Sloth

by L-J Baker

"Did he?"

  "Really, Lucifer, I don't understand why you keep those things as pets. You're supposed to cage them up and put them to use. They're worker bees, not lap dogs."

  "Harley happens to be a very good friend, Uriel. She's not a pet."

  Uriel waved a hand in the air. "Whatever you say."

  Luc relaxed in the chair and took a deep swallow of his drink. The cool liquid felt good on his throat and even better in his bloodstream. It was times like this that he wished it was easier to become intoxicated the way humans so often found themselves.

  "So, what are you doing to retrieve Harley before Michael turns her into a pile of dust?" Luc shuddered at the thought, but did his best to remain outwardly calm in front of his sister.

  "Father told me what Michael is looking for."

  "Oh?"

  "The Hell Tablet. That's a dangerous thing to lose track of."

  "I haven't lost track of it."

  "No, but if Michael has his way, you will." Uriel picked her drink back up and took two short sips, then returned the glass to the table.

  "Michael needs to learn that he can't always get what he wants."

  Uriel laughed. "You should know by now that he will never learn that lesson."

  "Well, then he will be continuously disappointed, because he will never get that tablet from me."

  "What if I asked you for it?"

  Luc sat forward and stared at his sister for a long moment. "Are you asking?"

  "No. I just wondered if it was because it was Michael that wanted it, that you were refusing."

  "If father told you about the tablet, I'm sure he told you what it does."

  "He did."

  "Then you should understand what a mistake that it would be to allow it to be used."

  "You assume that Michael wants to use it? Maybe he just doesn't want you to have it."

  "The thought had occurred to me, Uriel, however it is irrelevant. Father entrusted the tablet to me, and it will stay with me, unless he tells me otherwise."

  "So if father told you to give it to Michael, so he could use it, break open the gates of Hell, forever, you would hand it over?" The corners of Uriel's mouth came up, enjoying the scenario that Luc was sure was playing out in her little mind.

  She knew him too well.

  "Of course not."

  And he wouldn't.

  Luc enjoyed Earth and he respected humans. They might not be the most intelligent creature, and they may make more mistakes than any species should, but they tried. They lived and they died. They loved and they survived heartbreak. They learned and they grew. They deserved to go on doing those things, and making mistakes, until they screwed it up so much on their own, that their existence was unsustainable. They should not be taken out by demons and the damned. Nor should it be Michael's choice when, or if, that happens.

  "This is the attitude that got you kicked out of Heaven to begin with. You know that right?"

  "Stop playing games with me, Uriel. I spent three days with our father and I'm in no mood for anymore bullshit. How do I get Harley back?"

  "Goodness, Lucifer, you are literally zero fun these days." Uriel stood and smoothed her hands over her gown. "I'll take care of your pet. Relax."

  "I'll relax when she's returned safely."

  "Oh, was safely part of the deal?" She tilted her head and batted her lashes a few times.

  Luc ground his teeth together and took a deep breath. He wasn't going to let her get to him. He would play nice until Harley was back. After that, he made no promises.

  "Fine." She rolled her eyes. "I'll make sure she's still alive, or whatever demons actually are. Are they alive? Or is it like vampires?"

  "Uriel…"

  "Get some rest, brother. You look like shit."

  With that, Uriel disappeared in the same dramatic flash and cloud of fog that she had arrived in. Luc slumped in the chair and closed his eyes. All he could do now was wait.

  ***

  Sitting around waiting wasn't one of Luc's strong points. He was used to getting his way, to snapping his fingers and having the world at his feet. Since the game started, nothing had been working out in his favor. Maybe that was part of his father's punishment for choosing to be on Earth, rather than in Hell. Az would likely say it was, but then Dad had more important things to worry about.

  Seeing him was harder than Luc imagined. At some point, Az would want to know the details of his visit. Harley would too, if she was returned in one piece. It was the promise his father made, but Luc couldn't help but worry that something would go wrong. It wasn't like he had Michael under his control anymore. Maybe he never did.

