Her small arms were wrapped tightly around Lucifer's torso, and her head rested in the middle of his back. He could feel her wet hair pressed to his skin. As upset as he had been about her reaction this morning, he couldn't help relaxing slightly at her embrace. What was happening to him? Earlier, the way her words had affected him was a surprise. He hadn't realized how upset she would have been by waking up in his arms, but at the same time, the fact that she felt a need to bathe after being held by him. It hurt, a feeling he was no longer used to.

"You are so frustrating, Kathrine Ann. I don't understand you. From what you say to how you act and what you feel. They're always contradicting each other." He sighed as her arms squeezed him tighter, and he could swear he felt a shiver. It was then he noticed her clothes were slightly damp, and she was the one shivering.

"Hi pot, I'm kettle." She whispered.

"What?" He asked, wondering what kitchenware had to do with this.

"You're not the easiest to read yourself, Luce." She sighed. The combination of her warm breath on his back and her steady heartbeat that he could feel through her damp shirt forced him to listen, "You told me on our wedding night this was all new to you. Well, it is for me too. Maybe not in the same way, but all of this is tough to digest. I'm trying, I swear, and I'm sure I'll get there, but it's hard." Her voice cracked a little, and he felt everything she was feeling, so he stayed quiet, knowing she wasn't done, "I didn't go to the spring because I was disgusted by you, and I need you to know that. I'm just confused and scared. I have all of these memories from a whole other life, and before I can even accept that life is over, I'm here. I'm married again, and my mind and heart are fighting, but neither knows how to accept everything. The way I felt when I woke up this morning was the way I used to feel waking up with William. I was happy, warm, and safe. I never expected to feel those feelings again, and feeling them means letting go of him. It's stupid, I know, and I know you don't understand, but give me some time, okay?" He didn't need to sniff the air to tell what she felt because her words portrayed everything. His precious doll was legitimately sorry. Of course, she didn't intentionally hurt him. He didn't think it was in her to intentionally hurt anyone, "Let's finish our trip, Luce, please? I like where this is going. With you and me."

"Okay, Baby Girl," He relented as the heavy feeling in his chest lifted. He didn't like fighting with her; now that she had explained herself, he felt his normal self returning.

"Do you forgive me?" She asked, letting him go as he turned around to meet her big green eye's looking at him with an innocent gleam, and a smirk crossed his face.

"As long as you promise to make up for hurting my feelings." He explained dramatically.

"And what do you have in mind?" She questioned warily as she lifted an eyebrow.

"Oh, I don't know. I'm sure something will come to me." He winked, "Now, change those clothes before you get sick. I'll finish breakfast." He insisted, turning back to the pot on the fire. 'Hi pot, I'm kettle,' what a strange thing to say, he pondered as he continued cooking. It was only a few minutes until she returned wearing a simple dark green dress that stopped mid-calf and had a high waist and long sleeves. She also had a brush in her hand and an elastic around her wrist, "Pot and Kettle?" He questioned, still unable to figure out what she meant earlier.

"The pot calling the kettle black is an idiom. It's someone who calls out someone else for doing the same thing they do or have done." She explained, sitting down and lifting the brush to her hair.

"I see. I'll take that." He said, rising from the pot and holding out his hand, "Food will be a bit longer. Come on, hand it over."

"Is this my penance?" She questioned as she handed the brush to him.

"Oh no, this is simply a husband doting on his wife." He replied, taking the brush and straddling the log so he sat behind her, "If anything, you should feel you owe me more now. Even after you broke my heart, I'm still so kind and sweet to you." He answered with a sad voice as he carefully began unknotting her hair.

"Okay, you're pushing your luck now." She scoffed, but a small laugh followed. They sat quietly as he pulled the brush through her hair, the sounds of the woods being the only silence breaker, but it wasn't awkward. They seemed to be making a habit of quickly resolving their issues, and he liked it that way. "So, what are we going to do today?" She asked curiously after a couple of minutes.

"After breakfast, hiking. There's a spot not too far from here that I think you would really like." He answered as he brushed through her now knot-free hair a few more times before getting up and handing her the brush back.

"Okay." She smiled, placing the brush next to her, "I love hiking."

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"Let's eat, and then you need to change. Can't have you hiking in a dress." He smirked as he moved to the fire, served a bowl, and handed it to her before serving himself one.

"So, how far is the spot you're taking me?" She asked as she brought her spoon to her lips and lightly blew at the steaming liquid.

He hummed, "About an hour and a half there, and then we'll have a romantic lunch." He looked over and winked as she rolled her eyes, "After that, enjoy the scenery a bit before heading back. We'll be back here late afternoon. Figure we'll decide the rest of the evening depending on how tired you are."

She nodded as she put the spoon in her mouth and let out a satisfying purr, "How are you so good at cooking?" She asked as she quickly scooped up another spoonful, and he chuckled, admittedly a bit flattered by her enthusiasm.

