Sera's Fanfics

Just a place to dump my fics.

[serasfanfiction]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Summary:

Lucifer goes into labor and the trio enact their escape plan.

Notes:

Finally! This chapter features Day 6's theme "child birth." I do not have children, nor have I ever been in labor before, nor have I witnessed a live birth. I have only seen or read dramatized versions of child birth. I mostly did a google seach and read some Reddit tales of some people's experiences. Needless to say, this chapter features a mildly description of the big event. I tried to be realistic while not spending too much time on it.

[serasfanfiction]

On the Wings of a Dream - Day 6 (Part One)

[Link goes to AO3]

Summary:

As his due date draws closer, Lucifer has one last desperate card to play. He might come to wish he hadn't.

Notes:

Ssssssssh, no you didn't see me up the chapter count again. It's all your imagination... Aw, yeah. I have no self control and the chapter count got away from me again, so I had to break Day 6 into two. Good news, everything is written and edited, so I will post the other half soon. I apologize for the delay. My tablet stopped working and I can't access ao3 at work anymore, so I had to wait for my new tablet to come in. This story is not Season 2 complient. There are some cherry picked parts of it I did include in this chapter like Easter eggs because they helped me finally move this chapter along. The theme for this day is "child birth," although that won't be until the next chapter. :D

[serasfanfiction]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Summary:

The trial's aftermath: a scare and a reprieve.

Notes:

Content Warning: This half of the chapter is the lowest point this story will get. There is some talk of self harm via Lucifer trying to talk Alastor into harming him, but Alastor refuses and it does not happen. Lucifer is under an extreme amount of duress and would never have asked under normal circumstances. There is a very brief mention of past self-harm. If you wish to skip this, the paragraph starts with "He had tried it, once." If you would like to skip the entire discussion, in its entirety, skip from "Raphael, confused, asked, "What?"" to "Raphael's hands convulsed, a reminder".

[serasfanfiction]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Summary:

The Trial and its verdict.

Notes:

Due to the sheer length of this chapter (it was almost 20k before editing), I've decided to break it up into two chapters. Theme for this chapter is "body issues." Please note both parts comes with new content warnings. This one deals with a brief discussion of mother/child mortality during pregnancy, though no specific cause of death is mentioned. This does not apply to Lucifer's situation. If you would like to skip this, skip from "Raphael's eyes took on a far away look" to "His older sister blinked, sensing his change in mood".

[serasfanfiction]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Summary:

Lucifer makes it to his appointment and Heaven finally decides they want to talk.

Notes:

This was for Day 4 - Gender Reveal. I was going to break this up into two parts, but my bestie likes long chapters and her birthday is coming up, so everyone gets it all in one go. :D

[serasfanfiction]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Summary:

Lucifer and Alastor talk. Charlie finds out she's going to be a big sister.

Notes:

This is a little bit of a continuation of Day 2 and then goes into Day 3's themes - Lactating/Mood Themes. Lactating is only mentioned. Mood Swings did make it in there. Alastor and Lucifer start getting closer with this chapter, although it's not likely that their relationship will really start to take off until Chapter/Day 5. I really do need to add slow burn to the tags (whoops). Warning for this chapter: There is a very brief, obligatory discussion of whether Lucifer wants to keep the twins or not, now that he knows they are there. Lucifer only hesitates because he believes Heaven will be furious and he doesn't know what the consequences will be when they find out.

[serasfanfiction]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Summary:

All Lucifer had wanted was the second chance to get to know his daughter. To support her dreams and maybe not mess things up this time.

He hadn't meant to create the twins. He wasn't even certain how he created them! He certainly hadn't meant to create them with a certain deer sinner who was Hell bent on driving him into an early grave!

Heaven was most definitely going to have an opinion about this.

Spoiler Alert: Heaven wasn't the only one who was going to have an opinion.

Notes:

This is for the PregnantLuciferWeek2024 being hosted on Twitter and Discord. I have Day One and Two done, but I can't promise I'll be on time with the other days. This chapter covers the theme "Impregnation."

Some chapters may have warnings. They will be here at the beginning of each chapter if there are any.

Rating may change if I change my mind about no sex. We'll see. I went the magic baby route, but hopefully with a twist.

The idea to give Lucifer a mother was inspired by the TV series, "Lucifer." Naming her Asherah was inspired by the book, "Lilith." I highly recommend both.

[serasfanfiction]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Summary:

Lucifer puts his plan into motion.

Notes:

CW: For Valentino being Valentino. He doesn't do anything, but he does say some things.

[serasfanfiction]

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3| Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19

Very little changed over the next several days between Alastor and Lucifer.

So little changed, in fact, that Lucifer would have added, 'if anything.'

Lucifer was self aware enough to understand that he didn't have much experience with the concept of dating. The lead up to his marriage with Lilith had been all mutual curiosity and respect as both parties explored their relatively new existence and each other. Lucifer had been attracted to Lilith's independence, her strong personality, and her breath taking beauty. Lilith had been attracted to his respect for her autonomy, his dreams and aspirations, and his dorkish personality.

That curiosity had quickly turned to heated passion. Everything that followed had been a whirl wind of action and reaction from the moment Lilith and Lucifer had utterly and completely derailed The Divine Plan.

All of this to say, he'd really only 'dated' one person in his life.

He wasn't completely naive to other types of relationships. He had eyes and ears that worked just fine. He had had more than enough time to observe other being's relationships from the outside over the last ten thousand years. He'd read stories. He'd heard songs and ballads. Not even living in hell was capable of completely eradicating the concept of love and romance. The Hellborn were just as capable as humans of having loving and meaningful relationships, even if it was warped to a degree by the nature of their species.

His biases had largely left him willfully blind to the fact that sinners were just as capable of building those relationships. Being at the hotel and living amongst some of those sinners was going a long way to opening his eyes to the things he had been trying to ignore. The hotel was indeed providing a space to indulge in those healthier emotions, but with the exception of Husk's and Angel's thing, many of the relationships he was seeing had formed outside the hotel.

So, Lucifer had his one relationship to base around what it might be like to give and receive love. He knew what love could look like from the outside in all its multifaceted glory. He knew what he himself was capable of giving and he had seen that sinners were capable of giving.

All of it left him with the utter and complete certainty he had no clue what to expect from this relationship.

In a moment of late night insanity, he had thought to see if he could draw any parallels between Alastor and Lilith to perhaps glean some guidance over how to navigate the situation. That plan had quickly backfired because they really only had three things in common: they were both fiercely independent, they were very driven individuals who would do anything to reach their goals, and they were both taller than him. So,that was a no go.

Lucifer was fine with letting Alastor set the pace for this. He was in no rush and this wouldn't be the first time he'd allowed someone else to set the tone of a relationship. He simply wished he had a better idea of what Alastor did want out of this. At that time, several days after their getting together, all Lucifer had gleaned was the impression that Alastor was enjoying his victory and savoring the accomplishment.

It was this feeling of being stuck in a holding pattern with little idea of how to move forward that set Lucifer's feet to bringing him to the radio host's door early that particular afternoon.

He was just raising his fist to rap his knuckles against the door, when it opened seemingly on its own. When he saw no one in front of him, on a wild guess, he looked down. There, only coming up to his waist, was one of Alastor's shadow minions. It danced lightly from foot to foot, a giggle on its lips, at the sight of him. Just as suddenly as it was there, it promptly vanished.

"Do come in, dear," came floating out from the depths of Alastor's room. "Someone might see you and then we'll never be rid of the questions."

Dear.

It still sent a little zip up his spine, the endearments. Said for him when no one was paying attention, they serve as little treasures to prove he hadn't gone around the bend and started making up truly tall tales.

Lucifer stepped across the thresh hold, closing the door behind him. He turned the knob as he did to hide any click the door would have given as it shut. Hand resting on the knob, he peered around the room for his partner.

As it had been the last time he'd gone looking for Alastor, the room was empty at first glance. The fire was lit, but no one sat in either of the two chairs in front of it. The bed was made and unoccupied. The bayou stretched out before him, the lone chair and table like wise left without their owner's attention.

Movement drew his eye. Popping up from behind the large roots of a tree was one of Alastor's minions. This one was smaller than the last - the height of a house cat on all four paws - its size resulting in it being nearly dwarfed by the roots around it. When it spotted him, it lept over the obstacle. Hands in the air in a most comical fashion, it scurried its way between the tree and the edge where the bayou met Alastor's suite. There, it paused, its tiny hands coming up to rest on the wooden planks that simply phased out of existence at the border between the two dimensions. It smiled widely up at him, its little tail swaying back in forth in a leisurely manner.

At least someone was thrilled to see him.

Lucifer cautiously approached. He would have thought if he could hear Alastor's voice, the owner of the voice would be nearby, but there was still no sign of the sinner as far as the eye could see. He knelt down at the border, holding his hand out to the little minion. It proceeded to rub its forehead up against his hand, not unlike a feline seeking attention from someone it had deemed worthy of it's attentions.

Lucifer huffed, amused. "Is Alastor around here somewhere?"

The minion nodded enthusiastically as it pointed off into the bayou. It bounced on its feet, making a 'come hither' motion. When he stepped off the edge of the boards and onto the grass of the bayou, the minion twirled around and scurried off.

Lucifer set himself to an easy pace. He didn't have to worry that the minion would leave him behind. Every time it saw it was outpacing him, it would double back. When he was within a meter's distance, it would be on its way again. This carried on for a while, past the point where Lucifer could no longer see Alastor's suite if he searched for it. He wondered, not for the first time, how deep this forest went.

Occasionally, he would catch sight of figures moving along the trees: eyes glowing in the darkness, peering curiously at them as they passed. Another pair of eyes watched from a nearby pond, the rest of the creature's body hidden beneath the water.

The minion paused at another large knot of roots. It lit up with excitement at whatever it had found. It bounced up, spinning around in mid air as it raced back over to him. Without a by-your-leave, the little being suddenly dug its tiny claws into his pants. A "Hey!" had barely left Lucifer's lips, before it had decided he made a good perch and proceeded to climb up his side. It settled itself on his shoulder, an air of content to it.

Lucifer eyed it, disgruntled but endeared enough by its cuteness to allow the indignity and let it stay. Feeling slightly put upon, he crossed the remaining distance to the tree the minion had stopped at.

All irritation disappeared as he got his first look at where the minion had been leading him. A medium sized clearing opened up before him, trees lining the edges, cutting a clear boundary between the clearing and the rest of the forest. Dark green grass and the occasional cattail swayed in a breeze lightly making its way through the clearing. In the exact center of the clearing was a pond, obviously intended to be the focal point of the landscape. Countless fireflies flitted around, offering more light than the moonless sky above.

Tending to the pond and whatever was in it was the elusive Alastor himself. He didn't look up from his work as Lucifer approached, the turning of his ears the only indication he was aware someone had arrived.

Lucifer stared around the clearing, taking everything in. He hadn't seen this much green and brown foliage outside his occasional trips to Earth since before he and Lilith had been dragged out of Eden. He could feel the faint wisps of the sinner's magic everywhere, suggesting this place was something Alastor had recently created.

It was beautiful.

"You've been busy." Lucifer did a complete 360° turn, taking everything in. "Is this where you've been hiding away?"

Alastor didn't immediately answer beyond a soft snort. He finished bringing a cattail into existence exactly where he wanted it, before straightening and dusting his hands off against each other, the leather of his gloves making a scuffing sound as he did so. When he turned to address his guest, there as pleased smile on his face. "I had meant this to be a gift for later, but since you are here..."

He held out his hand, offering it to Lucifer.

Lucifer glanced at it. For a moment, he thought the permission to touch Alastor was the gift - he certainly could have yielded the opportunity to do so as such. Lucifer was touch starved enough he would have gladly accepted whatever scraps the redhead was willing to offer.

Alastor raised an eyebrow at him, his eyes narrowing as if he could read every thought passing through his head. The redhead pointedly held out his hand a little further, indicating he wanted Lucifer to take it.

The blond cottoned on to the fact that Alastor was offering to show him something. Taking the offered hand, he let Alastor draw him closer to the edge of the pond he was working on. As he stepped up closer, the sinner gestured out to the pond with his other hand.

At first, Liucifer wasn't certain what he was looking for. He assumed it was something either in or on the pond. He was just opening his mouth to ask, when he spotted them.

Ducks. A family of ducks, at that, made up of a mother and six ducklings.

Lucifer felt no shame over the squee that slipped out, the high-pitched 'ee!' caused Alastor's ears to flatten against his skull. The king paid the discomfort little mind as he dropped to his hands and knees right there at the water's edge, wanting to get a better look at the animals.

The abrupt movement disloded his little passenger along the way, sending the minion tumbling head over heals into the grass. It giggled as it disappeared off into the grass.

The ducks were all a pure white, with orange-yellow beaks, and little black, button eyes. They were all smaller than the ducks he remembered, making them seem oddly chubbier and cuter for it. The babies trailed after the mother duck, all of them swimming along in a straight line as they made their way from one end of the pond to the other.

Lucifer stared, hearts in his eyes. Were his tail out, it would have been waging happily at the sight. Not daring to make any sudden moves least he scare them, he whispered, "Are they real?"

Alastor's tone suggested he was internally laughing at him. "They're quite real, my dear. They're called Call Ducks. Imported straight from Earth."

The statement was just alarming enough to grab Lucifer's attention away from the ducks. "Wait." He twisted around to frown up at his partner. "What do you mean, imported--"

He broke off as Alastor knelt down and retrieved his hand. Confused, he could only watch as the sinner poured something into it. Whatever it was, it appeared to be oats. "I feed them earlier," Alastor said by way of explanation. "But I think they will enjoy a treat."

As if he were seeing someone else's hand be moved, Lucifer watched Alastor guide their hand - one over the other - out over the pond. The redhead whistled, a single note. Lucifer might have been able to put together what he was witnessing on any other day, but his brain was too busy gibbering about 'ducksducksducks' to put two and two together.

The mother duck noted their presence, alerted by the whistle. She caught on to the oats almost immediately. Showing no fear, she started her way across the pond.

Any coherent thoughts proceeded to fall right out of Lucifer's head with little hope of recovery. Utterly enraptured, he could only stare as she made her way over and dug right into the oats, straight out of their hands.

And, of course, where she went, her children followed.

Ducks were known messy eaters. As she gobbled at the oats, some of it spilled out of their hands into the water. Not to wasted, the ducklings were quick to attack the treat. Nothing would likely be left behind by the time they were done.

By the time they finished, Lucifer was near vibrating with excitement. Eyes large and efficiently brain dead from the sight of his second favorite thing in the universe (after his daughter), he looked at Alastor, managing to get out a squeaky, "They're so cute!"

Alastor blinked at him. The blonde could only guess what sort of impression he was making in that moment. He knew he certainly didn't look even remotely like the King of Hell.

Lucifer simply didn't care, because ducks.

Alastor snorted, the noise sounding suspiciously like a cut off laugh. "I'm pleased to hear you think so, dear."

A corner of Lucifer brain power not being taken up by the neon lights flashing that ducks were here, in Hell, somehow, was sorry that he had likely just missed an opportunity to hear Alastor's first real laugh in his presence. "Where...?"

Alastor released his hand. "They were acquired from a rescue shelter that cares for wild animals." Alastor gazed out on his -and Lucifer's!! - little flock of ducks. "Only two of the children are her own. The rest were orphaned."

Lucifer reached out and ran the back of a single finger down the mother's back. She tolerated the attention, likely having gotten used to human's during her stay with them. He poured a little of his magic into her, just enough to find evidence of a recently healed wing. She quacked at the odd sensation, but didn't swim away.

As the children swarmed around her, giving him easy access to pet them too, he asked, "Did you steal some ducks for me?" He had been going for a teasing tone only for it to come out a little too much like wonder.

It was perhaps because of this that Alastor didn't take any offense. He only sounded amused as he countered, "Hardly. The human's were told they were being sent to a new habitat and here they are!"

Hell was certainly a new habitat, alright.

Alastor wasn't done. "The children are all from different parents. I felt it was a nice start for potential breeding pairs when they get older." He stood, wiping his hand off with a brush against his coat. "I might have to add another few ducks later for genetic diversity, but I felt this was a good start."

Lucifer felt what little brain power he'd regained over the last several minutes short circuit all over again, completely forgetting his attempts to woo a shy duckling over to him. His head snapped around to stare intensely at Alastor, uncertain if he had heard him correctly.

Alastor had said they were potential breeding pairs. He was talking like this was a long term project.

Alastor had also said they were a gift. For him.

Did that mean Alastor was indeed viewing their partnership as a potential long term project as opposed to a short term one?

He opened his mouth. He had no clue what he was going to say. He never got the chance to find out, as he was abruptly cut off by the loud bang of Alastor's door slamming open for the second time in as many weeks.

"Alastor! I know you're in there!" Vaggie's voice carried, far more than it should have considering how deep they were into the bayou. "Get out here. Charlie has the next exercise prepared and she wants you there!"

A flash of annoyance crossed the radio host's face. None of that annoyance was in his voice as he called back, "Do tell Charlie I'll be along shortly."

They could hear grumbling under Vaggie's breath. They were silenced as she shut the door, off to her next task.

There was a long pause. Lucifer wanted to ask if his theory was correct. Burned with the need to ask.

Alastor, sadly, was already thinking ahead. "You might want to run along yourself, my dear." His smile widened. "They might have questions if they knock on your door and you're not there."

Lucifer cursed him for being so logical. He only had himself to blame, really - keeping this on the down low was his idea - but they were having a moment and he wanted to explore it more!

If Vaggie did knock on his door and fail to find him in, it would be a hassle to pretend he didn't know they were about to do an exercise and he just hsppened to stumble across it. Better to be there and be invited.

With great reluctance, he gave the mother duck a last pat of farewell, before disappearing back to his room in a whisp of red magic.

No sooner had he returned to his room, then a knock came at the door. It wasn't Vaggie's voice he heard calling out to him, however.

"Dad? Are you awake?" It was Charlie's.

Lucifer had enough sense to magic away all grass stains from his ever-so-white pants and any other lingering evidence. He did no effort to hide his good mood as he opened the door, as seeing Charlie almost always brought a smile to his face anyway. "Hey, Char-Char! What's up?"

Charlie tilted her head to the side. Her eyes ticked back and forth as she scanned his face. A smile of her own pulled up her lips at his enthusiasm. "You seem in a good mood."

I have a new partner, he didn't say, not yet. He needed to tell Charlie about his relationship with Alastor, just as soon as he was convinced it was going to last.

Alastor got me real, live ducks, he didn't say, even as the thought caused a his heart to skip a giddy beat.

Instead, he said, "It always brightens my day when I get to see you." It was even true.

Charlie's whole demeanor softened. "Aw, it makes me happy to see you too, Dad."

Lucifer's heart skipped a giddy beat for an entirely different reason. Clearing his throat in a poor attempt to hide how happy he was with that statement, he asked, again, "What brings you up here?"

Reminded of her purpose, she reached forward and snagged one of his hands. Without bothering to ask permission, she pulled him out of his room and started dragging him (willingly) in the direction of the stairwell. "We're going to do the trust exercises you suggested!" She bounced a little as she walked, the movement causing their joined arms to sway up and down. "Even Alastor has agreed to join in!"

If this had been a week ago, Lucifer might have jumped at the prospect of playing a game where they had to guess the lie from a couple truths for the nefarious reason of looking for more material to use against a certain radio host. Post having started a relationship with the before mentioned radio host, Lucifer found himself excited over the prospect of potentially learning more information about his mostly mysterious new partner.

Lucifer's gift only went so far as to covering all of Alastor's sins. Everything else was a blank slate save whatever he had picked up over the last few months.

Speaking of his 'gift', it crossed his mind that playing Two Truths and a Lie with the King of Hell was arguably a bad idea.

