The Devil's Lover

Chapter 3: Intrigue

Lucifer was woken up by his blanket being torn away, exposing his vessel's body to the chilly air of the morning. He remained still in his bed, one arm over his eyes, uncaring that he was naked as a newborn baby with his legs spread out over the sheets. There's only one being with enough balls (so to speak) who could wake him up this way.

"Even here, you are not allowing me to sleep in?"

"No. You've got some explaining to do."

Lucifer had expected the smack to his bare stomach, but that didn't mean it hurt any less. He finally decided to peel his eyes open, blinking up at a man with brown skin and a beard, curling hair pushed back from his forehead.

Lucifer grinned unkindly before groaning into a sitting position. "Always nice to wake up to your face, Atlas." He had meant to say Atlas' real face; the demon's true form underneath the guise of a human.

"I already kicked your friend out," Atlas informed him, leaning against a wall and watching Lucifer get to his feet, searching for clothes in a drawer outside the walk-in closet. "I didn't know what your new identity was, didn't want to risk it."

"Doesn't matter. If you told the truth, she wouldn't have believed you anyway."

It was probably weird for Atlas to see the King of Hell pulling on boxer briefs and a loose shirt. Lucifer's hair was slightly too overgrown to be considered a normal fringe, meaning it was messy in the morning (especially after what he'd done lat night). Lucifer had a couple of hair ties, because he can somehow wrangle bits of his hair back using one of those.

That, more than anything, was probably what made Atlas give him a weird look.

"This human vessel was from South Korea, so call me Choi Seuljin while we're here on Earth." Lucifer finished tying his hair and turned to grin a little widely at Atlas. "But we're close, so you can just call me Seuljin."

Atlas snorted at Lucifer, but didn't comment on the name. He went for a different question. "Who was the woman I kicked out?"

"Ms. Daniels. Wonderful girl I met last night at Glorious G. The two men she came with were more than happy to see her leave with me. Honestly, I think they were a little too happy." Lucifer walked out of the master bedroom and down the wooden stairs, making his way to the kitchen with Atlas in tow. The first thing the King of Hell did upon reaching the kitchen was put on a pot of coffee before scavenging through his shelves.

"How can you go to a gay strip club and come home with a woman?"

Lucifer paused.

He hadn't thought of it that way.

Atlas snorted at him again.

Recovering, Lucifer waved his hand in dismissal, already deciding on pancakes for breakfast. He took out a bowl and a whisk from the kitchen cabinets. "You should visit a club one of these days, Atlas." Lucifer looked over his shoulder, staring at Atlas who was settled by the breakfast bar before returning to his task of preparing ingredients. "Looking the way you do now, you'll certainly find yourself a friend to help you feel less lonely."

"Lucifer."

"If we hadn't known each other, I would have already propositioned you myself."

"Lucifer," Atlas sighed, sounding exhausted already. The demon might've been one of the closest beings who Lucifer could call a true friend, but that in no way meant that they had patience to deal with Lucifer's antics. "You need to tell me why you left so suddenly and without so much as a note as to where you were headed."

Of course this conversation was inevitable, and since this was Atlas he was speaking to, Lucifer knew he wouldn't be able to distract the demon or convince them that talking about his sudden leaving was important. But just because Lucifer owed an explanation didn't mean he'd give one easily.

Besides, Atlas has had hundreds of years worth of practice in dealing with Lucifer's decisions.

An egg was added to the box pancake mix. Lucifer then added butter onto the heated frying pan. "Obviously I didn't do a very good job keeping my location a secret since you still managed to find me not even a week later." It's not that Lucifer tried too hard to cover his tracks from Atlas, but he hoped to have more than a couple months to himself before any of his underlings followed.

"You leased this house," Atlas stated accusingly.

"I did. It's nice, right? There's a pool too." The townhouse was just a few miles outside Downtown Seattle, with furniture and pieces that emphasized the modern feel of the place already included the first time Lucifer was offered the lease. Lucifer had stayed in many different places during his past visits to the human world—most of them far grander than this—but when he arrived this time, he was drawn to the idea of settling in a sort-of quiet neighborhood; still near the busy bustle of the city but without all the noise.

