A/N: Because we all feel, at times, chained and powerless to change a single thing… because we've all thought that there was no chance for forgiveness, and because we need to pay attention to those people who prove that forgiveness wasn't extended to all of us.
Disclaimer: Bible, God, and Satan do not belong to me. Nor anybody else, except for that Tobias character that appeared in the end of the last chapter.
Dedication: To those of you who know what a tragic character Satan really is
Warning: Slashy undertone! This means male/male relationships! You've been warned!
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Chapter Two- Temptation
"An apology for the Devil: it must be remembered that we have heard only one side of the case; God has written all the books" -Samuel Butler
"Where are you going?" Judas asked a few days later, when he had waltzed in rather unceremoniously into Lucifer's private chambers. The blonde had been in the middle of getting dressed- he was in a pair of form fitting jeans, and was putting on a black t-shirt.
"You know, it wouldn't hurt to knock. I could have been naked." Judas snorted, flopping down on Lucifer's large four poster bed.
"I've known you for over two thousand years, it'd be nothing new"
"Still, I like my privacy" Lucifer turned towards him, putting on a pair of sneakers. "I'm hoping one day you'll learn to respect other people"
Judas grinned widely "Come off it. I know you don't actually care that I came in; I do it all the time. You've been twitchy since that Raphael came to get you. What happened at that meeting, Lucy?"
"I told you not to call me that" Lucifer went to the bedside table, picked up his wallet, and put it into his pocket. "It's my business, and I'll thank you to stay out of it"
Judas' eyes narrowed "Were you lovers?" The blonde blanched
"Were who lovers?"
"You and Raphael, of course"
Lucifer gaped for several minutes, then he began laughing. "Oh, that's too much. You're priceless" There was a heavy silence. "You're serious… What in Heaven's wrong with you! Of course we weren't lovers. Please." Lucifer started to leave, shaking his head. Judas followed him out.
"Then did you have sex with him?"
"I thought I told you-"
"Well, I know how you are. If you think it's just about the sex, nothing else matters, right?"
"Why should it? God may have invented it, but I went and made it enjoyable, didn't I?"
"And you made it dirty, if I'm correct" By now, they were in Lucifer's office. "And you made it wrong."
"Which makes it forbidden, which makes it more enjoyable. You shouldn't be so sour about the fact that you never did it. It's your own fault that you were such a prude"
"I was busy, and you know how it was so looked down upon back then, and I certainly wasn't going to hire a prostitute. You never know what you could get from them" Judas was flushed with embarrassment. It wasn't something that Lucifer brought up often, knowing what a sensitive subject it was for the man. Judas tried not to let it bother him too much, because it meant that Lucifer was really bothered about what happened when he was in Heaven.
"You still haven't answered my question. Where are you going?"
"Do you know how much of a wife you sound like right now?"
"I don't care!" he shouted, although the clench of his jaw told a different story. "You've been awful to be around lately, and as your friend, I was concerned, but you wouldn't understand a simple concept like that, would you!"
They stopped walking then, almost to the outskirts of Hell. Lucifer's icy eyes were narrow slits. "Excuse me?" he said, quietly.
"You heard me! I was worried about you, like any normal human being would-"
"That's the thing. Normal people don't worry about me. They're too concerned with the fact that they'll be able to bathe in my blood at the End, or have you forgotten!" Both men were shouting now, drawing many curious stares.
"I'm your friend! And if you had any conscience at all, you'd say something-"
"JUST WHAT ARE YOU ACCUSING ME OF!" Satan roared, finally losing his temper. He wasn't mad at Judas- far from it. He turned his head to their onlookers. "WHAT'S YOUR PROBLEM! GO BACK TO WHATEVER MISERABLE ACTIVITY YOU WERE DOING! THIS ISN'T A FRIGGIN' SHOW!" The people wisely scattered, and Lucifer took several calming breaths.
"I wasn't… I didn't mean- I wasn't implying-" Judas stumbled clumsily over his words.
"Stop, it's alright. I've been letting things bother me, that's all. Look, I have to go to Earth, okay? I'll see you later or something"
"Wait- may I come? Just for a bit?" Judas shrugged. "The fresh air might help"
"You'll need to take a physical form, like I did" Judas hadn't really noticed, as the blonde still looked the same, but then he noticed the absence of the horns from his head.
"Will do. What's the plan?"
"You'll see when we get there"
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Judas found himself walking down a busy street shortly after that. He wasn't very used to such crowded places anymore- usually he was one-on-one with Lucifer. "What is the plan, anyway?" he asked as they popped into a store. It held all sorts of things- such as movies and comic books. On the far wall was a bulletin board that the Devil went immediately to, promptly taking off a notice.
"I'm to tempt a woman, at this place" Lucifer passed the paper to Judas, who glanced at it before looking critically at the other man.
"And you can't do this in your… natural form?"
"No doubt I could, but where's the fun in that? I want to seduce her, make sure I've still got it in me. I've got it on good authority that she keeps to herself" Lucifer grinned. "That can be harmful to a person's psyche, you know. I'm just going to help her out"
"And what's so special about this woman that you're personally taking human form to seduce her?"
