Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

He remembered his childhood quite well. A decent majority of it was spent sitting with his mama, munching on whatever excellent home cooking she managed to whip up while listening to the radio. Back then, they hadn’t been able to afford any sort of television in their little New Orleans home. But that was alright; the radio was a comforting little thing, and Mama loved to turn it to a nice classical music channel to lull Al to sleep at night.

Because he had no television, most of his exposure to the visual mediums of the world came from the occasional trips to the movie theater, a reward Mama would give him whenever he did well in school. During a car ride to said school, an interesting advertisement came up over the radio: there was a new movie coming to theaters soon, a children’s adventure story called Gator Guy and Magma Gal. It starred someone named Lucas Magne, a “child star” who had acted in several other pictures before. After the advertisement played, the radio host actually announced that Lucas was in the studio with him now for an interview to promote the movie.

The radio host actually had Lucas in the studio at that time and was interviewing him. “So, Lucas, tell us, what’s it like being a young actor growing up in the City of Stars?”

“Thanks for having me! It’s super awesome! Hollywood’s just this super magical place with so many stars everywhere, not just in the sky, you know?”

He sounded so… normal. Like he was just a regular kid about Al’s age, not some big huge movie star. Without saying a word, Al turned up the volume dial, earning a curious look from Mama.

“Absolutely! What can you share about your latest project?”

“Gator Guy and Magma Gal is a superhero story about dreaming and making those dreams come true. I’m playing Gator Guy! He was raised by alligators and got gator powers because of that.”

“That sounds incredible! I’m sure your parents are very proud.”

“I think so? Father said I’m doing a great job and Mom told me that I look super cool in my costume. They’re busy filming their own movies though, so I dunno if they’ll be able to come see the premiere.”

Was that a hint of sadness in the boy’s voice? Al turned to look at Mama, who was frowning with her eyes on the road. She had clearly heard it too.

“With all this excitement, how do you balance being a kid and a Hollywood star?”

A brief pause. Then, in a small voice, “There’s a lotta stuff to learn and I still have homework and stuff… but my parents hired a tutor to be with me on set so I can stay caught up. Oh! And we have pizza parties a lot too!”

The false cheer in the boy’s voice was subtle yet palpable. It just barely hid the slightest hint of solitude, the tiniest echo of loneliness. Something in Al’s chest aches at those thoughts. 

“That sounds like a blast! And do you have any advice for any kids out there dreaming of being Hollywood stars?”

“The best way to shine the brightest is to practice, practice, practice! It’s not just about talent, it’s about how hard you work and how much you’re willing to try new things. If you work hard enough, who knows? Maybe you can look at the stars above the Hollywood sign with me one day. I could always use a new friend!”

The interview ended there after a round of applause and a hearty thank you from the host. Al had fully expected some sort of spoiled, snobby little brat like one who came up in those radio dramas that he and Mama would listen to together while they read and practiced his math skills. Not… whatever Lucas was. An eager, innocent, sweet-sounding child who talked happily about how brightly the stars shone in Hollywood’s night sky.

By the time it was all over, they had arrived at school. Al opened the door and kissed Mama goodbye.

“Ma, I’m gonna become a star so he can have a friend and stop bein’ so lonely.”

The happy twinkle in Mama’s eyes seemed to shine even brighter today. “I’m sure you will, baby. I’ll see you later!”

He had begged Mama to take him to see the movie, if only so he could have something to talk about with his friends. Everyone in school was eager to see the movie. It was advertised to be using some sort of new technology that would let the action literally pop out of the screen if you wore special glasses. Normally, Al wouldn't care at all about how well he fit in with the other kids at school, but this just felt different. He needed to see this movie. He needed to see the face of the boy who spoke about stars.

They did end up seeing Gator Guy and Magma Gal on the day it came out. It was indeed a silly superhero story about dreams and keeping them close to your heart, a rather childish fairy tale with… interesting effects. Oh, but the lead was captivating. From the moment Gator Guy appeared on the screen, sharp-toothed, armored, and fierce, Al couldn’t look away. While Magma Gal often recoiled and cried towards the beginning of the movie whenever trouble came calling, Gator Guy always faced things head on. He was brave, strong, and unafraid to place himself in danger to protect his friends. Whenever he had an odd idea, he would flash this silly, dangerous little grin, then enact it, as though one of his superpowers was invulnerability. At one point, he even sang to the main character to try to lull him to sleep and get them out of a terrible situation - kinda badly. Then again, his voice cracked occasionally during the movie, leading Al to wonder just how old this kid actually was.

