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2020-10-17
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2020-12-06
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Evil Deeds

Chapter 7: Absolute power corrupts absolutely

Summary:

In which Lucifer teaches you that power comes at a cost.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Playing chess with Lucifer, you find, is like jumping into the Nile to pick a fight with a crocodile: terrifying, unwinnable, and utterly foolish. Still, you persist, even if you’re not fully sure why you do. You’d heard the stories, seen the movies: the human challenges Death, or another equally grim entity, and loses. Always loses. There’s no beating Death at chess, and you suspect that there’s no beating Lucifer at chess either. But you’re not the main character of The Seventh Seal, and you’re not playing to save your life and your country from a plague. It’s just a harmless game of chess. Or at least that’s what you tell yourself at first.

“Check.” Lucifer says after moving his remaining bishop at the worst square possible for you, forcing you to sacrifice your queen to defend your king. Losing your queen, at this stage of the game, pretty much means losing altogether. But still, you refuse to resign, the frown of your brows deepening. If he makes a mistake, you think, it's still possible to turn the tables on him.

This chess game had happened simply because Lucifer had demanded more than asked that you come to his room to play with him after you’d mentioned in passing at dinner that you knew how to. It was clear in his tone that you were in no way allowed to refuse, and even if after making a pact with Mammon, Leviathan and Beelzebub you were slowly becoming more at ease in the Devildom, openly antagonizing Lucifer wasn’t something you felt was a good idea. Even if he had apologized afterwards, it was hard to forget the murderous glint in his eyes when you’d shielded Beel and Luke from his rage after the young angel had found the infamous grimoire. The First Born had saved your life from Leviathan’s jealous frenzy a few weeks prior, and yet at this very moment, when you had stood your ground before him, you had been sure that he had been about to end your existence. You couldn’t help but think that his inner contradictions had to probably be severely headache-inducing.

So, you had shown up tonight in the intimacy of Lucifer’s bedroom, an unpleasant mix of tension and awkwardness taking your nerves on a roller-coaster ride. You’d both sat in the comfortable seats in front of his roaring fireplace, and he’d been courteous enough to let you play white, giving you the first-move advantage. It was a weak edge, however, because trying to think of good chess tactics under the scrutiny of his crimson gaze was daunting, to say the least.

You try to increase your focus on the game, and you decide to threaten one of his rooks with your remaining knight. He couldn’t keep on forcing you to retreat into a corner if he had to defend his strongest pawns first. Except that this new strategy of yours had been what Lucifer had expected all along. Or no, it was actually worse than that: it was what he’d baited you to do. Your situation shifts from dire to borderline humiliating.

“Checkmate.” Lucifer says out of the blue. You look up at him, bewildered, then back at the board, studying it for far too long to figure out how exactly how long ago you’d been beaten without realizing, and then back at him again. The Avatar of Pride smiles way too smugly for your taste.

“That was a fun game.” you finally manage to utter, hoping that your face appears neutral like you will it to be. “I had a good time.”

“I’m pleased that you did.” Lucifer replies simply, and the flicker of amusement in his eyes tells you he’s not fooled by your pretence.

You mull over your game while you walk back to your bedroom with heavy, deeply annoyed steps. More than your defeat, what truly grates on your nerves is the fact that you know Lucifer took way too much satisfaction in thoroughly beating you for this to have been just a friendly game of chess. It was almost like it was his way of punishing you for being an agent of chaos that kept making his life more difficult. Don’t forget your place, is what his gaze was saying as he’d won.

It was all so unfair. You were just a human trying to survive in literal Hell, one step at a time, and contrary to a certain pompous First-Born demon with horns, wings, claws and an ego the size of Russia, if you wanted to make it through the year your only choice was to make the best of the hand that you’d been dealt. You definitely weren’t about to stop making pacts with his brothers and spending time with them – even if it did led to chaos – just because it displeased Mister High and Mighty.