"Well, firstly, she's awfully attractive. Second, she was brought up to me by God Himself, so you know that I have to prove a point. Third, she's married, which adds to the thrill"
Judas rolled his eyes "I don't know about you. So you have her address. What exactly are you planning?"
"Did you read that paper?" Judas glanced at it again. "It's an advertisement. She needs lawn work and other maintenance jobs done around the house"
Judas blinked. "You're going to go work for her!" Lucifer's grin widened, snatching the paper back.
"I certainly am. Gotta go about this the right way, yes?" He laughed, and Judas reluctantly felt better that his friend was happy again. "Look, I need to go meet with this woman. You can find your way back, right?"
"Of course, I'm not two" Lucifer smiled, and then strode gracefully out of the store.
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The woman looked at the young man with a healthy amount of skepticism- he was the thinnest man she had ever set her eyes on. "You're here about the work?" she asked again, once they were settled into her living room. "You realize that this job will have a lot of physical labour? As in, you'll have to lift and push things all the time" she stressed.
Lucifer now knew why people sometimes didn't bother getting jobs- it was too humiliating. "I know that, ma'am, I read the sheet" The woman wouldn't have much choice- if it came to the point where he had to make all the other applicants sick, then so be it. "I know I'm a little… on the thin side, but I promise that I can-"
"A little? Don't you think that's an understatement? You're the most underweight-" she took in a deep breath, calming herself down. "How old are you?"
"Twenty- one, ma'am" he said easily. He wasn't completely lying- his body was that age.
"Your name, first and last?"
"Lucifer Morningstar" the woman- Sara- blinked several times. "I know, it's not the most popular name in the world, but it does mean 'light-bearer' and anything that brings light can't be that bad, right?"
She shook her head. "It's not your fault that your parents are completely nuts. You're from Britain?"
The blonde nodded- he was once again not quite lying, as he'd been there only a few days before. "I see. What about your parents?"
"What about them? I'm twenty-one, and plenty old enough to take care of myself" Sara didn't look like she quite believed this.
"I can tell, what with your bones protruding to the point where I fear I might stab myself on them"
Lucifer blinked. "Have you even considered that I actually eat like a pig and simply can't seem to gain weight?" he asked. That was a lie- he hadn't been able to eat a decent meal since the day he found out that there was no salvation for him, and never had been.
"I suppose that's a possibility. Some people have all the luck"
"You think it's a good thing for everybody to be going around assuming that you're anorexic?"
"So you've heard it before" she sighed. "Well, alright, then. I'll give you a try out. If you end up passing out all over the place, I'm going to have to find you some help, all right?"
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Summer was coming awfully quick, and with it, the muggy heat. Lucifer was out mowing Sara's lawn, wearing nothing but a pair of shorts. He'd been working there for about two weeks, and couldn't seem to get her alone, much less to try and talk to her. That husband of hers- Mike- was constantly around, rather like an itch that you couldn't reach. It was infuriating- Lucifer only had until October to do what he set out to do, and God wouldn't give him a moment more. This was supposed to be simple he thought grouchily.
He could feel somebody's eyes on him. It was like this all the time when he was at Sara's. He looked toward the house, spotting Mike sitting out on the porch, sipping lemonade. He knows Satan thought wildly. He somehow knows that I'm here to seduce his wife. He was being too obvious, then. He was the King of Subtlety. He finished up the lawn, then went into the house for a drink.
He'd been to Earth about three times before in physical form- but back then, he was much healthier. At one time, he wouldn't bat an eye at a full day's work of much harder labour.
"You should get something to eat" Mike said, entering the kitchen and putting his glass in the sink. Lucifer's eyes narrowed- the glass was still half full. "You've been at it all morning"
"It's nothing I can't handle, sir" the blonde replied easily. He'd had to pile wood first thing, put the flooring down in the spare room, and then mow the lawn. "Besides, I'm done for the day, right?"
Mike grinned "No, not yet. We have some gardening that needs to be done, and the lawn will need to be raked"
"Oh, right. I'll be fine, there's only a few things left, and I'm sure that Mrs. Thorne wouldn't appreciate me-"
Mike walked in towards him, until he was standing so close that Lucifer could feel his breath on his cheek. Lucifer tried to back up a bit, but as he was already standing next to the counter, he didn't get anywhere. "Sara went away on a business trip, like she does every summer" Great, and now he's going to kill me for sniffing around his wife.
Mike raised his hand, and Lucifer closed his eyes tightly. Mike was a much bigger man than he was, and he was already quite tired from his chores- his eyes shot open when he felt a gentle, but calloused hand stroke the side of his face. What the- "You're a beautiful man, Lucifer" he said quietly, which forced the demon to look back up to the man. Suddenly, all the staring and 'accidental' touches started to make sense.
"Well… ah, thank you, sir, but I should really getting back to work, lots to do-" To say the least, he wasn't used to men coming on to him, and when they did, he was in his normal form, where he could deal with it properly.
