Lucifer's Penthouse, Thursday

[my_own_advocate]

It had been days since Dad had announced His retirement and left. Lucifer supposed he should feel relieved by now, or elated. Dad was... vacating their lives for good. And there was no doubt who His successor would be: Amenadiel, who had trained for this for his entire long celestial life.

He could admit in the privacy of his own head that Amenadiel would make a far better God than their Father had ever been.

Not for the first time in the past... month? Had it been a month? Lucifer thought about how they should be headed home. To the Rouge, and its nostalgic sailor aesthetic that, again in the privacy of his own thoughts, Lucifer could admit he sort of missed.

Perhaps it was the matter of Daniel and his well-deserved revenge that kept his thoughts so messy and his feet firmly placed within the boundaries of Los Angeles county. That had to be it. No?

Lucifer poured himself another glass of scotch and leaned against the bar, contemplating the bottles. He did still like this apartment, he mused, so there was that.

[[ expecting one, but open for phone calls ]]

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[betterthanaplan]

Duke came in from the balcony when he saw movement inside. He’d been looking through local boat listings, seeing if there was one he wanted to get for himself.

It was weirdly hard. He hadn’t been nearly this picky when he bought the Sanguine Moon up in Haven. Maybe it was the wealth of choice.

(Or maybe “buy a boat” wasn’t an answer to his discomfort staying in LA after all.)

He came over to give Lucifer a kiss good morning. “There any coffee, babe?”

[my_own_advocate]

"Yes, and it's finally stopped tasting like caramel unicorn frapuccino," Lucifer said, smiling absently at the kiss.

[betterthanaplan]

"LA loves its sparkles," Duke said, brushing his thumb across Lucifer's cheek. "How you doing?"

[my_own_advocate]

"More like Dad loves them," Lucifer said. The touch of Duke's hand had him looking up.

He looked thoughtful; he'd be surprised if anyone pointed out that his expression had also softened over the past moment. "I'm fine," he said, with a tone that matched that look. "Just enjoying my day without Father wandering in to cause some new disaster, I suppose."

[betterthanaplan]

Duke nodded, taking the moment of quiet as a chance to really look at Lucifer for a little while. Remind himself that, even as difficult as this relationship could be at times, he wouldn't give it up for the world.

Even God himself couldn't come between them, after all.

"Pretty sure Linda would want to ask if you were really okay, or just thought you should be," he said, gently amused. "I definitely enjoying not worrying about your dad walking in on us at any moment too, though."

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer snorted softly. "He really did have the worst possible timing every single time," he said.

He took a sip of his drink, then looked back up at Duke. Somehow at the start of all this, he'd assumed it would get easier to distance himself, not harder, and yet. There his hand went, cupping Duke's cheek like he had no control over it.

"I'm just... adjusting to a new reality," he said. (He hadn't told them about Dad's retirement yet. He was wondering whether it would actually matter if he did. It wasn't like they were any of his siblings and could actually do anything with the information.)

[betterthanaplan]

Nothing but be sounding boards for any of Lucifer's frustration or questions about it, anyway.

"One where your dad actually shows up," Duke said. "You know, I have some experience with new realities."

Like realizing he was troubled. Like finding out what that trouble was.

"You know, if you want to talk about it."

[my_own_advocate]

And oh, look, that hand was pushing back some of Duke's hair behind his ear, instead. Ridiculous.

"Dad's... not just leaving," Lucifer said slowly. "He's retiring."

[betterthanaplan]

Duke blinked. Frowned. (He'd been doing a lot of both lately.)

". . . He can do that?"

Did that mean there just. Wouldn't be a God in this universe anymore?

[my_own_advocate]

"Apparently," Lucifer said, returning his attention to his glass. "He wants Amenadiel and I to keep the news to ourselves, so I assume He's actually scarpered to prepare the Silver City for my brother's impending ascension."

[betterthanaplan]

"So . . . Amenadiel is going to be the new God."

Duke wasn't sure what he thought of that. Sure, he liked Amenadiel well enough, but he'd just had a kid. Did that mean that Charlie would take over after him? Would Linda become, like . . . Queen God?

"Yeah, I can see how this is messing with your head a bit."

It sure was with Duke's.

[my_own_advocate]

"I assume so. Father hasn't said, but, well, Amenadiel has been preparing for this since we were all running about in angel nappies, and if he doesn't want it getting out past us..."

He shrugged and took a sip.

[betterthanaplan]

"Well . . . sure. What if someone else wanted to take the gig? Could you imagine?"

[my_own_advocate]

"Yes, that's just what we'd need to cap off this entire... disastrous month," Lucifer muttered, "A war for the heavenly throne."

[betterthanaplan]

A month. Had they really been here that long? (Had they only been here that long?)

"Think we're going to need another vacation after all this?"

[my_own_advocate]

"I think... we," Lucifer said, using that word gingerly, and at the same time, finding himself surprised it came so easily at all, "May need to just spend an entire year naked on an island somewhere."

[betterthanaplan]

"Might get a little boring after awhile. But I like that instinct."

He really liked how Lucifer hadn't outright denied that there'd be a "we".

[my_own_advocate]

"Well, obviously when we get bored, we get on our boat and go to another island," Lucifer said, sipping more scotch.

[betterthanaplan]

"Right." Duke smiled broadly, shifting to rest his arm around Lucifer's waist. "Silly me."

Should he mention that he was looking for a boat in LA? Or would Lucifer try to insist on buying it for him?

(Was it really important that he buy it himself? Damn Linda, making him question things.)

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer let him. Might have almost, maybe, kind of, leaned into that a little.

"It is going to be a rather new universe without Him in charge," he said. "A better one, if I know Amenadiel."

[betterthanaplan]

Duke hummed non-noncommittally. "I hope so." He considered what to say next carefully. He knew he needed to clear the air a bit about Lucifer's whole 'I can't love you back', but they felt so easy right now. Lucifer felt present with him, but it was fragile. Like he might spook at any moment.

"I'm glad you're talking about staying with us," he said finally, voice soft. "You scared us, you know."

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer sighed. "Well, you've made it rather clear what your position is," he said. "And I am, selfishly, not particularly eager to do anything more drastic to change our situation, so..."

He made a helpless gesture with his glass.

[betterthanaplan]

Duke snorted softly.

"What exactly about letting me get my way is 'selfish'?"

[my_own_advocate]

"Because I'm not worth it," Lucifer said.

The whole 'can't love you' thing had sort of started to morph and crystallize into that ancient, long-held belief.

[betterthanaplan]

"Bullshit," Duke said gently. "Take it from someone who's been on that whole roller coaster before. When someone tells you you're worth it, believe them."