The morning would've been perfect.
If not for this two unruly things standing on their porch. One with a brooding look that couldn't have belong to a child, and the other one with a shy gaze, hiding behind the brooding one.
Lucifer's mood was soiled, but of course, it doesn't mean he has to spoil her wife's mood, too. So, he opened the door wider and Azalea peaked up from behind him. She was walking out if the kitchen, curious as to who had disturb their breakfast.
"Oh, it's Andrei and Leon," Azalea said, her eyes brightening with glee. She padded towards the door and Lucifer stepped aside. "Hi." She smiled at them, and the tension from the two children subsided, replaced by two happy smiles.
Lucifer huffed.
If Azalea's happy, he could tolerate it.
However, he wouldn't forget about this. The morning had started perfectly, with him waking up with his wife cradled on his chest, her wavy hair braided as she hated waking up with a frizzy hair. She had mumbled something incoherently in her sleep and Lucifer's heart melted.
579 years and she still haven't changed.
And when she woke up, they had stayed in bed for another thirty minutes, just indulging in each other's presence. The breakfast was perfect too, with Azalea's eyes sparkling with delight and her cheeks blooming into a lovely color of pink when he had cooked her favorite carbonara.
Now, it's ruined.
"Have you two eaten yet? We've just finished breakfast, but I can cook for you," Azalea said, each hand occupied with tiny hands from Andrei, the grumpy and brooding one, and Leon, the shy one.
Lucifer followed from behind, clearly not in the mood. The boy with a shy gaze, Leon, had been throwing him glances as they walk towards the kitchen, as if aware that they're intruding.
Lucifer almost snorted. At least, someone was aware.
"Okay!" Andrei immediately answered, his voice too loud for Lucifer's likes. "I want pancakes and chocolate syrup."
Demanding, Lucifer said in his mind.
Leon fidgeted, "Is... is it okay, sister?"
Azalea chuckled softly, "Of course, it is. Why wouldn't it be okay?"
When they reached the kitchen, Azalea was about to lift the boys onto the seat but Lucifer's eyes sharpened, swooping in the moment. As if he was about to let his wife carry weight.
This things had dared to make her do it, when in fact, she hadn't lifted anything for centuries because he wouldn't let her. Not because he sees her as fragile, but because he could do it.
"I'll do it," he said and lifted each boy to a seat. Andrei had frowned and Leon had stiffened, his lips trembling when Lucifer gave them a cold look.
Azalea kissed his cheek, "Thanks, Luci."
His eyes softened at that.
"Your brother's not very nice, sister," Andrei commented, frowning at Lucifer.
Azalea laughed softly at that, and Lucifer was offended.
"Watch it," Lucifer said, and Andrei shifted uncomfortably in his seat while Leon reached out to grasp his hand, scared. "I'm her husband."
The boys were quiet.
"Love," her voice was soft. "Be nice."
Lucifer looked back at her and his frown eased up.
"They're young," Azalea added, pouring the mixture onto the pan and giving him a look. "Boys their age gets scared easily, so I would appreciate if you could handle them with a little more care."
Lucifer sighed.
"Okay," he answered.
Azalea smiled, "Great, now you go sit down too," she said. "Would you like some tea?" She asked Lucifer.
Lucifer sat down beside the two, "Chamomile."
"Hmm," Azalea hummed.
Lucifer leaned back against his seat, throwing a glance at the two boys, and Andrei stuck his tongue out at him, as if he knew Lucifer had just been scolded gently. Leon saw the action and he trembled on his seat, on the verge of tears.
"Dei..." Leon sniffled.
"Don't be scared," Andrei said, chest puffed up. "Sister will save us."
Lucifer huffed. Unfortunately.
When Azalea served the pancakes, Andrei poured a surprising amount of chocolate syrup on his pancakes, while Leon was content with the butter.
Azalea served his chamomile tea with care before sitting beside him, her head resting on his shoulder. Lucifer's arm immediately wounded around her waist.
Lucifer blew on his tea, sipping it. The taste wasn't bitter nor was it sweet, just as he liked it.
"Do you dislike them?" Azalea asked softly, her eyes onto the boys munching on their pancakes with gusto.
"No," Lucifer answered, his fingers gracing circles on her waist. "But I didn't liked that they disturbed our time."
Azalea nodded, "I understand." She said. "But I won't turn them away."
"You would never."
Those words pulled out a soft chuckle from her, her arms wrapping around his torso. Lucifer tugged her chair closer to his.
"I don't like the disturbance," Lucifer said, sipping his tea. "But let them stay. They wouldn't have come here if there was no problem with their families."
Azalea grew silent.
It was true. The dark forest—their home—was a source of terror for children. It is said that the forest houses two terrifying witches that eats young girls and boys alike, and no children would walk straight right through their fears. They would ran away.
And yet, the boys, Andrei and Leon, ran head first through the forest. They had been scared, yes, but didn't ran away. That much was enough for them to realize that the boys fear something greater than the forest.
And to think they've come again.
Lucifer pressed a kiss on her hair, "Do you want to help them?"
"No," Azalea sighed. "This is enough," she muttered, her eyes never leaving the two boys still devouring their pancakes. "They already know this place is a sanctuary. That's enough."
