Toddlers and Tea 《Charlastor AU》
“There you go, pretty girl.” Charlie fluffed up the ruffles on the dress, Margret watching her with brightened eyes.
“Fanks.” The girl peered down at her shoes, wiggling her feet around as the sparkles caught the light, “Look!”
“I know! Aren’t they cool?” Charlie laughed and scooped the three year old up, settling her on her hip and adjusting both of their dresses so they sat right, “Let’s go see how well Daddy is doing getting Beatrice dressed.”
“Oh! Bean!” Maggie reached up and clamped her fingers around a stray curl from Charlie’s updo, tugging on it, “Daddy?”
“Yes ma’am.” The blonde reached to her daughter’s fingers and pried them away, swatting the chubby fingers, “Don’t you pull Mommy’s hair.”
Margret huffed and began to play with her own curls, tugging at them before realizing she had a bow on the top of her head, right next to her ear and then reaching up for that. Charlie swatted her fingers away from the sparkling pink bow, narrowing her eyes at the toddler.
“No!” Margret tried to move her hand away from Charlie’s desperately trying to grab onto the bow. A piercing shriek came from the room down the hall and Margret’s hand fell, her eyes going wide, “Bean!”
Charlie struggled to adjust the bow properly for a second before leaving Margret’s room, closing the door behind her and making her way to Beatrice’s room. Alastor was standing near the changing table, his back to her and Charlie could see Beatrice’s flailing legs.
“Need help?” Charlie’s voice was lilted with amusement.
Alastor turned to her, his grin passive, “No! I have it. She’s being difficult. As usual.”
“No, no, no!” Beatrice shrieked, reaching up and tugging at the bow in her hair, “No!”
Charlie set Maggie down on the floor and stood beside Alastor, an eyebrow raised, “How did you -”
“Perhaps I do require some assistance.” Alastor admitted sheepishly, looking down at the wailing toddler, “She just doesn’t stop squirming, doesn’t she?”
“Nope, never.” Charlie nudged Alastor out of the way and slid Beatrice out of the dress that Alastor had somehow put on backwards and fixed it, “Hold her legs so I can put her shoes on.”
Alastor gripped Beatrice’s legs and held them still while Charlie strapped on some shoes. Bea stopped her wiggling once they were on and her eyes moved to her feet and both of her parents could see the gears turning in her little head.
“Alright! Now that we’re all dressed, we can go.” Charlie turned on her heel and her smile faded when she saw that Margret had ripped off her bow and was stomping on it, “Maggie!”
“No bow, Mommy.” Margret shook her head at the offending material, “No.”
“Please, just for one day.” Charlie walked over and swiped the bow from the ground, fixing the fabric, “For Mommy.”
Margret seemed to mull it over for a moment before shaking her head, “No!”
Alastor laughed, scooping Beatrice onto his hip and walking over to Margret, crouching so that she could scramble up onto his other arm and he could lift her onto his hip, “That’s quite alright, darling. You don’t need a bow to be pretty.”
Margret stuck a tongue out at Charlie and gripped onto Alastor’s jacket, her knee nudging Beatrice’s. The redheaded girl looked over at Margret, eyes widened as she realized that her older sister was there for the first time.
“Ma!” Beatrice kicked Margret, her voice high with excitement, “Hi!”
Margret huffed and kicked back, “No kicking.”
Charlie put a hand on each of their legs, “Don’t kick each other! I don’t want you ruining your dresses. Please.”
Bea blinked, not quite understanding, but kept her legs to herself as she began to bounce on Alastor’s hip, “Car?”
“Yes, sweetheart. We’re headed to the car. Are you excited to go on a trip?” Alastor began to leave the room, Charlie following him after she grabbed a bag with the necessities for the girls.
“Yes!” Margret nodded happily.
Bea copied her sister, nodding madly, “Yeah! Yeah!”
Charlie twisted her fingers in her palms and watched as Alastor continued to talk to his daughters, Margret chattering about whatever she could with her vocabulary and Beatrice copying words that she thought were interesting. Alastor kept their conversation going and Charlie felt a small smile come to her face as they walked down the drive to the car, where Razzle and Dazzle waved to the family from their spot in the front seats.
Charlie ducked in front of Alastor and opened the door for him, grinning widely, “Milady!”
Al rolled his eyes and handed Margret over to Charlie’s outstretched arms, “Why, thank you.”
“You are very welcome.” Charlie winked and Alastor slid into the limousine, shifting himself over to one of the seats near the front and settling Beatrice into the carrier that was designed for her. She whined against the buckles and tried to pry them off her, but Alastor pushed her fingers away.
“Now then, Beatrice.” Alastor’s voice crackled with energy and the girl stopped, staring wide eyed at her father as she felt the area shift, “Leave your straps alone.”
Beatrice dropped her hands and opted to play with the dangling toy that hung from the car seat itself, “Da’da.”
