Part Sept - Who knew the Devil could apologize?
Walking back into the bedroom, Adam ran the towel through his hair a few times, before seeking out a fresh pair of jeans and a shirt. Feeling clean and refreshed, if not still a bit flustered, Adam puts the towel back into the bathroom and walks back through the house to the kitchen. Lucifer might suck at cooking, but Adam was still hungry, and he still wanted French toast. He walks over to the counter, deliberately ignoring Lucifer for the time being. Taking out some fresh pieces of bread, he shakes his head a little when he catches sight of the scorched remnants of bread in the pan, picking it up and walking over to the sink to clean it off. He couldn’t help but smile though. Having to cook his own breakfast he didn’t mind. He had spent years cooking for himself while his mom was at work, he was used to it. He just found it amusing that Lucifer seemed to have distracted himself as much as he had managed to distract Adam.
Said ignored Archangel hopped off the counter and walked around Adam, slightly closer than he needed to be, but nothing too bad at the moment. He was interested in cooking. "So, explain to me why you eat egg covered bread?" He asked, peering into the mixture that to him looked not at all appetizing. He didn't get in the way too much, keeping his hands to himself, for the moment, watching Adam cook with a keen interest. He was memorizing what Adam was doing, his movements, how long he let the toast sit for in the mixture, and on the skillet. Lucifer was making sure that he wouldn't screw up again. Perhaps he would even offer to cook tomorrow..."What goes on this egg covered bread? Seems rather plain to eat just that way." He asked questions as they came, his curious nature making him question. It'd gotten him into trouble before, but there wasn't much more trouble he could get into now.
"Because it tastes good when it’s cooked.” Adam replies, not sure that he could come up with a better answer than that. “Eggs and bread just taste good together. You can try a piece when it’s cooked if you want.” Adam offers, quirking a brow as he cooked. “And you can call it French toast. You can have eggs on bread other ways too.” Lucifer’s questions, his curiosity about something that Adam had always thought of as natural were a bit striking to Adam. He had never put so much thought into French toast before.
He thinks for a moment, flipping the toast over in the pan. “Though I suppose it’s a good question. Who was the first person to think of cooking toast like this? Kind of like “What was the guy who discovered milk doing with the cow?” He smiles to himself for a moment, looking up at Lucifer while he let the toast cook. “You can eat it any way you like. I like butter and maple syrup on mine. Some people like it plain. It just depends on personal taste.”
Lucifer 'hmmm'd and shrugged slightly, he would try some of Adam's. "I will try some of your French toast..." He didn't know exactly if he'd like it or not, but there was no reason to not try it. He doubted that he'd like it because of the cooking process...he had a feeling he'd prefer raw eggs to cooked ones. He had been a fan of nature...not so much humanity editing it. "You will have to show me other ways to eat eggs on bread...I am slightly amused by all of the combinations possible." He said after another beat, he did not know the answer to Adam's returned questions so he left those ones alone. He did know he hadn't created maple syrup...uh oh. He bit his lower lip slightly, and looks at Adam. "I don't believe I made maple syrup....you'll have to think of it. So I can re-create it from your memory." They were closer now, and Lucifer could smell him over the smell of cooking food, which did not smell good to him, to say the least. Lucifer raised and hand and ran it back through Adam's hair quickly, dislodging some water from it and smirking.
Adam wiped absently at some of the cool drops of water when Lucifer sent them running down his skin, trying to ignore the feeling that he got when Lucifer ran his hands through his hair. “Maple Syrup...” Adam thinks for a moment, picturing the bottle of Aunt Jemima that usually would be found on his kitchen table back at home. “It’s from trees, though I think they just add a lot of sugar, and make it finer, so it’s not as thick. It’s only good thick if it’s from a sugar shack or something like that, other than that, not so much with French toast.” Adam smiles, flipping it over in the pan again, and shuts off the element on the stove, content with it being cooked enough, and sliding the pieces on to a plate. “If we don’t have any, that’s alright too. I’m sure I will survive without it somehow... maybe” He adds jokingly after a few moments of thoughtful consideration.
“Don’t worry about it.”
Lucifer takes the way he perceives the item and it appears sitting on the counter next to him. It should be close enough. He holds it out to Adam with a bit of a shrug. "Should taste how you remember it tasting. Though...I don't know how thick it's supposed to be..." He smirked, but said nothing further, just let that thought trail off. After he handed the syrup to Adam, he kept his hands to himself again, watching Adam preparing the French Toast again with that strange curiousness. "Sap? Humans will try to eat anything." He said, in slight amusement, slight amazement. Ingenious at the very least. He waited patiently for Adam to be finished, watching this like someone would observe something very important. Which it was. Lucifer didn't have this skill yet.
"Mm, well it might sound weird, but it sure does taste good, so I can’t complain.” Adam smiled when he took his first bite of breakfast. It was something he hadn’t had in a long time, but his mom used to make for him all the time. Adam was going to take the little bits of home that he could get, from wherever he could get them. He noticed the way Lucifer was watching him eat, as though it were some kind of fascinating process. He had done the same in the diner the day before. Adam didn’t get it, but he guessed it was weird if you never had to eat a day in your life before. And Lucifer’s life had been very long no doubt.
“Try some?” He offers, pushing his plate towards Lucifer. “I know it’s ah... bread and eggs and sap, but I promise it tastes really good.” He holds his fork out, waiting patiently for Lucifer to either accept it or reject it. He’d said he was going to try it, but Adam wasn’t going to put a whole lot of faith into that until he actually did. “If you want.”
Lucifer takes the fork and pressed it down through the toast, though he stopped when he heard the plate straining. He just about broke that plate. He speared the bit of toast and tasted it. It was sickly sweet...and tasted cooked...he swallowed it, but shook his head and gently pushed the plate back to Adam. "I think I just dislike cooked things." He said, shrugging slightly. Perhaps he would find some food that he didn't mind eating at some point while learning to cook from Adam. Though his style of learning would be easy to 'teach'...just do and then Lucifer could as well. He watched Adam out of the corner of his eye while he stared the pans and cookware clean. At least that's what it looked like he did. Stare at them for a moment and then they're clean and ready to be put away. Easy. After he was done with that he hopped back up on the counter and entertained himself watching Adam's hair dry slowly...he could tell.
“Fair enough” Adam shrugs, pulling his plate back and finishing off the last of his breakfast. He had been right, after a shower, interrupted as it had been, and some food, he was feeling much better. The more distance he put between himself and his dream, the better he was feeling. And it made him smile to notice that the sun was peaking out over the horizon as well, already heating up the world outside, and soon the house as well. Getting up from his seat, Adam carries his plate over to the sink, turning the water on, since he didn’t have the particular gift of staring things clean. Though it would have saved him days of having to clean his room when he was younger. He stares out the window silently for a minute, looking out over the water. Yesterday, he had barely been able to wait to get out in the water, but today he wasn’t thinking that he really wanted to anymore. His own comments about sharks were stuck at the front of his mind now, nothing like psyching yourself out about something.
“I want to look around the island more.” He finally decides, thinking that it would be the best alternative to going in the water. He had walked around the island, but he hadn’t really paid all that much attention. And the island was, bigger now. So if he could kill a few hours until lunch or something by wandering around, he figured why not.
Lucifer nodded and looked at him, the dish he was holding clean and the water running uselessly. "I assume you wish for me to come with you?" He phrased it as a question...and ironically meant it as one this time. He figured that Adam would wish his company as he usually did, but wasn't positive. So he asked. Lucifer glanced out at the rising sun, smiling slightly at the first rays of Dawn. If Adam was going to explore the island, he had a little while before heading out to do so, because he might not be able to see everything with the lack of light outside. The island still wasn't very big, but if push came to shove and Adam wanted adventure...they could venture to the other islands in the chain, one of them had a lovely cave system, the islanders avoided it because they had a religion that said that something evil lurked there and devoured boats and strong men...which was just currents that pulled boats into rocks.
“Yeah, if you want to come with me.” Adam glances at Lucifer before looking back out the window. Of course he wasn’t going to reject Lucifer’s company if he offered it, but just wasn’t so sure how interested Lucifer was going to be in wandering around an island all day. Especially an island he already no doubt knew inside and out. For Adam it was designed to be a distraction, a way to keep his thoughts at least semi-occupied for a while. Facing up to the things that needed to be faced immediately wasn’t really a human strength, sometimes you needed time. Shutting the water off, he turns away from the window to look at Lucifer, feeling the first rays of sun just starting to hit his back. It was going to be a little while before he would actually be able to see much of the island, but he was kind of stuck on what he was going to do until then. He runs his hand through his hair absently, a nervous habit he had picked up at some point or another.
