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“How did I come to this place with you?” Lucifer sighed, shaking his head, and shot you an unamused glare. The hustle and bustle of the central plaza masked your groan, rumbling in your throat and refusing to leave the confines of your mouth lest you want a lecture from the demon beside you.
“No clue,” you grumbled. “All I wanted to do was watch a movie from my childhood. Who ever thought it was cursed?”
“.... Did you get this movie from Mammon?”
You swore under your breath and, unfortunately, confirmed Lucifer’s suspicion. You held no grudge against Mammon nor did you fault him for this. In reality, you thought he did you a favor by giving you a copy of a certain Disney movie when he saw your sullen mood. For the longest time since your arrival in the Devildom, you missed the series and movies from the human realm. You remember talking about it with Mammon one night when he visited you in your room. You honestly couldn’t help but thank the greedy demon for his unusual thoughtfulness, but just this once, you wanted to sock him in the face for not thinking that it could be cursed. One of the movies you loved since childhood took place where you and Lucifer now stood: the Kingdom of Corona.
Earlier, before you two found yourselves in this situation, you were preparing to watch Tangled. Mammon just gave the disk to you in a plastic bag before he left to do something else. Probably to find a casino he could gamble his luck in. At that point, you should’ve been suspicious that the bag held no label or logo of a store, yet you were too ecstatic to finally see something from your home again after so long.
Once everything was set, you bumped into the small table that held the bag while trying to get the disk. It tumbled out, rolling on the carpet, until it landed flat beside a pair of polished dress shoes. To your surprise, Lucifer came to the music room with a bottle of Demonus in his hand. You stared at each other awkwardly. It was a fact that Lucifer frequented the room to listen to his classical music, but you were there already. That, and you were not on the best terms with the Avatar of Pride.
After your life was threatened multiple times by the demon, who would?
At a loss on what to do about your predicament, you mumbled an apology and approached him to grab the disk. Lucifer had the same idea apparently. Just as your fingers grasped the cold plastic, so did Lucifer. Before the both of you knew it, you two were suddenly in the midst of a bustling crowd in a plaza made of cobblestone. Streamers bearing little, purple flaglets branded with a sun-like insignia and thickets of flowers hung above the crowd. Musicians across both of you gave life to the place with their enchanting music. Children ran around, laughter and shrieks piercing through the festive commotion, as they played with each other. Merchants, looking to sell the wares in their stall and carts, hollered and called for customers. The smell of freshly baked bread and delicacies lingered in the air, inviting and tempting you to try at least one.
You immediately knew where you were. Even your clothes were conveniently changed to match the ones people wore in this era. You would’ve been screaming yourself hoarse from excitement if it weren’t for the fact that you were there with Lucifer, the one demon you’re wary of.
This brings you back to where you are and who you are with now. You would never admit it, not to Lucifer’s face at least, but this was the most insufferable thing you had to experience during your stay in the Devildom.
The demon of Pride glanced left and right, obviously clueless about the activities and customs that took place in this area. You would never point that out; he would just deny it through a smooth, distinguished delivery of an excuse.
He sighed again. “I advise you to be more cautious of the items Mammon brings you. You could never be too careful with a fool for a brother.”
You took a deep breath, fighting the urge to defend Mammon, and sighed instead. You lost count of how many times you’ve sighed in his company. Honestly, you would prefer to be here with Mammon even if he does find an excuse to spend the day with you. At least he doesn’t aggravate you as much as Lucifer did.
“I’ll keep it in mind,” you huffed, but this didn’t deter your enthusiasm. You’re in Corona—during the Lantern Festival at that! You always wondered what it felt like to be celebrating it in the kingdom, and here you are. As if someone smiled upon you from above and gave you a gift months before Christmas came. You wouldn’t miss this opportunity for the world, even if you were with Mr. Grumpy Pants.
You didn’t wait for a response from Lucifer. Laughter bubbled past your lips at the shocked call of your name as you darted around the plaza. You heard the patter of his footfalls, but you could care less about him. You wanted to have fun before you needed to leave, and you would do just that. Lucifer can save his lecture for when the curse is lifted.
“You there!”
You paused, turning to the merchant who bellowed with a jovial smile. Some pastries caught your eye when he called for you, but you suppose those could wait. You pointed to yourself in confusion. The friendly man nodded and beckoned you with a wave of his hand. His stall was decorated with flowers of all kinds; some braided in crowns while some arranged in bouquets. By the time you approached him, Lucifer took his place beside you. You pointedly ignored his irritation and frustration in favor of the flowers the man presented you with. A flower crown of forget-me-nots, cosmos of various colors, blue asters, and other unrecognizable flowers basked under your curious gaze. You were sure these looked like the same flowers in Rapunzel’s hair.
