Ivy Liau

He didn’t want to let you know it did. You’d just been in a serious fight. If that curse was anything worse, if their enemy had decided to kill you instead of just fuck with you-

So he just... didn't tell you.

And Mammon was the best to help you, wasn’t he? When you overbalanced, unused to your new limbs. When you knocked stuff over because you took up more space than you had before. When you wanted to try and fly, Mammon could teach you how to control every muscle, how to manoeuvre your feathers to catch the wind, how to land without crashing.

He could tell you all his old weaknesses, too. How his wings would get tired after a few kilometres unless he went slow. How the left primaries would stick out to much if they caught a gust. How rain more than a light drizzle effectively grounded him, the feathers damp and his wings - your wings - shivering.

You were a natural. It was like the wings had always been a part of you.

More than that though, you were fast.

Mammon was the only one who could keep up with you. You grew braver, the curse lasting for days, weeks, turning to months. You tried flips, you tried twirls, you tried all the little tricks Asmo would encourage you to, but anyone could see your true strength was your speed.

A sprinter, just like Mammon had been.

It’s been millennia since the fall. Mammon hadn’t thought about his time as an angel this much in centuries, but watching you - the triumph on your face when you managed a new trick, the joy of flight, how radiant you looked with his old wings…

Mammon still didn’t miss the Celestial Realm. But he remembered the soft brush of feathers, of preening with his brothers, of flying with the sun kissing his skin instead of the cool night air.

His brothers respected that he didn't want to tell you - even as Lucifer eyed you both with clear concern, the eldest watching as Mammon winced when you turned your back to him.

Mammon took a lot of pictures. The curse wore off eventually - but he would still bring you to the sky whenever you asked.

It was bittersweet to see his old wings again. But if there was anyone that could make old wounds hurt a little less, if there was anyone he could make new, better memories with, it was you.

Leviathan

Levi's wings were considered a bit of an oddity in the realm. Somewhat smaller for an angel of his strength, feathers all smoothed out in the same direction, the joints oddly flexible yet capable of locking in place.

He was fast, but not the fastest. He could fly for long distances, but not the furthest. He did excel in his tolerance of different weather conditions, though that was mostly a side effect of his true strength.

Levi could dive.

Levi's speed when diving was hard to match - a sudden swoop that made him a terrifying opponent on the battlefield. But it wasn't just air that he could dive through, it was water.

Most angels didn't like getting their feathers wet, but Levi had loved it.

Levi and his younger siblings used to have competitions on who could dive the deepest in the many lakes of the Celestial Realm. Levi always won - but he learned to hold himself back when he surfaced one day to find Lucifer and Mammon frantically preparing to dive while Asmo tried to calm down the panicking twins.

Levi missed his wings.

He would never regret fighting for his family, but the first sick, nauseating experience of his sin rising within him as a demon was the realisation that some of his brothers had kept their wings.

So when you stumbled back home dragging his old wings behind you, Levi could only stick around for long enough to know that you were okay before he retreats to the safety of his room.

Levi's envy rose in his throat, blocking his breath and making his stomach lurch. He can't, he won't, expose you to that.

Levi wasn't sure whether or not the fact that the wings looked beautiful on you made it better or worse.

You sought him out late that night - Levi thought that maybe the curse would've been broken. But when he opened the door, there you were, wings tipped with blue.

The joints twitched, the feathers shuddered.

"I didn't want to bother you, I just- I can't control them, and-"

"O-okay."

Levi sat behind you, staring at his old wings sprouting from your back. He could see the way the muscles rippled, the way your shoulders tensed.

Levi took a deep breath.

Preening feathers, massaging someone's wings. Levi hadn't done this in centuries, yet his hands seemed to remember what to do. He brought your awareness to each individual muscle in the wings, focusing on the joints. His voice, so quiet he could barely hear it, instructed you to relax. Your tense shoulders slowly dropped, you started to lean back into his touch.

When his, your, wings finally stilled, Levi dropped his hands to his lap.