  Luc paced the room with a drink in his hand. Even the alcohol didn't take away the twisted feeling in his gut. He needed something to bring him peace in his mind, something to quiet the chaos swarm of worry and rage.

  He went to the mirror and flicked his wrist. He'd tried to bring up Harley, to see what was happening to her, but only dark fog appeared. Michael wasn't stupid. He made sure Luc couldn't find him, or Harley. He flicked his wrist again and Ronnie Falcon appeared from the fog. She was in bed, dressed in a cropped shirt and underwear. Her left hand was absently tracing circles along one thigh.

  Luc was drawn in with that one simple movement. It had been months since he'd seen her and the same feelings rushed back. Soul mate or not, there was a strong physical attraction to her. He wanted to flash into her bedroom, take her right there in that moment. He could always take the memory of how he arrived from her with his powers, even though he tried to avoid that when possible.

  Harley would be angry. It would be breaking the rules, but Luc was sick of rules. Rules got him banished from his home. They got him separated from his family. They got him thrown into a situation where his brother was trying to take everything from him. Rules could fuck off.

  Luc closed his eyes and brought himself to Ronnie's front door. It would be less invasive than appearing in her bedroom. The house was quiet and dark. He thought about ringing the bell, until images of her three siblings yanking open the door and staring at him, filled his mind. Instead, he slipped out his phone and sent her a text.

  It read simply, "I'm outside. I need you."

  She didn't answer. Not in text, anyway. She pulled open the door, seconds later, still in her underwear. Her mouth opened, but Luc didn't give her a chance to speak. He pulled her hard against him, crushing her mouth against his. Everything about her welcomed him in. Her body melted into him like no time had passed.

  Without separating, they stumbled into the house, closing the door behind them. Luc reached for the lock and clicked it, as she dragged him toward the stairs. Once they reached the landing, Luc lifted her into his arms, and she wrapped her legs around his waist. He carried her like that, into her room, and tossed her on the bed.

  He'd missed everything about Ronnie. The smell of her hair, the way she glanced up at him with that come-fuck-me look, and especially, the way the taste of her melted on his tongue, like the most decadent dessert. She was exquisite.

  While he was standing there, marveling in the beauty of the woman before him, she lost patience, and pulled her shirt over her head. She threw it at him and he caught it. It smelled of her scent and he wanted more.

  Her eyes fell to his pants, as she curled a strand of dark hair around her fingers. It was more patience than Ronnie usually exhibited, but Luc knew she wouldn't last much longer. He undid his pants, pushed them down, and stepped out of them. Next came his shirt, undoing the buttons in record time, then he added it to the pile on the floor.

  The last few days melted away, his only thoughts focused on the amazing woman looking up at him. She hooked one finger and motioned for him to come to her. After one last moment of soaking her in, he joined her on the bed, climbing up slowly, like a cat stalking it's prey. Luc kissed each smooth leg, alternating back and forth between them as he went.

  When he reached the top of her thighs, she grabbed fistfuls of his hair and pulled him int
o her. The thing Luc loved the most about Ronnie, was that she always knew exactly what she wanted, and she wasn't afraid to demand it.

  And demand it, she did.

  Luc wasn't about to deny her. She hadn't questioned why he was there, or turned him away. She took him in, gave him her body, and released him from the agonizing worry he'd been steeped in. He would make sure to give her everything her body craved.

  He dipped his tongue into her, letting her silky taste drip onto him. Her soft whimpers encouraged him to continue, flicking his tongue over her in quick succession. He could drag it out, tease her for hours if he liked, but that wasn't what either of them wanted. Ronnie liked instant gratification. She wanted it now, she wanted it hard, and she wanted it fast, and Luc would give her exactly that.

  It might have been months since he'd dug his fingers into her hips and held her to his face, but he would never forget what she liked. Less than a minute in, and she was screaming her orgasm, with her face pressed against a pillow. It reminded him to stay quiet, that her siblings were likely asleep down the hall.