During the next few months at school, Gator Guy and Magma Gal were all the children talked about. Many of the boys especially admired Magma Gal, who grew from a scared ball of fire to a beacon of light throughout the movie. It likely also helped that the girl who played her was rather pretty. But how could anyone think that she was any prettier than the boy who played Gator Guy, with his golden hair, big blue eyes, and perfect porcelain skin? Even with all the gator-related armor clinging to him, there was just something so distinctly angelic about his appearance. To say Al was a fan would be an understatement; he was Lucas Magne’s biggest fan.

“If you love him so much, you should marry him!” Rosie Dolly said after yet another recess argument over who was the cooler character.

Al puffed out his cheeks. “I don’t have to marry him if I can just be his friend.”

Rosie stuck out her tongue. “Silly! You can’t meet him. He’s all the way in California and the only way to get into Hollywood is to become a super star. You gotta be a super mega mega mega star to meet someone like him!”

Al smirked. “Then I’ll be a super duper mega mega mega ultra mega star so I can meet him and buy Mama a TV so she can watch me be his friend!”

They had been called back into the classroom after that, leaving the argument quite unresolved. That was alright, though; Al didn’t need to win the argument, he just needed to figure out a way into Hollywood. And well, that took a while. As he moved through school and grew older, so too did Lucas Magne. Each time the aging child star was said to be in a new movie, Al was almost always there on opening night. Sometimes, he would drag Rosie with him. Other times, he would bring Mama. Most of the time, he was alone. 

He normally chose to stand in the back of the theater, rather than sitting in the seats. He liked it better this way; here, he could see Magne’s face on screen and the reaction of the audience. It allowed him to analyze what aspects of the actors acting on screen they liked versus disliked based on their reactions. He filed away this information in his strangely encyclopedic brain, a knowledge base he didn’t know at that time would eventually help him move even closer towards his goal.

But as Lucas Magne grew into Luci Magne and moved more towards action movies, Al Boudreaux moved towards what he had always known was his true calling: radio. He took up a job first as an intern, then an assistant, then finally a host of his own radio talk show. Hundreds of thousands of listeners tuned into his broadcast each night to hear him talk, sing, and play sweet, slow jazz music until the cows came home. As he became busier, his ability to go see Luci Magne’s new movies lessened more and more. Eventually, he stopped visiting the theater altogether. But that didn’t matter; he was perfectly happy and content with the life he now led.

(Although he did make enough money to buy Mama a very, very nice new flat screen TV that she got to enjoy for a good five years before she passed.)

Everything changed one hot summer night when he turned off the ON AIR sign and closed up shop. The fireflies were just beginning to creep out for the night, their tiny lights winking happily at him as he locked up his office and the radio station. Before he could move towards his car, however, the tall, willowy figure of a beautiful woman walked up to him, bright blue eyes flashing happily when they landed on him.

“Al!”

“Rosie!”

They rushed in for a quick hug, Al allowing it to go on for just a few more seconds longer than he would usually allow. Rosie had moved to Hollywood soon after high school, having somehow earned an internship for a talent agent. Last time she wrote to him, she had described how she was now fully licensed as an agent and had just opened up her new agency. From what he understood, it was fairly successful and kept her very busy. The fact that she had flown all the way home was a surprise of course, but an extremely welcome one.

“What brings you back?” Al asked once they broke apart. Rosie laughed and quickly removed a few leaves that had landed in Al’s wild auburn hair.

“Oh, just visiting! The usual stuff. I was hoping to catch you on your way out with a little bit of an offer for you.”

Al raised an eyebrow. “An offer? I’ll only accept it if it means I won’t have to wade into the bayou with you again. Almost got my foot bitten off last time.”

Rosie’s laugh was melodious, almost infectious. “No, nothing like that, I promise! No, I’m just here with an offer for a role.” She winked. “Remember back in the day when you used to tell me that you would be a Hollywood super duper mega mega mega ultra mega star one day?”

