Chapter Text
After the battle, Lucifer thought things would start to look up for him and Charlie with Alastor out of the picture…but of course the bastard survived.
Lucifer grimaced as he walked down the hallway of newly constructed rooms ready to be filled with sinners. It’s not that he wished death on Alastor-although he was certain the radio demon wished that much upon him-no, no. He just wanted him gone. From the hotel. From Charlie.
Alastor was bad news and Lucifer didn’t like how he was using his past follies as an absent father to foster some sort of manipulative, patriarchal bond with Charlie.
Lucifer could almost hear his daughter’s earlier plea a few days prior in his head as the sound of his heels and cane echoed in sync down the hall.
“Just give him a chance and try to get along with him, dad. Alastor can be…sourly blunt but he can also be very sweet! You just need to take the time to bond with him.”
I’d sooner try fixing my absent monarch reputation over befriending Alastor, then Lucifer scoffed, ‘Sweet?’ If Vaggie weren’t in the picture, I’d say Charlie was whipped.
The idea of his daughter considering Alastor beyond the light of a mentor to look up to made him freeze in place with a violent shudder.
Not on my watch.
Indistinct chatter from downstairs brought him back to the present. They became more coherent as Lucifer quietly made his descent down the foyer staircase all the way to the main guest area.
He admired the repair handiwork done by the hotel inhabitants along with his powerful oversight. The general theme went from being an abandoned building ready to collapse on, to an invitation of warmth and glamor; a stupendous hotel that harbored a bold, cinematic, almost heavenly glow. It would charm anyone who saw it, even make them believe that redemption just might be possible.
Lucifer smiled with pride until he found that he was the last one to arrive. Alastor was seated on the long couch with Charlie and Vaggie…closest to Charlie.
At once Lucifer transported himself in the room and with a cloud of yellow smoke and sparkles, he reappeared, sandwiched in between Charlie and Alastor.
“Good morning, everyone! What-what are we all doing, ha, ha?”
Charlie let out an awkward laugh while Lucifer matched Alastor’s agitated frown with one of his own. Alastor’s eyes turned black for a split second before shoving Lucifer away so hard that he knocked into Charlie who in turn bumped Vaggie off of the couch.
“Hey!” Vaggie groaned and shot Alastor a pointed glare.
“Sorry, my dear. I don’t think there’s enough room for you, despite the king’s unimpressive stature. Perhaps it’d be wise to cut back on some late night snacks.” Alastor closed his eyes, adjusting his monocle and smiling wider-as if he knew Lucifer was getting worked up by him already.
“He, he, he!” A small maniacal laugh came from behind Alastor. Seconds later it was revealed to be Niffty when she popped out from behind his shoulder. “The bad boys are fighting~”
“I had a craving for pancakes one time!”
Alastor tsked, “Then it must be the drinking. I thought it smelled of liquor the moment you appeared.”
“You little-!”
“Dad, Alastor! Let’s not start our morning like this please?” Charlie pleaded as she helped Vaggie off the floor. “Dad, remember people have their boundaries. Alastor’s being his personal space. We need to respect that.”
Lucifer opened his mouth to say something but he let it go with a sigh. He knew that Charlie wasn’t going to pick up on why he purposefully entered the way he did.
“Of course, my apple. I understand.” His shoulders tensed again the moment he heard Alastor’s crackling static chuckle hum beside him.
“What a treat! The king acknowledges that he can’t have everything.”
A hot wave of anger tinged with something else overwhelmed Lucifer’s senses from head to toe. Before he could snap back however-
“Al, we talked about trying to improve our delivery when we communicate with one another, remember? Treat others…?” Charlie gestured her hand in the air, awaiting Alastor to finish the thought.
He eventually did behind gnashed teeth but only after he forced a taut lipped grin that seemed even more forced than usual.
“…the way you want to be treated.”
“Oh! Oh!” Niffty swapped to leaning over Alastor’s left shoulder to get Charlie’s attention, wildly waving her wedge thin arm in the air; “I treat the roaches I hunt for sport like my enemies but they still haven’t tried to hunt me down yet.”
For a hot minute, not a pin drop could be heard.
“That’s…very interesting. Thank you for sharing, Niffty.” Charlie cleared her throat, “whiiiiich leads into today’s workshop activity! Angel! Husk! Gather around please.”
