“How long can you hold your breath?”

 

Angel looked up from his breakfast and into Lucifer’s smiling face.

“Pretty damn long,” he said, a smile slipping on his face. He leaned his chin on the back of his hands as he leaned forward.  “Wanna see for yourself?”

“Yes, but not in the way you’re thinking.” Lucifer leaned forward, voice lowering. “I want to take you somewhere.”

“Judging by your whisperin’ I’m guessin’ it’s somewhere secret?”

Lucifer nodded.

“Want to come with me?”

“Not like I’ve got anythin’ better to do today.” He tossed the last piece of bread into his mouth, washing it down with his drink. He let Lucifer pull him along with him, back to their room to pick up his things.

 

-

 

“Welcome to Pomeline Dulce!” Lucifer’s voice was enthusiastic as he swung out his arm to show off the small ship behind him.

Angel’s eyes locked on the text written on the side of the ship, eyebrow raising at the very much conflicting words. “I’m startin’ to wonder if ya can read.”

Lucifer laughed, taking a step back, closer to the ship, right on the edge of the dock. “Please forgive me, I just picked it.”

“The name?”

“The ship.”

 

Angel hid his snort behind his hand. “It’s not yours?”

“It is now.”

“Is that how it works?”

“Aren’t you a pirate? Come on, Angel, live a little!”

 

Lucifer jumped up to grab the railing, hoisting himself up. He reached out a hand for Angel to take.

“Tell me you don’t think this’ll be fun and I’ll find a different way to get us there.”

Angel couldn’t help but laugh as he took Lucifer’s hand. “Oh, it definitely will be.”

 

Pulling him up and aboard the ship, Lucifer quickly spun him around, the sound of a gunshot making their ears ring as Lucifer pulled him toward him.

Still in Lucifer’s arms, Angel turned his head.

“Guess the ship wasn’t empty.”

“Guess not.”

 

“Get the fuck off my ship you pieces of shit! I’ll fill you with holes if you don’t!”

Lucifer laughed, exchanging a quick glance with Angel before he pulled back, raising his hands. “Oh no, please sir, we didn’t mean any harm. We just thought your ship looked pretty.”

Angel kept his eyes carefully trained on the man in front of them as he caught the water rise behind him, not letting anything show on his face. Then, in an instant, Lucifer was gone, turned into nothing but foam, only for the water that had raised up along the side of the ship to take his shape before the man even had the time to finish yelling ‘what the fuck’.

Standing on the railing, Lucifer leaned forward, blowing cold air in the man’s ear, making him yell out in shock, whirling around to aim his pistol at the threat that had suddenly moved from his front to his back.

Another gunshot rang out, Lucifer just barely dodging, grin widening, teeth sharp, eyes wide with glee. Fuck, that was hot.

 

With the man’s attention entirely on Lucifer, Angel darted forward, quick hands pulling the man’s sword out of its sheath.

The man started to turn, but before he could move, Angel leaned in close, pressing the sharp edge of the sword against his neck. He’d have to give it to him, the sword was in immaculate shape, drawing blood from the slightest pressure.

Leaning in close to the man’s ear, his voice was practically a purr. “Who were ya fillin’ with holes, ya said?”

 

In front of them, Lucifer raised his arm, his own pistol now in his hand. He held it mere centimeters from the man’s forehead.

“I’ll be taking your ship now, please.”

The ’please’ at the end made Angel want to laugh. Who says ‘please’ as you were robbing someone?

“Give him a bath, will you, Angel?”

“Aye, aye, baby.”

 

With that, Angel gave the man a hard shove, sending him flying over the edge.

As Angel leaned out over the railing, he watched the man resurface, screaming bloody murder as Lucifer waved happily his way before hopping off the railing. Angel could see the anchor start to float as the ship started to move, leaving port behind them faster than the wind allowed, especially considering the sails weren’t even hoisted.

 

Lucifer laughed with joy as he raised the anchor to its proper place.

“Fuck, that was fun,” he yelled over the wind, turning to face Angel with a smile so bright it was infectious. He walked back to him, standing on his tiptoes to give him a kiss, Angel bending down to meet him. “Welcome aboard my ship, Angel.”

