She woke to a typical morning, trying to stretch but finding herself cocooned in her sheets. The room was dark except for a few rays of sunlight shining between the breaks in the heavy curtains. After wrestling free from the bedding, she got to her feet and crossed the room towards the balcony, stretching as she walked. She pulled back the curtains, allowing the space to flood with morning light. Glancing around, she found the room empty, but the bathroom door was closed, and she could hear the shower running. She yawned, walking to each window and pulling back its curtains, before gathering her underclothes and waiting for Lucifer to finish. She smiled thinking about the day before and feeling confident she and Lucifer could make this situation work,

"Hey, how are you feeling?" She asked, averting her eyes when Lucifer finally walked out of the bathroom, naked as always.

"Why didn't you wake me for dinner?" He demanded instead of answering her question or even looking her way. Instead, he walked towards the closet, only pausing to grab his underwear.

She was taken aback by the coldness in his voice. The truth was she had tried a couple of times to wake Lucifer, but he didn't want to rise, so she left him, "You needed rest; you were so tired,"

"I also needed to eat, a necessity you deprived me of." He interrupted loudly from inside the closet.

"I tried to wake you." She snapped, "You wouldn't get up, so I figured,"

"Get dressed. You can shower later. Unless 'you figure' I should miss my breakfast as well."

She tried to control her emotions but knew they were all over the place. She was so confused, mad, and hurt as she walked into the closet while Lucifer walked out. Quickly pulling on a simple coral sundress made of linen and lace around the top before she walked out; obviously frustrated with how Lucifer was treating her, she walked to the door, not waiting on him,

"Stop." He called, sitting on the edge of the bed, "I don't like that dress, change it."

"You chose it,"

"And I don't like it. I think I'd prefer you in something blue today." He smiled wickedly, and her heart plummeted, "Go on, quickly."

She re-entered the closet with a tight chest, but it loosened as she scanned the outfits and realized the dress wasn't there. She chose a cotton dress that was light blue with short puffed sleeves and pearl buttons down the front. The skirt stopped just below the knees. She straightened out the fabric with a sigh and walked back into the bedroom. Lucifer had his head pressed into his hands,

"Better?" She asked, giving a sarcastic twirl once she was in front of him.

"Not much," He huffed, not even looking at her, "Oh, and I changed my mind. You don't leave the castle," he murmured standing up.

"But you promised the garden," She protested.

"And I said I changed my mind. If you go out, it'll be with me."

"But, I don't even see you till dinner most days." She protested.

"Then you don't go out most days. Now let's go." He demanded, getting up and walking to the door, passing her without a glance.

"This isn't fair, Lucifer!" She fussed.

"I believe it's been established that nothing in this situation is fair." He retorted, his hand on the door handle.

"But yesterday," She began stepping towards him.

"Yesterday?" He scoffed, rolling his eyes, "Yesterday, I was exhausted, low on blood, and my grandpapa only knows what side effects the painkillers Belial gave had on me." He explained, opening the door and jerking his head to signal her to exit the room. She obeyed with a sigh and a heavy feeling in her chest as she walked past him into the hall, "Great, you reek of sadness again." Lucifer complained, slamming the door behind him.

"And whose fucking fault is that, Lucifer?" She fussed, throwing her hands up, "I enjoyed yesterday. I enjoyed that you."

"Too bad!" He snapped angrily, and for a split second, she swore his eyes flashed red, "Now walk." She gritted her teeth but did as she was told because something was wrong with Lucifer, and part of her was scared to push him.

He waited till she started walking and fell in to step behind her, which only creeped her out more. Lucifer had never been like this. This wasn't the same man she had gotten to know, but how well did she actually know him? Maybe this was the real Lucifer; and his eyes. Had they really changed color? There was no way; she had to have imagined it. The rest of the walk was silent and uneasy, so she was relieved when they made it to the dining room. The two of them took their spots at the table, and she tried to act normal; the last thing she wanted was to draw attention to herself.

"I see you're feeling better, Louie." Lord Lucifer commented as soon as his son settled into his chair.

"I'm just as fine as I was last night. My fiancée failed to wake me for dinner," He spat as plates of food were placed in front of them.

"I tried to wake you, Lucifer." She protested, her head down as she pushed the black meat off to the side.