Lucifer hadn’t noticed upon first arrival, no thanks to Alastor, but Angel and Husk had been watching the entire fiasco from the view of the tacky bar corner.
“Yeah, yeah, we’re comin’.” Husk grumbled after setting down a glass and rag on the spotless counter.
Angel snorted and waited for Husk to round the corner before walking over to join the group. Lucifer had readjusted himself to sit farthest away from Alastor on the couch with Nifty in the middle. Vaggie joined Charlie at the center of the room as his daughter explained the day’s event.
“Now, I know we’ve gone through a lot after the battle and I’m so proud of each and every one of you. I feel as if my connection with everyone here has deepened. Especially with you, dad.”
Lucifer straightened his posture as warmth blossomed all around him from under his daughter’s loving gaze. She looked at him like he was-
“You are my hero.”
“Aw, well…” Lucifer smiled, “I’d do anything for you.”
“As would I.” Alastor added.
Charlie wiped a tear out of her eye as Vaggie set a reassuring hand atop her shoulder. While she was distracted muttering her gratitude to her girlfriend, Lucifer shot Alastor a smug grin. At first Alastor paid him no mind, but then he peeked out of the corner of his eye when he noticed some movement.
Lucifer held up a fist while the other hand seemed to unwind an imaginary lever in circles which slowly flipped up his middle finger.
“And of course,” Charlie continued and turned back to find her dad sitting with an innocent and overly giddy smile on his face, “Al, you fought bravely for the hotel against Adam.”
“Yeah,” Angel agreed, “way to stick ta da man.”
Husk only rolled his eyes. Lucifer did the same.
Alastor placed a hand dutifully upon his chest, a false display of modesty. Lucifer wanted to punch his teeth in for such insolence but instead he remained quiet.
“Flattered. Though the true honor goes to our little darling, Niffty, for finishing off that oversized bird.”
Niffty giggled not-so-innocently as Alastor gave her a doting head pat.
“Er, yes. No one saw that coming” Charlie mumbled but quickly recovered with a joyous round of applause, “honestly way to go to everyone for doing their part. Therefore, we can’t let our efforts be in vain! If Sir Pentious were here he’d want us to stay determined-and that’s what we’re gonna do. By strengthening our bonds with each other!”
Lucifer watched as Charlie and Vaggie passed everyone an index card and a marker. Taking part in another somewhat childish charade for his daughter was no issue for him. He adored his daughter’s ideas, however slightly naive they might be, and made sure to do his part in being engaged. However, a sinking feeling started to travel down his stomach. Something told him that today…was not going to be a good day.
“What are we supposed ta do with this?” Angel asked.
“Great question! Vaggie, would you care to explain?”
Vaggie closed her one good eye with a smile and nodded. “Sure thing, hon.”
Charlie beamed with adoration as Vaggie took a step forward to present the group with their instructions, her tone unnecessarily militant for the activity.
“Alright. Each of you are gonna write a hobby you enjoy doing on your index card. Don’t write your name and don’t peek at your neighbor’s answer.”
Angel raised a hand. “Shouldn’t we be spread out to prevent any peeping toms?”
Seconds later he noticed Husk looking at him with an amused smirk.
“What?”
Husk shrugged and leaned his chin onto his palm. “Nothing. Just a little funny, considering you’d be the one who’d actually do that.”
“Aaah, you right, you right.” Angel laughed, elbowing Husk teasingly.
Lucifer arched a brow, taking note of Husk’s leniency with the contact. The moody bartender usually chastised Angel for such things. Perhaps they were already succeeding at the day’s workshop goal…
“This is both a bonding and trust exercise. To increase your bonds you all will show that you will not only respect the other person’s space, but also their privacy. Also; the hobby has to be something anyone in this group can do. Nothing inappropriate.”
Lucifer looked at Charlie; “That’s it?”
She opened her mouth to speak but quickly hushed up with a look from Vaggie, signifying that the two knew something the others didn’t.
“That’s the first step of three. Complete step one and then you’ll find out what step two is.”
“Stages. It was stages, Vaggie.” Charlie whispered not so quietly.
Vaggie grunted. “Stages, yes. Alright! Any questions?”
Angel raised his hand but Vaggie ignored it.
