They gathered quickly, and Belial thought that it was just like Alexiel’s latest
incarnation to not give any warning. The room was small enough, and the
interested parties many enough, that aides and seconds had been left outside,
but that had never stopped Belial before, and se watched from a slice of
shadow in one corner.

Kurai didn’t exactly pace, but she hovered at two distances, and flitted from
one to the other every now and then. Gabriel, by contrast, stood calmly beside
Alexiel’s body. Of course, Gabriel had done this herself just a year ago.
Raziel sat behind her, equally calm; of course, he had never met Alexiel,
only Setsuna. Michael fidgeted, on the far side of Raphael from his brother.
And Lucifer and Uriel held up opposite walls, both about as far from Alexiel
as they could get without leaving the room.

Belial sighed. Se hoped, for hir lord’s sake, this would go well.

And then hir glance sharpened, because hir sigh had been echoed by one from
Alexiel. Kurai spun around so fast she wobbled, poised at her distant hovering
spot. After one more moment of utter stillness, Alexiel drew in a deep
breath. As she exhaled her eyes opened.

Belial watched Lucifer exhale with her.

Alexiel rubbed a hand across her eyes and yawned. "Where?" she mumbled,
and then blinked at the crowd surrounding her. "Oh. Right."

Gabriel laughed. "Welcome back, Alexiel." She put a quick hand behind
Alexiel’s shoulder as she started to sit up. "Take it a little slowly.
You weren’t sealed, this time, it may take a while to settle back in."

Raphael waved a dismissive hand. "The strength of her spirit will draw
the body around itself immediately. No need to worry about her."

"Love you, too, Raphie-kun," Alexiel muttered, flipping him off with the hand not rubbing her face.

Kurai made a small noise, at that, hope lighting her eyes. Alexiel looked around
and smiled. "Kurai." When that failed to make Kurai stop chewing
on her lip, Alexiel’s smile softened and tilted. "Hey, kiddo."
She held out her arms.

Belial shook hir head as Kurai took two running steps and flung herself into
Alexiel’s embrace. It would do no one any good to lead the girl on.

"I missed you," Alexiel said, gently. "Both of me."

Kurai looked up, one crystal blue eye showing under her rumpled hair. "Really?"

"Really," Alexiel laughed, and ruffled Kurai’s hair some more.

Kurai giggled, and backed away. "Okay." Her eyes were clear again.

Belial’s estimation of Alexiel rose. Maybe this would fail to be a catastrophe after all.

Alexiel swung herself off the plinth and stood, but her stretch was interrupted
as her eyes fell on Lucifer, still leaning against the wall silently. "You
came," she whispered.

Lucifer returned her gaze, eyes hooded. "It seemed polite to give you
a clear opportunity, in case you wanted to try killing me again. Consider
it your homecoming present."

Belial had to wonder, as Alexiel stood frozen, whether she could see past
the sardonic chill to the genuine offer underneath it. If Alexiel really
did want Lucifer’s life, for the sake of the world or the sake of a grudge, he would give it to her this time.

As Alexiel paced toward him, through a room full of people holding their breaths,
Belial wondered whether she was going to take him up on it.

Alexiel stopped a hand’s breadth away, glaring up at him with stormy eyes.

And then she reached out and hauled him into a rib-cracking hug, burying her
face in his shoulder. "You are such an asshole," she declared,
a bit muffled.

Lucifer’s eyes widened, and Belial saw him swallow before his hands lifted,
hesitant and slow, to settle on Alexiel’s back. "Careful," he said,
voice just a little uneven. "You’ll have me calling you Setsuna if you
keep talking like that."

"Fair enough." Alexiel sniffed. "Kira-senpai."

"Not anymore."

"I know."

Lucifer’s eyes darkened, and he ran one hand, slowly, through her long, thick
hair.

Alexiel stiffened abruptly, at that, and lifted her head. Belial caught a
flash of apprehension in her face.

Lucifer shook his head. "I know why you didn’t tell me who I was." His mouth twisted. "Or that I had already had my wish, more than once, in Eden."

The tangle of sorrow and anger and tenderness plain to see in Alexiel’s expression
was a match for the tangle lurking in Lucifer’s eyes. Belial wondered whether
it was uncharitable or just accurate to think that they deserved each other.

"What… what if I ask, first, this time?" Alexiel said at last, voice wavering.

Lucifer’s snort was a bit pained, but the arms around Alexiel tightened without
reserve. "You have me, idiot," he murmured. "You’ve always had me."

Belial had to look away when their lips met. The kiss was too hesitant, too
heavy, too beautiful with hir lord’s relief. It made hir dizzy to watch.
So se watched the other watchers instead, and hir lips quirked as se took
in the generally indulgent expressions on their faces.

Se wondered how many of them realized that Abe’s real ruler was home now.

End