#{ Since I have like no info on them and I realize it's confusing ghrufhkd }

[aaetherius]

I wrote this all in the tags and then I realized how long it was and that tungle would probably cut me off so have an unintentional headcanon/ramble thing that was just supposed to be the little update in the tags on this post before I got carried away and I just do not know how to shut up, but, in my defense your honor I love him: 

But it sometimes comes up because for some reason Lucifer gets manhandled quite a bit in threads (which is totally fine - for the most part you’re free to touch him/pester him/toss him over your shoulder if you’re capable of doing so and he generally won’t do anything about it, so long as this is one of his default/post wmtsb verses). But post wmtsb/his revival verses, Lucifer can be very openly affectionate towards the crew. 

He’s a naturally very caring and warm person, but he never allowed himself to be physically or outwardly affectionate towards people when he was the Supreme Primarch (because people put him on a pedestal and thus shied away when he tried to reach out to them and by the time he created Sandalphon there was already this disconnect between himself and others so he was actually afraid to touch him. I imagine he did here and there when it was needed - he likely took care of Sandalphon’s wings/whatnot for a while, but even when doing so I also imagine he was very hesitant and his touch was very brief/hesitant/fleeting so despite the fact that he very much wanted to reach out to Sandalphon he felt as if he wasn’t allowed to, and thus kept his distance. Again, he was truly afraid to touch Sandalphon and uncertain of how he should interact with him, which likely made him come off as very distant despite not wishing to, but he also very much had this feeling of overwhelming loneliness about him. I can imagine there were countless times when he saw Sandalphon with his hair messy or maybe leaves tangled in it or his wings, and he would go to reach out to fix it and then stop himself because he felt like couldn’t/wasn’t allowed to touch him or that, if he did, Sandalphon would shy away from him as the others had, he was utterly terrified of losing him, which, obviously and ironically, resulted in his worst fear aka losing him to the rebellion where Sandalphon wasn’t aware of the terribly deep extent to which Lucifer loved/loves him because Lucifer himself wasn’t entirely aware of it either).

 I’ve mentioned this before, but he’s extremely touch-starved. So, he wanted to care for people. He wanted to express his feelings towards them openly, but couldn’t (or felt that he couldn’t. The exception likely being Lucilius, of whom I imagine he was a bit more openly affectionate towards because, though Lucilius very much put him on a pedestal, his relationship with him was still different from the Primarchs who more so viewed him as this perfect, very out of reach being that they had to respect and could not be close to because he was their leader so they always tip-toed around him or were so quick to bow their heads when he came near or they would excuse themselves out of fear/respect for him when he tried to have a conversation with them. But even with Lucilius he was still hesitant because Lucilius, obviously, isn’t a very touch-feely person, but he likely tolerated it when it came from Lucifer because it’s Lucifer. So, he would show physical affection towards Lucilius, but it would still be a bit muted/not as much as he wanted to show him because he’s well aware that while Lucilius allowed him into his personal space, he wasn’t likely to return the gesture to him, and might not have been too fond of Lucifer’s doting - if he was, Lucifer is awful at reading people and wasn’t aware he enjoyed it/was comfortable with it so he slowly become more hesitant with showing affection towards Lucilius over time and, eventually, he stopped doing so because he didn’t want to upset him. By the time the rebellion had started he had really withdrawn into himself and had become very hushed/seemingly far away from everything and everyone). 

So, upon being revived, and being a part of the crew, he’s still distant/hesitant for a bit, but as he begins to see more and more of the crew and how they interact with one another and how openly affectionate they allow themselves to be towards one another, he slowly begins to come out of his shell and allows himself to be affectionate towards others. This very much includes and is largely about purely platonic relationships (because let friends hug and kiss - though obviously this applies to romantic relationships as well where he is insufferably affectionate and terribly attached). So, he does tend to dote on others, especially once he’s comfortable around someone. And there are certain crew members he favors by default/is more comfortable around. For example, he utterly adores Lyria and will very much spoil her if allowed to do so (he’ll make her coffee-free lattes even though he knows Sandalphon would be appalled by the idea or brush/braid her hair, or help her with anything she asks for). He is incredibly grateful towards her for reaching out to, forgiving, and accepting Sandalphon, and for understanding him. So, he wants to repay her for all she’s done for Sandalphon in whatever way he can, so he’s naturally very friendly towards her (and he’s mildly protective of her, if someone upsets her in his presence or snaps at her/is cruel towards her, he will willingly defend and comfort her. He’s actually very paternal towards Lyria). This was mentioned in an old headcanon post, but Lucifer is very biased towards the people Sandalphon favors. Post wmtsb, he’s much more aware of Sandalphon’s feelings/emotions and is much better at picking up on them. He’s very in-tune to Sandalphon, and is very trusting of his judgement/him in general, therefore he tends to favor the same people Sandalphon does. This is all very unintentional on his part, he’s not actually aware of how heavily he allows himself to be influenced by Sandalphon, but because he has so little experience being around others, especially mortals, and actually being able to live his life independently (and thus doesn’t know how to), he’s fairly reliant on how Sandalphon reacts to people/things in order to form his own thoughts/opinions about them (again, in part because of just how deeply he values and trusts Sandalphon).       