If he had to pick, the best part was about the townhouse was the large windows found in every room. Down in Hell, there was no light; just heat and cold in an unpredictable cycle, which helped set the mood for despair.

The days of February were still cold here in Seattle, but there was sunlight passing through the windows, brightening up his house, and Lucifer could not complain.

A pitter-patter of paws made its way into the kitchen area, going past Atlas and stopping by Lucifer's feet. A grey and white American Staffordshire Terrier looked up at Lucifer, the dog's tail wagging as it panted.

Lucifer placed down the spatula in his hand to give Sid a good scratching behind his ear, the dog's hind leg moving in time with his fingers. To Atlas, Lucifer asked, "Could you open the door for him, he needs to do his business." Sid was given his morning rubs, the dog panting and eyes blinking slowly at the motions. Lucifer waited until Atlas had slid one of the glass doors open, a chill coming into the lower floor of the townhouse. Snapping his fingers, Lucifer pointed to the direction of the backyard. "Go on, Sid. Go."

They both watched the terrier run out. Atlas looked back at Lucifer with an almost pained expression. "You leased the place, and you even brought Sid with you. Lucifer, how long do you plan on staying here?"

With an air of nonchalance, Lucifer shrugged. "I plan to stay a while—long enough that you'll have to get used to calling me Seuljin." He returned to the stove, pouring one ladle of batter into the pan. "I might stay until my very own Father has had enough and smites me."

"The angels might beat Him to it."

Lucifer shrugged. "My siblings will be a pain for sure, but they are nothing we can't and haven't dealt with. That's why I have you to watch my back."

The sound of Atlas' boots against the wooden floor drew closer as the demon said, "You know, it does get tiring picking up after you. I have to keep things in line downstairs with demons like Zayan doing whatever she pleases while you, Your Royal Majesty, up and leaves not because of a job, but to pursue hobbies like cooking."

"Oh come now, Atlas, I do have a job here. I'm an investor! I help businesses in need." Lucifer grinned at himself but it slowly faded as he absorbed the rest of Atlas' sentence. "You mentioned Zayan?"

Atlas stood right next to Lucifer now. "I did. She's torturing souls that are not supposed to be on the rack. Nobody can tell her off, she thinks you won't care."

The first finished pancake was flipped onto a ceramic plate, and Lucifer–Seuljin–took a deep breath in order to ease his temper. He'd readied himself for some misdeeds in his absence, but he expected it to come from an underling who hasn't been pressing his buttons for the past century.

"Lock her in the dungeons until she realizes she can't disregard eons-old rules just because I'm not there."

He felt Atlas watch him for a moment. "Are you sure you don't want to head back and deal with her yourself, Lucifer?"

"I told you; while we're here, I'm Seuljin," Lucifer corrected with a sigh. "And no, I'm staying put. For now. So, either you drop the subject and sit down for pancakes, or you leave."

Atlas finally heard the finality of Lucifer decision. The demon fought off any other words he wanted to say, taking the offered pancake and walking back to the stool they previously occupied. Both Atlas and Lucifer went quiet for a moment.

After a moment, Atlas asked, "Is that coffee ready yet?"

-----

To dance on stage inside Glorious G, or in any strip club, you had to have a thick skin—both literally and figuratively. Pertaining to the literal sense: Jayce could not count the amount of bruises and blisters he'd gotten while trying to master pole tricks and choreography. And figuratively speaking: having thick skin was necessary because the whole point of his job was that Jayce supposedly presented himself up for everyone, allowing strangers to look their fill during his dances. As disgusting as it was, there were even time wherein Jayce had to pretend that he did not notice the occasional grope to his ass or the brush against his crotch, accidental or otherwise.

