Zach's voice carried over the thumping bass of the music, low and mocking.
"Think he liked the surprise?" one of his friends snickered, the sound grating and smug. They lounged near the snack table, eyes glinting with cruel amusement, sharing high-fives and smirks like they hadn't just humiliated Lucifer in front of half the school.
Eliza's jaw clenched so hard it ached. Her hands curled into fists at her sides, nails biting into her palms. Anger simmered low and hot in her chest, and it took every ounce of self-control not to stomp over and wipe those smug grins off their faces.
She huffed instead, rolling her eyes, and glanced at Lucifer knowingly. He stood beside her, damp hair clinging to his forehead, but most of the sauce was scrubbed away now—though his jersey was still stained and his expression still tight with lingering anger.
Lucifer caught her look, one eyebrow quirking with that familiar spark of mischief despite the mess. A smirk tugged at his lips, dangerous and crooked, and for a moment, the humiliation seemed to melt away, replaced by something darker and far more satisfying.
"You thinking what I'm thinking?" he murmured, voice low and dark, the frustration in his eyes replaced by something sharper.
Eliza's lips curved into a slow, wicked grin. "Oh, I already do," she replied, eyes glinting with a mixture of anger and excitement.
Lucifer chuckled, the sound rough and a little too pleased. "Good," he said, a challenge in his tone. "'Cause there's no way we're letting them get away with that."
Eliza's grin widened, excitement thrumming under her skin. "I thought you'd never ask."
They leaned in, heads close, voices dropping to hushed tones. Ideas tumbled out faster than they could catch them—half-whispered schemes and mischievous grins, fingers brushing for a brief moment. Eliza pretended not to notice the warmth that lingered at the touch, cheeks a little warm, but her grin stayed sharp.
"I say we start with their lockers," Eliza muttered, eyes flicking to the rival team gathered by the snack table, still snickering. "You know, something… sticky."
Lucifer snorted softly. "Syrup and feathers?" he suggested, eyes glinting with dark amusement.
"Too cliché," Eliza hummed, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "But maybe something a little more permanent. Dye, maybe?"
Lucifer's eyes lit up, grin widening. "Now that," he said with a low chuckle, "is evil. I like it."
The excitement buzzing between them was almost enough to drown out the lingering embarrassment and anger. Almost.
Eliza's gaze drifted back to Zach, who was still laughing obnoxiously with his friends, and her jaw tightened. The memory of Lucifer standing there, drenched and humiliated, flashed through her mind again, reigniting the flame in her chest.
"Or," she added, voice low and dangerous, "we could just dump them in the pool. Phones and all."
Lucifer barked a laugh, eyes glinting with something wild and unfiltered. "You're scarier than I thought," he snickered, shaking his head.
She shrugged with a smirk. "They started it."
His grin softened, eyes warm for a fraction of a second before hardening again as he followed her gaze back to Zach. The rival captain was still preening, soaking up the attention like he hadn't just pulled a middle-school prank.
Lucifer's smirk faded, jaw clenching. "It's not even that they did it," he muttered, voice low and sharp. "It's that they didn't even try to hide it. Like they think I won't do anything back."
Eliza arched a brow, a teasing lilt in her voice despite the tension. "Oh? And what are you planning, oh fearless MVP?"
His eyes flicked to hers, glinting with something that made her pulse skip. "Wouldn't you like to know," he drawled, leaning a fraction closer.
Eliza rolled her eyes, but her cheeks felt warm. "Just don't get us expelled," she muttered, fighting to keep her voice steady.
"No promises," Lucifer snickered, the sound dark and amused.
---
They lingered by the hallway, plotting in hushed tones, voices barely rising above the distant bass of the party. Every so often, Lucifer's eyes would flicker back to the gym doors, narrowing at the muffled laughter that seeped through the walls. Eliza watched him out of the corner of her eye, catching the way his jaw ticked, the way his fingers twitched at his sides—like he was holding himself back by a thread.
Seeing him like that made something twist in her chest, a mix of anger and something softer, something that made her heart beat a little too fast.
She nudged his shoulder lightly, offering a half-smirk. "Hey. Don't let them get to you," she muttered. "They're just jealous 'cause you kicked their asses on the court."
His eyes flicked to hers, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. "Yeah, well," he mumbled, voice dropping, "it's not about that."
"Then what?"
For a moment, he hesitated, eyes darting away. His fingers tapped a restless rhythm against his thigh, shoulders tense. But then he shook his head, smirk sliding back into place—forced and a little too sharp.
"Doesn't matter," he snorted, eyes hardening. "They'll regret it soon enough."
Eliza's eyes narrowed, but she didn't push. She just nodded, letting the moment pass, though something lingered—something unspoken and heavy between them.
"Well," she drawled, forcing a grin, "they did mess with the wrong MVP."
Lucifer chuckled, the sound rough but more genuine. "Damn right they did."
Their eyes met, and for a second, the hallway felt too small, the space between them too warm. Eliza's breath hitched, heart fluttering unsteadily against her ribcage.
But then the gym doors swung open with a loud creak, shattering the moment. One of Zach's friends stumbled out, still snickering, and Lucifer's eyes darkened again.
Eliza rolled her eyes, huffing. "We better move before they see us," she muttered, grabbing his wrist and tugging him down the hall.
Lucifer followed without protest, the tension melting into a low chuckle. "Bossy," he snickered, eyes glinting.
"Shut up," Eliza huffed, cheeks warm, but she didn't let go of his wrist. Neither of them mentioned it.
But as they disappeared down the hall, hushed laughter and whispered revenge plans trailing behind them, one thing was clear: Zach and his friends had no idea what was coming.
To be continued....