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Lucifer was sitting on Alastor's lap completely naked, extremely happy, and even laughing. He hasn't been drinking, but he felt like he's drunk. In a good way.
"Al! What is it, huh?"
He slightly poked the demon's pointed nose with his finger so accurately that he sneezed. They were literally fighting in bed for the last half an hour, playfully biting, chatting, joking, and everything was coming to a logical ending. Lucifer moved his hips, slyly squinting like a cat, watching his lover's reaction.
"That's enough!" Alastor growled and finally knocked His Majesty to one side, pinning him to the bed and shutting him up with a kiss.
That's how it should have always been. It felt so good, it felt so right, and it brought inexplicable happiness. Lucifer sincerely loved and felt loved, and here, on a soft blanket, on Alstor's fluffy lap, he could completely relax. Lose himself in pure admiration.
When the kisses moved from the lips to the neck, and from the neck to the collarbones, Lucifer closed his eyes in relief, moving his hands to the red fluffy hair. Silky and soft.
Alastor's lips suddenly stopped near one of the ribs.
"Did you forget what we're doing, dummy?" Luci laughed and tried to press Alastor's face against his body, holding him by his ears. He tried hard, but Al resisted.
"Stop it." He said gruffly, his ears twitching towards the closed door. He turned towards the sound that only he could hear and caught it, listening intently.
"What happened?" Lucifer asked irritably, as if he didn't notice the level of tension. He had no time for the shy deer, and if it was just Niffty running in the hall, then…
"Charlie is calling you."
"What?.."
He felt cold sweat on his back. It's the middle of the night, everyone was either sleeping or having sex...
"Charlie is looking for you in the hallway right now." Alastor got off him, grunting with displeasure, and sat on his heels (or rather, on his hooves). The whole atmosphere was gone, the former playful mood instantly disappeared.
"Well, is she all right?" Lucifer put his hand to his forehead, hoping that this was the case.
"She has such a voice," Alastor's ears got upright again. "She's looking for you, and she doesn't sound very happy."
"Oh-my-God, oh-my-God!" Lucifer literally tumbled out of bed and picked up his pajamas from the floor, wide plaid pants and a stretched duck T—shirt.
He looked at Alastor, feeling the worst amount of guilt. Demon just shrugged his shoulders. Lucifer didn't have any time or nerve to deal with it. He was torn between Alastor and his daughter, but of course Charlie was more important. And Alastor understood that very well.
"I see how you're looking at me. I'm not offended, Luci. I promise."
"Thank you, dear. I'm sorry I turned you on and now..."
"It's okay. I can take care of myself, and your child can't, so go."
"You're amazing..." Lucifer couldn't help it, so he came up to his lover and kissed him one last time.
"I know, thank you very much."
"If I don't come back in half an hour, don't worry. I might stay with Charlie until morning if something serious happened."
"Okay. Good luck."
Lucifer stormed out the door. He had never run down the spiral stairs so fast, and by the time he reached the last step, his head was spinning. He braced his hand against the wall, trying to catch his breath, and as soon as weakness let go, he rushed forward.
"Charlie, honey?" He called out as loudly as possible. No one answered him, just a faint echo from the ceiling.
No sign of any passion in his body remained, Lucifer had completely cooled down. There was no one and nothing more important to him, than Charlie. If his daughter was fine, he could have held back a little, but after Alastor's words that she was not okay, he couldn't help but run away. Their relationship with Alastor was dear to Lucifer, but Charlie always came first. The wound with Lilith was still open for her, and he didn't want to hurt her even more.
He walked a little further, opened several huge doors... When they rebuilt the hotel, all the rooms became wider and taller. The rows of arched windows on the left let the rays of moonlight into the hall. Lucifer ran and ran, even letting out his tail because of stress, so it helped him keep his balance.
"Charlie?" Lucifer called timidly, opening the last door on the floor. He was already out of breath, and his heart was pounding like crazy because of anxiety.
"Dad!" She bumped into him, seemingly out of nowhere, with a loud cry. She threw herself into his arms, shaking slightly.