He tilted his head. “I do, but…” He gestured at the radio station. “Plans have changed. I’m happy where I am now.”

Rosie waved one hand at him. “Yes, yes, things change. Of course they do. But what if I told you that I found a role that I think you’d be perfect for?”

That brought a laugh out. “Rosie dear, you know I don’t have any acting experience-”

“Oh c’mon now, Al! I’ve tuned in to your radio show enough times to know that you’ve got quite a voice. Not to mention, I’m sure your viewership numbers are nothing to sneeze at in the radio world,” she put her hands on her hips. “Hear me out, alright? You and I used to talk all the time about seeing our dreams fulfilled. I know you’re happy here, I know that being a radio host was one part of your dream, but it wasn’t your childhood one. Listen, just go to the tryouts. If you don’t get the part, no problem! Your life doesn’t change at all and you can come back here and host your radio show until you drop dead or get eaten by a gator. But if you get it? Well…” A lovely, mischievous spark lit up in her baby blue eyes. “Who knows? Maybe you’ll be able to make a new friend or two. At the very least, you’ll finally be able to see the sky full of stars above the Hollywood sign.”

The audition apparently went well, as he received the call only a week later offering him the part of Strawman in the superhero movie trilogy, The Unlit Warrior. Unlike most other action-packed superhero flicks, this trilogy concentrated more on the dark, gritty realities of being a superhero in a crime-ridden city like Gothtropolis. His performance led to a heavy amount of praise - and many, many more offers to audition for new parts. Eventually, he built his portfolio and the name Alexandre “Al” Boudreaux became a staple across the artistic, dramatic, and period piece circles of Hollywood. He had become a sought-after bachelor, a men’s fashion icon, and the apparent darling of many online circles. In many ways, as Rosie loved to remind him, he had truly become the super duper mega mega mega ultra mega star his boyhood self had dreamed of.

It was on the night he won his first Oscar that Rosie called him with congratulations and some interesting news: he was being offered a role on a television show written specifically for him. The show was called Hazbin Hotel and he was being asked to play Alastor, the Radio Demon, a mysterious and sadistic figure who helped the main characters in their little endeavors simply for his own entertainment. It was both a dark comedy and a musical, two genres that were well out of his purview.

“This is certainly different than what I’m used to,” Al said carefully as he closed the script, having just finished reading through it for the first time.

Rosie hummed as she sipped on her unicorn frappe with extra cane syrup. “It might be out of your usual genres, yes, but it’s still very much up your ally! You’ve read the script - you know exactly what I mean.”

Yes, he understood the show well. More than just a dark comedy/musical, it was also a show about healing. About redemption and second chances. About finding the strength to face your demons (both literal and figurative) and to move forward with your dreams. It was a lovely, lofty theme so similar to his favorite childhood movie. And yet…

“I’m not quite sure if this is the part for me, Rosie,” Al said as he flipped through the script again. “Yes, it is written for me, but I’ve never had to star in anything like this before. I’m not sure if I’m the right actor for what they want.”

“You should give it a chance anyways, Al! Didn’t you used to sing in your radio host days? And I know you love a good, challenging character.”

“You’re correct in that, Rosie dear. But-”

“Oh! Did I mention who’s rumored to be the top pick for King Lucifer Morningstar, assuming his audition goes well?” Rosie’s eyebrows waggled as she leaned in, as though sharing a secret only she and Al were allowed to know. “Lucas. Magne.”

“... When do chemistry auditions start?”

To say that Al was a touch nervous for today’s chemistry audition was an understatement. He had actually lost sleep over it, trading precious time in the sheets for an entire night of catching up on what felt like decades of Magne’s movies. It was truly astounding how much yet also how little had changed since the Gator Guy and Magma Gal days; Luci Magne clearly gravitated towards action movies, but as CGI became better it seemed like audience attention span became shorter. Every single movie of his seemed to have more and more frivolous explosions. There was less deep meaning about dreams or stars or the things in between and more… plot for the sake of plot.

It was disappointing, in all honesty. While Al’s love for movies hadn’t changed since he was a boy, his tastes certainly had. The childish love of explosions and action had long ago faded to an appreciation for deeper themes and musings about the nature of humanity and its place amongst the stars. When he watched what felt like his millionth Operation Infeasible sequel, all he could see and hear were explosions. It was an entertaining action movie series meant solely to entertain audiences, nothing more. A quick internet search confirmed this; most discussions about these movies were about which stunts were the coolest or which villain had the funniest plan. Nothing about deeper meanings behind the characters’ words and actions.

