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]

“You and your ‘intelligent design’. What makes you think my eyes aren’t a happy accident?”

[my_own_advocate]

"Because they're entirely too pretty," Lucifer informed him. Which was clearly unfair!

... and a good way to try and hoist himself from that spluttering moment of vulnerability just now before he said something genuinely stupid.

[betterthanaplan]

Oh? Like maybe he had feelings?

"Mmm, you know, before you and Octavia, I'm not sure anyone ever called me pretty."

[my_own_advocate]

... shut up.

"Well, we've already established most people are idiots where it comes to you," Lucifer said. "I mean. Look at you."

And he did, because now he had an excuse.

"It's like someone told genetics, 'There's no way you could make anything nice out of these bit parts', and genetics went above and beyond to prove them wrong." He slid his fingers onto Duke's cheek, and then along the shape of his nose.

[betterthanaplan]

Well, it was good that some of it went well, because Duke was pretty sure there was still a fair amount of what he'd inherited that was pure garbage.

"Whereas I'm pretty sure you inspired any number of statues in your time. How many modern ideals are based on you showing up somewhere and throwing a really glorious party?"

[my_own_advocate]

"I don't know, keeping track sounds dull," Lucifer said. "I do have my fair share of gifts in the library here, however."

He kissed Duke again. As long as he was in a mindspace where he permitted himself that much-- well, he wanted to take advantage of it.

[betterthanaplan]

He would get no argument from Duke. He was happy enough to lie here naked with Lucifer as long as he would let him.

"You'll have to show them to me, sometime."

[my_own_advocate]

"Sometime," Lucifer agreed. He slid his hand away from Duke's face to draw patterns on his chest. "...Thank you," he said. "For not leaving."

His hand slid down until it found Duke's.

[betterthanaplan]

Duke turned his hand over to give Lucifer's a squeeze. "You'd have to try harder than that to get rid of me."

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer knew that, didn't he? Why hadn't he tried harder?

"I'm sorry," he said quietly.

[betterthanaplan]

“For what?” Duke said. He was pretty sure he knew the answer, but was hoping Lucifer would surprise him.

[my_own_advocate]

"Putting you through all this," Lucifer said. He gave Duke's hand a gentle squeeze.

[betterthanaplan]

That was better than Duke had feared it would be.

“I’m sorry your dad’s putting you through it.”

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer snorted. "He has been doing that for a long time," he said.

[betterthanaplan]

“And I’m sorry for that, too,” Duke said. “Even if it is one of the things we bonded over.”

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer sighed.

"I just don't want to be," he said slowly, "Whatever all those other people wound up being for you."

[betterthanaplan]

Duke hummed softly, shifting so he could look up at the ceiling without having to stop using Lucifer as a pillow.

“Okay,” he said. “So . . . don’t.”

[my_own_advocate]

Another snort.

"If it was that easy, we wouldn't be here, would we?"

[betterthanaplan]

“When did I say it would be easy?” Duke asked. “And when did you start backing down from a challenge?”

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer sighed. He closed his eyes. Was silent for a while.

"I'm still here, aren't I?"

[betterthanaplan]

“Yeah.” Duke flicked him a smile. “Thanks for that, by the way.”

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer's free hand slid up to settle against Duke's neck. He pressed a kiss to the top of Duke's head. "I don't actually want to lose you," he said quietly.

[betterthanaplan]

“Then don’t,” Duke said again. “Hasn’t ‘fuck you I do what I want’ always been your approach to your father?”

[my_own_advocate]

"It's not about that, and you know that," Lucifer said.

[betterthanaplan]

“Yeah.” Duke was quiet for a long moment. Then said: “He never said he didn’t love you.”