Approaching the gates, Luciel kept his head lowered to avoid the eyes of the guards to make it clear that he had no interest in interacting with them. Fear or choice was left in their hands, and it was simply an understood formality for the demon priest.
In all honesty, he hadn't expected his company to reply. Her admittance of the state she saw herself dug a hole into Luci's heart as he imagine she had tried and simply found a reason to abandon her efforts. The hardship and ridicule sustained in that time was all in vain, though...how would one's time spend in hostility lighten the hostility?

Humanity was afraid of their own death and the death they had sustained. Now was no time to take risks, especially when they had everything to lose. Regardless, Luci saw the bridge he had endeavored to make, and letting it crumble in a moment of weakness was far from his intentions.

Thoughts spun through his head from the turmoil that the idea of having company left. He had been fine with being alone and letting his trial be his own stand against humanity...but...

A gentle click of claws met each-other as Aya's met the armored plates of Luciel's porcelain-esque doll-like flesh. Softly, the priest lowered his hand from his side to accept Aya's. The feeling was foreign and strange in ways he could not explain, even as she spoke with implication.
He was simply responsible for another being.

It was...different.
Unlike his hollow care for humanity and the point he wanted to drive home into their hearts and bellies, something from the city came to [i]him[/i]. Something that he did not deserve, and most certainly did not deserve him and the light tremble in his hand as their fingers laced. 
His home was small and had taken time to make. He was loathe to make her sleep in the cold and could only accommodate her with his own accommodations. There was more food than even two empty stomachs could hold, and he knew how to fight off predators and demons alike. As many reasons that he could think of to turn her away and seek a 'better' life among humanity, Luci had twice as many [i]good[/i] reasons to shelter her...save for one.

Numbly, Luciel walked with a reassuring grip on Aya's hand. He could not abandon her even if his life depended on it as they were so suddenly the same. [color=8882be]"I..uhh..."[/color] he stammered, having acted instinctually with his hands falling from the silver. His eyes didn't even glance in her direction, though understood what was happening.[color=8882be] "I haf room if a guest vould suffer eit"[/color] he chuckled in offering, the hold on her hand tightening in reassurance.
Regardless of his feelings,  as one of his own...the [i]only[/i] of his own that he knew, he silently promised to protect her. Whatever it meant  at the time, she was worth more than the whole of humanity.

The first [i]anyone[/i] to give him a chance with [i]everything[/i] they would [i]anything[/i].
How dare he not reply in kind?

[@Lightning]