Still, there was no denying that the cute boy had grown quite nicely into a beautiful man. Perhaps it was the way makeup and costuming handled him, but there didn’t seem to be a single scene in any of his movies where Luci Magne could ever be described as anything but “pleasing to look at” at minimum. Even in the dirtiest, roughest scenes where he was forced to fight this bad guy or that bad guy covered in blood, it only served to highlight his fierce expressions and excellent stunt work. It was downright remarkable how many times Al noticed that Luci was doing his own stunts. Frivolous explosions or not, the man had undeniable physical talent.

Al had been discussing his latest offer to model for Burberry with Rosie when the door to the studio opened. In stepped a slim, yet wiry man with slick platinum blonde hair. His features were surprisingly delicate looking, with a bone structure shaped like a finely made wine glass. Rosy cheeks and lips the color of rose petals sat nicely on his face. Golden lashes framed large blue eyes and as he smiled, twin stars seemed to burst to life in those pretty sky blues.

“Oh! My! Stars!” Rosie was first to move, practically running over to the man with her hand out, which the other man grinned and happily took. “Lucas Magne in the flesh! I can’t believe it!”

Was this what it was like to be starstruck? Al let out a breath he didn’t know he had been holding, watching with a smile on his face as Lucas and Rosie conversed. At one point, the man winked at Rosie, which… well, it made him feel rather strange. A tiny bubble of irritation welled up inside him towards his agent, only to pop the moment she looked at him over her shoulder, periwinkles sparkling mischievously.

“Al! Stop smiling like a creeper. Get over here and introduce yourself, why don’t you?”

Before Al knew it, his body was moving towards Magne, pulse quivering as he held out his hand. For someone who had played so many larger than life roles, Magne was quite a bit shorter than the cameras made him seem… but also quite a bit better looking. Indeed, without all the makeup and effects on him, he somehow looked even prettier. Dimly, Al wondered if it would be too much for him to request that Lucifer Morningstar not have a lick of makeup on. It would… help the Radio Demon taunt him more because he looked more human. Yes, that’s it. That’s a good excuse.

“Pleasure to be meeting you, Lucas,” he said. Lucas’ grip was firm and strong. The calluses formed from years of performing his own stunts seemed to do nothing to mar the soft warmth emanating from the other actor’s hand. In the back of his mind, he saw yet another one of the millions of explosions from one of Magne’s Operation Infeasible movies and felt another shot of irritation go through him. The man deserved so much more than… whatever those movies were trying to be. “I have to say, I didn’t imagine the star of Operation Infeasible would want something with this much depth in his repertoire. Seems a bit… unusual.”

Some unreadable emotion flashed from behind Magne’s eyes. His entire form seemed to stiffen at Al’s words. “I’m full of surprises. Luci’s fine. That’s what everyone cals me.” He dropped their handshake. “It’s good to meet you, Alexandre.” A pause. “Gotta say, I watched Perception the other day. Good think piece. Really… long. With lots of metaphysical stuff. This kind of thing is a bit out of your depth too, isn’t it?”

Another shot of irritation. A twinge of his eye. His smile never faltered because he refused to allow this man the satisfaction of seeing himself get into Alexandre Boudreaux’ famously thick skin. “Al, please. Alexander’s my father’s name.” He tilted his head a little as he continued to regard Luci, irritation and a strange sense of longing warring within his chest. “Every- well, sorry, most of the best movies nowadays have a running theme behind them. Beyond frivolous explosions and gun fights, that is. I just found much of the same with this show.”

There was definitely a palpable tension between them now, an underlying current of annoyance under the polite Tinseltown smiles they had both adopted. Luci seemed to grow a couple inches as he straightened his back and narrowed his eyes ever so slightly, his polite smile now seeming to be plastered on. For a brief moment, Al half wondered if the man was going to punch him or something. That would certainly make things more interesting.

