The cafeteria was chaos as usual—voices overlapping, chairs scraping, trays clattering. The air smelled faintly of fries and spilled soda, and the sun streamed through the windows in lazy patches, catching on the metal edges of the tables. Eliza followed Lucifer to their usual spot by the window, where Ava was already waiting, absently scrolling through her phone and sipping on a strawberry smoothie.
"Finally! I was about to send a search party," Ava snorted, not looking up.
Eliza plopped down with a dramatic sigh, shoving her tray aside. "If I fail one more history test, I'm dropping out and becoming a professional ice cream taster," she declared, stabbing a fry like it had personally wronged her.
Lucifer snorted, popping a fry into his mouth without a care in the world. "You'd fail that too. Remember last summer when you couldn't even pick between chocolate and vanilla?"
"Hey! That was a serious life decision," Eliza shot back, narrowing her eyes. "And for your information, I got both."
Ava smirked, finally glancing up with an amused glint in her eyes. "Wow, you two argue like an old married couple."
Eliza's face turned red instantly, heat blooming from her cheeks to the tips of her ears. "W-We do not!" she squeaked, voice a pitch too high.
Lucifer rolled his eyes, flicking a crumpled napkin at Ava's face. "Don't lump me in with this idiot," he scoffed. But his tone was light, teasing, and that stupid half-smirk on his face did absolutely nothing to calm Eliza's racing heart.
Ava just grinned knowingly, eyes flickering between the two with the precision of someone who knew exactly what was going on. Eliza shot her a glare that screamed shut up—cause only Ava knew her secret—but Ava just sipped her soda with zero shame, raising an eyebrow that practically said make me.
As they bickered, a girl from their history class hesitantly approached their table, her steps small and uncertain. She was clutching a small pink box, fingers fiddling nervously with the edges. Eliza's eyes narrowed instinctively.
"Um, hey, Lucifer?" the girl started, voice shaky but determined.
Lucifer glanced up, eyebrows raised. "Yeah?"
"I-I just… I made these for the bake sale and thought you might like some too!" She thrust the box at him with a smile that was all nerves and fluttering lashes, cheeks bright pink.
Eliza's stomach twisted unpleasantly, jealousy curling in her chest like a thorny vine. She stared at her tray, suddenly very interested in the sad state of her fries.
"Oh, thanks," Lucifer said, flashing the girl a casual smile that revealed just a hint of his dimples—the ones Eliza liked far too much for her own good.
The girl practically melted, stammering out a "Y-You're welcome!" before scurrying off like her life depended on it.
Eliza bit her lip, focusing way too hard on her fries. She could feel the jealousy simmering under her skin, hot and bitter, and hated herself a little for it. It wasn't like she had any right to be upset—not when she was too chicken to tell him how she felt in the first place.
"Wanna share?" Lucifer asked, nudging the box toward her without a second thought.
"It's for you, not me," she mumbled, refusing to look up, refusing to see that stupid easygoing smile that was probably still on his face.
Ava snorted loudly, almost choking on her soda. "Uh-huh. Someone's sulking."
Eliza's head shot up, eyes wide. "Am not!"
Lucifer's gaze flickered between them, eyebrows furrowing slightly. "Did I… miss something?"
Ava just smirked, eyes glinting with a mix of amusement and evil. "Nope. Carry on, lovebirds."
Eliza kicked her under the table, face flaming. Ava just snickered, leaning back with a grin that screamed you're so obvious.
And that was the problem, wasn't it?
Lucifer could smile at anyone like that—so effortlessly, so carelessly—and Eliza was stuck here, trying not to show how much it hurt.
---
Ava eventually took off, leaving Eliza and Lucifer alone in their usual booth at the little diner near school. The sunlight slanted in through the windows, warm and golden, painting everything in soft hues. Lucifer sprawled out comfortably, one arm draped along the back of the booth, sipping his milkshake with a contented sigh.
Eliza played with her straw, eyes fixed on the melting ice cream in her glass. She couldn't stop replaying that girl's shy smile, the way Lucifer had grinned back without a second thought.
"So," he started, stealing a fry off her plate with zero shame. "Seriously, what's up with you today? You've been weirdly quiet."
Eliza shrugged, swirling her straw in circles. "Just tired," she mumbled.
He narrowed his eyes, clearly unconvinced. "You're not dying, right? 'Cause if you bail on me, I'm failing math."
She rolled her eyes. "Wow, so touching. I feel so appreciated," she deadpanned.
He grinned, nudging her ankle under the table with his foot. "You know you love me."
Her smile faltered for a split second, heart squeezing painfully. "Yeah," she mumbled softly. "I do."
But he didn't catch the shift in her tone, too busy battling the whipped cream on his milkshake with a concentrated frown that was far too cute for her sanity.
---
They walked home side by side, the sky streaked with shades of pink and orange, the air warm with the lingering heat of late afternoon. Lucifer was rambling about a new video game, hands waving animatedly, and Eliza just listened, nodding along. She loved the way his eyes lit up when he talked about things he liked. How he'd glance at her every now and then, just to make sure she was still listening.
He nudged her with his shoulder. "Hey, earth to Eliza. You're zoning out again. Don't tell me you're planning out drama scenes in that head of yours."
"You're annoying," Eliza huffed, shoving him lightly.
He chuckled, ruffling her hair in that infuriatingly fond way. "Whatever you say, Drama Queen."
Eliza swatted his hand away, cheeks warm. But as his laughter faded into the warm evening air, her heart ached with the things she couldn't say.
Because in moments like these—when it was just them, when the world faded into soft hues and warm smiles—Eliza almost believed they were something more.
Almost.
To be continued...