"You needed your rest." His father stated, coming to her aid, "I wanted you to go lay down as soon as you left Belial's. However, you insisted you were fine."

"I'm a big boy, father." He scoffed as she looked at the meat she had shoved away. Thinking it would be a peace offering, she poked them with her fork and put them on Lucifer's plate, "This is nothing compared to other injuries I—" He paused as his attention snapped to what she was doing, rage burning in his eyes, "Is my plate now your discard pile?"

"No, I don't like the meat, and I know you do. You usually take it off my plate anyway, so I thought—"

"Well, don't!" He snapped, backhanding his whole plate off the table, making her jump and recoil into her chair, as the plate barely missed her head, "If I want the damned food off of your plate, I will take it off of your fucking plate." He growled as she tried to control her breathing, tears filling her eyes.

"Lucifer!" His father's voice boomed as his chair screeched across the floor when he stood up, "What is your problem?"

"My problem? I don't know, father. Maybe killing my only brother has something to do with it?" He yelled, also standing, "And all you gave me was some heavy drugs, the night off, and tainted memories of my only sibling."

Lord Lucifer sighed, dropping his head, "It's finally sinking in. It's been a while since I've seen this side of you. It's okay to be upset, Lucifer, but you can't,"

"He may not have been your son, but he was my brother! He was the only family I had left." His teeth clenched tightly together, and she swore she could hear the pain in his voice.

"You're surrounded by family, son." His father sighed, and Lucifer just scoffed and rolled his eyes, "You want to be mad at me, fine, but don't take it out on her. She's done nothing."

"I'll do whatever I wish to her, old man, and if you don't like it, void your little deal with God and send her back."

"She can't go back," Lord Lucifer sighed.

"Then let her rot for all I care." He spat, throwing himself back into his chair.

There was a long pause, and she couldn't hold it in anymore as her breaths became short and the tears in her eyes broke through,

"Lord Lucifer, may I please be excused." She asked, standing up, hands clenched and eyes on the floor.

"Of course, dear, go on, and don't you dare follow her." He snapped as Lucifer made a move to get up.

She got up and walked as calmly as she could to the door, but once in the hall and out of everyone's sight, she ran out of the castle and into the garden. The sun's rays were warm, and the breeze carried a lovely chill. It was a beautiful morning, but she couldn't enjoy or appreciate it. She ran across the garden and only stopped once she reached the edge of the woods where a small orchard grew. She dropped to the ground under one of the trees, her back to the trunk as the tears ran down her face. What the hell was going on? Why was he behaving this way? Something wasn't right. He had never treated her so cruelly. Was it his brother? Had his actions set in, and he didn't know how to handle the emotions?

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She didn't know how much time had passed before she finally calmed herself, but the suns were high in the sky. With a deep breath, she wiped her eyes on the skirt of her dress. Nothing made sense. No matter how much she thought about it, the more confused she became. She stared at the vast open space of the castle garden and let her raw mind zone out. She sighed as she leaned her head back against the tree trunk and looked up through the branches for a moment before closing her eyes. She only sat in position for a few minutes before hearing footsteps approaching and assuming it was Vassal. She lifted her head, ready to greet the kind woman with a forced smile, but instead of Vassel, she saw a very upset Lucifer. His eyes fixed on her, but they weren't right. Maybe it was the suns reflection, but his usual blues had a red tint around the pupil. Whatever it was, the look in them scared her, and she tried to scoot herself away,

"I told you not to leave the castle!" He growled, closing the distance.

"Leave me alone!" She fussed, getting to her feet only for him to grab her arm, "Let me go, Lucifer!" She demanded, pulling against him, but he just tightened his grip and pulled back, dragging her across the grounds, "Stop!" She pleaded as she stumbled, trying to keep up. His grip had gotten so tight she was losing feeling in her hand. The more she protested, the tighter he squeezed until finally, his nails broke through her skin, "You're hurting me!" She cried as he pulled her back into the castle. "Lucifer! Stop!" She yelled, fighting against him. She felt her skin tear. "Please, Lucifer, let me go!" She begged as tears rolled down her cheeks.

