This time.
No interruptions. No running. No hesitation.
Lucifer steps closer.
And I don't move away. I don't even think about it.
Because this feels right.
Simple. Clear. Real.
His hand lifts, brushing lightly against my cheek.
Gentle. Careful.
Like I might still disappear.
But I don't. I stay.
I lean into it slightly. And that's all he needs.
He leans in. Closing the distance.
And this time....
The kiss isn't uncertain. It's still soft.
Still careful.
But there's something new behind it. Something stronger. Something sure.
I kiss him back immediately.
No hesitation. No fear.
Just....
Wanting.
His hand shifts slightly, still gentle, still grounding. And I feel it. All of it.
Everything we built. Everything we almost lost. Everything we chose.
When we pull back, it's slower this time. Neither of us rushing to break it.
Foreheads almost touching.
Breath uneven.
"…So," I murmur. "What now?"
Lucifer's lips curve slightly. "Now," he says, "we take it slow."
I smile.
"…Slow sounds good."
His thumb brushes lightly against my hand again.
Still there. Still warm. Still real.
And for the first time.....
I'm not scared of it.
Not of him. Not of this.
Because this time...
I'm not running. And neither is he.