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“So, any luck with those two lovebirds? ” Angel leaned into the bar, coy grin dancing on his face as he spoke to the beloved princess of hell, slowly nursing his drink as he watched the chaos unfold.
The princess didn’t even look up, shoulders slumping deeper into the bar as she groaned, looking as if she were trying to simply melt into the wood. She finally moved so her face wasn’t smushed into the counter, still staring daggers into the grooves as a particularly loud slam could be heard from the kitchen. Her knitted brows weren’t helping anyone’s case, and Angel was starting to feel bad, setting his glass on the counter before leaning down to meet his unexpected bar-buddy’s eyes.
“ Hey , it’ll be okay.” he nearly cringed, feeling as his subconscious mimicked Vaggie’s tone and words as he spoke, raising his head just a moment to scan the empty lobby. Where was that walking taco when you needed her? “You know how those two get. They’ll have er’ tussle en settle it on their own.” Angel comforted the best he could manage when met with the pathetic puppy eyes Charlie always seemed to have in her back pocket for moments like this.
The spider looked to Husk for help, meeting him with the pleading eyes of a fish out of water, shoulders slumping in relief as the bartend gave him that wonky smile of someone who’d seen too many days to not love with the purest of intentions, clawed hand waving the porn star away as he came to lend an ear for the princess who rarely relied on his bar to tell her woes.
“What’s weighin’ on ya, Princess?” Husk prompted, reaching for the glass Angel had left abandoned, filled only with the dancing remnants of ice yet melted.
“I -” she barely even got the words out before she groaned, venom slipping onto her tongue as her fingers pulled at her roots with such a vice grip, Husk almost thought she’d pull them right on out, “They won’t stop fighting!” the words finally burst through her lips as she finally looked him dead in the eyes.
And he couldn’t deny her words. Ever since they fought back the last extermination, they’d start the inevitable argument. Every. Single. Time. But only when Lucifer could catch the radio demon alone. Why? Who knew! It was a frustratingly well-kept secret they kept between themselves, sharing sharp words on sharper tongues in hushed tones, just out of other’s earshots until one, usually Lucifer, stormed off with a grimace, stomping out of the kitchen and up the stairs with large, exaggerated steps just as he was doing now.
“Well,” Husk leaned closer to the princess as if sharing a secret, “Why don’t you come up with one of those pretty little plans of your?” he leaned back out, looking to the ceiling as he thought up some sort of suggestion, “ I don’ know, stick em’ in a room until they get along or somethin’.”
He knew he was in trouble when the Princess actually perked up at that suggestion.
Why couldn’t he keep his old mouth shut?
“Husk! That’s the perfect idea!” she sprung from her seat with a firm push upwards and beaming smile, “I’ll just ‘stick em’ in a room’ and then they’ll have to make up!” she turned to him, uncertainty flitting through her features before she spoke again. “You think they’ll go along with it?”
Apparently, they would. Especially when faced with the ultimatum of being kicked out for “Who knows how long! However long it takes you two to stop ARGUING IN MY HOTEL!!” as she had so gracefully finally lost her cool on them when they kept bickering over her despite their hushed, secretive tone.
So now they were here, faced with a situation neither had even dreamed of before it all became too real. A fucking get along room .
Oh, how Alastor loved it.
See, it wasn’t Lucifer who kept seeking him out to pester and poke, as it so seemed, but rather Alastor the one adjusting his schedule just to catch his new heavenly plaything off guard. And now? Well, Alastor couldn’t thank Charlie enough, sending her father into the lion’s den so willing and with such good intentions.
And, oh , what a mistake she’d made, because there was a reason their little tiffs stayed between them and no one else, despite Lucifer’s loud personality. It was because Alastor had sensed something during their duet. Something laced beneath Lucifer’s words that was just so ripe for picking, Alastor couldn’t help but tease. A slight brush here, a light touch there. Leaning in just slightly too close to whisper a dastardly “ Pardon me, Sire, ” into the angel’s ear as he walked by. All just to see that face. That beautiful face that flushed the most brilliant of reds as king of Hell himself grew more and more shamefully attracted to the sinner his daughter put so much faith in.
