"This is boring," she whispered, careful to keep her voice as low as she could, thanks to the angel currently sitting on their sofa. Trixie had no idea if angels had better hearing than humans, but now, she figured, was not the time to find out. Lucifer didn't seem to notice however, his head still buried in the instructions for Monopoly, studying them religiously.
Mom gave her a sympathetic smile. "I know, Monkey, but Lucifer, he was in—" she paused, shuffling the pan on the stove in front of her a little before continuing. "He was away for a long time. He probably got a little rusty on the rules, that's all."
Trixie fought the urge to roll her eyes—she'd had one too many tellings off for doing that lately. So unfair, considering mom did it all the time. "Since when does Lucifer care about the rules?" she asked, wondering how on earth her mom couldn't have realised how weird that was. "He never did before."
She felt a small jolt of success as her mom looked over at Lucifer with concern, but almost as if he could sense her eyes on him, he looked up and smiled. Trixie could only watch as her mom sort of… melted, in a way that made her want to pull a face. But she didn't, of course, because she was too grown up for that now.
Still, it was kind of gross.
"Maybe he just wants to be better at it," her mom said encouragingly, a dreamy look on her face as she gently nudged her with her hip. "Can't break the rules if you don't know them, right?" That was true, she supposed. Kind of. It still seemed strange, though… "Come on, popcorn's nearly ready. Why don't you set up the game, and I'm sure Lucifer will be ready to play by the time you're done."
With an overexaggerated sigh, Trixie went to do just that. She wished Mom could have waited until the popcorn was done… it wasn't that she didn't like being alone with Lucifer as such; he'd been back about a week, and he was around here a lot, so it was kind of unavoidable. She just hated it when he—
"Ah, Trixie, come to assist, have you?"
When he called her that. According to Mom, it was because he was trying to fit in, trying to be part of their family. It was the same reason he kept calling her mom 'Chloe', rather than 'Detective', now that he was her boyfriend. But... he'd practically been her boyfriend before, and she had still always been 'spawn,' 'child,' or 'parasite'—she smiled at that last one, thinking of the time he'd taken her to school. Not her school, though. Just a school. A school where she'd gotten to pretend to be 'Trixie Morningstar'.
His urchin.
She missed it. Him calling her Trixie... it just didn't seem right.
And speaking of things that didn't seem right… "I rather think I'll assume the role of banker tonight," he proclaimed as she started to lay out the game, causing her to halt mid-shuffle of the community chest cards.
"But you hate being banker," she said, pushing the money towards him, despite her confusion. "And mom always says you're useless with money. Remember the time you tried to add in actual cash?"
"Trixie!" Her mom came rushing over from the kitchen, popcorn in hand. "I didn't say that exactly," she explained hurriedly. "It's just, well..."—she sank down onto the sofa with an apologetic smile—"you do always hand out way too much."
Lucifer frowned, his hand twitching towards the rules again. "Amassing funds is the aim of the game, is it not?" They both nodded. "Then rest assured, I shall not be repeating that mistake again."
He wasn't joking. In fact, there was no joking at all during what had to be one of the most mind-numbingly boring hours of Trixie's life. First, there was the argument over the tokens. "But I like cars. Why wouldn't I be the car?" he insisted, as if that one preference meant there was no feasible way he could have ever chosen any other token. Even after her mom gave in though, there seemed to be some sort of debate every five seconds about someone doing something wrong, complete with the instructions being pulled out and consulted each and every time.
Monopoly, she quickly concluded, was not as much fun when you weren't allowed to cheat.
Over the course of the game, Mom made several attempts to try and get him to loosen up a little, but it was no use. "Regulations are there for a reason, Chloe. I would have thought you would understand that, given your penchant for making sure others abide by human law."
That earned him a sigh and an eyeroll, or what Trixie liked to refer to as a 'double combination hit'—something her mom seemed to save exclusively for Lucifer. "I don't have a 'penchant' for upholding the law, Lucifer. It's my job," she said. Rummaging into the box for the game, she extracted a hotel, handing over the necessary cash. "Besides," she muttered under her breath, "nobody ever went to jail for breaking the law of Monopoly."
