Chapter 51

Michael and Lucifer find themselves locked in a random room of the bunker. It's not a bedroom for once; it's just a plain room that the author can't think of at the moment, but the room itself is irrelevant anyway. Michael takes a step closer to the wall, giving Lucifer space to vent if he's pissed, as he usually is when Chuck intervenes.

Surprisingly, instead of flipping out, Lucifer leans against the wall, looking drained. "So... twenty hours to kill... What should we do?"

"That's it?" Michael says cautiously. "You're just going to accept it?"

Lucifer sighs. "What do you want me to do, Michael? I've tried yelling and screaming, I've tried breaking stuff, I've tried breaking people, I've even tried . Eventually, you've just got to accept that fighting it is pointless, you know?"

"know, sure. I just didn't think did," Michael tells him.

Lucifer scoffs. "..." He crosses his arms over his chest, visibly pissed off.

"I just meant that you always seem to fight for what you want," Michael backtracks. "It's an admirable quality, even if it does get you in a lot of trouble."

"You've always hated that."

"I've always wanted that."

Though his mind had begun to wander, that catches his attention immediately. "What are you talking about?"

"I don't think I've ever told you, but I've always admired how you were able to stand up for what you want," Michael tells him. "It takes courage, especially in a place of conformity like Heaven, and that's something I didn't have."

Lucifer takes a small step away from his brother, uncertainty in his every move as he asks cautiously, "Why are you saying this?"

"What do you mean?" Michael asks, confused.

"Why are you saying that?" Lucifer repeats.

"Because it's true. I don't know what else you want me to say."

"No, it's not."

"I think I would know if I meant it," Michael reminds his brother. "I'm the one who said it."

"And I'm the one who lived it!" Lucifer snaps.

"What do you mean?" Michael asks gently, hoping that if he acts cool and contained, his brother will calm down as well.

"You can act like you've always loved me as I was, but don't forget, I was there. I stood there, helpless, as you cast me into Hell for having a mind of my own. I begged you to change your mind and stand with me, to fight against the system, and you decided the apocalypse was more important. So don't you tell me you appreciated me making my own decisions when you fought against them ."

The venom in his voice, the pure rage he's been hiding for Chuck knows how long, is enough to scare any self respecting person away. It's a good thing Michael isn't a person.

"I know, and I have regretted it every single day since, but you have to understand. I'm not like you. I never had the bravery you did. I wish I did. I wish I could have stood head to head against Heaven with you, but I was raised to be fight with Heaven, not against them, and I wasn't brave enough to go against everything I had learned, no matter how much I wanted to. I wish you and I could have been heroes in our own right, instead of fighting out in that field. But that's long gone, and we can't change the past, just like I can't promise you I will stand by you in everything you do from here on out, but I can promise you that I will not hurt you again. We're brothers. It's about time we act like it, don't you think?"

Lucifer doesn't respond at first, and though Michael is freaking out internally as he waits to hear what Lucifer will say, he's determined to keep his calm demeanor.

Finally, Lucifer says, "How do I know I can trust you?"

"I guess you'll just have to take it on faith."

Lucifer is silent for a few moments, thinking it over. Finally, he says quietly, "I don't think I can do that."

Michael frowns, his hopes dashed. "Lucifer..."

Lucifer looks down at the floor to avoid his brother's gaze.

"Luce, I know —"

"No, you don't know, and that's the problem," he interrupts. "You don't know what it was like, sitting all alone in Hell for millions of years, completely sane, suffering through every unbelievably long moment of it. You did that to me. All I wanted was your help, and you cast me down to Hell, and if you think for one second that I'm going to forget about that..."

"I'm not expecting you to forget it, Lucifer," Michael explains gently. "Just forgive. Please. I know I messed up, and I've regretted it every day since. I won't pretend I had it as hard as you did, because we both know I didn't. But for millions of years, I had to act like I was okay, when all I wanted was my brother back. You were my best friend, Lucifer. I miss that. I miss you."

Angels very rarely show much emotion. They may speak passionately, but even Castiel has never truly gotten emotional. So when Lucifer feels the tears welling up, he's not quite sure what to do.

Finally, he walks up to his brother and gives him a hug — and not the manly, quick clap on the back before pulling away type hug. He clings to Michael as if that's his only lifeline, like anything less and his brother would slip away.

"I missed you, too," Lucifer murmurs. "My god, I've missed you."

And it was then that Lucifer, known for being a stone cold killer, cried for possibly the first time in his life.