For You

He truly was the image of the ‘perfect’ lord.

He was always so proud, so confident. He moved with an elegance and strength that it seemed only he could achieve.

Even when he was pulling out his sword, he did it with such ease that it seemed like he was picking a flower from the garden.

You didn’t fully understand why others held so much fear for him, although anyone could understand the awe.

From your perspective, he was a strict but caring lord. It was hard to imagine him corrupting anything even slightly, let alone corrupting things enough to be called the Lord of Corruption.

Yet, all that changed when you saw him on the battlefield.

Ever graceful, ever powerful.

Ever ruthless, ever merciless.

A predator.

That was what made you recognize the fear people held for him. The resistance was no match for him, and even among the bloodshed, he alone seemed as if it was nothing but a regular exercise.

And when he sat upon a throne on the battlefield, surrounded by land stained and ravaged by war, a cocky smile gracing his features as he faced you, you knew that you should have felt fear.

Yet, you only felt your awe and respect grow.

“Do you see now?”

He wasn’t even out of breath, holding the image of the perfect lord with not even a hair out of place. His red gaze held a fire you hadn’t seen before, a fire that could only find light during a true fight.

“I’ll admit, you were better than I expected.” His chuckle rang out over the now quiet battlefield, replacing the shots and clang of weapons and armor that had been ringing out just moments before. He leaned forward, a smirk playing with his lips as he placed a hand on his knee.

“But it wasn’t quite good enough.”

You wince at the truth of his words, briefly thinking about how you had miscalculated. As much as you admired him, you were still part of the rebellion, part of the clash over opinions on how he had treated the youngest Lord.

It hadn’t been a rebellion of hate, but one out of love.

You hated seeing him at odds with the others. Even through disagreements they had still stayed by each other’s sides. Even as a human that had met them recently, you could tell they loved one another, regardless of their claims. That was why you had agreed to help, and that was why you had planned this battle.

Only to see it fail miserably.

“So what shall we do?”

His words draw your gaze back to him, and with new resolve you push down your despair as you march towards him. He arches an eyebrow at you, surprised yet curious as he notices the fire of determination burning in your gaze.

The Lord of Corruption would have been lying to himself if he said you didn’t intrigue him. It was baffling to think that a human would dare to talk to him, dare to approach him. Let alone dare to challenge him. Regardless, you did it all without batting an eye.

Even when a normal being would have cowered in fear, you never faltered. That wasn’t to say you were never scared. No, he could tell when he scared you, it was clear in your eyes. Yet, the fear was never strong enough to smother your spirit, never strong enough to smother your resolve.

You were the type to bloom in the face of adversity.

And that made him that much fonder of you.

And that was why he continued to sit motionlessly, his smirk unfaltering as he watched you come to a stop right in front of him.

Again your fear was evident, after all, who wouldn’t be scared after watching him take down an army? Yet, as always, the flames of determination in your eyes couldn’t be quenched.

“So now you listen to us.”

He let out a chuckle at your words, straightening up slightly with curiosity in his ruby gaze. He lifted a hand to his chin, tilting his head slightly as he surveyed you.

“Even though you lost?”

“We only fought you because you wouldn’t give us the chance to talk to you.”

“Why are you willing to go to such lengths for him?”

You blink in confusion, realization dawning on your face as your brow furrowed in slight irritation.

“I can’t speak for the others, but I didn’t do this for him.”

“No?”

You let out a huff, crossing your arms over your chest as you step even closer for him.

“Just what do you take me for? I didn’t do this for them. I did this for you.”

“What?”

Dumbfounded.

Never had he found himself so dumbfounded by a single statement.

“I did this for you.”

Your words were firm, ringing with truth as your gaze softened.

“I hate seeing you villainized, seeing you misunderstood. I hate seeing the rift between you and the others grow. I hate seeing you isolating yourself, trying to take on all the burdens alone.”

You stepped closer, hesitantly raising a hand to cup his cheek before stopping yourself, letting your hand fall to your side.

“I… I want to be there for you, be there to support you.”

“This… this is supporting me?”

He looked incredulous, and rightly so. Who would almost start a war in the name of supporting someone?

“Supporting doesn’t always mean agreeing and going along with everything.”

He stayed silent, waiting for you to continue.

“Sometimes, supporting someone means showing them that they’re wrong. And since you weren’t willing to talk,”

You waved your hands at the scene around you, giving him a wry smile.

“So… You didn’t do this out of anger or hatred?”

“Of course not, Lucifer.” This time, you didn’t stop yourself, letting your hand cup his cheek as you tried to convey your sincerity.

“I did this out of love. Love for you.”

His posture finally softened, his gaze filling with affection as he took in the truth of your words.

“For me…”

Your eyes flutter shut as he presses his forehead against yours, his touch soft compared to the power that he held. You smile, noticing the way he relaxed with each passing moment. You knew there were still things you had to talk about, things to figure out and things to face.

But for now, he was calm, and he was willing.

For now, he was in your embrace.

For now, that was all that mattered.

“I love you.”