It would take about a month for the curse to wear off, you told him.

Levi wasn't going to be able to avoid you for a whole month.

Maybe he could at least take advantage of this time with you.

Teaching you how to fly was an issue - he couldn't be in the air with you, so all instructions had to be on the ground or shouted up. But he wouldn't let anyone else do it - who else would know what to do?

It was a crash course - sometimes literally, but Levi was always there with a few healing potions to fix you up. He walked you through take-off, landing, maintaining your position. Finally, with a week left, he taught you to dive.

Levi waited in the center of a Devildom lake, keeping the waves smooth and the temperature lukewarm. His wings could withstand much harsher conditions - but they were attached to his human, and he would take no chances.

He watched you hovering above - a wave showing that you were ready.

Levi dived, his strong tail propelling him below the waves, the moonlight quickly filtering out into darkness. He waited 1, 2, 3 seconds-

And then you broke through the surface, diving deep down to join him, your arms in perfect position, your wings lightly spread but held close to reduce your speed at impact, your eyes squeezed shut.

Levi called your name, the syllables warping and distorting in the water, his voice echoing and carried by the currents.

You were expecting it when he grabbed onto your arms, turning you upright and guiding you to the surface, keeping an eye on your breath as it slowly released, your wings held close to you to avoid drag-

You gasped when your head rose above water and Levi held you, relaxed, to keep you both at the surface.

"How do you feel?" Levi questioned, moving so your back was leaning against his chest, his tail powerful enough to keep you both on the surface.

"A little dizzy." You leaned your head back to smile at him, and now Levi felt self-conscious - flushing, the ripples on the surface appearing as his tail moved faster below. "But I'm not hurt. Can we try that again?"

"Seriously?"

Levi still ached looking at your wings, but with you he could try and focus on the good. He got to share a part of himself with you he'd thought he'd lost forever, and that was worth far more.

Beelzebub

Beel's wings were large. The only brother that had him beat was Lucifer, and that was only due to his position as the Seraphim.

As such, Beel's wings were best for long distances. Sustained, steady flight. Even from a young age, Beel found himself carrying Belphie and Lilith around once they got tired.

Beel had been proud of his wings... until that day.

His wings were strong, but they weren't built for the same speeds as Mammon. He couldn't turn as easily as Asmo. Still, no one could ever have called Beel slow.

And yet he hadn't been fast enough.

Beel's new wings were... different. More fragile. They couldn't sustain the same height, the same distance. Beel was grateful he still had wings - he knew how keenly Belphie felt their loss - but it still hurt.

So when he saw them on you, Beel had... mixed feelings.

Beel was glad that you were okay, knowing how badly you could've been hurt. The curse that hit you was no weak thing.

And Beel... he liked his wings on you. They weren't adjusted to your size, comically large. When you wrapped them close to you, mostly to avoid knocking into anything, it felt like you were wrapping yourself in him, that he was keeping you safe.

Beel took care of your wings, teaching you how to move each of the muscles and how the joints stretched.

Beel massaged out the pain in your back from carrying two new, heavy limbs.

Beel shoved more food in your direction to support the new energy requirements that carrying the weight of his old wings brought you.

Focusing on taking care of you took his attention away from himself.

Beel grieved. He grieved for what he had lost, he grieved for what he could never have again.

But Beel grieved quietly. It wasn't your fault you'd been hit with this curse. Avoiding you wasn't an option, so Beel just tried to help you as much as he could and wait for the curse to wear off.

Asmo

Asmo didn't feel like he'd lost much most of the time.

His old wings were similar to his new ones. Sure, as an angel he had feathers, but he retained the same abilities he'd always had. He flipped, he twisted, he weaved between trees and buildings and played hard to get.

So why did seeing those old things on you hurt?

Asmo's demon wings were cute - his angelic ones had been beautiful. Plain white on the surface, but in the light - and there was always light in the Celestial Realm - they shone iridescent, radiating light.

The Devildom moon lent your wings a much more subtle glow. Ethereal, soft, and yet it still stood out beautiful in the darkness of the Devildom’s night.

