Chapter Text
Lucifer woke up to something buzzing.
His eyes felt heavy, as he tried to make sense of the situation.
What was buzzing? Why was it buzzing?
His hands flared around, searching for the source.
With every knew buzz Lucifer became more aware of the situation.
He groaned as he blinked his eyes open. Blinding sunlight streaming through the open window, casting a golden glow straight into his face.
In movies it always looked beautiful. In his bed at home it was fucking annoying.
"Ugh," was Lucifer's first coherent words for the day. Before he flopped over, still searching for the buzz.
Annoyance spread in him, because where the fuck was his phone?!
Lucifer rolled on his underarms, blanket twisting around his leg, as he searched blearily. The world was a blur still. Sleep making his lashes stick together and tear up from the harshness of the light.
He rubbed along them, hair sticking up like a birds nest, where he had laid on.
He found his phone beneath his pillow, where it had slipped into while he had slept.
Probably not the healthiest thing, but - whatever.
He grabbed it and wiped it to stop the alarm.
Then he let his face fall into his fluffy pink pillow again with a huff.
It was like nine am. Why had he sat an alarm to nine am on a saturday.
…
"Oh shit!" Lucifer shot up as if stung by a bee into the butthole. An excited tingle crashing through his chest like a wave into a cliff. Droplets lingered down his arms and legs.
The kid.
He was meeting with the kid at the library today.
Which was frankly not necessarily something to be excited about? He barely knew the kid. It was just -
Well what was it?
Getting to know him?
Or was he really trying to get more help in physics?
Lucifer wasn't the best in physics but he also wasn't stupid. He knew how to solve the questions … or at least he would figure it out sometime. Bel would certainly help him for free.
Lucifer didn't really understand himself in the moment. Couldn't really pinpoint why he had followed the kid, why he hadn't told his friends about it, why he was so excited to meet up with him.
Maybe because it felt like a mystery. Lucifer always had loved playing detective as a kid.
When he was younger he had always tried to figure out the reason why his parents were always gone. His childish mind had came up with various stories about bad people wanting to steal some dangerous family secret that his parents tried to protect them from.
Yeah… he'd had a crush on Laura Croft for a long time, watching way too many game play videos.
When he had been older he finally had understood that his parents just … never really wanted to have kids. They had just liked the image of looking like a real proper family.
But Lucifer was lucky.
He had Sera and Emily and Michael. And despite Sera sometimes being an awful stuck up, because what do you mean you won't allow me to go to parties? I am sixteen?! She truly loved him and he knew that. He knew she would do everything for him. And so would Michael.
Lucifer knew that Michael had had the opportunity to go to Yale and study law, like Raphael and Gabriel did, but he'd chosen to stay. Michael had promised him it wasn't because of Lucifer. But Lucifer secretly knew it was.
His phone buzzed again.
This time it wasn't the alarm though. Lucifer looked down and saw a message in the group chat.
Lucifer snorted as he clicked on it and saw a gif of a raccoon aggressively smashing a keyboard.
Beneath it Mammon's message wrote: Me at 3 am, trying to finish my history essay.
Lucifer scrunched his eyebrows confused and typed back: It's saturday?!
For a second, no reaction. Then three dots popped up indicating Ozzie was typing.
Lucifer waited, staring at the screen.
A second later the phone buzzed again, Ozzie's message popping up on the screen: His mom threatened to take his gaming privileges if he didn't finish his homework before the weekend.
Lucifer felt like he was more confused now, though before he could answer another message popped up. This time from Bel: Weekend is for homework?!
No, came the message from Ozzie a second later, Weekends is for NOT doing the homework.
Bee wrote: Mammon's mom wanted him to go canoeing with her, cause she thinks he needs to be more active.
And that's why he has to do homework before the weekend? Lucifer wrote in the chat, still confused.
Well I can't do homework on the fucking canoe can I?! Mammon's message popped up.
Lucifer pouted.
Also my mom made the rules not me. Came the message after.
Mammon's fat ass can't do canoeing. Levi chimed in.
Then came a gif of an elephant sitting in a half sunken boat, looking absolutely chill.
Lucifer snorted.
That's body shaming, Levi! We don't do that. Bel chided.
We do it when that person's body we are shaming is Mammon's. Levi wrote back.
Rude. Came Mammon's message.
And shortly after from Bel: Damn Levi what crawled up your ass this morning?
It took a few seconds and then a picture came in of Levi sticking her tongue out, next to her lying some random dude, with lots of muscles and a beautiful face.
Beneath it stood the message: Something beautiful.
Lucifer scrunched his face.
Ewww. Too much information!
Lucifer threw the phone away, ignoring the messages from Bee and Ozzie asking for the tea, as he finally threw the blanket off himself and stood up.
For a second he stood there, smacking his lips tiredly, staring at himself in the mirror that was integrated into his closet door. His hair stuck up in every direction.