Trixie stifled a laugh, and then had to do it all over again when Lucifer coughed and tapped the board pointedly, highlighting that there was, indeed, literally a jail there.
That turned out to be the high point of the evening though. Thirty minutes later, and she was nearly out of money. Luckily for her, the property she landed on during what could be her very last turn, was Lucifer's. Smiling up at him sweetly, she waited for his usual offer of a deal instead of rent. The candy under her bed perhaps, or her share of the remaining popcorn.
But no deal ever came. "You appear to be bankrupt," he said, holding out his hand for the remainder of her cash. The corner of his mouth quirked. "If you wish to succeed, perhaps next time you should learn to follow the rules."
Money handed over, Lucifer turned his attention away immediately, as if, by losing, Trixie had no longer become relevant in his mind. Her eyes burned slightly, but she blinked back the tears, not wanting him to see how much it hurt. Never let them see you cry. That's what Maze said. And Maze was always right. Even if both her parents said otherwise.
"Shall we continue, Chloe?" Lucifer asked, the dice in his hand poised to throw.
Mom didn't answer at first, looking uncomfortably between the two of them, before rising to her knees and starting to pack away the game. "I don't think so. It's not as much... er... 'fun?' with just two." She shot Trixie a meaningful look, and she giggled in response. Apparently, Mom had been just as bored as she was.
Lucifer didn't seem to pick up on it though. "I'm surprised you would concede defeat so easily," he said, his head tilting to the side in the way he did sometimes when something happened that he couldn't quite figure out. It made her feel a little better, to actually see him do something she recognised.
Her mom bristled at that. "I wouldn't call it giving up… more like not wanting to waste the evening on a game that would take forever to win, now that there's only two of us playing."
For some strange reason though, Lucifer outright grinned at her words. Not a fake smile either, not like so many he had put on lately, but one that actually reached his eyes, which lit up with unrestrained glee. "Sometimes you have to play the long game if you want to win a battle." He looked at the ground then, in an odd way that almost seemed like he was looking past the floor, and for a second, there was something vicious in that grin of his.
"Believe me, it makes victory all the sweeter."
Neither of them knew what to say to that.
…
It quickly became clear that their usual post-game karaoke was off; Trixie wasn't in the mood, and when Mom asked about it, she wasn't sure if it was her or Lucifer that said no faster. It was yet another thing he did that evening that surprised her. Normally, Lucifer loved to sing—he liked nothing more than the sound of his own voice, Mom always said—and he normally hogged the microphone for most of the night, only giving in when the two of them teamed up to wrestle it off him.
"Come on, guys," Mom teased as she opened up the cupboard to put the Monopoly away, "my singing isn't that bad, is it?"
Wisely, both of them stayed silent. It was probably the first real time since Lucifer's return that Trixie felt like they were both on the same page.
"Okay, okay, I get the message! Face painting then, is it? I believe it's your turn, Lucifer," Mom said with a wink. "Go dig out your set, Trix?"
Digging it out would be exactly what she needed to do; neither of them had touched the kit in the last few months, and Trixie was pretty sure it was hidden right at the bottom of her art chest somewhere. It was one of the many things they no longer did together after Lucifer wasn't there to do it with them anymore. She could still remember the horrified look in his eyes the first time she dared to apply glitter to her design, and the days of complaining that followed when he kept finding it in his hair.
Actually, it wasn't all that far from the alarmed expression on his face right now.
"You want to put paint… on my skin?" he said, sounding as if the concept had suddenly become completely alien to him.
Mom didn't look up from where she was busy restacking the board games in their usual precarious pile that would actually let her close the cupboard doors again. She often said it was just like playing Tetris—whatever that was. Trixie didn't know why she bothered really. The next time they wanted to play something, it would all come spilling out again.
"Luckily for you, Mr. Morningstar," Mom said, balancing the last jigsaw puzzle on top and slamming the doors before the inevitable happened, "you'll be the one doing the painting this time."
Lucifer looked relieved, while Trixie felt far from it. So far, through all their game nights, she had managed to avoid letting the Devil anywhere near her with a paintbrush. It hadn't escaped her attention that sometimes he slathered on so much eyeliner he looked like a goth having a bad day; the last thing she wanted was to let him near her face.