“Take it,” the merchant urged, the smile never leaving his face, “It’s on the house!”
“Oh, sir,” you stammered, struggling to mimic the speech patterns in this era, as you shook your head. “Please, I can’t take it from you. I should at least pay you for it.”
The merchant chuckled, putting the flower crown into your hands, “It’s the Lantern Festival today! It’s a day of celebration, and I believe everyone should have a fun time. I insist.”
Your cheeks felt hot as you thought of how to decline the gift without offending the sweet man. You know how hard life is without much money. The many part-time jobs you took while you attended college taught you that. You couldn’t just accept something without compensation, something that would have helped him in the long run. As you lost yourself in your thoughts, Lucifer observed the exchange with a gentle gaze. Wordlessly, he pulled out a pouch from one of the pockets in his vest and gave a single gold coin to the man.
“Keep the change,” he told the merchant. His arm wound its way into the crook of your elbow and he ushered you from the stall before the kind man could protest. Stunned, you allowed him to take you around the kingdom as if he didn’t do something unusual. You couldn’t even ask him about the money he had. Another convenience granted to you by the curse? Is this even a curse at this point? Lucifer paused in his steps, suddenly turning to you with an intense look. Your heart hammered in your chest, expecting a scolding from the intimidating demon. Where did all your bravado and courage from before go?
“Here,” he mumbled as he took the flower crown from your hands and placed it on your head. His gloved hands shifted it in place while he tucked away stray locks of your hair. You stood still, confusion and fear plaguing your mind. You didn’t dare flinch when his fingers brushed the shell of your ear as he tried to fix the flower crown adorning your head.
“There.” Satisfied with his work, Lucifer tucked away one more lock of hair behind your ear as a small smirk graced his lips. “Now, shall we?”
He offered his hand to you, silently mulling over the last few minutes you had with him. You were confused—terribly confused. Is this really Lucifer, the one who could end your life with a snap of his fingers? The one who never missed an opportunity to show his distaste for your reckless decisions? If he is, then what made him have this sudden change of heart?
Against your better judgment, you accepted his gesture with a timid and unsure touch. Lucifer squeezed your hand, then he whisked you away to continue exploring and enjoying the festivities. He walked you past stalls that sold flowers and trinkets, carts filled with every food imaginable, merchants that displayed souvenirs, shops that flaunted dresses and coats and all sorts of clothes. Lucifer had always stopped if you did, inspected items whenever something piqued your fancy, and he never failed to buy you any of them should you desire them. Your hesitation and apprehension slowly diminished the more time you spent with Lucifer, and you found yourself dragging him to anything that interested you at all.
You tried your hand at painting on the cobblestone path; visited the library that you were always curious about; tasted the delicacies you dreamt of trying—all of this you did with Lucifer who was nothing but patient with you. You grinned and laughed the entire time you two began wandering around. The flutters in your heart and the butterflies in your stomach never ceased for a moment. You swore you saw him smile when you turned to look at him to show off the painting you made, no matter how crude it seemed.
The sun started to set, and you two decided to get something for dinner before the curse was dispelled. You two were still uncertain about the conditions needed to return, but neither of you brought it up. As the plaza bathed in the glow of twilight, you sat on a bench next to the stall Lucifer lined in front of. You sighed, feeling the ache in the heels of your feet.
“Did we really spend half a day here?” You yawned, stretching your legs in an attempt to relieve the pain. It was pointless, but you didn’t have much to do while you waited. Just as you let yourself get lost in your daydreams, a hand latched itself to your arm. You jumped and your eyes shot up to look at the perpetrator.
No fucking way.
You wouldn’t mistake that long, golden hair anywhere even if it was braided and dotted with flowers. It was Rapunzel, beaming at you and tugging you to stand up. You stuttered, stumbling and fumbling, as she dragged you from your seat and took you to the slowly-forming dance circle. The strings that played the Celtic song was something you would never forget. How would you? The damn thing gave you so much serotonin that you had it played on loop for weeks.
Searching for a certain demon, you found Eugene instead: he stood to the side with an amused smile. Just like how it played out in the movie.
That answered one of your questions. You and Lucifer didn’t replace the two protagonists. How come you didn’t run into them before?
“Then again,” you whispered, afraid Rapunzel would hear it, “this place is huge and there’s so much ground to cover. We wouldn’t even see them in this crowd.”
Before you could ponder over it, the crook of a stranger’s arm hooked itself to yours and you lost sight of Rapunzel. There was no backing out of it, then. You were going to take part in the dance, and God forbid you trip in front of everyone here.
