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[maddest]

[You rang?]

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[thelightbringer]

Lucifer comes home from visiting Al around noon. He liberated some milk from Al's cow, and he takes it to Break after shutting (and locking) the door.

"...You remember that cut I had a week ago. On my face."

[maddest]

"Mmmhm?"

Head not lifting. He's sprawled on the couch, eyes shut.

[thelightbringer]

The cream is cold, so he sets the little metal pitcher on Break's head like an ice pack.

"Sick?"

Yes, he's stalling. A little.

[maddest]

"Out with it."

He instructs him, eye cracking open.

[thelightbringer]

"I will if you will."

He sets the pitcher aside.

"It was Al. I goaded him, he hit me. And he told you."

[maddest]

"He did."

Break agrees, yawning.

"You were being, from the sounds of things, a bit of a snot- but I yelled at him anyways."

[thelightbringer]

"He told me you did."

Lucifer sits cross legged on the floor beside him, and cards his fingers through Break's hair.

"It means something to me that you did. It means a lot. ...I didn't hit him back. And I think I should explain--I'm not out to fight with him."

[maddest]

"I know. But you don't get to talk to him about Rhode, any more than Yuca gets to talk to you about Mayuri. All right?"

Fair is fair.

[thelightbringer]

"I normally don't. He asked...and she was the reason."

He sits back on his hands.

"Between that and the spat with the shinigami, it probably looks like I'm axing the work I was doing before I left."

[maddest]

"You get a little leeway, for being set on fire."

He admits, watching him.

"But it does hurt."

[thelightbringer]

He smiles, small and crooked. Break has started referring to the tortures the same way Lucifer does, and it's refreshing.

"Well you know what I'm going to try with Jyuushirou. And I think I'm on Al's good side again. It was just- a bad week."

The worst.

[maddest]

"Do you know my favourite story in the whole wide world? I'm sure I must have told it to you ten times by now."

Broken coffee cups, two little children.

[thelightbringer]

"You have. But Sugarplum hasn't heard it."

And his memories are still shuffled enough that he could use a reminder.

[maddest]

"There are two children in a kitchen. One boy is told he can't have a cookie, and picks up a teacup, smashing it on the floor with anger.

Another boy, in a different kitchen, he's trying to cook his mother breakfast in bed. He climbs up on the counter and brings a shelf down accidentally, smashing ten teacups.

Which boy gets in more trouble?"

[thelightbringer]

"The one who broke a single tea cup."

Whispering the answer loudly to the hellkitten.

"...the real question is which one you think I've been. This week, not in general."

[maddest]

"Oh, sweetheart. It's the ten teacups, every time."

Laughing, stretching out.

"Tell me when you know why."

[thelightbringer]

"I could use a hint."

He moves around so his back is against the couch, his head tilted back to rest against Break's side.

"I'm being lazy today; it's my birthday."

[maddest]

"Because I don't really care that you succeed, just that you try."

Patting him atop the head.

[thelightbringer]

"Mmmnn."

Petting is better than patting.

"I'm glad. That takes a lot of pressure off."

[maddest]

"What have you learned, this week?"

[thelightbringer]

"...That I'm six or seven steps behind where I was when I left."

Since he's being honest.

[maddest]

"What do you mean?"

Prompting, gently.

[thelightbringer]

"Everything is so urgent now. I keep missing things because all I can think about is what I'm going to do next."

He looks at Break, then back at the wall.

"And I can't tolerate people the way I'd learned to do. When I see them now, knowing they hate me, I know they'll help to Cage me. I used to be fine with that."

[maddest]

"They will, not they would?"

Checking his wording.

[thelightbringer]

He swallows hard.

"They would. They can't here--or maybe they can't yet. Rei can make fire for however long, who knows what else they'd work on if they thought it would work."