Lucifer's Other Half

FIVE

Estrella parked her Honda and exhaled loudly, feeling a lot of weight crushed down on her chest. She looked over at the daisies wrapped in a white plastic wrapper and grimaced, they were her mother's favorite. She grasped them and got out of the car, feeling the wind blow through her hair. It's been a month since she's been to the graveyard her mother was buried in, but today something told her to go. She walked through the graveyard slowly, observing the headstones as she passed. Her mother was buried under a tree, by herself, with a nice headstone. She got down on her knees on top of her grave and she stared at the headstone in a silence for a moment.

"Hi mom," she began. "sorry that I didn't come around but you know how I believed," Estrella never understood why people came to the graveyard to speak to the dead but that was before Lucifer came into her life, maybe the dead can hear the living. "I don't know if you know what's going on but if you do just know that I don't feel anything for him and I'm frightened by all of this!" she cried. Her mother was Catholic and Estrella remembered all of the prayers she said and watching her read the Holy bible. She always wore a rosary too, "to protect me" she would say. "maybe if you're in heaven you could ask someone to help me, if you haven't already mom. You always knew how to help me," Estrella wiped the tear off her cheek then laid the flowers on the grave. "guide me, mom. Please. I need your help."

"How did she die?"

Estrella jumped to her feet and spun around fleetingly. Lucifer was staring at her emotionlessly.

"She had a heart attack," she replied simply. "were you eavesdropping?"

"Correct I was; I was quite intrigued as to why you were here but now I understand."

"Wouldn't you know that my mother passed away if you know so much about my life?" Estrella snarled. She crossed her arms over her chest and stared at him.

"I must have missed that and must I say, I don't feel sympathy for humans who lost a loved one but I feel a bit for you."

Estrella clenched her teeth together.

"I don't need nor want your sympathy, Lucifer."

"Maybe not but you got it." he said coolly. He stepped towards her mother's headstone and laid a single pink rose on top of it, causing Estrella's jaw to drop open in shock because he wasn't holding a rose a second ago.

"Pink was her favorite color." she mumbled under her breath so he wouldn't hear, but he did.

He looked over his shoulder at her.

"I know it was."

"Why are you here?" she interrogated unhappily. He huffed then stuck his hands into his jean's pockets.

"Oh the usual, taking a nice scroll in town. Admiring the sights and the humans."

"Very funny, your sarcasm is a charm."

She rolled her eyes then walked away from him, hoping that he would stay like a good boy but he quickly caught up to her side.

"Thank you."

"I was being sarcastic; it wasn't really a compliment."

"That kind of hurts my feelings, Estrella. Even after I gave your mom a flower you're still mean to me," he gripped her arm tightly and turned her around to face him. He towered over her, guarding her with his shadow. "can't you thank me for once?"

"Why would I thank you? My mother was Catholic, she hated you so I know for a fact she wouldn't accept that rose from you if she was alive."

Lucifer reacted as if her words hurt but she knew better than to believe that. She tried to pull her arm free but his grip tightened and he pulled her closer, too close for her liking. His icy breath was on her face, making it difficult for her to breathe. She stared into his black eyes questioningly, wondering why his eyes were pure black but she didn't bother her breath on asking. Lucifer eyed her up and down, taking in every detail as if he feared he would never see her again after today. He worked up enough courage to try to kiss her, he began leaning down to her lips but she jerked away fleetingly. Her eyes were consumed in shock, she was speechless, she couldn't curse him out for trying, but she did turn and walk away without looking back. He sighed.

"You can't blame me for trying!" he yelled after her. She was trying to get away from him as fast as possible.

"You can keep trying all you want Lucifer, but we will never kiss!" she yelled back.

He was going to keep trying all because she said they never would kiss, he wanted to prove her wrong. He wasn't sure where she went but it wasn't like she could disappear, he could find her too quick, that was one of the positive side of having her affect him like she did. He knew everywhere she was. It was as if she was a magnet. Lucifer glanced around him, glimpsing at the headstones that surrounded him. He's never been in a graveyard before but he's seen them from afar. He approached a headstone and lowered down to his knees to read the words engraved on the stone, Rosalynn Flora Kennedy, born 1999 died 2000. Lucifer tilted his head in thought, why would his father take a little baby's life? Lucifer thought he understood his father but after Lucifer turned his back on him, he changed and Lucifer never understood him after that. He shook his head and chuckled once.

"And I'm the bad guy."

"You're supposed to be."

Lucifer knew that voice like he knew his own name. He rose to his feet and turned around to face Barley. He stood a foot from Lucifer, staring at him with his dark red eyes.

"You know you're not supposed to be here," Lucifer folded his arms over his chest. "so why are you?"

Lucifer had a rule in the underworld, no one could enter earth without his knowledge or permission and Barley broke that rule. Just like he always did, Barley thought he was higher than the others and that the rules didn't apply to him but Lucifer had to remind him at times that he was nothing but shit under Lucifer's boot.

"To check on you. You've been coming here a lot and then I remembered that you've been hanging around with a human, your soulmate or whatever. She's a pretty one, I know that. But it looked like to me she doesn't want anything to do with you."

Lucifer's nostrils flared.

"What happens between her and I is none of your business Barley, I suggest you go back to the underworld until I take you back myself and we both know you don't want that to happen." Lucifer warned. Barley cocked his head.

"Don't I?" he challenged. "my lord, I'm going to be honest with you. You've became a pussy since you met that stripper, I knew before you met her you were going to change drastically."

Lucifer chuckled.

"I haven't changed and you're about to see that I haven't."

"Damn!" Barley exclaimed loudly then he started laughing. Lucifer watched in silence. "I wish I could believe you, Lucifer. I really wish I could. Maybe the underworld would be a better place if you stepped back and let someone who isn't whipped by a human rule it, then you can stay here and play husband with your whore." he smirked after he saw Lucifer's facial expression change completely and he knew that he had pushed him over the edge, which was successful in his opinion.

Lucifer appeared in front of Barley and uppercut him, sending him flying into the sky. His jaw dislocated and he felt the metallic sour taste of blood on his tongue, causing him to gag. He slammed into the earth, feeling his arm and leg crack excruciatingly once he landed. Barley howled, squeezing his eyelids shut tightly to try to fight the pain. Lucifer approached him slowly, eyeing him with hatred. He got down on his knees and gripped Barley's chin, jerking him upwards to face him.

"Maybe next time you'll watch your words around me."

Barley swallowed the blood building up in his mouth, he wanted Lucifer to lose his temper. He wanted to see that ruthless ruler he once was.

"And if I don't?"

Lucifer slammed him onto the ground and pried his mouth open with his fingers, he tried to fight back but Lucifer was stronger than he was. He was turning his head, kicking his good leg and squirming beneath him, trying to do everything he could to get free. But Lucifer was able to grip his tongue and he jerked it out of his mouth and threw it onto Barley's chest.

"Try to speak again, go on!" he shouted. Barley was gurgling on his blood and Lucifer watched him suffer for a moment before pulling him up to spit. "I hope you're aware that you won't be able to talk again. I've warned you and I've warned you for years to bite your tongue and think about your words, you just wouldn't listen to me would you?" Lucifer wiped his hand on Barley's shirt and smirked slightly. "I bet it will be hell not being able to talk."

Barley looked up at him, regretting that he had pushed him too far.