“There are plenty of ways to keep things exciting beyond whatever you consider ‘frivolous’,” Luci said. He shook his head. “To be honest, sometimes I wonder if the super vague metaphorical movies could use a bit more humor or something to keep me awake. Or I don’t know, maybe some more lively music. Kinda like Broadway style instead of… hymns or whatever gets stuck in.” He emphasized that last sentence with a small shrug.

Al raised an eyebrow, using every ounce of his limited years of experience as an actor to keep his features schooled. “Speaking of Broadway, I’ve heard this show is leaning pretty heavily into that for musical inspiration.” He paused. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard you sing in any of your movies.” 

That was a lie, of course. He had replayed every scene of Gator Guy and Magma Gal so many times in his head over and over again that every line, special effect, and of course young Luci’s singing scene was engraved in his mind. Did anyone else remember how Luci used to have a part in silly movies like this? Did Luci remember how terrible his singing was back then? Judging from the fact that he was here anyways, he either didn’t remember or was completely delusional. Either way, he would be a poor co-star to work with in this dark comedy/musical show.

The tips of Luci’s ears and the apples of his cheeks were now a pale red color. “Like I said earlier. I’m… full of surprises.”

At that moment, one of the casting directors called for the start of the audition. Luci and Al exchanged one final set of cold glances before moving towards opposite sides of the room. Luci set himself up in front of the slate and faced the camera they had set up for him. Al leaned up against a nearby wall, crossing his arms. For a few moments, Luci did nothing except take a deep breath and close his eyes, as though preparing himself to belt out yet another off-key rendition of The Dream Song. Then, he spoke.

“I’m Lucas Magne. Today, I’m auditioning for the part of King Lucifer Morningstar.” Then, he cleared his throat.

Believe me I know, I’ve sunk pretty low

But whatever I’ve done, you deserve.

I’m the bad guy, that’s fine

It’s no fault of mine and some justice at last will be served!”

The voice that came out was a rich tenor, tinged with determination and just a hint of desperation. It seemed to soar with both strength and vulnerability, cutting through the silence of the audition room like a sharpened blade. Al felt himself blink in surprise; what happened to the off-key, odd little voice that had come from Gator Guy all those years ago?

“Now it’s time to step up or it’s time to back down

And there’s only one answer for me!”

“And I’ll stand up and fight ‘cause I know that I’m right

And I’m ready, I’m ready, I’m ready!

Ready as I’ll ever be!”

Luci’s voice didn’t waver one bit as he swelled into the crescendo, nailing the top of the octave and holding it steady. With every word, he weaved a tapestry of emotions, echoing the hopeful yet desperate cry of a young man preparing for war. He looked over at Al and gave him the smallest of smiles as he allowed his voice to fade, once again sending Al’s heart hammering in his chest.

“Cut!” the casting director said. She smiled and nodded. “ Wow! Edens wasn’t lying when she said you have a good set of pipes on you. I think we’re ready to move on to spoken lines! Go ahead and do it whenever you’re both ready.”

It was his time to shine, it seemed. Al peeled himself from the wall and walked over to Luci, already mentally opening the script in his head. Their scene today was the one where Alastor the Radio Demon and Lucifer the King of Hell met for the first time, kicking off a rivalry that would likely last throughout the series. The song Al had written to help him get into character played through his head as he stepped up next to Luci and easily slid on the metaphorical coat of the cannibalistic overlord.

“Oh! What in the unholy Hell is that!?” Lucifer’s voice was almost nothing like his singing - high-pitched, tense, and filled with a desperate anxiety that could only come after years of being a shut-in. Combined with his short stature and ramrod straight posture, he was like a cute little china doll that could be shattered by a wayward breath.

“Just some of the renovations we had done,” Alastor said, Transatlantic accent tumbling smoothly over his ever word. He narrowed his eyes as he sneered at their supposedly majestic king. “Adds a bit of color, don’t you think?”

Irritation flashed from behind those blue eyes as the diminutive king shot Alastor a withering glare. “And you are?”

“Alastor. Pleasure to be meeting you, sir. Quite a pleasure,” sarcasm laced through every word. The faster he got the King of Hell out of here, the faster he could go back to entertaining himself and trying to find a backdoor out of his deal. “It’s nice to finally put a face to the name.”

