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She wasn’t crying, the first time they met.
She was singing.
Wordless notes- really, more open-mouthed humming than anything else- but they flowed together into an aimless melody, languid, like the creek that meandered through the midst of Eden. Captivating, ever-changing, and so… different. New .
Heavenly harmonies were paragons of structure, marked by needlelike precision and mathematical composition, each note perfectly timed, perfectly tuned. They did not flit from pitch to pitch like frogs across stones, they did not twist and wind like ivy around trees, and they certainly were not punctuated by the sounds of delighted discovery- laughter here, as a dragonfly circled her head curiously, a soft intake of breath there, as a rabbit hopped tentatively into view.
After all, angels were practically omniscient. What was left to discover?
✧ ✧ ✧
A great deal, apparently.
In fact, Lucifer made not one, not two, but three discoveries that day.
Firstly, beautiful music needn’t always be a product of rigid perfection.
Second, being tasked with the protection of Eden and its inhabitants was quite possibly the best thing that had ever happened to him.
And third, moss was just as spectacularly squishy as it looked.
He pondered Discovery #3 as he lay on his belly, pristine silvery-white robes stark against the loamy soil, picking and poking ever-so-gently at a little cluster of moss. Lilith lay next to him, similarly occupied with overturning stones to look for bugs, her proximity sparking a quiet sort of giddiness in Lucifer. This human, this beautifully strange being, had befriended him. Honestly, he wasn’t sure if anyone in Heaven really counted as a friend. And she was fascinating .
Adam was, for the most part, disinterested in Lilith’s ventures, meeting her excitement with dismissal, and oh, how that hit close to home for Lucifer. So he gladly followed her lead in exploring Eden, day after day. Watched her color the blank canvas of her existence, bit by bit. Lilith learned about the world, and in turn, Lucifer learned about Lilith. He made a fourth discovery, then a fifth, then another, and another, until he’d completely lost count. She was wild and kind and curious, quick to laugh and even quicker to run off in whatever direction caught her interest, be it up a tree or down a hill or into the creek.
It didn’t take long to fall into easy familiarity, the thrill of new adventures tempered by the comfort of a good routine. Time passed in a leisurely procession of days and nights, nothing more, because there was no need to measure the weeks and months here- there were no dates or deadlines in paradise.
Lucifer caught himself hoping that the rest of eternity would be just like this.
✧ ✧ ✧
She wasn’t crying, the first time they met.
But he would never forget the first time he saw her cry.
Shoulders drawn in tight, teeth grit, wavering glare fixed on grass as she roughly wiped away her tears. And he hesitated. Hovered, just out of sight. Unsteady, uncertain, and wholly unprepared for this, but a half-muffled, frustrated sob spurred him out of hiding and to her side.
It was Adam. Of course it was. Trying to make her stay with him instead of freely exploring Eden, trying to get her under control . Lashing out when she didn’t comply. Telling her over and over that she belonged to him , that she was made to be his, that she had no other purpose. Lilith had fled, spent the day drifting through the garden with no direction in mind but away from Adam .
✧ ✧ ✧
Lucifer didn’t leave the garden that night.
Instead, as the last traces of a rose-gold sunset evanesced, he led Lilith to the bluebell meadow in the southwest corner of Eden. The tips of his wings ruffled the flowers as they approached the very center of the field, where the indigo sky was stretched wide overhead. With a steadying breath, Lucifer lifted his left hand, his right still entwined with Lilith’s, and traced it through the air in a broad, swooping stroke. Sparks trailed behind each fingertip, pink and golden, as if a glimmer of the sunset had been resurrected just for her. Then he drew his arm back in, shot it out again, light bursting from his palm and filling the sky, imagination made physical. A river of stardust circled Lucifer and Lilith, hosting a menagerie of twinkling illusions- ducks diving, fish swimming, fireflies darting over the surface- as miniature supernovas along the banks blossomed into the shape of flowers. The display’s dichromatic color scheme was soon replaced by a kaleidoscope of every imaginable color, illuminating the night.
He turned to face Lilith, and- oh. Oh.
Lucifer, the morning star, the light-bringer, thought he understood the definition of bright . But that smile outshone anything he’d ever known.
✧ ✧ ✧
She wasn’t crying, the first time they met.
Nor was she crying when Lucifer found her in one of their usual meeting spots, a few days after the light show. On the contrary, her face was set in a triumphant sort of determination as she approached him.
“I’m not going back to Adam. Ever.”
Lucifer nearly tripped over himself as the words registered. “What?”
“I’m not going back to him,” she repeated simply, grinning.
“I- I don’t like it either, but I can’t just- I mean, Heaven said-” the angel stammered.
“I don’t care what Heaven wants,” Lilith interrupted, firm but sincere. “...and I don’t think you do either.”
Lucifer looked away, but that was answer enough. She knew the minutiae of his body language by now, knew how tired he was of being told that he was too idealistic, too chaotic, too much . She pushed on.
“I don’t want to let him control me, just because I’m supposed to be with him. I want to climb trees, and run through the creek, and fall asleep in the meadow, and be free . I want to choose for myself.”
Another step forward. Lucifer opened his mouth, but whatever he was going to say died as Lilith added vehemently: “I want to be with you .”
Lucifer knew he wasn’t allowed to want. He knew that wanting was dangerous. But he also knew the sound of Lilith’s laughter, the look on her face when she got an idea, the feeling of her hand in his, and it made his heart ache with want. So when she took one more step, he let her. When she cupped his cheek, gentle, questioning, he let her. And when she leaned in, he didn’t just let her, but mirrored her movements, shifting closer, giving in. The worries ricocheting around his mind fell silent as their lips met, flooded out by warmth and shared shaky breaths and the smell of living things, earth and wildflowers and sunlight and her and home .
It was tentative at first. Soft, despite the defiance sparking in her eyes. But then she moved her hand, tracing fingers through his hair, and he melted into the touch, letting out a tiny sound of protest when she finally pulled away. Lilith smiled, amusement and affection overlapping in her gaze.
“Don’t worry, Luce.” She sat down, and he joined her, leaning on her shoulder with one wing wrapped around her back. “We have all the time in the world.”