The cafeteria of Paradise High buzzed with the usual lunchtime chaos. Lucifer picked at his mystery meat surprise, trying to decide if it was more or less appetizing than the souls of the damned.
"Ew, are you actually going to eat that?" Sasha plopped down across from him, her own tray laden with enough food to feed a small army.
Lucifer eyed her mountain of carbs with a mix of awe and disgust. "How do you eat like that and still look like... well, that?" He gestured vaguely at her figure.
Sasha grinned, popping a fry into her mouth. "Fast metabolism. Plus, you know, all that late-night demon hunting really burns the calories."
Lucifer choked on his milk. "W-what?"
Sasha's eyes widened in mock innocence. "Oh, you know, in video games. Totally what I meant."
Before Lucifer could respond, Ezra slid into the seat next to him, her face set in its usual mask of cool professionalism. But Lucifer didn't miss the way her knee brushed against his under the table, or the slight softening of her eyes when she looked at him.
"We need to talk," she said in a low voice. "After school. It's important."
Lucifer nodded, trying to ignore the way his heart sped up at her proximity. "Sure thing, partner. Another thrilling study session in Demonology 101?"
Ezra's lips twitched in what might have been a suppressed smile. "Something like that."
Sasha looked between them, with a gleeful smile on her face. "Oooh! You two lovebirds are a sight to watch, you know? I've seen the way you look at each other when you think no one's watching."
Lucifer felt heat rising to his cheeks. "It's not... we're not..."
"I lied about us being a thing, Sasha. We're just working on a project together," Ezra cut in smoothly. "For... um..."
"Home economics," Lucifer supplied. "We're making a... demonic soufflé."
Sasha raised an eyebrow. "A demonic soufflé."
"Yep," Lucifer nodded, warming to the lie. "It's, uh, really tricky. If you don't get the proportions just right, it might try to eat your soul. Very advanced stuff."
Ezra kicked him under the table, but Sasha just laughed. "You two are so weird. But cute weird, I guess. Just remember to invite me to the wedding, okay?"
As Sasha launched into a story about her latest coding project, Lucifer caught Ezra's eye. She gave him a small nod, a silent acknowledgment of the close call. They'd have to be more careful.
The rest of the school day passed in a blur of classes and near-misses. In chemistry, Lucifer accidentally set his lab partner's notebook on fire with a stray spark of hellfire. In gym, he had to feign a pulled muscle to avoid showing off his inhuman strength during rope climbs. And in history, he bit his tongue bloody, trying not to correct the teacher's hilariously inaccurate description of ancient Mesopotamian demon-summoning rituals.
By the time the final bell rang, Lucifer was exhausted. He slumped against his locker, wondering for the millionth time how he'd ended up here. The Prince of Darkness, scourge of the heavenly hosts, reduced to worrying about pop quizzes and gym class.
"Rough day?"
Lucifer turned to see Reagan approaching, his usual easygoing grin in place.
"You have no idea," Lucifer sighed.
Reagan clapped him on the shoulder. "Well, buck up, buttercup. A little birdie told me there's going to be a killer party this weekend. You in?"
Lucifer opened his mouth to decline – he had enough on his plate without adding teenage debauchery to the mix – when a thought struck him. A party meant people. Information. Potential leads on whoever was behind the recent demonic activity.
"You know what? Count me in," he said.
Reagan's grin widened. "That's the spirit! Oh, and bring that hot new girlfriend of yours, will you? What was her name... Ezra?"
Lucifer felt his face heat up. "She's not my... we're not..."
But Reagan was already walking away, calling over his shoulder, "Saturday night, abandoned warehouse on the east side. Don't be late!"
Lucifer groaned, letting his head thunk against the locker. Great. Now, he had to figure out how to convince Ezra to go to a party with him. A party in an abandoned warehouse, no less. Because that didn't sound ominous at all.
Speaking of Ezra...
"Ready to go?" Her voice startled him out of his self-pity spiral.
Lucifer nodded, shouldering his backpack. As they made their way out of the school, he filled her in on Reagan's invitation and his thoughts on using the party for reconnaissance.
To his surprise, Ezra nodded approvingly. "Good thinking. Large gatherings like that are perfect covers for supernatural activity. We should definitely check it out."
Lucifer blinked. "So... you'll go with me? As my, uh, date?"
Ezra's cheeks colored slightly, but her voice remained steady. "For the mission, of course. It's the most logical cover."
"Right," Lucifer said, trying to ignore the way his heart sank a little. "For the mission. Totally."
As they walked towards Ezra's apartment for another strategy session, Lucifer plunged back into his self-pity spiral. Here he was, the fallen Morningstar himself, fretting over a high school party like some ordinary teenager.
But as he glanced at Ezra, watching the way the setting sun turned her hair to liquid fire, he realized something. Maybe being ordinary wasn't so bad after all. At least, not if it meant moments like this.
Of course, that's when the screaming started.
They rounded a corner to find chaos. A group of lower-level demons – imps, by the look of them – were terrorizing a bunch of elementary school kids in a small park.
Ezra was already reaching for her sword, but Lucifer held up a hand. "Allow me," he said, a wicked grin spreading across his face.
He strode forward, clearing his throat loudly. The imps turned, their beady eyes widening in recognition and fear.
"Well, well," Lucifer drawled, letting a hint of his bearly harnessed power leak into his voice. "What do we have here? Shouldn't you little miscreants be back in the Pit, scrubbing toilets, or whatever it is you do?"
The imps fell over themselves, trying to bow and grovel at the same time. "M-my lord!" one squeaked. "We didn't... we weren't..."
Lucifer's grin widened, showing just a few too many teeth. "Scram," he said simply. "And if I catch you bothering kids again, I'll personally see to it that you spend the next thousand years as Asmodeus's personal back-scratchers. Got it?"
The imps vanished in puffs of sulfurous smoke, leaving behind only the faint smell of brimstone and fear.
Lucifer turned back to Ezra, dusting off his hands. "Well, that was refreshing. Nothing like a little demonic intimidation to cleanse the palate after a long school day."
Ezra was staring at him, an unreadable expression on her face. "That was... impressive," she said finally. "And kind of hot."
Lucifer's eyebrows shot up. "I'm sorry, what was that last part?"
Ezra's blush deepened. "I said it was kind of hot... headed. You know, risky. Using your powers like that in public."
"Uh-huh," Lucifer said, unable to keep the smirk off his face. "Sure that's what you meant?"
Ezra punched him in the arm, but there was no real force behind it. "Shut up, and let's go. We've got a party to plan for, remember?"
They continued on their way, bickering good-naturedly about the best way to smuggle holy water into a teenage rager.
***