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Warm light filters through the front windows of the hotel. Charlie is humming happily while doodling on a small, folded piece of paper. She holds her card to her chest when Vaggi peeks over her shoulder to see what she’s writing. The whole hotel is sitting around the lounge making Valentine’s Day cards. A guests cluster together in groups, a few sit alone. Alastor is laying stomach down on the floor, swinging his feet as he doodles on a card addressed to himself.
“See? I told you it would be nice to get everyone together for a project like this. They’re all behaving, even Vox.” Charlie points to Vox, pouting in the corner with a blank card in his hand.
“Yeah, he doesn’t look happy about it, though.” Vaggi sighs. “Maybe your dad can go over there and try to convince him to participate. It seems like they’ve been getting close lately.”
Charlie searches the lounge for her father, “He doesn’t really like Valentine’s Day… at least, not after my mom left.” She bites her nail and returns her gaze to Vaggi, “He’s probably in his room.”
“I can go get him if you want, babe.” Vaggi offers, taking the hand Charlie’s chewing on. She’s been trying to get Charlie to break her terrible nail biting habit.
“No, I think it’s best if I talked to him. You can stay here and watch over the guests.” Charlie puts on a confident smile and, without waiting for a reply from Vaggi, scampers off to her father’s room.
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Lucifer lays limply in his bed, swallowed in a comforter and rolling his wedding ring between his thumb and index finger. His room drowned in darkness. He jumps a bit when a soft knocking breaks the silence. He sits up and turns towards his door, the loose sweater he snagged from his wife’s closet falls off his shoulder.
“Dad? Can I come in?” His daughters voice comes muffled through the door.
“Uh— sure thing, sweetheart!” He flicks his bedside lamp on to illuminate his room a bit.
Charlie walks in, stumbling over a few rubber ducks left on the floor. “How’re you feeling?” She moves a cluster of blankets out of the way before sitting on the edge of his bed.
“Oh, me? I’m great! Just uh… tired, that’s all.” Lucifer gives Charlie a weak smile. He pulls at the bottom of his sweater with anxiety.
Charlie looks down at her feet, “I know… this day… has been hard since mom left.” She pauses and considers a few ways to ask her father for this, “Like I told you earlier, I’m hosting a little get-together for all the guests to make Valentine’s cards together.” She brushes a patch of glitter of her lapel. “Vox doesn’t seem to keen on being a part of it, maybe you could encourage him? Vaggi noticed you two have been getting close lately, and it might be good for you too. Y’know, to take your mind off mom.” Charlie lifts her head to smile encouragingly at Lucifer.
“I dunno,” Lucifer rubs the back of his neck for a while, contemplating. “I guess it’s worth a try…” He decides after seeing his daughter flash him a bit of a pleading look.
Charlie lights up with excitement and relief, “Great!" She hops onto her feet and bounces to the door, “See you in the lounge!” She calls before closing the door behind her.
Lucifer sluggishly gets out of bed and pulls his suit on, not bothering with his coat or hat. He takes one last look at his wedding ring before straightening his back and setting it on his dresser, heading to the lounge on unsteady feet.
As he approaches the lounge, he’s greeted with quite the crowd. Is there really this many people staying here? He thinks, scanning for Vox in the multitude of sinners before him. There he is. He strolls over to Vox, who’s still pouting in the corner, but this time he’s scrolling through his phone with his blank card on the floor by his side. He’s wearing a pink-toned button down shirt paired with a darker pink checkered sweater vest and white slacks. A presumptuous grin paints his face when he looks up and is met with Lucifer standing in front of him.
“Why, if it isn’t little-mister-king-of-hell.” He jeers, though there’s no real edge to it. He shuts his phone off and pockets it, lifting himself off the ground to tower over Lucifer. “Come to do arts and crafts with your little failures?” He teases, twirling one of Lucifer’s blonde fly-aways.
“Charlie wants you to make a card, she asked me to encourage you to it.” Lucifer crosses his arms in an attempt to look displeased with the jabs, but he can’t help the smirk that creeps onto his lips.
“Well, if you insist, your highness.” Vox picks up his, slightly wrinkled, blank card and starts doodling on it. Lucifer plops himself down on the floor next to Vox, crossing his legs so their knees touch. He picks up one of the many blank cards scattered across the floor and searches for a colored pencil.