Lucifer watched Adam move, eyes trailing along his limbs slowly, something akin to hunger in his eyes, but not yet, not yet. The Devil just inhaled and then exhaled audibly seeming to shake himself out of his own thoughts. Twenty minutes would be plenty of time to get Adam distracted enough that they wouldn't have to leave the house at all for the day...but he'd already decided to drive Adam to distraction throughout the day...it would be worth it if he waited for the human to come to him. Draw it out...but Lucifer was still a little upset with himself that he had agreed to try and cook, rather than just amusing himself with Adam. "There's about twenty minutes or so before it'll be light enough for you to see by." He said quietly, forcing his eyes back to the window and the sunrise and not on Adam. Denying himself had never been a strong suit, so today was going to take quite a bit of willpower on the devil's part.
Even though the house was wide open, and covered in practically nothing but windows, Adam was starting to feel boxed in. Especially just standing here like this. He was pretty sure it had something to do with the almost constant close proximity to the devil for well over a day now. Putting his plate down on the counter beside the sink, Adam walks over to the door and pulls it open, stepping out into the early morning air. Inhaling deeply, he lets out his breath slowly, a bit glad for the momentary distance. He liked Lucifer’s company, craved it even, but that was all the more reason to get some distance if he could. Lucifer could be... overwhelming to say the least. Spotting his shoes still laying on the deck, Adam walks over and scoops them up, sitting down on the same hanging chair he had lain on with Lucifer the evening before, he pulls them on, letting his feet hang off the edge of the chair; and waiting not so patiently for it to be light enough to wander around.
Lucifer spent a few moments physically putting the plates away, and then willed the bed to rearrange itself. Next it was the two sets of glass pane's that served both as doors and as windows. He folded them back to let the middle of the house be open again, on both sides. The morning air blew through and took with it any of the smell of cooking that remained...leaving the smell of water and morning. He walked forward once that was done and sat down on the edge of the deck, still shirtless and shoeless, it didn't take much for the angel to get dressed if he pleased. He sat down, long legs folded up under him and watched the remainder of the sunrise quietly. He didn't wish to press things too far just yet, it would shorten the whole game if he did now. The Sun broke the horizon and the day started, bathing the world in warming sunlight. It was refreshing. "Where would you like to start?" He asked quietly, still facing the rising sun with his legs crossed.
With a shrug, Adam pushes himself up from his seat, walking across the deck and down the steps past Lucifer, on to the sand of the beach. “I don’t know, I was just going to wander around for a while. I didn’t really look at anything yesterday. I figure if we are going to be here for a while, I might as well look around at the rest of the island, right?” Stuffing his hands into the pockets of his jeans, Adam bites the inside of his cheek, his eyes lingering on Lucifer’s chest for a moment longer than they probably should have, before turning and heading down the beach. He knew he didn’t have to stand around and wait, Lucifer would be at his side in a moment if he wanted to be.
The basic game plan was to walk until something caught his eye, get to know the island a little maybe. Not the most exciting day ever, but it was something to do for a while, and it was better than being awkwardly cooped up inside the house with Lucifer. This way, yeah they were still together, and no doubt it was going to be awkward, but hopefully more bearable in the open space outside. Plus, for now at least, it was better than swimming. Maybe he would consider that later, maybe.
Lucifer made a small noise of assent. Remaining sitting as Adam walked on ahead. Sometimes the silence dragged on between them, they were such different creatures. Adam was small as a mouse compared to Lucifer, no matter their physical size. It was difficult for him to even consider Adam as having 'free will' in the same fashion that he did. The one thing that kept him realizing that was his soul. Angels couldn't see them, but they gave humans a sort of...light or feeling to them. It could be more powerful than an angel's grace if used properly(though no human that he knew of had ever known how to utilize that power), and every human had one...it was a shame really. Some humans didn't even believe in souls at all...and they had one sitting inside them all the same. He eventually stood and caught up with Adam, remaining as unobtrusive as he could for the time being, several feet away and quiet as they walked. Along this horizon were a couple of islands in the distance, green hill shapes distorted with distance.
Looking out over the water at the islands, Adam wondered not for the first time where exactly they were. He didn’t ask yet though, that would take all of the mystery and the fun of guessing out of it. Not that geography had been his strong point. Adam had been pre-med before... well, before everything, more interested in biology than anything else; his mom being a nurse was no small influence on that.
Stopping occasionally to peer into a tide pool, something he had occupied himself with for hours at a time when he was a kid, Adam familiarized himself with the layout of the island. It was peaceful, quiet; something that he and Lucifer had both needed, maybe even Lucifer more than him, but it wasn’t all that exciting. Were it larger, Adam had no doubt that it would have been overrun with tourists’ right about now. But, not being large enough for any kind of resort or getaway, it seemed to have escaped notice so far. Now that Lucifer had spotted it, it would probably stay that way too.
Adam didn’t speak though. He had nothing to say right now, and he didn’t find the silence between them to be an uncomfortable one. Lucifer seemed content to leave Adam to his own devices, as uninteresting as they probably were to the devil; they were comforting to Adam, so he was grateful for it. Sometimes escaping back to childhood or just to something simple and enjoyable could work wonders for a person.
Lucifer paused by one pool that Adam looked in, leaning down and gently touching the surface of the water, watching the ripples. The fish didn't scurry away from him either. No animal would unless an angel was angry. Animals didn't fear angels, why would they? Animals had an instinct that told them humans would kill them. Other animals would kill them...angels were somewhere between smaller animals and trees to a deer. Animals realized that angels weren't threatening to creation and reacted accordingly. Humans sometimes didn't get the same picture. Lucifer was quite a large threat to human kind, but then again most angels still found themselves allied with his elder Brother Michael...and they were there to protect humanity. Humans had gotten too used to being on top of the food chain that they sometimes thought they were on top of everything...and they weren't. Lucifer watched the small fish in the pool before standing and starting up the small rocky rise in the middle of the island, toward the fresh water spring he'd put there. It had the highest point on the island and was rather picturesque.
Adam watches Lucifer start to climb the rise, kneeling down to look into the small pool of water. Reaching out slowly, he lets his finger touch the tip of the water. Peering over, he notices that once the ripples in the water cleared, the fish were gone. He considers that for a moment, before getting to his feet and following after Lucifer. He had to be careful with his footing, avoiding rocks as he went so he wouldn’t end up tripping himself, making his climb longer than Lucifer’s. He could see that it was definitely worth it however when he did finally reach the top. It wasn’t that high, but the island wasn’t that big, and he could see most of it from right there, as well as a few more of the islands a bit further out in the water.
“This wasn’t here when we got here.” Adam remarks, looking at the spring in front of them. Not large, but pretty nonetheless. It looked as though it could have been there though. It didn’t have the fake quality that most man-made ones did. It was natural. Lucifer seemed to like things that way. No wonder he wasn’t so fond of people. If humans could mess with it, they would, just to see what would happen.
"You needed fresh water to drink and that was only going to come from rain before. So...I made some. I had to give the island more substance at any rate." He said, like it made perfect sense, and it did. If the island had no rock under-layer then the house wouldn't set there, the spring wouldn't be there and the whole island would be little more than what it was when they got there, a sand bar. He'd take some of the ideas from the island chain that was a ways across the water from them, the remains of an old volcano chain that had died out long ago. The old volcano had passages that allowed water up, filtered through volcanic rocks to drinkable. It took years naturally, but the islanders never worried for Water.
"I prefer nature...thus why I am uncomfortable in cities of man." He said...though 'uncomfortable' was a light word for the feelings he felt when surrounded by modern architecture. Or humans... He knelt down and dipped his fingers in the water, pulling them out and licking the water droplets off, almost like he was testing it for quality or something. He gestured at it and then looked up to Adam, smiling slightly, if a slight pulling at the corners could be considered a smile.
“Mmhm...” Adam mumbles absently, his attention not really on Lucifer. His eyes were focused on a small clump of bushes just off the edge of the water. They were rustling around, and Adam was fairly certain that he had heard a noise. Faint, but there. He couldn’t place what it was, though it hadn’t sounded particularly good. Leaving Lucifer’s side, Adam walks over to the bushes, kneeling down; he pushes them aside, peering in for a moment. Peering right back at him were two tiny black eyes. The bird hopped back when Adam leaned in closer, but didn’t fly away, which made Adam frown slightly. “What’s wrong little guy?” Adam, feeling instant compassion for the small creature, places his hand palms up, and reaches out for the bird. If it wasn’t flying, Adam figured it might be hurt or something. “I won’t hurt you” Adam insists in a low voice, as though the bird would actually understand. Unfortunately, Adam didn’t speak bird, so soothing tones were the best he could do.