“Thanks. It’s pretty.”

“Isn’t it just? I still need to do some touchups, maybe give it a little bit of paint, but I’ve got plenty of time.”

Then, he pursed his lips, head tilting to the side. “Jokes aside, we should probably make sure there’s not more people below deck.”

Angel smiled. “We probably should.”

 

-

 

Sitting at the bow of the ship, Angel could feel the cold wind in his hair. They’d hoisted the sails to look less conspicuous, and now that they were unreachable to the original owner of the ship, the pace had slowed, almost to normal speed. Now, you could mistake it for a ship not moving purely because the embodiment of the sea was steering it.

They’d been sailing for so long that the sun was barely on the horizon.

 

Lucifer sat down beside him, holding out a bowl of soup. Thanks to Lucifer, they would never run out of fresh fish to cook.

“We won’t get there til morning,” he said, passing Angel some bread Lucifer had packed for them before they left. “I promise it’s worth the trip.”

Angel grinned, soaking his bread in the soup. “I’m a pirate, remember, I’m used to bein’ at sea. A day’s nothin’.”

A smile played on Lucifer’s lip as he tore a piece off his own bread. “That was the first time I’ve seen you like that, back there. It looked good on you.”

“Violence?”

“Yes.”

Angel’s head fell back as he laughed, and when he looked back at him, his smile was wide. “I’d be lyin’ if I said I didn’t find ya hot when ya were playin’ around like that too.”

 

Leaning in close, Angel could see the sharpness of his teeth. “I’ll take that as an invitation to take you on more trips like these, then.”

“Please do.”

 

Lucifer laughed, pressing a quick kiss to Angel’s lips before he returned to his dinner. Slowly, they watched the stars start to twinkle far above them, Lucifer looking up at the sky with love in his eyes.

He’d have to remember to ask him to introduce him to her, later.

 

-

 

It was mid morning by the time Angel felt the ship stop.

He leaned out across the railing, squinting at the distant land. “Why’re we stoppin’?”

“Because this is as far as the ship’ll take us.”

 

Angel raised an eyebrow as Lucifer lowered the anchor.

“Meanin’?”

“Meaning, this is where we find out how good you really are at holding your breath.”

“There’s nothin’ here.”

“Not here, no. But there is down there.”

Lucifer pointed down into the sea, standing up on the railing. He reached out a hand for Angel to take.

“Don’t worry, if your lungs need more air, I’ll give it to you.”

 

He wasn’t quite sure how he would do that, but so far, Lucifer hadn’t steered him wrong. He took Lucifer’s hand, letting him pull him up beside him. Lucifer’s smile was wide. “Just dive in, I’ll be right beside you when you get there.”

He’d just have to trust him on that.

 

As he dove, he could feel the thrill, that familiar feeling within himself of doing something he knew wasn’t safe, yet doing it anyway, because he knew it would be worth it in the end.

Then, a second later he could feel the water engulf him. He felt hands in his hair, and he opened his eyes to meet Lucifer’s. They were glowing, his face similar to the first time they fucked, almost like that of a mermaid’s.

Lucifer smiled, teeth sharp as he motioned with his head to come with him. As Lucifer started to swim deeper, Angel followed.

 

The deeper he swam, the more he could feel the strain on his body, the pressure of the water above him. He’d never swam so deep before. He knew that even if he turned around now, he wouldn’t be able to reach the surface before running out of air.

Yet, he swam on, deeper and deeper, Lucifer right beside him.

Just as he was about to motion to Lucifer that he was starting to run out of air, he noticed a light.

A light, not far away, down below. He exchanged a glance with Lucifer, who grinned brightly, nodding. He held out his hand, Angel taking it with ease.

Lucifer pulled them further, down to that light, and then–

 

Angel gasped in lungfuls of air as they broke the surface. He could feel the sun on his skin, warming him from the cold water, even as he still swam in it.

He opened his eyes, wiping the water out of his face.

 

They widened as he took in the sight.