Lucifer hugged her like she was the most precious treasure in the world, and his heart finally skipped a beat. She is with him, close, safe, there's nothing to worry about. For some reason, Charlie pulled away very soon, as if she was ashamed of herself. She clasped her hands in front of her, looking like she had done something wrong. She was also in her pajamas, sleepy, and... crying?
"Char-Char, what happened?" He took her hands, and they turned out to be cold as ice, so he tried to rub them, warm up.
"Nothing serious, sorry..." Charlie really tried to pull a smile, but looked away. She couldn't hide her trembling lower lip or bitten off nails from her father's gaze. Her hands didn't get any warmer. Lucifer had known Charlie since she was born. He would definitely notice any and every small sign.
"Hey, look at me, please."
He gently took her by the chin and turned her head. When their eyes met, Charlie's eyes glistened, filling with tears. Her lower lip trembled.
"Oh-h-h, sweetie, what is it?" He pulled her closer, hugging tightly, trying to shield her from the whole world.
"I had a nightmare," she whispered haltingly. "I tried to find you, but I couldn't, and I woke up, and you're nowhere to find…"
"I'm so sorry, I heard you and came as soon as I could. I'm here now, sweetheart. It was just a bad dream..." Lucifer released one pair of wings, hugging Charlie with them, trying to compensate for his height.
"You're not going anywhere, are you, Dad?"
"Of course not!" He pulled back and looked at her with all seriousness. "I will never, ever leave you, no matter what. I just found you... And I'm your dad, and you are my daughter, how can I leave you?"
"Then why did Mom leave?.."
Oh fuck. Finita. Goodbye.
Lucifer himself was looking for an answer to this question. He accepted their divorce, he and Lilith had become annoyed with each other, so they figured out it would be the only way out. Their daughter has grown up, and so have they. They were the closest, and at the same time the most distant at the dawn of their relationship.
No one knew them better than they knew each other.
But things happen.
They just fell out of love.
He understood Lilith's reluctance to see him, but when he found out that she had disappeared without even saying goodbye to Charlie, resentment and anger settled inside. He didn't give a damn about his feelings, he was an adult, he could handle it. Lucifer had no parents, as such, he had been on his own since the creation of the world (well, he had siblings and later he had a wife, but he always took care of someone and didn't have a childhood). Charlie was attached to her family, she couldn't be deprived of it. With Lilith gone, so did her carefree childhood. Something broke inside her.
And Lucifer will never forgive Lilith for that.
Lucifer never talked to Charlie about it. It was awkward for him, it was his own fault that they almost stopped communicating after their divorce with Lilith. After helping Charlie with moving out, she just wanted to fulfill her dreams. His wife disappeared, and he withdrew into himself. He couldn't start dating anyone in Hell, as everyone knew him. Where is the guarantee that a relationship with him will be based on love, and not on the desire to get to his powers? Becoming the Queen or second King of Hell sounds nice to say the least.
They had a great time, but it's gone. Why pour salt on the wounds?
But now, how could he answer this childishly innocent, fair question? "Why did Mom leave?" was still ringing in Charlie's head after almost ten years. Lucifer didn't know why. And he didn't want to know. Because one answer was worse than the other.
"I don't know, honey," he replied, "Honestly, I have no idea. I'm sorry about what happened, it's unfair. But I can guarantee that you won't lose me."
He hugged her again, stroking her back, and the wings gently hugged her from behind. Charlie wasn't crying, but Lucifer felt that she was like a bare wire: a little more and she would short out. He had to calm her down somehow. Lucifer hoped that the old ways would work, so, as soon as possible, figuring out where they could lie down, he said: "Let's move somewhere more comfortable."
He opened the portal with a snap of his fingers and pulled Charlie with him. They ended up in his room, next to the bed. Thanks to Niffty, there wasn't a speck of dust here. Lucifer had already forgotten what his room looked like, as he had moved in with Alastor.… But he pretended that everything was perfectly familiar.
He quickly examined the bed, checked on Charlie, who was sniffling sadly, and gently patted her back.
