Bound in the Dark — Lucifer x reader (ꫂ᭪݁)
summary: Worried about his health, you disrupt Lucifer’s late-night paperwork.
The vintage clock in the corner of the room chimed a low, resonant note, signaling that midnight had long since passed. Inside the student council office of RAD, the only source of light was the amber glow of a desk lamp, casting long, sharp shadows across the dark mahogany walls.
Behind the massive desk sat Lucifer.
The Avatar of Pride looked every bit the symbol of authority he was born to be. His short black hair was perfectly parted on the left side, not a single strand out of place despite the grueling hours he had logged. His pale skin looked almost ethereal in the dim light, and his gradient black-and-carmine eyes flickered rapidly from left to right as he reviewed a thick stack of RAD financial reports.
He moved with absolute precision. A gloved hand picked up a fountain pen, the subtle gleam of his carmine red nails—meticulously painted and maintained by Asmodeus since before their Fall—catching the lamplight. He signed his name with an elegant, sweeping flourish. Perfect. Exemplary. Even though this specific stack of paperwork was a ridiculous, tedious request from Lord Diavolo regarding the upcoming Ruri-chan culinary festival, Lucifer refused to give anything less than flawless results.
He exhaled a slow, quiet breath, his hand instinctively rising to pinch the bridge of his nose. A sharp, throbbing headache was beginning to bloom behind his eyes. It was a familiar ache, usually brought on by Mammon’s latest debts, Leviathan’s screaming, or Satan’s subtle rebellions. But tonight, it was simply the weight of his own relentless standards. He had to be perfect. The Devildom demanded it. Diavolo demanded it. He demanded it of himself.
A soft click broke the silence of the room.
Lucifer didn’t look up immediately, his eyes still scanning the lines of text. "I believe I made it clear to everyone at the House of Lamentation that I was not to be disturbed until morning," he said, his voice smooth, calm, and laced with a terrifyingly quiet authority.
When no response came, only the sound of soft, hesitant footsteps closing the distance to his desk, Lucifer finally raised his gaze.
The cold, rigid mask of the Avatar of Pride softened, just a fraction, the moment his eyes landed on you.
You were standing a few feet away, holding a tray with a steaming mug of tea and a small plate of light food. But it wasn't the gesture that made him pause; it was the look on your face. Your eyes were wide with a deep, quiet anxiety, your brow furrowed as you took in the sight of his strained posture, the slight tension in his shoulders, and the exhaustion he so carefully hid from the rest of the world. You looked utterly worried for him.
"MC," Lucifer murmured, his tone shifting from the harsh authority of a student council vice-president to something much deeper, quieter, and entirely exclusive to you. "What are you doing here at this hour? You should be asleep."
You stepped forward, setting the tray down on the edge of his immaculate desk, careful not to disturb his neatly stacked papers. You didn't answer his question right away. Instead, you reached out, your fingers gently brushing against his arm, your eyes searching his face with an aching tenderness that saw right through his "perfect" front.
Lucifer stiffened slightly at the touch, his ingrained pride rearing its head. He hated being perceived as weak or tired. He wanted to tell you he was perfectly fine, that a demon of his stature didn't need rest, that he was completely in control.
But as you stepped closer, your hand moving to gently rest against his cheek, the wall he spent centuries building began to crack. Your touch was warm, an anchor in the dark, suffocating quiet of the office.
"You're having a headache again, aren't you?" you whispered softly, your voice filled with genuine concern.
Lucifer let out a sigh, a sound that carried the weight of a thousand years. He closed his eyes, leaning his face into the palm of your hand, allowing himself—just for a moment—to drop the act. "They are... persistent tonight," he admitted quietly, his voice a low rumble. "My brothers have been particularly exhausting today, and Diavolo's latest whims have left me with an absurd amount of documentation."
"Then stop," you said gently, your thumb wiping a soothing circle against his cheekbone. "The world won't end if you finish it tomorrow, Lucifer."
A dark, amused smile tugged at the corner of his lips, though his eyes remained closed. "If I do not finish this tonight, we will not be the first to arrive at the Demon Lord's Castle tomorrow for the council assembly. The representatives from Purgatory Hall will beat us there. I refuse to let Simeon see us lagging behind."
You couldn't help but let out a soft, breathless laugh. Even when he was running himself into the ground, his pride dictated his every move.
Hearing your laugh, Lucifer opened his eyes. The carmine red in his iris seemed to glow in the dim room. He looked at you, really looked at you—at the way the amber light caught your hair, the soft curve of your shoulders, and the unconditional devotion shining in your eyes.
A sudden, fierce surge of possessiveness gripped his chest.
Lucifer remembered a psychological test he had taken recently in a chat with his brothers. The question had asked what a loved one had lost, and without a second thought, he had chosen their heart. The test concluded that he possessed a deeply protective, territorial nature—that he wanted to lock his loved one away from the rest of the world.
Looking at you now, in the isolated sanctuary of his office, he knew the test was entirely accurate. The thought of anyone else holding your attention, of the chaotic Devildom pulling you away from him, made a dark, possessive hunger stir in his demonic core. He wanted to wrap his wings around you, to keep you hidden in the highest tower, where no one else could ever look at you. Where you would only ever look at him.
Before you could step back, Lucifer’s hand shot out, grasping your wrist. His grip wasn't painful, but it was unyielding, completely trapping you in place.
"Lucifer?" you asked, a catch in your breath.
With a gentle but firm pull, he guided you around the massive mahogany desk. He didn't let go of you for a second. Pulling you into his space, he settled you directly onto his lap. His strong arms immediately wrapped around your waist, locking you against his chest, burying his face into the crook of your neck.
"Lucifer..." you murmured, your hands finding their way into his short black hair, gently massaging the tension at the base of his skull.
"Stay," he commanded softly, the vibrations of his voice rumbling against your skin. "Just like this. Do not move."
"I'm not going anywhere," you whispered back, relaxing into his hold, your fingers continuing to soothe his headache.
Lucifer let out a contented sound, holding you tighter, his possessive nature momentarily satisfied by your total compliance. He might be the fearsome Avatar of Pride to the rest of the world, a rigid symbol of authority who never faltered. But here, in the dead of night, wrapped in your warmth, he was simply a demon who had given his heart entirely to a human,and he had no intention of ever letting you go.
hope you liked my first work 𐔌՞. .՞𐦯