Chapter Text
Lucifer was having a great day actually until Alastor popped up again after they had finished rebuilding the hotel, keyword after, and butted into their song. Now Lucifer was a song man, I mean where do you think Charlie got it from, but Alastor sure sours the fun that’s for sure.
“Where have you been Alastor? Are you alright?” Charlie asks genuinely in the Charlie fashion of caring about everyone. The radio demon chuckles in response.
“Never the better my dear!” He takes a look around the new foyer. “Nice to see our hotel back in full glory! And glad to see our band of characters are sticking around.”
Vaggie scoffs, “Yeah it’s kinda our home, why wouldn’t we be here.”
Charlie claps her hands together, “Okay everyone, now that we’re all accounted for let’s have a brainstorming session!” To which she is met with groans all around.
“I dunno about you but didn’t we just fight for our lives a couple days ago and then immediately rebuild the hotel? Can’t we get a break for once,” lamented Angel Dust from his usual couch he always likes to lounge on. He sits in a position where his pout is extra noticeable, clearly trying to get some pity points.
“I agree, like, I don’t know how this all goes, it’s not my usual style, but it’s been absolutely batshit crazy these past few days don’t you think?” Cherri Bomb chimes in after her friend from next to him on the couch. Charlie looks at Vaggie nervously for assistance.
“Babe I’ve got this,” Vaggie stands up grabbing everyone’s attention, including the ever-smiling radio demon who was previously chatting with Niffty as she begins to speak, “Fine, everyone have the day off but we’re working twice as hard tomorrow!” A chorus of cheers go around the room as the few residents get up to go spend their day how they want.
Angel immediately seats himself at the bar engaging in what one can only describe as slight sexual tension with Husk. Nothing new for those two, but the lingering hostile feeling was noticeably absent. Niffty and Alastor disappear from view, probably off doing whatever weird things they usually do. Cherri chooses to go and admire the portrait of Sir Pentious before turning to leave, assumed to be going to her new room. Lucifer turns his attention to his daughter and her girlfriend as they sit on the couch together in an embrace. Charlie has always had emotions too big for her and Lucifer was proud that she wore them on her sleeve, but he knew better than most the fatigue and desperation that comes with the practice of doing so.
“Hey little lady,” he smiles as he joins them, keeping enough distance to not disrupt the girlfriend hug. They break apart, a soft smile on Vaggie’s face as she takes the cue to leave the father and daughter to talk alone. Charlie looks up at her girlfriend with a loving smile before they loosen their grip on each other’s hands and she turns to face her father.
“Thanks for being here, it really means a lot.”
Lucifer feels a frog in his throat becoming unsure of what to say for a second. He’s been so absent and stuck in his own world that something as simple as being around for a couple days is considered monumental, oh he has to do better. Pushing through the uncomfortable physical feeling, he smiles as he scoots a little closer to his daughter and holds out his arms inviting her in. She accepts the offer and hugs his torso tightly, squeezing so much so that anyone else would find it hard to breathe, but, no matter how long Lucifer has been away, he can handle a Morningstar hug no doubt about that. He wraps his arms around her bigger frame and they stay like that for a minute. Then, deciding that it has been the appropriate amount of time, they break apart. Charlie brings her sleeve up to wipe her tear-stricken face and laughs with a big smile. Lucifer smiles in return and only realizes as he feels wetness streaking down his own face that he is also crying. He starts laughing too and the duo touch their foreheads together, closing their eyes.
“Hey, dad,” Charlie pauses.
“Yeah?”
“I love you.”
“Oh my little duckie, I love you too.”
They both sit upright holding hands before they burst out laughing again.
“In other news, you’re staying?” Charlie asks.
Lucifer nods in return. “Yeah, I thought I’d stick around. Not much need to be at the castle alone and I can continue my work here!” He says while making a grand gesture by throwing an arm up in the air.
“Great! I’ll see you tomorrow at the brainstorming session? I’m thinking I should bring my crayons so everyone can draw their ideas. Personally, that's how I work best and maybe it’ll help people to think creatively!” Charlie beams practically glowing with excitement.
“Wouldn’t miss it,” Lucifer smiles back genuinely before getting up from the couch. He grabs his staff out of thin air and turns to look up at Charlie next to him who has also gotten up from her seat. One last look at each other and then they go their separate ways. As his daughter walks away, most likely to go find her girlfriend, Lucifer turns to head toward the grand staircase. A couple months ago he was here for a tour, but honestly he cannot remember anything of the layout. It’s as if someone poofed it out of his brain. Not that he needed it though, this was a new and improved hotel after all, so it couldn't hurt to go walking around again. Maybe this time it will stick.