"Damn."
He looked like he had been electrocuted.
His gaze lazily drifted to the clock next to his bed and his eyes bulged.
Now Lucifer felt as if he had been electrocuted! 30 Minutes had passed already and he had done literally nothing but staring at his phone screen!
He yelped undignified and hurried over to his wardrobe grabbing whatever was lying on top. He had already thought a little bit about what he was going to wear today yesterday. Thank god for his brain loving to overthink everything. At least that meant he was somehow prepared.
He took the pink soft shorts, that went over his knees and the black shirt out of his wardrobe. Grabbing a fresh pair of underwear and socks, before he hurried over to the door, nearly hurling over his half open backpack lying in the middle of the room.
"Fuck," he cursed, but caught himself before he face planted on the floor.
Then he stormed out, rushing down the hallway into the bathroom, locked the door behind him, threw the clothes on the ground and started undressing.
Then he wasted five minutes wondering if he had enough time to shower still, or if he should do a cat wash instead. After five minutes he decided for a cat wash.
He had literally wasted his showering time with overthinking.
Damn his overthinking.
It was both a curse and a blessing.
After scrubbing with a washcloth along his arms, he washed his face with cold water, putting on some deodorant and finally throwing on the - in his mind - cute outfit.
He hoped the kid thought it looked cute too.
He hoped the kid liked him.
He hoped he didn't come off as weird…
Lucifer stopped in his tracks for a second. Then shrugged it off, because he didn't have time to overthink.
Not now, brain!
He grabbed his toothbrush instead, and while brushing his teeth, he grabbed his pajama and hurried back to his room throwing it on his bed.
He didn't know why he always thought he could multitask tooth brushing with everything. It was not easy and it also was definitely not good for his teeth, because half the time it resulted in foam building in his mouth, him dropping it everywhere he went and his teeth not actually being brushed, because his brush was just sitting there. In his mouth. Dropping foam.
Lucifer groaned, while he packed his backpack with everything he needed.
Toothpaste drops staining it, while he leaned over, pressing his stuff in.
Ugh, whatever.
When he was done, he hurried back to the bathroom, spitting it out. Doing a half lazy sweep over the rest of his teeth and then washing out his mouth.
Then he hurried back to his room for the third time this morning, grabbing his backpack and fast-walking towards the door, before he realized - money!
He turned back, grabbed his wallet and put the fifty dollars out he had gotten from his grandma for Christmas and never transferred to his bank account like he had wanted to.
Oops.
Well, now it came in handy.
He placed his backpack against the wall next to his door, before he skipped down the other side of the hallway toward Michael's room.
He didn't bother knocking.
He never did.
He pushed the door open.
Michael was still buried beneath his blanket, one arm hanging dramatically off the side of the bed.
Lucifer grinned.
Then launched himself.
The mattress bounced violently.
Michael made a sound somewhere between a dying whale and a possessed vacuum cleaner.
"What the FUCK!" Michael grunted.
Lucifer grinned, still bouncing a little bit.
"Best bro in the world!" He greeted him, throwing his arms up and the flopping dramatically over Michael's body again.
"Not before 10 am on the weekends, you little shit," came the groan from Michael.
"Come on," Luci poked him. "I need your driving skills."
"Drive with bicycle!" Michael grumbled taking his pillow and slamming it against Lucifers face.
Lucifer blinked for a second.
Then pouted.
"Hey! I just made my hair!" He tried smoothing it out again.
Michael shifted beneath him, moving to get up.
Lucifer lost his balance, tumbling off the bed and falling in a heap on the floor, yelping loudly.
Michael laughed at that. Gazing at him sleep drunk.
"Loser," he snorted.
Lucifer threw him an angry glare.
"You are no fun."
Michael turned around, throwing the blanket over his head again.
"Fuck off," he yawned.
Lucifer waited a few seconds.
Silence.
"So," he said slowly. "Is that a no?"
Another pillow flew his way.
Lucifer yelped running out of the room, and slamming the door shut, before it could hit him.
He heard it thumping against the door before sliding it down.
"You could have just said no!" Lucifer yelled through the closed door.
"FUCK OFF!"
Lucifer cackled.
He had known his brother probably wouldn't drive him, but it had been worth a try, just because lucifer loved annoying the shit out of him.
Lucifer didn't bike often.
He actually should though. It was fun and gave a different kind of freedom when the cars clogged up the street next to him but he could just rush past them on the side.
Taylor Swift was blasting loudly in his ears, which probably was dangerous but too happiness enhancing for him to care.
The early morning air was still cold. The sun just warm enough to make it comfortable.
It would soon change. When the sun came out fully and the day went on, hot air would make it unbearable staying outside for too long.
Lucifer probably should have put sunscreen on. He was white like a snowman.
