Chapter Text
A bayou was what he had walked into, he swatted away a few nats and flies who had flown into his vision. The rotten smell sickened him, willing the urge to puke away as he continued trekking forward. Lucifer grimaced, feeling his shoes begin to clog up with mud and water. Corpses of deer and other animals littered the water. And worst of all, his motivation was lacking. Why was he bothering this much just to invite someone to dinner? And, why was he the one who had to do it?
Surely there was someone else willing to, shouldn’t Charlie have gone? She’s the one who wanted Alastor to join them so badly. Though, he shoved that thought away, still priding himself on the fact that he was helping his daughter out. It was a step in the right direction, albeit an annoying one.
He continued walking, his shoes making a disgusting squelch with every step. Lucifer cringed, considering just turning around. He turned to look at the entrance, not close, but not far. With a huff, he straightened himself out, and continued marching forward. There was no way the King of Hell would give up just because he had to walk through some mud, and well, corpses. He could already hear the horrifying teasing that would have come with that decision.
Thankfully enough, his shoes soon met solid ground. Lucifer glanced up, his eyes falling onto a starry area. The trees had begun to separate, their branches laying low, revealing an open area. It was somewhat foggy, but a few distant lights cleared the pathway for him. He stepped over a hanging branch, trailing down the pathway. Another squelch reminded him of the poor situation of his shoes, as he quickly snapped his fingers to tidy himself up. Less damp and muddy, he walked forward. His gaze fell onto different branches, each littered with lights and other decorations.
He had seen many different sinners from different times, having figured out how to group them together from different eras. The décor seemed reminiscent of something in the 1930s, he guessed. Supposed it was fitting for a man like Alastor, who had prided himself on the time that he lived. Claiming it to be the peak of technology, despite its flaws.
Lucifer had gotten stuck in his thoughts, before finally deciding to ignore whatever thoughts he had on the décor. There were better things to think about, much better things, he swore.
Finally, despite all of the never-ending branches and lights, he eventually spotted a small dining table. It was far, and though the fog was still strong, he could make out a figure. A very red one at that, drinking some tea. He grinned momentarily, speeding up a bit as he realized his journey would soon be over. The table became clearer and clearer as he got closer, eventually finding himself standing right next to it. “Alastor.” Lucifer was out of breath, as he held himself up on the table.
“Ah, it's you.” Alastor grinned with a smidge of annoyance lacing his tone, “Such a pleasure to see you! Is there something you need?” He got up from his seat, pushing it in.
“Do you not have a clock in this place!?” Lucifer grumbled, attempting to calm himself down after such a run. “Anyway, yes, there is something I need! My little apple wants you down at her dinner meeting,” He spoke quickly, taking a deep breath. “you will be going, that’s not a request.”
“Oh, not a request? Well, do give me some time to prepare!” Alastor waltzed over towards Lucifer, his sharp teeth on full display whilst he smiled. To the other’s surprise, he was promptly shoved into a seat. “Do sit down! Let’s talk.” Alastor leaned over, staring down at him. “I’m sure you must’ve made such a long trek through my delightful abode, you should rest.” He teasingly smirked, finding his way back to his own seat.
“Well, yes I did. But it was practically nothing! I don’t need your pity.” Lucifer crossed his arms, and despite his words, he got comfortable in his seat. “Your little legs must have made it even more difficult.” Alastor offhandedly commented, raising the cup of tea to his lips. Lucifer fumed, fighting the urge to lean over the table and shove the cup down his throat.. “No, they very much did not!” He scowled, whilst Alastor maintained his sharp smile in contrast.
“Anyhow, do settle down, my king. You shouldn’t be so riled up at the table. What would your daughter think?” The title, or well, pet-name at this point, left his mouth with a teasing yet flirtatious tone.
The king in question turned red almost immediately, his words carelessly overlapping. “I- Uhm. Pfft.. What? I’m not riled up or anything! And.. and, you don’t have a right to bring up Charlie! Don’t tell her lies about me!” He squeaked, his desperation shining clearly in his words.
“Of course, of course! I would never lie to Charlie, however, it wouldn’t be a lie if you continued acting like this.” Alastor smugly quipped, gently placing his teacup down onto a coaster.