This is why you don’t even hesitate when you get the chance to make a pact with Asmo. Lucifer openly threatens you while dancing with you at the ball, as if you were a meek little thing he could intimidate as he pleases, and this only strengthens your resolve. Maybe it was supposed to go this way, with him being a millennia-old demon and you being a simple human. But you were proving your worth by exceeding everyone’s expectations of you, were you not? And you were definitely not about to back down and abandon the plan you’d set out to accomplish.

You’re only half-surprised the next day after your return from the castle when he calls you to his room again for a second game. And the next week for another one. And the week after that, and the week after that… You keep losing, of course, you always lose, but not showing up to one of your weekly chess sessions would mean admitting that Lucifer has effectively bullied you into giving up, and you refuse to give him the satisfaction.

But even if Lucifer keeps beating you, you see the way he looks at you is starting to change. The way he treats you too. There is something that keeps manifesting in his eyes whenever you move your pieces on the board with renewed determination, and when you travel to London with him, Satan and Mammon, you find him to be rather cordial with you, which catches you off-guard, to say the least. You’re used to his icy-cold stares and his curt one-liners, and you’re not sure what to make of the looks he gives you now that you’re back in the Devildom. Like he’s… studying you, somehow. But to what end?

All hell breaks loose when he finally learns about your scheming with Belphegor. And yet, as you finally manage to break through his wounded pride to talk to him after stealing his grimoire, and then after your – admittedly reckless – plan ends up in bringing Belphegor to see reason and to be reunited with his brothers, you see that exact same look in Lucifer’s eyes again. Is it grudging respect? Curiosity? Something else? You don’t know and you dislike not knowing. Even if… even if it’s clear that Lucifer’s crimson irises now undeniably soften whenever his gaze stops on you. You’re pretty sure he’s not interested in tearing you apart anymore. But if that’s truly the case, then why does he insist in utterly crushing you at chess week after week?

***

“You’ve certainly improved since we first started playing.”

This could have been a nice compliment on Lucifer’s part, had he not just absolutely wiped the floor with you after you’d made one single rookie mistake by moving the rook that had prevented his bishop from capturing your queen. You raise your eyes from the board to glare silently at him, profoundly annoyed. Still, you keep advancing your pawns. You can still get him. Lucifer’s suave voice persists in taunting you though. He doesn’t even need to distract you to win, so you know this has to be about control again, somehow.

“I have to say, I’ve rarely met humans who proved to be as obstinate as you are. You just refuse to give up, don’t you?”

This, combined with the satisfied smile that accompanies his words, is finally what makes you snap at him.

“And what about you, Lucifer? Why don’t you give up? You think beating me at this stupid game proves anything? Does it really flatter your ego to keep on winning against a human who’s thousands of years younger than you? I don’t think it should, considering that same human has constantly outwitted you from day one in every other way.”

You’ve barely even finished speaking that Lucifer rises from his seat. You get up too, driven by pure reflex, but just like that time in the underground tomb you stand your ground. Lucifer’s movements become menacingly slow when he sees you’re not about to run away. His gloved hand grabs your throat and tilts your face towards his. The pressure of his grip isn’t strong enough to hurt, but you know he doesn’t need to cause you pain for you to realize that you could only escape his grasp if he allowed you to. His lips part as he speaks once more, and you can swear the teeth behind them look sharper than usual.

“A reckless spirit and a smart mouth too… For someone who prides themselves in constantly outwitting me, you certainly seem sore about losing this stupid game, as you so elegantly put it."

You do your best to stare him down, your hands twisting the fabric of his coat as you grab it to better steady yourself. You will your voice to match the burning fierceness of his gaze.

“Unlike you, I have nothing to prove.”

“Oh? Do you think that’s what this is about, then? Proving something? I’m afraid you might be mistaken.”

And suddenly, Lucifer lowers his lips to yours. He does so slowly, giving you the time to move away if you so wished it, but you’re too astonished to even consider it. Unlike his firm grip around your throat, his kiss is gentle, his tongue delving into your mouth to caress yours with a softness that has you unwittingly shivering against him. Lucifer lets a barely perceptible sigh at the feel of your receptiveness, and his gloved hand leaves your neck to tangle into your hair, his other arm wrapping around your waist. Just like his touch, his kiss becomes more ardent, more encompassing, and it’s finally the feel of his teeth as he gently nibbles on your lower lip that snaps you out of your daze. You push Lucifer away, your eyes wide, your breath short and your hands almost shaking. Lucifer lets you free yourself and merely stares back at you, a mesmerizing passion lighting his gaze as his eyes seem to ask the question you’re too scared to formulate within the sanctity of your mind.