Reluctantly, she headed into her bedroom, scattering her art supplies all over the floor as she hunted for the face paints. Perhaps she could ask for something simple, like a heart. He couldn't mess up a heart, could he? Then again, the last time she drew a heart in front of Maze, all the demon did was point out all the ways it wasn't like a real human heart. She shuddered at the thought of Lucifer trying to paint something like that on her cheek.
Emphasis on the try, of course. Was it possible to be better at painting than you were at drawing? She hoped so, otherwise this was going to be a complete disaster, that would mean avoiding Mom's camera phone when he was done at all costs.
When she re-entered the living room, Mom had already put down a wipe-clean cloth on the coffee table, and a plate for mixing colours on if Lucifer wanted to. Trixie laid out the necessary brushes and paints, before taking a seat on the sofa. After her attempt a couple of Halloweens ago to replicate Maze's demon face with her existing crayons failed miserably, Lucifer insisted on upgrading her supplies. She was now the proud owner of the same paints they used on the dancers at LUX when they held theme nights. Nobody had ever been able to match her costumes since.
Lucifer carried over a chair from the dining room table and set it down in front of her. With their height difference though, it soon became obvious it was going to be way too awkward for him to paint from there. She waited for him to get on the floor, like he did the one and only time Mom allowed him to paint her face. The simple stars that covered her cheeks that night were beautiful, and Trixie had caught her more than once tracing the edges of the design with her fingertip when she thought no one was watching.
Hopefully he would do stars again for her tonight too.
But rather than lower himself to the ground, Lucifer stood, signalling that she should get on the chair. She went to speak, but before she could, he said, "I do not kneel." His expression and the darkness in his eyes gave no room for argument. Silently, she slid onto the chair, letting him take her place on the sofa.
"Hey," Mom exclaimed fondly, ruffling her fingers through Lucifer's hair as she walked past, carrying the now empty popcorn bowl back to the kitchen. "My floors aren't that bad. Besides, a little dust on your pants from getting on your knees isn't exactly going to kill you."
Trixie waited for him to correct pants to trousers. Mom seemed to be waiting for him to do something too, standing at the edge of the counter with a smirk on her face. A smirk which quickly vanished when he gave no response at all, to either of them. Instead, he picked up a paintbrush and palette, and said solemnly, "Close your eyes."
"Don't I get to pick?" she asked, doing as he instructed.
"Dealer's choice," he replied. And for the next thirty minutes, those were the only words he spoke to her.
The first time she painted Lucifer's face, he never shut up. His almost constant babbling, ranging from whining about the torture she was putting him under, through to checking if she was completely sure that she couldn't do Bruce Lee, made it extremely hard to concentrate on what she was doing, never mind draw a steady line. Of course, she didn't help the situation by asking who Bruce Lee was, and that was a lecture she wouldn't be forgetting any time soon.
This new Lucifer though, he was silent. After several minutes had passed since the last brushstroke across her eyelids, she opened them to find him staring at her. No, not at her, more like through her. To him, she may as well have not even been there. She was nothing more than a canvas for whatever he was creating, not a person, not a friend.
Mom watched from the other sofa, a soft smile on her face that only grew fonder as he continued. When he finally laid down his brush, she gaped in wonder. "Oh, Lucifer," she breathed, "That's beautiful." Leaping from her seat, she took Trixie's hand, dragging her over to the mirror. "Look, Monkey! Isn't it amazing?"
Trixie's hand drifted towards her face as she gazed at herself; it was only at the last second that she pulled it away, worried that she might smudge one of the delicate flowers now decorating her skin. Mom voiced the thought running through her head. "Why did you never tell me you could paint so well?" she asked Lucifer, still sounding awed.
In the mirror, she saw him shrug. "Our line of work never required me to, I suppose."
Mom smiled, almost shyly. "Can you do me next?"
Lucifer nodded, motioning towards the chair. Trixie continued to trace the flowers and vines that wound their way across her eyelids and forehead, following them down until they gently caressed her cheekbone. It took several minutes, but eventually she finally managed to drag herself away from her reflection, wandering over to perch on the end of the sofa so she could watch Lucifer work.