"Don't be foolish. You'll have tomorrow to do it. I've been waiting to have a moment alone with you, ever since you first began here, but my wife was always around" Lucifer raised his arms to his chest, trying to get as much distance between them as possible. It wasn't very effective, as Mike was standing so close that every inch of their bodies touched. He felt the larger man's arms wrap around his slim waist. Lucifer was greatly wishing he would've left his shirt on.
"Mr. Thorne, sir, I don't think this is entirely appropriate, your wife-"
"Has been looking at you much the same way as I have been. You really are much too beautiful for your own good" Lucifer was relieved to know that he had been affecting the wife. "She doesn't have to know, it'll be our secret" Mike leaned in for a kiss, and Lucifer quickly turned his head.
"I'm a man!" he protested as Mike's lips fell to the side of his mouth. He knew that it didn't really matter to some, but people did, on occasion, tend to forget. Mike's grin widened, and Lucifer felt the man's hand go to his crotch.
"I know. It's kind of part of the point. You don't have to be scared, angel" Lucifer winced at the word. "I'll be gentle" Satan's jaw dropped slightly, dismayed that the man was speaking to him as if he was some sort of virgin. A vicious flush stole over his cheeks. Somewhere in the back of his mind, Lucifer could hear a ringing sound.
"The- the phone, sir. You should go fetch it, it could be important-"
"I think that this is much more important, don't you?" The man ground against him, and Lucifer let out a meep of surprise, never having felt another man's erection before. Mike looked him over, still ginning like a mad man. "You are a virgin, imagine that. Twenty-one and nobody's properly appreciated you" He leant down, nibbling and sucking and the blonde's neck.
"I'm no virgin, sir, I just think that this is wrong. Your wife would be horrified" he tried, without any success, to push the man off, but he didn't budge. He's stronger than I thought. How am I going to get out of this mess?
"You certainly are, Lucifer" his voice was muffled, as he still had his head in Satan's neck, and he bit harshly, causing Lucifer to cry out in surprise and pain.
"Sorry to interrupt, but I have a package for a Mr. Thorne" said a decidedly male voice- one that was incredibly familiar. Lucifer looked up and spotted an angry Raphael.
"Leave it over there, on the table. We're busy"
"I really think that-" Lucifer stopped abruptly as the hand on his crotch tightened painfully. He winced, hissing in pain. Mike bit his neck again, much harder than last time, and Lucifer could swear that he felt something warm trickling down his neck.
"This has to be signed for, Mr. Thorne, and I'd thank you to keep your filthy hands off my bo- my friend" Mike stepped back, and Lucifer almost stumbled. Satan put a hand to his neck. Mike signed the sheet, and the angel put it onto the table.
"Now, if you could kindly leave us-" Mike started.
"I'm done for the day, Mr. Thorne, so I think I'll be going now-" Lucifer started in Raphael's direction, but Mike grabbed him roughly by the arm.
"You're not done here, yet" he growled.
"He most certainly is, Mr. Thorne, he'll be leaving with me" Mike let go, giving Raphael a death glare, and Lucifer walked over to the angel again, and they began to leave.
"You'll be here tomorrow, right?" he asked. Lucifer never got a chance to answer.
"No, he won't be coming back ever again, Mr. Thorne"
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"What was that about? I can take care of myself!" The demon said once they returned to their natural forms.
"Because you were doing such a good job of it before I got there! What the hell were you thinking!" They had stopped, and the angel, who was a few inches taller, grabbed Lucifer by the shoulders.
"I was there to seduce the wife! I didn't know that she left this morning!"
"That doesn't matter, because you would've went right back there, now wouldn't've you! You're too damn hard headed!"
"Like you're one to talk! Of course I would've went back, I needed to get on her good side, which wouldn't have been achieved if I had abandoned my post!" Raphael's grip tightened.
"You, of all people, should know the depravity of people best! He could've ended up raping you or something!"
"It wouldn't have gotten that far, and it's not like I saw that one coming, you great brute! Let go, will you, I've had enough of being manhandled for one day"
"You are unbelievable!" Raphael said, and just as he was about to let go of Lucifer, he noticed blood on his neck. The angel swore creatively, and Lucifer wondered idly if people realized how much more often angels swore than he did. "He bit you! That dirty son of a whore!"
"His mother wasn't a whore; she was actually a very decent woman" Lucifer gently removed Raphael's hands, and began walking again. "And you just got me fired. How am I supposed to get to his wife-" Satan stopped, and turned to the angel. "How did you know when to come in?"
"God was talking about you being in a lot of trouble, and he-"
The blonde made a face. "He was going to send in that nasty blighter, Paul, wasn't He? He knows how I feel about him"
Raphael blushed. "Well, it wasn't so much that as it was that… I… maybe sorta… kinda volunteered for it" Lucifer raised an eyebrow. "Don't you go thinking I'm going to come to your rescue every time you need it, either. Because I won't, I swear it"
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To Be Continued
A/N: When I started this, I was completely unsure of where to go with it, so… hopefully that's not too evident. I know where I want the story to go now, it's just in telling it… I'm going to be going for a while, to attend a … family function. I'll update again as soon as I can, but I'm not going to make any promises. (The next chapter will be up before the end of this month, I can say that) Anyway, thanks for taking your time to look at my work, and I'll be glad to hear what you think of it