Asmo preened your wings to perfection. Curiosity led his fingers to the places he had loved to be touched all those years ago, noting your little sighs, the way your wings fanned and fluttered. You hadn’t had them for long enough to properly control them, so they showed your every emotion.

It was cute.

Sharing the Devildom sky with you was an experience. Asmo held your hand, flying slightly lower to guide you. He talked through each movement, how to handle sudden gusts of wind and how to land gracefully.

Tricks were a little harder - getting your head used to flight was already a process, teaching you how to flip without nearly throwing up was another issue entirely.

Asmo laughed with you, cheered with you, shared your joy and delight at every triumph.

It... it hurt, seeing his beautiful wings again. But they looked better on you than they had on him.

These dark, draconic wings suited him best - and Asmo wouldn't trade the chance to meet you and be with you for the Celestial Realm.

Asmo wasn't the Jewel of the Heavens anymore. But he was still beautiful and as a demon, he had the one thing his angel self never could have - you.

Belphie

Belphie's wings had burned off as he fell.

All the better. He would've ripped them off himself if he'd kept them.

Belphie hated any reminders of his time in the Celestial Realm. Those traitors had taken away his sister, and while he now knew she'd survived that didn't change his resentment. The war, Lilith leaving them, Beel's pain, it all happened because of their father. Because of the Celestial Realm.

It took him a moment to even recognise the wings you sport - a pale white on the inside feathers, a mottled grey and brown on the back - as his old ones. It was like having the mirror flipped on him, seeing himself as everyone else does instead of what he'd always seen in the glass.

Belphie made sure you were okay.

Then he hid in the attic.

Just talking about his feelings had never really been an option for Belphie. He didn't even know where to start with this one.

He'd been... moving on. Getting over it wasn't the right way to put it but he'd been moving forward, leaving behind some of the pain he'd held close because he thought it was the only thing left of his sister.

He’d been learning to love you. Finding where you fit against the real him, not just the boy in the attic. Tearing apart everything he’d told himself when his mind was stuck in a spiral of grief and resentment, building back up the image of you and him.

Now he couldn’t even… how could he even look at you?

It wasn't fair.

Belphie was a quiet ghost in the house, drifting through. Trying to avoid you. He didn’t know what his reaction would be and he can’t risk hurting you again.

Naturally, you forced the issue.

You walked into the attic and waited for him to respond, even as he pressed his face against the pillows, his tail twitching through the air.

"Y'know, I've been thinking..." you began, uncertain, and Belphie stills. "The colour pattern here - in the human world, it would camouflage you pretty well while you were flying. Looking up you'd look like part of the clouds, and from above you could be part of the terrain..."

"...Yeah." Belphie lifted his head just enough to see parts of you through the pillows he's surrounded himself with - your leg resting on the blanket, your chin turned towards him, your arm resting on a pillow. Not a feather in sight. "It worked in the Celestial Realm too. Better, because it was so bright. It was how I snuck out so often."

"Oh?"

Your voice was soft, curious - an invitation. Belphie burrowed himself into the pillows once more and you shifted like you were going to leave until-

"Lilith was the same, but she had more gold. She always had to sneak out where the sun was brightest."

"There are birds in the human world that pull the same trick."

"...Which ones?"

Talking with you was easy so long as he couldn't see the wings.

Eventually Belphie worked up the courage to pull his face from the pillows.

Remembering the Celestial Realm didn't hurt so much when he was with you.

Lucifer

Unlike his brothers, Lucifer's wings hadn't burned off in the fall. He'd ripped them off himself.

Four had grown back, leaving two ragged, deep scars on his back where the final pair had once been.

Lucifer had never questioned what had happened to his wings after that. They could've rotted without their angelic host, they could've been kept as a souvenir in Diavolo's basement. It was hard to believe any part of him could truly die like that, but in the confusion of that day - with Lilith, with Satan, with his brothers falling from the sky like shooting stars - he hadn't had time to concern himself with such a trivial matter.