Lucifer's gift-curse for seeing a sinner's sins applied to all sins, both in life and in death. Sins that ranged from the innocent little white lies to the most heinous of crimes. Granted, he had to be looking for it to see it, something he didn't do in general because he largely didn't care enough to look nor did he want to add to the mess in his head, but the fact still stood that for all intents and purposes, Lucifer was a living breathing lie detector.

He pondered mentioning this as Charlie gathered them all together in the main lobby several minutes later. Angel and Husk had already claimed a portion of the couch. The former of the two scooted over when he spotted Lucifer trailing along behind Charlie, who had yet to release his hand.

Angel patted the empty seat beside him. "You're always welcome to sit next to me, short stuff."

Lucifer laughed awkwardly, standing there for a moment after Charlie let go of his hand to go and commandeer the armchair for her and Vaggie. He was aware Angel flirted as easily as he breathed and he was still thankful for his new freedom and protection. He was also (mostly) certain the sinner didn't mean anything by it. The way Angel was slouched to the side with his legs across Husk's lap went a long way to supporting that assumption. He just knew if he did say anything, it was going to come out extremely off the mark.

So, instead of responding, he sat down in the open space, studiously ignoring the smirk Angel was throwing him, as if the sinner had been able to read that entire conflict and found him adorable for it. The corner of his lips twitched with the urge to pout. For the supposed King of Hell and all that, it seemed he was an open book, with all that people could apparently read him like one.

Vaggie entered the room with a plate of cups filled with what appeared to be water. Angel and Husk eyed it as if it were poisonous, while Charlie happily snagged herself a cup and downed it in a single go. It would sit empty beside the other untouched drinks for the duration of the game.

Alastor sauntered in with his usual nonchalance. Niffty skittered around his feet, having meet up with him at some point before reaching the main lobby. She gleefully took off across the room, and then hoisting herself up onto a chair that was far too tall for her. She didn't seem to mind, as she began to happily kick her feet, eyes darting around the room as if searching for prey.

Alastor took up an armchair near the couch, putting himself near Lucifer's side without them sitting right next to each other. His staff disappeared off to wherever he kept it while he didn't need it as he settled down and made himself comfortable. Noting everyone was present, he asked, "Tell me, Charlie, what sort of lovely task have you come up for us today?"

There was the slightest hint of sarcasm on the word 'lovely' to suggest he didn't actually want to use this word. Everyone knew that if he really objected to taking part in these, he wouldn't have bothered to show up, so Charlie chose to side step his lack of enthusiasm. Standing in front of everyone, she grinned brightly at them all. "Well, as you all know, I'm always open to suggestions and everyone seemed really excited for this exercise, so!" She took a deep breath, a fist pumping the air as she announced, "We are going to play Two Truths and a Lie!"

Angel perked up, showing his interest. Husk grunted, which was about the level of enthusiasm anyone could expect from him. Lucifer had been expecting it, as had Vaggie, so they simply smiled at Charlie's enthusiasm. Alastor tilted his head to the side. He didn't get up, which was as good as saying he was agreeing to participate. Niffty grinned at whatever she was thinking about, which could be worrisome.

Charlie, seeing no one was complaining, gained even more confidence in her choice. Most of her choices were met with some level of resistance, so she was always excited for the ones that everyone agreed to join in. "Alright, so the game is fairly simple. We each tell two truths and one lie. The goal is to see if everyone else can guess which was the lie."

She clapped her hands together. "I'll go first," she volunteered. "I had a gothic phase." She paused, considering. "I've never tasted brownie batter before." She grinned as she finished with, "I have read over 700 books!"

The group squinted at her. Lucifer knew she had had a 'gothic' phase, although that had merely meant dressing in black, dying a strip of her hair black, being rebellious, and dating the troubled son of a family the Morningstars had been close to, once. A painting hung as evidence of this truth in his workroom. He had never given Charlie any brownie batter before, but Lilith might have. The 700 books could be legit. Charlie did like to read. When she had had time to count all of the books she'd read, however, he couldn't fathom.

Deciding to get the ball rolling, Lucifer chimed in with, "The gothic phase was real."

Husk didn't look impressed, muttering, "Rebellious stage."

Vaggie and Angel looked at him as if he'd suddenly grown another head.

Lucifer shrugged. "There's a painting at the palace."

Charlie flushed. "Dad!" She protested. She crossed her arms. "I thought you got rid of that silly thing!"

The short king merely smiled at her. "You're scowl was so adorable. How could I ever get rid of it?"

Vaggie leaned in, suddenly very invested. "Do you have photos of it?"

"Vaggie!"

Vaggie and Lucifer ignored her. He grinned at her, conspiratorially. "No, but I can grab a picture of it the next time I'm there and send it to you."

Vaggie nodded, giving him a thumbs up.

Charlie placed her face in her hands and groaned. She looked as if she were sorry she ever introduced them to each other.

Alastor watched the conversation without any change of expression. In a bored tone, he stated, "It's the brownie batter."

Charlie looked up from her hands as everyone, sans Niffty, turned to him.

The redhead inspected his claws, tone just as bored as he explained, "There was too long of a pause before it." He glanced at her from the corner of his eye. "We really must work on your poker face."

Charlie didn't appear as if she were on board with this idea. Angel appeared more concerned with a different point. Horrified, he turned to her and asked, "You've never had brownie batter before?"

Charlie paused. "Well, I've certainly had brownies before. Mom just didn't believe in eating the batter raw."

Angel pressed a hand to his chest. "Girl, you have not lived until you have had batter raw." He pointed a finger at Lucifer, his spine cracking as it required him to twist around 180° to do it. "We are making brownies tonight to fix this."

Lucifer held up his hands in surrender, amused. "Sure. Sure." Making brownies so his daughter could taste the brownie mix was hardly the worst thing a sinner had ever asked him to do. It would child's play for him to make certain the mix was safe for consumption without baking.

Uncertain what all the fuss was about, Charlie gestured to her girlfriend. "Vaggie, why don't you go next?"

Vaggie tore her attention away from Angel and Lucifer as Charlie addressed her. She leaned back in her chair, her voice draining of all emotion as she rattled off, "I like Verosika's music, I hate seafood, and I can knit a sweater."

Charlie nearly began to bounce on her feet, obviously guessing the answer. The rest of the group actually making an effort to play along all pondered the possibilities. Lucifer knew she didn't like seafood. Vaggie wasn't a vegetarian like him, she simply didn't care for seafood. He didn't have enough data to guess on the other two options.

Angel inspected her with narrowed eyes. "I'll eat everyone out here for free if you know how to knit a sweater."

Amid a groan or two of disgust and a hurried decline, the fallen angel glared at him. "What's that supposed to mean?"

The spider sinner smirked at her. "Exactly what I said." He leaned in. "So? Can you do it?"

His expression said he almost wised she could.

They stared at each other, daring the other to blink.

Eventually, she sighed and waved a hand, "Nope, can't knit a sweater."

There was an almost audible sigh of relief. Quick to want to change the subject, Charlie nervously said, "Well, that's one for Alastor and one for Angel." There were hints she was forcing her smile as she turned to the porn star. "Angel, how about you go next."

Angel affected an entirely different approach. He lounged in his seat, smile saucy and lazy. "Okay, I have a twin sister. I prefer men - if you know what I mean." Here he waggled his eyebrows at them, leaving no room for interpretation on this front. His smile turned to a grin, "I can also burp the alphabet, backwards."

Lucifer looked at the group. Charlie had moved closer to Vaggie to converse. Alastor and Niffty were still off in their own little world, not willing to tune in to the conversation unless necessary. Husk was gazing longingly at the bar, but was unwilling to move Angel's feet to get to it.

He also looked suspiciously like he knew the answer.

Charlie decided to take a stab at guessing. "You don't have a twin?" She sounded like it was too much of a question for it to be a statement. She wasn't certain of her guess.

Angel's grin turned into a wistful smile. "Nah, I have a twin. Never seen her down here, but she's real."

Charlie glanced at Vaggie. Cautiously, she asked, "Oh. Maybe she's in Heaven, then?"

The spider sinner didn't appear as if this was a touchy subject. "Oh, yeah, she was a sweetie. No way she'd ever wind up down here."

Relieved she hadn't stepped on his toes, Charlie smiled herself. "Well, maybe one day you'll get to see her again." Her tone was confident. She had complete faith that Angel could one day be redeemed, as she had seen his heart herself.

Angel rubbed the back of his neck. He liked attention, sure, but he didn't know what to do with the mushy stuff.

Taking pity on him, Vaggie said, "The alphabet backwards, then." She grimaced, as if she were imagining him doing it either way.

He beamed at her. "Right! But I can do it forwards, though." Everything about her expression begged him not to demonstrate. He grinned at her as he nudged Husk with his foot. "Your turn, Whiskers."

Husk didn't respond, clearly uninterested in playing in favor of getting a drink.

Angel dug his feet in. "Game first, then drinks."

The winged cat sinner threw him a dirty look. "Fine," he spat, not quite spitefully. "I love gin. I can play the saxophone." He pointed a thumb at in Alastor's direction. "I can drink Alastor under the table." He glared. "Happy?"

Angel, satisfied, let him up.

Alastor side eyed him. "Come now, Husker, you're not even trying." All he received in response was a grunt, a clear 'no shit.'

Angel kicked one leg out, while leaning on the other. "Smiles is right, Husk. That one's too easy." When Charlie and Vaggie shot him blank looks, he laughed incredulously. "Aw, come on! Haven't you noticed he doesn't touch gin unless there's nothing else to drink?"

Vaggie rolled her eyes. "Not all of us are avid drinkers." She glanced at the bar, where Husk had snagged himself some whiskey from his personal stash. He raised the bottle to her and then downed a mouthful.

Attempting to regain control of the conversation, Charlie nervously cleared her throat. "Well, yes. That was... enlightening." She looked between Angel and Alastor. "Since you both knew the answer, I think it's fair to give you both a point." She held her hands, one to each of them. "Which means you're both back in the lead!"

Alastor didn't appear to care one way or the other about this new development, but Angel at least seemed amused with it.

Charlie walked over to Niffty. "I think Niffty should go this turn!"

The little maid shifted, her attention going from every else in the room to the group with such intensity, several members of the original Hotel group began to remember the last time Niffty had looked that happy about a trust exercise. Charlie began to look nervous, while Vaggie and Angel began to brace for impact.

Niffty's expression was unhinged as she held up her needle. Her tone dreamy, she said, "I looooove cleaning." Everything about her tone suggested it wasn't the cleaning part she loved. "I once caught a roach the size of my head." Considering they were in Hell, this was absolutely plausible. "And we have rats in the basement."

Charlie, Vaggie, and Angel were alarmed.

"We have a basement?" Angel asked, turning to Lucifer.

Charlie and Vaggie also looked at him in askance.

Lucifer blinked at them. Yeah, sure, he had helped rebuild the place, but he hadn't rebuilt it alone. Surely the remembered they had a basement? "Uh, yes?" When this didn't soothe their worries, he further explained, waving both his hands, "But there's no rats or mice down there!"

Niffty sighed. That same dreamy tone was in her voice as she wistfully said, "But I wish there was..."

Everyone, sans Alastor, collectively went, "Nope." and that was that.

With Niffty out of the way, that just left Alastor and Lucifer.

Perhaps eager to get his turn out of the way, the radio demon decided to skip the line and volunteer. "Let me save you some time and go next, shall I?" It was uncertain if he was talking to Charlie or Lucifer, but they both nodded regardless. "Very well."

If anyone was going to give them a run for their money, it was going to be Alastor. Sure enough, he started with an easy one, "I hate sweets." Everyone nodded, the sinner having made no secret of this. "I worked at a restaurant before I became a radio host." He glanced at each of them in turn, face a perfect mask. "I was married once."

Complete silence. Even Husk had paused in his drinking.

Nothing about Alastor's tone or expression suggested which of the last two were the lie. It was clear which option everyone wanted to go with, but considering how obvious a lie it was, everyone had begun to second guess if it might be true.

Lucifer knew he could just Look. It would tell him without a doubt which was the lie. Besides the fact that it was obviously cheating, he wasn't too keen on resorting to using his powers to sus out if his partner was lying to him this early in their new relationship. Relationships were supposed to be built on trust and all that.

Alastor took in their reactions, enjoying watching them want to call him out on his obvious bullshit while also not being entirely certain he was lying.

Niffty, with the same unexpectedness of her taking out Adam, turned her head to look at him, her body creepily not following. Mournfully, she sighed, "No one has ever tied this bad boy down..."

Angel laughed nervously. "Ha! Right? As if anyone would want to marry Smiles, here."

"Angel!" Charlie glared at him. "That's not a nice thing to say."

Angel glared right back, unrepentant. "What? We were all thinking it!" He gestured to Alastor, saw the look the radio host was giving his hand and dropped it, but still argued, "Who'd want to date a psychopath like him, anyways?"

Lucifer pointedly did not so much as glance in Alastor's direction. He tried to keep his face perfectly blank. It was by and large the fact that no one was looking at him that no one noticed the faint blush to his cheeks.

By the time Charlie gave up on trying to get the spider sinner to apologize, Angel having fallen into a demure pout with his arms crossed, and turned to her father, all traces of his blush was gone. "That just leaves you, Dad."

Lucifer being over ten thousand years old meant that he had a lot of things he could pull from. Some of them would indeed sound wild, some of them mundane. He decided to go with a mixture. "I can see everyone's sins." He tapped his chin. "I gave birth to Charlie, not Lilith." He smirked. "Lilith and I lived with Adam and Eve for a year before I gave Eve the apple."

Charlie rolled her eyes, "Come on, dad, you could have made this hard. Obviously, it's--"

Angel twisted around, fixing him with a stare that was all wide eyed and intense. "You can see all of our sins?"

The implications of this seemed to sink in as Husk, Vaggie, and even Charlie joined in the curious staring, his daughter's original complaint gone. Even Alastor seemed to perk up at this, although nothing about his expression suggested if this was news to him or not.

There was something uneasy in Husk and Angel's staring, which made Lucifer shift in his seat. Holding up his hands, he was quick to reassure them of their privacy. "It only works on sinners!" When this failed to put Angel or Husk at ease, he explained, "It was something I was cursed with as King of Hell. I was supposed to judge everyone, but I haven't done anything like that in quite a few millennia."

He shrank back, wishing he had gone with something else instead. He didn't like the distrust in the eyes of the people he had been working so hard to get to like him. This was why he didn't get involved. He inevitably fucked up.

Seeing his mood turning, Charlie reached out a hand to him. "Dad--"

A phone rang, loud and shrill.

Everyone carrying a phone pulled out them out. Lucifer almost cried with relief when he saw it was his own phone. Holding it up as if it were something sacred, he said, hurriedly, "I, uh, have to take this."

He didn't care he was practically fleeing as he made a break for the stairwell. Without looking at the caller ID, he pressed the answer button. "Hello?"

Static greeted his ear, high pitched and grating. He winced, pulling the phone away. Holding it a distance from his ear, he tried again. "Hello, is anyone there?" When no one answered again, he said, "Look, if this is a prank call: ha ha, very funny."

Nothing. Just more static.

He went to hang up, only for the call to drop.

Irritated, he pulled up his call log. Not many people had his number. Lilith. Charlie. The other sins. The important Goetia. Sera, although she liked to pretend she didn't. Somehow, to Lucifer's eternal aggravation, Adam had gotten his slimy hands on it. He enjoyed calling up Lucifer every now and then to say shit when he was drunk and wouldn't remember anything the next morning.

He pulled up the log. There on the screen, read, PRIVATE NUMBER.

"Private number?" He muttered to himself, incredulous. He narrowed his eyes at the device as if it had betrayed him somehow. No one in Hell could block their number from his phone. The only being who was a) outside of Hell, b) had his number, and c) could do such a thing was Sera and she never bothered. So who...?

His grip on the phone tightened, as he remembered there was one other possibility. Someone who had his number and was potentially outside of Hell. Someone he had no clue where they were or what they were doing.

But why would Lilith be calling him from a private number? Why now? Why call him at all?

He shook his head. He would drive himself around the bend into total insanity if he started down that road. For all he knew, someone had dialed the wrong number. He heard it happened to other people.

Intent on returning back to the lobby and putting it out of his mind, he slipped his phone into his back pocket and turned around.

Only to nearly run right into Husk.

For the second time that day, Lucifer made a rather undignified noise, this time out of fright. He took a step back, nearly stumbling over the first step of the staircase. "Husk!" He placed a hand on his chest, his heart pounding. "Seriously, we need to get you a bell or something."

Husk's poker face was in full force, expression completely blank as he watched his king make a fool of himself. His arms were crossed, though not in a holding sort of way. Every line of his body was tense. He was seriously unhappy about something and his tone matched this as he stated, "We need to talk."

Lucifer took a moment to compose himself. He thought he knew what this was about. The winged cat sinner wouldn't be the first human he had told about the 'seeing sins' thing, but he would be the first to feel comfortable enough around Lucifer to confront him about it. The blonde pointed off in the direction of the kitchen. "Chat in the kitchen work for you?"

Husk nodded. He pivoted without waiting to see if Lucifer was following, obviously in a hurry to get this conversation over with.

Lucifer pointed to lobby. "Aren't they going to miss us?" The game was nearly over, with just his round needing to be concluded. He didn't particularly want to subject himself to more potential questions, but he was less willing to face his daughter's disappointment for bailing on the conclusion of her game.

Husk's ears swerved around until one was pointed in the direction of the lobby. "Al took off shortly after you did. Niffty didn't stick around much longer. The other's aren't expecting us back."

Lucifer peaked into the lobby as they passed. Sure enough, Alastor and Niffty were no where to be seen. Angel had commandeered the couch and was scrolling on his phone. Charlie and Vaggie were talking about something, the former of the pair briefly looking up to wave at him as he passed. Her expression still held hints of worry. Nothing about the wave indicated she wanted him to come in.

He was sorry he had soured her exercise, even if he was glad he didn't have to face anyone just yet.

No one, except Husk, it seemed. Upon entering the kitchen, they both took up positions that wouldn't block either from the door and would allow them both to see if anyone entered.

There was a long pause. When it didn't seem that Husk was going to break it first, Lucifer decided he might as well go. "Look, if this is about the sins thing, I haven't seen any of your--"

"You're an idiot." Short, and gruff, always to the point, this sinner was. Husk's body language hadn't changed, and he showed no concern for the fact that he had just outright insulted the Devil himself.

Lucifer paused, not having expected that. "Ha?" Lucifer placed a hand on his hip, the other going to his ear. "I know I'm getting up there in age, but I could have just sworn you called me an idiot." He pulled a face. Husk may be one of his daughters friends and also under his own protection, but he would still retaliate if this little sinner thought he could just randomly start insulting him.

Husk didn't appear intimidated. "And I'm not going to thank you." He swirled the whiskey in his bottle, once and then twice. "Whatever game you're playing with him isn't going to end well."

Ah, so they were having that conversation. Lucifer had been getting suspicious he was going to get nothing but silence from the sinner for the foreseeable future on this subject. It had been almost two weeks, he wondered what had made the sinner speak up now. Lucifer made a show of rolling his eyes. "I'm not sure why everyone seems to think I can't handle myself."

Husk didn't ask who else was questioning his life choices. He simply decided to go for straight the juggler. "He's got your daughter wrapped around his finger."

Lucifer internally winced. It wasn't like he had forgotten about the incident with Charlie. He hadn't forgotten about his and Alastor's standing deal and what was still owed. It had simply fallen to the way side in light of their romantic confession.

Where it would have stayed, until the next time Alastor came to feed.

He sighed, feeling as old as every one of his years. "Look, as I said before, I appreciate your concern-" and it was, regardless of the way Husk was presenting it, "-but Alastor doesn't have enough of a hold over me to stop me from taking him out if he actually tries to hurt Charlie."

It would devastate Lucifer to do it, even this early in the relationship. Make no mistake, however, Charlie was and always would be his number one priority, even if he was sometimes shit at showing it.