You gasp, only now realizing how the savage rhythm of your heartbeat seems to drown out almost every sound around you, and you run. You bolt out of Lucifer’s bedroom, too scared to turn away and see the look he could be giving you as you flee, and you race back to yours. Your lips still burn from Lucifer’s ministrations as you close your door behind you and lean against it to try to steady yourself.

Pleasure. In between your surprise and your panic, you had felt so much pleasure from a simple kiss. His gaze, his touch… all of it had held so much desire, so much longing for you. It was impossible not to feel it, and none of it had seemed impulsive, had it? But this was Lucifer you were dealing with! Why had he kissed you instead of punishing you? And more importantly, why had you let him?

The Avatar of Pride was undeniably handsome, possessing the kind of glorious beauty that could only befell the most infamous of fallen angels. But he’d been so cold, so distant with you from the start, treating you as an inconvenience at best and a human he wanted to murder at worse, so you simply hadn’t thought of him that way. He’d warmed up to you, sure, but… desire? Lust? Or could it have been another game of dominance? You’d fled the scene instead of confronting him, and now you were left with too many questions, the most pressing one being: deep down, had you really wanted to run from him?

Damn it…

***

The next days do nothing to put an end to your frustrating array of questions, and instead you’re only left with more uncertainty as you feel the weight of Lucifer’s gaze upon you whenever your paths cross. You had thought that he would come after you, sooner or later, maybe to scold you for running away, maybe to tell you that his kiss had been meaningless, or maybe to seduce you further, who knows? But you soon come to understand that it isn’t in the nature of the prideful to fervently chase after someone who openly flees from them… Your unease eventually turns into exasperation – although you’re not fully sure it’s solely directed at Lucifer – and you realize that if you want answers, you’ll have to go look for them yourself, directly at the source. And really, after everything you’ve gone through, you’re not about to let yourself be intimidated by Lucifer’s act now, whatever he had been planning when kissing you.

So, a few hours after dinner, when the evening shifts into night, you knock on the door of Lucifer’s office. He calls your name as he tells you to come in, and you take a deep, shuddering breath. You enter and you see him sitting at his desk, busy with his paperwork. His brows raise slightly at your focused expression.

“Yes? Did you need something?”

“Why did you kiss me?”

Lucifer’s lips curl into an amused smile.

“Blunt as always, I see. Very well.”

He rises and walks towards you, his gait both graceful and yet inherently predatory. He’s close to you when he stops in front of you. Very close.

“Tell me, what is it that you truly wish to know? You wonder if I desire you? If I want to make you mine? Then the answer is yes.”

“But…”

“But what? Do you find it surprising? Do you not remember what I’d told you once when you’d asked me what type of individual I found appealing? Pure, genuine, and worthy of respect. I think that’s a rather fitting description of you.”

Lucifer’s hand rises to trace a gentle caress on your face, his fingertips lingering near the corner of your lips. You feel yourself shiver again, just like the last time in his bedroom. Why did his touch feel so impossibly enthralling?

“I… I specifically remember you telling me this applied more to souls than it did to humans.”

“Did I? But your soul is part of you, the very manifestation of your being. And what a lovely, enticing being you are…”

His crimson eyes bore into you, their piercing depths so impossibly hypnotizing. It’s almost like you can see the flames swaying within them. A red, blazing ocean of desire that seems to reflect your very soul back at you…

“My strange, fearless little exchange student… Who would have thought a human like you would stir up those feelings inside me?”

The dam of your own emotions breaks open with his confession. You had defied Lucifer, yes, hid many truths from him, you had challenged him, just like he had challenged you, but deep down you had also been in awe of him. In awe of his aura of sheer power, of the way he was as adept as casting curses as he was in breaking them, of the strength of his determination, of his confidence, of all the things you had yet to discover about The Fallen Morningstar. You had repressed those feelings within you, hidden behind your will to survive and succeed in this dangerous realm, but now that Lucifer was no longer your foe, your belligerence had been stripped from you to leave… something else.