Reaching to wrap his hand around the bird, he pulls back with a small cry when the bird bites down on his finger. It didn’t hurt, more just shocked. “Son of a bitch” Adam grumbles, his brow creasing for a moment, before taking a deep breath and reaching out again. The fact that it was still hopping back, but not flying away reaffirmed his conviction that it was hurt. “I’m trying to help you, you know”
Lucifer watches for a moment at Adam's struggles with the injured bird and eventually moves forward as well, listening and gazing at the bird quietly for a few moments. Then he put a hand on Adam's arm, and a glance told him to wait for a moment. Lucifer looked back to the bird and laid his hand down, chirping a few times. The sounds he made couldn't come from human vocal cords. Just like he could actually purr...again physics be damned. The bird hopped onto his hand and then Lucifer gently picked the little thing up, as if it was precious. His whole demeanor changed, tenderness. It was quite shocking to see the change from his usual extreme arrogance to how much he cared about this poor broken bird.
It's wing was dislocated, poor thing. Seemed it hadn't been paying attention and had been blown into the tree. The bird was brightly colored, probably from the nearby islands, drawn to the activity on this smaller island for some reason. Probably the two of them and the smell of food. "Here...hold still." He said under his breath, the bird still as a mouse as Lucifer took two fingers and brushed them along the hurt wing, a small 'pop' and the bird ruffled all of it's feathers, puffing up to twice it's size, before smoothing them back down with a 'chirp'. Lucifer chuckled slightly and then held his hand up and out in Adam's direction. "You can probably hold him now, he shouldn't bite you again." The bird stilled in Lucifer's hands as it looked at Adam, but didn't fly away as it was now capable of doing.
Pushing himself to his feet, Adam simply watched Lucifer with the small bird. This was the same archangel who had offhandedly and casually, yet all too seriously, offered to walk into a diner and slaughter thirty people, standing and holding a small bird as though it were the most precious thing in the world. The difference was staggering when you got right down to it.
Flicking his eyes up to meet Lucifer’s when he hold the bird out, Adam lets out a long breath, reaching out slowly and scooping the small bird into his own hand. It was perfectly calm now, didn’t try to bite him or fly away, both of which he had been expecting would happen as soon as he tried to touch the bird. “I really wasn’t going to hurt him. I was just trying to help.” Adam insists again, a hint of a pout forming on his lips. Of course, he wouldn’t have been able to fix the birds wings the way that Lucifer had, but it miffed him a little that all he had gotten for his efforts was a bitten finger. He runs his fingers along the birds feathers, admiring the exotic colors before holding his palm out away from his body, letting the bird take off into the air. He doubted that it was going to go far with Lucifer around. It seemed to Adam that Lucifer had made a friend.
"I know that...but most animals fear man instinctively. Angel's are more akin to foliage to animals, they know we won't hurt them, that we're caretakers essentially. Even if I haven't been one for a long time, in name...because I do not care for man." He shrugged, watching the bird fly as if making sure it was actually alright, even tough he knew that the wing was healthy and healed he still watched with a hit of worry in his eye. The bird circled the tree and landed in the top leaves of the palm and chirped happily. Lucifer grinned a little and nodded his head, happy that the bird had decided to stay. Another companion...he would need to make sure he kept seeds for it.
"I seem to most humans like a shark, big cat, or snake. They fear me on some level instinctively, they 'know', even if I act perfectly human, eventually that something isn't right about me. I look too old, there's something about my eyes...humans know on some level that I'm a predator. That I'm dangerous. That feeling is what most animals get from humans." He explained, knowing that Adam had felt the strangeness of Lucifer before he had known who exactly he was, and he'd probably felt it since at times. At some points he knew that Adam was in awe of Lucifer's abilities, and at the same time...Lucifer had to scare the human to his soul. It really boiled down to the fact that Lucifer didn't care about human life, it may have made him a monster in their eyes, but the amount of love he had for every animal would make him a saint. It was amusing to think about.
Lucifer’s speech upset Adam. He knew that the devil hated what Adam was, hated humans more than just about anything, but hearing him talk about it so casually was unnerving. If only Lucifer were capable of having the same kind of compassion for humanity that he had for other forms of life... but that wasn’t going to happen. “Some people are like that, but not all.” He replies shortly. Glancing down at his finger, he watches for a moment as a small trail of blood traveled over his skin from the bite, wiping it on the hip of his jeans with annoyance. It didn’t even hurt, but he supposed the bird must have broken skin. The way that Lucifer seemed to rank other forms of life as more important, or more deserving than people, in Adam’s eyes, he was no better than a lot of humans himself in that respect.
He was more dangerous though. Naturally, he was a hell of a lot more dangerous. Simply the power that he possessed was greater than that of any man. Adam just didn’t think that it made him any more right in the way he thought. It made him scary. “Whatever.” He mutters, making his way back down the small hill, almost tripping once since he wasn’t really paying attention. The bird was alright, so that was what mattered. Lucifer could think whatever he wanted about people, even if he was so obviously wrong.
Lucifer hadn't meant to upset Adam...this human was so plucky with his mood swings. He followed Adam down the hill and caught up with him about the time he tripped. Lucifer instinctively snatched at him, keeping him from falling...and he couldn't for the life of him figure out why he'd reacted like that, so he met Adam's eyes for a brief moment and then continued down the hill, standing on the back deck of the house and trying to decide where to put the seeds and small pool for the bird to bathe in so that Adam's freshwater didn't get contaminated. He narrowed his eyes in thought and ended up with two shells of differing size, one wide and shallow like a serving platter, which he filled from the fresh water pool and set in the shade of the porch. The smaller shell he sat next to it was filled with seeds for the bird to eat. He tried to put the disconcerting question about why he had stopped Adam from falling, when he wouldn't have been hurt at all, out of his mind, which only half worked. He worried about this human...worried...the idea left a strange taste in his mouth. Lucifer did not worry about humans. He destroyed them...'Then why not this one?' the nagging voice in the back of his head asked. Lucifer didn't know.
Following Lucifer back to the house, Adam took a seat on the steps, absently watching Lucifer set out food for the bird. He didn’t say anything. His mind was busy at work, mostly discontent grumblings, but he had nothing to say for the moment. Nothing he hadn’t said already before in one form or another. He was starting to wonder things though. Like how long exactly Lucifer was going to keep him hidden away on an island. It wasn’t that he didn’t like the island of course, but if he hated Adam so much, the question practically begged to be asked. He’d said that his brother had wanted to take Adam; that was the reason that he was back to begin with. So what? Was Lucifer going to stow him away forever? Or if he hated Adam so much, couldn’t he have just killed him again in the first place? Not that he was opposed to still being alive, but these were all still questions to think about. Thinking about it all, on top of everything else, it was getting frustrating was all. He’d learned the hard way that mouthing off to Lucifer wasn’t the best idea, but he was only going to be able to keep everything to himself for so long.
"I don't hate -you-. If I did you wouldn't be here." Lucifer said very quietly. If he did...he would have killed him. Adam was interesting, even if he was a human. He came back from Heaven...and it was in his skin, all over him. He didn't look up when he said that either, his voice rapid and low, almost as if he wasn't sure he wanted to be heard at all, but Adam would hear him here. Little to no noise around. He sighed frustratedly and closed his eyes, not knowing exactly what it was he felt for this one specific human. He was still not capable of seeing other humans, aside from Sam, outside of a group...they were nothing...but Adam had struck his interest and that put him somewhere else. Lucifer just didn't know where that somewhere else was. Exactly.
“If you don’t like my thoughts, then stay out of my head” His eyes flashing anger, Adam shifts his body so that he was facing Lucifer, but doesn’t get up from his seat on the stairs. Lucifer constantly scanning his thoughts was starting to not only be unnerving, but annoying as well. “You hate humans, I’m human. It’s not hard logic to follow Lucifer. It’s called a brain, use it. I assume pillars of light can think too. I don’t care, I make no apologies for what I am, but don’t treat me like a moron and lie about it. I’m only here because I would be with your brothers otherwise.” With an exasperated sigh, he shakes his head slowly, drawing his knees up to his chest and shutting his eyes against the sun. If he wasn’t careful, he was going to end up driving himself crazy before the day was through. Stress and worry could wreak havoc on the mind if it wasn’t kept in check. And he was not doing a very good job of keeping it in check.
Of course, there was always the possibility that he would drive Lucifer too far, and then stress would be the least of his problems.
All the devil did was sigh quietly, he didn't say anything else. Adam was right, he was having a flight of fancy thinking that Adam was anything more than a bargaining chip, a tool. A human. That was what happened when Lucifer acted without thinking...he swallowed once and shook himself, pulling himself back together. "You're right...of course. I won't be able to lie to you at all, keep you around long enough." He sounded slightly back to his old self, but it wasn't quite perfect...he was putting up a facade at about half strength...and it showed. He shifted his weight nervously for a moment and disappeared around the side of the house, heading for the water to try and get some time to think.