A stripper didn't have to know how to pole dance to be hired in Glorious G, but the customers who paid to be in this up-market establishment did so for the sake of witnessing something they wouldn't be able to see in other regular gay bars or male strip clubs. If one knew how to work a pole, they were more likely to be hired for a private dance or get more tips by the end of a shift.

The dance piece Jayce had readied for tonight was to the beat of a lo-fi song, which meant his movements and positions on the pole were drawn-out and took more core strength than usual, his abdominal muscles flexing every time he had to get into an advanced pose.

Jayce let himself tune out all other thoughts, focusing only on the steps he'd practiced for days.

Chair spin, slowing down to a front hook spin. Then, a martini spin before Jayce heaved himself into a poison pose. Upside down, he could see gentlemen throwing money onto the stage, their gazes hungry for more. Jayce let it fuel him on until he's reached the end of the three-minute song. The final position had him on the ground with his ass sticking up.

There's clapping and whistles of appreciation. Jayce, feeling sweat on his back, flashed a pearly grin at the crowd he had garnered before helping a security guard collect all the bills on the stage floor.

Jayce was winded, but he felt proud to have finished his routine with near perfection. The money customers had thrown on stage made those three nights of practicing in his room worth it.

Stage was the first thing he did, so Jayce hadn't gotten a chance to make his rounds on the main floor. He caught his breath and allowed his adrenaline to lower as he greeted familiar faces who were always looking forward to his stages. There were a handful of newbies amongst the customers tonight, so Jayce smiled at them too. The night has only begun, and he'll have more than enough hours to chat up his regular clients. Compared to yesterday's madness, the number of post-Valentine's goers was much more manageable. It was a normal amount for Glorious G during a Thursday.

That's probably the reason why Jayce had spotted him so easily.

Choi Seuljin was leaning against the bar counter located on the other side of the main floor, his body looked striking in a waist coat with the sleeves of his dress shirt rolled up to expose veiny forearms which were hidden beneath a blazer yesterday. There's a daiquiri in Seuljin's hand, and he was giving such a sultry look that Jayce couldn't resist the urge to get closer.

"You're here again."

The man practically grinned once Jayce was near. "Yes, I'm afraid you'll see more of me. The Gallants and I are becoming very close." Seuljin wasn't even standing to his full-height, and already he was taller than Jayce (because of course he was).

Jayce deduced the meaning of Seuljin's words. "You've decided to invest into Glorious G?"

"It seems like a good thing to invest in." Choi Seuljin was looking Jayce up and down as he said this. The man's little gestures, even the way he held a glass, had the aura of a person so sure of himself—so sure of his decisions both personal and business related. There was heat in Seuljin's stare, awe in his next words, "You were marvelous up there, J."

"Thank you, Mr. Choi." Jayce wasn't much of a saint that he wouldn't seize the opportunity basically being handed to him. "If you're going to put money into this place, you should get the full-experience first. Have you been to our Champagne Rooms yet?"

Champagne Rooms were the only place in Glorious G where the customer and the stripper could have some privacy, with the exception of security cameras placed inside for legal reasons. The experience inside these dimly-lit, champagne-stocked rooms, was marketed to be worth every single penny the customer spent—and it was a lot of pennies.

Choi Seuljin agreed to a Champagne Room with Jayce fairly quickly, not even blinking at the price and paying up-front before letting Jayce guide him along down the hallway leading to eight champagne rooms. Jayce chose the one furthest down the right.

Seuljin took a moment to appreciate the interior of the Champagne Room, even though there was barely enough lights to make out smaller details other than the seating areas and the small platform with a dance pole in the middle of the entire space.

As soon as his customer was seated comfortably on one of the couches, Jayce began taking his stripper boots off.

Seuljin seemed to find this puzzling, but not unsettling. "Do I have to take off my shoes too?" He joked.

Jayce hummed. "Not unless you plan to join me up on the platform." He sent Choi Seuljin a teasing smile. "I usually take my boots off if I feel like the customer won't mind. See these heels?" Jayce lifted the four-inch torture devices into view. "They're not so fun to walk around and dance in for the whole night... Unless it bothers you? Some of my customers have a thing for feet."

