Twelve years ago

Luci frowned.
"…So, you need fire, right?"

Asher tensed immediately, his scales bristling.
"F-Fire?! AH! No, no, no, absolutely not! No fire!"

Luci blinked. He looked… panicked.
"…What?"

He observed him carefully. This wasn’t just reluctance. Asher seemed genuinely… afraid.

Luci chose not to push him on it, but he didn’t forget.
"Uh… But if we don’t make a fire, don’t tell me we’re just going to drink cold water?"

Asher quickly shook his head, regaining some composure.
"No, ahah! My job is to boil the water. You, you give me the ingredients, okay?"

Luci crossed his arms.
"How are you going to boil water without f—"

He stopped mid-sentence.

Right before his eyes, Asher had placed his hands around the metal pot. His palms started glowing a deep, pulsing red. The steel beneath them heated rapidly, and within moments, the water inside began to ripple, then bubble furiously.

Luci’s eyes widened.
"Whoa! How… how are you doing that?!"

Asher shifted slightly, looking a little self-conscious.
"I don’t know… I can do it if I focus… I guess Luci isn’t the only one with magic tricks."

Luci kept staring at the boiling water, awestruck.
"You can create heat as strong as fire without even casting a spell… That’s incredible!"

Asher glanced away, visibly flustered.
"…You think so?"

Luci grinned.
"Of course! I only learnt to make tiny flames using spell, and you can do that all on your own. It’s so unfair!"

Right on cue, his stomach let out a loud growl.

Groooowl "… Ahhh… Right, so what’s next?"

Following Asher’s instructions, Luci first added the mushrooms from Asher’s satchel. Then, one by one, he picked up small wooden bowls and sprinkled in the spices and other ingredients.

The air around them grew warmer. Even Luci was starting to feel the heat. With a huff, he pulled off his cape and tossed it aside.

Asher observed the bubbling soup with satisfaction before looking up at him with a mischievous glint in his eyes.
"Alright, now all that’s left is grilling the meat."

Luci stiffened.
"…Huh?"

Asher was still looking at him with that strange expression.

"Hehe…"

"…Why are you looking at me like that?!"

"Hehehe…"

"Asher!"

"AHAHAHAHA!"

Luci’s blood boiled.
"You little—!"

"You’re so easy! Ahahaha!"

"ARGHHH! Stop laughing, or I’ll be the one cooking YOU! I bet lizard tails are delicious!"

Asher immediately grabbed his own tail, horrified.
"Ah no! I’m sure I taste terrible!"

Luci burst out laughing.
"What, can’t take your own joke now?"

Asher huffed and crossed his arms.
"…Mmh. Just prepare the fish if you want to eat."

Luci turned to the pile of slimy fish. His laughter died instantly.
" …Ahh."

He had never touched raw fish in his life.

Carefully, he peeled away the fresh leaves covering them. Then, using only the very tips of his fingers, he grabbed one of the slippery creatures with an expression of absolute disgust.

He plopped it onto the stone slab in front of him and looked at Asher.
"…Now what?"

Asher pointed to his own knife—a crude, misshapen thing that had clearly seen better days.
"Well… I’m waiting. You need to cut it into cubes. Luci’s knife is sharper than mine."

Luci glanced down at his own silver dagger. The blade was pristine, razor-sharp. Slowly, he slid it from its sheath.

Asher didn’t move, but Luci noticed his tail curling a little tighter around himself. His body language was subtle, but it was clear—he still hadn’t completely brushed off the earlier attack.

Luci hesitated.
Then, gripping the handle, he pointed the tip of the blade at the fish.
" …Uh."

He took a deep breath and attempted to cut off its head. He tried his best not to let his fingers touch the slimy flesh, but his technique was… less than stellar.

Asher immediately started laughing.
"Pffffft! Ahahah! What are you doing?!"

Luci shot him a glare.
"I’M TRYING TO CUT THE FISH LIKE YOU TOLD ME!"

"The fish isn’t going to bite you, you know? Ahahahaha!"

Luci gritted his teeth.
"Tsss… My father never taught me how to do this, okay?!"

He froze.

The words had left his mouth before he realized what he was saying.

" …He never taught me anything."

His grip on the knife faltered slightly.

"Sniff… I… I don’t know how to do anything on my own. Not even cut a stupid fish…"

His breath grew unsteady.

"Without him… I… What am I supposed to do…?"

His shoulders trembled as the weight of his grief crashed down on him.

"AHHHH!!"

Asher flinched.
" Ahhh! No, no, no, that’s not true! Luci can do lots of things!"

Luci sniffled, rubbing at his eyes.
" Snf… You think so?"

Asher nodded vigorously.
" Of course! Look, you can do magic! And… and…"

He fumbled for the right words, then brightened.
"We can learn together!"

He extended his hand across the table, pinky finger stretched out.

"I swear. Pinky promise!"

Luci blinked, startled.

He hesitated for a few seconds. Then, slowly, a small smile crept onto his lips.

"…Alright. It’s a promise! Pinky promise!"

Their fingers locked together.

" We don’t need adults. Ever. And we won’t abandon each other."

Asher nodded, grinning wide.
" If I lie, I’ll go to hell!"

Luci stared at him, stunned.

Then, unexpectedly… he laughed.

Asher blinked.
" …What?"

" It’s just… surprising, coming from a demon."

And for the first time in a long, long while… Luci felt a little less alone.