“When you’re done, fold your card in half so no one can see it and Charlie and I will take it. Start writing.”
Charlie squealed and gave Vaggie a big bear hug from behind, making the moth girl flush a light rosy scarlet. She smiled from ear to ear as Charlie sang her several praises of adoration.
The display of love was so infectious it warmed Lucifer’s old heart. To see his daughter happy with a love of her own washed a cool wave of relief down his shoulders. Charlie was the bubbly opposite of Vaggie’s stoic demeanor but it did not seem to embarrass nor deter her. She supported his daughter in her own way and for that he was grateful.
It reminded him much of the early days in the garden. With Lilith…
He winced, shaking the oncoming memory away. To his relief everyone was busy thinking or writing down on their cards to have noticed his odd behavior. Everyone except Niffty, who had taken it upon herself to stare quietly at Lucifer.
“Er, can I help you, my dear?” Lucifer offered, forcing out a tone of pleasantries despite the feeling of discomfort crawling up his spine.
“Don’t. Move. Bad boy.” Came Niffty’s slow cryptic response.
Lucifer blinked but then realized that that sensation he felt on his back was not a sensation at all. The next second all he saw was a blur shooting up his face and the next; Niffty landed atop his head, causing his hat to fall off. She laughed like a mad woman.
“Ack-would you-get off!”
At once Lucifer snapped his fingers and had Niffty poof back onto her spot in between him and Alastor on the couch. She didn’t reappear empty-handed, however. A spider squirmed desperately in the air as Niffty cackled maniacally down at it.
Out of nowhere Niffty pulled out a needle she wielded like a dagger and stabbed the spider relentlessly into the couch cousin, damaging it in the process.
After about 15 stabs she let out a mixture of heaving laughter that seemed to take a toll on her little body. Then she perked up at Lucifer and gave him a dainty bow.
“Disaster averted, king bad boy. No bugs shall try to assassinate you while I’m here.” She squeaked playfully, as if the violent outburst of aggression had never happened.
Lucifer’s jaw hung open for a long perturbed moment. “Wow…uhh…”
“N-Niffty, maybe you want to take the day off for yourself?” Charlie asked, looking as alarmed as Lucifer and everyone except Alastor did.
Niffty, oblivious to the mood of the room, only shook her head with a toothy grin of deadly sharp teeth. “I’m okay! I have ink to write with now.”
Charlie was in the middle of asking where she put her pen but trailed off as Nifty dipped her needle into the tiny pool of blood that began to surround the massacred spider. She lay on her stomach with a hand propping her chin while swinging her slender legs in the air as she scribbled away on her card.
“Um…” Charlie turned to Vaggie.
“Just let her do her thing,” Vaggie sighed, “although it is a shame about the couch.”
Lucifer noted the feather down peeking out of the stab holes Niffty had made. He raised his fingers to snap the damage away with his powers but someone else beat him to it. A wisp of a familiar green aura flashed and the damage was gone. Lucifer slowly met Alastor’s waiting gaze, who watched Lucifer with a victorious spirit.
“I had that.” Lucifer said.
Alastor arched up a brow and looked at something above Lucifer’s head. “You should fix your hair.”
Lucifer felt his cheeks burn hotter than all the fires of hell. He turned away, briskly brushing his fingers through his gold locks to return any stray strands back into place.
Damn him.
“Back to writing, lesgo. Ándale.” Vaggie snapped impatiently.
Ignoring Alastor’s burning gaze, Lucifer focused his attention on the task at hand. What was a hobby he liked doing that could be enjoyed by everyone present?
Making ducks was out of the question, even though it was indeed the superior pastime.
Lucifer considered the personalities present and came up with something neutral enough to satiate the group’s interests. Aside from Alastor. The man was infuriating, insane, and impossible to understand. He wouldn’t waste his time trying.
He folded his note and held it up for Vaggie to accept. One by one, everyone wrote down their answers and relinquished their cards to the girls. The last one to do so was none other than Alastor himself.
Judging from the quick glances Lucifer stole, he appeared rather bored with the activity. The luster of his enchanting Cheshire grin did not glow the same way it did when he…wait.
Enchanting?!
Before Lucifer had time to process his thoughts, Alastor folded his note and held it for Vaggie to take.
“About time,” she grunted.