He ends up on a random floor, quietly walking down the hall admiring the choice in wallpaper they went with, it goes really well with the light fixtures, when he feels a weird presence to the right of him. He shivers ever so slightly as static surrounds him and suddenly the shadow grows. The signature grin of Alastor appears and bends down to get directly in his face. Kind of insulting honestly.
“GAH! What the-” Lucifer exclaims, jumping back a little bit at the enormous grin inches away from his face. He gathers himself and looks up annoyed, “What the fuck do you want?”
Alastor chuckles, filter as present as ever, finally turning away from the smaller angel and standing upright. “Nothing, nothing just wondering what you are doing here, that’s all”
“I can’t walk around my daughter’s hotel?” Lucifer rolls his eyes. Alastor chuckles again.
“Oh the King of Hell can do what he wants, I know that. However, you should think twice about wandering alone.”
Lucifer scoffs, “Yeah I’m pretty sure I can handle myself. I was the one to clean up your Adam mess after all, so perhaps you should be the one worried for your safety.” Alastor’s eyes change, clearly ticked off by the comment, noted by the slight radio screech making him pause, but the smile stays wide as ever.
“Ha ha. I see, that’s how the game will be played.”
Lucifer points in the opposite direction feeling the weird awkward tension in the air, “I’ll be going now. I have things to do”
“Do you have a room on this floor?”
“No…” Lucifer backs away as Alastor leans into his personal space again. “I have an office on the other side of the building, me and Charlie built it together so I can stay here.”
“Oh that!” Alastor exclaims. “I was wondering what that was.”
“Oh really, were you now?” Lucifer exclaims sarcastically, dragging out the phrase with fake disbelief. “While you were missing?” He splits up the last word putting it in air quotes and smirks at the taller figure.
“Yes,” the redhead says sharply through his teeth, still smiling wide as ever. A pause for a moment and then back to regularly scheduled programming, “I have an office as well, Charlie rebuilt it for me so I can do my radio broadcasts!” He exclaims with his usual radio-filtered cheeriness.
“Of course you do. Have fun with that.” Lucifer waves him off as he finally turns to go down the hall. Alastor stands in the same spot eyeing the back of the king of Hell. His smile is as permanent as ever as his eyes narrow with intention.
Lucifer exhales as he reaches the floor of his studio and opens the door swiftly walking inside. That guy is crazy. What the hell is his deal? Of course Alastor does radio broadcasts from a wacky office on the side of a hotel. Makes sense now why Charlie had insisted that the gang all rebuild it. The radio demon seems to not genuinely care about much, but when it comes to his hobby, Lucifer wasn’t quite sure if this was a hobby or not but for the sake of it, guess he is serious. Well… maybe then there is common ground. Not that he does radio shows, but a part of him loves the thrill of performance. He is the sin of pride it kind of comes with the gig, so when Charlie proposed a work studio office thing of his own he was overjoyed at the idea.
He supposes he can’t make fun of Alastor for enjoying a simple hobby albeit a creepy one. But what’s new; sinners are strange and kind of awful, Lucifer sure is used to that. Ten thousand years of nothing but the worst in humanity, can you really blame him for having some opinions. Sure he’s at this hotel where people unlearn those ideas, but he made it clear in his own mind palace that he was there for Charlie only not to work on himself.
He plops himself down at his desk already scattered with ducks and blueprints for even more ducks. You can never have too many ducks. With a small smile, he picks up one of the ducks he’s been working on resembling Charlie in a way. Certain people, you know who, might make fun of his hobby but at least he wasn’t hurting anyone. It was just a silly hobby that also just so happened to consume almost every waking hour of his existence, unless Heaven wanted to talk to him and by talk to him he means lecture him. Being King of Hell doesn’t really come with any perks when dealing with Heaven. Their word is the last word so what’s even the point. He sighs as he checks the time on his desk clock realizing it’s quite late and there’s a big day ahead knowing his daughter.
He changes into his sleepwear, washes up, and climbs into bed. Staring at the ceiling of his quaint little area his mind wanders. It feels weird to be here actually involved in all of this. He was worried when Charlie had called asking for a meeting with Heaven, the last time he sent her it didn’t work out well, but it led to a sudden realization that he knew next to nothing about her life, not even that she had a girlfriend! Has he been that holed away in his own world that he was missing all these important events? He couldn’t intervene with the exorcists until a Hellborn was hurt, stupidass Heaven contract, so he did what he could until the unfortunate death of Dazzle and that annoying ass prick hurting Charlie, but his support clearly means a lot to his daughter. He wishes he had been here sooner.
He huffs and turns on his side with tiredness catching up to him as he drifts off to peaceful sleep, something he hasn’t had in a long while.
Early the next morning there is a wonderful buttery smell wafting through the entire hotel waking up all the residents. Charlie appears at the top of the stairs practically dragging Vaggie behind her who is clearly not as awake and alert as the princess.