Charlie propped Margret into her booster seat beside Beatrice’s car seat, the girl quickly reaching over and starting to bat the dangling toy for Beatrice. The girls squabbled quietly, though it was lighthearted and both Alastor and Charlie knew that they would be fine.
Charlie fidgeted slightly as she sat back in her own seat, Alastor sat next to her. The car began moving and she let out a shaky sigh, her fingers tapping along her thigh.
“You know, I’m really nervous.” Charlie chittered, turning to look up at her husband, who had his eyebrow raised at her, “This is the first time we’ve seen them since the wedding. The first time they’ve actually been interested in seeing the girls.”
“It is quite a marvel.” Alastor’s eyes drifted over to his daughters, the eldest of which had left her little sister alone and was just watching the buildings pass outside, “I wonder why, now, all of a sudden. They could have been interested when dear Margret was born, I suppose.”
It didn’t help Charlie’s anxiety at all and she swallowed a lump in her throat, twisting her fingers tighter, “I wonder what they want.”
Alastor sat back and shrugged, giving her one of his stellar smiles, which calmed her slightly, “All is well, darling!”
“If you say so.” Charlie felt a smile come to her face at his and she leaned back onto him, resting her head on his shoulder. He didn’t seem to mind terribly; Alastor shifted slightly so that she would be able to lean on him better.
The ride there was mainly quiet. The radio did turn on at one point and Charlie peered up at Alastor and saw him staring at the speakers; she knew he was fiddling with it, broadcasting the exact music he wanted to play. Music the girls liked; she watched Margret wiggle in her own little moves when Alastor put on her favorite song and she heard Beatrice squeal once Al played a song that the little redhead enjoyed. It seemed it was short lived, however, as the car came to a slow stop in front of the house that Charlie grew up in.
She felt a small knot start to form in her throat as she moved forward to unbuckle the girls, passing Beatrice off to Alastor and then helping Margret out of the car. The toddler was insistent that she walk and Charlie wasn’t one to argue; she kept a tight grip on her child’s fingers as they walked up the massive path that led to the mansion.
Alastor’s fingers brushed the small of her back and she turned slightly to look at him, his grin softened on the edges, “We can leave whenever you like, darling.”
“Thanks, Al.” She murmured, continuing to walk slowly with Margret.
“Mommy,” Margret looked up at the impressive house in front of them, as if suddenly realizing how large it was compared to her own, “Up.”
Charlie had to stifle a giggle as she scooped up the child, the girl immediately burying her face into her mother’s throat and hiding herself there, ears pressed flat against her head. Beatrice looked unimpressed, playing with the toy that Alastor had dug out of her bag and given to her to stay entertained.
They walked up to the door and it opened upon their arrival, Charlie seeming nonplussed, “It opens by itself for members of the household. I never really figured out why. I guess the magic still considers me a member.”
“I would hope it did! You are a Magne, after all. As are the girls.” Alastor followed her inside, his ears flicking slightly as he zeroed in on where most of the noise was coming from.
Charlie shrugged, automatically turning to the right and heading down a hallway, “I guess. You’re a Magne by marriage, sorta.”
Alastor laughed outright, shaking his head, “I don’t think that’s how it works, dearest.”
She laughed and Margret tightened her grip on Charlie’s dress shirt collar, still hiding her face. Beatrice was still completely focused on her toy, idly kicking her feet as she prodded at the stuffed reindeer. Charlie pushed open a door and then stood still for a moment, gathering her wits.
Lillith was seated, elegant as ever, on one of the loveseats, Lucifer beside her. They had been in the middle of a conversation when Charlie walked in; both of their gazes snapped to the doorframe and the ever-present grin on Lucifer’s face spread.
“Welcome, welcome!” He stood, spreading his arms, “Charlotte, I’m so glad to have you here.”
“Glad to be here, dad.” Charlie offered a small smile, shifting Margret in her arms, “How are you?”
“Fine, just fine.” There was a flash of disdain in his eyes when he noticed Alastor standing behind Charlie, though it faded when he saw the set of toddlers the two were carrying, “Oh! You’ve brought your children!”
“Yeah, we can’t just leave them home.” Charlie shrugged, trying to prop Margret’s head up, “Margret’s only three and Beatrice just turned one.”
Lillith stood, brushing past Lucifer, who had maintained a distance from the little group. She quickly enveloped Charlie and Margret in a hug, Charlie’s free arm wrapping around her mother’s middle and a more genuine smile coming to her face.
“I’m so glad you’ve brought them.” Lillith murmured to Charlie before pulling away, smiling down at the little strawberry blonde, “Who do we have here?”
“Mags, say hello,” Charlie whispered to Margret, who carefully pulled her head up and peeked up at Lillith.
“Hi.” Her ears were still pressed to the back of her head, fingers gripping her mother’s shirt, “Maggie.”
“What a pleasure,” Lillith reached out and wiggled her finger in between Margret’s, shaking it, “I’m so glad to meet you, finally. You can call me grandma.”
Margret’s eyebrows furrowed and she took her hand back, “Gama.”
Lilith’s smile glowed as she nodded, “That’s perfect.”
