Dan looked at the ingredients that Lucifer was pulling out of his cupboards and fridge and wondered exactly when it was that Lucifer started cooking, let alone making desserts. The idea was absurd and he was ready to do his best ewww face ever for as soon as the pudding touched his lips.

He honestly did not think Lucifer could do it. And yet there he was, not only lining up the ingredients like a pro, but he didn't even have out a recipe to follow. Did he honestly make pudding that often, that he knew how to do it off by heart? Seriously, that was some dedication.

"So, how long have you been cooking, exactly?"

Lucifer tuned to look at him and grinned. "Almost six years now. I had to learn when I realised I had to eat. And never, ever trust Maze at making dinner. She can mix up a drink like a pro, but dinner is too much for her to handle. She will burn everything. So, I had to learn just to eat proper meals. Until I got good at it though, I lived off a lot of takeaway. And, of course, snack food. But I got good at cooking, yes."

Dan rolled his eyes. "Okay, so when did you learn to make pudding?'

That wide grin was levelled in his direction again. "About the first time I took one of yours. I liked it so much I looked up the recipe and started making it until I had it just right."

"You learnt a recipe for a dessert off by heart in less than a year?"

"Yep! Actually, I learnt it in less than a week. I'm a quick leaner when it comes to cooking."

Dan rolled his eyes again and he wondered how often he'd have to do that tonight, until they started to hurt, or fell out of his head. "Is there anything you're not good at?"

"Emotions. Holding onto relationships. Being a good friend... I know I'm bad at this, Dan, but I do try."

And now he felt shitty for thinking him good at everything. It was times like this he realised that Lucifer's family really screwed him over badly, that he doesn't understand how to have a proper friend. Or know how emotions are supposed to work. The word abuse kept tugging in his brain and he kept batting it away, because this was Lucifer, the man who had everything. Well, almost everything. And yet was still miserable.

"Shit, yeah, I believe you. Only a friend would take a friend out to buy new pudding flavours and then make homemade puddings to make me feel better."

Lucifer looked at him with puppy dog eyes. "So, this is right then?"

Dan sighed. "Yeah, so far, so good."

Nodding, Lucifer got back to mixing the ingredients together.

By the time they were done and in the fridge, Lucifer was looking at him with a hopeful look on his face. Two were left out, reedy to eat. "So! You go first, since they are for you."

Sighing and eyeing the little tub of brown goop he loved so much, he took in a deep breath, grabbed a spoon, scooped up a bit of said goop and quickly stuffed it into his mouth.

He honestly expected to hate it. Instead, he closed his eyes and moaned. It had the perfect amount of chocolaty taste, the texture was just the way he liked it and the thickness of it was divine. He opened his eyes and looked over to where Lucifer was standing, shifting from foot to foot in a rare show of nervousness.

"This is really good, man. I wish I could cook pudding like this. Tried once, I suck at it."

Lucifer seemed to perk up at that. "I'm glad you like then, Dan. So... what are you going to go for now?"

Dan pointed at the homemade pudding. "This, definitely, until they're all gone, and then head on over to the Belgian chocolate one, I think."

Lucifer grinned widely at him and nodded. "Agreed 100%. Deal."

And with that said, Dan knew he had probably just done something very wrong. Lucifer usually tended to want payment for deals. And he had nothing to pay with. He swallowed the last of the pudding in the tub he was holding and put it in the sink to be cleaned, before turning to Lucifer. "So...do I owe you anything for this apparent deal?"

He tensed until, Lucifer finished his own treat and another tub was soon joining his in the sink. It wasn't until Lucifer turned towards him and grinned that he realised he may be in trouble asking.

"Tell you what? You be my friend and I will continue making you pudding. Fair trade, I think."

Dan blinked at the man. "Seriously, that's it? To be your friend."

Lucifer looked down at his feet before quickly looking back up. "Yep. All I ask."

Dan laughed. "Man, you are my friend for life."

It wasn't until he was driving back home that night that he realised he was no longer even remotely upset about losing his favourite brand of pudding.

He had replaced it with two things better.