Crossing his arms himself and feeling done with the conversation, he said, "Look, if that's all this was about, don't worry. I didn't do it for a thank you." Although, he would have admitted, it would have been nice to have received one. "You're not in my debt, yadda yadda. Now if we could move along--"

Husk, on the other hand, wasn't done with the conversation. "That's not all," he interrupted.

Lucifer narrowed his eyes at him. He eyed the whiskey, tempted to turn it into vinegar. "Oh?" he asked, his eye twitting.

"Alastor wanted me to tell you: he's calling in his favor."

The chain around Lucifer's neck tightened in anticipation. Was this what Alastor had meant when he said that he would find a way to tell Lucifer about the favor? Slowly, he met the sinner's eyes. "What?"

"I don't know any of the details, okay?" Husk looked away, for the first time, his mask slipping and giving away how uncomfortable he was. He shifted his weight, bouncing the bottle against his leg. "Al... is on someone else's leash. His favor is to break his contract."

Lucifer felt himself go cold. How did this happen? When did it happen?

All of a sudden, all those little things he'd been seeing clicked into place, the puzzle taking shape. Alastor's interest in his ability to break contracts. His satisfaction upon witnessing Lucifer break Angel and Valentino's deal.

The stiches across his mouth, the ones that looked suspiciously like they might be keeping him from doing something, such as telling anyone about his situation.

He'd been such a fool. The pieces had all been there. He simply hadn't been willing to see.

Through numb lips, Lucifer whispered, "Who?"

Husk shrugged. "Don't know. I just know it happened some time before I met him."

Which could mean anything. Lucifer had no reference for how long Husk had been under Alastor's thumb, only that the redhead had viewed the contract as a prize and he hadn't gone after any Overlords in a while.

Lucifer brought a hand to his forehead, closing his eyes against the reality of the situation. Oh, Alastor, he couldn't help but think. Stupid, foolish sinners, every single one of them.

Anger brewed beneath the surface of his shock. Regardless of how or when it had happened, Alastor was his sinner. More so now than ever before. They had laid claim to each other, if only through words, and Lucifer would be damned thrice over before he was going to lose that stubborn asshole to someone else.

Alastor's words from that morning came back to him. 'A gift for later,' he had called the ducks.

He laughed, causing Husk's fur to stand on end. 'A gift,' indeed.

At least Alastor had put some thought into the damn apology.

Pulling his hand down his face, he teleported himself away, not bothering with a goodbye of any sort. He doubted the winged cat sinner was expecting one and Lucifer wasn't in the mood for wasting any time.

He was on the hunt and he had a feeling he knew just were to find his prey.

Lucifer materialized right outside Alastor's door. As he was reaching for the knob, he heard the unmistakable sound of the door's lock clicking as it engaged. He paused, hand hovering above the knob.

It made no sense for Alastor to call in his favor and then try to stop him.

Was the being he had made the deal with here? In the hotel? Surely someone would have noticed if some new stranger had been sneaking around the hotel, right? Could it be someone who already lived in the hotel? That made no sense, as Husk and Niffty had been on Alastor's leash, and neither he nor Charlie or Vaggie had the contract. So, who could it be?

Regardless, they were sorely mistaken if they thought a simple lock could keep the King of Hell from taking back his partner.

He opened a portal into the room, completely bypassing the door. Stepping through, he could instantly tell the feel of the room was... off. For one, all of the lights were out, even the fire. The only light came from whatever gave the bayou it's natural light.

The next clue came from when he spotted Alastor. It wasn't hard to find him, for once. The green glow of the stiches across his body made him a fairly easy to spot, drawing the eye right to him. The sinner was standing in the middle of the room. He didn't say anything to the intrusion, as the stiches were pulled tight around his lips. His eyes were wide over them, and although there was a hint of fear in them, they were red on black with rage.

He also didn't move as Lucifer cautiously approached. It was likely he couldn't, if the stiches on his body were playing a similar role to those on his mouth. At his feet, his shadow spread out behind him. Using the light of Alastor's hijacked magic, it worked it's way up the wall behind the sinner. It's silent laughter was in direct contrast to the sinner's anger.

Lucifer looked him up and down, affecting a nonchalant tone of voice, feeling pissy the sinner was still plotting, even now. "Quite the pickle you've got yourself into."

Alastor's eyes appeared to be the only thing he was still in control of. They twitched with irritation.

Lucifer was tempted to tease him. Oh, so very tempted. The almighty Radio Demon, known for being quite the talker, and here he was effectively silenced. His smile promised he was going to have fun with this later.

For now, there was bigger fish to fry: like discovering who exactly owned Alastor's soul.

Lucifer's hand darted out, forcing the contract chain into being as wrapped his hand around it.

Only to drop it immediately after. Frost had begun to appear on his hand in the few seconds he'd held onto the chain. He hissed, shaking the limb out as he took the thing in.

The chain itself was black. A black so true it ate at the light around it, as dark as the void at the center of a black hole. It had been painful to the touch because of the fact that it was colder than the dead space between the planets that made up his father's universe, so cold it had burned his skin.

He had never seen anything like it.

He had felt something like it before. Once, a very long time ago.

It had the same feeling as the darkness that had crept into the universe, all those millennia ago, intent on devouring everything in its path, until it had been driven down, down into a prison built just to contain it.

It had the same feeling as the darkness that had been unleashed on humanity when Eve first bit into the apple.

Rising up like a nightmare, Lucifer remembered the feeling he had gotten while traveling through Alastor's shadows. That feeling he could have sworn he had felt before, forgotten, but so familiar.

There was only one being that feeling had ever belonged to.

For the first time since agreeing to Alastor's terms, Lucifer felt a trickle of concern that he might not actually be enough to solve this problem. Unsure if he was more horrified or furious, he turned on his partner and hissed, "You made a deal with the Root of All Evil?!"

There was a superstition amongst humans. That to say the name of of the thing, you could potentially summon it. Maybe it only took uttering the name. Maybe it took saying three times. Maybe it took a ritual. Usually it was a load of hogwash and nothing would happen. A fun party game to frighten one's friends. After all, higher beings usually had better things to do then answer whenever someone called their name. If they were paying attention at all.

Some beings, however, were always listening. After all, so few beings knew their names, how could they not help but pay attention when someone called them?

All around them, the shadows darkened. They swarmed the border between the bayou and the suite, cutting off any retreat in that direction. Lucifer wasn't surprised to see the door and the portal he hadn't closed cut off as well. Dozens upon dozens of eyes all opened up along the walls and within the shadows, every one of them zeroing in on the two of them.

An eye opened up on the face of Alastor's shadow, leaving little room for guessing who was in control of it. It stretched up to the ceiling, until it was directly over the redhead. Hands spread out, green strings materialized between it's fingers and Alastor's body.

A puppet on a string.

Anger and fear battled for dominance behind the sinner's eyes. Anger was winning, but fear nearly took over when his arms began to rise up, hanging limply from the strings. He made eye contact again with Lucifer, which is when the blonde noticed something else in the redhead's gaze.

Faith. And under that, confidence. With a jolt, Lucifer realized that they were both in him. Alastor had laid down his hand and made his bet. That Lucifer could break this deal and set him free. A deal he had made with the Root of All Evil, no less.

The radio crackled to life. "Hello, little star." There were no words to describe Roo's voice. Every time Lucifer had ever heard it, it had unsettled him. This time was no different. In the darkness, it almost seemed like the voice was coming from nowhere. "I see you've discovered my toy."

Lucifer shivered, not bothering to hide it. "Pleasure's all yours, Roo." He looked up at Alastor's shadow and the eye staring right back at him. "I see you've been rather naughty, lately."

She laughed, the shadow forcing Alastor to bring a hand to his mouth. The redhead's ears flattened tight to his skull. Try as he as he so clearly might, however, there was little he could do to resist. "You're one to talk. Ten thousand years of marriage and all it took was seven years for you to move on?"

The shadow gave Alastor a shake. "Although, I suppose I can understand why." Roo's voice smoothed out into a drawl as she teased, "He's such a smooth talker, isn't he?"

Lucifer refused to dignify either of those comments with a response. "Let him go, Roo." He gestured to the room in lieu of Hell, expression sly. "We both know what happened the last time we fought."

The shadows writhed and wriggled around his feet, nearby but not quite touching. The sound that came out of the radio didn't sound human. Lucifer barely reacted, but Alastor's fingers twitched like he wanted to cover his ears.

It took little thought for Lucifer to unfurl his wings. A dim, divine golden glow appeared around his body, a shield against the weaker shadows.

"Ah, yes, the time you and your siblings sealed me away." The shadow raised Alastor's hand to his eyes, having him peer around as if looking for something. "But wait, what's this I see?" Both hands rose to cover his mouth in mock surprise. "Poor little Lucifer, all by himself. Abandoned again!"

She jeered at him, calling up a laugh track to join in with her.

Lucifer's mouth turned down. "Maybe, but where are you?" Roo was still sealed away, this was a fact. He would know if she had escaped. She had to be using Alastor as a conduit to manipulate the world from her prison. Which meant that for all that she was in control of Alastor, this was the extent of her reach. "Still in your cage if you're playing with dolls."

Even through Roo's control, Alastor managed to sneer at the word 'doll.'

Lucifer shot him an apologetic look, promising to make it up to him later.

Roo made a considering noise. "Does it matter?" The shadows trailed up the redhead's body, almost like a caress. "This one is mine, willingly given." Those same shadows sinched around him, hugging him in a overly tight embrace that Alastor quite frankly didn't care for. He grunted as the air was forced from his lungs. "You might have been able to take him from me, once, but how far you've fallen. Nothing more than a tarnished light fighting a losing battle against the darkness."

Lucifer flared his wings, his form brightening significantly. Around him, the shadows sizzled and screeched as the were scorched by the intensity of his light. Tarnished or not, light was light, and his still burned bright.

"There's that fire. Show me you have some fight left in you, little star." Alastor's hijacked shadow's grin only widened at the sight. "Take him from me if you can."

In the time she had been imprisoned, Roo had forgetten that Lucifer hadn't been just any angel. He had been the light bringer; Venus in the morning sky; the herald of the dawn: the morning star. He was the only one with enough power to hold Roo back, even just for a second.

And a second was all that he needed.

A bright flash of light filled the room, tenfold the one he'd light off the first time. The light would have been inconvenient to a human. Sinners or winners, they still contained the capacity for good and evil, light and dark. Alastor was little different, for all that he revealed in his status as a sinner. His soul was still contained some shades of grey.

Roo, on the other hand, was a being of pure evil, a darkness so vast and complete, there wasn't a shred of light in her. The burst of light burned her weakened shadows, some of them evaporating Ike steam under the first rays of the sun.

Most importantly, her hijacked shadow looked away.

Lucifer threw himself at his partner, pushed along by a powerful beat of his wings. Alastor squinted down at him as the blonde nearly collided with him, pupils the size of pin pricks. His rictus grin was strained, but real. It grew as Lucifer reached up, tapping the gem resting in the hollow between the sinner's collarbone on the radio host's bowtie.

The protection spells Lucifer had cast into the gem flared into being around them, just as the light from the fallen seraphim's stunt began to fade. A dome of Hellfire fell down around them, shielding them from outside attack. It wouldn't take Roo long to burn it out, between her own power (minute as it was with her imprisoned) and Alastor's stolen power. It would first, however, serve a crucial role.

It cut Alastor off from his hijacked shadow.

The green strings fizzled off inside the dome, allowing the sinner's arms to drop. Their continued existence outside of it a reminder of the threat they were under. That the moment the dome burned out, Roo would regain control of her puppet soldier.

Lucifer was having none of that.

He grabbed hold of the chain, wrapped it around his fists to get a good grip on it. The links began to burn his skin upon contact, his skin already beginning to form ice on it. He grit his teeth against the pain and held on.

Shadow minions slithered out of the darkness, scurrying around the dome and beating their fists against it. As one caught flame and burned away to ash, another instantaneously took it's place to inflict it's damage before it too burned away. On the ceiling, Roo's stolen shadow snarled. It didn't dare get too close lest it face the same fate. Cut off from Alastor, there was a chance it wouldn't reform under Roo's power.

The radio crackled and sparked. Roo's voice poured from it like sludge. "You can't break this deal, Dear Lucy." She cackled, enjoying watching him struggle. "He was never one of yours."

As she said it, Lucifer could feel a twinge of truth in her statement. The contract resisted him, not necessarily because it had been made with Roo, but because neither contractee had been a denizen of Hell when it was made.

Lucifer felt a flicker of confusion, a pause of doubt. His attention slipping for just a moment. The contract wasn't old enough to have been made when Alastor was alive and he was a sinner. Lucifer had read his soul and seen his sins. If contract was made after Alastor had died, but if it hadn't been made in Hell, where else could it have been made?

The warm kiss of leather brushed his cheek, startling him out of his thoughts. He looked up to meet Alastor's red-eyed gaze. The radio host's expression was soft and as close to apologetic as the blonde had ever seen it. For the first time since Lucifer had stepped into the room, Alastor spoke with his own words. "You've trusted me this far, my dear." His hand cupped the side of Lucifer's face. "Trust a little longer. I will explain everything."

Lucifer searched his face. Alastor was good at subterfuge and distracting from his true feelings, but look long enough and one could see his tells.

Lucifer didn't need a curse or a gift to see he wasn't lying. This was a promise he intended to keep.

Lucifer leaned into the hand, turning his face into it as he took moral strength from Alastor's support. He gave the sinner a stern look from under his lashes. "We are going to talk after this. Keep your other secrets, but I want an explanation for how this happened."

Alastor nodded. "It's a promise."

Confidence restored, Lucifer turned his full might to the chain. Alastor took a step back, giving him the space he needed to work. The control Lucifer usually exerted over his form slipped, unleashing his true form and freeing him of any last distractions. "I don't care when or where Alastor made this deal." Tightening his grip against the frost forming on his hands, he growled out into the darkness, a threat and a promise, "Whatever he may have been before, Alastor is a sinner now. Which puts him under my jurisdiction."

Lucifer strained against the chain. It was still fighting him, but as there had been truth in Roo's claim on Alastor, there was also truth in Lucifer's. Whatever Alastor had been when he made this deal, he now quite firmly belonged to Hell.

Alastor's/Roo's shadow seemed to realize this, it's smile twisting down into a snarl. The shadow minions redoubled their efforts, throwing themselves against the shield with abandon. It flickered in warning that it wouldn't last much longer.

The King of Hell let out one last burst of light. If he was going to break the chain, he needed to do it now, as he wasn't going to be able to manage another burst like that. He knew he was finally making progress, when at blessedly last the chain finally started to give. Panting, he declared triumphantly, "And above all else, Alastor is mine."

The chain cracked, like fissures in ice. The radio gave off a static filled scream that caused Alastor to wince and cover his ears against it.

Lucifer couldn't spare it the attention, nearing his limits. His arms strained, muscles aching as he poured all the power that came with position as the King of Hell and all of its people, into pulling at the weakness in the chain until-

The link broke.

Like a ice breaking off under the heat of the sun, the chain link severed, setting off a chain reaction along the other links. Each cracked and broke apart, running off into the darkness in one direction and up to the collar around Alastor's neck in the other. The pieces fell like broken shards of ice to the floor, where they melted and vanished into the floor.

Cut off from their source of power, all of the shadows around them gave one last frenzied swarm down onto the shield. They managed, at last, to take it down, but it was already too late. They took out the last of the shield, as it took out the last of them.

The radio, now visible on the shelf, let out a truly unholy screech before the poor radio gave out, sparking as its death cut off the noise.

All of Roo's eyes closed as one. Alastor's stolen shadow shrunk in size, returning to the shape of a normal shadow at the sinner's feet.

For a moment, reality seemed to glitch around Alastor's form. One minute, Alastor the Radio Demon stood free in all of his glory.

In the next, there stood a figure in pale purples, blues, and pinks. Black horns now an ivory white. The only thing that remained the same between Alastor as Lucifer had always known him and this new(?) figure, were the tips of his hair and ears were still black.

The most noticeable - and perhaps most damning - however, were the halo and wings.

An angel's halo and wings.

Alastor... had been an angel?

Alastor took this in with not a ounce of surprise, confirmation as to the truth of the matter. If anything, he appeared annoyed with this new development. "Well, this is a unfortunate turn of events, if I do say so myself." He gave the wings a disdainful glare as they fluttered and ruffled up with his annoyance. "And after everything I did to get rid of all this."

He needn't have worried too much. Between one moment to the next, reality remembered the old (new?) world order. Alastor's form glitched for a second time, like a badly tuned tv. When he came back into focus, he had returned back to his reds and blacks, no wings or halo in sight.

The room fell into silence, save the soft crackle of the flame between Lucifer's horns. They both stared at each other.

It seemed, at last, it was over.

Lucifer stumbled, his vision greying out as his legs gave out underneath him. Alastor darted forward, catching him before he could hit the ground. Lucifer true form retreated, until all that was left were his wings, hanging limply behind him. They were likely making him heavy, too, if Alastor dropping to his knee was any indication.

"Lucifer?" Alastor sounded concerned and inching towards alarmed.

Lucifer had wanted to hear him call his name again, but not like that. It was nice to know he cared.

He mustered up enough energy to reach up and flick his partner on the forehead. Unlike the last time he'd done it, Alastor merely pulled a face. Lucifer's arm dropped down to rest at his side, as he no longer hand the energy to hold it up. "You have... so much... explaining to do."

He could hear Alastor saying something in response to this, but the words were lost on him. His vision was swallowed by darkness, taking his consciousness along with it.

The last of his strength giving out, Lucifer passed out.

-tbc

[serasfanfiction]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Summary:

Alastor and Lucifer visit Rosie.

[serasfanfiction]

Future scene from my fic, The Inherent Intimacy of Courting Death. I believe this will be in chapter 20 or 21.

I am posting this a little early as a thank you for 100(+!) people who have decided to follow my silly little story. Please accept my humble offering. 🤗💙

[serasfanfiction]

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3| Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18

Ah, coffee. The nectar of the gods. Both a blessing and a curse in one.

When it had first made it's way into Hell, Lucifer hadn't given it much thought. Tea had been the go-to wake up drink for thousands of years, and while a nice drink, it had never done much for him in the stimulant department. He had maintained for years that coffee would likely have the same lack of effect as tea.

Right up until he'd had his first cup of joe.

And hadn't he been wrong. He'd nearly been bouncing off the walls for hours, before spectacularly crashing later that day. It had taken some experimentation, but he had found that if he drank half a cup of coffee over an hour, followed by slowly consuming the rest over the course of the day, it gave him the boast he needed without sending into an energy-high followed by a massive energy-crash.

Oh, what he wouldn't have done to have coffee for those first couple of years after Charlie was born. Lilith may have become Charlie's main caretaker following her toddler years, but Lucifer had been her go-to parent for those first several years.

Easy baby or not, Charlie had never had much of a sleep schedule. It was something that had followed her into her adult years. Lucifer was fairly certain that was his fault, as that was a trait they had in common. Lilith had been an early to bed, early to rise sort of person. Worse, she was a morning person.

Since mastering the art of drinking coffee, Lucifer had joined the rank of coffee lovers and dependents, unable and/or unwilling to start his day without one. Some days, it really was the only thing that woke him up.

That particular morning was one such morning. He had been up most of the night, first at the ceremony and then taking hours to unwind enough to sleep. He had eventually fallen asleep in the early hours of the morning, not that long before people would start waking up and starting their day.

Half asleep, despite the late morning hour, he wandered downstairs to the kitchen. As he passed the foyer, he thought he saw Angel and Cherri suspiciously hide their faces behind their hands as they whispered to each other. Charlie and Vaggie were huddled off to the side, the former making some rather extravagant hand motions at the latter. Husk might have looked like he had swallowed a lemon, which didn't look too far off from his usual disgruntled mood, so it it didn't set off any alarm bells.

If Lucifer had been more awake, he might have guessed what all the fuss was about. He might also have brewed his coffee and then immediately teleported back to his room to avoid any gossip about his (lack of) love life.