Lucifer faltered, shutting up for a moment as he tried to think of a snarky response. Quickly finding there was none to be made, he chose to pretend like it never happened. “You tried distracting me, but I still came here to bring you to her dinner meeting! I hope you’re done drinking your stupid little tea, because I would like to get there on time.”
"No, I don't think I'm quite done, actually." Alastor smugly responded, lifting a kettle that sat nearby on the table, to refill his cup.
Lucifer got up from his seat, leaned over the table, and gripped his shirt collar fiercely.
“Look, you can piss me off, you can fuck with me. But you’re not going to ignore my daughter’s requests.” He spoke in a hushed tone, glaring down at the other. “And what will you do if I choose not to go? Our dear Charlie may want me to go to her frivolous dinner party, but she would also prefer me to be unscathed.” Alastor challenged, the grin never leaving his face, and seemingly sharpening as he spoke.
“I know I can’t hurt you, that’s been clear enough. But I do know you want to stay on her good side.. so if I were you, I would stop being such a baby and go.” His grip on the other’s collar loosened, and Alastor took that chance to distance himself.
“You’re correct in that assumption, at the very least. Though, I believe I still need some persuading to make my decision..” He trailed off, as Lucifer raised an eyebrow at his comment.
“Persuading? And.. what exactly would that entail?” He questioned, cartoonishly gulping.
“Well, I thought it would be obvious enough for you my dear king, but, I wish to make a deal.” Alastor responded, his long claw-like nails making a clicking sound as he tapped them against the wooden table. “I would hope you aren't stupid enough to try to rope the literal King of Hell into a binding deal.” Lucifer had a curious look on his face, leaning back in his chair. The other simply guffawed, a laugh track echoing from his microphone. “Oh, no, no! Nothing like that,” He paused for a moment “How's this? I will agree to go to this dinner meeting. And you will owe me an outing, to any place of my choosing.”
Lucifer stared at him, as if he was waiting for him to continue. He quickly realized that was it, and a dumbfounded expression made its way onto his face. “An.. outing?” He repeated, assuming he had misheard. “Yes, an outing of my choosing.” Alastor affirmed, taking a sip of his tea calmly.
“So, you want me to just.. pay for you? Buy you a ticket somewhere? What do you mean by that?” Lucifer questioned, crossing his arms.
“Well that would be part of it, however, you would have to accompany me on this outing. Now, how does that sound?” Once again he sat his tea down, entwining his fingers as he grinned at the other. “Like a date?”
Alastor's smile strained, as he quickly shook his head. “No, an outing. Why do you ask? Were you hoping that's what I meant?” He teased, yet there was a twinge of defense in his tone. “Don't flatter yourself! I would never hope for something like that, and especially not with you.” Lucifer frowned, the words oddly enough, felt wrong to say. And despite them, he found himself a little disappointed. “Regardless of what you hope for, do we have a deal?” Alastor smiled, sticking out his hand.
With a sigh, and a few moments of readying himself, Lucifer grasped his hand, and shook it. “Yeah, you’ve got a deal.”
Charlie nervously fidgeted in her seat, glancing up at the clock every now and then. She had requested her father almost an hour ago to go and speak with Alastor, and to her dismay, he still hadn’t returned.
She had begun to think the worse, had they gotten into a fight? Something had to be wrong, she had a horrible feeling in the pit of her stomach.
“Babe, you okay?” A voice came from beside her, as she looked over. Vaggie had placed a hand on her shoulder, a worried look laid on her face. “What’s wrong? You look like you saw a ghost.. Or well, like you saw an angel.” Charlie took a deep breath, steadying herself. She shot the other a small smile, “I’m alright, just a little worried, y’know? About dad.. and Alastor.” She glumly responded, twiddling her fingers to ease her anxiety.
“You know your dad wouldn’t hurt him, he knows how much he means to you. And well, Alastor probably wouldn’t stand a chance if it was the other way around.” Vaggie attempted to console her, despite her clear inexperience in it. As Vaggie soothingly rubbed her shoulder, she settled into the touch. “You’re probably right.” Charlie leaned over to give her a small peck on the cheek, and in return, the other blushed vibrantly.
