It had been just another case. Just another ordinary day in the new life Lucifer had cut out for himself.
The Detective had called him and asked that he meet her at the precinct so they could travel together. Lucifer of course was more than happy to oblige her. He'd dropped everything he had been doing to drive to the precinct in his trusty corvette. From there he'd met the Detective in the precinct car park and the two had immediately set out.
Chloe and he had exchange some mindless chatter on the way to their newest crime scene. With anyone else the small talk would have been dull. But not with his Detective. Chloe had a way of captivating Lucifer's attention like no other before.
Eventually they had arrived outside a rather run down gym. The faded sign out front declared it to be Sid's Gym. Lucifer had arched an eyebrow but dutifully followed his Detective past the crime scene tape and into the building.
Lucifer's hands were in his pockets as he swaggered toward the cordoned off section further back in the gym. It seemed their dead person had passed away in the locker room in the back of the building.
Chloe walked ahead of him, already moving into the locker room. Lucifer had every intention of following when a sudden presence made him pause. There was a tingling in the back of Lucifer's skull that told him he was no longer amongst only mortals. It had been eons since he'd felt such a strong warning. One that told him not only was one of his siblings present but it was an arch-angel at that. It had been many long years since Lucifer last found himself in the presence of one of God's most powerful children.
"Hmm," Lucifer pursed his lips before spinning on his heel. He scanned the main area of the gym. It didn't take his searching eyes long to see the being that had not been there seconds before.
His brother stood leaning against the inner ropes of the boxing ring set up in the centre of the room. He was dressed in a simple ensemble of vest top and shorts, looking very much like an ordinary patron of the establishment. Only, his brother's eyes were locked on to Lucifer with an intensity that belayed his easy posture. There was a cocky smile on his lips. It was an expression Lucifer had at one time viewed fondly but now only served to send a pang of pain through his chest.
How many eons had it been since he'd laid eyes on this particular brother? And for him to show up now so out of the blue...
Lucifer found himself striding toward him before he'd fully thought through the action. So intent was he that he failed to hear Daniel calling out to him in confusion from just inside the locker room doorway.
Lucifer came to a stop before the ring. His head was tilted to the side, his hands in his pockets as he gazed up at his younger brother.
"Lucifer," his brother greeted. He turned his head sideways, messy bronze curls in utter disarray.
"Gabriel." Lucifer greeted in a deadpan. "What are you doing here?" Lucifer asked straight to the point.
Gabriel grinned, teeth flashing. He stood back from the ropes before he used his foot and forearm to make a gap. "Come, brother. Join me."
Lucifer's eyes narrowed. "I hardly think now is the time, brother."
Despite his words, Lucifer climbed up onto the platform and ducked beneath the ropes. He moved himself to the opposite side of the ring. His onyx eyes fixed on his brother as Gabriel turned toward him.
"Why ever not?" Gabriel asked. He looked around as if wondering what about their current setting could possibly be wrong. "We're here in a ring the mortals use for fighting. What better time is there?" Gabriel asked.
Lucifer couldn't help his eyebrows from raising at that. Did Gabriel intend for them to use the ring, then?
If the way his brother had moved to hop lightly on the balls of his feet was any indication, the answer was a resounding yes.
Lucifer found himself smiling a not so nice smile. "It's been eons since we last met, Gabriel." Lucifer reminded him. Even so he removed his jacket. He folded it over the ropes closest to him. Turning his back on his brother, Lucifer made short work of removing his cufflinks to place in his jacket pocket. After a moment's hesitation, Lucifer slipped his ring from his finger to join his cufflinks.
Gabriel shrugged his shoulders. There was a grin on the younger angels face the spoke little of happiness or joy. "So I was angry." Gabriel said with another shrug.
Lucifer turned to face his brother, eyebrow arched, as he rolled up the sleeves of his shirt.
"For the last thousand years?" Lucifer asked sceptically.
Again Gabriel shrugged. It made Lucifer wonder where his younger brother had picked up the lazy gesture.
"What can I say? I learned how to hold a grudge from you." Gabriel snarked. The younger angel surged forward having apparently decided Lucifer was ready. He brought his bare knuckled right fist back to throw all his weight behind his attack.
Lucifer was quick to dodge left of the first punch, before spinning on the back of his heel, dancing around Gabriel to avoid the next swing. He put some space between himself and his brother. His eyes were quickly assessing as Gabriel spun back toward him.
"Holding grudges was never your forte, little brother." Lucifer commented. He idly sidestepped as Gabriel sent a roundhouse kick toward him.
"That was before." Gabriel bit out through gritted teeth. He corrected fast and his next kick caught Lucifer clear in the chest.
The force of the hit sent Lucifer reeling in every conceivable way.
He stumbled to fall back against the ropes as pain lighted up from the blow. Lucifer's brows drew down but he had little time to contemplate his brother's apparent anger before Gabriel was surging toward him again.
Distantly, Lucifer heard someone calling his name. But Gabriel was on him before Lucifer could even hope to identify the speaker, let alone offer a response.