As it was, he wasn't a fully functioning fallen seraphim until the caffeine started to hit his blood stream and he missed all the cues.

Twenty minutes later, Lucifer walked back out of the kitchen with his prize in hand. The cup was already a third of the way drank, steam still rising up out of the cup to show it was pipping hot. Caffeine not having had remotely enough time to work it's magic, Lucifer proceeded to make his first mistake of the day.

He walked into the main-lobby-slash-living-room.

Charlie immediately tuned into his presence the moment he walked into the room, which should have been a clue she was on the look out for him. Her vaguely nervous expression should have been another one.

Lucifer, in his sleepy state, only picked up on the latter one. "Morning, Char-Char." He wrapped his hands around the cup, letting the heat seep into his fingers. "Everything alright?"

Charlie took a deep breathe, rubbing at the back of her head. "Well, dad, we, um..." She trailed off, her gaze flinting over towards her girlfriend, who held both of her thumbs up in encouragement. Charlie smiled, but the quality of it fell between strained and for real, which only served to alarm Lucifer even more. Pressing her hands together, she pointed both of her pointer fingers at him. "We wanted to congratulate you."

"Congratulate me? On what?" Lucifer had the nagging feeling he was forgetting something. Not for the first time, he cursed the fact that he just wasn't a morning person. Getting the strong impression he was going to want to be awake as possible for this conversation, he proceeded to make his second mistake of the morning.

He went to take another gulp of coffee, just as Charlie said, "Well, on your new relationship with Alastor!"

Lucifer choked, the coffee going down the wrong pipe, something he had always felt was a bit unfair considering he was never quite certain if seraphim had lungs. It somehow still never stopped him from nearly choking when someone said something so outlandish it was outright ludicrous. Startled, Charlie darted forward, hand patting his back as he attempted to wheeze and hack up a possibly non-existent lung.

When he felt capable of talking without immediately coughing, he managed a half strangled, "What... relationship?"

Charlie exchanged another look with Vaggie. She continued to rub his back as she explained, "Well, we saw the videos of your dancing with Alastor and thought..."

The blonde king placed his head in his hand, suddenly understanding the, well, misunderstanding. He had known people were going to draw conclusions, but he hadn't thought about how it would look to Charlie. She had known they were going to the ceremony together, but he somehow doubt it had crossed her mind that it might go as far as an evening full of dancing.

"There's no relationship," he denied, running his hand down his face. "No relationship what-so-ever, really." He smiled at her reassuringly. "Alastor just likes to dance."

In a show of how comfortable Angel had gotten around him, the porn star shamelessly pointed out, "He wasn't the only one enjoying that dance." He leaned his chin on his hand, smile outright teasing and knowing. "Looked like you were going to do a bit more than dance for a moment there."

Lucifer's treacherous mind went back to the moment in question: the moment where all it would have taken was leaning just a little bit forward, and then they would have been ki--

He ruthlessly cut off the thought as he felt his cheeks heating up. He had resolutely refused to think of that moment since it had happened. He had refused to think about the fact that it had been haunting his dreams during what little sleep he had gotten. He was certainly not going to think about that moment in front of his daughter, her girlfriend, and her friends.

He cleared his throat, holding up one of his hands. "There is no relationship," he emphasized. He turned to Charlie, taking hold of one of her hands in his own. "I don't know if there will ever be anyone after your mother, but if there ever is, I promise I will tell you." He paused, adding, "Preferably before it winds up on a gossip rag."

She smiled at him, relief visible in her eyes. She patted the back of his hand with her free one. Supportive, she said, "I'm not going to say I wouldn't be thrilled if you and mom got back together, dad, but I just want you to be happy." Her mouth twisted at the corners. "Even if it's with Alastor."

Lucifer winced. "Not happening." He took back his hand, wrapping it back around his mug to give himself something to hold onto. Turning to the hotel's oldest resident, he asked, "How... bad is it?"

He didn't need to explain what 'it' was.

"Oh, it's bad." The spider sinner giggled as he held up his phone, a news headline in big bold letters read, THE KING OF HELL SHACKING IT UP WITH THE RADIO DEMON? "It's been all 666 News would talk about last night."

Lucifer resisted the urge to put his face back in his hand or retreat back up into his room and not come out for the next century. It could really go either way, at that point.

A touch of sympathy could be found in Angel's eyes as he said, voice as close to reassuring as the blonde had ever heard it, "Aw, don't worry, your Majesty. I'm sure it'll blow over as soon as the next scandal pops up."

Which, knowing Hell, wouldn't be that long.

Lucifer internally groaned. It wouldn't be soon enough, if one were to ask him. He almost glanced up at the ceiling, towards the direction of Alastor's radio station and suite. He wondered if the Overlord had seen the news and how he was responding to it.

Knowing him, he was likely thinking of how to spin all of this in his favor, if he decided to entertain it at all.

Unwilling to let the news or thoughts of a certain radio demon sour his morning any further than they already had, Lucifer scrambled to change the subject. "So, how are things going with the trust exercises?" He didn't have to try hard to look interested in his daughter's latest plans, although he mentally apologized that he was mostly asking to distract her from his own issues. "Thought of any new ones?"

Charlie, bless her, was all too happy to talk about her latest plans. Snagging his arm, she tugged him over to a corkboard she had set up. Various hand drawn notes and print outs were pinned to the board. Some had parts of them crossed out, while a few had stars on them. "I think I have some new ideas!" She pointed to the ones with the stars on them. "I was thinking maybe we could try this one out at the next meeting." There was nothing forced about this smile when she turned it on him. "What do you think?"

Happy to have something else to think about and even more happy to have her asking for his impute on anything, he squinted at the page she was pointing to. On it, it gave detailed instructions about different team building exercises and how to carry them out. The one in particular that she was pointing to was called, 'Human Knot.'

It appeared to be fairly simple. A group of people stood around in a circle and got themselves 'tangled up' by taking the hands of two other people. The goal of the exercise was for the group to untangle themselves without letting go of anyone's hands. It sounded like it might be a fun activity, if everyone was willing to get touchy-feely with everyone.

Alastor would never agree to participate in this. Lucifer wasn't certain he would enjoy participating in this, either. The thought of touching so many people who weren't family or close friends was overwhelming. At least, while sober. It gave him too many Twister vibes and the less he thought about that game the better.

There was a reason it was Asmodeus' favorite 'family' game.

Scurrying out of the wood work, Niffty appeared with a needle the length of her head. Speared through on the end of it was a cockroach the size of her hand. Disturbingly enough, it was still twitching. She peered up at the board, her eye lighting up at the details of the trust exercise. "Ooooo! That one looks fun." She peered up at Lucifer in that way she did that always set his hackles up. "I can hold hands with all the bad boys in the room..."

Lucifer laughed nervously as she scurried off as quickly as she had appeared. Something of his true feelings must have shown on his face, because Charlie's smile was beginning to slip. Which was just not allowed. "It's fine," he rushed to reassure her. "I'm just worried not everyone will want to participate, because of the level of touching." Desperate to save her good mood, Lucifer pointed to the option underneath the one she had showed him. "What about this one?"

She leaned in, reading the name. "Two Truths and a Lie?" It wasn't one she had starred and her tone was a bit dubious.

Angel appeared at their side. He stabbed the board with a finger. "Now there's a fun game, especially if you turn it into a drinking game." He waggled his eyebrows at them, suggestively.

Vaggie rolled her eyes. She came up behind the sinner, her hands on her hips. "We are not doing any drinking games during trust exercises."

The sinner pouted at her. "Is it your mission to suck all the joy out of my life?"

The former exterminator was unimpressed. Ignoring his theatrics, she asked, "What does the game entail?"

Angel's phone pinged with a notification. Loosing interest in the conversation in favor of whatever it was, he wandered off across the room to pull it up. Out of the corner of his eye, Lucifer saw the spider demon become caught up in what sounded like a video clip, he wasn't paying enough attention to make out the audio.

Feeling invested now that he was interested in potentially participating, Lucifer jumped in to answer. "Pretty much what it says on the tin. You tell two things that are true about yourself, along with a lie. The goal is for everyone to try and figure out which is the lie."

Charlie tilted her head to the side. "And this is supposed to... build trust?"

Vaggie seemed to be catching on. "It's a way to get to know people, babe. You get to tell people thinks about yourself, while they try to see how well they know you in return."

The host of the hotel didn't look convinced.

Lucifer cracked a grin. "Come on, it sounds like it'll be fun, Charlie." He lightly patted her on the arm. "We could try it out now and see what you think?"

She looked to him, and then to Vaggie, who nodded. Charlie mulled over it, before nodding her head. "Okay! If everyone wants to play it, then we can do it during the next trust exercise." Getting more excited the longer she thought about it, she hugged her father around the shoulders with a single arm pulling him in tight against her. With her other hand, she pointed a finger to the ceiling. "We could have a meeting right now, in fact!"

"Uh, I hate to interrupt," Angel cut in, coming back towards them. His tone more than anything, caught their attention. He sounded horrified. "You guys might want to see this."

Lucifer, Vaggie and Charlie shared a glance between themselves. They all gathered around Angel's phone, which he had turned around to face them. Tapping the play button to start the video, a familiar voice came out of the teeny speakers.

"Breaking news: A new video was dropped today showing not everyone played an equal role in the fight on Extermination Day." Katie Killjoy's face was replaced by an aerial shot of the roof of the Hazbin Hotel. In the background, angels flooded the skies, hinting as to what day the video had been recorded. The recording itself appeared to be mid fight between what was quickly identified to be Adam and Alastor. Lucifer's eyes widened, his stomach dropping as he realized that despite having taking on the most powerful angel to visit Hell after Lucifer, Alastor didn't have any angelic weapons on him.

Why? Why would he be so reckless. Lucifer had seen the shield wielding angelic spears, so why didn't Alastor have any?

Holy shit, he had actually taken him on with just his own shadows.

The recording fizzled, temporarily cutting off as Alastor throwing Adam into the old hotel sign. Lucifer's blood turned cold as it phased back in, just in time for Adam's guitar to come down and slice effortlessly through Alastor's staff. The radio host looked confused for a moment, before realizing the extent of the damage. This much Lucifer had already deduced from seeing Alastor's broken staff weeks ago and while he had been suspicious that more had happened, it was still difficult to watch what happened next.

"It seems Hell's resident old timer bit off more than he could chew," Katie was narrating as Adam swung his guitar - made of pure angelic grace - straight across Alastor's chest, sending the sinner soaring across the roof. His momentum was only stopped as he hit the barrier. The sinner crumpled to the roof, blood splattering the ground beside him, damning evidence that had disappeared when the hotel had been nearly destroyed in Adam's attack not that long afterwards.

Tiny hands and feet scrambled up Lucifer's back, signaling Niffty's return. She must have been drawn back by the commotion. Normally, he would have been extremely uncomfortable with being used as a living cat tree for her to climb, but in this instance he was too absorbed by video to pay her much attention. A part of him also knew that she and Alastor was close, whatever their relationship was with each other. It would have been more surprising if she hadn't shown up.

"He needed so many stiches after that." Niffty made a low, mournful noise at the sight that greeted her on the phone's screen. "He was in so much pain..."

Lucifer's whole body froze up. Alastor had needed stiches?

As if coming unfrozen, Charlie gasped in horror, her hands flying to cover her mouth. Vaggie's expression was grim as she placed a hand on her elbow. As angels who had seen the kind of damage angelic grace could do to sinners, rare that such a weapon was employed, Lucifer and Vaggie both knew that such a wound should have been fatal.

Lucifer had thought that Alastor's staff had taken the brunt of the attack. That maybe he had only been grazed, at worse. That should have been the extent of the damage.

It had never occurred to him that Alastor might have taken the attack full on.

It was baffling that Alastor was still alive.

The video didn't come with audio, so they couldn't hear what Alastor was saying as he did the first smart thing he had done since he decided to take on Adam without a useful weapon and retreated. "And there you have it everyone," Katie was saying, her tone and smile gleeful as she soaked in the suffering of someone who had quite the distance to fall. "The supposedly big bad Radio Demon running away like a with his teeny, tiny, fluffy little tail between his legs like the fucking coward that he is."

The screen pulled away to show her cohost, Tom Trench. "Do you think he ran off to wherever he was hiding for seven years?"

"Who gives a shit, Tom." Katie turned her head in such a way that it appeared to break her neck. "He's a washed up has-been who should have stayed away--"

The phone disappeared, Charlie having darted forward and hit the pause button. Her hands hid the screen from view.

For a long moment, the present group blankly stared off into the middle distance, trying to digest what they had just seen. Each of their faces ranged from out right horrified (Charlie's) to grim (Vaggie's and Husk's) to some level of worried (Angel's). All of them were thinking the same thing: about Alastor's disappearance for several days as they rebuilt the hotel and the varying degrees of relief everyone had felt when he'd reappeared, seemingly just fine save his missing staff.

No one had questioned why he'd disappeared.

No one had followed up to make certain he wasn't hiding a wound and potentially actively dying.

But now they all knew. There was no unseeing this, just as there had been no unseeing Sir Pentious' last moments as Adam vaporized him like he was nothing.

Lucifer, personally, was kicking himself for not checking on the wound when he had Alastor trapped. He had known something was potentially wrong - had seen the evidence in the damage to the microphone - and yet he had allowed Alastor to side track him like a willfully blind fool dancing to the piper's tune.

Lucifer found himself moving before he'd even made the conscious decision to do so. He plucked Niffty off his back, the little maid making no protest as she was lightly placed down on the ground. His cup of coffee went onto the coffee table. The moment his hands were free, he was preparing to open a portal to Alastor's room.

"Dad?" Charlie's voice calling out to him made him pause.

He turned to her, placing a hand on her other elbow. "I'm just going to check on him."

She placed her own hand over his, squeezing it as she bit her lip. "Dad, you saw how badly he was hurt." Guilt was visibly crashing down over her as her eyes welling up with tears. "I knew something was wrong. Why didn't I check to see if he was okay?" Vaggie stepped in and hugged her as Lucifer squeezed her arm.

"He clearly didn't want any of us to know he was hurt." He debated saying anything about the blood drinking. Alastor had looked tremendously better afterwards and it might go a long way to easing some of her worries about how injured the sinner was. He just didn't know how to explain how they had gotten to that part.

He decided to settle for a partial truth. "He didn't tell me how hurt he was, but he's already let me help him some." Charlie sniffled, turning hopeful eyes on him. "If I had to guess, I'd say the wound is all healed up." He smiled at her reassuringly. "I'll see if I can get him to let me check to make certain everything is better, okay?"

She nodded, wiping at a tear. "Just, make certain he's okay." She moaned, low and wounded. "I can't lose him too, dad."

Lucifer looked to Vaggie, who nodded back to him. "I got her, sir."

Lucifer stepped back. His instinct to stay and comfort his offspring at war with his desire to make certain Alastor was okay. The only reason he was going to be able to do so was because Vaggie had her and he was likely the only person who could make certain their resident radio host wasn't being eaten up from the inside out by any residual grace Adam might have left behind.

A quick burst of magic opened a portal directly into Alastor's room. He stepped through without waiting to see if Alastor might need any privacy, not wanting the sinner to potentially turn him away. He was going to get that idiot into letting him inspect that wound once and for all, even if he had to sit on him to do it.

Curse Alastor and his stupid pride for not having said anything! He could have put in it the favors with his microphone, for crying out loud.

"Alastor!" His voice echoed through the room, disappearing off into the bayou. Lucifer scoured the sinner's room from top to bottom. He didn't see him in his bed, nor at the fireplace, nor at his little table in the bayou. He raised his voice to as loud as he could make it without causing any damage. "Come out, you asshole, before I hunt you down!"

No response.

There was a possibility he was out in the bayou, as there was no way of being sure how far out it extended without going out into it. He had one foot out on the grass, when the old fashioned radio on Alastor's bookshelf crackled to life.

"Greetings, sinners! It's come to my attention that there seems to be some questions about my health recently."

Lucifer threw himself across the room, grabbing hold of the radio. His head darted up as he stared up at the ceiling. He could teleport himself into the station, but that risked interrupting the Radio Demon's broadcast. Until he knew what exactly the sinner was planning, he didn't want to spook him.

It didn't mean he couldn't keep an eye on him, though.

He crossed the room in seconds, throwing open a window. Looking up, he could see the On Air sign was lit, indicating that Alastor was indeed in his radio tower. Launched himself out of the window, Lucifer took flight as Alastor said through the radio, "Never fear, dear listeners, because nothing as simple as a silly angel could take out the Radio Demon."

Lucifer snorted, coming up to hover in full view of studio. 'Silly angel,' he calls an actual archangel that had destroyed the hotel and by all rights should have killed him.

Inside the studio, Alastor spotted him. The sinner's eyes were aglow, pupils turned to dials. He had grown as large as the room would allow him to get without taking the roof off, antlers extended out like fingers reaching out to the sides of the room. A bright green 'x' marked the spot on his forehead. As his eyes fell on the little king, a streak of black drool dribbled down his chin as his smile elongated far beyond what should have been possible for his face. His fingers twitched and curled, a single finger pointing to the other side of the tower. "In fact, I think a certain voyeur needs a little reminder as to why he should mind his own business."

Lucifer frowned, not understanding what Alastor planned to do at first. It was only because he had come out the side of the hotel, furthest from his own room, that he isn't hit by the powerful wave of radio waves bursting forth from the tower. Startled, he jerked out of the way, spinning around mid-air to see where they were going.

He watched, unsurprised to see them heading for VoxTek. It figured that Vox was behind the video. He'd had footage of other parts of the fight, it shouldn't be surprising he had been spying on Alastor when Adam had come a calling. When he didn't see another wave leave the tower, he chanced moving around the obstruction the tower made of the view to better see what effect that wave was going to have.

It was difficult to see from that distance, but he could just make out the wave hitting the satellite. Could see the plum of smoke rising up as the machinery went dead. The satellite was still standing, but it likely wasn't operational. At least, not for the moment.

He raised an eyebrow at the redhead through the window. Petty, much?

Depending on how terrible the Alastor's eyesight was - deer had notoriously bad eyesight- it was entirely possible he couldn't see the damage he had inflicted himself. Regardless of his poor eyesight, he somehow knew anyway, perhaps having that much confidence in his attack. Alastor's grin was pleased as a cat having caught a canary. "Friendly reminder that I won't be as lenient next time."

The radio in Lucifer's arms cut off with a crackle as Alastor reached out and flicked a switch on his board. The two stared at each other, waiting to see what the other planned to do next.

When Alastor didn't move other than to settle back down into his more default appearance, Lucifer decided to come to him. He disappeared in a swirl of magic, reappearing a moment later in the studio. He fully materialized back into being behind the redhead.

Alastor didn't turn around, continuing his work as if he didn't have his back to someone who could easily kill him with a flick of the wrist. Lucifer took the time to study him more in depth than he had in the previous months. The sinner didn't move like he was in pain. Then again, he never had. The only indication he had ever given that something was off was when he never called on his microphone in the months before he got Lucifer to repair it.

There was nothing to tell he had ever taken a hit of pure angelic grace to the chest. Lucifer didn't feel anything coming off him either.

A visual inspection wasn't going to be enough, when it came to this kind of wound. If he was to do a proper inspection, he was going to have to talk Alastor into letting him touch him. It was almost a shame he hadn't known when he was healing Alastor's ribs and side two nights ago. He could have checked then and this whole conversation could have been avoided.

The silence extended. Lucifer was suspicious Alastor knew why he was here and was planning to wait him out. The little king fiddled with the radio's dials, suddenly glad he had decided to grab it, if only to give him something to do with his hands. One of them was going to have to kick start this conversation. It might as well be him. "You didn't say Adam got you in the chest."

The sinner made that little 'hm' sound he liked to make. It could have been in response to what the blonde had said. It could have just been in response to something Alastor was seeing on his equipment.