Lucifer looked back, and she gasped. She hadn't imagined it! His eyes were a combination of blue and red, though the red seemed to fade. He looked at her, confused like he didn't know what was happening. Suddenly he let go, and she fell back on her butt. Scooting back against the wall, she pressed her body against it, hoping it would somehow absorb her as she clutched her bleeding arm to her chest. He looked down at his hand for a moment before looking back,

"Baby Girl," He said, stepping towards her, his voice softer and filled with regret. She was so confused and scared as she pushed herself against the wall and looked all around for a way to escape, "I, I didn't mean to,"

"What the hell is wrong with you!" She snapped.

Lucifer took another step before squatting down, "I can fix it." He said, reaching for her arm.

"Don't you dare touch me!" She spat, slapping his hand away with her uninjured one, "You're fucking insane."

The next couple of seconds happened so quickly that it took her a couple more to process. Lucifer was pinned to the wall by his father, who held him with one hand tightly gripping his throat.

"You do not hurt her!" His father growled.

"I was just trying to get her back inside." Lucifer winced, grabbing his father's arm, "I didn't mean to hurt her." He admitted weakly.

"She's not your toy." Lord Lucifer fussed.

"She's mine. You gave her to me." He snapped back in a completely different tone.

"She is a living being. She is to be your wife." His father bellowed, "I thought I raised you better."

"Maybe him," a low growl echoed, "You were no father to me."

"Get yourself under control, Louie." He mumbled, Letting go of him. As his son slid to the floor, Lord Lucifer turned and approached her as she clutched her bleeding arm, "Let me see?" He ordered in a stern but gentle voice, holding out his hand.

"It's fine, my Lord, just a scratch." She insisted, trying to regain her composure as she gave him her injured arm, "I have bandages in the room,"

