LOVE OR SEX || Radioapple

Chapter 01

Lucifer lounged in his oversized leather chair, one hand casually resting on the armrest while the other brought a freshly lit joint to his lips. The rich scent of weed filled the room, blending with the low thrum of tension in the air. His eyes, dark and calculating yet filled with a strange kind of pleasure, were locked on the scene playing out before him.

Angel, one of his most trusted workers, stood a few feet away, delivering a series of brutal spanks to a man bound at the waist. Each slap was met with a sharp cry from the man who had crossed them, his skin already marked with the angry red signs of punishment. Angel's eyes burned with focus, and there was a wild energy in his every movement that made Lucifer smirk.

Lucifer exhaled slowly, a cloud of smoke drifting lazily from his mouth. "Mmm, God, he's sexy when he works, isn't he?" His voice dripped with amusement, barely hiding the excitement underneath. He leaned back further, as if settling in to enjoy the show even more.

Husk, standing next to him with his arms crossed, glanced over at Lucifer before focusing on Angel. "Sexy or not, he's reckless," Husk muttered, his voice low and steady as always. The ever-serious doctor was never one for theatrics. His sharp eyes missed nothing as he observed Angel's intense, almost gleeful, punishment. "He's young, Lucifer. Keeps ignoring the advice I give him—won't take things seriously. This kind of thing can get out of hand real fast."

Lucifer chuckled, the sound deep and smooth like honey, taking another hit from his joint. "Young? Husk, come on. Angel's twenty-two, not some fresh-faced kid. He knows what he's doing." Lucifer's gaze never left Angel, watching as the younger man threw himself into his work with a mixture of anger and flair. "Besides, look at him. He's handling it fine, isn't he?"

Husk sighed, shaking his head slightly, though his eyes betrayed a hint of concern. "That's the problem. He handles it like he's invincible. You can tell him to dial it back, but he won't listen. One day, that arrogance is gonna get him hurt."

Lucifer smiled, a slow, indulgent smile. "Arrogance is part of the charm, Husk. He reminds me of myself back in the day." He let the smoke swirl around him as he stretched his legs out. "Besides, I've got my eye on him. I wouldn't let him take it too far. Not yet." 

Husk didn't respond immediately, his gaze hardening as Angel landed another stinging blow on the man's exposed skin. The guy let out another howl, but Angel's expression stayed cool, almost detached, save for the faint smirk curling at the edges of his mouth.

"You think you've got control over him," Husk finally said, his tone laced with doubt. "But he's not like you. You don't see how far he pushes when you're not around. Just remember, Lucifer, youth burns bright—but it burns out fast."

Lucifer blew out another puff of smoke, his smile never wavering. "Don't worry, doc. I know my people." His voice took on a darker, more possessive edge. "And Angel? He knows exactly where he stands."

Angel's movements grew more aggressive as he delivered each slap, his breathing shallow, eyes narrowing with barely contained rage. The man's cries became desperate, his skin now an angry, bruised red, but Angel showed no signs of stopping. His arm swung with relentless fury, and the crack of his palm against the man's flesh echoed in the room like thunder.

Lucifer leaned forward slightly, intrigued by the escalating intensity, but Husk's expression darkened.

"That's enough, Angel," Husk said, his voice cutting through the tension. His usual calm was still there, but now there was a hard edge to it. "Stop that shit. We're not here to kill him."

Angel ignored him, his face twisted with anger as he continued, each strike fueled by something far deeper than the moment. His jaw clenched, sweat beading on his forehead. The man beneath him, barely conscious, whimpered, but Angel's focus was somewhere else—somewhere darker.

"Angel," Husk barked, stepping forward now, his patience running out. "I said stop!"

Lucifer watched with mild amusement, his eyes flicking between the two, waiting to see how this would unfold. He knew that look on Angel's face all too well—he wasn't just angry at the guy in front of him. No, this was personal, and it had nothing to do with business.

Suddenly, Angel threw the strap to the ground and spun around to face Husk, his chest heaving with rage. "You don't tell me when to stop!" he shouted, his voice cracking with raw emotion. "He deserves this—people like him deserve worse!"

Husk didn't flinch, his expression cold. "You're angry at the wrong person, Angel," he said firmly, stepping closer. "This isn't about him. It's about your ex, isn't it? The shit he did to you. The scars he left." Husk's eyes flicked to the marks on Angel's arms, faint but visible—the burns, the reminders of pain inflicted by someone he once trusted.

Angel's nostrils flared, his eyes blazing with fury. "You don't know what the fuck you're talking about," he hissed, his fists clenched, clearly ready for a fight. His body trembled with the force of his emotions, and Lucifer's grin widened, enjoying the spectacle.

Husk, though, wasn't having it. "I know exactly what this is," Husk said quietly but with unmistakable authority. "You're not thinking straight. You want to take it out on him because you can't go back and take it out on the asshole who did this to you. But if you kill this guy, it'll be on your hands, not his."

Angel stepped forward, fists raised, ready to strike. "Shut the fuck up! I'm not gonna stop until he feels a fraction of what I felt—what I still feel!"

Before Angel could land a punch, Husk moved fast—faster than anyone would've expected. He ducked under Angel's swing and slammed a strong, precise punch into Angel's stomach. The blow was brutal, calculated, and perfectly aimed to knock the wind out of him. Angel gasped, his body seizing up as the air left his lungs, and he staggered backward, clutching his abdomen in shock.

"Sorry, kid," Husk muttered, watching as Angel's eyes rolled back before he collapsed to the floor with a soft thud, unconscious.

Lucifer tilted his head, taking another slow drag from his joint, completely unbothered by the sudden violence. He exhaled the smoke leisurely, his eyes shining with a mixture of amusement and curiosity. "Always so efficient, Husk," he said with a chuckle. "Though you didn't have to knock him out. He was just getting interesting."

Husk straightened up, brushing off his knuckles. "He was about to do something he'd regret, Lucifer," Husk replied, his voice as steady as ever. He looked down at Angel, now lying motionless on the floor. "He needs to work through that anger before it consumes him."

Lucifer's gaze lingered on Angel for a moment, then he smiled lazily. "I like that fire in him. He'll be fine. And besides, sometimes a little anger is exactly what a man needs to remind him he's still alive."

Husk didn't respond, his focus already shifting back to the man Angel had been punishing, who lay trembling and barely conscious on the floor. The job wasn't over, and Husk knew it. But the real issue? That would come later, when Angel woke up, still carrying those same scars, still burning with that same rage.