"Angelic grace is bad for sinners, you know." Lucifer's hold on the radio tightened, not quite certain if he was being ignored or not. "It can grow like a cancer until it burns you up from the inside out." He leaned from foot to foot, feeling more twitchy the longer Alastor didn't speak to him. He stopped the moment he noticed he was doing it. "You should have said something."

Whatever Alastor was looking for, he seemed to find for he nodded at his equipment in satisfaction. He finally rose up off his settee, the movement as fluid as ever. "There was nothing to worry about." He stepped around the furniture, waving off the concern as if batting away a fly. "I had it handled."

"'Handled'?" Lucifer's eyes narrowed, suspicious. "Handled how, exactly? By having Niffty sew you up?" His grip tightened on the radio, enough to make it give a little creak of protest, but not enough to truly threaten to break it. "You couldn't have known I was going to offer my blood. And just because it healed the physical wound that doesn't mean it cleared the grace."

Alastor's eyes zeroed in on his radio in Lucifer's hands. The thinning of his lips indicated he wasn't thrilled with the idea of his property coming to damage. "What exactly do you propose to do?" He reached out to reclaim the radio.

Lucifer took a step back, keeping himself and the radio out of arms reach. "Let me check the wound."

The sinner's fingers twitched before curling in. He let the hand drop. "What does that entail?" He followed after the blonde, first one step and then another, meeting each retreat with an advance.

Lucifer continued to back away until his back hit the window. On reflex, he glanced behind him. All that stood between himself and a drop was a thick panel of glass.

Alastor took advantage of his distraction to steal back his radio. "Out with it. You're too twitchy for this to be a simple look over."

The blonde flexed his hands, now empty of anything to use for stress relief. "No, I'd have to touch your bare skin to be sure there's nothing there."

The hand not holding the radio came up, all four finger splaying out as Alastor laughed out a short, sharp, "Ha!" He wagged a single finger of the same hand at the seraphim. "Not going to happen!"

Before Lucifer could protest or attempt to make his case, Alastor disappeared into his shadows. He scurried past him, slipping down the trap door and out of the studio.

Lucifer stared at where the redhead had just been, gapping. That... That idiot! Didn't he hear the part where he could be infected with the equivalent of a deadly poison that could be eating him up from the inside out?

Growling, Lucifer opened a portal back down into Alastor's room. If Alastor wanted to see who was more stubborn, the hundred-something year old sinner or the first sinner himself, Lucifer was more than up for the challenge. Stepping through, he found Alastor over by his book shelf, returning the radio back to it's prior resting place.

Frustrated, Lucifer marched over to him, seriously considering throwing up a barrier around the room to keep Alastor from running away again. "Hey! I wasn't done with you, mister!"

Alastor finished setting the radio to his preference, and then turned around to meet him head on. "I hardly see how we have anything more to talk about." He placed his hands behind his back, the very picture of unconcerned. "I've already declined your offer."

Lucifer threw his hands up. "Aren't you worried? This isn't a game! This could be your life on the line!"

Alastor leaned in to his personal space, his lips starting to twist into a smug, cat like grin. "Tell me, sire, why are you so worried?"

"Hello? Really?" Lucifer crossed his arms, defensive. "Have I not said that if Charlie cares than I care?" He sighed, looking away and begrudgingly adding, "She was really upset when you went missing and it would break her heart if something happened to you."

Alastor considered him for a long moment. Suddenly, a very loud buzzer tore through the air, causing the blonde to jump. "Hm, no, I think not." He flicked at one of the Lucifer's blonde flyways with a single finger, eyeing him up and down as the shorter of the two glared at him. "You know, I could almost believe that was the reason." He leaned away, tapping his chin. "But we both know that's not the whole truth."

He stepped around him, walking away and putting some distance between them. "I propose a little deal."

Lucifer scoffed, defense turning to irritation. He was starting to regret attempting to help this asshole. "You can't be serious."

Coming to a stop half way across the room, Alastor came to a halt. "Oh, come now, sire. Not that kind of deal." He spun around, one heel coming together to click against the other. One hand settled against the small of his back, while his staff appeared in the other. He used it to point at his uninvited guest. "If you tell me the real reason you care so much and I like the answer, I'll let you see for yourself that I'm perfectly fine."

He almost couldn't believe his ears. Lucifer stared at him, incredulous. "Are you actually holding your life hostage over this??"

Alastor twirled his staff, a mock considering look on his face. He shrugged, far too nonchalant for the subject. "Hm, I guess I am."

Lucifer could feel his self control fraying at the edges. He had clearly been far too lenient with this sinner if Alastor wasn't even remotely taking him seriously. He held up his hand, palm facing the redhead. It would be easy to just knock him right off his feet with a small burst of power and hold him in place while he just checked to see if he wasn't actively dying. He really ought to. It might just remind this arrogant little sinner who was at the top of the food chain and who was at the bottom between the two of them.

Alastor stared at him down, patiently waiting him out.

After several long moments of arguing with himself, Lucifer lowered his hand. He hissed, as much at himself as it was at Alastor. He couldn't do this by force, not because he wasn't incapable of doing so, but because he was trying to get Alastor to agree of his own free will. "Fine!" He stalked over to the deer demon, coming to a stop just before actually touching him. Pointing his finger up at Alastor's chin, he confessed, "Fine, I'm worried because I'm a fool and I actually care about you! I would be genuinely upset if something happened to you, are you happy??" He pointed at the bed behind the redhead, nearly breathing fire as he growled, "Now sit down and let me help you."

Alastor nodded at him. "There we go, your Majesty. Isn't it better to tell the truth?"

"Sit!" Lucifer pointed at the bed, this time with more emphasis, his tone making it abundantly clear he was not going to repeat himself again.

The redhead proceeded to show that he had some self preservation instincts in that stubborn head of his, because he didn't press Lucifer's buttons again. He took a seat on the edge of the bed, crossing his legs and settling his hands on his knees, body language just as carefree as ever. "Would any skin do?" He held up his hand, indicating he was willing to take his glove off to give him access to bare skin.

Lucifer took a series of deep, calming breaths. He was tempted to just smother the redhead, but since that would defeat the purpose of preserving his life, the blonde put the idea on the back burner to come back to later. It would make for entertaining fodder to think about while he was trying to fall asleep that night.

When he could speak without possibly setting something on fire, he shook his head. "No, I need access to the wound." He let some of his empathy for Alastor's dislike for touch seep into his voice as he said, honestly, "Sorry. I'll try to make it quick."

Alastor paused, a quick flash of trepidation appearing across his face and then disappearing just as quickly. His smile took on more of a mask like quality, as he reached up and began to undo his tie. He set it down beside himself, the protection gem Lucifer had gifted him resting up against his thigh.

His fingers didn't shake, didn't tremble in the slightest as he unclasped his coat and unbuttoned his shirt, but his discomfort was visible in every line of his body.

Button by button, he revealed first his neck and then his chest. A thin layer of - soft, Lucifer' treacherous mind reminded him - brown fur lined his shoulders, disappearing under his shirt. A lighter, fluffier bout of fur ran down his chest, fluffing up as it was freed from the restraint of Alastor's shirt. A nasty, ragged scar peaked out the bottom of the poof of fur, running along his side. Partially hidden, the scar appeared to run from Alastor's left collar bone to the last of his right set of ribs.

How he was still alive continued to baffle Lucifer, no matter how thankful he was. He held up his hands. "Can I approach you?"

Alastor gave him the stink eye, ear twitching. He almost looked insulted. "By all means, sire. Be my guest." His fingers gripped the sides of his shirt just a little too tightly, belying his words with his true feelings. When he released the fabric, it was almost like he was prying his own hands free. He settled his hands in his lap, back ramrod straight.

Lucifer moved carefully, but not too slowly. He knew Alastor wouldn't spook. He wasn't actually a wild animal. It was still polite to approach with caution, in case he needed to stop at the drop of the hat. The redhead watched him approach like a hawk, ear twitching with every noise Lucifer made.

Lucifer came to stand in front of him, close, but not quite allowing their knees to touch. He reached out, finger ghosting over what he could see of the scar. It must have been painful. The skin over the collar bone alone was thin. The length of the gouge threatened quite a few ribs. He couldn't tell how deep it had gone, but it had not healed prettily.

He pressed the tips of his fingers to the skin near the base of Alastor's ribs, the fur just as soft as it had been on his arms. Lucifer forced himself to focus, to ignore this tidbit of information and store it in the same box he kept all the other things he was slowly learning about the redhead's body, but wasn't allowed to think about. He closed his eyes, reaching out his senses.

Alastor felt human, his sins dripping like fresh blood from his soul. Lucifer could feel the way the power of his soul mingled with the darkness of his abilities. The wound itself had indeed completely healed, although traces of its damage ran deep. Several bones had been cleaved straight through, the organs beneath clipped. Alastor had only survived as long as he had because of his particular brand of magic being uniquely adept at keeping things sewed into place and Niffty was apparently very good with a needle. Without both, he would have bleed to death for sure.

Most importantly, though, to his vast relief, Lucifer could find no trace of Adam's grace anywhere within the sinner's body. Despite the obvious damage it had made, somehow, nothing lingered behind.

Alastor caught his wrist, his grip tight enough it might have bruised another sinner. Lucifer's eyes snapped open. He allowed Alastor to pull his hand away. He didn't try to free himself when the redhead didn't immediately let him go.

"Well, sire?" Alastor looked up, his sitting down giving Lucifer the height on him for a change. "Am I going to live?" This part was said with a degree of teasing, as if to say, see, I told you so.

The fallen angel reminded himself, not for the first time, that, no, he did not, in fact, want to strangle this guy. He smirked down his nose at the redhead, enjoying the fact that he could do so for a change. "Unfortunately." He ignored the way Alastor smiled at him, as if he knew how much he was enjoying being taller for a change. "You're either secretly an angel or just one lucky asshole. No grace leftover whatsoever."

Alastor threw back his head and laughed. "As you can see, your Majesty," he said with no small amount of mirth, "I am certainly no angel."

Lucifer snorted. The Radio Demon was a sinner, through and through, and quite happy with that fact. Some humans never got over their lot in the afterlife, but Alastor had embraced it with eyes wide open.

He watched the redhead loosen his grip on his wrist, his brain promptly short circuiting as Alastor twisted their hands around until he could intertwine their fingers. "Um."

"Since his Majesty has taken such good care of me..." Alastor reached out with his free hand, snaking it up and around Lucifer's waist. The blonde might have squeaked when he was pulled forward, legs automatically parting to stand on either side of the redhead's. He only stopped when his knees hit the side of the mattress. It also brought their faces within inches of each other. Alastor's voice was noticeably deeper as he offered, "I think this deserves it's own reward."

Eloquently, Lucifer managed, "Um?"

"Your reward is: I'll let you in on a little secret." Amused with his response, Alastor stared up at him, eyes half-lidded as he stated, "I also seem to care about you, Lucifer Morningstar."

Lucifer froze, too stunned to speak. He felt like he had utterly and completely lost the script and had no idea where this was going. With anyone else, he might have been able to take that statement at face value, but Alastor had long since taught him that no weakness was too small for the redhead to exploit. Sputtering, he asked, "What?"

"Ah-ah, I know you heard me." Alastor's thumb rubbed along the edge of the top of Lucifer's pants, a simple back and forth motion the blonde was suddenly all too hyper aware of. Goosebumps broke out along the alabaster skin under the fabric. "No need for repeats just yet."

Lucifer wanted to pull away so he could clear his mind and think.

He wanted to lean in and soak up every bit of attention Alastor was willing to give him.

He swallowed. "But... but you don't even like me?" He meant it to be a statement, but it came out too much of a question. He knew he hadn't read the sinner wrong, and yet, here they were, very much off script for their usual back and forth. To say he was confused would be an understatement.

"Come now, your Majesty." Alastor narrowed his eyes, giving the blonde a gentle shake. "I think I know my own heart."

Lucifer didn't dare to breathe. "And what does your heart say?"

"That I can't think of anyone who suits me better than you do." Alastor leaned ever so slightly closer, their noses brushing as he brought their faces as close as they had been just before Mimsy had interrupted them. As close as they had been during their dance during Octavia's coming of age ceremony. "What does his Majesty's heart say?"

"Are you asking if we can get together?" Lucifer was getting too many mixed signals. He had to know what Alastor really wanted. "Romantically?"

"And if I am? Would you 'get together with me', sire?" Alastor's expression was surprisingly patient, as if he had all the time in the world to devote to sorting this out. "Romantically?"

Lucifer thought about all the times Alastor had tried to usurp his place at his own daughter's side. Thought about all the terrible, hurtful things he had said before and after Lucifer moved in. Thought of all the ways they fought and clashed with each other.

He also thought about how Alastor had helped him down from his panic attack. How it had felt to have someone come to his defense, even if he hadn't needed it. How it felt when they danced, both in private and in public. How the weight of his body had felt laying on top of his own.

He would be completely crazy to agree to this, but there was only one answer he could give.

"Yes."

Alastor's smile turned triumphant, but not mocking. "Fabulous!" He stood abruptly, knocking Lucifer off balance. The only thing that kept the little king from falling over backwards was the redhead's arm coming up around his shoulders. Lucifer's face briefly brushed a chest full of downy fur as he was spun around. The back of his knees barely had time to brush the mattress as Alastor deposited him down onto the side of the bed where he had been sitting second beforehand.

Lucifer stared blankly ahead of himself, not certain what had just happened. Not certain what was happening.

Alastor released him, stepping back and letting go of him completely. Lucifer's heart dropped down to his feet, for a split second thinking that he had gotten this wrong. That he had misread the situation. That this was just another game--

A hand pressed against his cheek, snapping him out of his spiral. When Lucifer looked up at him, he noted that the redhead had merely been buttoning up his shirt.

Alastor ran a thumb over his cheekbone, and then gave him a pat. "Now, I believe there's at least one person downstairs who would like to hear I've received a clear bill of health. Shall we go reassure her?" That patient expression was still firmly in place, his gift for reading people allowing him to pick up nearly immediately that Lucifer's mind set had begun to go downhill.

Lucifer still wasn't sure he understood what had just transpired between them. He needed Alastor to just be clear with him. "Wait, what about--?"

Alastor was already spinning around on his heel, slipping his arms into his coat and heading for the door. Over his shoulder, he called, "Come along, sire." He paused near the door, turning just enough to look back at Lucifer, who was still rooted to the spot on his bed. The sinner held out a hand, palm up in invitation. "I did say us, did I not? I believe we might have an announcement to make, do we not?"

A wave of relief washed over Lucifer. "You..." He jumped up from his seat, not quite running, but certainly not simply walking across the room to take hold of the offered hand before the offer was retracted. The leather of the glove was smooth and cold to the touch as he wrapped his hand around it. Lucifer stared down at their joined hands, marveling at the fact that he was being allowed to do so. He looked up at Alastor. "You want to go public? Just like that?"

He somehow would have thought Alastor would have just let people come to their own conclusions. He seemed the type to enjoy the attention of everyone's speculations.

Alastor pressed his free hand to his chest. "Sire!" His tone was scandalized, although his eyes were squinted with mirth. "Did you intend for me to be your dirty little secret?"

"No!" Lucifer flushed, trying to pull his hand back, only to be denied. He admittedly wasn't trying to free himself very hard. "I just..." He frowned, genuinely concerned. "It's so early and... new." He stared down at their hands, squeezing lightly. "Literally just now, new."

Alastor fell silent. He didn't appear to be offended by the protest. "Very well, your Majesty," he conceded. He released Lucifer's hand, bemused by his king's look of mourning at the loss of contact. "We will keep this between ourselves, although I doubt anyone is going to be fooled."

Lucifer decided if they were really going to start dating or whatever they were doing, they were going to nip that in the bud. Hands on his hips, he pointed out, "Well, they certainly might if you keep calling me that."

Alastor's eyes narrowed. "I beg your pardon?"

"You know... 'your majesty' and 'sire.'" Lucifer waved a hand in the space between them. "You can call me by my name. I know you know it." He smirked up at the sinner, regaining some of his confidence now that he was back on firmer ground and understood the situation better. "You said it not even ten minutes ago."

"Hm, Lu-ci-fer," Alastor said, drawing out the word as if he were tasting it. Trying out how he liked it. He pulled face. "I'll think about it."

"Ugh, why do you have to be so difficult?" Lucifer grumbled, half heartedly. He reminded himself that he had more or less done this to himself. He had accepted this idiot into his life with each inch of allowance he'd given and had now agreed to become romantically entangled with him on top of everything else.

"Ha!" Alastor opened his door. He held out his cane in front of him, indicating that Lucifer should go first. "We both know if I were agreeable all the time I would be boring." When the blonde cleared the door way, the redhead joined him in the hallway and shut the door behind himself. "And then where would we be?"

Boring was the last thing that came to mind if Lucifer were to describe Alastor. Alastor and boring were so utterly and completely not on speaking terms, they weren't even speaking the same language. He let the sinner set an easy pace as they made their way down the hallway to the main staircase. "Maybe." He was tempted to elbow the sinner, but just because he had been allowed some liberties, he wasn't certain how much (if anything) had changed on account of the change in their relationship status. He put it on a to-do list of things to discuss the next time they were alone. "But it would be nice if you were at least agreeable sometimes."

He wasn't actually expecting any sort of agreement on that part.

Sure enough. "It's too early in our relationship for me to start agreeing with everything you say, darling," Alastor snarked back without missing a beat. The ends of his lips quirked into something closer to a smirk.

Lucifer felt a shiver run up his spine at the pet name. No one had called him that in... well, he didn't even remember the last time Lilith had called him that. Called him anything other than his name, really. He had forgotten how nice something as simple as an endearment was.

Alastor's smile edged a little closer to a smirk until it was almost more smirk than smile at his reaction. Lucifer had the sudden foreboding feeling that the redhead was going to milk that new discovery for all it was worth.

He wasn't terribly worried about it.

As they made their way down the staircase, walking side by side, not touching, but standing a little closer to each other than, Lucifer felt like things might actually be turning around for the better. He was getting to repair his relationship with his daughter. He had a brand new romantic relationship to explore, something he hadn't had the chance to do in some ten thousand years. He was still having depression spells and there might be some backlash from Alastor's and Vox's ongoing sniping at each other, but it wasn't anything they couldn't handle.

He stared at Alastor out of the corner of his eye, an almost giddy feeling taking root in his heart as it started to really sink in that someone actually wanted him. Wanted to be with him.

He didn't have a clue what the sinner was thinking, nor was he absolutely convinced of Alastor's motives. He still had whatever his second favor was. However, mysterious motives and taciturn attitude aside, Alastor wasn't half bad as a catch, if he did say so himself. If Alastor was being honest about this, he thought they maybe actually had a shot at this.

Yes, Lucifer thought to himself, a slight skip in his step. Yes, he quite thought things were indeed looking up.

For a brief moment, he forgot that the universe hated him, always on the look out for when his life might be headed in a happier direction. That the universe had it out for him.

And it was more than happy to remind him of this fact.

tbc

Part 19

[serasfanfiction]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Summary:

Alastor gets his microphone back and Lucifer discovers one of Alastor's little secrets. Only one of them is going to be happy by the end of the day.

[serasfanfiction]

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3| Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 - Interlude Part II

A sinner's first days in Hell could be... distressing.

Some sinners died abruptly and had difficulty accepting they were dead.

Some sinners died expecting a shiny, golden halo and pearly, white wings onto to find sharp teeth, warped, inhuman features and occasionally horns instead.

Alastor had fallen into the category that knew exactly where he was going before he made his way into Hell. He had practically sauntered down there with a skip to his step and a whistle on his lips. It had been exactly what he had signed up for, after all, spur of the moment as it had all been at the time.

Being forewarned had done little to prepare him for how utterly and completely unhinged Hell turned out to be, a cesspool for corrupt and depraved souls to let loose on their deepest, darkest selves. It didn't help that she had decided to test out the resilience of her new toy soldier by dropping him unceremoniously into the middle of Cannibal Town.