All that to say - when he saw you struggling under the weight of six giant wings, there was a moment where he really thought-

Lucifer began the search for a way to break the curse almost immediately. Not because of any pain seeing those wings caused him, he told himself. His only concern was the physical toll the curse had on you.

Six wings was a great weight to bear, physically - the curse could only do so much in developing the extra muscles needed on your back, the joints and blood supply, to support so many significant additions to your form.

You were effectively bed-bound, lying on your stomach or your side. Walking any distance was an effort, not to mention the logistical problems of dragging six wings behind you everywhere.

Lucifer, as an seraph, had had few issues with his wings. The Celestial Realm was designed for those such as him, large rooms and wide doorways to stretch out his feathers, and his strength was enough that they did not impede him.

In truth, the six wings weren't for flying - his own power had managed that - but signified his status. Not just a seraph, but the favoured son. The right hand of his father.

Physically, they'd been no burden on him. But they'd acted as shackles, chained him to his father's will, to the realm he'd revolted against.

When they had not burned, Lucifer had ripped them off. The clearest rejection he could think of. A promise to never return.

He only prayed - he only hoped that you would not have to experience such pain to relieve you of your curse.

He knew the curse would wear off on its own in a month's time. Still he worked, desperate to spare you even an hour's pain.

"Lucifer," you began one evening as he once again examined the curse, poking and prodding for any weakness. "Can you take me flying, after this?"

Lucifer’s hands stilled. The magic at his fingertips faded and burst into being anew, this time a gentle, healing light. You sighed as his spell took away the worst of the pain.

“Anywhere you’d like to go. I swear it.”

“…Are you mad at yourself, somehow?” Your voice was a soft murmur. The wings - the pain - hadn’t just weighed down your body. It was as if every part of you was slowly being crushed - your back, your voice, your smile.

“I dislike the idea of any part of me hurting you.”

Again went unspoken between you.

Lucifer watched as you tried to build up the energy to argue - but eventually you sighed and sunk back down into the bed, Lucifer massaging the tender and bruised muscles on your back, magic still taking away the pain.

“Take me somewhere I’ve never seen,” you told him, “and we’ll call it even.”

Lucifer squeezed his eyes shut. He did not wish to show weakness, not now, not when you needed him to be strong.

“It’s a deal.”

Bonus: Satan

The single pair of large, pure white wings on your lower back weren't commented on.

Lucifer didn't mention it.

No one else was brave enough to.

But Satan knew.

as for your chest, the shirt was buttoned up so that it covered your nipples, but it did nought to stop them from poking through the silk material. and the skin of your collarbone was revealed, showcasing all the nips and bruises lucifer left on you just an hour ago.

a relaxing night like this didn't come around often with lucifer. with him constantly swarmed with work from the demon lord and his brothers constantly fighting over who you spend time with, it left only a few nights a week for you and lucifer to genuinely relax in each other's embrace. and tonight was one of the even fewer nights when you allowed yourselves the ultimate pleasure of physical intimacy.

you heard the water from the shower turn off, and the door opened a moment or two later. you stayed in place, too mesmerised by the luminous moon and shimmering stars to look away.

even as you saw lucifer walk towards you in the reflection, clad only in a towel around his waist, you remained in place, basking in the lunar goddess' radiance.

"the moon is beautiful tonight."

lucifer wrapped his soaked arms around you, making you to cringe at the feeling of his now wettened shirt clinging to your skin. it wasn't a bad feeling, though. not when he dipped his head into your neck and began leaving small kisses across your skin.

"not as beautiful as you." he murmured and bit a little more harshly on the kiss marks he made.

"oh yeah?" you gasped. "tell me more."

he intertwined one of his hand with yours, and the other rose up to your chest with precise movements and he took your nipples between his fingers. with a squeeze to each breast, he rubbed his thumb lightly over the hardened nub, causing a faint rush of electricity to run through your body and down to your core.