Unfortunately though, their sweet moment was quickly interrupted. A loud groan of disgust echoed from across the dinner table.
“When the hell is this damn dinner gonna start? I don’ know about you guys, but uh, I haven’t eaten all day!” Angel whined, leaning far too back in his seat, as it threatened to tip over.
“It’ll start soon, just stop your bitchin’.” A gruff voice responded. The owner of it, Husk, sat beside him.
“Don’t worry, guys. Like Husk said, It’s gonna start soon, we’re just waiting on some late-arriving guests! Just a few more minutes, I’m sure.” Charlie smiled anxiously, glancing at the rest of the attendees. Niffty, who was already somewhat crazy, had gotten even worse from the sheer boredom. She had been stabbing random areas on the tablecloth, seemingly hallucinating different bugs crawling on them. And Sir Pentious, well, he was comforting some of his poor eggs, who had fallen ill to the horrible boredom that they were sitting through.
The rest however, though not having gone crazy, were still getting irritated by the wait. But within moments, to everyone's (mis)fortune, the two awaited guests had finally arrived. Albeit bickering, and at such a close proximity, they were at each other’s throats. “You obnoxious little-.. Oh, hey everyone! So sorry for the wait! Would’ve arrived sooner, but a certain someone took a while!” He nudged Alastor jokingly, though it looked more like he was trying to push him.
Charlie brightened, ignoring their banter, and promptly stood up from her seat.
“I’m glad you’re both alright! Oh, let’s get this dinner started!” She shouted gleefully, everyone beginning to perk up. Within moments, and a few snaps of a finger, the table was covered with different entrèes and dishes. And soon enough, chatter filled the room. Having recovered finally from the excruciating boredom, they began to dig into the food.
Alastor sat himself at the chair next to Charlie, leaning forward to grin at Vaggie, who responded with a grimace. Turning back, his gaze was met with Lucifer’s, who had ended up sitting directly in front of him. He sent a grin towards him, and took a bit of food from one of the many dishes, adding it to his own plate. Neither of them opened their mouths to speak, however the dining hall remained filled with laughing and voices, as the rest of the residents continued chatting.
Alastor could feel the king’s gaze on him, however, every time he looked up, Lucifer would look elsewhere. “Is there something on my face?” He paused his dining, resting his hands as he stared at the other.
“What?.. No, nothing! Other than that tacky monocle of yours.” Lucifer replied, puffing out his chest. “Agree to disagree, my friend. However, you seem distressed! Could it have something to do with our little deal?” Alastor lifted his fork, pointing it at the other. “You shouldn’t worry your tiny, tiny head over it, you’ll give yourself an aneurysm!”
“Mention my size again, you-” Charlie quickly butted in, hearing an argument sparking. “Woah, dad, please! Not at the dinner table!” She whisper-shouted, trying not to draw attention towards the dispute. “I really want this dinner to go alright! I’ve been planning it for a while, so could you two get along for just a little bit.. For me?” She had a pleading expression on her face, and Lucifer’s anger quickly fizzled out as he stared at her. “I’m really sorry, sweetie.” He guiltily responded, glancing over at Alastor, his smile still beaming.
“Of course, my dear.” Alastor sighed, patting her shoulder. Charlie relaxed, deciding they no longer needed intervening, and turned back to her own conversation.
The dinner was practically over, most of the residents having left to go back to their room. But for the rest who had chosen to stay, they were hanging out around the bar, drinking the liquor Husk kept there. Angel, Husk, and Cherri were chatting, chugging the bottles they had scattered on the counter. Lucifer sat at one of the bar stools, sipping his drink as he watched. He wanted to observe the crowd his dear daughter had gotten involved with, considering he hadn't been there from the start. Maybe it was just his fatherly instincts, but he wanted to learn more.
Although the bar was filled with laughing and chatter, across the room was a quiet and peaceful couch. Alastor sat silentlu there, occasionally picking up conversation with Nifty, who was chasing down bugs with a dangerously sharp knife. Lucifer let his gaze fall onto the other, staring for a bit, before their eyes met. He turned away almost immediately. His face had begun to flush, and he wasn't entirely sure it was because of the alcohol.