Every cannibal in the nearby vicinity had been excited by the sudden appearance of fresh meat, in every sense of the phrase. Alastor had had to hone his new powers through a baptism of teeth and voracious appetites, dozens of little humanoid piranhas all climbing over each other to take a bite out of him. Things took a definitive turn about the time that the Wendigo that had made a home in Alastor's ribcage awoke, resulting in him eating quite a few of them.

He had managed to come out on top of that scuffle with little more than some torn clothing and a chunk missing out of his thigh. Irritated as he was by that fact, he had survived her test, which was all that mattered.

Rosie had known there was a new, unknown sinner in her territory from day one. It had been hard to miss all the commotion. She had sat back and let the scuffle play out however it was going to play out, seeing if her people would eliminate the potential threat or if she would need to step in.

It was at the end of Alastor's very eventful and informative first week in Hell that he received a visit from Cannibal Town's resident Overlord. She found him in a random house he had claimed for himself as a shelter to lick his wounds and recover, full but unsated, from the meal he'd made of the original owners of the place. When she had shown up, walking through the door like she owned the place, he hadn't known what to expect from her. She shared the same black, deceptively soulless eyes as the people she reigned over. Her pale pink teeth were just as razor sharp, leaving no question as to if she shared the same diet they did. He had learned rather quickly to be cautious around people who shared similar features.

She'd reminded him about what they said about making assumptions about people and judging a book by it's cover. She'd taken one look at him before breezed right past the every single signal he was giving off that he wished to be left alone, disregarding his claims that he was fine and she could leave now as if he had never made them. She effortlessly had him relocated into the privacy and security of the private rooms of her emporium so fast his head had almost literally spun. By the time the dust settled, he was bundled up in a soft blanket with a hot cup of tea in his hands, still unsure how he had come to be there.

To this day, he didn't know why she'd spared him rather than killing him. It would have been within her right to do so. Some strange man had shown up on her territory and had begun killing her people, self defense or not. She hadn't know if he was a threat or not.

Perhaps it had been simple pity.

Perhaps it was kindness, a shred of humanity in a place where people went to be damned for all eternity.

Perhaps it was as simple as she claimed when she'd announced that he was 'just the most adorable thing' she'd seen that century, right before she deer-napped him out of that house.

Whatever it had been, he had found himself owing a debt for the safety she provided. One that he paid back by playing guard dog against wayward suitors who got too big for their britches and enemies seeking to take out competition. She never asked, but then, she never had to. As he had found his feet and had started his campaign to crown himself as a new Overlord, he had made it a point to always have a way to repay her either with action or information.

Before he'd known it, he'd made whom he would admit was his first, if only, friend in Hell. They'd built up such a level of trust that he felt he could come to her at his worst and she wouldn't take advantage of his weakness. They even regularly scheduled 'meet ups' (Rosie's term, not his) to catch up and simply enjoy each other's company.

It was at one such meet up that he found himself, a mere day out after finding himself on a once in a life time jaunt through through a lower level of Hell. Evidence of his trip was laid out in all it's black and white glory on the front page of the newspaper Rosie was reading. He had corrupted most of the footage at the ceremony, mostly on principle. He hated modern technology more than he wanted the denizen's of Hell to know about his current project.

But an amateur photographer had gotten lucky. They had been carrying an older type of camera, one that just took photographs. No film involved whatsoever. It didn't even take color photos. Whoever they were, they had caught a shot of Lucifer, Asmodeus, and their respective dates getting into the limo down in the Lust Ring. Lucifer's hand was held over Alastor's head as the redhead ducked into the limo. The gesture was the act of a polite gentleman, belayed by the blonde's grumpy expression from the sassy comment Alastor had made just before the shot was taken.

The location was unmistakable, even with all the blues and pinks reduced to shades of black, grey, and white. Coupled with the testimony of eye witnesses outside of Stolas' manor and there really was no escaping the absolute shit storm that had been unleashed overnight. Everyone was abuzz with the potential new royal couple.

Rosie was nearly vibrating in her seat as she read the gossip rags. He was impressed with her iron tight control, as she set the paper down all prim and proper, instead of slamming it down. He was in for a wave of questions and they both knew it. "My goodness, you've been busy, haven't you?"

Alastor practically preened. So many lovely things had been confirmed over the last two days. He was still riding the high of being ever so closer to his end goal. "Ask away, my dear! I know you have questions." He leaned his elbows onto the table, resting his chin on his intertwined fingers. "I have one of my own, in exchange."

"Oh you," she crooned. She poured herself some of her choice tea for the day, a breakfast blend she had called assam tea. "You're always free to ask questions, Alastor." She set the tea to cool. "You know I'll pass on the question if I don't want to answer it."

She had said this numerous times in the past. Always about things she considered little and near insignificant. It was the nature of friendship, she'd said, to sometimes give things away as gifts or for free.

After a lifetime of give and take, where nothing anyone gave him was ever truly for free, he found it difficult to believe. Everyone expected something in the end. Always be wary of free favors, he'd learned in life. It was a lesson he didn't intend to forget in the afterlife.

She tsked at him as if he were a particularly stubborn child, when he didn't acknowledge her offer. "Oh, very well," she said, quite indulgently. "I can already tell from your grin you had fun." She spun the paper around so that it was face up for him. "How ever did you get a invitation to another one of the Rings?"

"It turns out his Majesty is terribly shy!" He was sure his amusement was visible in the way his eyes were nearly crescent moons, his grin was so wide. "He was absolutely insistent on getting a new top with a high collar - as if that wasn't more conspicuous!"

He could see her jumping to the conclusion everyone else had made. Rosie covered her mouth with a deceptively dainty hand, both eyebrows shooting up. "You didn't!"

Alastor rolled his head to the side so that his cheek was resting on the back of his hands. "Not in the least! I gave him a little scratch and you'd think I'd left him with a hickey." He was more than happy to leave his marks in other ways. This one would even last for a few days.

Rosie tittered, fingers of one hand pressed to her lips while her other hand waved up and down at him, only bending at the wrist. "What a silly dear, avoiding a smaller scandal for a much bigger one!"

"I know, right?" Normally, Alastor ignored any possible speculation about his romantic life. They never got it right, even if the ensuing scandal for the other party was often bemusing. He was mostly entertained by it this time because he could only imagine what Lucifer was facing back at the hotel. Knowing Angel, the spider sinner was likely already all over it like the newest batch toys from the Lust Ring.

And if Angel knew about it, all the residents of the hotel knew about it. Alastor only escaped any encounters so far by having his own way in and out of the hotel discreetly.

Rosie shook her head piteously. "Oh, that poor, poor dear." There was too much amusement in her voice for it to be believable that she meant it. She reached for her tea, and then took a sip, testing to see if it was at the temperature she liked. It must have passed the bar, because a larger sip followed. Lowering it, but not putting it down, she said, "And the Lust Ring? Is it as atmospheric as the Hellborn claim?"

'Atmospheric'? Was that a word he would have chosen to describe it? When Alastor closed his eyes, the lurid signs coupled with the bright neon pinks and flashy blues still danced behind his eyelids. Rather caustically, he retorted, "Not in the least! It was one big red light district."

He opened his eyes, catching the capital-l Look she was giving him. "Rosie, darling, if you meant the weather, you should have just asked," he teased with a sigh. He stared off into the middle distance, not seeing her emporium anymore. "Well, I didn't see much of it," he admitted. "I only caught a glimpse of it."

It had been an admittedly impressive glimpse of it. Looking past the signs, the view from the Sin of Lust's personal dwelling at been breathtaking. An entire Ring plunged into eternal night, artificially lit by flashing signs and the lights of the buildings. From the height of the residence, the light pollution had been minimized, allowing Alastor to catch a glimpse of the sky itself. Heavy rainclouds swirled overhead, never running out of rain. Perfectly, normal, harmless rain. And peaking out between the clouds had been something even more mundane, but nonetheless marvelous.

Stars. The Lust Ring had stars. When was the last time he had seen stars? It was such a silly thing, but to see something one had taken for granted, and then had taken away for almost a century, it had made them seem like new, unimaginable wonders again.

Did all the other rings have stars? Was it just the Pride Ring that didn't?

His smile turned nostalgic. "It would make a lovely hunting ground. All endless night." He loved being able to unleash his inner most demons without fear of consequences. To have it all out in the light after years of hiding it away. In Hell, everyone had known of him. Lessor sinners avoided him and he reveled in their open fear of him. He didn't have the level of fear Zestial inflicted just by walking into a room, and leaving for seven years hadn't done him any favors on that front, but he was working on it.

Some part of him, however, missed the delight of hearing people gossip about his exploits. Hear them speculating on who would be next. It had made him feel like some kind of boogeyman, haunting the streets and dreams of the residents of New Orleans. It was a different kind of fear that came from the unknown. He could never go back to it, but it was fun to think about. He never got the chance to see whatever the news thought of his work or if they had ever uncovered the true extent of his body count. "I would have enjoyed spending a few days there."

Judging by the look on Rosie's face, he knew she had grasped what he wasn't saying. She had been a more subtle killer, someone who killed more than one husband after they thought the could treat their wives with anything other than the utmost respect and get away with it. It was her unique way of dealing with the bodies that landed her in her current situation.

"There was rain - non-acid rain," he continued, lips thinning. "It was dreadfully boring." What was the fun of continuous rain if it didn't leave everyone with terrible burns all the time? A pity whatever Michael did to the Pride Ring didn't extend to the other rings.

Rosie looked appropriately put out. She didn't have his love for suffering, but she could still appreciate he did. She took another sip of her tea. "And his Majesty? Have you given more thought to what your intentions are?"

The memory of Lucifer leaning against him, a line of heat against his side, rose to the surface like an accusation. Alastor thought he could still feel that heat as if it were tattooed into his skin. When he had set out to find out if he could tolerate being 'companion shaped' enough to meet Lucifer's needs, he hadn't expected how quickly the little king's walls would crumble over a little bit of emotional support. His head felt like it might start spinning if he thought too deeply about how fast Lucifer had been willing to just rely on Alastor, even though Alastor had just been trying to drive him away a mere two months previous.

It was more than anything he could have hoped for.

Above all else, it was intoxicating: this feeling that the most powerful being in the realm had come to trust him so much. It made him want to draw Lucifer in deeper, so deep the king could never untangle himself from Alastor's influence. He was already so close. Alastor could see it in his face the entire night.

Not to mention the sheer, unbridled glee he'd felt upon seeing Lucifer actually breaking a contract. He had heard the rumors, seen the hints that it might be true, heard the verbal confirmation, but to actually see the proof. To see the King of Hell in all of his glory, breaking Angel's contract as if it were mere glass instead of a soul binding contract had been nothing short of euphoric.

For the first time since he regrated making that damn deal, his freedom was practically within his grasp. It was so close he could almost taste it.

He toyed with his tea cup. His appetite was only starting to rear its head, the first hints that his hunger would be returning in full force within the next coming days. "It's a work in progress," Alastor said simply.

Rosie's expression came the closest he'd ever seen to disapproving, at least while directed at him. She had taken a liking to Hell's king during their meeting. She had even invited him back, which spoke volumes about her opinion of him. She wasn't choosing sides - Alastor was certain she'd still choose his, if it came down to it - but she didn't want to have to do so in the first place.

Alastor picked up his cup and took drink from it. Unlike his friend, he had been served a straight black tea, wanting the kick of caffeine without any of the sweetness. It was an undertone to his musings, as he sought to give her a better answer.

He had little interest in romance. He'd seen normally rational people seemingly take all leave of their senses, all in the name of love. It all seemed rather precarious to him, to give that much power over oneself to someone else. It was a level of vulnerability he'd never been able to justify.

He wasn't looking for protection. He had built up his power base until it was strong enough to put him at the top of the food chain. Any power he had lost over the last seven years could easily be regained once he was done with this little side quest she had given him.

He grudgingly had to admit to himself that the 'top of the food chain' was merely in terms of how how a sinner could climb. There were always bigger, larger predators out there, something Adam had taught him rather painfully. Not to mention, the being himself they were having this conversation about was proof of that.

On the flip side, who better to protect him than Lucifer himself? Alastor could have handled Vox, easy, but if Asmodeus had decided to take him out, Alastor might have been hard pressed to escape him. He didn't know why Lucifer had protected him against his little brother, it would have solved quite a few problems for him to have done nothing, but protect Alastor he had.

Alastor's hand rose to his throat, fingers pressing lightly to the gem pinned to his bowtie. Rosie's eyes tracked the motion. He wondered if she could tell what it really was, this gift the King of Hell had bestowed upon him. Lucifer had gotten extremely dodgy about it when Alastor had refused to give it up. It clearly made the little king nervous for the radio host to have it. Alastor had the suspicion he wasn't supposed to know what it really was, which made messing with Lucifer about it all the more fun.

"Come now, none of that." He allowed his smile to become more genuine. "I don't intend to drop him the moment I have what I want from him."

Rosie studied him, assessing him. She could always read him better than wanted, something he had simply had to learn to live with. She must have seen something she liked, because she nodded to herself. Demeanor lifting, she said, "Now tell me. What's this question of yours?"

Alastor was a little put out she didn't ask more questions about the date itself. He wasn't certain if the answers he had paid with was worth the one he was looking for. He didn't like not knowing if the answer was of value or not.

Best way to find out was to ask, was it not?

He picked out a ring finger from the box Rosie had left out for them to snack on. It was just the right sort of plump and crunchy he usually liked. It was a pity it wasn't what he was craving, but as he did not actually know what he was craving, it would have to do. He tossed it into his mouth, savoring it as he thought of how to ask the question.

"I've heard you and his Majesty use this term when speaking about me," he started when he had swallowed his treat. "I'm curious as to what it means." He held his hand over the box, considering if he wanted another one. They didn't appeal to him in that moment, so he withdrew his hand. Meeting his friend's gaze, he asked, "What does 'ace' mean?"

He had heard Lucifer's and Asmodeus' whole conversation. Despite moving to the other side of the room, the distance had hardly been enough to keep Alastor for overhearing it. He would have dismissed it, unconcerned, if not for the fact that they had implied Rosie might agree with them.

Rosie's expression softened. "Oh, Alastor, sweetie." Her free hand twitched, a sign that she wanted to reach out to place her hand over his. "You didn't have to pay anything for that answer. I would have answered it for free even if you weren't such a good friend."

"You're too kind, my dear," Alastor responded. She really wasn't, but she did take care of her own. Alastor was not blind to the fact that he was lucky she considered him such.

It was Rosie's turn to deliberate her response. She placed her tea cup down, although she didn't release the handle. "Hm, 'ace' is another word for 'asexual.' Asexuality has it's own spectrum, but it generally refers to someone who has little to no sexual attraction towards others." She tapped on the lip of her cup with the hand not holding the handle. "This is a very basic definition of the term, but that is it at its core. What that means for someone is a sliding scale that research and self discover can help with."

Alastor leaned back in his chair, hands coming to rest on his lap. Humans did so love their labels and categories, trying to fit messy people into neat little boxes. Little ways for people to validate themselves or to try to fit in with other people and not feel so alone. He did have to admit: the word did feel like a missing puzzle piece. It wasn't an Earth shattering revelation, by any means. He had never tried to hide the fact that he didn't care for sex, had never looked at anyone a day in his existence and thought he'd like to 'jump their bones,' even when he did want to touch someone. He had no need for it when he was alive and he still had no need for it now, regardless of his choice to attempt to court the King of Hell.

Underneath it all, there was a part of himself that felt almost vindictive. How many times had he mentioned his disinterest only to be told he just needed to find the right person? That finding the right person would somehow fix him? That he was somehow broken because he didn't feel the same desires that everyone else around him did?

He threw back his head and laughed, something vicious bubbling beneath the surface. It had been over a century since he had cared what people that of him beyond what was necessary to accomplish his goals, but some wounds lingered, hidden and lying in wait until one randomly tripped over them. He doubted having a name for it, a mere label, would have changed anyone's mind back during the early 1900s, but labels often meant there was more than one person who shared this same state, which meant he wasn't, in fact, alone in this.

Perhaps modernity wasn't completely without its perks, after all.

"Alastor?" Rosie sounded concerned, which just wouldn't do.

Alastor's laughter trailed off into a light chuckle. "Nothing to worry about, my dear." He didn't know what the worth of this new information was just yet, but it certainly sounded like it might be interesting to dig into. "I was merely reflecting on some things." He smiled at her, honest, but with an edge to it. He really was fine, his smile said.

She studied him for a moment longer, before her own smile returned. "Well, if you have any other questions, please feel free to ask." She met his gaze pointedly. "Those questions cost nothing." She lifted her tea cup, with the intent to drink from it again. Before she did so, she offered, "If you don't want to ask, there's a little library some of the girls opened up. Quaint little thing! There's a couple of books on the subject in there that look like good source material."

Coming from Rosie, that was a shining endorsement. Alastor knew she wouldn't recommend something to him unless it was almost a done deal or it was trustworthy information. He would mull over whether or not to pursue the library - and risk the sinners running it being untrustworthy (this was Hell) - or to ask her more questions later.

The meeting fell into something more easy going after that. The talk turning to the latest gossip or juicy tidbits outside their own lives. Alastor was thinking of taking his leave for the day, when a knocking came from the front door of the Emporium.

Rosie frowned while Alastor's brows furrowed, the action being as close to frowning as he could get. Everyone in Cannibal Town knew that if Rosie's Emporium was closed, it was because she wasn't in or she was otherwise engaged. The only reason someone might interrupt her would be if it was important.

And judging from the polite, but insistent banging on the door, it sounded like it might just be important.

Rosie set her cup down, already rising. "Sorry about this, Alastor. I'll go see what it is and be right back."

Alastor got up himself. "It's quite all right. I was just thinking of excusing myself. It is getting late."

She gestured to his seat and his unfinished tea. "Are you sure? It might be nothing a quick word can fix."

Another round of knocking came from the door, still polite, but only just. Alastor started for the door. "Quite sure, my dear. Let's see what all the fuss is about, shall we?"

Rosie unlocked the door and then opened it. On the doorstep was a cannibal that Alastor had never met before. A middle-aged, female sinner dressed appropriately for the time period, albeit on the older fashioned side. She was wringing her hands, swaying from side to side in what appeared to be a nervous habit. The door opening did not ease her worries any.

Rosie recognized her, reaching out and taking the woman's hand. "Doris! Whatever is the matter?"

Doris wrapped her free hand around her Overlord's. "Rosie!" She looked at Alastor. "Mr. Alastor, sir." She looked back at Rosie. "I'm so glad I was able to reach you. You both must come see the news!"

Rosie and Alastor shared a look, a whole conversation happening with a single glance. It was one thing to come to Rosie about something. That would have meant it involved Cannibal Town and/or its residents. To ask Alastor to come along meant it either involved him personally or all of Hell in general.

Rosie turned back to Doris. "Lead the way, dear."

The duo followed the shorter woman to the outskirts of Cannibal Town. Alastor was already deducing that the news likely was being aired on a television as they stepped into Doris' home, as this was as far into Town as Rosie allowed some technology, such as TVs. She was more open minded than he was on the subject, seeing their potential worth to gather more data than simple word of mouth. The news, biased as it was, was still a useful tool to understand what media sinners were potentially consuming.

Her tolerance had its limits. She would not let anything technology past the edges of the town, for everyone's security. The models she did allow were all the old ones, boxy black and white things that only still worked because Hell didn't operate by Earth's rules. Even so, she felt the edge of town was already playing with fire and too much of a potential foot hold Vox might get into her territory.

A man stood in the living room, watching the news broadcast. The glare of the screen reflected off of his glasses. He tore his gaze away from it as Doris led them in. He glanced once at Alastor, his expression nervous, before looking to Rosie. "They've been showing it on repeat for the last half hour," was all he said, pointing to the screen.

Alastor knew what he was going to see even before he saw it, but it still somehow surprised him. He knew that the Vees were going to retaliate in some way for their King's little show and the disrespect he had heaped onto their doorstep. They couldn't touch Lucifer, everyone already knew his flaws.