That was only half a lie, surprisingly. Lucifer’s angelic features clearly hadn’t been diminished much if at all under the punishing atmosphere of Hell. If anything, they seemed to be emphasized down here, a sharp contrast to the reds, grays, blacks, and blues of many Hellborn and sinners alike.

“Who is this?” Lucifer asked, gesturing with quite a bit of scorn in Alastor’s direction. “Who is this nut? Are you the bellhop?”

This actually pulled a laugh from the Radio Demon. “No! I am the host of the hotel. You might have heard of me from my radio broadcast.”

Something unreadable shifted from behind Lucifer’s eye. “Hmm, nope! I guess that’s why Charlie called it the Has-been Hotel!” He snickered condescendingly, causing Alastor to narrow his eyes just a bit more.

He copied the laugh, making sure to add extra condescension with it. “It was actually my idea.” He bent at the waist about half-way to be eye-level with the fallen angel, making sure to really let the other know just how tiny and easy to break he truly was.

Lucifer shot back with his own equally condescending laugh. “Well, it’s not very clever!” He leaned in as well and sneered at the Radio Demon.

“Ha ha! Fuck you.”

“Cut!”

The moment that word crossed his ears, Al felt himself resurfacing. He blinked a few times, smile deflating from maniacal back to… well, hopefully normal looking. It was surprisingly getting a bit more difficult for him to control his ever-present movie star smile after practicing in the mirror so many times to perfect the Radio Demon’s inhuman sneer. 

Wait, Luci was speaking to him.

“You were… uh… great!” That smile was so much more sincere now. Gone were the pretentious yet also desperate airs of the King of Hell, now replaced with a pair of bright stars twinkling gently in those pretty blue eyes. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone slip so easily into crazy mode!”

Al tilted his head, heart dropping to his stomach. In fact, he hadn’t felt himself slip so easily into Alastor’s shoes before. It normally took him a few lines before he felt comfortable enough to call himself the Radio Demon. But today? Acting across from Luci Magne? For some reason, everything just felt so natural. It honestly almost terrified him how easily Luci was able to get him to slip into the role of a mischievous, conniving cannibal demon. It was… a whole different level of acting, one that he hadn’t yet experienced with anyone else.

“Thanks… not so bad yourself, Morningstar.” The name exited his mouth before he could stop himself. For some strange reason, it fit. Luci Magne. Morningstar. Star. Starlight. Something like that. A name that fit the stars in his eyes and the stars in the skies above the Hollywood sign.

He needed to speak with the producers and casting directors. If Luci Magne was not cast as the King of Hell, Al would walk off set then and there. There was no more need for any further chemistry auditions or anything like that. He- they had found the man born to play Lucifer Morningstar. Without another word, Al swept out of the room, fully intent on hunting down whoever was highest up on the ladder of this production. 

Later that night, Rosie admonished him for not saying goodbye properly, but that was just fine by him. He had managed to get a hold of the head casting director and had… very politely laid out his terms. From the way the head casting director had nodded quite eagerly and almost shrank from the threat of Al walking away from the production, he had more than likely received what he wanted.

He will see Luci Magne again, even if he had to burn the whole production down to do it.

Ding!

Not for the first time, Al cursed the fact that he had somehow managed to convince himself that it was a good idea to get a smartphone. Sure, it was slightly more convenient now to communicate with everyone and to check the weather, but everything else was simply frivolous. His phone was ringing almost nonstop with these incessant group chat messages and Rosie hadn’t yet had the time to show him how to turn off these ridiculous notifications. Not to mention, random numbers kept calling him and offering him everything from vacations to checking his car’s expired warranty. He didn’t understand - why would he be taking a vacation in the middle of shooting and he didn’t even own a car. The modern world truly made no sense.

Of course, there were times when the incessant dinging actually made for a welcome distraction, such as now. Al had just returned to his trailer and put away his fiddle, heart still hammering and chest still heaving. He had actually almost dropped his fiddle on the way in, the precious instrument just barely catching on the bed in time before it hit the floor. He was a right and terrible mess at the moment and it was all Luci Magne’s fault.

He… didn’t even know how he wound up in Luci’s duck-filled trailer in the first place. One moment, they were hanging out together while shooting wrapped out that day, with Luci mentioning that he wanted to try doing his own stunts. This apparently also meant he wanted to play his own fiddle tune. Al had actually been asked to record himself playing the tune which would then be played over Luci simply silently moving his fingers. That said, something about his co-star actually wanting to learn to play the fiddle well enough to not need said recording had struck a chord in him. 