"nothing is more beautiful than seeing you wrapped around me,"

your core clenched and your grip on his hand tightened with his words. yet, he didn't stop his lips moving against your neck and you shivered in his hold, feeling the rush of excitement all over again.

"nothing is more beautiful than seeing you stuffed full with my cock,"

you groaned as he sucked on the lobe of your ear, the sensitive flesh eliciting tingles all across your body.

you fingers were so tight around his hand, and with this hand, he lead your grasp down to the part of you that screamed to be touched. he continued fondling your breast with his right hand, and with his left, he guided your fingers underneath his to touch the sodden and swollen flesh of your pussy.

he took your index finger between his own and his thumb, and pushed it tauntingly between your folds. your fingertip brushed lightly over the hooded treasure, and the pleasure disappeared just as quickly as it arrived it when lucifer pulled away your finger before you could get a grasp of the feeling.

"luci..." you whined as he stripped you of the sweet taste of temptation. you stared into his dark eyes in the reflection, pleading him to let you feel good.

"nothing..." he whispered, his hot breath travelling right into your ears and making you shudder with excitement. "... is more beautiful than seeing you make such pretty faces for me."

with that, luci shoved your finger deep between your folds, dragging the tip up and down until you got a good feel for the electrified bud that lay hidden under your moist flesh.

you cried out abruptly.

if your body was a map for lost gold, lucifer knew exactly where the gold lay buried.

x marks the spot, or so to speak.

he expertly guided your finger in circles, all the while eyeing you from your leaking crotch to your reddened and furrowed face. but you were too lost in the pleasure to see him gawking at you so hungrily, as if he hadn't fucked the life out of you just hours before.

it was incredible how insanely good he made you feel by controlling just one of your fingers around your clit, letting you play with yourself entirely under his command.

and it took only seconds for your will to collapse, to succumb to the sweet ecstasy he brought unto you.

your knees buckled beneath you, but he caught your waist in his arms, giving you no choice but to glance at how ruined you were. your reflection against the window was nothing like you'd seen before.

you were so utterly fucked out. and just from a bit of finger play.

that was the effect luci had on you.

and you would let him ruin you endlessly if it meant you could do the same to him.

luci was still admiring your now barely covered body glowing under the moonlight by the time you gathered your strength.

you pushed your soft butt against him, feeling the hardness under his towel. he hissed and while he was distracted by your sudden movement against him, you turned around and gently shoved him backwards.

he was taken aback, so much that he didn't even bother to grab the towel that slipped from his waist, leaving him completely naked beneath you as you pushed him down on the edge of the bed and straddled him.

within seconds, you moved so that the tip of his dick was ready to enter you and he tore off the shirt that hid your perfect body from him.

you gasped as the buttons clattered on the floor, but paid no mind as you sank down on him.

you took him all at once, soaked enough that he slipped in with ease and the squelching noises followed immediately. your tits bounced and rubbed against his chest and his hand found their place on your hips, perfectly fitting the bruises his fingers had made previously.

you rode his dick like a madwoman, moaning and crying like a bitch in heat, panting and wheezing as if these were your last breaths.

and they might as well have been your last breaths given the bliss he was giving you, so close to being sent over the edge.

his hips rocked back and forth, pressing his dick even deeper into your soft, velvety walls. and he could no longer hold back his groans.

he stuttered as you moaned with him, his eyes narrowing and dark brows furrowing, the grip he had on your hips getting impossibly tighter. all the tell-tale signs that he was about to cum.

you watched him closely, letting him crawl right to the edge before stilling entirely, not letting him take that final step to slip over.

he growled and began lifting your hips up and down on his own accord, but you did your best to stay in place with your thighs gripping his waist tightly. when he realised you weren’t going to move for him, he gave up and glanced up to you with needy eyes.

you weren’t entirely sure why you stopped. perhaps it was for payback, or maybe you just wanted to feel in control.

but most of all...

“what is it?” he asked, voice shaking with desperation.

“I want to see you.”

he sighed, not knowing what was going through your mind and too distraught over you stealing his orgasm.

“what do you mean?”

