The Devil's Nest, Tuesday Night

[my_own_advocate]

"Tiny," Lucifer said.

Tiny looked up. Wary. He had been wary about Lucifer for... a while, after the last few jokes gone out of hand.

Lucifer held up the clippers. "The bears," he said, pointing at where they were currently loudly performing something or other. "Now."

With big eyes, Tiny took the clippers and looked at the bears. Lucifer, for his part, grabbed his drink and retreated to the corner of the bar, where the noise was the least loud.

Any of the noise.

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Comments

[betterthanaplan]

"My back hurts, I sucked at yoga today," but hey, at least he got up and did it, "and Octavia is still a raccoon. Please give me something very strong to drink."

Hello to you too, Duke. Those were very nice puppy-eyes you were giving Lucifer, yes.

[my_own_advocate]

"Rum-based or bourbon-based?" Lucifer asked, immediately getting up to walk to the bar himself.

[betterthanaplan]

"I leave that to your very expert opinion," Duke said. "Surprise me."

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer shook his head, sort of... annoyedly amused? Amused and annoyed? The annoyed wasn't Duke's fault, anyway, it was the bears.

He snagged a bottle of bourbon from behind the bar and mixed Duke a fast Sidecar, hands moving quickly, like the expert that he was.

[betterthanaplan]

Duke watched those hands closely. Because Lucifer had lovely hands. Had anyone ever told him that?

"You have lovely hands."

There. Now at least one person had.

[my_own_advocate]

"Thank you," Lucifer said, and damn it all, there was a real, flirtatious smile incoming. He set the glass down in front of Duke. "They are, as always, at your service."

[betterthanaplan]

Duke gave him a broad smile in return.

"So," he asked, voice faintly teasing. "How much are you hating the bears?"

[my_own_advocate]

"They're ridiculously noisy and hairy and they're messing with the club's vibe," Lucifer said irritably. "Tiny is supposed to shave them."

[betterthanaplan]

Duke looked around.

“You really think that will help?”

[my_own_advocate]

"It'll make me feel better," Lucifer said simply. "On multiple levels."

[betterthanaplan]

"Well hell. I can try to shave them if he won't, then."

Were they . . . actual bears or burly-men bears? Duke was volunteering either way, but the narrative needed to know how much of an idiot this made him.

[my_own_advocate]

Actual bears. In a heavy metal band. Though currently distracted by Tiny.

"What would be the point of making you shave the bears?"

[betterthanaplan]

“Ah,” Duke said, nodding. “This is a Tiny-and-bears thing, not just a bears thing.” He clicked his tongue and pointed. “Gotcha.”

[my_own_advocate]

"I'd never make you shave a bear, human or otherwise," Lucifer muttered. "You might lose an arm."

[betterthanaplan]

“I don’t know, I can be wiley. . . .”

Duke was in one of his “overcompensating by being ridiculous” moods tonight.

[my_own_advocate]

"Yes, darling, but bears are very large and very strong," Lucifer sighed. "Drink your drink."

[betterthanaplan]

“Could be worse,” Duke said, picking up said drink. “They could be moose.”

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer immediately looked up, alarmed. "You are not going near the school offices."

[betterthanaplan]

“I’m not a total idiot.”

Honey, you volunteered to shave bears.

[my_own_advocate]

Yes, Lucifer didn't have to really say that when he could just lift his hand in the direction of the bears, no?

At least no 'overprotective' bags were incoming today.

[betterthanaplan]

It was so much easier to keep to light banter and pretend your baggage didn’t exist when it wasn’t manifesting physically, yes.

“You know what? That’s fair.”

[my_own_advocate]

"Thank you," Lucifer said firmly. "Now let's abscond back to the booth with these drinks, shall we? I don't want to get near those bears again unless Tiny's going to get into a fist fight with one of them."

[betterthanaplan]

"Oh man, I totally want to see that," Duke said, even as he aimed for the booth. "You could sell tickets to a show like that."

[my_own_advocate]

"I'm still hoping for it," Lucifer admitted. "But he seems to have quite a hand with those clippers..."

He grabbed a full bottle of wine as he swept back towards his seat.

[betterthanaplan]

"What if they end up bonding?" Duke asked. "And ganging up on you?"