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"Lord Diavolo, I'm sorry, but I can't return your affections."
Lucifer pulled away from the Demon Prince, crossing the study with his arms wrapped tightly around himself.
"Why? Why not?" Diavolo asked, voice just barely above a whisper. "I've seen how you look at me. It's the same way I look at you."
"I can't. That's all."
He heard footsteps shuffling closer and he tensed when they stopped not too far away from him.
"You can't or you don't?"
“I’ve already given you my life and my loyalty, Diavolo.” Lucifer sighed deeply, “I cannot give you anything more.” He felt a hand settle on his shoulder, squeezing gently. He allowed himself enough weakness to place his hand over Diavolo’s. His warmth against Lucifer’s natural chill was what had melted the walls of ice he had built up to protect himself. “I need to protect my brothers, I’ve hurt them enough by my failures in the Celestial Realm. I can’t abandon them. I won’t.”
“Oh, Lucifer…” Diavolo whispered and the very next moment, Lucifer found himself swept into an embrace. “My handsome snow king, my precious diamond, the keeper of my heart.”
“Diavolo, wh—”
“Love is not a transactional relationship,” Diavolo interrupted, “If you give me a piece of yourself, in turn, I will give you pieces of me.”
“I’m far too broken for such things,” Lucifer murmured, even as he sunk into the embrace.
“Then I’ll donate pieces of my heart until those cracks fade. Fill each one in with gold until it shines brighter than before.”
Lucifer turned, careful to not cause Diavolo to move away. Tears threatened to fall, but he ignored them. He looked up at the man that ruled his life and his heart.
“But what of you?”
A chuckle escaped Diavolo as he moved closer. “I can be confident in saying, you’d do the same for me, no?” The love in his expression was plain for all to see, so raw and so genuine, it nearly brought Lucifer back to days of Humility, when he never deserved such things. “I am not all-powerful nor am I as divine as the ones that surely came before me, but one thing is true. I love you. I love you, Lucifer, with everything I have.”
Lucifer leaned forward, tugging Diavolo towards him by the front of his jacket. “I love you too, Diavolo.” A moment later, their lips met in a messy first kiss.
Lucifer wasn’t bothered by it and clearly, neither was Diavolo as they held onto each other as if letting go would erase everything between them.
But when they finally broke apart, the magic didn’t fade. Lucifer allowed his head to drop against Diavolo’s chest as the demon wrapped his arms around Lucifer with a joyous cry.
“Does this mean you accept?” Diavolo asked, still giddy. “Will you be my partner?”
A small chuckle escaped Lucifer as he nodded against Diavolo’s chest. “You truly are the only person I’ve ever known who’s worthy of my partnership.”
And perhaps the only person he’d ever been given the chance to feel worthy of as well.