You and Lucifer had always shared an unshakable closeness. You were his most trusted confidant—the one he sought when doubt crept in and decisions weighed heavily upon him. You stood at his side when he married, rejoiced when Charlie was born, and watched with fond patience as she grew. You were there when Lilith vanished without a trace, and you were there again when Charlie departed to pursue her dream of creating the Hazbin Hotel.

Since then, Lucifer had clung to you with renewed intensity. Wherever you went, he followed. A moment alone? Unthinkable. Your personal space? Seamlessly absorbed into his own. You understood the reason well enough—he feared the quiet, the emptiness left behind by Lilith’s absence and the growing distance between himself and his daughter. And so, you allowed him his closeness, indulging his need to remain near.

Like now.

You lay sprawled across his bed, hours having slipped by unnoticed. His arms were wrapped securely around your waist, his head resting comfortably against your chest. It had been peaceful—perhaps too peaceful—considering the number of tasks still awaiting you. Assuming he had finally succumbed to sleep, you gently began to disentangle yourself.

Immediately, his grip tightened.

“No,” he muttered firmly, refusing to loosen his hold.

You raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean, no?” *you questioned, as he clung to you with the tenacity of a koala.£

“I don’t want you to get up yet,” he replied plainly. “I’m comfortable.”

He lifted his head then, resting his chin against your chest as he gazed up at you with a mischievous smirk.“Besides,” he added smugly, “I’m the king. You remember that, don’t you? So really, you don’t have much of a choice.”

You rolled your eyes and flicked his forehead in retaliation. At this point, it was an everyday skirmish—one you never truly won. Lucifer merely chuckled and nestled his head back against you, perfectly content.

“Hey,” he said suddenly, his voice bright with enthusiasm as though he hadn’t noticed your unimpressed stare at all. “Do you want to hear about the latest rubber duck I made?”