“And what does it entail, Lucifer, for a human like me to become yours?”

“Besides receiving the love of a greater demon? There is simply so much I would teach you. I know you’re eager to learn, and I know you have what it takes to gain even more power. I could tell that much each time I was playing chess against you, and your transcripts in all your magical classes show the extent of your true potential. Wouldn’t you like to learn how to put the magic of your pacts to good use? Can you picture what you would become? A force to be reckoned with amongst humans and demons alike… You are worthy of all of this and more, my love. You just have to allow me to unleash it within you. But first…”

Lucifer finally closes the gap between the two of you, and his mouth claims your own in a passionate kiss. You sigh and you melt into his touch. Your surroundings seem to shift as you lose yourself into his embrace, but you only really notice when Lucifer pulls away from you and you realize that you’re now in his bedroom. He smiles at your surprised expression.

“As I’ve said, there is a lot you have yet to learn when it comes to magic.”

Lucifer expertly removes your clothes, and you’re soon naked and shivering before him while he’s still fully dressed. He takes in the sight of you, the red glow of his eyes even brighter than the ambers of the fireplace roaring behind him.

“Exquisite…” he whispers in a deep, low voice.

You feel vulnerable as you realize the full extent of your submission to the demon before you. You’re giving yourself away to Lucifer out of your own free will, you realize. The one you had once considered your enemy. It is frightening, so very frightening, because you know that even if his brothers were already very dangerous, The First Born is infinitely more so. More devious, more scheming, more powerful. You had an inkling that he very rarely did not obtain what he wanted, and right now what he wanted was you. So after endlessly fighting him, why were you giving in so easily?

But no, you realize, you’re not giving in. You had wanted Lucifer’s respect, you’d fought so fiercely to earn it, and you’d gotten that and so much more. There was pleasure in victory, yes, and yet there was also pleasure in the sweet peace of relinquishment. And right now, after everything that had occurred between the two of you, you yearned to surrender yourself to Lucifer, if only to know what it would feel like, what he would do to you…

But that didn’t mean you couldn’t continue with your game…

“So what then?” you say as you try to match the insolence of your tone with the smugness of your smile. “You think that a few kisses and promises are enough to make me to swoon for you? Is that what you hoped would happen?”

A dangerous glint appears in Lucifer’s gaze, and he roughly takes hold of your hair as his lips part to reveal a wolfish smile. The smoothness of his voice turns vicious.

“Oh, I’m going to enjoy taming you. First things first, I think you ought to be punished for running away last time. Don’t you think?”

The fight is lost before it even begins, and you know it. You try to escape Lucifer’s merciless grasp, but his strength is insurmountable. Your naked body quickly ends up on his bed, and Lucifer only has to whisper a few words in demonic for restraints to appear around your wrists and ankles. He forces you to lie down on his lap on your stomach as you writhe against him. You struggle against the warm, magical bindings tied taut to the railing of the bed, but it’s a wasted effort. Lucifer chuckles behind you, and you only see his gloves landing on his nightstand before you feel the sharp, burning slap of his hand against your rear. You cry out in surprise, pain, and unwitting delight…

“My, my, what a lovely view… I have a feeling it’ll look even lovelier in a few moments after I’m done with you.”

You can only lie down, whimper, and take Lucifer’s punishment as he spanks you with absolute care over and over again. No square of your flesh is left untouched, and soon enough your nerves are set aflame with a warm, tormenting fever. It could have been a few minutes or several dozen after he finally stops torturing you, caressing your reddened skin all over with a gentle touch. You pant and you choke out a moan as Lucifer finally slides two fingers into your tight heat.