It was too late now though. He'd be sitting in the library soon anyway. Sera would probably just get very upset with him later, when he came back burned like a crisp.
It didn't take long for Lucifer to arrive at the library. The huge block-like building actually looked very boring from the outside.
Honestly, libraries were really cool. They held so much stories and knowledge and potential, but it was like the government wanted kids to think books and learning was boring. Why else were libraries more often than not ugly concrete blobs from the outside.
Lucifer would have made them castle-like. Towers with spiral staircases. Secret passages. Little balconies hidden between shelves where you could curl up with a book.
Or maybe more elven.
A giant tree growing through the middle of the building.
Glass ceilings.
Sunlight everywhere.
Ducks.
Definitely ducks.
He wasn't entirely sure why a library needed ducks.
It simply felt correct.
Lucifer sighed.
So much wasted potential in this world, because of capitalism and boring old white-men.
Ozzie was right. Everything should probably be a lot more gay and colorful.
What a wonderful world it could be.
Lucifer came to a halt in front of the sad-looking building and pushed his bike the last steps towards the rack.
He clicked the lock shut and then looked around, wondering if Alastor was already there.
Just thinking the name made something weird flutter in his stomach.
Which was stupid.
He'd talked to the guy for maybe fifteen minutes.
"Get a grip," Lucifer muttered to himself.
Sometimes Lucifer's brain was just weird.
He shrugged off the tingling feeling, looking around, hoping to spot him. But maybe Alastor wasn't there yet.
Lucifer's gaze wandered across the entrance.
Nothing.
A couple of elderly people.
A dad trying to convince his toddler that eating gravel wasn't breakfast.
No Alastor.
He frowned.
Then something moved at the edge of his vision.
Just... a shoe?
Sticking out from behind one of the brick sections lining the staircase across from him. The stair case that was leading up to the library main entrance.
Lucifer blinked.
"...Huh."
He squinted his eyes… wondering.
Then carefully he started walking towards it.
Honestly, Lucifer didn't know what he was expecting, when he rounded the pillar.
Certainly not this.
Despite not having truly believed it, it was Alastor. He was lying curled up on the side. Backpack beneath his head, arms curled close around it. One knee pulled up. His cheek squished. Glasses lying crooked. Hair falling on his face.
For the first time since Lucifer had seen him (which wasn't a lot), Alastor looked young. There was no smirk hardening the edges of his soft lips. No scrunched up eyebrows, emitting a serious expression. It was all slightly flushed cheeks, from the warm glow of the sun, making the freckles beneath come out more prominently, and a peaceful expression that somehow made Lucifer's insides flutter again.
He clenched his fists - hard. To shake off that feeling, because seriously?! Lucifer literally had just met him, why does his body betray him like that? Is he really that shallow that a cute face and soft-looking lips was all it took to make him swoon over someone?
Fuck - he doesn't want to be like that.
Taylor Swift singing 'I am the problem, it's me' into his ears was actually not helping at all either. So Lucifer quickly grabbed the earphones and stored them away in their case, before turning back to the sleeping kid, wondering what he should do now.
Then his eyes zeroed in on something else. Something that made coldness slither like a snake through his limbs. Goosebumps rose on his skin.
It was fairly visible that there was a slight smudge of make up on Alastor's skin, when the sun was hitting the right angle. A few glittery sparkles catching the light now and then too. And beneath that - something dark. Something blue-purplish. Right beneath the eye.
Now that it had caught Lucifer's attention, he could clearly make out the swollen skin beneath it. And when his case traveled further down - yep - that weird crusty thing he had first overseen was definitely a split lip.
What had happened?
"Are you done staring at me or was that the actual reason you wanted to have 'help' in physics?" The lips suddenly started moving.
Lucifer startled so hard, he let out a shrill high pitched yelp, jumping a whole foot back.
The kid winced visibly, scrunching his face in pain at the scream.
Lucifer winced too, albeit because he thought it was fucking embarrassing. Holy shit. What a start.
"Sorry-," Lucifer blubbered. "Sorry. Sorry. I -" Lucifer took a panicked breath. "I arrived, and looked around. You weren't there and - then I saw a foot… I just walked up and… Honestly I wasn't expecting you. I mean I was expecting you but not there and - you slept. And Taylor Swift was singing in my ear and -" Lucifer took another deep breath, his heart still racing wildly. "Is that a bruise on your eye?!"
Lucifer pointed at Alastor's face, squeaking the last bit.
Alastor - during Lucifer's panicked babble - had pushed himself up on his arms, staring at him with a blank expression that made Lucifer panic even more and continue to babble on stronger than before, because he literally could not interpret this expression. What did it mean? What - Had he already fucked up everything?
At the last bit however, Alastor finally let out a reaction. Albeit - not a good one. His expression darkened. The hardness falling back over his face.