Lucifer ducked his head to the side to avoid the first punch but he was backed against the ropes and it limited his mobility. He brought his hands up to parry away the second punch but failed to block the third. Lucifer's head whipped back as Gabriel's fist connected with his jaw.
Before he could even hope to re-correct, Gabriel was raining forceful punches to his torso and the occasional blow to his face. Lucifer brought his arms up to block his face but could not stop the occasional strike from breaking through.
"Fight back!" Gabriel demanded - punctuating each word with heavy punches to Lucifer's ribs. Even without the Detective's presence, Lucifer would be feeling the blows. Especially with the force put behind each swing.
With a snarl, Lucifer brought his left hand up to parry Gabriel's next punch away before using the created opening to sock his brother hard in the jaw. Gabriel stumbled back and it gave Lucifer the space he needed to bring his, still shoe clad, foot up and kick his brother hard in the sternum. Gabriel was sent flying to the other side of the ring with the force Lucifer put behind the manoeuvre.
Lucifer did not take advantage of his brother's vulnerability. Had it been any other sibling he might well have. But truthfully Lucifer had always held a special soft spot for Gabriel ever since they were children and Gabriel would spend his time shadowing Lucifer's ever movement. As it was, Lucifer was desperately trying to muddle through the idea that the younger angel still held such anger toward him after so many years.
After all, Gabriel hadn't even been around during Lucifer's rebellion. And before that he and Lucifer had shared a fond relationship.
"You're truly still so angry at me, brother?" Lucifer asked. He took a moment to spit the blood that was pooling in his mouth from his split lip onto the mat with naught but a slight grimace. "After all this time?" Lucifer added.
"Of course I bloody well am!" Gabriel shouted before he surged forward. His anger saw the younger angel forsake their training to tackle Lucifer around the waist. Lucifer's breath audibly escaped him as he was taken down to the mat.
Gabriel had both his legs on either side of Lucifer as he attempted to rain punches down on Lucifer. It was all the older angel could do to bring his forearms up to protect his face.
"Enough!" Lucifer shouted. Even with one of his favoured brothers, Lucifer's patience was not ever lasting. His temper boiled over as he moved one of his hands to grip the back of Gabriel's neck and flip his brother off of him. Gabriel went rolling along the mat. Both brother's peeled themselves from the ground to scramble into a crouch at the same time.
As one they both stood and began to circle one another.
"You left!" Gabriel accused harshly.
Lucifer threw his head back and let out a bitter laugh that set his battered ribs to aching. He turned angry eyes back onto his brother. "Hardly by choice." Lucifer snapped back.
"You left me!" Gabriel repeated. Only the anger was gone from his brother's voice to be replaced with a world of hurt. Had his temper not overrun him, Lucifer may well have been taken aback enough to end their fight.
"Do not imply I left by choice!" Lucifer near snarled in return. This time it was he who advanced on his brother. He feinted a left cross but carried through with a right upper cut. Gabriel's head snapped back as he inadvertently moved into the blow. Lucifer moved forward and laid another blow, this time to his brother's ribs. "I was cast out!" Lucifer snarled even as he caught his brother against the ropes to land another heavy blow to the younger's torso.
Gabriel did a tricky spin that brought him out from his trapped position and allowed him to drive his elbow into Lucifer's lower back. Lucifer snarled and spun quickly only to have his feet swept from under him.
Once again he was reacquainted with the mat. The back of Lucifer's head bounced harshly off the ground and set his vision spinning. Gabriel wasted no time in pinning Lucifer to the mat via his forearm shoved tight against Lucifer's throat.
Lucifer for his part looked up to meet his brother's blazing eyes. The snarl on Lucifer's face faded however at seeing the tears that were swimming visibly in Gabriel's eyes. It was as if a bucket of cold water had been poured directly down to quench the fires of Lucifer's anger. Even before Gabriel spoke, Lucifer's will to continue fighting had faded.
"You left me!" Gabriel repeated. His words were spoken softer than before and yet they hit Lucifer with far more force than any blow exchanged here today. "YOU LEFT ME!" Gabriel repeated loudly, shoving his forearm further down on Lucifer's throat.
Lucifer gurgled slightly as his air ways were effectively blocked. But still he did not struggle against his brother's hold. Instead, Lucifer brought his one free hand up to clasp the back of Gabriel's neck. He squeezed lightly, comfortingly.
"Lucifer," Gabriel near sobbed the name. The pressure holding Lucifer down abruptly lifted as Gabriel tore himself off.
Lucifer had to use the nearby ropes to help him to his feet. Even as he did so, his eyes never moved from where Gabriel stood, hands fisted at his sides and his head hanging low. The moment he had his feet under him Lucifer took a hesitant step toward his younger brother.
"Gabe," Lucifer croaked, voice husky after the abuse his throat had undertaken. Gabriel looked to him and Lucifer had no sooner opened his arms before his brother was falling into them. He held his brother tightly as Gabriel shook in his arms, quiet sounds of distress escaping the younger angel to be buried in Lucifer's chest.
With his arms around his brother and his hand threading through the younger angel's curls, Lucifer found himself – for the first time – uttering words he'd never thought he'd say to any of his family. "I'm sorry."
