"Today was hard."
The voice is mumbled by the shoulder the face in buried in, fingers gripping tightly at the tan jacket, nose pressed into the bigger man's neck. He sniffles softly burrowing closer, and the arms wrapped around him tighten their grip around him, and they sway softly from side to side.
A large hand cups the back of his head, petting down the back of his head, smoothing his hair down.
"It was."
A bristled chin rubs against his ear as the man leans down, they've been here for some time, standing like this, swaying side to side. The young man pressed up close to the others chest, tucked under his chin, listening to the grace hum under his skin. It's calming, more calming then anything he's ever heard, and it makes him sleepy.
"I'm scared."
There's a soft hum in the chest under him, and he scratches at the back of his head tenderly, "Why are you scared little one?"
Youthful eyes turn to peer up at their older counterpart, "Because I don't like this place", he hums again, cupping the side of his head and pulling him back down, "I want to go home."
"We will my little one", he pet the hair back around his ear, "I promise you we will."
Gabriel raised an eyebrow at the pair, turning to peer at the others over his shoulder, he could have sworn that they said the two had never met before. But this, this moment they were having in what they had assumed was the privacy of Jack's tent was not a moment that someone just meeting for the first time had. These sorts of moments were the sorts of moments that parents had with their children long after getting to know each other.
"I thought you said they hadn't met yet."
Sam shrugged, just as stumped as the Messenger was, as far as he was aware they hadn't. Yet, the sight before them was quite the contrary, they weren't sure what to make of Lucifer and Jack, seemingly comfortable enough around each other to do this.
Honestly, they had come to check up on the kid themselves, this was undoubtedly hard for him, and who knows what he's seen whilst they were trying to find a way to get over here.
But they hadn't needed to.
Lucifer had him curled up in his arms, tucked in close, as they swayed from side to side, reassuring him of everything being okay now. Jack was seemingly content, leaning more so on the archangel then standing on his own two feet, it was a moment later that Lucifer simply scooped him up and they retreated back to his cot on the other side of the tent.
Neither of them seemed to be noticed where they stood in the shadows of the tent flap, as Lucifer set the boy down on his cot and sat next to him, Gabriel's eyes widened when the boy reached out and his brother flexed his shoulders. Sam couldn't see them, but he could, the six rose gold wings that unfolded from his brothers back, as they wrapped around the fledgling protectively when he was finally tugged down to lay next to the nephilim on his cot. Jack sighed contentedly, curling closer, tucking his head up under his parent's chin. Lucifer scratched at the back of his head softly, and tucked the blanket up around his shoulder, and as the kids eyes began to flutter it dawned on the Messenger.
Being an Archangel, the second in all creation, Lucifer wasn't bound to the same physical rules as they were. He seemed to know exactly what to do to get the boy to fall asleep, completely and wholely, and that wasn't someone knew just off the top of their head either.
"He's been visiting in his dreams."
"What?"
"It would explain his knowing him, knowing each other like they do, " Gabriel gestured at them quickly, having the overwhelming feeling of lightness as he watched the pair interacting. Jack was nearly asleep, fingers curled in the Morningstar's white shirt, and in Gabriel's eyes cosetted in a pair of rose gold wings. Lucifer was scratching at his head softly, chin resting lightly on the side of the boy's forehead, humming what sounds like soft enochian lullabies.
"He can do that?", Sam feels like he's asking a question he already knows the answer to, "Travel in peoples dreams?"
Gabriel gave him a look, "You think he can't?"
It never occured to him that Lucifer could do that, he doesnt know why it never did, but he feels like thats something he should know already. The messenger pulls him away from the tent before they can be noticed.
"Let's let them sleep."
"Be careful?", bright blue eyes looked up from securing the Velcro straps on the boys shoes to meet his gaze, "Alright?", he didn't turn away until the boy nodded and only then did he turn his attentions back to the shoes below, "You know I cannot interfere, no matter how much I wish to, not without appearing to be doing so with any other reason", fastening them tightly and securely for the day. When he was sure they were good to go, he himself stood, turning to grab up his tan leather jacket, shrugging it on with ease he turned back in time for the fledgling to jump into his arms, hugging himself close to his chest again. He gave a breathy chuckle but curled his arms around him in turn.
"Father how much longer must I pretend?", the boy spoke softly, peering up at him, fingers curling into the warm tan leather, "How long must I still pretend not to know you? Not to like you?"
It was a sad truth, but safer for them both, to keep the others in the false sense of the upper hand. Lucifer knew his son just as the babe knew him, there was little that could keep him from reaching out for him save for being locked within the cage itself. It was safer for him to think that they had never met, safer for his son to have them living in a sort of blissful ignorance, no matter how much he longed to have him close. To feel his bright, bubbly, fledgling grace within his. To get to hold him close as he got to in these secluded secret moments. In a perfect world he and his son would live peacefully together, he showing him the ways of his power, how to hold control and prosper. Teach him the art of flying and groom his wings. Be the father he never got from his own.
But this is not a perfect world, and he cherishes this secret moment all that much more, "Not much longer my son, I promise", he pressed a chaste soft kiss to his temple, "Not too much longer."
"I don't like this game.", Lucifer hums at the tone he uses, rubbing his palm down the back of his head, fingers threading through his hair, "I don't like not being with you."
"Nor I. But it is safer for you this way. I am so proud of you, of how strong you are, to do this for me so long. I am so so proud."
Jack nodded into his chest, taking a deep breath, and cherished the moment just as much as his father did. Relishing in the warmth of being wrapped in his arms, feeling the tickly stubble rub against his ear, the comforting hum of chilled grace running under his skin. Relishing in the moment just as it was. He did not want to pull away and he knew that his father wouldn't until he did, both perfectly fine with standing like this for the rest of their lives, curled around each other, swaying their light sway. But the morning bells go off, waking everyone in the camp, and just as such the camp comes alive and they know there moment has come to an end.
Lucifer pressed his lips to his temple, "Be careful.", and cupped his cheeks as he turned him to look up at him instead, smiling down at him softly, "We shall be together again soon. I promise", he rubbed his cheeks with his thumbs, "My little one."
A soft breeze rustles through the forest and its the only cover that hides the faint sound of his wings as Lucifer departs, Jack touches his face gently, pressing his fingers to his cheeks, feeling the residual warmth from where his father's hands had just been and smiles soft as it seems to spread through him. The day has begun, and as such, their secret remaining intact, only living on the promise of one day. One day the others may see what he sees in his father. See the light that so many swear has left him. See the hope and desire lying just under the surface, the want for family, the ability to be good. One day they won't have to meet only in the dark hours of the night, their being together hidden by the shadows among the stars.
There's a commotion outside his tent, and he runs his hands through his hair twice, before ducking out into the open.
Again with the AU!world where Luci is visiting his baby in his dreams! This is just a thing that's been bouncing in my head for lie 5ever! ALSO! I'm about to dump like a bunch of stuff on ya'll cause I'm cleaning out my files like a noob!