Alastor watched the interaction with hooded eyes, keeping a close gaze on Lillith as she touched his daughter. There was a movement behind Lillith and his gaze snapped up to look at Lucifer, who was peering over behind the taller blonde at the little girl.
“And who’s your sister?” Lillith asked, nodding toward the redhead that was settled in Alastor’s arms.
“Bean!” Margret whipped her head around, pointing to the girl, “Beanie!”
At the sound of her name, Beatrice looked up from her stuffed animal and realized just how many strangers were looking at her. She gave a shriek and tossed her reindeer at Lillith, twisting in Alastor’s arms to try and climb up his front.
Alastor bit back a smirk as he adjusted his daughter, patting her back as she shoved her face into his collarbone, “I apologize. She isn’t very good with strangers.”
Lillith cut Lucifer off, reaching down for the stuffed animal and walking closer to Alastor, “That’s alright. Can I give this back to her?”
Alastor took a moment to realize that she was asking if she could come closer to him and he nodded sharply, his grin lazily stretched across his face. Lillith stepped closer, tilting her head so that she was able to catch eyes with Beatrice.
“Here you are, Bean.” Lillith held out the reindeer, waving it slightly to catch Beatrice’s eye.
The girl looked weary for a moment, but she then stretched out a hand and grasped onto the reindeer, tugging it from Lillith’s grasp and then tucking it under her chin. Beatrice buried her face in the stuffed animal and let out a babble of something, fingers loosening their grip on Alastor’s shirt.
“Thank you,” Alastor said with a delighted grin, “That’s what she said.”
“Absolutely.” Lillith took a step back out of Alastor’s personal space and both he and Bea let out a soft crackle of static at having their space to themselves once more.
“Come sit down, Charlotte! We made tea and cookies. I’m sure the girls would enjoy them.” Lucifer spoke up, motioning toward the set that was sitting on the coffee table in front of the couches.
“Sure,” Charlie nodded and took a step back, reaching out and grasping for Alastor’s hand.
Though she had grown up here and she still felt like she knew the mansion like the back of her hand, the presence of her father weighed down on her chest uncomfortably; Alastor was an anchor of peace to her. His fingers slid into hers easily and she felt his static shift at her touching him and knew that it was okay. The two stayed connected as they walked to a sofa, sitting side by side as Charlie shifted Margret to sit on her thigh.
The girl looked around the room, her tight ringlets of curls bouncing with each movement. It was a grand parlor, much fancier than the one at home, though the one at home had lots of her toys in it and it was a lot more comfortable. Maggie wiggled until Charlie got the hint and set her down on the ground, the girl toddling off to take a look at everything. Alastor watched her step away and summoned a shadow to attach to her to keep her fingers away from any breakables.
“She’s curious,” Lillith looked at Margret with bright eyes, “Isn’t she?”
“She is.” Charlie relaxed at the conversation, discussing a little bit more with Lillith about the growth of her daughters. Charlie didn’t seem to realize how the static shifted as Lucifer and Alastor locked eyes, the two just staring at each other.
After a while of the mother and daughter chatting and sipping their tea, Lucifer tossing in a few comments while Alastor remained mostly quiet, Beatrice began to fuss. It started with a sniffle and quickly unravelled into tears, shoving her face into her reindeer for comfort. Alastor reached for the bag by Charlie’s legs, standing, “Is there anywhere I can go to settle her? I believe she needs a change.”
Charlie watched as Lucifer stood, motioning toward the door, “Come. I’ll bring you to the restroom.”
“I can do it, dad!” Charlie nearly fell when she stood up so quickly, not wanting her father to be alone with Alastor and Beatrice. She still didn’t quite trust him enough.
“Shush, darling. It’ll be alright.” Alastor gave her a smile and smoothed Beatrice’s hair down, the girl sniffling, “I’ll be back before you know it.”
Alastor’s back straightened and he towered over Lucifer as they walked, Bea still wailing into her stuffed animal. The two didn’t speak until they reached the restroom, which was straight down the hall from the parlor. As Alastor reached for the handle, Lucifer spoke.
“I will say,” Lucifer’s eyes sparkled maniacally, “That my daughter seems very comfortable with you.”
“I would hope so!” Alastor turned to look at the king, his grin spread wide, “We have been married for several centuries! I’m so very glad that you have decided to reach out, only after our second child had just turned one. It was very kind of you. Now, I must take care of my daughter. Because as you can see, I am an excellent father.”
Lucifer’s grin fell slightly as Alastor shut the door behind him, flipping the little lock and then peering down at his squalling daughter.
“What to do with you,” Alastor shook his head, chuckling, “Thank you for the escape, little one.”
Bea let out a scream, kicking her legs furiously.
Alastor held her up for a moment and then pressed a kiss to her forehead before getting to work on changing her. Once she was fresh and clean, the wails ebbed and she was once again playing happily with her reindeer.
He took a deep breath before leaving the bathroom, heading straight back into the lion’s den.