Lucifer winced internally.
Great, you idiot. Shouldn't have asked that.
"Sorry," Lucifer blurted quickly, as he saw the darkening expression. "You don't have to tell me. It's none of my business! I just - are you okay? Can we still do the physics stuff or - do you need to delay it to get better?"
Now that got a whole bunch of other reactions from Alastor. Some of them Lucifer had a hard time interpreting. First the eyebrows rose in surprise, then the kid startled, looking taken aback, then shortly panicked, before everything smoothed out again and that smirk returned. The same one he had had on his face when he negotiated with the Vees.
Which, honestly, shouldn't hurt Lucifer all too much, because - again - he had literally just met him. But still - it stung his ego a little bit. He didn't want to be in the same bucket as the Vees. They were assholes and Lucifer really hoped he wasn't. And could Alastor just please put on a different expression for him?
Of course Alastor did not hear anything of Lucifer's internal struggle when he blatantly said: "Yes."
"Huh?" Lucifer asked confused.
"Yes," Alastor repeated, hopping down the brick wall elegantly. "Its none of your business." He straightened, crossing his arms over the chest.
Lucifer looked away.
Ouch.
"But if you want to know, I got into a knife fight with the security guy from the library," Alastor shrugged.
Lucifer scrunched his eyebrows, gaze shooting back to the scrawny kid.
"He didn't want to give me my library card. So I killed him," The kid smirked.
Lucifer deflated, rolling his eyes.
"And ate him."
"Okay," Lucifer threw up his arms. "I already said its none of my business, okay? No need to rub salt into the wound."
Alastor snickered.
"Come on," he gestured, leisurely starting to trudge up the way towards the entrance. "Time is already ticking."
Lucifer followed with a slight pout on his face. It was only when they entered the cool library that he realized, the kid had never actually answered his question of whether he was okay.
Lucifer shrugged it off. He didn't need another sarcastic remark and he figured if the kid was truly not well, he'd have indicated it by now.
They walked into the library slightly adjacent to each other. Alastor led, but Lucifer wasn't far behind. He was close enough to feel some of the body warmth of the boy in front of him. A slight hint of his scent reaching their way into his nostrils. It was a mixture of dark coffee and cherry blossom. Lucifer shuddered slightly.
Ugh. Even his scent is intoxicating. What the fuck.
Lucifer felt a little lightheaded as he followed the kid through the shelves full of books, up the stairs and into the big study room, where group work was allowed. The blue carpet felt soft beneath Lucifer's shoes, and the dusty scent of old books and something that was solely library filled his nostrils, nearly overpowering Alastor's.
The study room was loud, despite it being a library, but Lucifer preferred it this way anyway. When it was too silent his thoughts started to get louder than reality, which made it hard to focus sometimes.
Alastor led them to a free table in one corner and settled down. His backpack falling on the ground next to him, as he waited for Lucifer to follow.
Lucifer pushed the chair out as well, placing his backpack on the table and settled down. Then he took out his physics book and sheets, placing them in front of Alastor and himself.
He busied himself arranging it neatly, while he frantically thought about how to start the conversation. Up until now he hadn't really thought about what he actually wanted to talk with Alastor about. He figured starting with his homework might be the best, which is why he took out the sheet and placed it in between himself and Alastor.
Alastor leaned over a little bit, scooching his chair closer, which made Lucifer's breath hitch a little as he realized how close they were.
Alastor's hair was falling across his forehead. It looked unruly and Lucifer wondered if it was as soft as it looked like.
Then he shook his head subtly and focused back on the worksheet. His gaze falling on the first question. As he skimmed over it, he knew exactly what type of equation he needed to apply - and suddenly he knew exactly what to ask.
"So," he started and Alastor immediately peeled his gaze away from the worksheet to look over at him. His gold-brown amber eyes settling on him with an intensity that sent a shiver down his spine. Lucifer bit his lip, but forced himself to continue as he looked back to the worksheet. "My main problem is that - I know which equation I need for what problem, but -" Lucifer took a small breath. "I don't know why."
Lucifer scrunched up his eyebrows. "It's like I can apply patterns, but don't understand the connection."
Alastor's eyebrows shot up at that, which Lucifer could not interpret. Then he hummed, his eyes sliding back to the worksheet.
Alastor had a very cute side profile, Lucifer realized. His nose was small and soft looking, and his slightly rose-tinted cheeks, covered in freckles gave his otherwise sharp angled face a round touch. Lucifer couldn't really explain it. His insides tingled anyway.
"Okay," Alastor finally said. He slid the paper a little closer to Lucifer. "How would you solve this then?"
Lucifer looked at the question. Then he grabbed his collegeblock, opened a free page and started writing down the equation.
Alastor watched him do it, but before Lucifer could start changing the variables with actual numbers Alastor interrupted him.
"Why this equation?"