Chugging what was left of his drink, he asked for another quickly after, trying to drink away his sober thoughts.
Though eventually after his fourth drink, there weren't many thoughts left at all. He felt dazed, resting his head against the counter, pushing his glass around boredly. The group had cleared out not long after, leaving him alone at his stool. Or well, that's what he thought at least. A fizzle of static came from behind him, and without needing to look, he knew who it was.
“Whatd'ya want?..” He slurred, trying to raise his head.
“My, oh my! The King of Hell, drunk at a bar! I do wonder what the critics would say about seeing their ruler like this!” Alastor proclaimed, his dramatized accent shining through.
“Oh.. shuddup. I don’ wanna hear it..” Lucifer glumly responded, letting his head fall back onto the counter, his face smushing against it. A laugh came from besides him, as Alastor had sat himself down at one of the other stools.
“Haven’ you bothered me enuff?.. First, you waste.. my time, then you ask for weird things.. Jus’ go away!” He drunkenly shouted, though his voice was somewhat muffled by the counter. Alastor continued grinning, but stopped laughing. “Hmm.. I wouldn't say my request was particularly odd! But, do go on, this is certainly amusing." He rested his chin on his palm, narrowing his eyes at Lucifer.
“Whatever, you still say a whole.. lot of weird stuff.” Lucifer hiccupped, finally managing to lift his head, glared at the other. “And.. the deal I had to make ‘cause you weren't coming. Wha’ the hell do you mean by an outing!? Why do you want me there?..” Trailing off, he began to pout.
Alastor smirked, taking in the image of a flushed Lucifer. He looked messy, and if it weren't for Alastor's distaste for modern technology, he almost wished he had a camera to capture it.
Despite his attention having focused on the other's appearance, Lucifer was still rambling on angrily about something.
"That dumb nickname! 'My king', fuck off!" He paused, "I hate being led on."
The sinner froze, struggling to find a playful insult to respond with. He blankly stared at him, eventually forcing his mouth open. "Excuse me?"
“You.. you heard me!” Lucifer wheezed, lifting his almost empty cup to his mouth. Alastor remained silent as he watched, partially wondering if he should just pretend this never happened.
“I believe you've had enough of that.” Finally he spoke, taking the glass out of Lucifer's hands. “Wh-.. Hey! Give it back!” He tried to grab it back, but missed almost entirely, too drunk to be able to function correctly. Alastor smiled, setting the drink down, and got up from the bar stool. “My dear, your accusations wound me. You think of me as such a treacherous demon!” He stood behind Lucifer, and pulled his seat out. “What the hell are you doing?!”
Though, before Lucifer could fall to the floor, Alastor caught him. Quickly maneuvering him into a bridal carry, he stepped away from the bar.
“Put me down!” Lucifer practically yelled, flailing in the others’ arms. Alastor, however, remained silent, his eyes twitching somewhat in annoyance. He continued walking, heading up the stairs, much to Lucifer’s dismay. Eventually finding himself standing in front of the king’s room. As both his arms were full, he summoned a shadow, and opened the door. He paused momentarily, looking down at Lucifer, who had stopped flailing around. Apparently at some point, he had passed out. He found himself staring for a good while, but stopped soon enough after realizing.
Stepping into the room, his eyes were met with many, many ducks, all similar in design. Though, under another large mountain of them, he spotted a bed. Being the gentleman that he was, Alastor cleared it off. Attempting to set the now-asleep Lucifer down onto it, he noticed the other had a good grip on his arm. Sighing, he dissolved into his shadow, reappearing beside the bed. “Of course, I would like some gratitude for my kindness, however.. I doubt you’ll remember a thing.” He smiled down at the sleeping figure, and leaned over towards his face. Alastor nipped at his cheek, a drop of blood falling from the small cut. Licking it up before it could fall onto the bed sheets, he felt an odd sense of power coursing through him.
“That’ll do, I suppose.” He twirled his microphone around, “I’m looking forward to our little outing, my king.”