“I want to see you.” you repeated, this time pressing your finger to the centre of his forehead where the shimmering black diamond would naturally sit.

lucifer understood immediately. he’d never fucked you like that before, and as much as he’d wanted to, it was better to hold back. for your sake.

“please?” you whined when you saw his hesitation. 

“are you sure?”

“yes! more than anything.”

he let out a quick breath and a not second later a gust of wind flew around your naked body as all four of his wings stretched in full glory. along with his shining horns and that cute little jet black diamond.

you felt a surge of power sitting above him like that. lucifer, the star of heaven, the avatar of pride was bare beneath you, silently awaiting your next move.

you reached forward, with his dick still stuffed inside you, and ran your hands through his soft feathers. they were silky and cool, and felt almost wet against your fingertips. and playing with his feathers caused his entire body to jolt.

his dick twitched inside you, and you didn’t hesitate to join in when he began moving your hips. you were breathless all over again, bouncing and wiggling on his cock with a harsh grip on his ridged horns. his own head dipped below, sucking harshly on your nipples. and when he pulled away for air, you gently yanked his horns up so you could meet his jewel-like eyes and planted a soft kiss on the gem between his brows.

you noticed his eyes glossing over, he was close, as were you.

you rode him faster, harder, wilder.

both of you crying out with desperation, both ready to reach new heights together.

his wings came forth and wrapped around you, covering you from anyone who would ever see you like this, for you were a sight only for him to lay eyes on. the feathers tickled you, stimulating every nerve a mile further.

his hard dick swept past your sweet spots again and again, abusing its power to ruin your fleshy walls that never ceased to stop sucking him in.

you couldn’t handle it anymore.

with your hands on his shoulder, you pushed him down flat on the bed and rested them in their rightful place on his chest.

now this was a sight to see.

his wings and arms splayed out so gorgeously beneath you as you rode him, you’d never seen his face so dowsed in pleasure.

and all because of you.

that was enough to set you off. your orgasm crashed over you in waves, a blinding whiteness washing over every inch of you, both inside and out. your body shook, toes curled and voice cried all the way through your high.

and not once did you stop. lucifer’s cock twitched numerous times before you felt his cum spurt out and flood your insides. he let out a loud groan, the loudest you ever heard him, as you guided him through his orgasm.

for minutes after, you still didn’t stop, not until he finally regained his composure and weakly grabbed your hips to halt their movements.

you fell forward, the two of you gasping for air and you held yourself up with trembling elbows as to not squash him while he was catching his own breath. with your legs still spread on either side of him and his dick still stuffed inside your throbbing pussy, his cum began leaking out and dripped onto the sheets.

for what felt like eternity, you admired how truly beautiful he was.

You kicked Asmo under the table as hard as possible, but the demon didn’t flinch. You weren’t even sure if he noticed the kick as he calmly closed his eyes and seemingly fall into deep thought.

Finally, Asmo nodded and declared, “Yup, I think Lucifer is finally past his prime. Completely lost his touch. At least Father blessed him with a beautiful face and a sexy, chiseled body. Don’t the humans have the expression about having cake and not eating it? Lucifer is your cake!”

During the ramble, your brain short-circuited and your eyes rapidly blinked, trying to process whatever the Avatar of Lust was trying to convey. Then Solomon’s hand lightly gripped your wrist, grounding you back to reality.

“Look,” he began, his voice gentle and soothing. “Opera in Austria is definitely at the top of the list for a romantic date. And knowing Lucifer, there will be nights of candle-light dinners – most likely with live music…”

You scuffed at “knowing Lucifer.”

“I thought I knew Lucifer, but this whole factory tour thing is so out of left field…”

“Ha! You are fucking kidding me!”

Both you and Solomon snapped your heads at Asmo, shooting him a look of disbelief.

“Hold on, is this actually a thing?”