"I literally just told you that I don't know. Sir Pentious uses that equation for these types of questions," Lucifer said exasperated.
Alastor rolled his eyes.
"It's because you are not thinking. You are just numbly applying what the teachers tell you like a good little pet," he spat.
"Wow," Lucifer said. "That sounded like a lot of suppressed anger."
"Well, the world would be a much better place if people would actually start thinking before acting, but it seems like school stopped teaching that."
Lucifer blinked at Alastor.
Alastor stared back.
"I-" Lucifer started.
Alastor huffed.
"Read the question."
Lucifer frowned but turned to the question again.
"Read it loud," Alastor said.
Lucifer sighed, but did what he was told.
"A block of mass m is released from rest at the top of a frictionless incline of angle θ and height h. After reaching the bottom of the incline, the block transitions smoothly onto a rough horizontal surface. The coefficient of kinetic friction between the block and this flat surface is μ_k. The block travels a specific horizontal distance d across this rough zone before encountering an uncompressed, ideal spring with a force constant k (the horizontal surface beneath the spring is completely frictionless). The block compresses the spring and momentarily comes to a stop -"
"Okay, stop," Alastor interrupted him. "I saw your lips moving, but your brain shutting off halfway through that. So lets dissect it step by step."
"I am paying you, I think you should be nicer to me than that," Lucifer gawked offended.
"Me being nice, will not help you understand," Alastor countered.
"It does," Lucifer huffed. "Ever heard of something called psychology? I am more inclined to listen and do well if I get positive reinforcements."
Alastor rose his eyebrow and leaned back a little. A small smirk played across his lips.
"So you are a pet?"
Lucifer flushed. His cheeks growing so hot, he could literally see flames dancing around him.
"Am not!"
Alastor laughed.
"Good boy."
Lucifer froze.
Alastor smirked.
"You do respond well to positive reinforcement."
If this would be a cartoon, Lucifer probably would have combusted - right here - on the spot.
"Just forget it," he mumbled, turning back to the sheet, ears flaming and lips white from how hard he pressed them together.
Alastor giggled, but stopped teasing him. His demeanor changing to something softer.
"Okay lets draw it. I think visualizing helps a lot with these types of problems," he said, looking expectantly at Lucifer.
Lucifer swallowed. The gold-brown amber eyes seemed to have something subtle hiding in them. Something small and warm, that hadn't been there before.
Lucifer eased his shoulders and nodded, grabbing his pen.
Step by step Alastor eased him through the question. Asking why again and again.
Alastor tapped the picture they had drawn. A small block at the top of an incline, a horizontal line with bumps and a spring at the end.
"What happens first?" He asked.
"The block starts sliding," Lucifer said.
"Why?"
"Cause its on a hill," Lucifer answered.
"Yes," Alastor nodded. "But if it were horizontal, then the block would not move right?"
Lucifer inclined his head.
"So what is different between a slope and a horizontal line?"
Lucifer hummed.
"Height?"
Alastor nodded.
"So if there is height and you release the block and it starts moving. What needs to happen for it to do it? What needs to be there?"
"Energy?" Lucifer asked.
"What does earth have, that space doesn't have?"
"Ooooh," Lucifer gasped. "Gravity!"
Alastor nodded.
"That's why we don't float away. Because gravity pulls us down."
"Ah," Lucifer grinned. "And that's why the block immediately starts moving when released on a slope. Because gravity pulls it down and there is no opposite force stopping it. Like on a horizontal line gravity is the same direction as the ground, meaning that the ground stops us from moving further down. But at a slope there is a an angle between gravity pulling us down and the ground, creating free space to let us slide - or in this case, the block move!"
Alastor grinned at him.
"Exactly!" Then he pushed the pen into Lucifer's direction. "Draw the forces as arrows on the block."
Lucifer did.
That's how they continued, until Lucifer suddenly felt like not solving a theoretical task but something tangible. Something that didn't seem pointless anymore as he realized that this was applicable to the real world. Better yet - that the real world was able to be captured in something as mundane as numbers and equations, that could predict movement and motion.
"Woah," Lucifer gaped at the end of the worksheet. "Wait, is that why trains are able to drive so fast? Because they have less friction between tracks and tires?"
Alastor nodded.
"Steel on steel has nearly no friction at all," he shrugged.
"Then why are we driving cars with rubber wheels on concrete instead with steel on steel," Lucifer wondered.
Alastor laughed softly.
"Well it has different reasons," Alastor mused, leaning back. "The most important thing among others is money. Steel is expensive. Concrete is cheap. And rubber on concrete has a good enough coefficient that it doesn't burn too much energy, but still maintains enough of the positive advantages needed to carry a heavy vehicle."
Lucifer's eyes widened as he realized something else. "Oh," he gasped. "Is that why there is so much research being done on making cars more lightweight? To get less friction between rubber and concrete and therefore have less losses?"