They were in a small pond surrounded by soft-looking grass, flowers all around them. As he looked further, he could see the landscape spread out before them. In the distance he could see a gigantic waterfall, the sound of it carrying all the way to them.

“It’s…” Beautiful. It was stunning. “Where are we?”

He watched Lucifer hoist himself out of the pond, giving Angel a hand to follow suit. His fingers lingered, drying both their clothes and bodies within seconds.

“It doesn’t have a name. It just… is.”

 

As they walked further into nature, Lucifer’s appearance slipped further away from his human disguise. They seemed to be the only people there, there was no need to think about blending in. Lucifer’s hand was soft in his as he led them through the grass, his scales glistening in the light.

He could hear the waterfall grow louder and louder the closer they got.

“If you’re plannin’ on takin’ me much closer than this I’m gonna need to cover my ears.”

Lucifer looked up at him with an expression on his face that told him that Lucifer hadn’t even thought about that. “Oh, of course. Don’t worry, the noise will stop once we’ve passed it.”

 

They walked closer, the waterfall as loud as thunder as they stood beside it on the small cliff, even as Angel pressed his hands to his ears.

He could see Lucifer’s lips move, Angel shaking his head. He couldn’t hear a word.

Seemingly realising that, Lucifer tapped his finger against his cheek in thought for a moment before his eyes lit up. He lowered himself down to his knees where they stood mere meters away from it.

He pushed his hands into the rushing water.

Before his eyes, he watched the waterfall slow. It never fully stopped, but the water slowed to the point where he was able to lower his hands, wide eyes staring at the water in wonder. It was as if the water defied gravity, falling to the river at the foot of the waterfall so slowly he could’ve walked through it had he been able to walk on walls.

Now that it had slowed, the water grew clearer. He could see something beyond it, eyes straining to be able to see what it was, but unable to make it out.

“You just need to step through,” Lucifer said, looking up at him with a smile. “I won’t let you get swept away.”

Angel hesitated. Maybe you could step into a waterfall at the bottom of it (though maybe not one this big and powerful), but in the middle? It wasn’t like he could defy the laws of nature, the way Lucifer could.

“Uh. How do I even get over there?”

Whatever was past it was more at its center, not at its edge.

“I’ll make the water solid for you. Watch this.”

Still keeping his hands under the flow of the water, Lucifer took a step forward, right over the edge of the cliff, into the water forming a plateau underneath him. Angel watched it spread, from one side of the waterfall to the other. The water was so still it looked like glass.

“It’ll hold you, I promise.”

 

Angel leaned down, crouching in front of the plateau. He pressed his hand against the surface, feeling the cold water against his skin. Yet, as he pushed, he couldn’t push it through even the surface. His eyes met Lucifer’s.

“Ya never run out of surprises, do ya?”

“I certainly hope not,” Lucifer laughed. “So? Do you trust me?”

“I think I might.”

 

Back straightening, he took a deep breath as he reached forward with one of his feet. Trust or no trust, that didn’t make it less scary to take that initial step.

Finally, he stepped forward. He felt a thrill of excitement as he found his feet steady, held up by the water. He turned, staring up at the waterfall.

He was standing in the waterfall. He could hardly believe it.

 

He took another step, and another. Once he reached the center of the waterfall, he could see a light beyond it, a warm, soft glow reflecting off the water. He met Lucifer’s eye for a moment, before he faced forward again.

Reaching out, his hand pierced the water. He held his breath and closed his eyes, walking straight into the waterfall.

He kept walking until finally, he could hear and feel rock underneath his feet. He opened his eyes again, staring at the sight in front of him. He could no longer hear the waterfall, even as he knew it was right behind him.

“Woah…”

 

“Isn’t it beautiful?”

 

Angel turned, staring at Lucifer with wonder. “How can a forest even live like this?”

Lucifer ran his fingers along the deep green leaves, a smile playing on his lips. He looked up into the cave ceiling above them. “This place is from another world. At least I think that’s what it is.”

“Is that what you are? From another world?”

“No, I’m just the first soul to ever drown. Nothing quite as complicated.”