"Well, when you're roaming the borderlands for anywhere between a couple of days to a few weeks with a small group of fighters trying to exterminate aggressive and destructive creatures, a good meal is one way to keep up morale." He answered, eating a spoonful of his own as she stopped halfway to her mouth.

"Exterminate?" She asked.

"Yes, a story for another day,"

"I feel like by the time another day comes. You'll have a library of stories to tell me?" She grumbled as she shoved the spoonful into her mouth, and he laughed.

"It's for your own good, my innocent doll, this is all new to you, and I don't want to overstimulate your mind." He explained.

"Overstimulate my mind?" She hissed as he quickly realized the unintentional insult.

"All of this world, as well as being informed there are many others, is a lot to take in for someone who only believed in one is all I'm trying to say, Baby Girl. I will add you are handling it exceptionally well." He replied, and to his relief, she smiled as the hint of annoyance faded into the wind, replaced by pide.

"How far do the forests go before hitting the castle walls?" She asked, taking another bite while waiting for a response.

"Oh, quite a bit. The side walls are almost as wide as the castle, but the length goes for miles. My father enjoys nightly walks. Sometimes he'll be back before dawn, and sometimes he'll disappear for a few days." Lucifer informed.

"Oh, I didn't picture your dad as a nature kinda guy." She mumbled.

"My father is a bizarre creature, but yes, he has always had a pull to nature. The forest surrounded by the castle walls is actually a wildlife reserve. Endangered animals and plants have a sanctuary here." He explained as he took a bite of his food.

"Protect some but exterminate others?" She questioned with a raised brow.

"Yes, just as any other world would do and has done. The creatures my father slated for extermination were causing massive damage, destruction, and death. The ones we protect are those losing numbers mainly because of Hell City's development. We pushed them out of their home to make our own, so the least we can do is help grow their numbers again and give them a safe place." Lucifer explained, "I'll point a few out to you on our hike and some of the plant life. Vassal told me you had taken an interest in gardening?"

"I'd like that." She smiled excitedly, looking up from her bowl, "I have a small notebook I've been recording the plants in... Damn, I should have brought it. Anyway, that would be great. Azazel's helped me some, but she gets bored roaming around the grounds looking at flowers. Oh, and Vassal has helped me, too, with the edible plants. I don't know much about animals, though. I would like to see some of them," She explained, finally pausing to take a breath, "and I'm rambling on like an idiot, aren't I?" She realized. Her cheeks instantly flushed as she averted her eyes to the ground.

"I wouldn't say idiot, more like an adorably excited little doll." He reassured, but her face grew brighter, causing him to chuckle as he brought his bowl to his mouth and sipped the last bit, "Are you done?" He asked, and she nodded, "Good, give me that." He ordered as she handed him her empty bowl and spoon. Walking over to a bucket of soap and water, he dropped their dishes into it, "Come on, let's get you changed."

She followed him into the tent, where he immediately went to his side. Squatting down, he opened a small wooden chest and began rummaging till he found what he was looking for. Shoving it into his pocket, he grabbed a neatly bundled set of clothes, "Here, these will be a bit more comfortable for hiking." He said, dropping the small pile on the bed. She grabbed the bundle and unfolded them, "What do you think?" He asked.

"They look comfy, but I would like to change in privacy if that's okay?" She replied with a knowing glare.

"I'll wait outside." He sighed, exiting the tent, a soft chuckle echoing behind him.

While waiting, he doused the fire and packed his backpack with water bottles, their lunch, and a few other snacks. He knew he would be fine till lunch, but humans were weak, and he didn't want to risk her fainting from dehydration or hunger. While he squeezed another bottle of water into his bag, she walked out of the tent, and his breath caught unexpectedly as his eyes turned to her. The clothes he'd picked out for her were simple, a pair of shorts and a loose-fitting shirt, and they were that, but the way his perfect doll looked in them was something he hadn't expected. The dark grey shorts fell a bit above mid-thigh and hugged her butt perfectly, while the white shirt with coral stripes fell loose on her shoulders but didn't hide the curves of her upper body. She tucked the front of her shirt into her shorts and tied her hair back in a messy bun, leaving a few loose strands around her face. How? She was dressed in regular clothes, yet her appearance was exciting him. Another new unexplainable thing his sweet wife was causing him to feel. Lucifer hadn't had these types of reactions since he was a child and had just hit puberty. He calmed himself down, reminding himself of the goal. He wanted her to want him, not him to want her.

"Ready?" She asked, leaning over to touch her toes in an innocent attempt to prepare for the hike, unaware that his want for her only increased tenfold as he watched her body bend, "Luce, are we ready?" She asked again, snapping him out of it.

"Um, yeah, I think so. Snacks and water." He reassured, holding up the bag.

"Okay, show me the way, Jr." She smiled sweetly as he tried to think of turnoffs so his little devil would settle. His whole plan had backfired. Ssomehow she had unknowingly turned the tables.