King of Hearts ( Lucifer x OC )

Chapter 28 : House Of Cards

( Chapters 1, 4, 20, and 22 have been updated with new details and dialogs. Chapter 20 Beach scene dialogs have been revised heavily, Chapter 1 has also been revised immensely so I suggest you check it out to see all the new details! And in Chapter 22 Elder shadow demon named "Jack" had been renamed to "Arlo". I know this sounds a lot but it's not enough to impact the story. To the long-time readers, I'm sorry if ya'll have to keep going back to read the new changes I have written. To the recent readers, please ignore this note as the old drafts have been already changed. )

__________

Chill water rushes down Lawrence's smooth and pale skin as he took his shower in the mansion's guest room bathroom. A lot has happened for the past 2 days. After not being able to go back through Stola's portal to almost getting hit by a vase by Stella because of an unavoidable argument and lastly, to his best friend Lucifer who is somehow acting strange after their time at the beach. He seems to be avoiding him somewhat. Did he do or said something wrong for him to act like that? He doesn't know why. The coldness of the water pouring down over him helps him relax his self-pondering. Washing all the scent of apple-scented shampoo and soap from his soaked brunet hair and body.

After finishing his bathing, he turned off the shower head as he grabbed a towel and dried his hair, and then wrapped it around his waist. He took a closer look in his mirror. Those same amber eyes stared back at him. He began to notice that he'd been growing a stubble on his face. It's been 10 days already and he's beginning to grow a beard. He also noticed his short and lean body, unchanging. With his body frame, he comes off as less intimidating, and from the people he has met so far, he had seen that everyone is pretty much taller than him except for Niffty. Somehow his shorter stature makes him feel a bit insecure and weak of his vulnerability anyone could probably overpower him if they wanted to.

'I'm still in hell. I have to be brave or else anyone would take advantage of me. Don't let them get to you.'

Taking a beard razor from his sink, he began to shave it off. He's grateful to Lucifer for buying him all of his personal belongings that he will need in case he might be staying here in hell for a while. He then brushed his teeth and combed his hair. After glancing at his reflection one last time, he looked better than when he first got here in Lucifer's mansion. His eye bags are fading because of the comfortable quality sleep he'd been getting, his skin is smoother and he smells great thanks to the apple-scented hygiene products that Lucifer kindly shared with him. Overall he looks freshly rejuvenated. At least that's something to be proud of.

Out in the corner of the mirror, he thought he saw some dark shadow, moving closer towards him. He quickly turns around to face it... Only to be nothing there. Paranoia starts to creep onto him as he went back to look at the mirror's reflection, but nothing. Uneasiness floods his nerves as he thinks of a rational explanation for it. Didn't Baxter mention the side effects of his memory restoration were something along the lines of migraines, hyper-dream states, and... Hallucinations?

'Yeah, that could be it. I'm imagining it, that's all.'

He reasoned as he tries to calm himself but he can't help the off-putting feeling he had. This happened in his memory before he got dragged into hell through the use of a mirror.

Scorching charred hands touching his delicate soft skin as it gripped harshly, almost burning him and pulled him into the inverted world while almost grabbed into a tug of war by an unknown demon made of darkness from the safety of his apartment.

He shuddered just remembering it. And then came his slowly increasing throbbing pain on the back of his head. He massaged his temples, trying to ease up the pain as he groaned.