"Come on!" He swiftly pulled off the bedspread and lifted the downy soft blanket. "Here you go."
Charlie wiped her tears with the back of her hand, lay down under the blanket, moved to the middle and became quiet, as if all her limbs had become several times heavier. Lucifer followed right behind. Several candles lit in the room. Lucifer settled himself more comfortably and pulled daughter closer, placing her head on his lap.
"How are you, honey?" He gently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Working a lot?"
"Maybe even too much..." She nodded, hiccupping. Lucifer could feel her heartbeat gradually calming down, but that was just the beginning.
"This won't do..." He conjured a bottle of water with a straw and brought it to Charlie's lips. She took a few sips. "That's better."
The bottle disappeared the same way it appeared. Lucifer bent down and kissed Charlie on the forehead. She squeezed her eyes shut, feeling safe and protected, and the kiss seemed to gradually ease the headache.
"Are you having trouble sleeping?"
"Sometimes. Vaggie sleeps soundly, but I don't. I rarely wake up from nightmares, but this one… It was too real."
"I'm so sorry, sweetie. As soon as you start falling asleep, tell me, I'll do some magic stuff to make it easier. No nightmares."
He tucked her in.
"Dad?"
"Yeah, kiddo?" Old nickname echoed in his head, as he smiled. Charlie is his kid. And the realization of this made him feel happy every single time.
"Do you know where mom is now?"
"How would I know that? Dear, your mother ran away. It's fair to say that she left us, and I didn't know she could do that. If I had known, I would have taken you under my wing and not let you get hurt ever."
He would never have said it, but he always thought about it.
"No, I don't. Sorry, dear."
"Do you miss her?"
"Sometimes."
It was true. He didn't need sex with Lilith anymore, he didn't need kisses or romance at all. Yes, he used to love her, and loved her more than anything, but it was over. Besides, every good story begins at the end of the previous one: Lucifer found Alastor.
Alastor did not look up at him, did not see The Devil in him, and enjoyed mocking him, playing with fire. For the first time in centuries, someone put themselves on the same level as him without any fear. Lucifer was charmed by such boldness.
It's fair to say that they found each other.
And despite all this, yes, he was terribly sad after losing Lilith. After the breakup, he still left a joint account with her and Charlie in the Hell's bank, she lived entirely at his expense, and he did not see this as a problem. He'd like to go out to dinner with her, have a chat, tell her about what Charlie was up to. Ask her how she's doing. Was she going to Earth, as she once wanted to, or was she still building her own residence in Hell?.. He wanted to do all that, but after she suddenly disappeared, he wasn't so sure anymore.
"Hey, I know that we usually don't talk about such messy things..."
Lucifer suddenly felt the full weight of responsibility that now rested on him as a single parent. It was hard for him to speak about feeling out loud. But after beginning his relationship with Alastor, he saw how important it actually is. If he wanted to try and build a new life, he had to break old habits. Including the habit of pretending that nothing is happening.
"But. Please don't blame yourself for Mom leaving. I know that my words won't do much, you are unlikely to immediately let go of this situation, but try not to upset yourself with thoughts and ideas. Mom left, and it's her decision, it's not your fault. I love you, and I can't imagine any reason to leave you. Again, as I said, you are my kid, and I will always take care of you, no matter what. And if that's enough to calm only one half of your soul, then at least let it be so."
Charlie looked at him as if she had never seen him before. Lucifer, not yet realizing what effect this monologue had, unconsciously examined her features. She got her height after Lilith. Also lashes and eye shape. But the color of her eyes, hair, pink cheeks, even the curls near ears she got from him. During the fight with Adam, he found out that her horns and tail were exactly like his own, but Charlie didn't have wings. Although, who knows…
In general, Lucifer decided to himself that Charlie was mostly his copy. A charming copy, he must say.
"Dad, I love you." Charlie whispered, and pressed her face against his stomach, just like she did when she was little.
"Oh, honey…" Tears welled up in Lucifer's eyes. He stroked Charlie’s head. "I love you too."