“So very wet… You know, if you yearned to be punished that badly, you only had to say so, I would have gladly obliged… Rebellious little human…”

“Never… I’d never… give you... the satisfaction…”

“That we shall see… Now to move on to the main course…”

Lucifer rises, leaving you lying on your stomach on his bed, still tied up, and you hear more than see him undress. From the corner of your eye, you can see his tall, magnificent form, the flawlessness of his skin, and the strength of his desire… You feel him come on top of you, peppering your back and your aching behind with kisses, before finally stopping on your thigh and closing his teeth around its fleshiest part. You jolt and cry out at the pain, before Lucifer soothes it with the warm motions of his tongue and the gentle circles of his fingertips on your lower back.

“Don’t worry, my love,” he says as you attempt to turn your head to see, “it’s just a shallow bite. I promise it’ll barely be sore tomorrow.”

His mouth travels to your neck then, and his hands turn you on your back so that you face him, your magical restraints adjusting to your new position, the ones on your ankles disappearing so that your legs can spread for him.

“You have no idea how long I’ve been meaning to make you scream this way… I will be the one to teach you about magic, pain, and pleasure, and you are going to listen and take what I have to give… You are mine."

You lose yourself in the crimson glow of Lucifer’s cruel, pleased gaze as he slowly sinks into you, further blending the lines of pain and pleasure within your mind. His eyes never leave yours, and his hand finds your throat once more as he pins your head to the bed and torments you with merciless, brutal thrusts. The more you wrestle against your restraints, and the more you surrender afterwards, the more insatiable he becomes, dragging his sharpening fangs against the soft skin of your breasts. The tips of his claws nearly prick your thighs as he takes your legs and lifts your ankles over his shoulders, deepening the angle of his thrusts.

“Look at you… So weak and yet so strong… So pure, even in sin… You torment me as much as you delight me… My own personal little punishment, and my reward… My love…”

You reach your bliss, captive in Lucifer’s embrace, and he spills himself inside you only when he sees that there’s little more you’d be able to take. He growls in your ear as he finishes claiming you.

“You may leave the Devildom at the end of the year, but know this: there is no escaping from me… You belong to me."

***

Lucifer keeps his promise, and you’re unsurprised to find that he’s a stern teacher. But you do learn a lot under his tutelage. About curses, the best way to cast them and to break them, about pacts, demons and how to harness the power within you to best summon and control them, about potions and the best way to turn a poison into an antidote and an antidote into a poison, and even about chess. Everything you inquire about, he’s willing to teach you, to help you achieve more power. More power…

You fight with everything you’ve got to succeed at the magical feats he challenges you to accomplish. You give it your all. When you succeed, he spoils you. He takes you to the best restaurants, brings you to the most luxurious shops in the Devildom to shower you with clothes of the finest silks and jewels embedded with priceless gems. You walk side by side with him during formal events, and you waltz with him at the balls Diavolo gives in his castle. You deserve the best, Lucifer tells you, and I will give it to you. And when the two of you are alone after one of your victories, he rewards you with the softest of kisses, the sweetest of praises, and he makes love to you until the break of dawn, until you both fall asleep in each other’s arms.

However, when you fail…

You become very familiar with his own personal brand of punishment. The spankings, the burn of his hands or of the other accessories he likes using to discipline you. There’s a collar he enjoys tightening around your throat when you’re too insolent for his tastes: you know that’s usually what happens if you don’t appear sorry enough when you miscast a spell. He hurts you until he makes you beg, until he makes you plead for his forgiveness for being such a lazy, bratty student. And only then does he take you, only then does he degrade you fully by shoving his cock inside you without any care for your pitiful whimpers, sometimes tightening your collar even further around your throat and taunting you about how helpless you still are despite his teachings.

And you love it. The pain feels liberating, paradoxically. You try hard at whatever magic he challenges you to accomplish, and when you fail it’s almost like you desire the torments Lucifer can bring you. Somehow, it manages to soothe your frustrations, to calm the dull aches of the longing for power within your heart. You don’t have to fight anymore when you’re at his mercy, and that is what it takes to soothe you, to bring you peace… Lucifer knows it of course. He knows it.

There’s a lot of raw power inside you, The First Born tells you, a lot you can harness from your pacts with his brothers. Still, after a while, you find that you are limited in what you can do. You are neither a demon nor a witch after all, only a human with ancient angelic heritage, which has sometimes a way of reining in certain kinds of magic. That is when you ask Lucifer to make a pact with you for the first time.

