7 Lucifer, my friend (2)

"Isn't that book a little too simple for you?" Aaron jumped and turned around to see Lucifer looking over his shoulder, a few steps away from him.

"What are you doing here?" he whispered harshly. The anger making him forget for a while who he really was. He stepped outside the room and looked at the hall for signs of Will or Karen, he sighed in relief when he didn't see them.

"Visiting you, of course." Lucifer smiled, moving to stand behind him to be able to look outside too. "Isn't that what good friends do, Aaron?"

Aaron braced himself and swallowed. "Yeah, I get that," he murmured.

"And what are you doing today?" he asked, moving towards the pile of books Aaron was cleaning. He grabbed one from a box and raised an eyebrow after he read the title. Aaron smiled at the sight of what Satan was holding: 'The ugly duckling'. "Sometimes I question human creativity, you know."

"That's for kids," he said quietly. "I'm looking for books to read to Sophie."

"That young girl, right?" He hummed. "Most of these are from when you were young," Lucifer mentioned, reading the label with his name glued on the book.

"Marcus's too." He was lucky that he gave the box to Will just before the fire. Erika had thought of doing it before he and Marcus decided to make that trip; take advantage of the space in the car, though they kind of forgot about them once Aaron came to live with Will because Sophie was still too young to read at that time.

"May I borrow these?" Lucifer said, holding a comic book from one of Marcus's boxes. Aaron didn't want to ask 'Why?', but he really was close to doing it. Luckily for him, Lucifer noticed the silent question. "I'm the protagonist here."

"Are you?"

"Yes and I'm curious to see how you humans characterize me, that's all." Aaron bit his lip as he walked towards Lucifer, always wary. He looked at the comic book's title and was surprised when he read the title on the cover: 'Lucifer', showing a blonde man in a suit. Lucifer opened and started to look at the pages, and read some of the dialogues. It was strange the accurate description.

"You've got your own comic book?" Aaron examined each word.

"I've appeared in many other forms too," he said. "This one looks promising though. I talked with the author once or twice, if I'm not mistaken." Aaron glanced at the other comics and noticed how the others had some sort of transparent cover protecting them from dust, but the one in Lucifer's hand was bare.

"You took the cover off?" Aaron gave him his best stern tone, trying to use the height advantage he had on him. Lucifer only looked up at him, unfazed at his attitude, a small smile tugging at the edge of his lips.

He felt anger coiling in his stomach; he knew how much Marcus took care of his comics. He always hid them behind their mattresses when dad came home because he thought that it was lost money, but Marcus never asked for money from him anyways. He always found little jobs and used the money for food when dad didn't leave enough or when he needed to buy clothes for him. It was only when he had a little extra money that he used them to buy the things he liked. He remembered how close to tears Marcus was when his dad found out for the first time and threw them to the trash. He didn't move to save them, but Aaron had managed to keep a few ones after dad left. So he glared at Lucifer, not caring who he was.

"Are you worried that I'm going to dirty them?" Actually, that wasn't the problem, Aaron just wanted to take them away from Lucifer grasp, but Lucifer looked truly curious. He had never seen him like that in the month he had gotten to know him.

He sighed. Marcus had taught him to share, but he wondered if it was okay to lend his things to the Devil.

"Okay," he said. "Knock yourself out."

Lucifer's lips curled into a pleased smile, making it known how his genuine smiles looked, and Aaron thought that maybe he had done something good after all.

- -

"And, um, how is Hell?" Aaron asked once while the commercials were on. They were watching a Disney movie about toys that were alive and Lucifer seemed to enjoy it, considering how he didn't ask too many questions.

"Anxious to know how your future home will be like?" Aaron tried to not flinch, but he saw the little smirk on Lucifer's face so that meant that he had failed in hiding it. A thing he had learned about Lucifer is that he didn't apologize so Aaron didn't bother expecting that from him. "You want to know what will happen to you? Sorry, but no spoilers."

Aaron snorted. "Where did you even learn that word?"

He went still and clenched his fists in fear involuntarily when the final words left his mouth. He felt something cold brushing at his shoulder, but by the time he looked behind his back, the touch was gone even if the sensation still lingered. It seemed to go through his body, calming him. He shuddered.

Aaron took a deep breath and glanced at his side warily. Lucifer wasn't watching him; he was still next to him on the couch in his pristine white suit with his attention on the TV. Though that didn't mean that he was ignoring Aaron if his satisfied grin didn't serve as proof enough. Aaron let a breath he was holding and from his peripheral vision saw how his companion glanced at his direction.

"I was just curious," Aaron murmured as an apology and placed his legs against his chest. He stayed quiet after that, just watching the movie without paying too much attention. He couldn't avoid how that little retort he made reminded him of a moment with Marcus. It happened when he was doing his homework on the couch next to his brother while he watched the TV. He couldn't remember what word Marcus had used that moment, he only recalled the surprise he felt. His brother's cheeks were pink as he scowled at him, trying to sound offended as he ruffled his hair and said 'What? I can't know fancy words or something, Lil bro?'