Alastor nodded.
"Kind of. Remember what I told you about the forces? The nominal force pushing the car onto the street gets less. And that means less friction. But also less weight means in general less energy needs to be burned to carry one forward."
"Holy shit," Lucifer grinned from ear to ear, grabbing his head. "This is crazy! Why do teachers not explain stuff like that when they give us these weird tasks? Why does it always need to be so abstract. Oh my -"
Lucifer suddenly realized.
"Wait - so physics describes the world. And math gives us the tools to solve physics?" Lucifer gaped. "I mean, we literally applied math to solve for the variable that was missing, but instead of answering how much space Simon needs to have in order to transport 25 watermelons, we are solving stuff like, how much energy does a car need to get moving."
Silence.
"You lost me there man. What do you mean 25 watermelons?"
"Well didn't you also have these weird math questions about someone having a shit ton of stuff and then you need to calculate something completely mundane? Like oh Gabriel has 50 soaps at home with that much volume, how much volume are all 50 soap bottles together. Or stuff like that," Lucifer tried explaining.
Alastor snorted.
Then:
"I don't really remember," he shrugged.
Lucifer's smile dimmed a little.
"What do you mean you don't really remember? Are you -" he started.
"I finished school already," Alastor said. "And the school I went to, didn't teach us stuff like that." He gestured towards the paper.
There was so much unspoken information in these few words, Lucifer had a hard time wrapping his head around it. But for some reason his brain latched only onto one thing.
"You taught yourself that?" Lucifer asked, rising his eyebrows towards the physics sheet.
Alastor shrugged, turning his head to the side. His gaze resting somewhere between the endless rows of books lining the far wall.
"I taught myself this question," he answered.
Lucifer frowned.
"What do you mean?"
"I didn't teach myself that," Alastor gestured towards the physics book.
"…Wait," Lucifer stuttered.
Alastor tapped on the worksheet.
"It wasn't exactly difficult." He shrugged again.
Lucifer blinked, not really sure if he truly understood what Alastor had just implied.
"You've never learned potential energy?"
"No."
"Or friction?"
"I know what friction is."
"You know what I mean."
Another shrug.
"I just worked backwards until it made sense."
Lucifer looked down at the page. His brain still trying to grasp everything Alastor had said at once, tried not to forget anything, tried to understand what it meant.
Every single equation was surrounded by arrows.
Questions.
Tiny sketches.
Boxes.
None of it looked like notes copied from a textbook.
It looked...
"...You figured this out while explaining it."
Alastor looked up.
"I suppose."
"You didn't know the answer when we started."
"I knew parts of it."
"..."
"So we solved it together."
"..."
"I guess."
Lucifer stared.
"...That's insane."
Alastor blinked.
"I thought it was rather straightforward."
Somehow Lucifer got it now. It made sense. Maybe. Or maybe not. Alastor was a genius. He had never learned this, but he was one of those people who had that natural talent to be able to dissect what is in front of them and apply logic to the problem to solve it.
Lucifer's gaze traveled over the sheet again.
"Can I have this?" He asked. "You know for going back to it?"
Alastor shrugged.
"Sure."
Lucifer's shoulder sagged: "Phew thought you were going to charge me another ten dollars for it."
He looked over to Alastor, smiling amused.
Alastor blinked for a second looking taken aback, but then he huffed a laugh and cursed under his breath: "Damn, missed opportunity."
Lucifer snorted. So did Alastor. And for a second they weren't strangers anymore, but two teenagers in a library trying to figure out the world.
Maybe it was the lightness of the situation. Maybe it was the pleasant feeling inside Lucifers veins at having gotten Alastor to crack a smile. Maybe it was the feeling of accomplishment at having understood an obscure physics concept. Lucifer wouldn't be able to explain it, if someone asked him later, but whatever it was, it made him blurt out: "I could get you a coffee instead."
A small smile played on Lucifer's lips, as he gazed at Alastor, waiting for the answer. Alastor's features were soft in his smile. The gold freckles in his otherwise dark brown eyes seemingly glinting in delight.
Lucifer couldn't help but find that very appealing to look at. Enough that it was hard to avert his eyes again. Enough to scrunch his eyebrows up in confusion again, because he didn't really understand what it was.
Alastor's shoulders tensed again.
The smile lingered, but it didn't seem to reach his eyes anymore.
Lucifer felt his chest tighten uncomfortably.
Had he done something wrong?
"Why?" Alastor asked.
Lucifer shrugged.
"Cause I want coffee and I am a very companionable person. I don't like drinking coffee alone. It makes me feel too consumer-ish. But if you drink a coffee too, then I don't feel so bad about it either." Lucifer grinned cheekily.
The tension in Alastor's shoulders eased again, as he huffed out a laugh.