Up until then, that was the only thing Alastor could get away with. Light teasing, feathering flirts. All just to watch as the king’s ears turned red, followed swiftly by the rest of his face before he stormed off. But now? Now he had the privacy of sharing a room with him, away from anyone else, and he could tell by the way the shorter man wouldn’t meet his eyes, that Lucifer knew his disadvantage.
“Don’t get any funny ideas!” The king blurted out, moving firmly away from the radio demon and to the other side of the room.
“Whatever could you mean, your highness?” Alastor played up the innocent act with a placid smile, standing ever so proper with his hands neatly tucked behind his back.
“You get that half of the room, I get this half! Got it?” the king shouted, drawing a firm line in the sand Alastor was determined to muddle, appearing from the shadows behind his small little fruit and leaning in far too close for comfort.
“Don’t tell me you aren’t up to the cut?” Alastor teased lightly, feigning disappointment as he watched a chill run through the devil’s body. Whether it was due to Alastor’s breath on his neck or his finger’s walking up Lucifer’s spine, he didn’t know. All he knew is that he’d have to savor that intimate, hazy expression the smaller always got at his teasing, eyes flitting to Alastor as he swallowed a heavy gulp.
And then he gained his composure again, just like always, those lustful eyes captivating the sadistic deer for just one tantalizing second before disappearing under a thin facade of put togetherness that always melded into a much truer anxiety ridden ramble of sorts before Lucifer retreated, flustered and embarrassed all the same.
But this time would be different, because Alastor wouldn’t let him hold onto that thin strip of dignity. No, he’d slowly fallen into Lucifer’s hands for far too long. Watched wistfully as the King made the hotel pancake breakfasts, swaying from side to side as he sang to the radio for one too many mornings. Felt as those golden eyes lingered up and down his body when he didn’t think anyone would notice far too many times. Stayed up at night, feeling as those careful fingers slaved away on his angelic wound, stitching him back together piece by piece. Remembered when, after Lucifer had done all he could for one night and exhaustion took him, he’d simply lay his head on Alastor’s lap and fall asleep. Completely vulnerable, completely exhausted, and so splendidly beautiful.
All of that: the care, the attentiveness, the poorly hidden attraction. It all culminated into this: the teasing, the time, the inane burning desire in his chest to make this king acknowledge the seeds they’d sown by any means necessary.
Lucifer’s breath hitched in his throat as Alastor’s hands found their way to his hips.
He didn’t speak. Not a word of protest, not a gasp of giving in. He’d simply froze.
“ Well, Luci? ” Alastor asked in that breathy way he knew the porcelain skinned beauty simply adored.
Alastor waited patiently for a go-ahead, content to undress the man with his eyes as he rubbed circles into his sides, zeroing in on his face for only a second.
A record screech. The buzzing background noise of ever-present radio static turned romantic tune came to a halt and suddenly Alastor’s hands were safely tucked behind his back and he was clear across the room again. Why? Because glazing down Lucifer’s flushed cheeks were eyeliner mixed tears.
“This side of the room, you said?” Alastor continued nonchalantly, seeming to tour his half with increasing interest, a closed mouth grin and half lidded eyes as he showed himself around as if this hotel room was any different from the rest of them.
Lucifer couldn’t stand to watch it.
In fact, he couldn’t stand a lot of things right now, and in this new situation, entirely alone with the person he was genuinely falling in love with . To watch as that very same person did the same shit as usual, this toying with his emotions and then leaving him dry. Making him feel wanted and desired in a way he hadn’t since Charlie was born over 200 years ago and then pretending it never happened. Letting him in to see him at his most vulnerable, brush his hand through Lucifer’s hair when he’d thought the angel had fallen asleep in his lap before returning the king he pretended to hate in front of everyone else to his rightful place in bed, even going the extra mile to tuck him in before leaving and then still joining him in the kitchen the next morning to watch Lucifer’s dumb dancing and even join him when Alastor was feeling especially well rested, all just to crush him with this endless bullying. Reminding him time and time again that no matter how deeply he fell, Alastor would only ever see him as a game. A toy to mess with whenever he got bored.
He hated it.
