Work Text:
Lucifer remembered that when the human exchange student first arrived, whether she stumbled blearily into the dining room in sleeping clothes or was fully, impeccably dressed in uniform, that she always took a cup of coffee. She would exchange a glance with him from behind the cup, stormy grey eyes full of fury and defiance.
She seemed genuinely surprised that first week when he asked her how she preferred to drink her coffee; the surprise slipped away quickly behind a meticulously crafted mask and her voice was nonchalant when she replied that she preferred it strong and dark roasted. He could see the appeal - smooth and almost chocolatey in flavor. Not especially bitter. Not what he would prefer in his cup in the mornings. But from that moment on, there was always strong, dark roasted coffee at the breakfast table. If she she ran late, she came down in sleeping clothes; coffee was all she had. If she came in uniform she would have breakfast with them, quietly listening to the brothers' frequently explosive conversations. The mask never budged, even if she joined in. She kept a slight but deliberate distance between herself and anyone else, always avoiding physical contact. She always took exactly one teaspoon of sugar in her coffee. Every school day, she left at precisely the same time.
That fury in her eyes consistently flared nearly every time Lucifer opened his mouth. Her fingers would tighten almost imperceptibly on her cup. Her jaw would clench, but the mask never fell. Lucifer never knew how to deal with her, but she said nothing, so he did nothing. If he asked her a question he would get a polite, terse answer. She never gave more information than exactly what was requested. She grew more relaxed around his brothers over time but her behavior toward him never changed.
A few months into the term, the morning started as it normally did. She was early, so she ate with the brothers. Lucifer told them what they would be doing for the next planned activity. The fingers wrapped, the jaw clenched, but mug also made an audible click as it was set down on the table, still half full. When Lucifer was done with his announcement, she quietly excused herself early. Her D.D.D. buzzed before she made it down the hall.
Lucifer: Meet me in my office after school.
She said that she would be late. She was working on a group project. He changed into his casual suit and worked through several piles of paperwork. He found her at her bedroom door several hours after dismissal.
"Drop your bag in your room and come join me."
He slowed his pace slightly when her heard her, nearly soundless, follow him. When they arrived at his office door, he opened it for her and beckoned for her to go in. He saw confusion in every line of her body as she rocked on her heels, hesitating a beat, but she walked through the door, saying nothing. He followed behind her as she approached his desk.
She stood in the usual spot, preparing to be lectured. This was the first time she had been summoned to come alone to his office.
"Sit." Lucifer said, as he deliberately removed his overcoat. "Please."
Lucifer saw her become even more uneasy as she slowly sat in one of the chairs facing his desk. Tonight, the mask would slip, one way or another. He pressed a mug of coffee in her hands and sat behind his desk, filling in another form as she gathered her composure.
She had been prepared for a scolding. Kindness left her stunned. He planned to continue to pull the rug out from under her.
"How have your classes been going?"
"Fine, thank you," she said to the coffee.
"Are you in need of anything?" He didn't want to press her, so he kept writing as he spoke.
"No. Not at all."
Lucifer put down his pen and looked at her. "You're upset about something," he said. It wasn't a question.
She stared at the mug in her lap for so long that Lucifer wondered it she would answer. "You always tell, you never ask," she said finally, looking up. Her eyes weren't angry, but they were defiant. They were also suspicious.
"Anything else?"
She looked almost startled. "You like to intimidate people."
"Am I intimidating you right now?"
"No, not really."
Lucifer sighed, linking his fingers together and resting them on top of his desk. "I do not command specifically for you, nor do I intend to frighten you. You generally do what I ask. The only times you have done something particularly stupid are when my brothers drag you along."
She stared.
"I am not allowed to give you preferential treatment, except for when it applies to you being human. My brothers do not respond to anything but commands and intimidation."
She said nothing.
"Is there anything else?"
The jaw tightened. "You kidnapped me."
There it was. "This isn't how I would have chosen to do things. Are you homesick?"
"No," she said harshly.
"Do you have family, friends, people you miss and would like to see?"
"No," she said, much quieter.
"Believe me when I say that I would have rather not have had things happen the way they did."
She looked back down at the coffee.
Lucifer's voice softened a little. "You bring me and my brothers a great deal of pleasure by staying with us. Diavolo would be upset if he found out you were unhappy."
She said nothing, but knitted her brows.
Of course, kindness given when anger is expected would be overwhelming. Lucifer could see that she was close to losing composure. He stood and approached her chair. He didn't know if this would backfire.
He chose to break the taboo anyway, and gently squeezed her shoulder. She did not jump, or stiffen, or say a single word. "Take as much time as you need. I have errands to run." It was a lie, but he didn't need the office anymore tonight, and he had chipped away at her walls more than enough to not allow her an easy exit.
Lucifer had put his overcoat back on and was near the door before the first tear dropped into the coffee.
When he returned the next morning, the mug was empty.
She did not pour herself coffee in the morning anymore, nor did it need sugar, because it was always ready, whether she got to the table early or late. She would exchange a glance with Lucifer while taking her first sip, her eyes full of suspicion.