You grinned, clapping to the beat and twirling in tune with your partner. Your feet stepped and glided across the cobblestone as if it was second nature. The breeze playfully combed through your hair; the flower crown miraculously still on your head. Laughter and giggles filled your senses, until you couldn’t see and hear anything else but the crowd of dancers and the music around you. You closed your eyes for a bit, soaking in the exhilaration and excitement of dancing in this scene. God, this was better and fun than I ever imagined it to be.
“There you are,” an arm draped itself over your waist and brought you closer to someone’s chest, “I was wondering where you wandered off to. You were here all along.”
The familiar timbre of his voice caused you to open your eyes. It was Lucifer, the usual smirk decorating his handsome face. Not that you would ever tell him this. His ego would inflate much more than it already has.
“As soon as I got us dinner, I found you dancing in this crowd,” he hummed. “Tell me. Are you having fun?”
“I am!” You blurted out, blinded and dazed by the adrenaline and joy from the dynamic dance. Otherwise, you would have prepared yourself to be scolded by the strict demon. “I’ve never had this much fun in ages!”
He stared at you, eyes twinkling and face glowing from your grin. A forget-me-not drooped over your forehead, but you didn’t care in the slightest.
“I’ll keep showing you a good time then, hm? I’m sure you’re having more fun with me than anyone else at the moment.”
You laughed, oblivious to Lucifer’s breath hitching and his grip tightening as he led you to the center of the circle. By the time everyone else switched partners, everyone didn’t notice that a pair had stayed together. He twirled and spun you around, clapped to the beat with you, lifted you in the air, and never missed a single step. Somehow, Lucifer knew the dance. Both of you didn’t question this and just allowed yourselves to be swept away by the rhythm.
Night descended upon you; the dark sky littered with stars and thin wisps of clouds. Soon, it will be filled with radiant lanterns of all shapes and sizes. You found yourself sitting on the docks with Lucifer, stargazing and waiting for the curse to end. His eyes trained themselves on the stars while your thoughts wandered to each memory you shared with him in a single day. Lucifer was nothing but patient and kind to you, and this would have bothered you before. You never did give him a chance: always darting past him, avoiding his eyes, and briefly responding to him. You felt your heart clench a little, but then you remembered.
Right, he’s still an arrogant asshole , you huffed in amusement. Now that I think about it…
“Thank you.”
Your voice startled Lucifer from his reverie. He looked at you in curiosity, questions flooding his mind. Although, he settled on a simple, “For what?”
“For today.” You tilted your head away from him. Despite your efforts, Lucifer could see the flush on your neck and the tips of your ears. He silently chuckled, cupping his cheek with one hand and placing his elbow on his thigh.
“I never got to thank you for everything you did for me earlier, so…” You awkwardly trailed off, the words stuck in your throat. “Thank you. I had fun today.”
Lucifer politely ignored the crack in your voice. Somehow, your gratitude and confession made his impulsive purchase worth it. The moment he overheard two women in the library talking about the event for tonight in hushed whispers, Lucifer couldn’t help himself. He had no idea what possessed him to buy these things, but if it meant seeing that smile on your face again, he wouldn’t hesitate.
“Well…” Lucifer paused, making you look at him curiously. The corner of his lips curled into a small smile before he brandished a pair of lanterns between you. “The night has just begun.”
Eyes wide and lips slightly parted, your attention switched between the lanterns in his hands and his smile. You’re not sure which surprised you more: Lucifer smiling with such a soft expression or the fact that he bought something he would have considered unnecessary. You caressed a lantern with quivering lips, at a loss for words.
“How…”
“I have my ways,” he chuckled. As if on cue, the first lantern ascended towards the sky. Another lantern was released to the heavens and two others followed. One by one, until the lanterns blanketed the night sky and joined the stars. You watched with bated breath, wishing to stretch a hand out to touch one of the lanterns.
The gods must have heard your wish, because one of the lanterns floated towards you. It was so similar to the scene with Rapunzel that you had to laugh. Lucifer stared at the mesmerized gleam in your eyes, the faint smile on your lips, and the dainty manner you exhibited as you lifted the lantern back to the sky with a finger. He quietly lit the lanterns and presented one of them to you.
The smile, giddy and bright and warm, never left your face. You carefully took the lantern from him and Lucifer waited for you to let it fly into the night. Although, you didn’t move an inch. As if you were waiting for something to happen.
“Is there a problem?”
“I thought we were going to let ours go at the same time,” you replied, cheeks heating up again for who knows how many times. “It’s not fun if I was the only one who did it, you know?”
It was quiet for a moment, but Lucifer’s laugh rang in the air. You stilled, shocked at the warmth and sincerity it held. His eyes shone with an unfamiliar emotion, but you brushed it off to focus on the smile that graced his face.