“Ohhhh Vaggie we’re all going to have breakfast together and have a great start to the day! What do you say?” Charlie chirps excitedly at her half asleep girlfriend. She’s practically bouncing off the walls with excitement. Continuing to not let go of her girlfriend’s hand, the two of them make their way down the stairs and into the dining area to see Lucifer setting the table.
“Hi dad!” Charlie excitedly exclaims seeing her father, which he returns in the form of a shy but excited wave.
“Hi sunshine,” Lucifer greets his daughter with a small smile. She’s still a major morning person, glad to see that hasn’t changed. “I made the pancakes I promised.”
“Ooh food!” Niffty appears already at one of the places at the table very visibly eyeing up a stack of pancakes set on the table. She pauses for a second before pouncing and grabbing a pancake almost the size of her and starting to happily munch on it.
Charlie helps Vaggie sit down at the table before sitting down herself and putting a pancake on each of their plates. “One for you, one for me, let me know if you’d like more! My dad makes awesome pancakes,” she says with a big grin. Vaggie faceplants on the table, thankfully not on a pancake, and groans. Definitely not a morning person.
In the doorway appear Angel and Husk with small conversation before addressing the room. “My my, what do we have here?” Angel says, taking a seat at the table. Husk sits beside him. “Pancakes are the best, especially when I can drown them in syrup. Hot, don’t you think?” He smirks at Husk while proceeding to do exactly that and drown his pancakes in syrup.
Husk stares at him deadpan. “Honestly, whatever gets you going. Looks like a sticky mess to me.” A pause. Then they both start giggling. Cherri had also joined sometime after the duo sat down happily eating her pancakes eyeing Angel with a proud look as the latter laughs at a joke Husk made. Lucifer simply stares between everyone silently. Angel and Husk in their own world continuing to joke around, Charlie taking care of Vaggie cutting up her pancake and trying to feed the still-tired fallen angel, and Niffty devouring another pancake ripping it to shreds with Cherri making sure to collect the stray pieces putting them back on a plate. He could get used to this. Then the feeling creeps up again and out from the shadows with the accompanying radio static, Alastor appears at the table next to Niffty. Charlie immediately addresses him.
“Good morning Alastor, would you like a pancake?” Before he can answer she has already put one on the plate in front of him.
Vaggie, now seemingly awake after having a sip of coffee, that’ll do it, turns to her girlfriend. “Oh honey, I’ve seen what he eats for breakfast he won’t eat that.”
“Nonsense, who can resist a good pancake,” the radio demon retorts as he picks up the knife and fork and starts to cut the breakfast item into small, neat sections. He might be a bloodthirsty overlord, but he has manners.
Lucifer stares at him with a little bit of shock. Looking around the room it’s clear that everyone has the same thought. Except for Niffty of course, she’s preoccupied. “Glad you like it! See Vaggie,” Charlie gestures towards Alastor, “everyone likes pancakes. Especially the ones my dad makes!”
Alastor does not react to that statement, rather he continues contently enjoying the pancake, humming along as he chews thoroughly and swallows. He turns towards Lucifer, who places another plate of pancakes onto the table before taking a seat himself, and smiles. Lucifer turns away, not wanting to give that man the satisfaction of knowing he has managed to annoy him by not reacting, but of course that gives it away even more which earns a small, barely audible snort out of the radio demon.
Niffty interrupts whatever that was by grabbing Alastor’s attention and physically grabbing onto him. “Alastor, can we do this every day? I just love pancakes, maybe as much as I do pain…”
“Oh, my dear that is quite the claim,” he replies simply. “I am not the one to answer that, you’ll have to ask our angelic fellow over there.” He nonchalantly gestures to Lucifer with his knife, eyes still glued to his pancakes.
“Ooh, the bad boy!” She excitedly growls as she runs across the table, getting directly in Lucifer’s face.
“Hi Niffty,” he whispers in a friendly but nervous way because honestly, who knows what she’s capable of.
“I like your pancakes, you will make them again,” she states simply and how can Lucifer argue.
“Yeah . .” he says slowly, unsure for a second before nervously smiling. “I will. Just ask.”
“Ha, you better set some ground rules or she’ll be on your ass every morning,” huffs Husk from across the table with a smile. “Niff calm down a bit yeah, how about once a month for now, you don’t want to stress anyone out.”
She lets go of Lucifer’s collar and turns to Husk with a huge smile. Lucifer then lets go of the breath he didn’t even know he was holding.“Okay!” Lucifer looks at the bartender, a small smile of appreciation appearing as Husk returns the gesture with a nod. “The bugs are winning again, I have to go,” Niffty then exclaims before running off with her knife chasing the neverending roach infestation they simply cannot get rid of even with a new hotel.