 

That sounded plenty complicated to Angel, but maybe compared to a forest inside a cave with no sunlight, it wasn’t. He looked around, the ground they stood on glowing, bathing them in soft shades of green. “Where’s the light coming from?

“I’ll show you.”

 

Lucifer offered his hand again, Angel happy to take it.

He led him deeper into the forest, the sound of birdsong that sounded like no bird he’d ever heard before up in the lush trees. If he looked closely, he could see them. He understood why Lucifer thought this place came from a world different than their own.

 

His eyes moved back down, cast in front of him as he felt warmth on his face.

Lucifer’s hand slipped out of his, resting it against the trunk of the tree before them.

The tree was glowing, its rays warm against his skin. The roots branched out, far, far around it, burying in the ground, but even then, the glow of its body penetrated the grass and moss. So this is what made everything else glow.

“I like this place. It’s calm.” Lucifer’s voice was soft as he spoke. He turned, sinking down to the forest floor, fingers burying in the moss. Angel sank down beside him. “There’s so much happening in my head all the time, all the people at sea, the animals, the coral as it breathes, every grain of sand moved by the waves. But here it’s more distant.”

“Sounds like a headache.”

Lucifer laughed. “It was at first. Still is, sometimes. Everything was so overwhelming I tried to drown myself all over, but considering what I am, it didn’t exactly work.”

 

This time, Angel was the one to reach out. He braided his fingers with Lucifer’s, cupping Lucifer’s chin in his other hand, leaning in close.

“Thanks for taking me here, then. To the place where ya don’t have everything in your head all the time.”

Lucifer smiled, fingers gently running along the hand on his face.

“You’re very welcome.”

 

Angel leaned down, pressing his lips to Lucifer’s. The taste of salt on his tongue was familiar now, the feeling of scales gently scratching his skin.

Wrapping his arms around his shoulders, Lucifer pulled him closer, tiny noises escaping him as they kissed, over and over. Lucifer’s hair was soft against his fingers as he moved his hand from his chin to the nape of his neck, holding him there, keeping him in the kiss just a while longer.

Once it ended, his eyes slipped back open, meeting Lucifer’s. Lucifer’s cheeks were flushed so prettily, his lips wet with Angel’s saliva.

 

It wasn’t til he came down from the high of the taste of Lucifer’s lips that he noticed the sounds beside them.

He turned his head, eyes widening. His voice was barely a whisper.

“Are those…”

 

Unicorns. Real, living and breathing unicorns.

He’d only seen one once before, and it had been dead and on display in a palace he and Valentino had snuck into once. 

This, this was something else entirely.

 

It was an adult and two foals, their coats glowing subtly as they fed on the grass nearby. He held his breath, in awe. He realised they must be glowing because they fed on the grass that lived off of the soil where this tree spread its roots.

“They’re gorgeous.”

“They are.”

For a while, they just watched them, watched them eat their fill until they moved on, walking further into the forest.

Angel turned his head to speak, cutting himself off with a surprised laugh.

“Is that a horn?”

“I wanted you to call me gorgeous, too.”

 

Angel raised his hands, running his fingers along the curved, spiral horn growing from the center of Lucifer’s forehead. As Lucifer leaned into the touch, he smiled.

“You are. You’re gorgeous.”

“Is this where I tell you I cheated because I can’t actually grow a unicorn horn?”

Angel gave the horn a playful shove, making Lucifer laugh.

“What’s this then?”

“Hippocampus. I was gonna do a narwhal but they’re a bit too straight.”

“And you’re anything but.”

Lucifer stifled an amused snort behind his hand. “Evidently.”

 

Angel leaned forward, resting his arms on Lucifer’s shoulders, hands clasped behind him.

“Bet you’d make a cute narwhal, though.”

“Of course I would.” With a wink, Lucifer let the horn change shape into one Angel was more familiar with. “Does it look cute on me?”

“Very.”

 

As he felt Lucifer’s cool lips against his, Angel felt his insides tingle. Fuck, he’d forgotten how good it felt to be in love.

He hoped the feeling would never end.

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