The amusement was clear on Seuljin's face. Calmly, he replied, "It's fine, whatever is most comfortable for you." He tilted his head. "And I don't. Have a thing for feet, that is."

Jayce tucked his boots away neatly to the side, allowing his soles to adjust to the feeling of a soft rug beneath them. "Shame. This could've been way easier for me."

Jayce hadn't expected Seuljin to laugh at that. The sound sent a tiny flutter down Jayce's chest.

Champagne Rooms were given their name because the host obviously started with champagne. Besides paying for a stripper's wholehearted attention, the champagnes provided by the club were also behind why the price for an hour inside the room was so high. Jayce made quick work of the chilled Moët & Chandon, pulling the cork off with a soft pop, pouring the expensive alcoholic beverage into a champagne glass.

"You're skilled with your hands, J." The smile Seuljin wore was similar to the one he gave yesterday when the man surprised Jayce by replying in perfect Italian.

And because Jayce had a sort of pettiness concealed not-so-deep inside, he decided to answer in Italian, knowing that Seuljin would understand both the sentence and the reason why Jayce spoke in said language.

"You have not seen anything yet."

Choi Seuljin did not look the least bit sorry. "Still upset that I didn't tell you I could speak Italian?"

Jayce raised a brow, keeping his tone light though he was being completely serious. "You were playing dumb, Mr. Choi Seuljin. Never do that again."

"Yes, sir." Seuljin answered after making a sound that said he approved of how Jayce was talking to him. Jayce gave the flirting no mind, handing the man his drink. "None for you?"

"I'm on duty."

Another easy laugh from Seuljin, and the sound had Jayce grinning too.

In Champagne Rooms, no matter how many songs finished playing, it felt like time slowed down. Jayce had to pace out his more jaw-dropping moves—the ones that required testing the limits of his flexibility—so the customer wouldn't get bored halfway through. At the beginning, he stood at a distance from Seuljin, letting him watch as Jayce once again danced on the pole, most of the moves becoming easier now that he wasn't wearing his high-heeled boots.

His dances here were slightly different from what he usually did on stage—this show was more for teasing, Jayce giving suggestive slides and rubs against the pole, less artistry behind the movements and making sure his face looked blissed out.

Choi Seuljin was eating it up.

Jayce's outfit for tonight was brand new, bought online only four days ago. It was clearly designed for a woman, but Jayce wore the stretchy bandeau anyway and switched out the panties that came with the set for bottoms that could cover his junk properly. There's a thick, red garter around his waist, accentuating its tapered shape. The garter was connected to two more of the same width which hugged the meatiest parts of his thighs.

Seuljin had finished downing a flute of champagne when Jayce finally approached him. The song playing through the speakers was familiar to Jayce, and it made moving against Seuljin as easy as breathing.

There were always the occassional creeps who Jayce had to do Champagne Rooms with. In those moments, he kept his guard-up, not once letting it down until their time inside was up. But Choi Seuljin wasn't making any move to grab at Jayce like a lot of the more perverted customers would; those men mostly forgetting themselves and thinking they could get away with it in here. Which, none of them ever did with the help of the security camera.

Jayce was on Choi Seuljin's lap again. He's able to observe the man's face at this moment since Seuljin's eyes were drawn to the way the garters squeezed around Jayce's soft skin with every movement.

His hand on Seuljin's chest brought the man's attention to his face. They were only inches away from each other. If Jayce tilted forward, their noses would touch.

"You must be taken." Seuljin's words were not spoken in his usual tone. He was whispering his words to Jayce, seeming as if he didn't fully know what he himself was saying. "A boyfriend or girlfriend, maybe?" His finger barely traced over the garter around Jayce's waist. "Some lucky bastard who gets to see you like this all the time?"

Jayce leaned his torso back, shortly out of Seuljin's reach while still keeping his hips in place. He proceeded to body-roll to the heavy thumping bass of the song, using his hands on Seuljin's knees for support.