I wish he always smiled like that.
“On the count of three?” The demon beside you asked, gesturing to his lantern. You nodded as your eyes drifted to your own.
“One…” You began. The glow of the lanterns lit your figures in the midst of the dark; a human and demon sat side by side. The breeze was cold and unforgiving, but somehow, you didn’t mind it. You barely noticed it. All you felt was the warmth of the lanterns and from the demon who spent his entire day with you.
“Two…” Lucifer continued, his smile never faltering. He seemed just as fascinated with the lantern as you are, but you couldn’t help wondering about something.
What made him decide to do all this with me?
“Three!” The two of you released your lanterns, spinning around each other, until you lost sight of them. You were so engrossed with the lanterns that Lucifer took this chance to look at you again. Under the light of the stars and the lanterns, all he could do was look at you.
You spun, intending to gush about the lanterns to Lucifer, but you jumped at the unexpected attention from him. He wasn’t even looking at the lanterns or the stars or the night sky. Lucifer just kept staring at you with a gentle smile and hooded eyes.
Wait… Is he getting closer?
Your heart lurched and your mouth ran dry. The closer he leaned in, the faster your mind blanked. Were you anxious? Panicking? Confused? How should you even take this?
Hours ago, you wished he wasn't the demon who came with you to this world. You just got to know him a bit more today—you can't just change your mind about him this quickly!
Just as you were about to lean away, your vision blurred and your head stung. The groan and whimper from the pain alerted Lucifer, but you couldn't hear a word he said. Everything around you was muffled, as if you were drowning from where you sat.
You blinked and saw Lucifer bent over you in concern with his hands on your shoulders. Distorted, unintelligible sounds came from his lips. You blinked again and, suddenly, you found a panic-stricken Mammon hovering over you.
"Finally!" He wailed, grabbing you by the shoulders to hoist you up from the floor. The white-haired demon grumbled along the lines of "that damn witch" and "almost kissed you", but you were too disoriented to make sense of it all. You groaned, rubbing a hand over your eyes, before trying to figure out what was going on.
Asmo rushed to your side, fussing over you and relentlessly asking questions. You found Levi behind him. For some reason, he was flustered and looked away from you the moment you met his eyes. Your attention drifted from the otaku's odd behavior to the other side of the room where Satan and Belphie were crouched and huddled together on the floor. Somehow, you thought it was best to leave them to their own devices due to the heavy, menacing atmosphere surrounding them. You could see Beel munching away on a bag of chips behind them; carefree as usual. Craning your neck to look behind you, you could see the television you set up displaying static. Another sting reminded you of your headache.
"What happened?" Your words slurred a little, betraying your disoriented state. "What's going on?"
"I'll tell ya what happened!" Mammon seethed, nearly growling, as he held your shoulders in an iron-clad grip. "Lucifer almost ki—!"
"Mammon."
One word, and Mammon let go of you with a yelp. Slowly, your eyes glided to the demon of Pride who held Satan and Belphie by the back of their clothes. Like how a mother cat would hold her kittens by the scruff of their necks. His ruby-hued eyes resembled slits, and you could feel the intimidating aura that haunted you every single day. However, this one felt worse than usual. You couldn't help but feel bad for Mammon.
"I need to have a discussion with you in my office right now."
"Y-yes, sir!
Lucifer took a step and Mammon already scurried your way to hide behind your back. Despite still holding a grumbling Satan and an annoyed Belphie, the eldest brother approached you. The glare in his eyes softened and the frown deepened in concern.
"Are you alright?"
"Just peachy." The slur in your words was there again. You subconsciously let a moan out as you rubbed your eyes. "I'll be okay. You should get some rest soon."
The demon brothers' surprise at the change in your relationship with Lucifer confused and disheartened them. They only saw what little had transpired between you and Lucifer when Mammon came and screamed his head off at the romantic scene in the docks. If Beel hadn't stepped on the disk by accident, who knows what would have happened if the kiss wasn't stopped.
Lucifer scanned your face, lingering on your lips for a while, for any sign of dishonesty before he stiffly nodded. His anger returned with a burning passion as he headed towards his office with Mammon in tow. He hasn't let go of Satan and Belphie; the latter fell asleep in his hand somehow.
You breathed a sigh of relief. Memories of your time in the Kingdom of Corona resurfaced and played like a movie reel in your mind. Face flushing and lips trembling, you cupped a hand over your mouth. How can you look Lucifer in the eyes again? After the stunt he almost pulled?
"What the fuck….?"
Asmo shrieked and caught you, unconscious and red in the face, while Levi panicked and called Beel over to take you to your room.
It looks like you won't be able to face Lucifer for a few days.