Al offered to teach Luci how to play the fiddle. They went into Luci’s trailer and moved a few ducks aside to sit down. He had cracked a joke about the ducks; Luci then ribbed him about his furby collection. He and Luci played a little bit together after that, the smaller actor surprisingly decent at picking up the tiny intricacies of fiddle playing quickly. It would take him years to become anywhere near professional, but he would almost certainly be at an acceptable level to play one single bridge in a few months time, assuming he stuck to a good practice and rest schedule.

But then something changed. While Al was helping Luci rest his hand, Luci had suddenly brought up the fact that he apparently didn’t know how to dance properly. Al should’ve just said something encouraging and ended it like that. There was no need for him to get involved, after all. He was already spending so much time helping Luci how to learn the fiddle. Teaching a man how to dance was well beyond his paygrade.

Except… he opened Spotify. He found a cheery swing-style song to dance to. Then, for some strange, strange reason that seemed to release millions of butterflies in his stomach and chest, he held out his hand and asked the man to dance. And Luci accepted. Luci took his hand. They danced together.

Luci’s alabaster skin just seemed to be absolutely ripe for rosiness, as after only a few bars, he was flushed a pretty pinkish-red. Despite more than a few early missteps, Luci soon settled into Al’s rhythm, letting him lead them around their makeshift little dance floor. Al had noticed during this time that Luci often overanalyzed his next step or tried to predict what happened next without allowing the music to take over. Of course, that was the true secret of being a good dancer: simply letting the music lead you, regardless of how scary it felt.

The man probably didn’t even know how graceful he actually was. Al had many graceful partners before, but there was just something about the way he and Luci moved together that seemed to create pure poetry. It had to be the warmth of Luci’s hand in his - or perhaps the way their bodies fit perfectly together whenever he spun into Al’s chest. Or perhaps it was that smile - one so bright and beautiful that any Hollywood star would envy him.

Their dance ended with wind rushing through their veins and hammers slamming their hearts. Al had held Luci close for just a brief second, then dipped him, dark eyes greedily taking in the sight of the muscles in Luci’s pale neck and the gentle thrum of his pulse beneath that beautiful porcelain skin. They held that moment gently suspended in time, then righted themselves again. Al regretted every moment he didn’t hold on to Luci’s warm hand when the man picked up his fiddle once again and they resumed their practice.

They had practiced dancing and fiddle for a few more hours before Luci finally called it quits. He had improved vastly in both areas throughout the night, but it was clearly time for them to rest until the next day. Al had honestly been just a little bit upset to leave, but refused to voice it. After all, it would never do for his childhood hero to hate him the way Lucifer seemed to hate Alastor.

Ding!

Maybe he should just silence this thing. Al picked up his phone, thumb hovering over the switch that would set the damned thing on vibrate. Then, he paused. This message was from Luci, but not part of the group chat.

The sight took Al’s breath away. It was a very simple selfie of Luci grinning at the camera, holding up one of his ducks. It was a rather cute one with a top hat and monocle. He was still flushed from their dancing, blue eyes wide and sparkling. Without even thinking about it, Al moved his thumb over the download button and he saved the picture in his camera roll.

Well… he should reply, shouldn’t he?

Al paused after sending the message. Luci had promised him selfies. This was why Al had gotten a smartphone in the first place. He had just finally received his first selfie.

How many more could he get?

Three dots appeared at the bottom of the string. Al counted the number of seconds they were on. Eleven. Eleven seconds of abject terror.

This new selfie was… very nice, actually. It was Luci now winking at the camera and sticking his tongue out. The new duck he was holding had sunglasses and an Elvis-like hairstyle. It was also wrapped in a white jacket. Al saved that one too.

Now it was a selfie of Luci with puckered lips and staring a bit too innocently at the camera. Was this what a duck face was? It was a silly look on him. The duck he held up had a princess crown, wore a sparkling tutu, and held a microphone in hand. Again, that photo was saved.

Now it was just the upper half of Luci’s face, blue eyes turned upwards to the pirate duck sitting on his head. Al’s thumb moved on its own, happily saving this newest addition to his collection.

