First Halloween (FrostedApple Nanny AU)
Inspired by @notherpuppet's RadioApple Nanny AU and that cute duck onesie I've seen Lucifer in.
It was Halloween night, and the Morningstar mansion was a flurry of excitement. Lucifer, clad in a bright yellow duck onesie complete with a beak and webbed feet, waddled around the foyer, quacking loudly.
"Quack, quack! Where are my little ducklings?" he called, peering around comically.
From the top of the stairs, Charlie appeared, dressed in a fierce demon costume, complete with horns, a spiked tail, and a little pitchfork. She let out a mighty roar, then dissolved into giggles.
"I'm not a duckling, Daddy!" she protested, bouncing down the steps. "I'm a scary demon, see?"
Lucifer swept her up, peppering her face with kisses until she squealed. "The cutest little demon in all of Hell!" he declared, setting her down just as Gloria and Eira made their entrance.
Gloria was resplendent in a shimmering blue gown, her dark hair twisted up and adorned with icicles. Glittery frost patterns swirled over her pale skin, and in her hand, she carried a crystal-tipped wand. She looked every inch the snow witch, ethereal and enchanting.
Eira, meanwhile, was the picture of a storybook Alice, in a baby blue dress with a frilly white apron, striped stockings, and a black hair band. She carried a little stuffed white rabbit, her expression caught between excitement and trepidation.
Lucifer's jaw dropped at the sight of Gloria, his eyes wide and adoring. "Sweet Hell, you look stunning," he breathed, taking her hand and brushing a kiss over her knuckles. "I'm bewitched, my snowy sorceress."
Gloria laughed, swatting him with her wand. "Flatterer. You just want me to magic up some candy for you, don't you?"
Charlie, meanwhile, had grabbed Eira's hand, bouncing on her toes. "You look so pretty, Eira! Just like a real Alice!"
Eira smiled shyly, hugging her rabbit. "Thank you. You make a very fearsome demon, Charlie."
Lucifer clapped his hands, grinning broadly. "Alright, my little monsters! Who's ready to go trick-or-treating?"
The girls cheered, racing for the door. Gloria and Lucifer followed at a more sedate pace, their hands intertwined.
As they walked down the street, the girls darting from house to house, Gloria leaned her head on Lucifer's shoulder. "This is nice," she murmured, watching as Charlie and Eira compared their candy hauls, giggling together. "I can't remember the last time I celebrated Halloween."
Lucifer pressed a kiss to her hair, pulling her closer. "Get used to it, my love. With Charlie around, every day is a celebration."
Just then, a group of teenage boys passed by, snickering at Lucifer's costume. "Nice duck suit, man!" one of them called, laughing.
Lucifer drew himself up, affronted. "I'll have you know, this is a very manly duck costume!" he retorted, flapping his arms for emphasis. "Quack, quack, motherduckers!"
The boys howled with laughter, moving on. Gloria buried her face in Lucifer's shoulder, shaking with mirth. "Very manly," she agreed, her voice muffled. "The manliest duck in all the land."
Lucifer huffed, but he was smiling. "Damn right. And don't you forget it."
As the night wore on, the girls' energy began to flag. Charlie, her little pitchfork dragging, reached up to Lucifer. "Carry me, Daddy?" she pleaded, yawning.
Lucifer scooped her up, settling her on his hip. Eira, not to be outdone, tugged at Gloria's dress. "Me too, Mama?"
Gloria's heart melted. It was the first time Eira had called her that outside of their home. She bent down, gathering the sleepy girl into her arms. "Of course, my little Alice. Let's get you home to Wonderland."
As they made their way back to the mansion, the girls dozing against their shoulders, Gloria felt a warmth that had nothing to do with the mild autumn night.
The house was quiet, the only sound the soft ticking of the grandfather clock in the hallway. Lucifer and Gloria tiptoed into the living room, careful not to wake the sleeping girls.
Charlie and Eira were curled up together on the couch, a tangled mess of candy wrappers, costume pieces, and exhausted little limbs. Charlie's demon horns were askew, and Eira's Alice band had slipped down over one eye, but they both wore matching smiles, lost in sugar-sweet dreams.
Gloria felt her heart swell at the sight, a rush of love so fierce it took her breath away. She turned to Lucifer, finding him watching the girls with the same tender expression.
"We should get them to bed," she whispered, running a hand through Eira's mussed hair.
Lucifer nodded, carefully scooping Charlie into his arms. The little girl mumbled something, burrowing her face into his fuzzy duck costume. Lucifer's eyes softened, and he pressed a kiss to her forehead before carrying her off to her room.
Gloria followed suit with Eira, the child's slight weight a precious burden in her arms. She navigated the stairs slowly, marveling at the trust in Eira's sleeping face, the way her little hand curled into Gloria's dress even in slumber.
This, she thought as she tucked Eira into bed, was what love felt like. This quiet, perfect moment, the knowledge that she would do anything, everything, to keep this child safe and happy.
She brushed a kiss over Eira's brow, whispering a soft goodnight, before slipping out of the room. She found Lucifer in the hallway, leaning against the wall with a soft smile.
"Out like a light," he reported, tilting his head towards Charlie's door. "I think we wore them out."
Gloria chuckled, leaning into his side. "I think they wore us out. I'm exhausted."
Lucifer wrapped an arm around her, guiding her back downstairs. "Ah, but it's the good kind of exhausted, isn't it? The kind that comes from a day well spent, full of joy and laughter."
She hummed in agreement, letting him lead her to the couch. They collapsed onto it together, Gloria kicking off her shoes and curling into Lucifer's side. He draped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close.
For a long moment, they simply sat in comfortable silence, basking in the warmth of each other's presence. Then, impulsively, Gloria turned her head, pressing a soft kiss to Lucifer's cheek.
He blinked, surprised, then grinned. "What was that for?"
In answer, Gloria kissed him again, this time on the corner of his mouth. And again, on the tip of his nose. Lucifer laughed, his eyes crinkling with delight.
"Not that I'm complaining, but-"
She silenced him with a kiss to his lips, lingering and sweet. When she pulled back, his face was smeared with her cobalt blue lipstick, and he was staring at her with a dazed, lovestruck expression.
"You," she informed him, punctuating each word with another kiss, "are the cutest," kiss, "sweetest," kiss, "most ridiculous," kiss, "duck-wucky I have ever seen."
Lucifer, looking thoroughly kissed and more than a little punch-drunk, let out a slightly manic giggle. "Duck-wucky?"
Gloria grinned, wiping at the lipstick stains with her thumb. "Mhmm. My very own adorable duck-wucky. And I wouldn't have you any other way."
His expression softened, his eyes liquid with emotion. "Gloria, I… you…"
She pressed a finger to his lips, smiling. "I know, Luci. Me too."
And she did. In that perfect, shining moment, she knew. Knew that this was where she belonged, where she had always been meant to be.
Here, in this house full of laughter and love, with this ridiculous, wonderful man and their two precious girls.
Her family. Her home. Her happily ever after.
She leaned in, resting her forehead against his. Lucifer's arms came around her, holding her close, so close she could feel the beat of his heart against her own.
"Happy Halloween, Lucifer," she whispered.
He smiled, his eyes never leaving hers. "Happy Halloween, my snow angel."
And as he captured her lips once more, Gloria let herself melt into his embrace, into the warmth and love and certainty of it all. Outside, the night was dark and full of monsters. But here, in the circle of Lucifer's arms, in the heart of their little family…
Here, there was only light, and love, and the promise of forever.
And really, what treat could be sweeter than that?