They lay there hugging for a while, just listening to each other's heartbeats and breathing in the silence of the night. When Charlie pulled away again a bit later, her gaze had already cleared, and she didn't look so upset. Just very tired.
"Can we stay like this a little longer, or do you need to go?"
"It's okay, don't worry. If you want, you can stay here till morning."
"I’m not sure if I’m not too old for such a thing…" Despite her own words, she lay down again, making herself comfortable.
"You will never be too old for me, dear. You are my child, and you will always be."
Lucifer yawned, baring his fangs. Charlie repeated after him.
"So?"
"I’ll stay."
"Wonderful."
He reached for the duck-shaped night light, flipped the switch, and it became dark. Charlie turned around a little, getting comfortable next to Lucifer, lying under his arm. He leaned back on the pillow, sinking a little lower, and put another pillow under his other arm.
But something was missing. Twirling his little finger in the air, Luci conjured twinkling gold stars above the bed. Charlie's gaze went straight to them.
"Do you remember when you were little, I used to make swans for you? I liked ducks, but you always asked for swans." Lucifer said in a whisper.
Charlie nodded, smiling at the memories, so he moved his hands to create two golden swans: an adult one and a baby one. Big swan lifted its wing, sheltering the baby. They flew up to the stars, circling small enchanted planets and galaxies.
"I'm tired."
"Close your eyes, sweetheart."
Lucifer was tired too, but he gathered all his willpower to concentrate on healing Charlie. She was already breathing calmly, lying on his chest, when the stars began to melt. Luci's hands moved over his daughter's head, as if touching something solid. He haven't tried to bring someone a good dream for a very long time. There was a beautiful pond, green trees and a flock of ducks. A red deer and a small lamb appeared out of nowhere. They stood side by side, fluffy and soft, Charlie could touch them in her sleep.
While she was falling asleep, Lucifer quietly hummed a lullaby that he sang to her when she was just a baby.
Night will pass and coming morning, oh, so bright…
I know happiness awaits us…
Night will pass and so will times unfortunate…
Sunrise will come…
When Lucifer finished the magic, he immediately leaned back against the pillows, feeling a little exhausted. Charlie was finally safe, he could rest. He wanted to sleep, but something wouldn't let him go. Suddenly, the darkness in the corner of the room took shape. A toothy smile and red pupils, then a familiar figure. Not in a coat, not in a shirt, just... in pajamas. Alastor, smiling without any mockery, bent over his partner, looking at what position he was in.
Lucifer smiled sweetly and with the last of his strength lit a small light above his head. Just so that Charlie's outline could be seen. Alastor didn't say anything, just raised one eyebrow questioningly. Even if his smile wasn't sewn to his face forcibly, he would be smiling without any magic stitches. Lucifer caught his sincere smiles, and had even learned to distinguish them. What was Alastor thinkin? Could he consider him cute in this state? Did he understand what a father-daughter bond is?
"I'm staying here…" Lucifer whispered, covering Charlie's ears with his hands. "She needs me. Sorry, love."
"Then I guess I'll stay here too!" Alastor declared, to which he received a surprised look.
"Look, I love you very much, really, but I can't let you stay in bed with me tonight."
"Who said that I’ll be in bed?"
A comfortable large armchair appeared next to the bed. Alastor sat in it, holding his usual straight posture. Lucifer raised an eyebrow questioningly, although he was already very sleepy.
"Do you even feel comfortable like this?" He asked doubtfully.
"Don’t you worry, I wouldn’t stay if I weren’t. And it’s not about physical comfort anyway, darling."
He held out his hand to Lucifer, palm up. Luci, admiring such a gallant gesture, accepted the offer, and fell asleep holding Alastor's hand.
Yes, he will miss Lilith and the happy moments in their family life. But now it was a sin to complain when his loved one turned out to have accepted not only him, but also his child. Even though that child was twice as old as Alastor, mentally she was still tiny.
Fuck Lilith. Fuck the problems she's put on Lucifer's shoulders. He has a lot that he could only dream of before, so why not just enjoy it?
And Charlie still pretended to be asleep.