms.

“AHHHHHHAHAHAHA!” you screamed, bringing your arms back down and effectively trapping Lucifer’s hands. Your brother laughed maliciously and shook his head fondly at the look of absolute bliss on your face but had to quickly grab you once again as you almost rolled off his lap.

“Careful, there,” he laughed, deciding you’d probably had enough, if your residual giggles and panting was anything to go by. With ease, he lifted you upright so that you were leaning against his chest, rubbing your back to calm you down. You grabbed a fistful of his shirt and leaned further into him, resting your head on his shoulder.

“You’re soho mean,” you said, though the huge smile on your face didn’t aid in moving that lie along.

“Well, they don’t call me the Devil for nothing.” Lucifer mirrored your smile and rested his chin on top of your head. “And, hey! You’re hugging me! What a change from only a few minutes ago, hm?”

You rolled your eyes and playfully punched him in the chest. “Shut up.”

“Oh, don’t ruin this lovely moment.”

“Go to Hell.”

“Already been, darling, and you know I don’t fancy going back.”

You had to laugh at that. You’d used the insult so many times he’d gone off his usual ‘oh, please don’t turn into Amenadiel. I couldn’t possibly cope with having another one of those prancing around’. It went silent for a moment, Lucifer sub-consciously rocking you gently before he spoke again. “Did you hear anything I said back there?” he asked.

You nodded, albeit barely. “Yes.”

“And?”

A sigh left your lips and you dipped your head. “You know I hate it when you do that to me, Lucifer.”

“I do. And I was a downright fool for having done it. But, I can do no more than apologise, Y/N. I was just… concerned. Worried. For you. Clearly, there’s something bothering you and I regret to say I felt a need to know what it was… I obviously showed that in the wrong way, didn’t I?”

He seemed genuinely upset by the whole ordeal; his tone was softer than usual, and he was holding onto you with slightly more strength. “I would’ve told you eventually, Luci. It just… wasn’t the right time.”

“Is now… the right time?” He sounded so discreetly pleading that you figured, if you weren’t going to tell him for your own good, you were going to tell him for his. You turned slightly in his lap and lifted your head to look up at him. His warm brown eyes landed on yours and he smiled encouragingly.

“Yeah… I guess.” You expected your brother to say something after that, but he stayed silent, instead choosing to shuffle back a little on your bed until his back hit the wall. With a sigh, you crawled off him and sat in front of him, both your legs crossed. Honestly, you weren’t even sure where to start. You were worried he’d be upset by what you had to say, and you desperately wanted to ensure him that he didn’t need to be. “I, uh… I don’t know what to say,” you admitted a little awkwardly, wringing your hands.

Lucifer crossed his legs at his ankles and placed his hands in his lap. “Alright, well, let me help you. Who exactly – besides me, as we’ve already established I have a part to play in this – does this concern?”

“Um… Amenadiel, I guess. A- and Dad.”

One perfectly arched eyebrow rose on the Devil’s face. “Our dear Daddy is involved in this too, hm?”

“Yes…”

“He hasn’t popped down from the clouds recently and payed you a visit, has he?”

You sighed. “No, Lucifer. Do you not think I would have said?”

Your brother nodded. “Just making sure,” he said. “Next question, then: how often has this been bothering you?”

“I guess it’s always been at the back of my mind, but recently it’s come more into light. I don’t know why… just been thinking about it a lot more.”

“Alright. Did this… concern of yours spring from something I’ve done recently? Or Amenadiel, for that matter.”

“No.” You looked up at Lucifer, seeing the previous apprehension there fade almost completely. He’d asked this question earlier and you’d given him the same – and correct – answer. This hadn’t stemmed from anything he’d done; it was you. Just you and your worrisome brain. You hated thinking he thought he’d been the cause of it – if there was one thing that could usurp the Prince of Darkness, it was his nagging fear of ever upsetting you and failing in his duties as big brother. You’d always found it strange how vulnerable he seemed when faced with one of those fears.

“Do you think we can fix this?” It was an honest question. It wasn’t often Lucifer saw you let your guard down; like you’d said, you were still an angel, no matter how much time you’d spent around the humans.