Lucifer looks down at his own plate to see a pancake sits in the center already. He looks up around the table searching around meeting eye to eye with Charlie for a second before smiling widely. One of those appreciative smiles where he smiles back as she returns to her girlfriend enjoying the pancakes now that she is awake. They joke around with each other, trying to feed each other at the same time and making kind of a mess but it doesn’t matter because everyone is happy.
After cleaning up the breakfast that ended up being messier than intended, the band of characters all gather in the common space. Charlie is running another one of her exercises, the one she talked about with Lucifer yesterday, and brings out her crayons and colorful paper for everyone to draw on.
“Okay guys, I thought we could just have a little brainstorming session and let everyone draw out their feelings! Pick a color and draw whatever you’d like” she jumps excitedly as everyone just stares at her. “Let’s calm down there honey,” Vaggie grabs her practically vibrating girlfriend with a smile, helping her sit down and get supplies for the both of them.
“What the fuck is this,” Husk grumbles.
“Oh come on mister bartender, you must have a lot of feelings bottled up. You listen to everyone else whine and moan, who's gonna listen to yours?~” Angel seduces while poking Husk in the side.
“Would you quit that!” He growls. “Fine, I do have some things to say,” he says quietly, side-eyeing the pornstar next to him who has picked up his own crayon and started to doodle. Picking a hot pink color, he begins to draw as well, concentrating on his paper.
After a few minutes, it seems as though everyone is participating in the activity. Charlie is happily scribbling, probably something amazing since she does this all the time, next to Vaggie who is hyper focused on her own drawing. Niffty appeared, having finished her roach hunting for the time being, and was just scribbling back and forth on a piece of paper violently. Whatever floats her boat. Cherri draws slowly but with clear intention of what she wants to make. Husk and Angel simply cannot shut the fuck up and bicker with each other while drawing, but it’s clear they are both focused on their work.
Lucifer looks down at the blank piece of paper in front of him,then to the massive pile of crayons in the middle of the table. Alastor appears to the left of him, leaning down to the king’s ear with a whisper, “Don’t feel like drawing today hmm, sir?”
“WOULD YOU STOP THAT!” Lucifer growls, instinctively leaning away from the radio demon. “You’re one to talk, how about you join in then.”
Alastor straightens, resuming his usual proper posture.. “Hmm, I don’t think I will. So long.”
Lucifer rolls his eyes, what a dick seriously. “What? Scared we’ll make fun of your shit drawing skills?” He goads as the demon begins to walk away from the table. He abruptly stops with a radio screech, head whipping around to glare at the fallen angel with narrowed eyes, smile pulled tight in annoyance. One point for Lucifer.
“I simply do not want to participate in the activity,” he says as he collects himself by straightening his bow tie.
“Hey everyone,” Charlie butts in with her signature nervous smile “let’s not go for each other’s throats right now.” She turns to Alastor, “It’s okay if you don’t want to draw anything, that’s fine” He smiles in return, sending a smug look at Lucifer.
“Oh you little bitch, I swea-” Charlie grabs her father by the shoulders, stepping in between the two. “It’s okay, calm down and draw. I know how much you like to draw.” She gives him a small smile as he starts to calm down.
“Okay fine, guess I’ll be the bigger person,” he whines, over exaggerating, but puts his hand on Charlie’s telling her it’s okay to let go. She turns to Alastor again telling him to go off and do whatever he wants to do that's apparently more important than this activity. As Lucifer walks away he sticks out his tongue at the radio demon and flips him off before returning to his spot at the table. No reaction out of the taller but he didn’t care it felt good to get the last word in, well a gesture but same thing. He picks up a crayon and starts to doodle. Soon he’s forgotten all about stupid face Alastor as he becomes content with his drawings in front of him. Scattered on the pages are ducks and a lot of them. A lot of familiar looking silhouettes appear in the ducks, Charlie and her friends, the other sins of Hell, but as he continues it starts to get messier. The silhouettes have changed on the page with the lines becoming more erratic. The sound of everyone else drowns out as it starts to feel foggy around him. He has no idea how long it’s been or what he is even doing; it's as though time has slowed to a standstill. He just stares at the page in front of him not registering what he’s looking at. He flips his right hand with the palm facing up squinting at it.
Who’s hand is that?
What is going on?
Then a crack as he sees a crayon in his left hand shattered into pieces.
Cyan . . ha, how funny.
He feels an embrace and looks up to see someone he kind of recognizes but it’s all fuzzy and he hears no sound as he watches their mouth move and tears well in their eyes. He feels really heavy as he watches the person start to panic. This is a really funny dream. Sending other people suddenly around with frantic movements it still doesn’t feel like he’s there as if he’s watching someone else.
This doesn’t feel real.