His face hardening as he listened to Lucifer, Adam peaked his eyes open just in time to see Lucifer disappear around the side of the house. Adam let him go. Good riddance, for now or for good, Adam wasn’t sure, but he was hard pressed to care right now. He shuts his eyes again for a moment, rubbing the palms of his hands against them. He wasn’t going after Lucifer, not again. Either he would come back, or he wouldn’t. It looked like Adam was dead again either way, so what the hell. Getting up from the steps, Adam walks across the beach towards the water, the opposite direction of where the devil had gone. Kicking off his shoes and rolling up the bottoms of his jeans, he sits in the sand, sticking his feet in the water and letting the small waves wash over them. “What am I going to do?” He asks himself quietly, his mind drawing blank after blank. He didn’t really want to anger Lucifer, but at the same time... it was hard not to. Drawing his knees up, Adam crosses his arms over them and leans his forehead against his arms, sitting in silence and thinking to himself. He was thinking about a lot of things.
For once, Adam was actually wrong...Lucifer wasn't angry at Adam...he was just, irritated that he couldn't figure out exactly what was going on. For all intents and purpose, he should treat Adam little better than a captive and yet here was a home built for him specifically. Creature comforts that Adam didn't need to have, but Lucifer had given him anyway. Things he wouldn't give his vessel he had already freely given Adam. He'd certainly put up with more bouts of temper from the human than he would put up with from his vessel. Sam did not need to speak...and yet Adam was still alive and well. With all of his limbs and faculties intact even. What was ironic was that Lucifer was almost an exact mirror of Adam's posture. He hadn't had shoes on, but his feet sat in the water, his jeans getting wet every time the water rolled in, his feet slowly sinking into the sand. Though Lucifer's hands were behind him, letting the sand run through his fingers as his weight forced his hands to sink down into the dry sand.
After a while, Adam lifts his head up to look out at the water, wrapping his knees up in his arms. The sound of the water was calming, soothing to his mind. Not that any of his problems were going to go away, but whatever comfort he could get worked for him right now. He supposed he should take some comfort in the fact that he was still even breathing right now. The fact that Lucifer had let him live this long had to be some kind of miracle. He couldn’t deny that Lucifer had been kind... in his own ways. He wasn’t easy to understand, that was for sure. He was all over the place, and didn’t seem to notice when he contradicted himself so long as it suited his best interests. How he didn’t see the similarities between himself and humans, Adam would never know. But he wasn’t going to point it out either. He had the feeling that would be taking things just a step too far. Lucifer had said that he wouldn’t kill Adam, but you never know what anyone might do when they were angry enough.
Lucifer gave up and just decided to be honest...why not? Adam seemed content and willing to stick around for the long haul...and that meant that eventually he'd find out, especially with how perceptive he'd been so far. So the Devil got up and walked over the island and found Adam sitting near the water, which brought a small smile to Lucifer's lips. He hesitated then, not knowing what to do...how to start this...so he sat next to Adam and sighed quietly. "I don't hate you." He said again, his voice still quiet and now slightly unsure of itself. "I don't know...why that is...but I don't." He said awkwardly, he sounded frustrated with himself and his inability to articulate what it was that was running through his head. "I didn't mean to upset you." He ended with, sitting quietly after that, looking highly awkward and slightly confused at the same time.
After a long silence, Adam turns his head to look at Lucifer, examining him seriously. The devil had no reason to lie about this. Still, it was in some ways hard to believe, in others, not so difficult. The past couple of days had been strange. Making sense of them was a lifelong task at the very least. Besides, the awkward look on Lucifer’s face... it was... endearing. Seeing Lucifer look so unsure of himself was strange. “It’s fine. Just forget about it okay?”
Right now, Adam thought that trying to put whatever awkward... whatever this was behind them as soon as possible would be the best thing. He had a feeling that the two of them were capable of sitting around and being miserable with one another for a very long time. It wasn’t the way that Adam had planned on spending the day, and he wanted to try and save what was left of it. Whatever might be capable of being saved. “I’m not...” Adam trails off, frowning slightly before starting again, deciding to make it simple and leaving it there. “I’m sorry.”
Lucifer bit on the inside of his cheek for a while, before muttering under his breath, "Me too." He said it fast enough that it might have been one word. He eventually stood up and held one hand down to Adam and decided they were going somewhere on the other island chain. The islanders wouldn't even know they were there. Once Adam took his hand they shifted and were on another beach. Unlike Lucifer's little island, there were more sounds of life here. More birds and bugs sounded from the forest that bordered part of the beach...large rock formations at one end. "Perhaps this island will prove more fun to explore?" He says the tell-tale smirk playing at his mouth, pulling Adam to his feet, as he let go he trailed his fingers along his palm before letting his hand drop back to his side.
Adam could have sworn that he actually heard the devil apologize. But, since they had just barely patched things over, he kept his mouth shut and took Lucifer’s hand instead, though it took considerable effort. Getting to his feet, Adam looked around his new surrounding, feeling that same small shiver go down his spine at Lucifer’s slight touch. This island was teaming with life compared to the one that they had just come from. More mountains, more vegetation, and a lot more places to go. Plus, it was gorgeous. Going to take a step, Adam freezes in place when he feels something crawling across is bare foot, suddenly remembering his shoes, still sitting on the beach on the other small island. Looking down, Adam spots a giant spider crawling up the heel of his leg. “Son of a...” He exclaims, flicking his foot to knock the spider off, jumping up, his arms wrapping around Lucifer’s neck, his legs around his waist to get his feet off the ground. Adam wasn’t a fan of giant, possibly poisonous anything, especially spiders. “Lucifer I need my shoes!”
Lucifer's arms move to help hold him up, though Lucifer's expression never changed, his body just reacted without his consent again. He didn't know whether that was a good thing or a bad thing considering. He watched the spider crawl away and Adam's shoes were on the sand next to Lucifer's feet. He almost didn't say anything about them though, he liked Adam close like this, even if he was a bit large for a spider monkey. Entirely too tall and gangly for that. Lucifer trailed his cooler fingertips up Adam's spine, slipping under his shirt since he had him there...for a moment. "Yes...apparently you do, though that spider won't hurt you. Not poisonous." He said, blinking and removing his hand and allowing Adam to get down and put on his shoes. He didn't bother 'putting' on his clothing, the jeans were enough for him...not like anything here could harm him. And he knew Adam didn't mind looking at him without a shirt on. Why not let him stare if he wanted to? Lucifer's ego always needed a good stroking.
Adam instinctively moved closer when Lucifer’s fingers trailed up his spine, his grip on Lucifer tightening, before letting his feet touch the ground again. “I still... I don’t like spiders” Picking up his shoes, Adam carefully steps his was over to a large rock, sitting down on it so that he could slip his shoes on. It was safe to say that he felt like a complete moron right now. But he didn’t like spiders, it wasn’t a crime. Besides, he didn’t know if it was poisonous or not.
His shoes on his feet, and his jeans rolled down again to cover his legs; Adam stands up, looking around at the significantly larger island. It really was amazing. He had to appreciate that Lucifer would bring him here, this place that he would otherwise never have seen in his life. “Where are we going first?” He asks, both curious, and wanting to distract from what had just happened. He seemed to be doing that a lot lately.
He noticed Adam's ploy...and shrugged, there were caves toward the rocky end of the shore, they weren't too deep, but some were interesting...the forest had more spiders and he doubted Adam would want to go wandering there, but that was an option as well. "Well...there's caves and cliff jumping there," He pointed down the beach toward the rocks. "And there's the jungle. There. Jungle means more spiders, and as much as I enjoy you climbing all over me like that, you might attract the locals if you yell everytime you see a spider." He pointed toward the trees. His tone was joking, but the part about Adam climbing on him was...obviously a double entendre. He smirked and started walking slowly toward the rocks. Knowing that answer before he said it.
Feeling his face flush a bit at Lucifer’s comment about climbing all over him, Adam falls into step behind Lucifer. He was more than happy to avoid the jungle and spiders and making a bigger ass of himself than he already had. Besides, caves and cliff diving? How could he say no to that? He was glad Lucifer was going slow. The land here was more uneven and he had to carefully watch his footing so that he didn’t trip and fall over something. Plus he wanted to look around the island while they went. While the island that they were staying on was calmer, and more peaceful, this one had more variety, more interesting things to look at, and more scenery.
“Locals, so there are other people on the island?” He asked once they were closer to the caves. If so, Adam really hoped that they were nowhere near here. He had no desire to interact with people and Lucifer at the same time anytime soon.