But they could smear Alastor's reputation.

And there was only one thing in their arsenal to smear it with.

Alastor's smile widened into something rictus, until every yellow, razor sharp fang was bared, a snarl pulling at the stiches holding his lips in place. The television was muted. It did little to soften the impact of watching his past self get slashed with a guitar made of pure angelic grace across the chest. His back panged in phantom sympathy as he watched himself hit the ledge of the hotel's roof. His blood, blackened by the lack of color on the TV, pooled around his body. With a defiant comeback, his past self melted away into his shadows.

In one fell swoop, everyone knew that he had been forced to retreat, to run from the fight. Everyone else had fought to the end. Had triumphed or died trying.

But not the big, bad Radio Demon, who had run with his tail between his legs.

That insignificant, sanctimonious gnat. Alastor knew he should have killed Vox when he had the chance. It had been a moment of weakness. He had had Vox at his mercy, had been posed to kill him. And then he had spared the sniveling little picture box, because once upon a time Alastor had been convinced there had been something between them. That they were at the very least friends.

What a silly, terrible little mistake that had been.

"Alastor?"

With the ease that came from a life time of packing everything away behind a care free smile (that never did fully cover everything, no matter how hard he tried), Alastor forced himself to calm down. When he turned his attention to Rosie, no one but she would have been able to tell he was infuriated. "Yes, my dear?"

"Doris, Harold, give us moment, won't you?" Despite Rosie posing it as such, it was not actually a request.

The couple didn't need to be told twice, all too happy to leave the scary Overlords to their privacy. They may have been curious, but they weren't that curious.

Once they were out of the room, Rosie stated, "That was a nasty wound."

And it had hurt terribly, but he wasn't about to say that. He didn't really need to. She had seen how he'd suffered herself, for all that he hadn't allowed her to see the wound. Alastor's anger softened, if only for her. "I'm fine! Right as rain! His Majesty's blood is quite potent." He twirled his staff, once, and then ran the finger tips of his free hand down the pole. "See, even my staff is all repaired."

Rosie watched him for a moment longer. "The broadcast a few days ago. It was on every TV. We couldn't turn the channel." Her head tilted to the side. "Was that your work?"

His smile widened, guilt as charged.

Having proof of his recovery in the form of his own show of power, and having done so so recently, eased her worries. It was a better show of proof than merely his word. "I'm sure you have something planned in response to this." Her own customary smile returned. "You always are a planner."

Alastor did indeed. Merely cutting off and interrupting the broadcat would do little good at this point. It was undoubtedly all over Hell's internet by now. He could, however, temporarily take out Voxtek's main satellite. A high enough burst of radio waves should fry the satellite's delicate circuits. It wouldn't be too long before they were back on the air, Vox was proficient like that, sadly, but it would be such a terrible inconvenience while it was down.

For such an attack, he would need to be in his radio tower. It would save him using up all of the energy he had just recovered from his latest feeding by letting the tower do some of the heavy lifting. "Oh yes," he assured, tone full of dark promises of future mischief. "I know just the thing to let dear ol' Vox know that I received the message loud and clear."

"Well, don't let me hold you up." Rosie giggled, shoo'ing him on his way. "It's always best to show these young upstarts their place before they get too full of themselves."

"Until next time, my dear." He waved at her, a little curl of the fingers, just as he dissolved into his shadows. He didn't want to be intercepted before he could take care of business.

Before the day was done, Vox was going to know he was very displeased with him.

tbc

Part 18

[serasfanfiction]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Summary:

Lucifer goes to enlist Alastor's help with his plans. It goes about how he would expect it to go.

[serasfanfiction]

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3| Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16

The limo in front of them finished releasing it's cargo: a family of lessor Goetia consisting of a pair of blue and red Macaws and their primarily blue offspring. They posed here and there as they made their way up to the front doors. The limo rolled away, leaving room for Asmodeus' limo to roll up.

The limo rolled to a stop. It was their turn to get out.

Lucifer's entire body froze up. Etiquette dictated that he should get out first with Alastor. Not that he cared about etiquette. Etiquette could go screw itself for all he cared. It still dictated he go first.

He really did not want to go first.

He opened his mouth with every intent of telling Asmodeus and Fizzarolli to go first, only to be cut off by a shrill voice screaming: "WE LOVE YOU FIZZAROLLI!"

All eyes inside the limo went to the source of the scream. It was the fan from before, having managed to break free of the barrier that had been erected to allow. Eyes crazed and pants half undone, he rushed the limo, fully intent on throwing himself at it.

Disgusted, Lucifer snapped his fingers, the fan disappearing in a burst of red and gold dust.

A long silence followed, both inside the limo and outside. Fizzarolli gaped, the corners of his lips twitching upward. "Uh, what did you do to him?"

Lucifer blinked, eyes moving uncoordinated of each other. "I dropped him into a volcano."

Somewhere in the Wrath Ring, the little fan was getting a very hot bath. He may or may not survive the experience.

The retired actor of the group gave into the impulse and grinned. "If it wasn't rude, I'd beg you to play body guard."

Lucifer huffed, the mental image absurd. Just image: the king of Hell acting as body guard to an imp. It would be a silly sight.

No more silly than hiding behind his younger sibling, he supposed.

He drew in a deep breathe, held it, then let it out. He reached for the door handle. "Alright, better get this over with."

"Sire, if I may suggest?" Alastor tapped this side of his king's mouth, his own smile picture perfect. "Perhaps a little of that devilish charm might go a long way, in this case."

Lucifer, feeling stressed and spiteful, threw him a smile that was more aggressive than charming over his shoulder as he opened the door. As expected, the moment he cleared the car door, the stunned crowd, understandably not expecting him to show up - forget stepping out of the Sin of Lust's limo - completely lost their minds. Fixing his grin in place, he reached back into the car. "I believe that's our cue, Mr. Radio Demon."

It was like watching the shift change in his radio station. Alastor rose up out of the limo like he regularly showed up in luxury vehicles at high profile venues. Every move was full of lethal and gentlemanly grace. Without missing a beat, he tucked the hand Lucifer had used to lead him out of the limo onto his arm, as if it were perfectly normal for him to have the King of Hell himself on his arm. As he made his way towards the entrance of the manor, one might have thought he had been the one to receive the invitation.

For all that Alastor claimed that he only had a face for radio, he knew how to put on a show for a crowd. As few photos existed of him, the paparazzi could be forgiven for taking a moment to recognize him. But when they did, they went wild all over again.

"Your Majesty! Are you and the Radio Demon having an affair?" One sinner, a shark based one, tried to shove his microphone as far over the barrier as he could.

Another reporter grabbed the collar of her cameraman, nearly choking him as she aimed him in the direction she wanted. "How long has this been going on?"

"Does this mean that the Queen is gone for good?" A small raccoon sinner ducked under the rope barrier, holding onto it as he leaned out to try at a response as they passed.

At least one of them must have been Vox's people, as she threw her hands in front of the lens, shouting, "Stop recording, you idiot! You'll damage the camera!"

Sure enough, everyone who had attempted to either take a photo of Alastor or to film him over the last several moments began to make horrified, dismayed, or angry cries, or some combination of the three as they discovered their cameras were all beginning to ominously smoke.

Lucifer laughed, despite the tension, as they made their way up to the entrance. "Oh, I don't know why I keep forgetting you can do that." He covered his mouth in an attempt to be serious. "The rumors are still going to be messy."

Alastor was surprisingly silent, giving no comment on his opinion on the matter.

An imp, dressed as a butler, met them at the door. He took one look at Lucifer before dropping into a bow. "Your Majesty. May I take your coat?"

Lucifer shook his head. "No, no that won't be necessary." He turned to Alastor. "You want to hang onto yours or ditch it?"

The muscles of Alastor's arm flexed under Lucifer's hand. He appeared to be considering if he could handle seraphim's ongoing touch without his multiple layers. After a pause, he stated, "I'll keep my coat as well, good sir."

Lucifer was tempted to feel insulted. The feeling was banished when the redhead placed his hand over the captive one on his arm and gave it a light squeeze. It reminded him that if Alastor truly didn't want to be touched, he would be more than willing to shake him off, King of Hell or not.

The imp rose out of the bow. "The name of your plus one, your Majesty?"

"Alastor," the blonde offered. Weighed which of the redhead's titles might be more suited for this audience. "The Overlord."

The butler nodded. He led them into the manor and towards an elaborately decorated ballroom. At this door, he announced to the room at large, "Presenting, his Majesty, King Lucifer Morningstar and his plus one, Overlord Alastor."

The guests already in attendance fell into a hush. Everyone stopped what they were doing to either catch a peak at their king, the sinner he had shown up with, or both.

Father, why had he thought bringing Alastor would be less stressful?

A pat to the hand grounded him, subtle enough not to be noticeable from a distance. Alastor wasn't directly watching Lucifer, but was still keeping an eye out for any escalation in his stress levels. It would have felt nice, having that kind of attentive partner, had Lucifer been certain the redhead was doing it because he actually cared about Lucifer's wellbeing.

A tall figure, taller by several feet than Alastor, dressed in silk and velvet and a cloak that reflected the cosmos, approached them. An owl Goetia, whose black top hat was styled with a crown. "Your Majesty." He bowed the exact amount necessary for both their statuses. "We're honored you could attend my daughter's ceremony."

"Stolas!" He could really be no other Goetia. Stolas ushered them from the door to allow the continued flow of guests. "It's been a while!" Nearly eighteen years, in fact. "You look..." Lucifer trailed off.

Goetia were vain and sticklers about their appearances. Never a feather out of place or an errant thread in sight. Stolas, on the other hand, was too frayed around the edges to hide it. He had been a lanky teenager, not quite twenty when Lucifer had met him at the announcement of Octavia's birth. He had seemed tired, but happy to be a new parent.

He looked beyond tired, now. Bags under his eye, thin in a way that suggested a loss of appetite, and soul heavy with a life full of pushing everything down, down, down until it all threatened to explode or implode.

"Um... good?" Lucifer finished, lamely, kicking himself for making it sound like a question.

Stolas didn't appear offended. His pupilless eyes were just as effective mask as Alastor's smile, making him hard to read without paying attention to the other cues. "And you as well, sire." He blinked, once, a slow thing. His head was turned enough to indicate his attention as on the radio host. "Oh my word." In a move that spoke of a life of extreme isolation from people, Stolas leaned down and forward until he was almost in Alastor's personal space, "This is one of those Overlords I've heard so much about?" It was the sort of tone someone took when spotting a lion out on the plains from the safety of their car, not while encountering one up close and personal were it can quite easily sink its claws into them. "I've never seen one so close."

Alastor's ears twitched like they wanted to flatten and his smile took on a malicious edge. Stolas' height forced him to look up at him, something Alastor likely didn't have to do often. "Come now, good fella," he said, not a hint of whatever he was feeling in his voice. "Surely you're not one to judge someone based off their class." With all the grace of a viper going in for the kill, he added, "Not with the company you keep."

Lucifer's lips parted, someone still caught off guard by how audacious this sinner could be. He tensed, ready to interfere if necessary.

It proved to be unnecessary. Stolas' spine straightened, bringing him up to his towering ten feet tall. Everything retreated behind a wall built from a lifetime of locking everything because it was easier to suppress than feel. "Touché."

"Dad?" A smaller figure, closer to Lucifer's height, appeared at Stolas' side. A teenager, an owl-peacock mix Goetia, was dressed in a gown as black as the night sky. Littered throughout the bodice and skirt were numerous constellations made from crystals that twinkled as she moved.

Stolas followed her voice like the moon follows Earth. Where before he looked weary to the bone, he came alive at the sight of her. A deep warmth that spoke of unconditional love colored his voice as he said, "Via, come." He held out his hand and she came with only the slightest pause. "Meet his Majesty. You were only a hatchling when you saw him last."

The teenager, who could only be the star of the ball herself, blinked at Lucifer, her lips twisted mullishly. She clearly wasn't thrilled with being at this party. "Um." She blinked again, and then fell into a curtsy, the movement familiar but not used often. "It's nice to meet you again, your Majesty."

"Stolas, she's lovely," Lucifer responded, honestly and without hesitation. "And she's gotten so big!" Not as big as some of her relatives, but a healthy child was a healthy child.

The pride on Stolas' face as her gazed down at his daughter was impossible to miss. "She's my pride and joy," he said, sincerely. "What is it, my owlette?"

Octavia rolled her eyes as she didn't quite pout, finding the nickname childish. She pointed off towards a door in the back that likely led to the kitchens. "There's an issue with one of the guests. They're demanding to speak with you."

Stolas' eyes narrowed. "And they asked you to deliver the message? Honestly!" He patted his daughter's cheek. Octavia pulled another face, but it was obvious she secretly enjoyed it. Watching the exchange made Lucifer ache for the time his own daughter was this age. That time where children were learning the extent of their independence as they came into adulthood, but still wanted a degree of parental attention. The pain of the missed opportunity was another reminder of how much time had passed and how fast it had gone.

When he'd left, Octavia turned back to Lucifer and Alastor. "Sorry about my dad," she said, addressing Alastor. "He's still learning." She gave them both another nod, before retreating back into the throng of people.

Lucifer watched her go. She had a good head on her shoulders. After she disappeared from view, he began herding Alastor towards the end of the buffet. The sinner must have been curious about the offerings, because he let himself be pushed along. "Do you just know everyone's dirty laundry?" Lucifer grumbled under his breathe, smiling a little too widely as someone paused to watch them a little too intently.

Alastor stared at him, surprised by the question. "Why, of course, your Majesty!" He dug his heels in at a seemingly random spot at the table, bringing them to a stop. He looked to and fro, assessing his chosen spot. "Information is currency, and nothing is more valuable than things people want kept secret."

Alastor stepped behind Lucifer, his hands settling on the monarch's shoulders. Into his ear, the redhead stage whispered, "Take our host, for instance." He directed Lucifer to where Stolas had reappeared from wherever he had disappeared to. "It caused quite the scandal when it came out that he cheated on his wife, and with an imp no less!"

From the door they'd entered through, the butler announced, "Presenting his Highness, Asmodeus and his plus one, Fizzarolli."

The guests broke out into chatter anew, everyone having an opinion on the pair. "And then there's your little brother." He spun Lucifer until they were could easily see the Sin in question. "Fizzarolli was his business partner, before they fell in love and started their romantic entanglement. They tried to keep in on the down low, but no one was surprised when his Highness spilled the beans last month."

Asmodeus and Fizzarolli moved through the crowd, drawing mixed responses from the crowd as they passed. No one was saying anything to their faces, but they weren't trying to hide what they were saying very well either.

The butler appeared again, a little frazzled. "Presenting her Highness, Beelzebub, her plus one, Vortex, and her other plus one, Loona."

If everyone had an opinion on Asmodeus' choice of date, it was nothing compared to the Sin of Gluttony showing up with a pair of hellhounds she was in a polygamous relationship with. The taller, male hellhound was in a sharp black and white tuxedo, while the slightly shorter female was in a blood red sleeveless gown. Beelzebub herself had her arms around both their shoulders while rocking a cotton candy pink cocktail dress.

"Well, that's an interesting development," Alastor murmured. He sounded like this was genuinely news to him.

Lucifer wasn't sure if he wanted to know. "What?"

Alastor nodded to the female, Loona. "She is the adopted daughter of the imp our host is sleeping with."

Lucifer wasn't certain if he was being serious or not. "Really? What is this, some kind of soap opera?"

Alastor snorted. He withdrew from his perch, turning to inspect the offerings laid out on the table. "It certainly seems so, does it not?"

Off to the side, a live band began to play. Various couples made their way to the dance floor. A brave soul was already making his way over to Stolas and Octavia, likely to attempt to ask for a dance. Lucifer grabbed a drink from a server as they passed, silently wishing the kid good luck.

Judging from the sour mood Stolas was in, he was going to need it.

Over the first couple of songs, Lucifer alternated between watching Alastor and the crowd. The sinner weaved up and down the buffet, never straying too far, seemingly interested in the food. Every now and then, he would pause to taste something, an ear twisting around. Lucifer guessed it was to hear whatever gossip was being said near him. He noted when the redhead would linger he would pretend he was grabbing more than one morsel to snack on, but never actually ate anything.

Several of the Goetia pattered around Lucifer, but none approached. As the third song came to an end, Alastor prodded a passing imp. There was too much chatter around Lucifer to hear what he was saying, but the imp nodded and then ran off in the direction of the band.

Lucifer eyed him suspiciously as he made his way back over to him. "Bored already?"

Alastor hummed at him. He held out a hand, reminiscent of that night in his bedroom a couple weeks ago. "Care to dance, your Majesty?"

Lucifer stared out into the crowd. Across the room, the imp Alastor had flagged down grew closer to the band. Each step felt like another grain of sand falling through an hour glass, ticking away the seconds until this moment disappeared into the ether, lost forever.

If he accepted, this would be his first dance in public in nearly twenty years.

It would be the first time he had ever taken his first dance at a formal event with anyone other than Lilith.

The imp reached the band, chattering with them. They nodded at each other, the band fiddling with their instruments as they prepared the song. Lucifer eyed the held out hand out of his peripheral view.

Lilith had already made her choice. Had made it when she walked out the door to the home they had shared for almost ten thousand years. Had made it again when she disappeared somewhere not even her daughter could reach her.

Perhaps it was time for Lucifer to do the same.

He took Alastor's hand.

Alastor's eyes glinted with dark promises, his smile deceptively welcoming as he led them out onto the dance floor. The other attendees drew away, curiously murmuring to themselves as they gave them space until they were surrounded by a large circle of people.

A violin strummed a single note through the ballroom, testing it for accuracy as Alastor brought them both to a stop in the center of the dance floor. He rested his palm against Lucifer's waist, drawing him in closer, but not close enough to touch. "I'm sure his Majesty is good at improvising, no?"

As he wasn't sure where to put his hands, Lucifer left them out at his side. He grinned widely, delighted by the prospect of a partner giving him a challenge. "Do your worst."

A violin began to strum out the first notes. It wasn't a song that Lucifer recognized. Alastor started out with a simple sway in time with the music. Soon, he began to incorporate movement, such as turns and spins into the dance, following in time with the violin. It wasn't anything that Lucifer had ever danced before, although he noticed immediately that Alastor was using subtle pushes and pulls of his hand to indicate where he wanted Lucifer to go and when he planned send the blonde out for a spin.

The onlookers were forced to make a make more room as the circuit of their dance got wider, slowly picking up pace with the music. He could pick up subtle influences from the waltz in the dance, as he was drawn in, hands instinctively going into their proper places. When Alastor began to spin them around, Lucifer leaned back subtlety into the spin, enjoying the feel of a strong arm keeping him from toppling backward with the momentum of the spin.

Alastor sent him out to the left, connected only by a single pair of hands, until their arms extended out as far as they would go. Without missing a step, the redhead drew him back in, sending him off into the other direction, exchanging hands as they went. When Alastor pulled him back in, he spun Lucifer around until they were back to front, right hand holding right hand and Alastor's left sitting on Lucifer's hip.

For a split second, Lucifer was aware again of the people around them, staring at them with wide, judging eyes.

Everyone was watching them.

The sight was lost as Alastor spun them around again, ending with them facing each other in the default position for a waltz. Alastor, perhaps picking up on his distraction, leaned in closer than the dance usually allowed, voice pitched low as he said, "Eyes on me, your Majesty." His hands tightened, a physical reminder that the sinner had him figuratively and literally. "This dance is only for the two of us."

That wasn't true. Alastor wanted everyone to see this. Lucifer's hands gripped Alastor's tighter than necessary. Forced himself to focus only on his partner. He released the breathe he'd been holding in a shaky laugh.

Alastor lead them through another circuit around their stolen space. It repeated much of the same steps and movements of the first part of their dance, picking up speed as they went. Lucifer allowed himself to fall back into it, let his senses focus on the cues Alastor was giving him until there was nothing but the music and and the movement of the dance.