However, it was at this you froze. Could it be fixed? Could you missing your family and wanting to be around them again, yet also having a brother who you didn’t want to leave but wasn’t allowed where you wanted to go considered something that could be resolved? You weren’t sure. “I don’t know. Maybe.”

Lucifer nodded, eyebrows furrowing slightly. “Well… could you tell me, now?”

You could. The both of you were in a good place; he’d had time to move from being the Devil to an angel, and he was ready to listen. So, you decided to just go for it. “Is it… bad of me to want to go back to Heaven?”

Your brother was clearly taken by surprise. He snapped his head up and met your eyes with his. Could his nagging worry seriously be the exact same as yours? He really should have felt relief that you mirrored his anxieties, but he found that he couldn’t. You actually did want to go back?

You mentally grimaced at the expression on Lucifer’s face. He looked flabbergasted, for lack of a better word. He’d practically turned to stone; mouth set in a thin oval, surprise in his widened eyes, fingers still entwined together in his lap. You frowned and nudged his leg with your foot. “Uh… Luce?”

Lucifer blinked and quickly shook his head. “Sorry, what?” he asked, glancing over at you. “Oh, right. Um- Heaven, Hell, angels, God… me… uh… forgive me. What did you say?”

You furrowed your eyebrows sub-consciously. “You’re being weird.”

“Oh. Am I?”

You gave him a nod. It wasn’t often the Devil became distracted, or unaware of his own actions. He was supposed to be calm and collected, able to know exactly what everyone was doing and when, not just himself. Nevertheless, you’d known all along that this would throw him slightly off course. “I don’t want to leave you,” you assured him, “I’d never in my life want that. I just… there are so many of our brothers and sisters that I miss, you know? Even Father… I can’t help wanting to see him again. I hate what he did to you, and I will never forgive him for that, but- but-“

“He’s your Dad.”

You exhaled, giving your brother a pained look. “Exactly.” This was far more difficult than you’d anticipated, if you were speaking truthfully. Lucifer was your everything and he forever would be, but you’d barely been born a few thousand years before you’d left the siblings and the father you’d been besotted with as a youngster and followed your big brother down to Hell. All you wanted was a few days – even if they were just Earth days – to hug them all and have a moment or so to actually remember what their faces looked like. It was getting harder and harder each day. “It’s nothing against you, Luci, I promise, I just… I don’t know. I could speak to him while I’m there, make him change his mind, maybe, or-”

Lucifer shook his head, lifting his eyes to look into yours and smiling grimly. He heaved a sigh. “No, no, you shouldn’t have to do anything like that. And you shouldn’t have to feel forced to stay here. You still have your wings; you can go if you like, I don’t mind. As long as you’re happy.”

You took your brother’s hand in your own and moved a little closer to him, noticing his subtle glance to your side, the place your pristine white wings – your father had made them the exact same colour as Lucifer’s – would have been had you had them out. “Not forever, Lucifer. I’m happy here, I just want some time away, that’s all. I’ll come back.”

“Not forever?” His voice was quiet, and in that moment, he seemed less of the Devil and more like the angel he’d been in Heaven. Afraid to be without his sister in this world he barely knew. Afraid to be alone. He relied on you for more than he knew, and you did him. It was a relationship that neither of you would be capable of living without.

A faint smile graced your lips as you gently shook your head. “No, of course not. I’m happy wherever you are.”

Lucifer rose an eyebrow. “But, my dear, that is not how this works. You cannot base your life on what’s good for me. Think about yourself.”