He nodded in response to the comment about the locals. Yes, small tribes really...the islands had been volcanic for so long and recently that tourism had yet to come here. A few anthropologists had over the years, but nothing and no one had yet come to take the tribe's land. "They don't come here...they stay on the other side of the island, closer to the rest of the ones in the chain. Also the caves pull their boats in...they think it's cursed. Just currents...angry spirits." He turned around and slowly continued in the same direction, walking slowly backwards and grinning widely at the slight pink on Adam's face. Lucifer thought he had some other ideas that might put color in his cheeks. He stopped walking for a moment, letting Adam get within arm's distance before pulling on his shirt to get him closer, and as he pulled the shirt vanished...and that left all the space in the world for Lucifer's hands to travel later. He didn't quite touch Adam just yet, but good things come to those who wait.
Said ignored Archangel hopped off the counter and walked around Adam, slightly closer than he needed to be, but nothing too bad at the moment. He was interested in cooking. "So, explain to me why you eat egg covered bread?" He asked, peering into the mixture that to him looked not at all appetizing. He didn't get in the way too much, keeping his hands to himself, for the moment, watching Adam cook with a keen interest. He was memorizing what Adam was doing, his movements, how long he let the toast sit for in the mixture, and on the skillet. Lucifer was making sure that he wouldn't screw up again. Perhaps he would even offer to cook tomorrow..."What goes on this egg covered bread? Seems rather plain to eat just that way." He asked questions as they came, his curious nature making him question. It'd gotten him into trouble before, but there wasn't much more trouble he could get into now.
"Because it tastes good when it’s cooked.” Adam replies, not sure that he could come up with a better answer than that. “Eggs and bread just taste good together. You can try a piece when it’s cooked if you want.” Adam offers, quirking a brow as he cooked. “And you can call it French toast. You can have eggs on bread other ways too.” Lucifer’s questions, his curiosity about something that Adam had always thought of as natural were a bit striking to Adam. He had never put so much thought into French toast before.
He thinks for a moment, flipping the toast over in the pan. “Though I suppose it’s a good question. Who was the first person to think of cooking toast like this? Kind of like “What was the guy who discovered milk doing with the cow?” He smiles to himself for a moment, looking up at Lucifer while he let the toast cook. “You can eat it any way you like. I like butter and maple syrup on mine. Some people like it plain. It just depends on personal taste.”
Lucifer 'hmmm'd and shrugged slightly, he would try some of Adam's. "I will try some of your French toast..." He didn't know exactly if he'd like it or not, but there was no reason to not try it. He doubted that he'd like it because of the cooking process...he had a feeling he'd prefer raw eggs to cooked ones. He had been a fan of nature...not so much humanity editing it. "You will have to show me other ways to eat eggs on bread...I am slightly amused by all of the combinations possible." He said after another beat, he did not know the answer to Adam's returned questions so he left those ones alone. He did know he hadn't created maple syrup...uh oh. He bit his lower lip slightly, and looks at Adam. "I don't believe I made maple syrup....you'll have to think of it. So I can re-create it from your memory." They were closer now, and Lucifer could smell him over the smell of cooking food, which did not smell good to him, to say the least. Lucifer raised and hand and ran it back through Adam's hair quickly, dislodging some water from it and smirking.
Adam wiped absently at some of the cool drops of water when Lucifer sent them running down his skin, trying to ignore the feeling that he got when Lucifer ran his hands through his hair. “Maple Syrup...” Adam thinks for a moment, picturing the bottle of Aunt Jemima that usually would be found on his kitchen table back at home. “It’s from trees, though I think they just add a lot of sugar, and make it finer, so it’s not as thick. It’s only good thick if it’s from a sugar shack or something like that, other than that, not so much with French toast.” Adam smiles, flipping it over in the pan again, and shuts off the element on the stove, content with it being cooked enough, and sliding the pieces on to a plate. “If we don’t have any, that’s alright too. I’m sure I will survive without it somehow... maybe” He adds jokingly after a few moments of thoughtful consideration.
“Don’t worry about it.”
Lucifer takes the way he perceives the item and it appears sitting on the counter next to him. It should be close enough. He holds it out to Adam with a bit of a shrug. "Should taste how you remember it tasting. Though...I don't know how thick it's supposed to be..." He smirked, but said nothing further, just let that thought trail off. After he handed the syrup to Adam, he kept his hands to himself again, watching Adam preparing the French Toast again with that strange curiousness. "Sap? Humans will try to eat anything." He said, in slight amusement, slight amazement. Ingenious at the very least. He waited patiently for Adam to be finished, watching this like someone would observe something very important. Which it was. Lucifer didn't have this skill yet.
"Mm, well it might sound weird, but it sure does taste good, so I can’t complain.” Adam smiled when he took his first bite of breakfast. It was something he hadn’t had in a long time, but his mom used to make for him all the time. Adam was going to take the little bits of home that he could get, from wherever he could get them. He noticed the way Lucifer was watching him eat, as though it were some kind of fascinating process. He had done the same in the diner the day before. Adam didn’t get it, but he guessed it was weird if you never had to eat a day in your life before. And Lucifer’s life had been very long no doubt.
“Try some?” He offers, pushing his plate towards Lucifer. “I know it’s ah... bread and eggs and sap, but I promise it tastes really good.” He holds his fork out, waiting patiently for Lucifer to either accept it or reject it. He’d said he was going to try it, but Adam wasn’t going to put a whole lot of faith into that until he actually did. “If you want.”
Lucifer takes the fork and pressed it down through the toast, though he stopped when he heard the plate straining. He just about broke that plate. He speared the bit of toast and tasted it. It was sickly sweet...and tasted cooked...he swallowed it, but shook his head and gently pushed the plate back to Adam. "I think I just dislike cooked things." He said, shrugging slightly. Perhaps he would find some food that he didn't mind eating at some point while learning to cook from Adam. Though his style of learning would be easy to 'teach'...just do and then Lucifer could as well. He watched Adam out of the corner of his eye while he stared the pans and cookware clean. At least that's what it looked like he did. Stare at them for a moment and then they're clean and ready to be put away. Easy. After he was done with that he hopped back up on the counter and entertained himself watching Adam's hair dry slowly...he could tell.
“Fair enough” Adam shrugs, pulling his plate back and finishing off the last of his breakfast. He had been right, after a shower, interrupted as it had been, and some food, he was feeling much better. The more distance he put between himself and his dream, the better he was feeling. And it made him smile to notice that the sun was peaking out over the horizon as well, already heating up the world outside, and soon the house as well. Getting up from his seat, Adam carries his plate over to the sink, turning the water on, since he didn’t have the particular gift of staring things clean. Though it would have saved him days of having to clean his room when he was younger. He stares out the window silently for a minute, looking out over the water. Yesterday, he had barely been able to wait to get out in the water, but today he wasn’t thinking that he really wanted to anymore. His own comments about sharks were stuck at the front of his mind now, nothing like psyching yourself out about something.
“I want to look around the island more.” He finally decides, thinking that it would be the best alternative to going in the water. He had walked around the island, but he hadn’t really paid all that much attention. And the island was, bigger now. So if he could kill a few hours until lunch or something by wandering around, he figured why not.
Lucifer nodded and looked at him, the dish he was holding clean and the water running uselessly. "I assume you wish for me to come with you?" He phrased it as a question...and ironically meant it as one this time. He figured that Adam would wish his company as he usually did, but wasn't positive. So he asked. Lucifer glanced out at the rising sun, smiling slightly at the first rays of Dawn. If Adam was going to explore the island, he had a little while before heading out to do so, because he might not be able to see everything with the lack of light outside. The island still wasn't very big, but if push came to shove and Adam wanted adventure...they could venture to the other islands in the chain, one of them had a lovely cave system, the islanders avoided it because they had a religion that said that something evil lurked there and devoured boats and strong men...which was just currents that pulled boats into rocks.
“Yeah, if you want to come with me.” Adam glances at Lucifer before looking back out the window. Of course he wasn’t going to reject Lucifer’s company if he offered it, but just wasn’t so sure how interested Lucifer was going to be in wandering around an island all day. Especially an island he already no doubt knew inside and out. For Adam it was designed to be a distraction, a way to keep his thoughts at least semi-occupied for a while. Facing up to the things that needed to be faced immediately wasn’t really a human strength, sometimes you needed time. Shutting the water off, he turns away from the window to look at Lucifer, feeling the first rays of sun just starting to hit his back. It was going to be a little while before he would actually be able to see much of the island, but he was kind of stuck on what he was going to do until then. He runs his hand through his hair absently, a nervous habit he had picked up at some point or another.
Lucifer watched Adam move, eyes trailing along his limbs slowly, something akin to hunger in his eyes, but not yet, not yet. The Devil just inhaled and then exhaled audibly seeming to shake himself out of his own thoughts. Twenty minutes would be plenty of time to get Adam distracted enough that they wouldn't have to leave the house at all for the day...but he'd already decided to drive Adam to distraction throughout the day...it would be worth it if he waited for the human to come to him. Draw it out...but Lucifer was still a little upset with himself that he had agreed to try and cook, rather than just amusing himself with Adam. "There's about twenty minutes or so before it'll be light enough for you to see by." He said quietly, forcing his eyes back to the window and the sunrise and not on Adam. Denying himself had never been a strong suit, so today was going to take quite a bit of willpower on the devil's part.