“In due time, my love,” he tells you. “When I deem you truly ready.”

You feel ready already, of course. But the subject isn’t up for debate, you quickly find out. So you wait. And no matter how difficult practicing magic gets, you give it your all.

You’re happy when the others comment on your progress of course – you also can’t help but notice with a lot of mirth that they’re flabbergasted at your relationship with Lucifer – and they don’t hesitate to compliment you on your new capacities. However, it’s what Simeon tells you one day that ever truly gives you pause. The angel catches you in the RAD halls in the morning, his face wearing a curious, thoughtful expression.

“Lucifer seems particularly happy lately, and I’ve been told you are no stranger to this fact.”

You don’t bother to hide the smile that lights up your face.

“Well, yes. Lucifer and I are dating, and I’ve only gotten positive feedback from him, so I suppose you’re right!”

You wink at Simeon, and the angel chuckles.

“It’s currently the talk of the Devildom,” he tells you. “The first Lord of Hell, and Prince Diavolo’s right hand man, falling for a human... And yet, Lucifer couldn’t possibly appear prouder about it. It’s clear he holds you in high esteem.”

Simeon’s face becomes serious once more though, and he continues.

“You know, back when he was an angel, Luci always did protect brave, courageous and determined human souls such as yours. But ever since he became a demon…”

Simeon catches himself before he finishes his sentence. He shakes his head then, and he smiles once more.

“I know you can be a positive influence on him. He needs someone who both challenges and loves him. But please, be careful, all right? I don’t want you getting hurt in the process.”

“I’m touched that you’re worried about me, Simeon, I really am. But you know me, I know how to be prudent when it matters, and I think I know what I’m doing. I love Lucifer, and he loves me too.”

“I know that, little lamb, I know that. But still, Lucifer is a demon, and not just any demon, as you very well know… But who am I to get in the way of love? You know where to find me if you ever need my advice again.”

You’re grateful for the way Simeon cares about you, but you doubt he could understand the intricate dynamic Lucifer and you have built. Sometimes you even have trouble understanding it yourself. As the months pass, and as you become more confident in your capacities, what he asks of you also becomes more daunting, the magic more complex in its nature. The kind of tasks he requires you succeed in sometimes are so intricate that you wonder if he aims for you to fail at them. There would certainly be incentive enough in it for him, because the more you fail, the more you have to submit, and the more receptive you become to his teachings afterwards. Or at least you think that’s how he sees things.

And yet… no matter how much you fail, you still want the power. You know you want it. And you know you can get it. You just need more time, more practice, more capabilities…

***

“Have you had enough, then? Or do you think you need to be punished further?”

You’re on your knees, blindfolded, Lucifer’s cock shoved inside your mouth. You’d lacked concentration when attempting to lift the curse from the black gemstone The First Born had brought you for practice, and now you were paying the price.

You feel his fingers tangle into your hair, pushing you to take him even deeper. Your blindfold prevents you from seeing the expression his face wears, but you can imagine its smugness clearly. It drives you crazy, makes you restless. You’d wanted to lift that fucking curse.

Lucifer frees your mouth then, and you take a few panting breaths before backtalking.

“Admit it… you love it when I fail… I bet even Satan can’t lift a curse that complicated… You’re such a vicious sadist…”

“And you’re too much of a masochistic brat to ever refuse my care… Now get up.”

He forces you to lift your arms up in the air, and you feel restraints appear around your wrists. He fastens your bindings to a hook you know he’s able to conjure on the ceiling, and you become helpless once more. Lucifer walks behind you, cruelly squeezing your breasts as his lips come close to whisper into your ear.

“You want more power, don’t you? I can feel it.”

Yes.You want the power that is within your reach. You want to feel capable in this merciless, dangerous world full of demons. You want them to be wary of you, just like they fear Solomon. You want to be able to walk the streets of the Devildom at night without a care in the world. You want to walk the streets of the human world like a divinity in disguise.