"What flower is this, Mom?" she asked, pointing to the purple bloom that appeared most frequently in the design. Given that Lucifer appeared to be in his own world again, she didn't even try asking him. It should be some source of comfort, she supposed, that he was looking at Mom in the same vacant way he had to her.
Mom opened her eyes to glance at her, earning a huff from Lucifer in the process. "That's a snapdragon, babe," she said, shutting her eyelids again immediately and stilling. "It's one of my favourite flowers, actually." She fell silent for a moment as Lucifer tucked a finger under her chin, moving her face up slightly to allow him access to her neck as he stroked colour down and around it.
"Did you know that Grandad picked my middle name? Jane, it means 'God is gracious.' He wasn't particularly religious or anything, but after it took them so long to have me… he said it felt right. And every year on my birthday, he would bring me snapdragons. They mean grace."
The corner of Lucifer's mouth jerked upwards, and oddly, she heard him quietly chuckle to himself. "Amongst other things," he muttered, reaching for the as yet unused paints and falling short. Trixie hopped off her seat, rounding the coffee table and pushing them closer towards him. He swiped them off the table without so much as a thank you.
"Anyway," Mom continued, her eyes still closed, completely oblivious. "That's why I like them so much, you see. They remind me of him."
"They're very pretty, Mom," Trixie said, sitting down again, next to Lucifer this time, captivated by the sight of him delicately placing another snapdragon across Mom's cheek. She had a lot more than Trixie did, intertwined with what looked like dahlias, painted in a burgundy so dark they were almost black.
Mom smiled when he finished, leaning forward to cup the side of Lucifer's face with one hand, gently caressing his cheek with her thumb and tilting his head up towards her. "Thank you, Lucifer," she said, briefly pressing her lips to his. Instinctively, Trixie cast her eyes away, just in time to see Lucifer's hands fist against the cushions. As Mom pulled away though, one flew up to catch her wrist. Trixie followed the movement, watching as he laid a kiss against the back of her hand.
"It was my pleasure," he said, and for once, he looked like he really meant it, like this was something he actually enjoyed. There was the same kind of joy in his eyes that she had only seen before when he was playing the piano, or singing. He smiled as he studied his handiwork. "Father does make beautiful things."
Mom flushed, but Trixie had the strangest feeling that it wasn't her he was talking about. A thought occurred to her then. "Did you practice painting while you were away, Lucifer?"
They both turned to her at the same time; Lucifer offering up little more than a cursory glance, while Mom shot her a sharp look of warning. "Try not to mention Hell, Monkey," she said earlier, just before Lucifer arrived, "He doesn't like it. And Linda said we should wait until he's ready."
Trixie agreed, of course; it wasn't like she wanted to hurt him or anything. But this wasn't strictly speaking about Hell, was it? She just wanted to know how he'd suddenly gotten so good at art, that's all!
"I often paint when I'm not on Earth, yes," he replied, before focusing on the coffee table and starting to gather up the supplies. Now that his attention was elsewhere, Mom made a quit it motion against her throat, her head shaking minutely. She then took the opportunity while Lucifer was finishing up to snap a photo of the two of them together.
When he was done, Trixie dutifully took the carefully filed away supplies back to her bedroom, before asking if they could watch a movie. She didn't know if she wanted to participate in any more 'activities' tonight. Movie nights with Lucifer were always fun; no matter what film they picked, he always had something to say about it.
"Sure, why not. It's not as if it's a school night," Mom said. "I'll make some more popcorn. Any preferences? Lucifer? And before you say it, not that." Trixie knew exactly what 'that' was. Mom told her years ago that Lucifer was a big fan of the cake scene in her old movie, but that she refused to watch it with him. She never really understood why; after all, it was pretty damn funny.
Lucifer didn't seem to have a clue what she was on about though. "Not what?" he said, looking completely baffled. Mom shook her head in disbelief, and Trixie decided to rescue him.
"How about Hercules?" she suggested. Truth be told, it wasn't really one of her favourite movies anymore, hadn't been for a long time. In fact, without Lucifer here, she hadn't watched it once. He was the one who made it fun. The first time, they were barely five minutes in before the commentary began, ranging from, "Who the bloody hell told them the Grecians sang Gospel music?!" through to his absolute outrage that they'd had the 'nerve' to make Hades blue.
