Chapter Text
Depression is a bitch. If not for the irony, Luci would say it's the Devil himself.
No, a better comparison would be to that of a succubus; Sucking the life out of their victims, albeit in a much more sexual way is all they know, and a feeling all too familiar to the prideful ruler of Hell.
If only he could just forget all his troubles, and actually be there for his daughter when she needs his support the most.
Charlie's a tough girl. She can do it. But… not if she is worrying about me.
Hence his current dilemma.
He simply cannot hide in his room forever. Lucifer can't count on his daughter being too busy to notice. She always notices when someone misses meals. At least most of the other residents don't really care enough to bother him about it.
Key word being “most”.
Alastor always knows when and where to prick and prod to no end. Weirdly though…he hasn't seen or heard him anywhere in the hotel….
…That is, before he materialized in front of the sin of pride, startling him.
Lucifer jumps back with a yelp, clutching the unfinished rubber duckie in his hand tightly.
“What the FUCK are you doing in my….?” He falters mid sentence after taking in the appearance of the Radio demon.
His arm was clutching his other, blood dripping from both his chest and shoulder as green magic also dripped from his mouth, which strained to stay smiling as obvious pain was in his eyes.
“Don’t- nngh-“ he strains out quietly, static notably gone from his voice, “…Say another word-“ At that, he started coughing and collapsed on the ground, more blood spilling out.
What the hell happened to him?? Luci didn't have time to give it much thought, because Alastor began talking once more.
“You. You are going to let me stay here. Until….cough cough until I recover.” Alastor's breathing was heavy as he spoke.
The room went dead quiet, save for the strained static in the air.
“PFFFFT A HAHAHAHA!” Lucifer was slapping his knee laughing.”You- Hahaha- you want MY HELP?! BAHAHAHA- man, i didnt think you could actually be funny!! Aha hahaha, HAHA- oh you were serious. Huh.”
“Ugh….i cant believe im about to say this…huff….ill make it up to you. Just….please.”
Lucifer blinked once, then twice, only then processing what was offered to him. He smirks, eyebrows raising as he speaks, “Annnyyythiiing?”
“Yes, anything. Now- urk-“ he struggles to raise his injured arm to Lucifer. “-Do we have a deal?”
The king hesitates for a moment, going back and forth on the deal, raising his hand but then retracting it, just to do the same back and forth. After pacing for what felt like hours, but in reality was ten seconds, he almost denies him.
But….Something in Alastor’s eyes…felt genuine. He’s never seen that before.
“Fuck it, we have a deal.”
And just like that, Lucifer was (ironically) Royally Fucked.
~~~A Few Hours Later~~~
Oh fuck. Oh fuck fuck fuck. What the fuck.
Did I make a deal with the Radio Demon???
“WHAT WOULD CHARLIE THINK?!”
He accidentally said that last one out loud, quickly clamping his mouth shut and looking at his bed, worried he had woken the deer (who quickly collapsed on the bed before he could clean him up and bandage him). He stirred a bit, but didn't seem to have been woken up by his sudden outburst.
It's okay. Yeah, it'll be okay. Sure, you've been going through the worst depression spell you’ve had in a few centuries, but itll be fine. Get over it get over it-
“Hey dad? Are you there?”
Lucifer curses under his breath as he slowly creeps over to his door, looking out the peephole. Charlie was standing worriedly with a tray of food. He carefully opens the door just a tad. “Ah, hey honey uh, what's going on?”
“I know you may have just forgotten to eat again, which is fine, aha..” she nervously laughs. “I just wanted to bring something by for you…”
“…ah. Yeah, uh, i forgot, haha. You can uh, just leave it on the floor.”
“The floor?” Charlie tilts her head with widened eyes. “Why?”
“Because! Because….uh…..im cleaning. Yeah! Cleaning. Very very messy. These ducks ain’t gonna sort themselves! Doesnt look pleasant let me tell ya.”
Charlie quickly returns to her smile. “Ooooh! I get it. Ill leave it here then.” At that, she carefully places it on the ground, and walks away.
After darting his eyes back and forth to make sure no one was around, he reaches his hand out and swiftly takes the food and slams the doors.
As he places the tray on the desk with satisfaction, he hears a grumble behind him.
“Must you always have such a loud way of expressing yourself?” Alastor groggily slurred out, rolling over to avoid laying on his bad arm. and of course his fuckass radio filter was back-
“Well sooooo-REE, you pillow princess.” Lucifer snaps back. He turns back to the tray, ignoring Al’s static growing louder.
I really forgot to eat….?
Well, I don't really have an appetite right now. So…
He turns back to Al. Hes fully ditched the blanket, just curled up in a ball on the bed.
“Hey, uh….Bellhop? You hungry?”
His ears twitch. The king of hell half expects Alastor to throw up a middle finger and ignore any further attempts, but to his surprise, he sighs and attempts to sit up.
“Hmm…yes, i should probably consume some sustenance.”
Lucifer was shocked, but quickly shook it off. He reaches for the tray and brings it over to Al. Said sinner rubs his eyes with his forearm, and watches as Lu places the tray down.
“Isn’t this the food Charlie gave you?”
“Hmm? Oh! Yeah! I'm not hungry you can have it” he spits out quickly, retreating back to his desk to continue his previously abandoned project.
The radio demon raises an eyebrow. “You are the worst liar I've ever had the displeasure of knowing, your majesty.”
“Yeah fuck you too.”
“Hah! Absolutely not. That sounds dreadful,” He takes a sip of his tea. Lucifer just sighs. He can’t wrap his head around how the fuck he got to witness Alastor groveling at his feet a few hours ago, the most vulnerable he’s ever seen, and he still can talk shit after the King literally acquired the most powerful blackmail material in existence-
ugh, no reason dwelling on it. Let’s just change the subject.
“So, um….mind talking about it?”
“Pardon?” Al carefully wipes his mouth, looking unamused despite that damn smile.
“How you got so god damn injured?”
“Ah. Well that’s none of your business, now is it?”
“Well can you at least explain why you decided to crash HERE?”
Alastor laughs a bit. “Aha, well now that's an easy one. No one in all of Hell would guess to look for me in the King’s quarters. After all, why would I want to be anywhere within a 25 mile radius of you?”
Lucifer snapped his head in his direction. “Excuse me?!”
Alastor just chuckles, but regrets it as he starts coughing. “Don’t get your silly little bowtie in a twist, my frenemy. I also happen to trust you more than anyone else in this forsaken place.”
“You…you do?” He’s almost touched by what Al said.
“Mhmm! You barely leave your room, so obviously my chances of getting found out are slim to none.”
Now he just felt offended.
“..yknow what? I don't care. I don't." He turns back to his desk, dropping the topic altogether as he picks up a paint brush. Al could sense something wasn’t right with him. He would pry it out of him somehow, he was good at that after all.
Okay Lucifer, just focus on the duck you're making. Oh what beautiful curves… oh and the soft feathers feel divine. Lets just touch this up here-
He slips, his paintbrush leaving a long gash of pale yellow on a wing.
Instead of moving to clean it up, however, he stares at it. The way the paint starts dripping down.
almost like…a…..
“…..i have to take care of something.”
Alastor was barely mid-bit into a stale bagel when Lucifer trudged into the restroom, shutting the door behind him.
Al let his smile weaken, feeling….concern? No, he doesn’t get concerned for anybody. He shoos the thought away as he bites his bagel once more.
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End of Chapter One
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