Lucifer hummed.
His wife valued peace, and peace meant away from the chaos. Interfering with the boys' problem would only bring upon problems. And while Lucifer could deal with problems with a snap of his finger, he wasn't really keen with helping mortals.
Lucifer wasn't a mortal like them, and so was his wife. But unlike the rumors that there were two witches living inside the forest, only Azalea was truly a witch. She possesses dark magic and immortality. And Lucifer was more of a divine being.
"You won't be guilty?" Lucifer asked.
Azalea chuckled, "I'm already helping them by providing a sanctuary, Luci."
"Hm."
Lucifer still thinks she's far too kind.
When the boys finished their first serving of pancakes, Leon was fidgeting and Andrei was frowning, as if think wether or not to tell Azalea they want more.
Azalea only chuckled, getting out of her seat and doing the initiative, so the boys wouldn't have to think they have to ask for more to be given a necessity.
"Thank you, sister," they spoke spontaneously.
Lucifer sipped his tea.
Still far too kind.
The boys overstayed until noon, and now, they're helping them with the vegetable garden.
Leon was pulling on the stem of the carrot, eyebrows drawn in confusion when it didn't bulged, "Sister, I think this carrot is not ready to be harvest yet."
"Maybe you're just weak," Andrei said, moving towards where Leon was crouching. "Here, let me do it," he said proudly, grasping the stem with two small hands and pulling.
It didn't bulged.
"What..." Andrei tried again, and nothing happened. He tried it again, the boy's cheek flushing slightly when Leon tilted his head. Andrei clicked his tongue, "It's because it's not ready yet!" He finally relented, letting go of the stem with a frown. He was embarrassed.
Lucifer huffed from where he's crouching. He could've helped the boys, but he didn't. His wife, however, chuckled softly and stood up, grabbing a trowel from where they kept the tools.
"It's time for their harvest," Azalea said softly, crouching down between the boys and the boys scooted away to make space for her. "But you needed to loosen the soil first." She digged through the dirt with a trowel. "There you go," she said. "Try pulling it out now."
Leon tried and the carrot finally announced it's presence. Leon gasped, showing Azalea the carrot proudly.
While Andrei went to grab a trowel himself and began loosening the soil around the carrots.
Azalea watched them with great amusement.
"They're noisy," Lucifer said when Andrei pulled out a carrot and the two celebrated.
Azalea hummed, "They're kids."
Lucifer didn't reply.
The boys continued to help them—only Azalea—because the two never really got closer than three feet away from Lucifer. The man was scary. Dark green eyes that was always accompanied by a frown, and dark raven hair that added allure to his cold persona.
And whenever the two boys, whether Leon or Andrei's eyes drifted towards Lucifer, Lucifer would frown. Leon's lips would tremble, and Andrei would frown despite the stuttering of his heart.
The man was terrifying.
When Andrei voiced it out while Azalea was picking strawberries, the sun still high in the sky, Azalea only chuckled.
"I suppose he is a bit terrifying," she agreed.
Leon nodded and Andrei humped, "Is he really your husband, sister?" Leon asked, grasping her skirt.
Andrei had the same question on his face, as if their little minds cannot grasp the fact that their sweet and kind sister has a husband that was the complete opposite of her.
"Did he kidnap you?" Andrei asked.
Azalea paused and she laughed.
"Dear, oh dear," she mumbled, thoroughly amused by the boys' words. She twisted a strawberry before pulling it, putting in on her basket, the smile a constant on her lips before she looked down at the boys. "No, my husband didn't kidnap me. If he did, I would've given him a punch or two, hm? Sister's not weak."
"Right!" Leon nodded eagerly.
"Sister would've punched him in the face!" Andrei said and raised his small closed knuckles in the air. "Like this, and this, and more of this!"
Lucifer heard it all, but his eyes were too focused on Azalea that he didn't bother anymore. Her smile was lovely. God, it was.
"Sister's hat is big," Leon commented softly as he helped picked strawberries, making sure to follow what he observed from Azalea. Twisting first before pulling. "It's very pretty on you, too." Leon blushed softly.
How darling, Azalea thought.
"Of course," Lucifer's voice came out flat and dry, as he carried the picked carrots towards them. "I bought it for her."
"... Oh," Leon hid behind Azalea.
The boys finally left when the sun was dipping. Azalea watched them with a fond smile, waving at them. When they were finally out of sight, Lucifer said.
"Don't worry, the forest will guide them," he said, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her closer. His lips immediately found her temple, kissing it tenderly.
Azalea sighed, "I'm not worried."
"Hm," Lucifer hummed. "Let's go inside. You've been too focused on those gremlins all day that you neglected your husband." His hand squeezed her waist, earning a soft giggle from his wife.
"Am I hearing petulance in your voice, love?"
"What else if not petulance?" Lucifer replied, his lips traveling down her cheek and under her ear, planting lingering kisses on the skin. "You knew what I was feeling and you didn't console me."
Azalea laughed, her arms wounding around his waist and leaning up to kiss his jaw.
"Let me compensate then," she murmured.
"Only if it's done with complete devotion," he muttered, his voice laced with love and desire in equal measure.
The front door closed behind them.