By the time the night was over, Al had over 50 new selfies in his photo album. The only reason Luci had stopped was because he had run out of ducks in his trailer. They had said good night to each other for real with Luci promising that he would run to his storage unit the next time he had a free day to introduce Al to more ducks. Al would have been lying if he said that he wasn’t more than looking forward to add even more shots of Luci’s face to his collection.

He really was a mess, wasn’t he?

It wasn’t until very late in the evening when Al was finally released from the set of Alastor’s Radio Tower, having spent the majority of the day filming the Welcome Home duet with Vincent. It took several takes; neither he nor Vincent flubbed any of their lines, but the director had wanted a very specific tone of voice for the song, which both of them had to adjust to. Not to mention, the practical effects involved with Alastor’s partial demon transformation also took more than a few hours to iron out, even with the assurance that CGI would be used to enhance the transformation in post. It was just his luck that the entire crew felt as passionately about having practical effects as he did; it made for excellent art in the end, but also many, many late nights.

“You didn’t know that when I tried this all before

My dreams were too hard to defend.”

That voice… it was coming from the sound stage. Al paused for a brief moment, noticing that the door was ajar. The lights were on inside, and there was clearly someone singing. Someone with a gentle, beautiful, truly angelic voice. He silently approached the open door, carefully peeking into the room so as to not disturb the singer.

“And in the end, I won’t lose it all again

Now you’re the only thing worth fighting for.”

Luci stood at the center of the sound stage, dressed in the King of Hell’s costume but without any makeup on. He looked absolutely radiant, with the outfit so nicely pressed that it emphasized his angelic features while simultaneously highlighting his devilishly good looks. He was all by himself, head tilted up as though singing for a stadium full of people. Deep, unbridled sadness twisted all over his face as he sang, a look that caused Al’s heart to stutter in his chest, a pressure building up in his throat.

“More than anything, more than anything

I’ll shelter and adore you more than anything.”

How was it possible for someone who had almost no professional singing training to be this talented? The way Luci’s voice gently curved through every crescendo, danced through every chord, was absolutely glorious. It was just as beautiful - no. It was even more beautiful than his audition day, when he had thoroughly impressed Al to the point where the actor had refused to play the Radio Demon unless Luci Magne played Lucifer across from him. This song was gentler, more loving than the one he had auditioned with. Al could practically hear Claire’s part harmonizing with him as Luci continued to sing.

“I’ve been dyin’ to find out who you are

Looks like the apple doesn’t fall far!

“Took you a while,” Al whispered, cringing a little as he sang. He really really hoped Luci didn’t hear. Judging from the lack of reaction, he thankfully didn’t.

“I’ve missed that smile.”

What was this feeling in his chest? It was a rather strange one, a sort of… possessiveness. A strange need to continue hearing this voice, to have it sing for him and him alone. That was impossible, of course; as celebrities, both he and Luci were all but owned by the public. The thought of private time was at best a fleeting fantasy. Oh, but that didn’t stop Al from fantasizing; he could ever only yearn for more.

“All I’m hopin’, now that my eyes are open

Is that we can start again, not be pulled apart again

‘Cause in the end, you are part of who I am.

I'll support your dream, whatever lies in store!”

Luci’s voice was a surprising one - alternating between gentle and powerful, able to croon out a ballad just as well as he could bust out a powerful chord. Al found himself completely rooted to the ground as the silent music swelled, as the singer at the center of the stage seemed to soar with the lyrics. Lucifer had wings in the show, didn't he? Al could practically see them now; six large, beautiful wings, swathed in red and white feathers to match the ringmaster’s uniform he wore.

“More than anything, more than anything!

I’m grateful you’re my daughter more than anything.

More than anything.”

As Luci’s voice faded into a gentle whisper, Al took that as his cue to leave. He… felt odd. Like there was simultaneously pressure keeping him down and air beneath his feet lifting him up. His heart was hammering too quick but at the same time too slow. His very skin felt both too hot and too cold. When he got into his trailer, the first thing he did was pull out his phone. He… needed to say something. Yes. He needed to say something to the man whose voice had squeezed his heart and made his soul soar.

Delete.

Delete.

Delete.

Delete.

Delete.

…

…

Delete.