  Luc moved up and kissed her mouth, sharing her taste with her. Before breaking from the kiss, he thrust inside her, letting her scream vibrate against his lips, muffling the sound. She squeezed around him, tightening to the point of pain, like a vice grip. Luc gave her a moment to adjust, before finding a rhythm of pulling back and slamming hard into her. He felt her get close, so he flipped them, landing on his back on her bed, with her laying on top of him.

  She liked it best that way. She preferred the control, to set the pace, to be the one in charge. Luc was happy to give her that. He was tired of having to make decisions, to be responsible, to pay the price for everything that went down. Tonight, he would give that up to Ronnie. She could do what she pleased, as she pleased, and for as long as she pleased.

  Luc folded his hands behind his head as she sat up and settled herself on him. Any stray thoughts fell away once she started to move. With one hand on his chest for support, she slid her body back and forth against him, bringing herself almost to the point of coming off him each time, but stopping right before he popped out of her tight warmth.

  She started off slow, uncharacteristic for her, but built up to a faster pace. Her breasts bounced in time with her thrusts and her mouth made silent moans, which sent Luc's need into overdrive. He wanted to flip her back over, take her from behind, and slam into her until her screams woke the neighbors.

  Instead, he allowed her to direct, to take her time, to bring them the slow release that would carry act one to a close. He had no intention of running out of there any time soon. For as long as he could keep her awake, he would stay, pleasuring her, and reminding them both how well they worked together.

  At least in bed.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Luc woke up to a dull moan, that made him jump out of the chair he was sleeping in. He then tripped over the coffee table, fell face-first into the sofa, and landed on a blanket covered body.

  "Oww! What the hell, Lucifer!"

  He was promptly pushed to the floor with a blanket tossed on his face.

  "Harley?" After untangling himself from the coverings, and jumping to his feet, Luc found Harley laying on his couch, covered in bruises, bandages, and crusted blood. Her hair had been cut off, her face slashed, and she looked like she'd been dumped on his couch to be left for dead. How close she'd come to such a fate, Luc could only imagine.

  "Your brother is a dick." She tried to push herself up on her elbows, but one arm hung loosely at her side, as if it was nothing more than decoration. "Am I dead?"

  Luc gathered her into his arms, as gently as he could manage, and kissed the top of her head. "You're not dead. Thank God, you're not dead."

  Literally.

  Harley was back. She would heal from her injuries. The tablet was safe. Though none of those things were guaranteed to stay that way. Now, Luc had to make sure they did. His focus would stay where it belonged. No more ridiculous games. No more crazy ideas about love. He would worry about the things that mattered: his best friend, his responsibilities to Hell, and getting his asshole brother back for hurting Harley.

  "Good." She pried one swollen eye open and winked at him. "Because we need to get started on the next pick."

  "Funny." Luc carried Harley to his bed and laid her down, making a soft nest of blankets around her. She would get dried blood all over his pristine white sheets, but the thought didn't cross his mind. All that mattered was getting her back to health.

  "I'm not kidding." She pushed up the best she could and accepted a glass of water from him that had been sitting next to the bed. She took a few small sips, winced, and handed the glass back.

  "Harley, I'm done with that game. I should have been focused on my responsibilities. Then maybe none of this would have happened."

  "Absolutely not." She grabbed his sleeve, keeping him from moving out of her reach. "There is no way Michael is going to take anything from us. He won't get the Hell Tablet. He doesn't get to kill me. And no fucking way will that asshat stop you from finding your true love."

  The last thing Luc wanted to do was argue with her while she looked like she'd gone through a cheese grater, so he nodded and smiled. They could argue over it when she felt better. Since she healed faster than humans, that wouldn't take too long, but they would deal with it then. For now, he would take care of her.

  "Get some rest." Luc covered her with a blanket and settled into the chair in the corner. He wasn't ready to take his eyes off her.