"So -", he said. "You are just selfish, but you hide it under socially accepted unselfish actions, to not appear like it."
Lucifer winked at him.
"You got me all figured out there."
Alastor laughed.
The echo of it, lingering in Lucifer's brain even after it had grown silent.
"So?" Lucifer asked again. "Coffee?"
Alastor bit his lip, playing with the fringes of his oversized flannel. Then he shrugged, looking back to Lucifer.
"Sure."
Lucifer shoved the chair away from himself as he stood up.
"How do you like it?"
"Just black please," Alastor mumbled.
Lucifer's eyebrows shot up.
"Black? No sugar? No milk?"
Alastor shook his head.
"Just black please," he repeated again.
"Fine," Lucifer rolled his eyes. "Sounds boring as hell, but I am not going to judge."
Alastor scrunched his eyebrows at him.
"That is literally judging me."
Lucifer shrugged again.
"Maybe. It's a character flaw," he grinned.
Alastor huffed a laugh.
"You are weird."
"Hey," Lucifer pouted, for a second feigning hurt. But then he perked up again and asked: "But the good kind of weird, right?"
Alastor snorted.
"Sure. Tell yourself that."
Lucifer giggled as he started to move away.
"That's literally how I can live with myself," he grinned, then turned around and made his way downstairs towards the first floor again, where a coffee shop sat right at the entrance.
The rest of the time in the library went by faster, than Lucifer wanted. They drank the coffee, while working on some older worksheets on different topics, to help Lucifer in understanding the concepts behind them as well. It was a lot more fun than physics should be allowed to be, but Lucifer wouldn't complain. There was something weirdly satisfying in seeing Alastor work through problems just through logic and deduction. It made Lucifer fascinated over and over again.
Between worksheets they drifted into easier conversations. Music. Favorite teachers, or - in Alastor's case - past favorite teachers. Why libraries smelled the way they did. Somewhere along the way Lucifer realized Alastor somehow worked three different jobs. He talked about them the same way other teenagers talked about homework - as if they were simply part of the week.
"I actually have to leave soon, because I've got a shift."
"You work Saturdays?"
"And Fridays."
"...and weekdays?"
"And Sundays."
Lucifer laughed.
"...Do you ever sleep?"
Alastor shrugged.
"When I'm dead."
Lucifer laughed.
Alastor grinned, but his eyes seemed to hold a weight, that made Lucifer's laughter ease out a lot faster than usual.
He had the feeling that somehow - this wasn't a joke.
Somewhere across the library someone stumbled over a chair. A loud bang catching the attention of those close enough. Lucifer looked over for a second, and through his peripherals caught Alastor flinching. When he turned back, Alastor looked like nothing had happened.
His smile was gone.
Lucifer didn't comment on that. Instead they went back to work.
The last minutes passed far too soon.
The whole morning had passed far too soon, Lucifer realized.
He paid for the tutoring as they had discussed and even gave a little more, because they went over the other worksheets too and not only the one Lucifer had asked about initially.
And then - without further ado - Alastor left with a simple: "See you around rich kid."
Nothing more.
He was gone in the next second.
Lucifer realized only after he had arrived back home that he was still smiling. And that was only, because Sera had had this weird adult expression on her face that meant she knew a lot more than she let on, when she asked him, why he was smiling like that.
Michael of course had to ruin it with a stupid comment about Lucifer finally having found someone he could fuck. Which had made Emily say the word fuck loud.
"Michael Morningstar!" Sera had scolded loudly. "Go to your room now and think about what you just said!"
It had actually been worth the embarrassment just to see his adult brother get sent to his room like an unruly child.
Sunday had passed faster than anyone wanted it as well. But that was just the characteristics of a sunday apparently. It always was over faster than anyone wanted. Lucifer spent it over at Bees. They played Mario Kart, until Ozzie made it a drinking game. Then they tried to play Mario Kart and failed miserably.
Mammon spent half an hour driving against the wall and thinking he was the best, until he realized he was looking at the wrong screen.
When monday came, Lucifer was a lot more nervous than he should be. Most of the day went by uneventful. Until Sir Pentious physics class.
Lucifer felt ready to combust when the clock finally decided to release them all. He ignored his friends weird looks when he told them absentmindedly to leave him behind, his gaze focused on the teacher at the front of the class.
Luckily his friends didn't complain, only asking briefly if he was sure he was fine, and waiting for Lucifer to confirm before they left with confused good-byes.
Lucifer, meanwhile, had not stopped looking at their physics teacher. He was currently noting something down in his notebook, seemingly completely engulfed.
When the classroom was completely empty, Lucifer hesitantly stepped forward and carefully placed the worksheet with Alastor's notes on it in front of him on the desk.
Lucifer wasn't sure what to say. He wasn't even entirely sure what his goal was. He just needed to do - something. Anything. Hoping that Sir Pentious had an idea, a plan.
