Rebirth

Lucifer, as was his want, barged into her office and closed the door behind him when he saw she was there doing paperwork. "Oh, good, you're in Doctor Linda." He looked at the couch and grinned widely. "And alone this time, lovely."

He walked over to the couch and sat down on it, his hands laying at rest on his knees in his normal relaxed pose.

"You're a bit late for that, but no, I have no appointment now. What can I do for you tonight?"

When he barged in, it normally meant something was really bothering him. At least he tended to look to see if the light was on now before barging in. A knock on the door would still be appreciated once in a while from him though.

"I had a rebirthday party today."

She blinked at that. "A rebirthday party? Not a normal birthday?"

"I don't have a birthday. I was made before time began, so it's a bit hard to know the exact date."

She closed her eyes and nodded. Sometimes she wished he would drop the act and just outright state who he was outside the metaphors. "What is a rebirthday party then?"

He grinned widely at her. "It's to celebrate my new life here on Earth as a permanent citizen! I burnt my wings last night on the beach. Today is my first official day of never going back. I did it, I broke free!"

She fell silent after that, trying to absorb what he would mean outside the delusions. It sounded like he had made a permanent move away from his old life and decided to nationalise here. Which was a good thing, as it meant he had to try and fit in now.

"Okay that sounds like it was a good thing for you to have done. It at least seems that way now. And it's good you are moving on from your past and starting a new life here. It's a big step to being who you want to be, as opposed to whomever everyone else wants you to be."

He grinned widely at her and nodded. "Yes! My thoughts exactly! The problem is, I invited the detective to Lux to celebrate with me. She brought Dan with her and they left not even five minutes later. I think they are working on a case behind my back. Can you believe that? Why didn't they invite me?"

Linda rubbed her forehead. "Why did they not take you out of your own party to celebrate your new start to go work with them? Because that would be considered rude. They showed up to say happy rebirthday though, which matters."

He nodded. "Yes. They bought a drink that the precinct uses to celebrate birthdays with them. Got a briny aftertaste. It was surprisingly good. It's a shame Maze didn't get to taste it, she would have loved it. But they only had time for one drink before they had to leave again. That and they were both on duty."

She nodded. "So they included you, while in the middle of a case to a ritual that they all go through for birthdays at their precinct. They included you even though it went out of their way to do so and shared a celebratory drink with you. I don't see the problem."

He blinked. "The problem is I didn't invite Dan, and when he stayed and I didn't mind he did, they left right afterwards anyway. They left me after I thought they were going to stay..."

She nodded. "Okay, so you're upset that your friends left on a day you now consider special to you. I can understand that, but it isn't their fault they are busy outside being with you. You did take the day off, didn't you?"

He shrugged. "Yes, and I wouldn't call Dan a friend. He just refuses to not hang around, because the detective is his ex and their daughter is getting her fill of both her parents regardless."

Linda nodded her head. "Okay, that's...okay. I think we'll push into that certain topic tomorrow at your actual appointment. Right. What would you have done if they had stayed?"

He shrugged. "Danced with them, had more briny shots, invited Maze over and make it a smaller more personal party with people I actually know. I would have had fun!"

"And none of this would have been in an effort just to get Chloe into bed with you?" She hoped the jealousy she was beginning to feel for the detective wasn't heard in her voice. It wasn't strong, but it was definitely beginning to show. She was getting too close to him personally. She was truly beginning to think of moving their relationship to what she was used to. No sex and fully doctor patient working relationship. Less likely to get unnaturally attached like she was beginning to.

"Why would I want to sleep with her drunk? No! I'd like her sober and conscious of everything we do. She's not some unknown lay like most of the people I sleep with are."

Linda closed her eyes and sighed. "That's good. At least I know you respect your friends enough to not hurt them sexually."

He shot up in his seat, his hands clenching at the material of the couch. "Are you accusing me of sexual assault, because I assure you, doctor, I abhor such things. Everyone who finds their way into my bed enjoys and remembers it. And they never regret it in the morning. Well, unless they forget to mention they're married, in which case why not invite over their spouse? I'm up for that."

She closed her eyes and shook her head. Sometimes he was the most clueless patient she had ever had to deal with. And it wasn't an act, he just truly had no idea how to act sometimes in situations. And his never lying tended to hurt people as much as he tended to try and avoid hurting people. It would get him in trouble one day.

"Lucifer, sometimes people aren't willing to sleep with more than one person. I know you tend to enjoy sleeping with multiple people, but not everyone does. And some people are uncomfortable sleeping in the same bed with people of the same or opposite sex."

He frowned. "Yes, I have found that out on my own, thanks. I don't understand this human hang-up of sex with only one gender. I mean, I do prefer females, but what's wrong with me having sex with men?"

Rubbing at her forehead, she shook her head. "There is nothing wrong with it. It's just humans generally have a sexuality, in which they are either or in their preferences. Some like one, some like all, some like none at all."

He perked up at that last one. "There are humans that don't like sex? Were they...you know, victims?'

She frowned. "Some are, some are naturally not attracted to people and feel no need to have sex. Some people need a deep personal connection with others before they find them sexually attractive enough to sleep with. There's a lot of different sexualities out there."

His grin widened. "Ooh, maybe that is what is up with the detective. Well, that makes me feel a lot better."

She blinked at that. "Really? You do know that means there's a chance she will never sleep with you?"

He shrugged. "Yes, but there is always the chance she will if she likes me enough, and she obviously slept with Dan at least once, since they have a child they planned to have with each other."

She nodded at that one, because she couldn't dispute it. "Does that mean you want children with her?"

He shuddered. "Hell no! I can't stand children. Little soul sucking parasites that latch on and never let go..."

Well, his view on children seemed way off, but given he was neglected it makes sense he would likely never want children and see them as burdens.

"Plus I am infertile, so no chance I'd get anyone knocked up. Good thing too, I like bareback."

She closed her eyes. "'Lucifer, I think it's time you left. This session is over."

He blinked at her. His hands going up to undress. She held up a hand. "No, just...not right now."

He raised an eyebrow at her, but shrugged his shoulders and redid the buttons that he'd undone. "Okay, I am fine with that. Later then. See you tomorrow, doctor."

She nodded, suddenly distracted and wanting him gone. "Yes, until then."

She never watched him walk out the room, but she did hear the catch as the door gently closed behind him.

She closed her eyes and buried her head in his file. "Oh, Linda, what are you doing? Get yourself together and act like the psychiatrist you are."

She really needed to stop sleeping with him. Starting now. She'd bring it up sometime soon. Next session would do.