“Oh yeah!” Asmo replied as if it was the most common piece of knowledge. Then his eyes softened, casting a sympathetic gaze at you. “I just thought he’d know better than to suggest any of those for a romantic getaway. I mean back in the day, a vacation with Lucifer was all about romantic outings and lots of sex. Some days he didn’t even leave the bedroom at all.”

Solomon tried to slap Asmo’s arm to shut him up but his timing was too late. Shaking your head clear, you excused yourself to head back to the House of Lamentation, hoping you could lock yourself away for the night.

* * *

Since your conversation with Asmo, you counted down the days to your Austria trip, acting as nonchalant around Lucifer as possible. You didn’t have the heart to complain about his plans. He was trying so hard to make a memorable trip. Every time he tweaked the agenda, a broad smile graced his lips. Not a smirk, but a genuine smile. He was content with his vision. On top of that he was making the effort to research things from the human world, and it was all for you. The day before the trip, Asmo took you out shopping and bought you a lovely outfit for the opera along with some accessories to compliment the attire. You can do this! You were going to make the most of this trip and your time with the Avatar of Pride…

…That is if you could survive the visit to the run-of-river plant.

The trip started well. The first night, you two decided to take it easy, opting for strolls through narrow streets. You had dinner at an outdoor café while watching the sunset. Just as Solomon predicted, a violinist made his round from table to table, serenading loving couples. Lucifer even asked for a dance, which resulted in, as Asmo predicted, Lucifer being given quite the royal treatment when you returned to your hotel room.

Day two, a brewery! Can’t go wrong with a tour that ended with free samples of beer. Next, was a trip to an art museum, spending hours engaged in critiquing the various pieces. So, perhaps you were too hasty in criticizing Lucifer’s judgment.

Day three…a power plant that used the river’s water to produce electricity. Admittedly, science wasn’t exactly your favorite subject in high school. The physics was over your head. Several times, you gazed up at Lucifer who kept his eyes locked on their tour guide, completely invested in learning the ins and outs of the power plant. You, on the other hand, fought against heavy eyelids and yawns threatening to escape. Honestly, you didn’t want to be rude to the tour guide. It wasn’t his fault you weren’t exactly enthralled in the experience, but you silently went with the flow without complaint. It felt like eternity before you left the factory, tired and famished. Fortunately, Lucifer had already accounted for that and had booked a lunch cruise down the Danube. Looking over the railing, you admired the passing scenery.

“Is everything alright?”

Hearing Lucifer’s voice, you snapped your head toward him and flashed a wide grin.

“Of course! Why do you ask?”

Lucifer frowned. You should have known better than to lie at him. He had the uncanny ability to see through deceit.

“You were uncharacteristically quiet earlier. If the experience was not enjoyable, I welcome you to be honest with me.”

His features were hard to read. Was he upset? If so, was it because you lied just now or because you weren’t upfront prior to the trip? You sighed and leaned onto your forearms, bracing yourself for what may come next.

“Fine, in all honesty, the power plant was not exactly the highlight of the trip. I wouldn’t have personally even considered it as an option, but you looked like you were enjoying yourself. I didn’t want to ruin that for you.”

Lucifer’s features softened as he reached out and grabbed your hand, rubbing his thumb against the back. A few silent moments passed before you just couldn’t hold back the question burning deep within you.

“Lucifer?”

“Hm?”

“Why the factory tours?”

Lucifer quirked an eyebrow, seeing nothing wrong with the highly educational touring options. Seeing his confusion, you tried a different approach.

“When I was growing up, we visited this city that was famous for its chocolates. We did go to visit that factory, watched how the chocolate got made, and then went nuts with filling up bags with different chocolate varieties. The rest of the trip we went to the zoo, museums, and most of the time, we splashed in the hotel pool. I have never met anyone who visits a factory every day of the trip.”

“There wasn’t a factory on the first day,” Lucifer reminded you, causing your eye to twitch a bit at the comment.

“Still, I’m curious. Why the fascination with touring factories?”

“It’s a way for me to understand your world.”

The one comment rendered you feeling like a complete ass. A statement so genuine that was matched by the sincerity in his eyes.