Sir Pentious continued writing down his notes for a second, probably finishing whatever he had started noting down. Then he carfeully placed his pen to the side and stared at the sheet Lucifer had placed on the desk with an eery calmness that made Lucifer shift nervously from foot to foot.
After a moment he slowly reached out to the paper, grabbed it and started reading it silently.
Lucifer started fiddling with his finger.
This whole scene was kind of obscure.
When Sir Pentious finally placed the sheet down again, Lucifer had the feeling he was close to exploding.
Still, Sir Pentious did not talk. He sat there. The sheet lingering between them. His hands folded in front of him. His eyes resting on it.
Then - finally - he ripped his gaze away, focusing on Lucifer instead.
"Who did this?"
"A boy," Lucifer said breathlessly. He kind of had held it for a while there. Hadn't even realized he had done that. He was just glad Sir Pentious finally talked.
Pentious raised his eyebrows.
"Your age?"
Lucifer shrugged.
"Think so."
Pentious looked back at the sheet.
"It's impressive."
Lucifer nodded.
Pentious hummed.
Then he opened up his laptop, that had been resting at the side and started tapping on the keyboard.
Time passed.
Lucifer was wondering if maybe the conversation had already been done, and he had just missed the cue.
He just needed someone else to see. Because Lucifer thought it was fascinating. And he thought something was weird. But he couldn't quite pin point it and he also couldn't quite put it into words either.
Then Pentious stood up, startling Lucifer out of his thoughts, and gestured for him to come with him. Lucifer wasn't sure what the plan was, but he didn't argue as he followed the teacher down the hallway. Together they arrived at the printer room close to the teachers office. Sir Pentious started the printer. The machine sprang to live and immediately started printing something.
They waited for a second, until the noise quieted down again, indicating the printer was done. Pentious leaned forward and took out whatever he had just printed, before carrying it over to Lucifer and holding it out for him to take.
Lucifer grabbed it. His eyes scanning over the sheet. It was still warm from the print. The scent of fresh ink filling his nostrils.
"Whoever did that," Sir Pentious said. "Give him this sheet. Tell him to solve it but make his thought process visible."
Lucifer nodded and - without saying anything else - started to leave. Not sure what exactly was happening.
He only had this feeling. The feeling that told him Sir Pentious already knew what Lucifer wanted and needed, even if Lucifer wasn't sure himself.
Before he was out of sight however, Sir Pentious called out again: "If the Vees are cheating. I want to know how."
Lucifer stopped in his tracks, and looked back.
Sir Pentious stood in the middle of the hallway, eyes resting on Lucifer.
Lucifer gave an indicative nod, then he left.
After school, he found himself at the same spot he had wandered to a lot more often recently and watched the usual transaction between the Vees and Alastor.
They exchanged homework and money and discussed a little more about the test upcoming thursday. Vox and Valentino actually behaved themselves this time. A lot more subdued than usual. They would let Alastor into the school and hide him away in the janitors closet. It was close enough to class that the connection would hold and far enough away, with thick enough walls that no one would hear him. They had also managed to bribe the janitor with the expensive liquor bottles from their parents, so they wouldn't need to worry about him telling on them. Alastor insisted on getting the keys for the room instead of the Vees holding on to it, which Lucifer thought was actually very smart. He wouldn't trust the Vees to not lock Alastor in just to torture him for fun.
Then they left.
And this time -
Alastor lingered.
Lucifer came out form his hiding place, after he was sure that the Vees were actually gone, and waved ruefully at Alastor.
The other boy grinned at him.
"I knew someone was watching us the whole time," he commented.
Lucifer grinned sheepishly. "Yeah sorry about that."
Then he handed out the paper. "Can you solve that for me?"
Alastor looked at Lucifer, his eyes dimming a little. "Solve it? Or teach you?"
Lucifers heart beat faster. He really wanted to spent more time with Alastor.
"Teach me?" He asked even though it was not his to solve this time.
Alastor's eyes lit up. Lucifer felt a pleasant feeling spreading in his chest.
"Sure, when do you need it done?"
"Hmm, tomorrow? Latest wednesday?"
"You wanna do it now?"
Lucifer's chest tingled excitedly. He nodded, and hoped it wan't too eager.
"Sure, yes. Uhm. let me tell my brother he can pick me up later."
Lucifer quickly fished out his phone and shot his brother a quick message, before he put it back again. His attention focusing on the other boy once more.
"There is a nice coffee shop down the street. We could go there? They have awesome cupcakes!"
Alastor tensed a little.
"Sure," he shrugged and started turning around towards the fence.
Lucifer followed him, watching Alastor climb the wired wall and jump it like an elegant feline.
It was then that Alastor's shirt rode up a little bit, revealing a big bruise right above his left hip.