“True power comes at a cost,” Lucifer continues with a smile in his voice. “Are you really willing to do what it takes to have it?”

“Yes,” you desperately tell him. "Yes.

Lucifer removes your blindfold, then. And as you can finally see again, his demon form reveals itself to you. Immense, magnificent wings surround you, their blackness almost gleaming in the dim light, just like the sharpness of his long horns, offering a striking contrast with the menacing red glow of his eyes.

“Then I will make a pact with you, and in exchange you will give me your soul.”

Your eyes widen and your breath hitches. Your soul?

“You’re very dear to me, my love. Which is why I won’t consume it, and I will allow it to remain within your body. You already know what it means to be mine. You belong to me, body and soul. We would only be making it official.”

“My soul…” you repeat in dazed astonishment. “My soul for true power…”

Yes. Think about what a pact with me would bring you… Isn’t your soul a worthy price? Do you not trust me? I promise no harm will come to you, and I will keep on teaching you every single piece of knowledge that I possess. I know that amongst humans, only you would be capable in reaching the heights that many longed for before you, as long as you’re under my care. You would become more powerful than any witch could ever hope to be, even more powerful than Solomon himself… You only have to say yes, and I will do the rest.”

Power. Absolute power. You know Lucifer can give it to you. But only if he harnesses the power of your soul. And for a moment, you consider it. What Lucifer says makes sense: as long as you would obey him, your soul would remain safe. You would be fully his, yes, a sword of Damocles hanging atop your head. But the world would be yours, and Lucifer wouldn’t be tempted in truly consuming your soul, would he?

But as you look into his eyes, into the flames blazing deep within them, you think back to Simeon’s words and you realize that no good could ever come out of signing your soul away. Corruption. The tainting of the very essence of your being, all in the name of power. You know there is no love to be found in this deal, and right now you can tell that inside Lucifer’s gaze, the gnawing, encompassing yearning to destroy anything and everything pure has overcome all the rest.

“Never.” You finally manage to choke out. “I will never give my soul away. Not to anyone, not even to you."

Incredulity crosses Lucifer’s features, and then anger. You’re still naked, your wrists bound to the hook above you, but you stare Lucifer down as if it weren’t the case.

“Never? You would refuse the power I can give you? You would deny yourself to me?”

“I’m not denying anything that matters, Lucifer. You have my body and my heart, just like I have yours. But my soul is mine and mine alone, and that’s final. Now please untie me.”

But Lucifer’s hand reaches your throat and tightens around it. He’s silent, but the rage in his gaze is answer enough. You shudder, feeling the fear rise within you. You don’t think you’re able to conceal it, but you refuse to look away all the same.

“Lucifer. I will not yield. So you’ll either have to untie me, or kill me. What do you choose?”

The red of his eyes becomes almost blinding, the warmth of his hand almost scorching, and for a brief moment, your eyes fill with tears as you truly believe you’re about to die. But you refuse to close them, facing the inferno of Lucifer’s gaze with all your might.

But then your bindings disappear and you’re free, mysteriously back on your feet. Lucifer’s demon form fades and he turns away from you, shielding whatever expression his face wears from your gaze. You take a deep, shuddering breath, your heart still beating wildly. You pick up your clothes, quickly putting them on again in case you need to run. But Lucifer still doesn’t move, and you’re not sure if you should be saying something or if you should be bolting out of his room. The weight of your terror-induced adrenalin still courses within you, but somehow you don’t feel the need to run away.

“Lucifer.” you start, but as soon as you speak, he interrupts you.

“Go.” he simply says, his voice barely above a whisper. “Go back to your room.”

You wish you knew what to reply right now, but the truth is that your fear has only left questions and confusion in its wake, and part of you knows that it’s not wise to stay with Lucifer right now. You need to think, you both need to think.

So you leave, and it’s only when you reach the sanctity of your bedroom that you let the tears really flow.