“I am, which is why I want to go to Heaven for a little while. But, I’m also thinking about myself when I say I still want to stay here. Lucifer, I could not live without you.” It could have been the truest thing to ever escape your lips. Since the day you’d been born, your big brother had never strayed far from you. He hadn’t quite understood what the reason was; he had millions of younger siblings, and yet you drew him near to you most of all. Your parents had barely had to raise you, Lucifer being the one to take over much of the parental duties… maybe it had been because he knew you were to be the last of the angels and he’d never have the privilege of being a big brother to a tiny baby fledgling again. Whatever it was, it had spiraled into something even God himself had not expected of his second eldest son. It was a relationship he wouldn’t have been able to pull apart if he tried. Nevertheless, trying was something he’d never do. It made him happy to know his little daughter would always have someone in her big brother to look up to and find a role model in. Even after he’d made the decision to send him to Hell, he’d never once thought about taking you away from him. Despite everything, he loved Lucifer and to deprive him from his sole reason of surviving would have been cruel, even for him. No. Allowing you to go with him was a choice that had come easy to him. He knew Lucifer hadn’t forced you to speak to him about going with him, or even asked you to do so. It had been your decision alone, and though he knew that he’d miss you terribly and Hell was the last place he wanted you to be, he also knew that he would have had a very miserable little girl on his hands if he’d said no and therefore forced you to live a life away from your beloved older brother. Some things far outweighed others. He’d made that decision a long time ago.

The corners of Lucifer’s lips turned up slightly before he tightened his hold on your hand and gently pulled you toward him and onto his lap. He sighed once you’d made yourself comfortable, bringing a hand up to your head. “Nor I you,” he said quietly. “Honestly, I always believed the time would come where you would wish to go back. I thought you might be happier there with our own kind… it’s no secret you’ve never really gotten along with humans. But I never expected you to want to take a small holiday, let’s say, where you will return here in the end. It surprised me when you told me what was eating at you, but it could have surprised me more had I not suspected it since the day you followed me down to Hell.”

“Humans are interesting. They can be… strange, and I may not fully be on their track as of yet… but they’re not completely bad. As long as I have you with me, I can tolerate them. And it can only get better. As I said, I miss everyone back home, but I could never be happier up there than I am down here. Remember that.”

Lucifer smiled, a sight you’d never tire of seeing, and you returned it before frowning slightly. “Is that what was on your mind?”

He didn’t hesitate before nodding once. “Yes. I’m quite glad it was the same problem bugging us both. To delve into something entirely different after this would be… effort.” The two of you laughed, Lucifer’s rich chuckles echoing around the room and enveloping you both in a bright, cheery atmosphere, a clear contrast to what it had previously been. “I will speak to Amenadiel about arranging something, as long as he promises not to lure us into some sort of trap and keep you locked up there forever. You are coming back to me.”

You giggled softly. “I wouldn’t let anyone do that to me, Luce, least of all Adi.”

You heard the slight scoff before glancing up and catching your brother roll his eyes. “I do despise that nickname,” he said. “It makes it seem as though you actually like the idiot.”

“Yes, well, I do like the idiot,” you said. “Love him, actually. Maybe even more than you.”

“Now, I know that part is not true.” He gave a poke to your stomach and you breathed a laugh. The both of you knew how much you loved all your siblings, including Amenadiel. If there was a strong relationship between second eldest and youngest, what kind of relationship did the eldest and youngest have? A pretty tight one, was the answer. God’s first-born was your big brother just as much as Lucifer was.

“Maybe not,” you agreed with a smile, settling against his chest. “Thank you for letting me go back to Heaven, Luce.”

Lucifer’s eyebrows furrowed as he tilted his head to look down at you. “I am not your keeper, sweetheart. Of course, I may be your guardian and older brother, but you are not here for me to keep you hostage. You’re free to go wherever you want.”

“I wouldn’t have left without asking you, first. And I wouldn’t have gone had you not liked the idea.”

“I know, though I do wish it wasn’t like that. I’m not Dad, Y/N. I’m here to protect you, not control you.”

The smile on your face grew wider as those words left his mouth. You knew it, and you loved him immensely for it. He pressed a kiss to the top of your head, your hair – still unruly from your ‘tussle’ a little earlier – ironically tickling his nose as he leaned down, before you turned in his lap to reach up and wrap your arms around his neck. You buried your face in his shoulder, breathing in the scent that was so uniquely Lucifer, and sighed. “Love you, Luci.”

Lucifer smiled. He moved his own arms to encircle around your small body and rested his chin on your shoulder. “And I love you, darling. Always.” A love like you and Lucifer’s was one everybody wished to have between siblings. It was pure, completely untainted, and it made you feel safe. Safe in the arms of the one person you couldn’t live without even if you tried. “In all the world, in all the galaxy, there is no love for you like mine.”