Even though the house was wide open, and covered in practically nothing but windows, Adam was starting to feel boxed in. Especially just standing here like this. He was pretty sure it had something to do with the almost constant close proximity to the devil for well over a day now. Putting his plate down on the counter beside the sink, Adam walks over to the door and pulls it open, stepping out into the early morning air. Inhaling deeply, he lets out his breath slowly, a bit glad for the momentary distance. He liked Lucifer’s company, craved it even, but that was all the more reason to get some distance if he could. Lucifer could be... overwhelming to say the least. Spotting his shoes still laying on the deck, Adam walks over and scoops them up, sitting down on the same hanging chair he had lain on with Lucifer the evening before, he pulls them on, letting his feet hang off the edge of the chair; and waiting not so patiently for it to be light enough to wander around.
Lucifer spent a few moments physically putting the plates away, and then willed the bed to rearrange itself. Next it was the two sets of glass pane's that served both as doors and as windows. He folded them back to let the middle of the house be open again, on both sides. The morning air blew through and took with it any of the smell of cooking that remained...leaving the smell of water and morning. He walked forward once that was done and sat down on the edge of the deck, still shirtless and shoeless, it didn't take much for the angel to get dressed if he pleased. He sat down, long legs folded up under him and watched the remainder of the sunrise quietly. He didn't wish to press things too far just yet, it would shorten the whole game if he did now. The Sun broke the horizon and the day started, bathing the world in warming sunlight. It was refreshing. "Where would you like to start?" He asked quietly, still facing the rising sun with his legs crossed.
With a shrug, Adam pushes himself up from his seat, walking across the deck and down the steps past Lucifer, on to the sand of the beach. “I don’t know, I was just going to wander around for a while. I didn’t really look at anything yesterday. I figure if we are going to be here for a while, I might as well look around at the rest of the island, right?” Stuffing his hands into the pockets of his jeans, Adam bites the inside of his cheek, his eyes lingering on Lucifer’s chest for a moment longer than they probably should have, before turning and heading down the beach. He knew he didn’t have to stand around and wait, Lucifer would be at his side in a moment if he wanted to be.
The basic game plan was to walk until something caught his eye, get to know the island a little maybe. Not the most exciting day ever, but it was something to do for a while, and it was better than being awkwardly cooped up inside the house with Lucifer. This way, yeah they were still together, and no doubt it was going to be awkward, but hopefully more bearable in the open space outside. Plus, for now at least, it was better than swimming. Maybe he would consider that later, maybe.
Lucifer made a small noise of assent. Remaining sitting as Adam walked on ahead. Sometimes the silence dragged on between them, they were such different creatures. Adam was small as a mouse compared to Lucifer, no matter their physical size. It was difficult for him to even consider Adam as having 'free will' in the same fashion that he did. The one thing that kept him realizing that was his soul. Angels couldn't see them, but they gave humans a sort of...light or feeling to them. It could be more powerful than an angel's grace if used properly(though no human that he knew of had ever known how to utilize that power), and every human had one...it was a shame really. Some humans didn't even believe in souls at all...and they had one sitting inside them all the same. He eventually stood and caught up with Adam, remaining as unobtrusive as he could for the time being, several feet away and quiet as they walked. Along this horizon were a couple of islands in the distance, green hill shapes distorted with distance.
Looking out over the water at the islands, Adam wondered not for the first time where exactly they were. He didn’t ask yet though, that would take all of the mystery and the fun of guessing out of it. Not that geography had been his strong point. Adam had been pre-med before... well, before everything, more interested in biology than anything else; his mom being a nurse was no small influence on that.
Stopping occasionally to peer into a tide pool, something he had occupied himself with for hours at a time when he was a kid, Adam familiarized himself with the layout of the island. It was peaceful, quiet; something that he and Lucifer had both needed, maybe even Lucifer more than him, but it wasn’t all that exciting. Were it larger, Adam had no doubt that it would have been overrun with tourists’ right about now. But, not being large enough for any kind of resort or getaway, it seemed to have escaped notice so far. Now that Lucifer had spotted it, it would probably stay that way too.
Adam didn’t speak though. He had nothing to say right now, and he didn’t find the silence between them to be an uncomfortable one. Lucifer seemed content to leave Adam to his own devices, as uninteresting as they probably were to the devil; they were comforting to Adam, so he was grateful for it. Sometimes escaping back to childhood or just to something simple and enjoyable could work wonders for a person.
Lucifer paused by one pool that Adam looked in, leaning down and gently touching the surface of the water, watching the ripples. The fish didn't scurry away from him either. No animal would unless an angel was angry. Animals didn't fear angels, why would they? Animals had an instinct that told them humans would kill them. Other animals would kill them...angels were somewhere between smaller animals and trees to a deer. Animals realized that angels weren't threatening to creation and reacted accordingly. Humans sometimes didn't get the same picture. Lucifer was quite a large threat to human kind, but then again most angels still found themselves allied with his elder Brother Michael...and they were there to protect humanity. Humans had gotten too used to being on top of the food chain that they sometimes thought they were on top of everything...and they weren't. Lucifer watched the small fish in the pool before standing and starting up the small rocky rise in the middle of the island, toward the fresh water spring he'd put there. It had the highest point on the island and was rather picturesque.
Adam watches Lucifer start to climb the rise, kneeling down to look into the small pool of water. Reaching out slowly, he lets his finger touch the tip of the water. Peering over, he notices that once the ripples in the water cleared, the fish were gone. He considers that for a moment, before getting to his feet and following after Lucifer. He had to be careful with his footing, avoiding rocks as he went so he wouldn’t end up tripping himself, making his climb longer than Lucifer’s. He could see that it was definitely worth it however when he did finally reach the top. It wasn’t that high, but the island wasn’t that big, and he could see most of it from right there, as well as a few more of the islands a bit further out in the water.
“This wasn’t here when we got here.” Adam remarks, looking at the spring in front of them. Not large, but pretty nonetheless. It looked as though it could have been there though. It didn’t have the fake quality that most man-made ones did. It was natural. Lucifer seemed to like things that way. No wonder he wasn’t so fond of people. If humans could mess with it, they would, just to see what would happen.
"You needed fresh water to drink and that was only going to come from rain before. So...I made some. I had to give the island more substance at any rate." He said, like it made perfect sense, and it did. If the island had no rock under-layer then the house wouldn't set there, the spring wouldn't be there and the whole island would be little more than what it was when they got there, a sand bar. He'd take some of the ideas from the island chain that was a ways across the water from them, the remains of an old volcano chain that had died out long ago. The old volcano had passages that allowed water up, filtered through volcanic rocks to drinkable. It took years naturally, but the islanders never worried for Water.
"I prefer nature...thus why I am uncomfortable in cities of man." He said...though 'uncomfortable' was a light word for the feelings he felt when surrounded by modern architecture. Or humans... He knelt down and dipped his fingers in the water, pulling them out and licking the water droplets off, almost like he was testing it for quality or something. He gestured at it and then looked up to Adam, smiling slightly, if a slight pulling at the corners could be considered a smile.
“Mmhm...” Adam mumbles absently, his attention not really on Lucifer. His eyes were focused on a small clump of bushes just off the edge of the water. They were rustling around, and Adam was fairly certain that he had heard a noise. Faint, but there. He couldn’t place what it was, though it hadn’t sounded particularly good. Leaving Lucifer’s side, Adam walks over to the bushes, kneeling down; he pushes them aside, peering in for a moment. Peering right back at him were two tiny black eyes. The bird hopped back when Adam leaned in closer, but didn’t fly away, which made Adam frown slightly. “What’s wrong little guy?” Adam, feeling instant compassion for the small creature, places his hand palms up, and reaches out for the bird. If it wasn’t flying, Adam figured it might be hurt or something. “I won’t hurt you” Adam insists in a low voice, as though the bird would actually understand. Unfortunately, Adam didn’t speak bird, so soothing tones were the best he could do.
Reaching to wrap his hand around the bird, he pulls back with a small cry when the bird bites down on his finger. It didn’t hurt, more just shocked. “Son of a bitch” Adam grumbles, his brow creasing for a moment, before taking a deep breath and reaching out again. The fact that it was still hopping back, but not flying away reaffirmed his conviction that it was hurt. “I’m trying to help you, you know”
Lucifer watches for a moment at Adam's struggles with the injured bird and eventually moves forward as well, listening and gazing at the bird quietly for a few moments. Then he put a hand on Adam's arm, and a glance told him to wait for a moment. Lucifer looked back to the bird and laid his hand down, chirping a few times. The sounds he made couldn't come from human vocal cords. Just like he could actually purr...again physics be damned. The bird hopped onto his hand and then Lucifer gently picked the little thing up, as if it was precious. His whole demeanor changed, tenderness. It was quite shocking to see the change from his usual extreme arrogance to how much he cared about this poor broken bird.