"I should have known you would identify with this," Mom grumbled that night, to which Lucifer just rolled his eyes.
"Why wouldn't I? It's about me!"
"Oh, just like everything, you mean?"
"Exactly, Detective. Glad you're cottoning on."
On screen, Hades said something sarcastic and worried about his hair, which made Mom grin. "Actually, you're right," she said, looking between the TV and Lucifer, "I can totally see the resemblance, now."
They spent most of the movie bantering like that, and Trixie loved the film ever since. Eventually, after much badgering, she even managed to get Lucifer to admit that they got at least some things right. Hades liked to make deals after all, and Lucifer said that 'the underworld' wasn't too far off either, not with its bluish tinge and darkness everywhere. "Less bones, more screaming though," he observed drolly, before Mom told him to stop trying to scare her.
She wasn't scared, though. Lucifer never scared her. Not even that day in the warehouse when she saw his eyes flash red, and certainly not when he saved her and Eve when she visited the penthouse. Besides, she saw the sad look on his face when they said that Hades was mean. Lucifer was many things. But mean? Definitely not.
Since he came back though, everything changed. He wasn't mean to her, not exactly, but he was… indifferent, if that was the right word for it. Take tonight, for example. After she put the movie on, she returned to the sofa to find him sitting in the corner, Mom already cuddled up next to him, leaving her alone at the far end. Previously, Lucifer had always sat in the centre, his long legs stretched out over the coffee table—no matter how many times Mom told him not to—knowing full well that at some point during the evening, he would end up with both of them curled into his side.
He always complained at the end of the night, about the creases in his clothes, and on the odd occasion one of them had fallen asleep, the drool on his shirt. And yet, every single time, he would sit in the same seat without fail. He reminded her of a stray animal sometimes; a creature you had to approach with caution, but once you earned their trust, they craved love and affection just like any other pet. Somehow she doubted he would appreciate the comparison, but the truth could not be denied. The Devil liked cuddles. And hogging all the popcorn.
The latter remained the same, but that was about it. Tonight Lucifer sat silently during the entire film, not a single quip or correction to be heard. Maybe that would be normal for most people, especially with a movie they'd watched repeatedly, but that never stopped him before. And to look at him, you wouldn't have guessed he'd already seen it anyway. His eyes were glued to the screen, taking in every detail. Everything else in the room was ignored, including Mom, who started dozing off against him almost from the beginning. His arm may have been around her, but whereas the old Lucifer would have spent half the time staring down at her with a stupid smile on his face, now he didn't even seem to notice she was there.
The second the film was over, Lucifer stood up to leave, abruptly disturbing Mom from her slumber. "Are you going?" she yawned, stretching out against the couch. "You can stay a little longer if you like, I just need to put Trixie to bed."
She saw Lucifer steal a glance at his watch—another new development, considering she couldn't remember ever seeing him wear one before— and shook his head. "I believe it's been long enough," he said, striding over to the desk and shrugging on the jacket he'd left draped over the chair there. "I'd best be off."
"Hold on a sec," Mom said, scrambling up from the sofa. "I'll bag you up some of the leftover popcorn." Lucifer opened his mouth, to protest, Trixie suspected, but Mom held up a finger indicating she'd only be a minute, and headed into the kitchen.
Trixie pushed herself off the sofa as well, and joined Lucifer by the door. "Did you enjoy the movie?" she asked, examining his reaction closely. It didn't feel like a question. It felt like a test. Only… she wasn't sure exactly what she was testing him on.
Lucifer's eyes darted to the kitchen, where her mom was still busy dishing out the popcorn. With a sigh, he turned his attention back to Trixie, rocking back on his heels slightly as he stuffed his hands in his pockets. "It was enjoyable enough, I suppose," he said. When she didn't reply, he quirked an eyebrow, and continued. "I do not understand the issue this Hades had with his position, though."
Trixie frowned, completely taken aback. "You mean being stuck in the underworld, looking after all the dead people?"
"Hmm." He looked over at Mom again, but she was only just beginning to tie up the bags. "He obviously deserved to be there, so why not just accept the punishment he was given?"
