“Sure. And you’ve only known him for what, a couple weeks? I’ve known him since the beginning of time, I know what he likes to do to people. How he likes to use them,” Angelica responded to the first part before answering Gabe’s question, “Because maybe you changed. Isn’t that always what you hoped Abby would do? Change?” Angelica asked as a waiter came up, and she ordered a salad and a bloody mary.
Gabe simply ordered a salad, turning back to Angelina. There were marks on the bed of his thumb and and his palm from where he had dug his nails into them - to keep from lunging at Angelica. He really wanted to punch her. "Abby wasn't anything like me either. The opposite. Like you are to Lucifer."
“Oh really? So Lucifer painted me as abusive?” Angelica laughed, waving a hand nonchalantly in the air, “Let me guess, he told you I’m holding his sister captive too?”
"Funny how you knew that," Gabe mumbled quietly, but just loud enough for Angelica to hear.
“It’s a lie he says all the time, hon. He’s not very creative,” Angelica let out a light laugh, but she was getting bored with dancing around Gabe and spinning lies like spider’s spun webs.
And the thing was, Gabe knew they were lies. He might have believed one or two of them for a couple of seconds, Angelica's presence making his mind hazier than it already was, but he knew they were lies. Even in the couple weeks he'd been in hell, he had gotten to know Lucifer pretty well, and something in him knew that he wouldn't do what Angelica said he did.
The waiter brought out their salads and Angelica’s bloody mary, and Angelica’s fake smile slowly turned into a frown. “So I suppose you’re still madly in love with Lucifer, hmm?”
"Madly - what? Yeah, I love him, but I'm not madly in love with him," Gabe told her, denouncing whatever mind game she had planned on the spot.
“Madly in love, in love, whatever you want to call it,” Angelica rolled her eyes, “And I suppose you care for his well-being? Like you wouldn’t want him to die or get hurt or anything, right?”
"No. I wouldn't want anyone to die or get hurt without good reason," Gabe told her, raising an eyebrow. She was setting something up.
“Well, games aside, I’d like to inform you that you happen to hold Lucifer’s fate in you hands. Poetic, isn’t it?” But even as she said that, Angelica’s former smile was now gone. She meant business. “Have you wondered what Lucifer’s been up to this past week? Even just a little bit?”
"I gathered. From what you usually do," Gabe answered, everything Lucifer told him about Angelica flashing through his mind.
“Ah, so you know all about the basement? How pain is channeled into controlling hell, it gives the demons power—they’d riot if not.” Angelica shrugged, eating a bite of her salad. “I’ve been torturing Lucifer there day and night. I assume you’d want to stop that?”
Gabe raised an eyebrow, debating whether or not she was lying. Probably…but he didn't want to risk it either way. "I would. Why do you ask?"
“Well, I’m here to make a deal with you,” Angelica looked him in the eyes, “And I don’t break deals. I want you to tell him you hate him, then move as far away from his palace again. Then I’ll stop torturing him. Or, of course, you could just stay here and continue on with your little fairytale. And I can keep hurting him.” Angelica waved her hand nonchalantly, taking another bite of her salad. “Up to you.”
Gabe's eyes widened, and he shook his head. "Absolutely not." It had to be a lie. He knew it. She had probably never told a single truth in her life.
“Alright then. Just know that his bloodshed is on your hands, not mine.” Angelica shrugged, going back to eating her salad.
Gabe pursed his lips, knowing very well that she wanted him to keep talking. "Why would you want me to do that anyway?"
“Eh.” Angelica shrugged, “It’s easier to give Lucifer emotional pain that way -much less work on my part- rather than my plan B, but both work just as well. But at least plan B lasts longer. ” She took another bite of her salad, smiling a little.
"Why do you want to do that either?" Gabe asked, a small huff of anger escaping him. "You don't get much out of it."
“Oh, why do I want to make Lucifer be in pain in the first place?” Angelica had the audacity to laugh. “Hon, pain equals power. I want keep Lucifer on a tight leash, because even though he’s the face of ruling hell,” Angelica paused, a smile growing on her face, “Hell is all mine.”
"I didn't even know you existed until he mentioned you to me," Gabe told her dryly.
Angelica gave him a frown and rolled her eyes, “Please, he was just too afraid to tell you about me. I wasn’t lying when I said we used to lay together. And besides, I’m still an angel. It’s not good to have it be common knowledge that an angel is calling the shots in hell.”
"I literally lived in the palace. I talked with tons of people. And was not aware of your existence," Gabe continued in the same tone, pressing his nail into his palm as he carried out his argument.
“Oh, so you’d rather me torture Lucifer in public? Because that’s definitely an option.” Angelica raised an eyebrow at Gabe.
"Or, I could have one of our messengers tell god what you're doing," Gabe told her, a half-assed attempt at salvation.
“And He’d believe a messenger from hell over me, a perfect little angel?” Angelica laughed lightly, “Are you honestly that dumb?”
"Yeah, kinda," Gabe admitted, shrugging. After a couple of seconds, yet another impulsive thought TM tumbled its way out of its mouth.
"Torture me instead."
“And why would I do that, hmmm?” Angelica raised an eyebrow. She had better plans than just switching the two’s roles, but she wanted to hear the mortal’s shabby attempt at trying to save Lucifer.
Gabe shrugged, unable to come up with an argument compelling enough. "Because. I would prefer it."