The door had been closed for days. They could just make out the faint padding of Lucifer's footsteps as he paced back and forth.
"Booooring," Moriarty droned, throwing his head back over the arm of the couch. Loki rolled his eyes from his seat in the corner of the room. He looked out the window, gazing down at all the people walking by the loft without knowing that it was the temporary living quarters for three of the most evil men on the planet and beyond.
Moriarty groaned and started tapping his feet together. "What is he even doing in there? Honestly, how long does it take to plan an Apocalypse?"
Loki pressed his lips together and kept his eyes on the scenery to keep from saying something biting.
"Something interesting needs to happen or I might shoot myself…again."
"That certainly wouldn't be the worst thing to befall our little group," Loki muttered. Moriarty laughed and sat up, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees.
"And I thought you and I would get along so well. The Consulting Criminal and the God of Mischief? It had so much potential, but you're not clever enough. You're boring too, just like everyone else." He stood up and put his hands in his pockets. Loki rose slowly as Moriarty approached, getting closer until they stood face to face, Loki towering over the criminal mastermind.
"Before you try to insult me by telling me I'm on the side of the angels, I should remind you that you are now as well. And as clever as you think you are, you can't match him. You couldn't even manage to get one silly, little man to jump to his death so let me just remind you how small and weak you are in my eyes. You may have been the star in your own pathetic fairytale but you're in the presence of gods and angels now."
Moriarty was silent, his jaw working as Loki's words sank in. His eyes narrowed but without another word, Moriarty spun on his heel and left the room. As soon as he was gone, Loki let out a breath and smiled to himself. Moriarty's ego could stand to be brought down a few notches and Loki wasn't one to let an opportunity for wordplay go to waste.
He glanced around the room, eyes coming to rest on the ever closed door. Perhaps it was just his basic nature kicking in, but a look that could only be described as mischievous alighted on Loki's face and he began to walk forward. Strictly speaking, Lucifer hadn't exactly given any orders to stay out of the room but when the Devil closes the door behind him, most people would take the hint not to follow. Perhaps it was just that that drew Loki closer, the danger and intrigue and all the mystery that surrounded a closed door. His fingers twitched as they neared the handle and for a second he doubted himself. After all, Lucifer had shut the door for a reason. What sort of misfortune awaited the person who interrupted Satan's haven?
After only a brief moment of consideration, Loki grasped the handle and swung the door open. The picture in front of him was not at all what he expected. He assumed he would be greeted by splendor, by opulent furniture and ostentatious décor with Lucifer stretched out on a divan, deep in Apocalyptic thought. Instead, the room was almost bare, the only furniture a small table and a single wooden chair. Light flooded in from the floor length windows, burning the room orange in the fading sun. Lucifer sat in the chair, his head resting in one hand while the other roamed aimlessly over the scars on his face.
He didn't look up as Loki entered, and didn't say anything to acknowledge him. Loki walked slowly over to the table, painfully aware of the noise his boots made on the hardwood floor, each step seeming to further contaminate the peaceful silence he had broken upon opening the door. He removed his helmet, he didn't know why he wore the thing indoors anyway, and set it gently on the table. He took a seat on the edge of the table and clasped his hands together in his lap. Neither of them said anything for several minutes.
"He'll get you back eventually, you know," Lucifer said finally, though still not looking up. "You may have caught him off guard this time but he's got good reason to be so full of himself. Although I suppose neither of us are strangers to that feeling, are we?"
Loki looked at his hands, trying to suppress a smile. "I may regret my words later, but for now it was worth it to see the look on his face." If he wasn't hoping for it, he might have missed the hint of a smirk that flickered across Lucifer's face.
"He's not wrong, though. I've been in here an awfully long time; I should have been ready for this as soon as the door to my cage was sprung. I've had thousands of years to put this plan together and instead I'm stuck here in a different kind of cage." His fingers touched one of the places where his human body was starting to tear at the seams.