But, anyway, even in purely platonic relationships (which this post is very much almost entirely about), once he’s comfortable around someone he will be openly affectionate towards them. He’s very okay/comfortable with giving someone a hug, or a kiss on the cheek, or just holding someone when they’re upset/want to be comforted. He’s very willing to brush his fingers through someone’s hair, wash or brush their hair, or care for someone in general regardless of what care they need, he typically won’t shy away from it (even if there’s no real reason or need for it - and he’s more than willing to do so when someone is sick or injured). He’s very willing to let people lay their head in his lap as he sings to them, or lean their head on his shoulder, or just cuddle with him/share a blanket with him or whatnot (in other words, you are very welcome to let your muse manhandle him a bit/reach out and touch him - platonically (otherwise, obviously, your muse is open to do so romantically if we’re actively shipping) - without permission or anything because odds are, so long as this is post wmtsb, he’ll likely be okay and open to it. Let friends be openly affectionate and caring and loving towards one another my goodness it’s such good content). That being said, when someone else initiates affection towards him (kisses/hugs him, pulls him against their chest, runs their fingers through his hair - whatnot), he does become a bit hesitant, and is very clearly surprised most of the time. He’s incredibly used to being in the caregiver role (or being the one to initiate affection), so when someone else flips that around on him he’s often uncertain of what to do or how to react. He might even tense up because he’s so unused to it, but he will relax if he trusts the person after a bit, and then will very much melt into their touch. He does enjoy having affection returned or shown to him, but because he’s so unused to it he tends to be a bit shy/more withdrawn about it (but, as mentioned, if he’s comfortable with the person who does so, he will relax into their hold/touch and turn to putty in their hands because he is so so very touch-starved and having someone dote on him is really enough to make him visibly deflate and relax). In other words let people dote on Lucifer, he deserves to be loved and deserves to have friends who are openly willing to give him physical affection.

The only thing he dislikes or is very selective about (and this was also mentioned in another headcanon post, and very much post wmtsb related), is people touching his neck or wings or his side where the blade went through his core because it’s uncomfortable to him. He may not have scars there because he’s in a new body, but he still gets phantom pains from having his head and wings cut off and his core stabbed. He can very much still feel those sensations, and they tend to flare up when those areas are touched (he’ll visibly shudder/shiver if they are and will likely pull away, or he’ll stop someone outright before they can touch those areas). There are exceptions to this/people who are allowed to openly touch those areas and he’s largely comfortable with it (obviously Sandalphon is one of them, but Lyria is as well, mainly his wings in her case, as is Cagliostro given that she made his body so he honestly just tolerates anything she feels like she needs to do in order to keep him up and running - he might still shiver even in their cases, when the area on his side or neck is touched, simply because he’s so guarded about those areas that he’s even less used to them being touched so the feeling of warmth against them is very foreign to him, even more so than the rest of his body). However, another exception is all of the children in the crew (again, relating to his wings)! He actually has a soft spot for children, and adores them so he tends to spoil the ones that live on the ship when he gets the chance. He’ll very much watch over them/play with them. He makes for both a terrible and wonderful babysitter because he’ll let them get away with anything and everything, but he’ll also make sure they’re taken care of/safe/enjoying themselves. If left with them, he’s more than willing to take them on little flights around the ship, but he’ll often be found just with kids crawling all over him, poking or pestering him. He’s more than willing to let them put him in silly outfits or hang things from his wings (and more than willing to also let them sleep on/in his wings as well - they’re warm and soft so it’s a win-win), or play nonsensical games with them that he doesn’t know the rules for/anything about. And he’ll always have the brightest, but softest of smiles on his face when he’s interacting with them because goodness does he adore children (he also adores animals, as well - he can very much be found pestering Dante’s cats and will just let them use him as a scratching post without any complaints). Children (and animals) can more or less get away with anything when it comes to him.   

Basically, what I’m saying is, let friends (or partners) love each other shamelessly and without hesitation. Let Lucifer openly dote on/show physical affection towards people, and let them do the same for him in return. Let him comfort and hold and touch others platonically/affectionately, and let others do so in return for him. Aka, feel free/don’t hesitate to let your muse be affectionate towards him and let them seek affection from him because he will happily give it in most cases. Also, let him babysit children and animals! Lucifer is kind and soft (so very soft) and very loving when he’s allowed to be, and he very much wants to be, but he sometimes just needs a little push/needs to know he’s allowed to be physically affectionate towards someone!  

Can you believe I wrote all of this in the tags before rewriting all of it in the post itself.