It's wing was dislocated, poor thing. Seemed it hadn't been paying attention and had been blown into the tree. The bird was brightly colored, probably from the nearby islands, drawn to the activity on this smaller island for some reason. Probably the two of them and the smell of food. "Here...hold still." He said under his breath, the bird still as a mouse as Lucifer took two fingers and brushed them along the hurt wing, a small 'pop' and the bird ruffled all of it's feathers, puffing up to twice it's size, before smoothing them back down with a 'chirp'. Lucifer chuckled slightly and then held his hand up and out in Adam's direction. "You can probably hold him now, he shouldn't bite you again." The bird stilled in Lucifer's hands as it looked at Adam, but didn't fly away as it was now capable of doing.
Pushing himself to his feet, Adam simply watched Lucifer with the small bird. This was the same archangel who had offhandedly and casually, yet all too seriously, offered to walk into a diner and slaughter thirty people, standing and holding a small bird as though it were the most precious thing in the world. The difference was staggering when you got right down to it.
Flicking his eyes up to meet Lucifer’s when he hold the bird out, Adam lets out a long breath, reaching out slowly and scooping the small bird into his own hand. It was perfectly calm now, didn’t try to bite him or fly away, both of which he had been expecting would happen as soon as he tried to touch the bird. “I really wasn’t going to hurt him. I was just trying to help.” Adam insists again, a hint of a pout forming on his lips. Of course, he wouldn’t have been able to fix the birds wings the way that Lucifer had, but it miffed him a little that all he had gotten for his efforts was a bitten finger. He runs his fingers along the birds feathers, admiring the exotic colors before holding his palm out away from his body, letting the bird take off into the air. He doubted that it was going to go far with Lucifer around. It seemed to Adam that Lucifer had made a friend.
"I know that...but most animals fear man instinctively. Angel's are more akin to foliage to animals, they know we won't hurt them, that we're caretakers essentially. Even if I haven't been one for a long time, in name...because I do not care for man." He shrugged, watching the bird fly as if making sure it was actually alright, even tough he knew that the wing was healthy and healed he still watched with a hit of worry in his eye. The bird circled the tree and landed in the top leaves of the palm and chirped happily. Lucifer grinned a little and nodded his head, happy that the bird had decided to stay. Another companion...he would need to make sure he kept seeds for it.
"I seem to most humans like a shark, big cat, or snake. They fear me on some level instinctively, they 'know', even if I act perfectly human, eventually that something isn't right about me. I look too old, there's something about my eyes...humans know on some level that I'm a predator. That I'm dangerous. That feeling is what most animals get from humans." He explained, knowing that Adam had felt the strangeness of Lucifer before he had known who exactly he was, and he'd probably felt it since at times. At some points he knew that Adam was in awe of Lucifer's abilities, and at the same time...Lucifer had to scare the human to his soul. It really boiled down to the fact that Lucifer didn't care about human life, it may have made him a monster in their eyes, but the amount of love he had for every animal would make him a saint. It was amusing to think about.
Lucifer’s speech upset Adam. He knew that the devil hated what Adam was, hated humans more than just about anything, but hearing him talk about it so casually was unnerving. If only Lucifer were capable of having the same kind of compassion for humanity that he had for other forms of life... but that wasn’t going to happen. “Some people are like that, but not all.” He replies shortly. Glancing down at his finger, he watches for a moment as a small trail of blood traveled over his skin from the bite, wiping it on the hip of his jeans with annoyance. It didn’t even hurt, but he supposed the bird must have broken skin. The way that Lucifer seemed to rank other forms of life as more important, or more deserving than people, in Adam’s eyes, he was no better than a lot of humans himself in that respect.
He was more dangerous though. Naturally, he was a hell of a lot more dangerous. Simply the power that he possessed was greater than that of any man. Adam just didn’t think that it made him any more right in the way he thought. It made him scary. “Whatever.” He mutters, making his way back down the small hill, almost tripping once since he wasn’t really paying attention. The bird was alright, so that was what mattered. Lucifer could think whatever he wanted about people, even if he was so obviously wrong.
Lucifer hadn't meant to upset Adam...this human was so plucky with his mood swings. He followed Adam down the hill and caught up with him about the time he tripped. Lucifer instinctively snatched at him, keeping him from falling...and he couldn't for the life of him figure out why he'd reacted like that, so he met Adam's eyes for a brief moment and then continued down the hill, standing on the back deck of the house and trying to decide where to put the seeds and small pool for the bird to bathe in so that Adam's freshwater didn't get contaminated. He narrowed his eyes in thought and ended up with two shells of differing size, one wide and shallow like a serving platter, which he filled from the fresh water pool and set in the shade of the porch. The smaller shell he sat next to it was filled with seeds for the bird to eat. He tried to put the disconcerting question about why he had stopped Adam from falling, when he wouldn't have been hurt at all, out of his mind, which only half worked. He worried about this human...worried...the idea left a strange taste in his mouth. Lucifer did not worry about humans. He destroyed them...'Then why not this one?' the nagging voice in the back of his head asked. Lucifer didn't know.
Following Lucifer back to the house, Adam took a seat on the steps, absently watching Lucifer set out food for the bird. He didn’t say anything. His mind was busy at work, mostly discontent grumblings, but he had nothing to say for the moment. Nothing he hadn’t said already before in one form or another. He was starting to wonder things though. Like how long exactly Lucifer was going to keep him hidden away on an island. It wasn’t that he didn’t like the island of course, but if he hated Adam so much, the question practically begged to be asked. He’d said that his brother had wanted to take Adam; that was the reason that he was back to begin with. So what? Was Lucifer going to stow him away forever? Or if he hated Adam so much, couldn’t he have just killed him again in the first place? Not that he was opposed to still being alive, but these were all still questions to think about. Thinking about it all, on top of everything else, it was getting frustrating was all. He’d learned the hard way that mouthing off to Lucifer wasn’t the best idea, but he was only going to be able to keep everything to himself for so long.
"I don't hate -you-. If I did you wouldn't be here." Lucifer said very quietly. If he did...he would have killed him. Adam was interesting, even if he was a human. He came back from Heaven...and it was in his skin, all over him. He didn't look up when he said that either, his voice rapid and low, almost as if he wasn't sure he wanted to be heard at all, but Adam would hear him here. Little to no noise around. He sighed frustratedly and closed his eyes, not knowing exactly what it was he felt for this one specific human. He was still not capable of seeing other humans, aside from Sam, outside of a group...they were nothing...but Adam had struck his interest and that put him somewhere else. Lucifer just didn't know where that somewhere else was. Exactly.
“If you don’t like my thoughts, then stay out of my head” His eyes flashing anger, Adam shifts his body so that he was facing Lucifer, but doesn’t get up from his seat on the stairs. Lucifer constantly scanning his thoughts was starting to not only be unnerving, but annoying as well. “You hate humans, I’m human. It’s not hard logic to follow Lucifer. It’s called a brain, use it. I assume pillars of light can think too. I don’t care, I make no apologies for what I am, but don’t treat me like a moron and lie about it. I’m only here because I would be with your brothers otherwise.” With an exasperated sigh, he shakes his head slowly, drawing his knees up to his chest and shutting his eyes against the sun. If he wasn’t careful, he was going to end up driving himself crazy before the day was through. Stress and worry could wreak havoc on the mind if it wasn’t kept in check. And he was not doing a very good job of keeping it in check.
Of course, there was always the possibility that he would drive Lucifer too far, and then stress would be the least of his problems.
All the devil did was sigh quietly, he didn't say anything else. Adam was right, he was having a flight of fancy thinking that Adam was anything more than a bargaining chip, a tool. A human. That was what happened when Lucifer acted without thinking...he swallowed once and shook himself, pulling himself back together. "You're right...of course. I won't be able to lie to you at all, keep you around long enough." He sounded slightly back to his old self, but it wasn't quite perfect...he was putting up a facade at about half strength...and it showed. He shifted his weight nervously for a moment and disappeared around the side of the house, heading for the water to try and get some time to think.
His face hardening as he listened to Lucifer, Adam peaked his eyes open just in time to see Lucifer disappear around the side of the house. Adam let him go. Good riddance, for now or for good, Adam wasn’t sure, but he was hard pressed to care right now. He shuts his eyes again for a moment, rubbing the palms of his hands against them. He wasn’t going after Lucifer, not again. Either he would come back, or he wouldn’t. It looked like Adam was dead again either way, so what the hell. Getting up from the steps, Adam walks across the beach towards the water, the opposite direction of where the devil had gone. Kicking off his shoes and rolling up the bottoms of his jeans, he sits in the sand, sticking his feet in the water and letting the small waves wash over them. “What am I going to do?” He asks himself quietly, his mind drawing blank after blank. He didn’t really want to anger Lucifer, but at the same time... it was hard not to. Drawing his knees up, Adam crosses his arms over them and leans his forehead against his arms, sitting in silence and thinking to himself. He was thinking about a lot of things.