For Jayce, this was the most vulnerable position he could be in; still in Seuljin's lap, head thrown back, stretching out his body for the man's eyes to shamelessly ravish over.

It effectively shut Seuljin up, and Jayce didn't have to manually divert their conversation.

Jayce got on his knees, down on the floor in between Seuljin's legs. The movement had Seujin gazing at the space between Jayce's collarbones. Seuljin reached his hand out, gold ring on his middle finger catching a stroke of purple light. The man used his index finger and thumb to trace over the Holy Cross on Jayce's necklace. "You said a lot of your customers liked seeing you with this," Seuljin recalled from their conversation just yesterday.

"You certainly seem to have a thing for it."

Seuljin's tongue peeked out to wet his bottom lips, keeping his hold on Jayce's necklace and tugging at it softly, making Jayce blink at him.

"You didn't answer my question." It was obvious Seuljin was itching to know whether or not Jayce was religious; if he was truly a good Christian boy. The man wouldn't have brought it up a second time if he wasn't. Jayce didn't find this weird at all, he's met many men all with different types of kinks.

They maintained the eye-contact. "Hmm.. I think I shouldn't answer it today, either." Jayce's hands drifting close enough to where Seujin was beginning to show against his slacks, pretending it was done subconciously. "Gives you more reason to come back, yes?"

Seuljin simply stared at him for a moment longer before the man retreated his hand, another smile threatening to overtake his face. "Is this how you talk to all your clients?"

Jayce had noticed that he had been speaking to Mr. Choi Seuljin with casualness, like he wasn't afraid that Seuljin would think he was too sarcastic or too annoying or just too much for what he was being paid to do. The truth was, Jayce did not speak to his other clients this way. There was always an air of professionalism Jayce maintained when conversing with even his regular customers, small talk and flirting a constant but never this playful, never so... brash. Most of the time, he'd be feigning coyness just so he wouldn't need to keep conversation going.

He didn't dwell too long on why exactly he felt comfortable enough with Seuljin to be this way. Because Seuljin seemed to enjoy it—reveled in it even.

So, Jayce figured there was no harm in continuing.

"There's usually a lot less talking than this." Jayce made a show of unclasping the garter set around his waist and thighs. His sight never left Seuljin's face, not even when he slid off his bottoms like he had all the time in the world, leaving him only in the bandeau and a g-string.

Seuljin took a long sip of his champagne, eyes roaming the newly exposed parts of Jayce's body.

He only spoke when Jayce was straddling him again. "You certainly know how to render a man speechless." Seuljin placed a tentative hand on Jayce's right thigh, raising his eyebrow in question. When Jayce didn't remove his hold or tell him off, Seuljin kept his hand there. "No significant other?"

"You keep asking, Mr. Choi Seuljin."

"Take a guess why, J."

A haze of lust had covered Seuljin's face. It's the same look Jayce has seen in other client's faces countless times (almost every single time). Though only a small handful had outright asked Jayce if he'd be willing to go home with them, he's had it happen enough times to know how to efficiently handle the situation.

"You'll be my boss once you officially invest in Glorious G," Jayce crossed his arms over Seuljin's shoulders, tilting his head to the side so that more of his neck was exposed to Seuljin, but also so he could whisper his words close to the man's ear, "I don't sleep with people I work with."

Choi Seuljin smelled like sandalwood and champagne. "The deal's not finalized. I'm not your boss yet."

"Technicalities."

Seuljin's hand left its place on Jayce's thigh. When Jayce reeled back to properly look at his face, Seuljin did not seem disappointed or annoyed. The man stared at Jayce like he was a puzzle he couldn't solve, something he'd spend a significant amount of time trying to piece together.

"I find you very intriguing, J."

"Yeah, I can tell just how intrigued you are." Jayce ground his hips down a bit harder, inches away from Seuljin's groin, enough to make a point that he could feel Seuljin's arousal. His quick reply had Seuljin smiling in amusement.

Jayce had to admit though, Choi Seuljin had one hell of a smile.