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[maddest]

[You rang?]

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[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."

[maddest]

"You said 'will.'" He corrects, unwilling to let him back away from that, just yet.