Right after she said that, Alastor purposefully dropped it just seconds before she could accept it. It fluttered to the floor in front of Alastor’s feet.
“Oops. Slipped.” Alastor said.
Lucifer clicked his teeth which earned him a sharp glance from Alastor but he didn’t care. Vaggie picked up the note, glowering at Alastor the entire time as she rose.
“Dad, may I borrow your hat for a moment?” Charlie asked, suddenly in front of Lucifer without him realizing.
“Ah-of course.” Lucifer looked around and found that the darned thing had fallen to his feet during Niffty’s bug attack.
He dusted it off and handed it to his daughter with a quizzical look, wondering what she needed it for.
She turned it upside down and let Vaggie drop the folded cards in.
“Commencing phase two,” announced Vaggie.
“Stage.” Charlie whisper-corrected again.
“Right-Stage two! You guys are gonna close your eyes and pick a random card.”
“Oh, no. I don’t like this…” Husk mumbled with a look of surprise.
For once, Lucifer related a little too heavily with the miserable bartender.
What is Charlie up to?
In contrast to his anxiousness, Charlie was nothing but a beam of rainbows and sunshine as she held the hat for everyone. Angel tried to peek, which earned him a swift smack on the head from Vaggie. Husk didn’t even bother to close his eyes and just looked away with a sigh. Niffty nearly leapt into the hat, wanting to find her card with an unhealthy eagerness that made Lucifer pity the poor soul who got whatever she put down.
When it was Lucifer’s turn he couldn’t find it in himself to present his honest apprehension about all of this to Charlie. So he put on his best, albeit nervous, smile and selected an unevenly folded card. At last, Charlie moved onto Alastor.
“Don’t touch my hat longer than necessary.” Lucifer stated, quickly adding; “respect my boundary,” after Charlie shot him an annoyed glance.
Alastor did not look his way and simply accepted a card from his hat with a black tentacle that sprouted from nowhere out of the ground.
Freak, Lucifer grimaced, what did he do to get those nasty things?
Charlie clapped ecstatically, her burst of energetic delight putting everyone, except Vaggie, on high alert. “Eee! Oh my gosh I’m so excited! Okay! Read your card starting wiiiith Husk!”
Husk opened his card with an indifferent tired look but then it lifted with a knowing smile. “A night clubbing. Wow, I wonder who wrote this?”
Angel snickered and read his card next. “Napping? Seriously?”
Husk shrugged and lay back with his hands crossed over his fluffy chest. “I like my peace and quiet at times.”
Lucifer smiled at the pair before realizing Charlie was hopping from one foot to the other, waiting impatiently for him to read what he had. He considered his daughter for a second longer before taking his card. He opened it, it was neatly folded.
Could’ve sworn…hm.
He dismissed the thought and read aloud; “A stroll through…cannibal town.” Lucifer rolled his eyes to locate Alastor looking quite pleased with himself. “WOW. I have no idea who wrote this.”
“Ooh! Ooh! My turn! My turn!” Niffty exclaimed as she jumped up and down excitedly. She practically tore open the card. “Winning roach wars!!”
No one said anything as Niffty unsheathed her needle dagger back out from hiding and scurried off somewhere, her wicked laughter fading in the distance. Charlie opened her mouth and took a step to go after the girl but Vaggie stopped her and just shook her head.
At last it was Alastor’s turn. It became morbidly clear now to Lucifer that he was in possession of his card.
Oh hells, of course I have the shitiest luck.
Alastor peeled the card open like he was slowly pulling at a thin layer of skin and arched up a thin black brow, piqued with interest.
“Apple picking? Most on brand for you, your majesty.”
Lucifer had his shoulders tensed up again, preparing to retort back viciously but instead he let them drop down. Alastor’s comment was surprisingly tame.
Unless he’s being sarcastic?
“Alright, soldiers! We’re down to Stage three!” Vaggie looked to Charlie for approval. She nodded vigorously and gave her two thumbs up to keep going. “The person who wrote the card you selected will be your bonding buddy for the day. You will both do the activity that each other enjoys. And if you hate it-too bad, you still have to do it. The point is to bond with your bonding buddy, even if you’re uncomfortable.”
Lucifer’s eyes flew open as he gradually looked over to Alastor whose wide demon red eyes matched his look of surprise.
“You have got to be kidding me.”