The next day...
The Family Burger on Paradise was a nightmare of vibrant plastic and greasy aromas. It was also, much to Lucifer's delight, his new favorite study spot. He slouched in a booth, surrounded by a fortress of textbooks and crumpled sandwich wrappers, glaring at a particularly vexing algebra problem as if he could set it aflame through sheer force of will.
I've spent millennia devising torments for the damned, Lucifer thought bitterly, and yet somehow, high school math remains the most sadistic thing I've ever encountered.
He was so engrossed in his misery that he barely noticed when two figures slid into the booth across from him. It wasn't until a french fry bounced off his forehead that Lucifer looked up, scowling.
"Earth to Lu-chan!" chirped Reagan Cabot, a mischievous grin plastered across his boyishly handsome face. "You in there, buddy?"
Beside him sat Sasha Morgan, her long silver hair cascading over shoulders that seemed too delicate to support her... ample tits. She regarded Lucifer with a mix of amusement and concern, one perfectly manicured eyebrow raised.
"You look like shit," Sasha said bluntly. "How many of these make-up exams are you taking, anyway?"
Lucifer groaned, letting his head thunk onto the sticky tabletop. "All of them," he mumbled into his textbook. "Literally all of them."
Reagan let out a low whistle. "Damn, dude. I knew you were behind, but this is next level. What, did you sleep through the entire semester?"
Lucifer lifted his head just enough to fix Reagan with a baleful glare. If only the idiot knew how close to the truth he was. Lucifer had indeed spent a good chunk of the semester in a state of semi-consciousness, his body and mind still adjusting to the constraints of his new mortal(ish) form. By the time he'd fully come to his senses, he'd missed so many classes that catching up seemed about as likely as Satan hosting a charity bake sale.
"Something like that," Lucifer muttered.
Sasha reached across the table, snatching one of Lucifer's fries. "Well, you can't keep going like this. You look like you haven't slept in weeks."
Try centuries, Lucifer thought darkly.
"I could... help you study, if you want," Sasha offered, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. "I mean, I'm not a genius or anything, but I do okay in most subjects."
Lucifer perked up at that. Sasha was being modest – she consistently ranked in the top ten of their class. Having her as a tutor could be the difference between passing his make-up exams and... well, he wasn't entirely sure what happened to demons who flunked out of high school, but he had a feeling it wasn't pleasant.
"That would be amazing," Lucifer said, flashing Sasha a grateful smile. He pretended not to notice the way her blush deepened at his attention. "I don't suppose you'd be willing to work for food?"
Sasha's eyes lit up. "Now you're speaking my language!"
Reagan laughed, clapping Lucifer on the shoulder. "Careful, man. You don't know what you're getting into. This girl could eat a sumo wrestler under the table."
As if to prove his point, Sasha flagged down a waiter and proceeded to order enough food to feed a small army. Lucifer watched in fascinated horror as she rattled off item after item, her petite frame seeming to expand with each addition to the order.
Well, Lucifer mused, I guess even Paradise has its own eldritch horrors.
Not that he had enough to risk buying Sasha a mountain for breakfast, but he really needed this to ace an upcoming test.
As they waited for the food to arrive, conversation turned to more mundane topics. Reagan complained about his latest romantic conquest ("She said my aura was too 'chaotic.' What does that even mean?"), while Sasha animatedly described her part-time job at the Pontoon Paradise Mega-Corp.
"It's mostly boring data entry stuff," she admitted, "but sometimes I overhear the weirdest things. Like, did you know there's an entire department dedicated to 'interdimensional customs enforcement'?"
Lucifer nearly choked on his soda. "You're kidding."
Sasha shook her head, her eyes wide. "Nope! I guess with all the demons and stuff around here, they have to keep track of who's coming and going from... you know, other realms and whatnot."
If they only knew, Lucifer thought, fighting back a smirk. He wondered idly what kind of paperwork he'd have to fill out if they ever found out about his true origins. 'Reason for Visit: Existential Crisis and Possible Redemption Arc' probably wouldn't fit on the standard forms.
The arrival of their food momentarily halted the conversation. Lucifer watched in equal parts amazement and disgust as Sasha tucked into her mountain of sandwiches, fries, and milkshakes with the enthusiasm of a starving wolf. Reagan, seemingly used to the spectacle, simply shook his head and focused on his own more modest meal.
As the feeding frenzy continued, Lucifer found his mind wandering. He looked around the garish restaurant, taking in the mix of humans and demons going about their lives. A family of what appeared to be minor fire elementals bickered over who got the last chicken nugget.
A succubus in a business suit tapped away at her laptop, pausing occasionally to flirt with the utterly oblivious human waiter. In the corner, a group of teenagers – some with horns, others without – huddled around a smartphone, giggling at whatever was on the screen.
It was all so... normal. And yet, so utterly bizarre.
Is this really my life now? Lucifer wondered, a familiar ache of longing and confusion settling in his chest. Crappy fast food and algebra and pretending I'm just another face in the crowd?
He was pulled from his brooding by Sasha's voice. "Lu-chan? You okay? You kind of spaced out there for a second."
Lucifer blinked, forcing a smile. "Yeah, sorry. Just... thinking about all the studying I still have to do."
Reagan groaned sympathetically. "Don't remind me. I've got a history test tomorrow that I am so not ready for."
"Oh!" Sasha exclaimed, her mouth still full of fries. She swallowed quickly, then continued, "That reminds me. There's a new student transferring into our class next week. Some girl from out of town. Ezra... something or other."
Lucifer nodded absently, his mind already drifting back to the stack of textbooks looming before him. New students weren't exactly uncommon on Paradise – the place was a magnet for all sorts of unusual individuals looking for a fresh start.
As his friends continued chatting, Lucifer tried to focus on his studies. But the numbers and formulas seemed to swim before his eyes, refusing to coalesce into anything resembling coherent thought. He suppressed a sigh, resigning himself to another long night of frustration and self-doubt.
One day at a time, he reminded himself. You've got eternity to figure this shit out. No pressure.
With that less-than-comforting thought, Lucifer dove back into his textbooks, hoping against hope that some of this mortal knowledge would finally stick in his immortal brain.
***