"No. There is no telling what disgusting things my son's hands have been in. I'll take you to Belial." He smiled softly to her, then snapped back to Lucifer, sitting on the ground clutching his shoulder, "You, straight to the throne room, do not leave till I return. Disobey me again, Lucifer, and you will regret it."

~~~

After a quick cleaning from Belial, she returned to their room, hoping he wasn't there. Fortunately, she was alone when she entered the darkroom. Flicking on the lights, she walked straight to the bathroom and turned on the tub faucet at practically the hottest setting, and while steaming water filled the tub, she brushed out her hair. She was drained emotionally, and her arm throbbed. Belial had offered painkillers, but she declined, not wanting to be even slightly out of it when Lucifer returned. She had told him about her family and her job. She had trusted him at least some, and then today. She shook her head, trying to get rid of the memory. Putting the brush down, she took her dress off and tossed it aside. She moved to unclasp her bra but caught a glimpse of her shoulder in the mirror. The scar from her fall; she ran her fingers over the raised pink lines. It was a pretty scar as far as scars go, like the veins of a leaf or the path of a river viewed from above. She thought it strange that something so painful could create something so beautiful. With a sigh, she finished undressing and climbed into the hot bath. As she sank into the soothing water, she couldn't help but wish for bath salts or oils to help her de-stress. However, after a few minutes in the gentle warmth, she managed to relax a bit, but it was short-lived. She heard the bedroom door slam shut, and her eyes snapped open as her heart began to race.

"Please don't come in." She whispered, "Please, please." She prayed.

Despite her pleas, the bathroom door opened anyway, but it was soft and slow instead of the typical slamming. Lucifer entered but stayed close to the door, and he didn't look at her, his eyes looking everywhere but at her. She swallowed hard, covering herself as best she could as she waited for him to speak,

"You're scared of me now?" He asked, just standing there running a hand through his messy hair.

"Uh, yeah." She replied, "Today, you were everything I expected the devil to be. Cruel, heartless," She paused, "You hurt me, Lucifer. I hadn't done anything to you, and you,"

"Did I hurt you badly?" He asked, walking over to the tub's edge and getting down on his knees. Finally meeting her gaze, she could see the anger in his eyes long faded, replaced with what seemed like sadness, but she pushed herself to the opposite side of the tub anyway, "Guess that's my answer. Let me see your arm." He ordered, reaching for her. She pulled her arm close to her body, refusing the outstretched hand, "Please, I can fix it. Look at your hand where I nipped it yesterday."

She took her eyes off him to look at her hand to see the cut almost healed, "I'm fine." She replied, clutching her arm still curled in the far corner of the tub.

"I'm sorry." He expressed sincerely. Lucifer was looking at her, but she refused to meet his eyes. "I, uh, I don't handle strong emotions well. I can usually control myself a lot better. I don't get this way often, but it's no excuse. I lost control; I said and did things I didn't mean,"

"And?" She snapped.

"I, I kind of lose myself when I get, uh, too emotional,"

"Yeah, I noticed that." She huffed.

Lucifer sighed and sat on the floor next to the tub, "Olreth. That was my brother's name. My only sibling and I loved him. He was a few hundred years older than me, but he taught me to hunt and fight. He took me exploring in the woods, showed me all the best places to camp, and then he just left. I woke up one day, and my brother was gone. There was no explanation. He had just gone, all his things cleared from his room. I thought something bad had happened, but when I asked my father, he told me Olreth had gone to live on Earth. Apparently, he had been planning this move for months. He planned on leaving but didn't have the balls to tell his little brother, so he hid it from me. The next few times I saw him were to bail him out of trouble, trouble that would have given any other halfling a direct ticket back to Hell, but I vouched for him. The last time he killed someone, I swore to my father he wouldn't do it again. I gave him my word because Olreth gave me his. Swore on his life, he would never hurt another human, so I swore to my father that if he broke his word, I'd deal with him." He confessed, no longer looking at her but at his own hands, "I didn't want to kill him, but the blood loss had made me weak, and I saw it in his eyes. He would kill me if he could so that he didn't have to answer for his crimes. He was going to kill me if I didn't kill him."

She relaxed a bit and sighed, "I trusted you. I told you about my life, my parents."

"I know." He said, looking up to meet her eyes. "I lost control, but I won't let it happen again." He promised.

"Which are you?" She asked, "The Lucifer I knew yesterday or the one I met today?"

"Both, I suppose."

"You will give me the garden back. I won't stay cooped up in here."

He nodded, "But you accompany me when asked." He threw in.

She didn't reply, so he went to get up, but she reached out her arm in front of him. He took it gently and looked at the damage he had caused. The middle of her forearm was purple and blue with four deep tears where he had sunk in his nails. He brought her arm to his mouth, and she felt his soft tongue run over the wounds cautiously.

"I talked to God earlier." She informed.

"What did he say about it?" Lucifer asked as he got up and crossed the room to grab the dwindling roll of bandages.

"I didn't tell him you hurt me, but I did tell him you're a huge asshole." She said as he returned and gently began to wrap her arm. "He wants us married as soon as possible." He didn't reply as he continued to wrap, "How's your shoulder?"

"It hurts. My father throwing me into the wall didn't help." He answered, tucking in the loose end of her wrap.

"Let me finish my bath, and I'll help." She said as he got up.

"I can handle it."

"No, you can't. I'll be out soon."

Lucifer left the bathroom, and she got out of the tub. She wanted to believe that it wouldn't happen again, but she didn't know if he could control himself, which scared her. For now, all she could do was trust him and hope he kept his word. She dried her body off only to realize that in her daze earlier, she hadn't grabbed any clothes. Her face instantly flushed. Lucifer may have been okay walking around naked, but she wasn't. Wrapping the towel tightly around her, she left the bathroom, and as if a predator to its pray, his eyes were on her, and the corners of his mouth pulled up,

"Getting brave, Baby Girl?" He smirked as if everything from earlier was forgiven.

"No, I just forgot to grab my clothes before I got in the bath." She informed, scampering across the room and quickly digging through her drawers with one hand while holding the towel tightly with the other. He was up. She moved quicker. He was walking towards her, all she needed was a shirt, and she found it. Quickly turning, she was now faced with Lucifer, and she jumped,

"Turn." He insisted.

"Why?" She demanded as she tried to squeeze past him on the left, but he blocked her.

"Turn, please." He rephrased.

"I asked why?" She replied, holding firm as she shifted to the right, only to be blocked again.

"I want to see your back."

Knowing she couldn't escape, she sighed and turned her back to him. She felt his cool touch trace the scars of her lost wings,

"They've healed quite nicely." He remarked. "Will you help me with my shoulder now?"

"May I get my pajamas on first?" She questioned, turning to face him.

"What if I say no?" He smirked as he raised his eyebrows.

"Move, please." She blushed, and he stepped aside.

Back to normal, it seemed, she thought as she walked into the steamy bathroom and slammed the door shut.