#because that's better optics than the truth. which is that he can't walk.*

[quietwingsinthesky]

🌹:O

:3c

Lucifer doesn't care how the labcoats say it works; he knows there's no such thing as a clean break from a drift the minute the plug is pulled. Instead, Michael goes from a second consciousness beside his own to being dragged out of Lucifer the further Lucifer gets from him, both of them gripping tight to the connection until it slips, until it snaps, with a violent recoil that knocks Lucifer's brain out of alignment and reminds his legs that they don't work. His next step falls too fast, too heavily, and refuses to take his weight. It's only Michael, now only a voice outside of Lucifer's head yelling his name, catching him from behind that allows Lucifer to collapse to the floor with his dignity intact.

[xxgoblin-dumplingxx]

I want Bruce to grovel grovel grovel grovel and like a million more grovels

"How was Lunch?" Bruce asked, leaning down to kiss the top of your head before walking around to lean on the piano.

"Enlightening, and confusing."

"Oh?"

"I can't tell if Padrino is in on what my father is planning or if this is his son scheming on his own."

"That is a problem," Bruce said. Falcone was known for swift retribution. And it was likely that he was learning if you knew of the plot or not. "What did you say?"

"Thr truth. Or a version of it," you admit. "I am not a virgin, which is true. And that things have been a difficult adjustment- which is also true."

Bruce nodded. You weren't lying. That was the interesting thing. He'd never seen you outright lie. Not really. You kept your secrets and kept your own counsel but in plain sight.

"I also told him that you weren't unkind."

That made Bruce blink for a second. It was possible that you had a different understanding of kindness. That was almost a certainty. Because he didn't think he'd been kind. Not really.

"And he told me to tell you I wanted a stable and not just one horse."

Bruce snorted. "Do you want a stable?"

"No," you tell him shaking your head. "Padrino has always believed the ladies should be spoiled... Flaunting wealth on fancy cars is all well and good but- spending money on women is better optics."

"Optics?"

"Women are frivolous. Fickle. A bad investment. So having the money to spend on them is a luxury. The ultimate luxury."

Bruce frowned slightly. He'd known men to be more fickle and frivolous than women. Women were practical for the most part. And while he might joke about you having expensive taste publicly, he admired it. The rooms you'd made over for yourself were comfortable and warm. Subtle opulence without being ostentatious. "Then maybe I should spend more money on you-"

You roll your eyes and he smiled a little.

"Can't have your Godfather thinking I'm not taking care of you properly," he mused. He could work with that.