"Who said he deserved to be there?" she argued, feeling an inexplicable need to defend who most would consider to be the villain, "You heard him, it was a job."
"A job he wouldn't have been given if he weren't evil," he countered. The corner of his mouth rose, in a kind of cruel smile she could never have pictured on Lucifer's face. He crouched down towards her, dropping his voice down low. "Zeus was wise and all powerful, and he sent Hades to the underworld. Therefore, he deserved it. He should have just accepted the judgment he had been given and stayed where he was."
Trixie blinked, trying to connect the man she knew with the one standing in front of her. He looked like Lucifer, he sounded like Lucifer, but this wasn't Lucifer at all.
"Here you go!" Mom said brightly from behind them. She hadn't even heard her approach. Lucifer straightened immediately, taking the offered popcorn and slipping it inside his jacket.
"Thank you, my dear," he said, leaning over to give her a kiss on the cheek. Mom was ready this time though, and she turned her head at the last moment to catch his lips with her own. And for the tiniest of moments, Trixie could have sworn she saw him flinch. He didn't pull away though, not until Mom did a couple of seconds later.
He was out of the door before she even had a chance to say goodbye.
…
Bedtime was a more solemn affair than usual, Mom seemingly as affected by the weird way Lucifer was acting as she was. Even after she was all tucked in, Mom stayed silent, smoothing down the blankets repeatedly as she stared blankly at nothing, lost in thought. Trixie gently took her hand, snapping her out of it.
"Mom… Lucifer doesn't like me anymore, does he?"
Mom's eyes widened. "Oh, no, baby, that's not true. He does like you, he's always liked you, he's just…" she stumbled over her words, one hand nervously running over the blanket again. "Do you remember, when you were younger, how awkward he was around kids?"
She nodded, memories of Lucifer throwing her toys—like someone would for a dog to play fetch—flooding to the forefront of her mind.
"Well, it's like that, only different. You're so much older now, but not an adult either… and I don't think he knows what to do with that quite yet. But that doesn't mean he doesn't like you, okay?"
"But—" she hesitated, wondering if this was something she should even be saying. Mom was happy, but she'd been happy before, and Trixie hadn't said anything then, either. And look how that turned out. "What if I don't like him?" she said, wincing a little and shutting her eyes, not wanting to see her Mom's reaction.
Mom didn't say anything though, and when she was finally brave enough to look at her, she could see she was close to crying. "I'm sorry, Mommy!" she said quickly. "I didn't mean it, I'm sorry!"
"No…" Mom whispered, choking a little. "It's okay, Monkey, I'm glad you told me. You can tell me anything, you still know that, right?" Trixie nodded, and Mom squeezed her hand. "And I understand. Lucifer is very different now. It's… it's hard to deal with."
She couldn't help herself, she had to ask. "Do you still like him?"
Mom stood up from the bed, a forced smile on her face. "I love him," she said simply. "And that means being there no matter what. I liked the person he was before, and if he's not that person anymore, well… I'm going to try to be there for him, anyway." Bending over, she kissed her forehead. "Lucifer has been abandoned by so many people. I can't do it to him too."
"Then I won't either," Trixie said determinedly, and to her relief, Mom's smile became a little more genuine.
"I know you won't, sweetheart," she said. "But… if nothing changes, and you still feel this way, you have to promise to tell me." She paused, her hand hovering over the light switch. "See you in the morning, yeah?"
Trixie nodded, rolling over to turn off her bedside light as Mom closed the door behind her. She didn't feel like reading, and her last attempt to contact Maze again had been a bust. Despite how tired she was though, she still couldn't sleep, the events of the evening playing over and over again in her head. Turning over again, her hand caught on her cheek, the paint she had forgotten to wash off flaking against her skin.
Lucifer's voice floated through her mind. "Amongst other things."
Snapdragons. He'd been talking about snapdragons, and what they meant. Instantly wide awake, she grabbed her phone, hastily typing 'snapdragons meaning' into google. The result shone up at her from the screen, one single word that felt like it reached into her heart and twisted.
Deception.
Maze was right. Maze was always right.
Something was wrong with Lucifer.