“Humans have a way of changing their nature very quickly,” he went on explaining. “I have watched great civilizations rise and then later fall. Times of great knowledge followed by times of ignorance. From the ashes of their own self-destruction, you humans find a way to rise back up, producing great works of art and delving into ingenuity. I have witnessed great inventions, ones that you know take for granted. When the truce between the realms was enacted, I visited the human world far less frequently than in what you would term the ancient times. There had been extended periods where I didn’t step foot into the mortal realm only to find that when I finally did, the world had changed considerably. The tours help me to keep abreast of human progress. To help me understand how the world around you operates. I do find the process fascinating. For example, I never thought that humans would use natural resources like running water to generate electricity. The notion was unfathomable to me.”

You wanted to kick yourself. Lucifer laid his heart out, explaining the purest desire to satisfy his curiosity just to understand your people better. He was taking the time to learn. That was the whole point of the exchange program to begin with. You offered a weak smile, finding it difficult to conceal your shame.

“If you wish, we can skip the glass factory tomorrow. We can do something else or just relax since the opera is tomorrow night as well.”

You bit your lip, mulling over the offer, but shook your head.

“No, let’s keep the schedule as is.”

Lucifer smirked, almost as if he was betting on this outcome, but that would have to wait for tomorrow.

Day four – the glass factory. This was at least quite intriguing. It wasn’t so much a factory as it was an art studio. You watched in fascination as the glassmiths practiced glass blowing, expertly manipulating their works into intricate vases. Once the tour group moved into the gift shop, you quickly ran off without Lucifer to eye the merchandise. Scouring the selection, you finally found the perfect gift. You hastily purchased the item and had it gift wrapped before Lucifer was by your side once more.

“Ready to go?” he asked, placing a hand on your lower back.

You turned around and nodded. Then, a little box under his arm caught your eye.

“What’s that?” You asked with a beaming smile.

“Something for later,” he replied coyly before nudging his chin toward the box in your hand. “And what is that?”

“Something for later,” you answered, mocking his voice to which he chuckled and led you back to your hotel room.

The gifts were left on a table as you changed for the opera. The rest of the night you hung onto Lucifer’s arm. In accordance with etiquette, neither of you spoke during the opera though Lucifer stole an occasional kiss against your hand. By the time you returned to your room, Lucifer was trailing kisses down your neck, across your collarbone, down your arm until he reached your wrist. Preoccupied by his undivided attention, the gift boxes remained forgotten until you laid in his arms, bathing in the afterglow of your lovemaking. Eventually, your eyes lazily landed on the box you bought. Shooting up, you reached over, grabbed at it carefully, and presented it to Lucifer.

“Here! Open it!”

Smiling like a giddy child, you watched as Lucifer carefully opened the box, knowing only that the contents within was glass. As the item came into view, Lucifer’s eyes widened along with his smile. He carefully extracted it from the box to study the design – a globe shaped decanter with the map of earth etched into the surface. Inside rested a ship, mimicking a ship in a bottle.

“This is quite an exquisite gift. I shall put it to good use.” Lucifer leaned over and placed a tender kiss on your forehead in gratitude. “Now it’s only fair that you open my gift.”

Having been granted permission, you reached back over the table to grab at the remaining box. You bit your lip in anticipation as you fumbled with undoing the tap. After successfully opening the box, you gasped at the content. Pulling it, you studied the glass dome with a single red glass rose inside.

“It’s beautiful,” you marveled at the intricate detail.

Lucifer pulled you back into a hug, forcing you to rest against his chest.

“I saw it online while I was researching tourist attractions. It’s the reason I added the glass factory to the agenda.”

You looked up, catching Lucifer’s smug smirk, the same smirk he gave during the lunch cruise. You replaced the sculpture back onto the table and then straddled his lap. Grasping the sides of his face, you graced him with a deep kiss, softly nipping on his lower lip.

“Thank you. This trip was truly amazing.”

Wrapping his arms around your waist and pulling you in closer, his smirk grew even deeper as he stared into your eyes.