***

A week passes. The first week of your last month in the Devildom, and during those seven days Lucifer disappears. No one knows where he’s gone, not even you. And as you try to mend your wounded pride and your wounded heart, you realize that Lucifer is probably feeling something very similar. But he’d left. That stupid, prideful bastard had left, leaving you once more with unanswered questions. His brothers are here to soothe your worries though. Mammon knows him the best, you know that much, and he tells you in his own very Mammon-way to stop panicking and torturing yourself. He’ll be back, he tells you, and then you have to call me so I can watch ya yell at him!

The mental image makes you laugh, so you bide your time, but on the evening of the seventh day, when you receive a single message of none other than Lucifer himself, telling you to come meet him in his office, you can’t help but huff at his shamelessness. That stupid, prideful bastard…

You still come to meet him, though, because there’s no way you’ll let yourself be intimidated now. It feels like déjà-vu when you knock on his office door. But this time as you enter he’s not sitting at his desk, but staring outside his window. He starts talking, his voice calm and even.

“Do you remember when I told you that it was almost impossible for a demon to resist temptation?”

“How could I forget? I never thought that damn record would ever distract you enough for me to sneak into the attic.”

“And yet it did, even if I was convinced that you would be unable to see what its door truly hid.”

Lucifer turns to you then, and you see his features, how they’re absolutely devoid of any anger. There’s a longing in his eyes again, but his gaze is much softer than that fateful night a week ago, and his voice becomes just as gentle.

“I don’t think you realize how much of a temptation your soul represents to me…”

“I know of temptation, Lucifer. I felt it when you offered your pact to me in exchange of power. But I think you very well know why I can’t accept that deal, and why I never will.”

“Yes, I do. I’ve stripped enough humans of their souls to know what it truly does to them. And yet… your soul… it still calls to me, even now. So very pure and shining, you have no idea…”

Lucifer’s body shivers as he closes his eyes, humming in delight, and when he opens them again you can see the ominous blazing softly gleaming in them once more. But this time, he holds it at bay.

“Words are just words, and I do not wish to lose myself in endless apologies. So I’ll offer this to you instead: a pact with me, free of any cost.”

Your eyes widen at his words. Had he just…?

“Make no mistake, you will still belong to me, as you have until now. And without the essence of your soul, I cannot give you the full extent of the power you could wish for. But you don’t mind that, do you?”

And as you observe Lucifer’s expectant gaze, you realize what it means to be The Avatar of Pride. It’s something you’ll have to take into account more than ever for your relationship to have any hope of working out in the future, you know that. But now, with the power of Lucifer’s pact, you’ll be on equal footing, and he will never truly be able to force you to do anything again, the same way you know you would never force him to do anything against his will either.

“What is your answer?” he asks you, the faintest tinge of worry in his gaze. Your features soften, and you smile.

“Lucifer, I accept your pact.”

You feel the burning warmth of his magic seep within you, and you close your eyes in delight. Lucifer holds you until it’s over, and he cups your face as you’re still dizzy from the raw energy coursing within your veins. He kisses you, deeply, passionately, the feel of his lips against yours conveying everything he’s unable to say.

“I love you.” he finally whispers as he pulls back and traces soothing circles on your cheekbones.

The only leverage he ever had to gain access to your soul is gone, leaving only mending trust from now on. A trust combined with respect, something Lucifer needed from you as much as you’d needed it from him, you understand.

"I love you too."

Loving a demon was dangerous, yes, but deep down you thrived in danger. And you had always enjoyed a challenge.

Notes:

Aaaaand it’s done! It’s been a wild ride again! I never thought I’d be writing chapters this long, or that writing this fic would be so daunting, but after almost two months I’ve finally finished it! Thank you so so so much for leaving so many kudos and comments! Life has been getting pretty busy and demanding for me lately, and the support I got from writing this fic has really helped me get through it! Best lockdown cure ever! Thankfully I’ll be on vacations in a couple of weeks, so I’ll have plenty of time to rest, read and have fun, lazy days!

I also want to thank my favorite simpcord server for helping me brainstorm this chapter! Lucifer is more elusive to me than his brothers, and a few second opinions of lovely, fellow simps really came in handy!

So far, I have another fic idea for Obey Me in the works, and I’ve written a few pages already, but first I want to take a short break cause there’s only so much demon content my mind can handle at once haha.

I love you all, take care <3

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