  It was unlikely Michael would bother to come looking for her. Whatever he'd wanted, he either got, or realized he never would. Either way, she was of little importance to his self-righteous, asshole brother.

  Now it was a matter of preparing to face him, because at some point, that was inevitable.

  ***

  "How's she doing?" Az stuck his head in the doorway and looked around.

  "She's sleeping." Luc held one finger up to his lips. "If you wake her, I will kill you."

  Two days of Harley, partially incapacitated, in Luc's apartment, was enough to drive anyone mad. Those few peaceful moments when she fell asleep were the only times he could even hear himself think.

  It was Luc's own fault and he knew it. He'd refused to allow her to work, or leave the apartment, or do much of anything besides heal. In his defense though, she had several broken bones, at least four deep lacerations, and enough stitches and bruises to practically cover her body. She needed to take the time to get better. Thankfully, she was a demon, and they healed at an accelerated rate, so the torture would be over soon.

  She was actually lucky to be healing at all. With the blade she was cut with, she should have fared much worse. It was only because Luc happened to have a bit of salve that worked wonders on ancient, mythical blade injuries. The devil had to have at least a few tricks up his sleeve.

  "She still in a pissy mood?" Az slipped all the way in and inched the door shut behind him.

  "If she hears you calling her that, she will cut off your ball sack and mount it on her wall." Luc cleaned up the lunch mess and started sorting through some papers, while Az made himself comfortable on the sofa. It was like he had a couple children to take care of with those two.

  "I wasn't calling her pissy, just her mood. Not that I blame her. She went through hell. Did you see that slice on her thigh? I'm surprised he didn't take her whole leg off with it."

  Luc tried not to think about what Michael did to her. She didn't want to talk about it and he wasn't going to push. Each time he caught sight of her injuries, which was often, it angered him all over again. If Michael was within reach, Luc would have ripped his head off and crushed it to ash.

  He wasn't sure how Uriel got her away from their scumbag brother, but he would have to thank her for the assistance next time they met up. Which would likely be sometime in a few thousand years from now. Not that she did it out of the goodness in her heart. Luc doubted she even had one. Either way though, she di
d help when he'd needed it, and he was grateful.

  "Don't you two have anything better to do than talk about me behind my back?" Harley stood in the doorway of the bedroom, leaning against the frame to keep her weight off her bad leg.

  "What are you doing out of bed alone?" Luc jumped up and went to help her to the couch.

  "I'm not an infant, Lucifer. Stop treating me like I can't take care of myself. I can, you know?" Harley shrugged Luc off and settled herself onto the couch, pushing Az out of her way.

  "Of course you're not. I just don't want anything to interfere with your healing."

  "I'm almost completely healed. You can stop worrying now, dad." She leaned back and propped her injured leg on Az's lap. "You can get me a drink though. And I don't mean orange juice, either."

  "Vitamin C will help you heal." Luc got up and went over to grab her a tequila. She might be healing well, but he still felt guilty about what his brother did to her. It was his fault that she was even involved in any of this mess. The least he could do was look after her and make sure she got what she needed to repair her injuries.

  "And vitamin E will help with the stitches, and that green shit you tried to convince me didn't taste so bad, is good for circulation. Yeah, I get it, but I'm a god damned demon, Lucifer. I will heal just fine on my own. Oh, and by the way, you're the Devil, not my nurse maid." She took the tequila Luc handed her, downed it, and held the glass out for more.

  After Luc filled her glass twice more, he settled down on the chair and took a deep breath. "I realize that I may not be the perfect caretaker, but I'm doing the best I can."

  "I know that." Harley let out a deep sigh. "I appreciate everything you've done. Really I do. I know what you did to get me out of that shit hole and I'm sure it cost you more than you're going to say, but enough is enough. I'm fine. Stop worrying about me like I'm going to disappear at any second."

  "Fine. I'll back off."

  "Damn right you will, because I've been working on choosing the next girl, and you're going to shift your focus to her, and leave me alone."