Lucifer let out a breathless laugh as Alastor used the momentum of their spin to pull him in and lift him from the side. The lift was small, more a tentative testing of weight. Now that he knew what to expect, when, several moments later, Alastor's hands went to Lucifer's waist, the king was ready.

The music hit a crescendo as his feet left the ground. Lucifer unfurled his wings, using them to help with the lift. For a moment, he was weightless, held down to the ground only by the hands on his hips. He laughed, a real laugh, exhilarated.

And then he looked down at Alastor.

Alastor stared up at him, eyes alight with something too dark to be called wonder. Alastor was looking at him like he wanted to join him. Like he wanted to tear him down and ground him forever.

Like he wanted to tuck him away in his bayou and never let him leave again.

Red tipped hands tightened around his hips, a warning, and Lucifer allowed himself to be pulled down, wings gently flapping to slow his fall. As he came down, his and Alastor's faces came within inches of each other, so close they were almost sharing a single breathe.

If he had wanted to, he could have leaned forward that mere inch or two and sent them down an entirely different path.

Lucifer's feet touched the ground, his wings disappearing as quickly as they had appeared. Alastor sent him out for one last spin, as if he were trying to regain his distance before he was drawn in too much. Left hand met left hand, both going up and over Lucifer's head as Alastor dipped him, only Alastor's right hand across his body keeping him from falling. Lucifer's own hand came up to catch his hat before it could tumble off his head.

Alastor pulled him back up. Both of them were flushed and breathing harder than the dance warranted as he stepped back and away from Lucifer. As the violin sang out one last note, signifying the end of the song, Alastor startled him by doing something he hadn't done a single day since they'd met.

Alastor leaned forward, one hand crossed over his chest, in to what could only be called a bow, even as every inch of his posture showed no subservience. Even in this, he was defiant.

In that moment, as he stared at the top of the head of the head of this sinner - this sinner who had half driven him mad with frustration, who dared to challenge him where no one else dared, who had waged a campaign to win him over - Lucifer knew he was caught.

Taking his own step back, he lowered the rim of his hat, hiding behind it like he could hide away from this revelation. "Stand up."

"Sire?" He could almost believe Alastor was actually concerned.

The roil of that uncertainty had Lucifer taking another step back. "I need to step away. Don't... don't get into any trouble while I'm gone." Without giving the sinner the chance to respond, he turned and fled.

The manor had been updated over time, expanding as needed. It was far older than every living Goetia combined. Once upon a time, it had been like a second home, when relations had been better. He remembered the layout enough to find a guest bathroom far enough away from the party not to be immediately found, but not close enough to the private residences to be intruding. They wouldn't have kicked him out, but it would have still been awkward.

Lucifer shut the door behind him, heading straight for the tap. The water was only ever able to get barely below room temperature in Hell. He chilled it as it hit his palms, splashing the icy water across his face. Repeated it once, and then twice. Held his palms over his face to hide from his reflection.

What was he doing? Did he really want to peruse a relationship with Alastor? Alastor, who was likely only playing with him for power? Who was certainly going to be furious when he found out the consequences of drinking angelic blood of Lucifer's caliber?

He didn't require utter devotion from his partners. He didn't require them to lay themselves bare before him. He merely wished that they want him for him, because he didn't think he could lay out what was left of his heart and survive having it destroyed all over again.

And that was the ultimate question: could he trust Alastor with his heart?

The honest answer? He didn't know.

Lucifer turned off the tap, grabbing a towel to wipe off his face. He pointedly didn't look in the mirror, unwilling to see what was staring back at him, unable to face it just yet. This wasn't the time nor the place to have a melt down. He could have it when he returned to his rooms, but for now, he needed to hold it together.

The hall outside the bathroom was empty, the noise coming from the ballroom barely audible down the hall. He had every intention of making his way back to the ballroom - to Alastor - when he caught sight of a figure disappearing around a corner. Lucifer might have brushed it off as staff and carried on, had it not been for the distinctive flash of what could only be angelic steel.

Now why was an imp skulking around a party full of Hell's highest royalty with angelic steel?

Keeping light on his feet, Lucifer trailed the figure. The figure moved from room to room, peering into each before moving on to the next. At random, the figure would look over his shoulder, forcing Lucifer to occasionally get creative with hiding spots. Stopping before a seemingly random room, the figure glanced around one last time, and then ducked inside.

Lucifer crept up on the room. A simple thought and he had transformed into mouse, tiny enough to allow him to keep low to the ground where no one would think to look for him. He sniffed at the entrance of the room, picking up on the scent of someone who had spent some serious time in the Wrath Ring. Could it be the figure he had been trailing?

Entering the room, the first thing he noted was the lights were out. The light of what passed for late afternoon/early evening filtered in through windows, whose curtains had been left wide open. Not much by way of furniture littered the room, leaving it mostly bare. It didn't appear to be in use, more of a spare room. The only thing of note about it was the high ceiling, where bare beams crossed from one side of the room to the next. Glancing around, he couldn't think of a single reason the figure would have come into this room.

Unless he knew he was being followed.

Lucifer transformed back into his normal form, rolling out of the way of a boot intent on coming down on top of him. He came up into a crouched position, noting right off the bat that the figure was standing between him and the exit to the room. The new position also gave him his first look at who he'd been tailing.

The figure was indeed an imp, one on the taller side for his species. He was dressed in what looked so stereotypically like a cowboy outfit, it almost looked like a costume, were it not for the fact that the cloth was clearly lived in and his weapons were very real. Sinister yellow eyes nearly glowed in the dimming light of the room, widening slightly as the figure got his own good look at who had been following him.

"Well, I'll be damned," the figure drawled. He flowed into a standing position like water running up a statue, tail whipping around behind him into into a coil. Utter contempt dripped like poison from his tongue as he said, "If it isn't the King himself come down to grace us peasants with his presence."

Lucifer stood up, swiping at his sleeves to dislodge any dust. He shot the imp a winning smile as he quipped back, "Well, Char-Char has been getting on me to get out more." He placed his hands together, one over the other. "So why don't you tell me what's got you sneaking around and I'll see what I can do for you?"

The little cowboy's grin was as contemptuous as his tone. "Hm, pass." He paced his side of the room, edging closer without ever coming into arm's reach. "You royals like to talk like you care, but none of you actually give a rat's ass about us."

Lucifer said nothing, letting him talk. It was obvious this guy had beef with the ruling classes. Let him talk long enough, and he might let something interesting spill.

The cowboy crossed his arms, body language deceptive languid. "And I don't think you'd like what I had to say, anyway."

Lucifer shrugged. "Don't know unless you try."

The cowboy tapped his fingers to one of the holsters at his hips.

The seraphim eyed the gun. It was a beautiful thing, as much a work of art as it was a weapon. The white parts of the barrel glowed, giving away what it was made from. He raised an eyebrow. "Really?" He placed a hand on his hip, using a single finger of his other hand to do a little circle in the air to encompass the entirety of the imp. "You're really going to attempt to fight me?"

The imp had ego, Lucifer would give him that, and confidence in spades. He wrapped his hand around the grip of his gun. "I always wanted to try and kill the unkillable."

Lucifer tilted his neck from side to side, cracking it as he went. Maybe this was what he needed to burn off a little anxious energy. Even with some holy weapons, an imp wasn't much of a match for him, but he might be entertaining. He made a 'come hither' gesture with his left hand. "Then show your king what you're made of, little imp."

The imp struck with the speed of a rattlesnake. His gun was out in the blink of an eye, two shots fired in quick succession.

Lucifer side stepped both. The bullets hit the wall behind him, sending out a spray of dust. He tilted his head to the side. "That all you got?"

The imp grinned. "I'm just getting started."

Lucifer was surprised the imp would dare attempt to get within arms reach, but that's exactly what the cowboy did. He rushed forward with that same deadly speed, a knife as pretty as the guns appearing in his hand. Lucifer side stepped the attempt, grabbing hold of the imps extended arm and tossing him effortlessly towards the wall behind him with enough force to stun, not kill.

The imp twisted like a cat in free fall, hitting the wall feet first. He used the wall to catapult himself back at the seraphim, landing partially on Lucifer' side, partially on his back. The imp's knife flashed as he brought it down towards the the seraphim's back.

Lucifer laughed at the attempt, transforming into a snake. The imp gave off a rattlesnake's warning rattle, hitting the ground as his support suddenly disappear. He was already wrapping a hand around Lucifer's body, tearing him off just as Licifer was about to sink his teeth into the imp's neck. The imp sent him flying off to the side.

Lucifer transformed in mid air, flipping over backwards and using his wings to slow his fall. No sooner than he touched the ground, did he have to duck as a piece of furniture went flying over his head. He caught a glimpse of an actual rope, which was far better than anything he could have hoped for. This imp was seriously committed to the cowboy shtick!

Lucifer let him throw another large piece of furniture at him before the blonde decided it was time to put a little fear of the Devil in this imp. He leaped over the armchair, coming down on the other side. As the armchair was released, he grabbed hold of the rope. The imp pulled the rope tight, tugging it hard against Lucifer's grip.

Lucifer didn't budge and his grip held fast.

The shadow cast by the brim of his hat cast his face into shadow, leaving only Lucifer's grin visible, the sight of it more reptilian than humanoid. The imp swallowed, a single streak of sweat rolling down the side of his face. He was caught between attempting to reclaim his tool or abandon it. Lucifer made the decision for him when hellfire caught between his fingers, taking to the rope like tumbleweed.

The imp released the rope mere seconds before it could touch him. Lucifer let the rope fall, cutting the power to the hellfire and dousing it as effectively as pouring water over a candle. As the fire winked out of existence, nothing remained of the rope, not even ash. Dusting off his hands, Lucifer taunted, "Ready to give up and start behaving?"

The imp retorted with a derisive sneer. He pulled his gun, firing off a shot that sent Lucifer airborne. Feeling like a nuisance, Lucifer didn't just dodge the next bullet, or the one after that, or the one after that. Oh, no.

He started pulling faces and silly poses, all to show off how utterly and completely he wasn't taking the imp seriously. Eyebrow twitching, the imp took a run up the side of one of the walls, twisting around at the height of the run. Using the momentum of the twist, he sent his pretty blade flying at Lucifer.

Rolling his eyes, Lucifer barely put any effort into his dodge. "This is getting sad, you know." He sighed and clicked his tongue. Shaking his head, arms out in a 'what can you do,' pose, he lamented, "And you were showing such promise!"

It turned out the imp had one last trick up his sleeve. Lucifer felt what could only be rope tightening around his ankles a moment before he was being yanked across the room. He barely felt the impact with the wall - the imp didn't have the brute strength necessary to cause him that kind of damage. He did feel his stomach drop as he fell to the floor, his wings suddenly as useful as a penguin's. He twisted so that he came down on his side, his wings safely between his body and the wall.

His pride smarting, he shoved himself up onto his elbow, seeking out the offending object around his ankles. He knew what he was going to find even without seeing it.

"Blessed rope?" He couldn't keep the incredulous lilt out of his voice. Guns, bullets, and knives made sense. Angelic steel could be reforged. None of that explained how an imp got his hands on blessed rope. "Where did you get blessed rope?"

He didn't wait for an answer, contorting in an effort to reach his ankles and free them. To his frustration, the imp yanked on the rope hard enough to keep them out of reach, pulling him across the floor several inches in the process. Lucifer's wings flared as he hissed, not unlike a snake warning an unwary soul that they were about to get bitten.

"Ah, ah," the imp laughed at him, breathless. His eyes were a touch too wide and his smile too full of teeth to be anything like real humor. "Gotta keep some of my secrets." He wrapped the rope around his hands to secure them, eyes darting around the room as he sought out a place to secure it.

The imp's upper hand was paper thin, the rope currently a double edged sword. They were both very well aware of the fact that if seraphim freed himself, the tables would turn.

"Looks like you caught me." Lucifer levered himself up until he was half sitting on his side, held up by one of his arms. The imp tensed, ready to pull on the rope if he went for his ankles again. Lucifer merely waved his free hand at himself, the restraint, and the imp. "What now, cowboy?"

The imp's golden tooth glinted as he pointed up to the ceiling. "Now I'm going to string you up like a pig for the slaughter." He mimicked Lucifer's earlier 'what can you do' pose. "Can't have you interfering."

Lucifer glanced up at the beam in question. It would be undignified, going up, but he would be able to free himself easily enough. Unbothered, he threw the imp a flirty wink. "Kinky, but not my thing."

The imp gave off that distinct rattle, his tail thrashing. His fingers twitched towards his holstered gun.

Curious. He wasn't smiling anymore. Did he not like innuendo? Oh, Lucifer could work with that. "What's the matter, cowboy?" His eyes fell half lidded into his best set of bedroom eyes, tilting his hips to show off the body that had tempted quite a few human's to their damnation. "Got me all trussed up and now you're getting cold feet?"

The imp's eye twitched, his self control hanging on by a thread. "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised," he seethed, "That everyone in this hell hole is a sex crazed maniac when we're being ruled by some two bit whore."

Yup, this was a tetchy one.

The insult rolled harmlessly off Lucifer's shoulders like rain water. He opened his mouth to truly send the imp off the deep end, when the door suddenly burst open.

"Oh my, this is quite the scene."

Lucifer resisted the urge to slap his face. Of course Alastor would show up now.

Whoever the imp was, he was quick witted. Alastor was forced to dodge as the imp decided to shoot first and ask questions later. Lucifer took advantage of the distraction to go for his ankles, only to narrowly miss taking a bullet through the back of his palm as the imp let off a warning shot right at it.

All three parties paused to regroup and reassess. The imp left his gun pointing at Lucifer. "Stay right where you are, Red, or I give our leader a brand new hole to yap out of."

Alastor stood up, tugging his suit back into place. "Hm, please do," he said. Raising his voice to be heard over Lucifer's annoyed protest, he tacked on, "I should point out all it's going to do is annoy him."

Lucifer was hardly mollified by the additional warning. It wouldn't kill him, sure, but it would still hurt!

Realizing that threatening the life of their king was pointless, the imp decided on a different strategy. In an impressive feat of strength Lucifer hadn't thought him capable of, the imp swung around, dragging the seraphim across the floor and sending him flying at the Overlord.

Flightless as he was with the blessed rope locking away his powers, Lucifer's wings were still quite large. They were more than enough to slow down his momentum so that he landed hard on his hands and knees at Alastor's feet rather than colliding with him.

Alastor watched the imp escape through a vent without making a single move to stop him. "Oh dear. It looks like he's escaped."

Unhelpful jerk.

Lucifer grumbled as he was finally able to untangle his ankles. He glared as he found himself in a tug of war for the rope with one of the redhead's shadows. "Nope, you're lucky I let you keep the dagger. You don't get the rope, too." He yanked it out of the shadow's grasp, having to put his back into it.

"Let me, sire?" Alastor leaned over him, the angle having him peering down at him upside down. A shadow wrapped itself around Lucifer's waist, lifting him up and setting him on his feet, back to the sinner. The seraphim's wings puffed up as a claw toyed with one of the feathers. "You don't even have the slightest clue where I hid it."

Lucifer tucked his wings away to keep Alastor from getting any ideas, like ripping a feather out.

The deer demon placed his hand beneath his back, the very picture of a perfect gentleman.

Not for the first time, Lucifer questioned his sanity over his choice of this sinner. He set the thought aside for a more pressing matter: "We should probably tell someone about that imp fella." He walked past Alastor to the door, without looking to see if the redhead would follow. "He's here for someone at this party." Normally, Lucifer could have cared less about assassination plots, but this little brat had irritated him.

He paused several feet down the hall, pivoting suddenly. He nearly ran into Alastor's chest, the sinner not having expected him to stop and not having stopping himself. The blonde poked him, lightly, in the center of his chest. "How did you even find me, anyway?"

Alastor took hold of his elbows, gently but firmly forcing him to take a step back. He pointed a single finger down at their feet, his expression bemused. "Haven't you noticed something odd with your shadow, your Majesty?"

Lucifer had not, in fact, noticed anything odd with his shadow. He followed the direction the finger was pointing, finding himself staring at what looked like nothing more than his shadow at first glance.

His shadow, which proceeded to wave at him completely independent of him doing anything.

"You had your shadow follow me?" He stomped his foot - lightly - over the face of the thing, causing the shadow to detach from him. It returned to it's master's form, shaking a fist at him and frowning dramatically.

Alastor reached out, running a finger under Lucifer's chin, imploring him to look up at him. There was nothing like mocking on his face as he stated, simply, "You looked distressed. I promised to look at for you."

Lucifer felt the soft rush of heat to his cheeks. He ducked his head low, hiding his expression - futile as it was at this point - and about faced. "And who's fault is that? All that bowing nonsense!" He resumed his marching down the hall back to the ballroom. "It doesn't suit you."

Alastor didn't respond. His amusement was nearly audible anyway.

They found their way back to the ballroom without further incident. Stolas wasn't hard to find. He was hovering off to the side, watching as his daughter danced with the female hellhound who had come with Beelzebub. He took one look at the blessed rope hanging from Lucifer's hand and was instantly on alert. "Your Majesty?"

The little king gestured for their host to follow him. He led the owl Goetia out of the room, Alastor keeping a leisurely pace at Lucifer's side. When the blonde was certain it was less likely they would be overheard, he held out the rope. "You have an uninvited guest. Likes weaponry of the angelic kind."

Stolas peered down at the rope. He tilted his head to the side. "Was this assassin by any chance a sexy little imp dressed like a cowboy?"

Lucifer blinked at him, blankly. Sexy? Had the imp been sexy? He squinted as he considered it. "I... guess?"

Stolas sighed, taking the rope. "Striker is a very... persistent foe." He tucked the rope away in the folds of his cloak. "My wife hired him to kill me." He bowed his head. "I apologize his Majesty was caught up in all of this."

Lucifer winced. Stolas' wife hired an assassin to kill him? He looked to Alastor, who didn't appear surprised by this revelation. Was this why he was surprised over Stolas and his wife throwing any public event together? Awkwardly, he turned back to Stolas. Asked, "Uh... Do you need any help...?"

The Goetia prince shook his head, waving away the offer. Before their eyes, he seemed to age another ten years. "Do not worry yourself, sire. I have dealt with him before. I will deal with him again." He waved a hellhound serving as bodyguard for the event, leaning down until he was near the hound's level. "Mount a search for the intruder. Keep it quiet. We mustn't disturb the guests."

The hound saluted. He scurried off, barking out orders as he passed his fellow guards. Soon a small army was amassed, spreading out to search the premises.

"I will join them in the search." Stolas returned his attention to the other two. "Would his Majesty and his guest like to return to the party?"

Lucifer considered. Did he want to return to the ceremony? To the crowd of vultures? To his siblings and their partners? He tilted his head to the side, looking to his own partner for the night. "Alastor?"

The radio host's eyes cleared, as if he were tuning back into the present. His smile turned indulgent. "I would of course be willing to follow whatever his Majesty is willing to do."

Lucifer narrowed his eyes at him, knowing what he was doing.

Alastor merely stared back, willing to wait him out.

Lucifer considered extending the evening with this sinner at his side. This sinner he might have been developing some level of affection for, even as he was tempted to strangle him on a daily basis.

"You know what? The night is still young! It's been a while since I enjoyed it." He reached out, telegraphing his intention. The redhead didn't move away, allowing him to take his hand. The blonde monarch tugged him towards the ballroom, calling over to Stolas as they went. "Offer is still open if you need help."

Stolas made a hum of acknowledgement, letting them go.

Without looking back, Lucifer led Alastor back into the ballroom, head held high. His mind was still on the fence on how he felt about this sinner, but he felt a little more like he might be able to face it whichever way things fell.

tbc

Part 17

[serasfanfiction]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Summary:

Lucifer gets more involved with the residents of the hotel. Plans are made.

Notes:

CW: discussion of abuse, both emotional and sexual. This chapter touches on the abusive nature of Valentino's and Angel's relationship. None of the actual abuse is featured within the chapter.