[Detroit!AU: when the man comes around]

[stilljustandrew]

Ever since they started what he's been mentally referring to as the Interdimensional Witness Relocation Program, Andrew's been getting most of his sleep at Milliways. Between helping Sam Winchester settle in at the Academy as a putative Watcher-in-training and trying to juggle his own schedule around that, there hasn't been time to sleep at home.

Especially since about half the time he finds himself lying awake anyway, jittering from a combination of nerves and caffeine.

Andrew rolls over, bunches up the pillow under his head, and lets out a sigh of tired frustration as he tries to relax again.

Comments

[gavemea_45]

"Andrew?"

Jonathan's standing just inside the door, looking hesitant.

"You awake?"

[stilljustandrew]

"Mmnuh," he groans, and sits up, rubbing his eyes. "Yeah. 'S going on?"

[gavemea_45]

"I need to talk to you," he says. "Sorry to bother you like this-- it's just..."

A beat.

"... you've been kinda hard to get hold of."

[stilljustandrew]

He nods, stifling a yawn. "Yeah. 'M sorry about that. Stuff's been ..."

A headshake finishes that thought, and he focuses on Jonathan again with a slight crease between his brows.

"Everything okay?"

[gavemea_45]

He hesitates.

"I'm not sure."

[stilljustandrew]

"...Okay."

He settles into a cross-legged position on the bed, and tilts his head at the nearby chair. "Talk to me."

[gavemea_45]

He hesitates again, then moves to the chair and takes a seat. Jonathan looks down at the floor as he braces both hands on his knees, and draws a deep breath, visibly readying himself for something.

Then he looks up, and meets Andrew's eyes.

"It's about Sam."

[stilljustandrew]

Expressions flash across his face: startlement, concern, worry, unease.

"What about him?"

[gavemea_45]

"For one thing, how long are you expecting him to stick around?"

[stilljustandrew]

"We don't know yet. We're still working that out." Beat. "Why?"

[gavemea_45]

"Well, it's just..."

Jonathan looks uncomfortable.

"... you know he can't stay, right?"

[stilljustandrew]

A slightly longer beat.

The unease gets deeper. "What d'you mean, he can't stay?"

[gavemea_45]

"Just that," Jonathan says, very simply. "He can't stay."

"He has to go back."

[stilljustandrew]

"Uh."

Two new emotions join the others already in his face: reproach, and challenge.

"Since when?"

[gavemea_45]

"Since always."

A beat. He's studying Andrew carefully, now.

"Andrew, you know I wouldn't be saying this if it weren't true, right?"

[stilljustandrew]

"If you didn't believe it were true, yeah."

Andrew's studying him in turn.

"Okay, tell me this: why can't he stay?"

[gavemea_45]

He sighs.

"Because of what he has to do."

[stilljustandrew]

Beat.

Andrew frowns, slightly confused.

"He didn't tell me anything about having something he has to do."

[gavemea_45]

Jonathan just looks at him.

"Yes, he did." He frowns a little, considering. "Okay, maybe not in those exact words, since he's still being stubborn about it-- which by the way, you're not helping with that..."

[stilljustandrew]

"What are you talking about? He never --"



Andrew stops.

Every emotion, and most of the color, drains from his face like liquid pouring out of a pitcher.

[gavemea_45]

"Ah. I see you've finally caught up."

He smiles; a moment or two later the smile fades as his features smooth into a masklike calm that doesn't match any expression Jonathan's ever made.

"Hello, Andrew. It's nice to meet you at last."

[stilljustandrew]

Lucifer.

His mouth opens. Closes.

He swallows.




"Fairest and Fallen," he says, not quite steadily, "greeting and defiance."

[gavemea_45]

Lucifer laughs.

"I like that. I'll have to remember it."

He stands, and as he rises from the chair the illusion of Jonathan shimmers and dissolves like smoke, revealing the figure of a tall, broad-shouldered man with blue eyes and dark blond hair.

He strolls over to the window, puts his hands in his pockets, and stands there looking out at the view.

[stilljustandrew]

"What do you want."

Andrew turns to watch him.

[gavemea_45]

"That's a fairly open-ended question, isn't it?"

He leans one shoulder against the windowframe and turns to regard Andrew with amused interest.