He hated it so much; he couldn’t even restrain the tears flowing down his face as he burned a hole into the floor with his eyes like a petulant child.
“Why-” He fought to use his voice, letting the word hang in the air for a moment before he continued speaking, knowing that Alastor was listening just from the way the overlord had stilled on ‘his’ side of the room. “Why do you hate me so much?”
He hadn’t meant to let his voice crack in such a shameful way. He hadn’t meant for the words to come out so small and vulnerable. He hadn’t meant to do a lot of things. Like fall in love, or feel so heartbroken, or break not even an hour into this new arrangement.
The blazing static echoing from across the room caught his attention.
That wasn’t the reaction he was expecting.
He was expecting the sinner to laugh at his expense, to extinguish that stubborn flame that wouldn’t be snuffed out. Hell, even start listing reasons why he hated him so much! What he wasn’t expecting? For Alastor to not say a word as his antlers splintered and grew with an agitated crack, only turning his head with three distinct tics, his eyes having turned into what Lucifer recognized as radio dials and smile strangely sharp.
It only took a pathetic sniffle for the radio demon to calm back down, the static fading to silence as the radio demon truly took him in.
How could he have possibly come off as hating him after he did so much to show just how much affection he had for the serpentine king? Did every wistful touch faze through his angelic companion? Every bold flirt or loving comment never reach his ears? Or was the King simply forgetting all that time they spent together? Egging Alastor on to remind him how much Alastor was fucking obsessed with the fragile relationship they’d built. With every part of it, big and small. Because sure, Alastor was more open with how much he loved teasing the king, but he never thought his hushed words would over shine his sweet nothings. Never thought it would cause the devil himself to forget just how much Alastor was putting of himself into their relationship.
Well, he’d just have to remind him. Not by making his face hot and pants tight, but by making his feet light and his smile taut.
And what better way than one of his favorite past times with the king?
The intro of a song played in the air between them.
‘Gales, the skies are grey. ’
Lucifer finally looked up at him, meeting his gaze and holding it with what looked like confused dismay. Alastor could only do what he knew to help. Being vulnerable. Being open. Being him.
“Ever colder, the winds get bolder,” Alastor made quick work of the bed, dropping it into a portal to somewhere unknown as he sang along to the tune, “Hills, all night and day.”
His voice was truly enchanting to Lucifer, reminding him of just how much he loved hearing the demon hum along to the radio as he sipped the coffee Lucifer always had ready and made for him by the time he came down.
“I need to hold her,” Suddenly, before he’d even realized the offer had been extended, Lucifer reached for the red and black hand, listening as that too-familiar tune continued playing from nowhere but all around. Singing along to it too.
‘ I never told her; her smile warms my soul.’
Alastor held both Lucifer’s too-warm hands in the new, impromptu dance floor, and then that hitch in the song where Alaster would truly make the two of them sway finally kicked off.
‘ The strawberry moon! Needs no reason, just shows up in June, it kicks off the season. ’
Lucifer followed every tapping foot, every lilted kick, same as he always had, watching as Alastor’s gentle smile simply morphed into the serenade he’d first won Lucifer over with, “So now's a good time - to fall in love~! ”
Alastor’s never sung that part before, voice sweet like honey as he dipped his companion, leaning in so they shared the same air and there was nowhere for Lucifer to look but into his eyes, both love and pure, holding Lucifer as if he were the most precious treasure in the world.
Then a tap, tap, kick, and twirl, “I climb higher and higher, my strawberry moon! ” Alastor sang, pulling Lucifer close so their chests collided, leaning down to press their foreheads together, intertwining their finger once more, letting the song pass them by as if to soak up the moment in the only way he thought would bring Lucifer to one simple understanding: Alastor could never hate him, because he’d already decided to love him. Any doubt was swept away as Alastor’s voice filled the air once more, quieter this time, as if it were a secret meant only for their ears and their ears alone. “ Seems like we’re dating, ” and suddenly this sweet tune Lucifer had heard on the radio time and time again during their morning rendezvous became so much more important to him; held so much more power over him.
He pressed his lips to the radio demon’s, soft and cherishing in a way that was foreign to them both.