Lucifer groaned as his alarm blared, the cheerful j-pop tune feeling like an ice pick to his brain. He fumbled for his phone, squinting at the too-bright screen. 6:30 AM. Lovely.
"I miss Hell," he muttered, dragging himself out of bed. "At least there, 'early morning' was just a theoretical concept."
As he stumbled towards the bathroom, the events of the previous day came flooding back. The fight with the Rebis. Ezra's shocked face. His hasty, partial confession on the rooftop.
Crud, Lucifer thought, splashing cold water on his face. What have I gotten myself into?
He'd managed to dodge most of Ezra's more pointed questions, playing up the "confused teenager just discovering his powers" angle. It wasn't entirely a lie – he was still figuring out how his abilities worked in this mortal realm, in this body.
Back in hell, he'd always done his topside corruption job from a more... spiritual perspective.
But he'd carefully avoided mentioning anything about his true identity or origins.
Just some lost dude called Lucifer with a pretty face and unusual abilities.
Ezra had been skeptical, but seemed willing to reserve judgment for now. She'd even agreed to keep his secret from her superiors at the Crimson Oath, at least until they could figure out what was really going on.
"Great," Lucifer grumbled to his reflection. "Now I've got a teenage demon hunter as my confidante. This can only end well."
"Talking to yourself again, big brother?" a cheerful voice called from the kitchen. "You know that's the first sign of madness, right?"
Lucifer rolled his eyes. And speaking of complications...
He shuffled into the kitchen to find Piper, his "sister," bustling around with her usual morning energy. Her long black hair was tied back in a neat ponytail, and she was already dressed in her school uniform, looking far too put-together for this ungodly hour.
"Good morning, sunshine," Piper chirped, sliding a plate of toast and eggs in front of him. "You look like something a hellhound dragged in. Rough night?"
Lucifer grunted noncommittally, shoveling food into his mouth. Piper was part of his cover story on Paradise – officially, they were orphaned siblings who'd moved here for a fresh start. In reality, she was... well, Lucifer wasn't entirely sure what she was. Some kind of supernatural construct created to help him blend in, he assumed. But there were times when her humanity felt all too real.
"You know," Piper continued, perching on the edge of the table, "if you spent half as much time studying as you do sneaking out at night, you wouldn't be in danger of failing all your classes."
Lucifer nearly choked on his toast. "I wasn't– How did you–"
Piper's grin was positively feline. "Please. I'm your sister. It's my job to know these things." Her expression softened slightly. "I worry about you, you know. You've been so... distant lately."
For a moment, Lucifer felt a pang of genuine guilt. Piper might be a fabrication, but her concern seemed real enough. "I'm fine," he said, forcing a smile. "Just... adjusting, I guess. This place is a lot to take in."
Piper nodded sympathetically. "I know what you mean. Oh! Speaking of new things to take in – did you hear about the transfer student?"
Lucifer blinked, thrown by the sudden change of topic. "Transfer student?"
"Mmhmm," Piper said, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "She's joining my class today. Apparently, she just moved here from some remote mountain village or something. Can you imagine?"
A cold feeling settled in Lucifer's stomach. No, he thought. It couldn't be...
"This transfer student," he said carefully. "She wouldn't happen to be named Ezra, would she?"
Piper's eyebrows shot up. "Yeah, actually. Ezra Rhys. How did you know?"
Lucifer's mind raced. Ezra, transferring to their school? It couldn't be a coincidence. Was this part of her mission to keep tabs on him? Or something more sinister?
"Lucky guess," he said weakly. "Hey, uh, did this Ezra ask about me at all?"
Piper's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "As a matter of fact, she did. She wanted to know if you were in any clubs, what your favorite subjects were... that kind of thing." She leaned in, a mischievous grin spreading across her face. "Luu-luu, you sly dog. Do you have a secret girlfriend?"
"What? No!" Lucifer sputtered, feeling his face heat up. "It's not like that at all. We just... met yesterday. Briefly."
"Uh-huh," Piper said, clearly unconvinced. "Well, whatever's going on, try not to break too many hearts, okay? I don't want to deal with a mob of angry ex-girlfriends showing up at our door."
Lucifer rolled his eyes. "Yes, because that's definitely a problem I have. Too many adoring fans throwing themselves at me."
Piper laughed, ruffling his hair as she stood up. "You never know. Maybe this Ezra will be the one to finally crack that moody exterior of yours."
As Piper bustled off to finish getting ready, Lucifer sat at the table, his mind whirling. Ezra transferring to their school complicated things enormously. He'd have to be on his guard constantly, watching every word and action lest he give himself away.
And yet... a small, traitorous part of him couldn't help but feel a thrill of excitement at the prospect of seeing her again.
Get it together, he chided himself. She's a potential threat, not a potential girlfriend. You're the Prince of Darkness, for crying out loud. You don't get schoolboy crushes.
Still, as he finished his breakfast and gathered his things for school, Lucifer couldn't quite shake the feeling that his carefully constructed facade was about to be put to a test.
Well, he thought with a wry smile, at least things won't be boring.
As he followed Piper out the door, Lucifer squared his shoulders and tried to project an air of nonchalance. Whatever challenges this day might bring, he'd face them head-on. After all, he'd ruled Hell for millennia. How hard could high school really be? He was already somewhat adjusting to the prospects of never returning home... his real home.
The universe, as it often did, chose that moment to remind Lucifer of its twisted sense of humor. As they stepped onto the crowded street, a familiar figure caught his eye. Ezra stood at the corner, her new school uniform crisp and neat, that ever-present bladeless hilt slung over her shoulder. Her eyes met his, and Lucifer felt his heart do a strange little flip.
Okay, he admitted silently. Maybe this will be harder than I thought.
With a deep breath and a silent prayer to whatever deity might be listening (and not holding a grudge), Lucifer stepped forward to face whatever chapter six might bring.
***