"What," Loki began, unsure of how much he was permitted to say, "—what's wrong with you?" He flushed at the crassness of the question but Lucifer didn't seem to mind.
"This body, it's only a vessel. My true form is much more impressive, bigger than this building, much more powerful than this human can endure. That's why I need Sam Winchester. He and I are the perfect match, two pieces of a puzzle. Once I get to him, there will be nothing to stand against me."
Loki looked back down at his lap, contemplating if it was worth it to say what he was thinking.
"What if there was someone else?"
Lucifer finally turned his head at Loki's question, his blue eyes inviting Loki to continue, curious as to where this was leading.
"What if the Winchester boy wasn't the only one who could…" Loki started, the words withering under the Devil's stare.
"Who else is there? The people here either fear me, hate me, or don't believe I exist. My options are very limited."
"…You could…I mean…I could… Sam Winchester is a mortal, I'm a god! You said yourself how alike we are. You saved me on Asgard; I must be able to return the favor. Surely I can help you now."
Lucifer studied him for a moment and Loki was once again forced to look away. Lucifer reached out and gently placed his hand on Loki's knee.
"Being a vessel is not a pleasant business, Loki. Nick here is a clear indication of that. It's like being buried alive, the weight of another soul on top of yours, crushing the breath from your lungs and you can't come up for air. We move too far and too fast for them, they can't possibly hope to keep up. The vessel is smothered, tied down, and locked in a dark corner of their own consciousness, catching glimpses of what is happening through their own eyes if they're lucky. Even you would have trouble containing me." Lucifer moved his hand to cover Loki's. "The connection Sam and I have is through blood. This has been destined to happen since the days of Cain and Abel. Even I can't get in the way of Fate. Besides, I wouldn't dream of subjecting you to such suffering. Sam may have born for it, but you and I were made to fight side by side. I didn't save you because I expected a reward; I saved you because I recognized a kindred soul in need. A friend."
Loki thought he had been stumbling for words before, but Lucifer's reply left his silver tongue speechless.
"I—I…don't—" he stuttered.
"Then don't say anything." Lucifer grasped Loki's hand and pulled himself up, kissing him before Loki had a chance to react. It was over as fast as it started and Loki was left breathless and startled. Countless thoughts raced through his mind but the only one he picked up was that he wanted it to happen again. Without another second's hesitation, he pulled Lucifer close to him again and their lips met a second time. Lucifer adjusted his body so he was in front of Loki and moved his hands up along the god's back, fingers curling in the soft, green cloak. Loki made to slide his hands behind Lucifer's neck and into his hair but stopped as his fingers drew a hiss from the Devil when they grazed over the scars.
They broke apart, this time Lucifer the one who looked away. He pushed Loki's hands away and sat back down in the chair.
"What is it?" Loki asked, edging off the table to kneel down and try to catch Lucifer's stare. Lucifer shook his head, gesturing to his face.
"It's just this. I don't know how you bear to look at me when I'm very literally falling apart." He huffed. "I used to be the most beautiful angel in the garrison."
Loki reached up and brushed his thumb over Lucifer's cheek. "You still are."
Lucifer smiled and leaned into Loki's hand. "I should get back to work. The Apocalypse isn't going to plan itself."
Loki laughed. "Would you like some help? Or at least some company?"
"I suppose it wouldn't hurt. I think if Moriarty is kept waiting much longer, I might find myself standing at the edge of a rather tall building with him waiting to watch me fall."
"I wouldn't worry about that," Loki said. "Angels are much better at flying."
AN: Here is the first of many tributes to the amazing story "Until Such a Time as the World Stops Spinning." Seriously, check it out. It's what started me shipping LuLo in the first place. This would take place after Chapter 8 "Let Them Know" in that story, were it canon.
If someone draws me fanart of Lucifer on a divan, I will love them FOREVER. In gerenal, fanart = love from us, but that particular image is dear to me.