'Ass' Aaron thought, answering the Marcus of his memory, smiling sadly against his arm. He missed his brother too much. He didn't think he would have survived without him those years after Dad died and they were lucky that Marcus had enough age for the social services to not intervene and Will was willing to help them. But because of their situation, Marcus had to work. If he hadn't told him a year before the accident that he wanted to go to Stanford maybe Marcus wouldn't have worked so many hours to pay for his studies. His brother was really sure that he would be able to enter college with the grades he had.

They went to a bar to celebrate the day he got the acceptance letter for college, all paid. He tasted his first beer at that time. And then the grade on his SAT was good enough to get him a scholarship at Stanford too. Marcus came to California the weekend before his interview to help him calm down. Erika, his girlfriend, thought it was a good idea. He was going to ask her to marry him the day after his interview and she didn't know that he was planning in buying a ring for her with Marcus on their trip. Marcus whistled when he saw the ring Aaron chose and smiled at him proudly. They slept in a motel because he thought that driving drunk wasn't a good idea, considering what had happened to their dad ─his fault too─. And then it happened.

He took a shaky breath, blinking a few times to push down the memories.

"I have what you humans would call a secretary," Lucifer said. "Though, he's more like one of my generals." Aaron's head snapped to attention as he turned to look Lucifer with widened eyes. "I don't have a second hand in command because demons tend to be cunning; only interested in obtaining more power." Lucifer scrunched his nose in disgust. "It wouldn't surprise me if some were trying to search for a way to backstab me, so they could get the crown of Hell for themselves."

"What─?"

"He goes by the name of Elijah." He ignored him. "I found him a few days ago making deals without giving all the necessary forms for that, keeping the souls to himself." Lucifer scoffed a smirk curling on his lips. "So I got his hairstyler eaten by my hellhounds and then they munched him a bit, just for fun."

"Are you trying to cheer me up?" Aaron asked after a few moments of silence.

"Is it working?" Lucifer's expression was of boredom but after years of looking at his face in the mirror, trying to learn how to hide his emotions, he was an expert to see in others what they were trying to hide, and he saw a hint of curiosity in Lucifer's eyes. Though it was like he wasn't trying to hide it and more like, it was just something small.

"Why?"

"I can't enjoy this movie with you moping next to me." Aaron snorted but he saw that it was true. "I can see and feel your soul, Aaron. If I wanted to see more souls lamenting then I'd have stayed in Hell."

"You're in a mental ward, believe me, here you won't find cheerful people."

"It's not like I enjoy being around humans." He glanced around. "But it's fun to watch some of them struggling to fit, trying to fix themselves. Their hope makes it amusing; there isn't that kind of hope in Hell."

"So I'm just fun for you?" Aaron arched an eyebrow, surprised that it didn't bother him much what Lucifer said. Though lately, there were just a few things that he cared about, he was more curious at why Lucifer was doing this, visiting him when he could do whatever he wanted.

"Most of the time, yes." Lucifer nodded. "When you're not moping."

"So… you like me?"

"I wouldn't call it that, more like I can stand you." Lucifer smiled at him like what he just said was the best compliment ever. Maybe it was considering how much he kept saying how he didn't like humans. Aaron tried to return the smile, but Lucifer just waved his hand dismissively. "Don't even try it. It's sad to watch you smile."

He crossed his arms against his chest and puffed a little. "For the father of lies, you're way too honest." He didn't even care if what he said had offended him, he had tried to smile at the Devil, he should at least appreciate the gesture.

"Who knew that the boy had some attitude?" Aaron flinched a little but didn't apologize. "And so you know, I don't lie."

Aaron now turned his head completely and gave him his best incredulous face. "Really?"

"Sometimes the truth can hurt more than lies. I always say the truth some don't wish to acknowledge, but they keep claiming that they're lies."

Aaron turned completely to saw him better. "So you're telling me that you've never lied?"

"Well, I may have twisted some truths to my benefit." Aaron chuckled when he saw how Lucifer was inspecting his fingers with a pleased smile. He wondered what he was remembering.

He opened his mouth to reply and keep asking questions now that Lucifer seemed to be in a good mood, but he heard someone calling him from behind. He looked over his shoulder and saw a nurse holding a tray with meds under the door frame. It was late so he couldn't see his face, only his silhouette.

"It's time for you to take your pills, Aaron." Aaron turned quickly at the seat next to him but didn't find Lucifer there. He sighed in relief; he didn't want to explain how a non-patient was in there.

"Thanks, Roger."

He stood up and left the room, not bothering in turning off the TV in case Lucifer returned. While he drank his cup of water after taking his pills, he shuddered, thinking about how easy it was turning to talk with Lucifer. He wasn't the kind of guy someone would want to be friends with. He wasn't even a guy. But he had already made the deal, he couldn't back down now.