Lucifer's Mansion, Saturday afternoon

[betterthanaplan]

It was, Duke insisted, his turn to go out and get groceries. Whether this insistence was also a bit about getting out of Lucifer's hair for a hot minute or getting a moment of space to himself, despite generally feeling like clinging to the man like a limpet, Duke wasn't going to say.

But it was probably a fair amount of both.

He took the long way back from the store, pausing along the beach to watch the water before finally heading inland to the mansion, where he let himself in the front door without ceremony, going right to the kitchen to unload his purchases.

It was a nice day out. Maybe he'd try out Lucifer's balcony as a yoga spot. He could use some stretching out. . . .

[for him whose house it is]

Comments

[my_own_advocate]

"Did you, ah. Find my press?"

Lucifer reached for the beer. Regrouping and seeming less subdued didn't seem to be working right now.

[betterthanaplan]

"Not yet. Figured you'd have one, though." Duke sat down on the edge of the bench, giving Lucifer plenty of room while sticking close by, in case Lucifer wanted to close the distance. "What song was that? I didn't recognize it."

[my_own_advocate]

"Sting's 'Fragile'," Lucifer said, and almost added, I don't know why it jumped to mind, except even he wasn't so in denial that that would be anything but a bald-faced lie. "Bit of a cooldown from the Metallica."

[betterthanaplan]

"Ah, let me guess. . . . 'Enter Sandman'?"

He did not at all think that was the Metallica song Lucifer would lean towards. But he was trying not to listen to the little voice that said 'Fragile' was a reference to his own current state of being, so he was finding refuge in a joke, as usual.

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer snorted softly. "Hardly piano-appropriate," he said.

He realized he was still holding the can of beer, and... opened it.

[betterthanaplan]

"Hey, if anyone could play it. . . ." Duke spread his fingers over several keys on his end of the piano, but didn't press down. "You know, I've always liked the piano. Versatile, deceptively simple. I should look into finding one that'd fit on the Rouge."

[my_own_advocate]

"Just can't help improving on her endlessly, can you?" Lucifer asked.

The snark masked the fact he was shifting down the bench to close that gap, finally.

[betterthanaplan]

"Of course not," Duke said easily. "She's my favorite project."

[my_own_advocate]

"I noticed."

It was half the reason he'd put in so much effort to bring her back to Fandom to begin with.

"You'd probably still have to make some space."

[betterthanaplan]

"Even for a small one," Duke agreed. "That's part of why I don't have one already. Guitars are, uh. More portable."

[my_own_advocate]

"Guitars are fine," Lucifer said, "If you don't have a piano handy."

When had his arm wrapped around Duke's waist? Somewhere in the middle there.

[betterthanaplan]

Duke chuckled, shifting just a little to press closer to Lucifer. He brought up his other hand to the keys, marking out a couple simple chords, still without actually playing.

"What is it about the piano for you?" he asked. "Were you big into harpsichords once upon a time, too?"

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer made a soft noise. You could pretend it was amused if you squinted. "I was," he said. "There's just something clean about it, I suppose. Simple, as you said."

He looked down at the keys.

"It can be very precise if you want it to be," he said, "And it's just easy to-- well."

[betterthanaplan]

Duke took his hands off the keys, dropping them into his lap and looking at Lucifer.

"Easy to. . . ?" he prompted.

[my_own_advocate]

"Follow a train of thought while you're playing, I suppose," Lucifer said.

Or find some way to externalize your feelings when you were deeply incapable of doing so otherwise.

[betterthanaplan]

Duke nodded. “It’s . . . meditative for you,” he mused. “Helps clear the cobwebs. Like yoga for me.” His fingers twitched in his lap, and he put them on the keys again. “I definitely don’t have your skill, but, uh. May I?”

[my_own_advocate]

“Of course,” Lucifer said, softer than he’d meant to.

[betterthanaplan]

The song Duke started to play followed a simple riff. He clearly hadn't played for awhile, but his fingers were just as clearly built for this sort of thing, starting to dance over the keys as he warmed up. And then, after a few repeats, sing.

"Excuse me but can I be you for awhile?
My dog won't bite if you sit real still
I got the Anti-Christ" (here he stole a glance sideways at Lucifer) "in the kitchen yellin' at me again
Yeah, I can hear that."

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer let out a soft, amused snort at the glance, but he fell silent otherwise.

Watching Duke's face while he played.

[betterthanaplan]

Duke's eyes stayed on his fingers after the glance. He wasn't nearly as confident with the piano as he was with the guitar. He kept the piano simple, even as he leaned more into the song with his voice.

"Cause what if I'm a mermaid, in these jeans of his with her name still on it
Hey, but I don't care 'cause sometimes, I said sometimes I hear my voice
And it's been here silent all these
Years go by, will I still be waiting for somebody else to understand
Years go by, if I'm stripped of my beauty and the orange clouds raining in my head
Years go by, will I choke on my tears 'til, finally there is nothing left
One more casualty, you know we're too easy, easy, easy"

He hadn't really even thought about this song in years, but it was the only one he knew with any confidence on the piano, thanks to a girl in high school who'd been rather obsessed with Tori. The lyrics, nonsensical as they often were, bounced around in his head.

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer's eyes shut somewhere along the way.

He might never quite admit it in those words, but music held some kind of sanctity, some grace, in his mind.

He found he was happy to listen to Duke's voice, the simple notes he drew from the piano; didn't even realize he leaned back into the man, settling there.

[betterthanaplan]

Duke flicked him another quick look, smiling at the expression on his face.

"Well, I love the way we communicate
Your eyes focus on my funny lip shape
Let's hear what you think of me now
But, baby, don't look up- the sky is falling"

The next line made him pause for just a moment, before digging back in.

"Your mother shows up in a nasty dress
Hmm, it's your turn now to stand where I stand
Everybody lookin' at you, here taken hold of my hand
Yeah, I can hear them"

He rolled back into the final chorus.

"But what if I'm a mermaid in these jeans of yours with her name still on it
Hey, but I don't care 'cause sometimes, I said sometimes I hear my voice
I hear my voice, I hear my voice, and it's been here
Silent all these years."

The final refrain echoed a few times, and then his voice fell quiet, and he slowly rolled through the last handful of notes.

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer's fingers found their way back over the keys before Duke ended it, on the far end, so they didn't get tangled.

Added some low flourishes to the end of the song, the more complicated notes Duke was avoiding.


He played for a little while longer before his fingers flattened again.

"I once knew a priest who played piano," he said.

Apropos of... nothing, really.

[betterthanaplan]

Duke blinked and turned his head to look at him, resting his fingers on the keyboard where his last notes had been played. It sounded like the opening line of a joke, but Lucifer's expression was not at all joking.

"Oh yeah?"

[my_own_advocate]

"His name was Father Frank," Lucifer said.

His eyes opened. He was looking at Duke's fingers.

"He was infuriating."