For once, Adam was actually wrong...Lucifer wasn't angry at Adam...he was just, irritated that he couldn't figure out exactly what was going on. For all intents and purpose, he should treat Adam little better than a captive and yet here was a home built for him specifically. Creature comforts that Adam didn't need to have, but Lucifer had given him anyway. Things he wouldn't give his vessel he had already freely given Adam. He'd certainly put up with more bouts of temper from the human than he would put up with from his vessel. Sam did not need to speak...and yet Adam was still alive and well. With all of his limbs and faculties intact even. What was ironic was that Lucifer was almost an exact mirror of Adam's posture. He hadn't had shoes on, but his feet sat in the water, his jeans getting wet every time the water rolled in, his feet slowly sinking into the sand. Though Lucifer's hands were behind him, letting the sand run through his fingers as his weight forced his hands to sink down into the dry sand.
After a while, Adam lifts his head up to look out at the water, wrapping his knees up in his arms. The sound of the water was calming, soothing to his mind. Not that any of his problems were going to go away, but whatever comfort he could get worked for him right now. He supposed he should take some comfort in the fact that he was still even breathing right now. The fact that Lucifer had let him live this long had to be some kind of miracle. He couldn’t deny that Lucifer had been kind... in his own ways. He wasn’t easy to understand, that was for sure. He was all over the place, and didn’t seem to notice when he contradicted himself so long as it suited his best interests. How he didn’t see the similarities between himself and humans, Adam would never know. But he wasn’t going to point it out either. He had the feeling that would be taking things just a step too far. Lucifer had said that he wouldn’t kill Adam, but you never know what anyone might do when they were angry enough.
Lucifer gave up and just decided to be honest...why not? Adam seemed content and willing to stick around for the long haul...and that meant that eventually he'd find out, especially with how perceptive he'd been so far. So the Devil got up and walked over the island and found Adam sitting near the water, which brought a small smile to Lucifer's lips. He hesitated then, not knowing what to do...how to start this...so he sat next to Adam and sighed quietly. "I don't hate you." He said again, his voice still quiet and now slightly unsure of itself. "I don't know...why that is...but I don't." He said awkwardly, he sounded frustrated with himself and his inability to articulate what it was that was running through his head. "I didn't mean to upset you." He ended with, sitting quietly after that, looking highly awkward and slightly confused at the same time.
After a long silence, Adam turns his head to look at Lucifer, examining him seriously. The devil had no reason to lie about this. Still, it was in some ways hard to believe, in others, not so difficult. The past couple of days had been strange. Making sense of them was a lifelong task at the very least. Besides, the awkward look on Lucifer’s face... it was... endearing. Seeing Lucifer look so unsure of himself was strange. “It’s fine. Just forget about it okay?”
Right now, Adam thought that trying to put whatever awkward... whatever this was behind them as soon as possible would be the best thing. He had a feeling that the two of them were capable of sitting around and being miserable with one another for a very long time. It wasn’t the way that Adam had planned on spending the day, and he wanted to try and save what was left of it. Whatever might be capable of being saved. “I’m not...” Adam trails off, frowning slightly before starting again, deciding to make it simple and leaving it there. “I’m sorry.”
Lucifer bit on the inside of his cheek for a while, before muttering under his breath, "Me too." He said it fast enough that it might have been one word. He eventually stood up and held one hand down to Adam and decided they were going somewhere on the other island chain. The islanders wouldn't even know they were there. Once Adam took his hand they shifted and were on another beach. Unlike Lucifer's little island, there were more sounds of life here. More birds and bugs sounded from the forest that bordered part of the beach...large rock formations at one end. "Perhaps this island will prove more fun to explore?" He says the tell-tale smirk playing at his mouth, pulling Adam to his feet, as he let go he trailed his fingers along his palm before letting his hand drop back to his side.
Adam could have sworn that he actually heard the devil apologize. But, since they had just barely patched things over, he kept his mouth shut and took Lucifer’s hand instead, though it took considerable effort. Getting to his feet, Adam looked around his new surrounding, feeling that same small shiver go down his spine at Lucifer’s slight touch. This island was teaming with life compared to the one that they had just come from. More mountains, more vegetation, and a lot more places to go. Plus, it was gorgeous. Going to take a step, Adam freezes in place when he feels something crawling across is bare foot, suddenly remembering his shoes, still sitting on the beach on the other small island. Looking down, Adam spots a giant spider crawling up the heel of his leg. “Son of a...” He exclaims, flicking his foot to knock the spider off, jumping up, his arms wrapping around Lucifer’s neck, his legs around his waist to get his feet off the ground. Adam wasn’t a fan of giant, possibly poisonous anything, especially spiders. “Lucifer I need my shoes!”
Lucifer's arms move to help hold him up, though Lucifer's expression never changed, his body just reacted without his consent again. He didn't know whether that was a good thing or a bad thing considering. He watched the spider crawl away and Adam's shoes were on the sand next to Lucifer's feet. He almost didn't say anything about them though, he liked Adam close like this, even if he was a bit large for a spider monkey. Entirely too tall and gangly for that. Lucifer trailed his cooler fingertips up Adam's spine, slipping under his shirt since he had him there...for a moment. "Yes...apparently you do, though that spider won't hurt you. Not poisonous." He said, blinking and removing his hand and allowing Adam to get down and put on his shoes. He didn't bother 'putting' on his clothing, the jeans were enough for him...not like anything here could harm him. And he knew Adam didn't mind looking at him without a shirt on. Why not let him stare if he wanted to? Lucifer's ego always needed a good stroking.
Adam instinctively moved closer when Lucifer’s fingers trailed up his spine, his grip on Lucifer tightening, before letting his feet touch the ground again. “I still... I don’t like spiders” Picking up his shoes, Adam carefully steps his was over to a large rock, sitting down on it so that he could slip his shoes on. It was safe to say that he felt like a complete moron right now. But he didn’t like spiders, it wasn’t a crime. Besides, he didn’t know if it was poisonous or not.
His shoes on his feet, and his jeans rolled down again to cover his legs; Adam stands up, looking around at the significantly larger island. It really was amazing. He had to appreciate that Lucifer would bring him here, this place that he would otherwise never have seen in his life. “Where are we going first?” He asks, both curious, and wanting to distract from what had just happened. He seemed to be doing that a lot lately.
He noticed Adam's ploy...and shrugged, there were caves toward the rocky end of the shore, they weren't too deep, but some were interesting...the forest had more spiders and he doubted Adam would want to go wandering there, but that was an option as well. "Well...there's caves and cliff jumping there," He pointed down the beach toward the rocks. "And there's the jungle. There. Jungle means more spiders, and as much as I enjoy you climbing all over me like that, you might attract the locals if you yell everytime you see a spider." He pointed toward the trees. His tone was joking, but the part about Adam climbing on him was...obviously a double entendre. He smirked and started walking slowly toward the rocks. Knowing that answer before he said it.
Feeling his face flush a bit at Lucifer’s comment about climbing all over him, Adam falls into step behind Lucifer. He was more than happy to avoid the jungle and spiders and making a bigger ass of himself than he already had. Besides, caves and cliff diving? How could he say no to that? He was glad Lucifer was going slow. The land here was more uneven and he had to carefully watch his footing so that he didn’t trip and fall over something. Plus he wanted to look around the island while they went. While the island that they were staying on was calmer, and more peaceful, this one had more variety, more interesting things to look at, and more scenery.
“Locals, so there are other people on the island?” He asked once they were closer to the caves. If so, Adam really hoped that they were nowhere near here. He had no desire to interact with people and Lucifer at the same time anytime soon.
He nodded in response to the comment about the locals. Yes, small tribes really...the islands had been volcanic for so long and recently that tourism had yet to come here. A few anthropologists had over the years, but nothing and no one had yet come to take the tribe's land. "They don't come here...they stay on the other side of the island, closer to the rest of the ones in the chain. Also the caves pull their boats in...they think it's cursed. Just currents...angry spirits." He turned around and slowly continued in the same direction, walking slowly backwards and grinning widely at the slight pink on Adam's face. Lucifer thought he had some other ideas that might put color in his cheeks. He stopped walking for a moment, letting Adam get within arm's distance before pulling on his shirt to get him closer, and as he pulled the shirt vanished...and that left all the space in the world for Lucifer's hands to travel later. He didn't quite touch Adam just yet, but good things come to those who wait.