“Where are the pencils?”
Vox smirks, “I have them.”
“Gimme one.” Lucifer holds his hand out for Vox to hand him a pencil.
“What’s the magic word?” Vox chuckles, thoroughly enjoying giving Lucifer a hard time.
“Abracadabra." Lucifer rolls his eyes and tries to grab the pencil case Vox is holding, but Vox holds it up out of his reach before he can grasp it. Lucifer grumbles in frustration.
“Having fun without me, my dears?” The two snap their heads over to see Alastor, who had noticed the commotion and made his way over to them. Lucifer shrinks away from Vox in favor of greeting Alastor.
“I don’t think anyone’s ever had fun with Sparky.” Lucifer holds Alastor’s hand to stabilize him as he sits.
“Oh, you’ve definitely had fun with me, your highness.” Vox leans over Lucifer and winks. Lucifer gives him a miffed look.
“You two never fail to disgust me.” Alastor’s nose scrunches up and his lip curls.
“Oh, you’re such a prude. Get over it, old man.” Vox scoffs and turns his attention back to his card. Lucifer slips the pencil case out from under Vox’s legs and rummages around until he finds a gold pencil. As the afternoon pours on, Alastor watches the two bicker. He quite enjoys watching Vox goad Lucifer.
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Alastor, humming with contentment, gives Lucifer’s door a few light knocks, “Dear?” He presses his soft ear to the door for a better idea of what Lucifer is doing in there.
“Yes?” Lucifer calls from his bed, he’s back in his sea of blankets and pillows. His room is dreary, ill-lit, with a single sliver of light from the window peeking through the blackout curtain attempting to cloak it.
“May I come in?”
“Sure…” Lucifer’s voice is taciturn and fatigued.
Alastor strides into Lucifer’s room, “It’s quite gloomy in here, dear. I’m sure the lighting isn’t helping clear up the fog you’re in.” Alastor strolls over to Lucifer’s bed, leaning down close to the other man’s face.
“Pshh, I’m not in a ‘fog’, I’m fine.” He turns over in bed, cradling a pillow in his arms.
“Well, if you’re fine you should be perfectly glad to come join me and Vincent for dinner in my room." Alastor remarks with a knowing smirk.
“I don’t want to.” Lucifer sighs.
“And why is that? Could it be, perhaps, because you’re in a fog?” Alastor pokes Lucifer’s shoulder.
“No! Fine. I’ll go. Why is everyone being so demanding today?” Lucifer begrudgingly slips out of bed and into his slippers, not bothering to change into anything nice besides the dapper, freshly pressed suit Alastor is in. Lucifer shuffles angrily to Alastor’s room, Alastor following close behind. Upon opening the door, Lucifer sees a half-naked Vox laying on Alastor’s dining table with a rose in his mouth. Alastor’s eye twitches with rage.
“Get off of my table and put your clothes back on, fool!” He snatches the rose from Vox’s mouth and pushes him off the table before pulling out a seat for Lucifer.
Vox grumbles and does himself back up in the clothes he carelessly tossed onto Alastor’s bed. “Why are you such a prude?”
“You know I don’t interest myself in what you and Lucifer get up to alone as long as I’m left out of it.” Alastor settles in the seat next to Lucifer’s and sets down a plate of food in front of him. Vox joins the two of them at the table, this time fully dressed.
“Maybe if you’d just give it a try you’d have some fun.” Vox sets a box of chocolates by Lucifer, who eagerly picks them up and opens them.
Alastor covers Lucifer’s hands with his own, “Don’t spoil your dinner, dear.”
Lucifer sticks his tongue out at Alastor, to Vox’s delight.
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Alastor stands at his sink, his vest unbuttoned and sleeves rolled up. Soft, romantic 50s music floats through the air. Lucifer and Vox are swaying around together. Dishes clink together as Alastor piles them in the drying rack. He soon finishes up and saunters over to his two lovers, drying his hands with a ratty old towel. Lucifer pulls away from Vox and sits on the bed. Vox turns to Alastor and beckons him closer with an open hand, an offer to dance. Alastor walks over to him and takes his hand.