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Nimble fingers ghosted across the wood, briefly coming to rest against the volume button of the radio. Parade of the Wooden Soldiers crackled around him, a content smile tugging on the ends of Alastor’s mouth as he took in the chipper melody.
He was still wearing the apron Lucifer had - funnily enough - gifted him for Christmas the year prior. Already in need of replacement, Lucifer had jokingly mentioned about a month ago after a rather unfortunate incident with a bowl of flour having been kicked over during a game of chase between Razz and Dazz. Weeks later Alastor still found himself grumbling when he found any trace that resembled a cat’s paw left behind in flour.
He’d been spending his afternoon in the kitchen, a rather blissful moment to himself with merely the radio to keep him company. Or well, quiet if you ruled out the quiet snoring of the cats in front of the oven, having found themselves a spot to keep themselves warm during the cold winter months.
A hum fell from his lips as he briefly halted himself in his movements, his fingers dancing along as the musical piece concluded with a grand flourish, followed by some words from the presenter who wished his listeners a wonderful Christmas eve before he concluded his own show in haste.
Alastor chuckled softly, counting himself lucky that he had managed to get the day off. Not all were as lucky, especially not those who did not have a family or even just a partner awaiting them at home to celebrate the holidays with.
Jokes on them, for he did, even though said partner had been awfully insistent to flee the house to get some last minute decorations.
Ridiculous, for he could not even turn his head without being confronted by another branch of holly having been hung way too low for his liking. And yet, he could not deny the warm, fuzzy feeling nestling in his chest whenever he saw Lucifer darting around his house, focus painted on his face while claiming that one could simply never have enough Christmas decorations. Alastor liked to disagree, and yet he’d been more than happy to entertain Luce by buying him a lavish Christmas tree that had made the insides of his wallet shrivel up.
The glee on his face had been more than worth it.
Listening to how another festive tune started to fill the kitchen he checked on the roast goose before turning his attention back to the apple sauce on the stove, closing his eyes just briefly as he let the smell soothe whatever tension he had felt in his shoulders.
That, and two pairs of hands gently kneading into his clothed skin, allowing his smile to turn into a grin briefly.
“I did not hear you get back, mon cher,” he hummed softly, cracking open one eye to cast his gaze over his shoulder to catch a glimpse of those rosy cheeks, the outside cold still stuck to Lucifer’s alabaster skin.
“Well, no, you were obviously lost in your own thoughts again,” the intruder replied with a soft huff, crouching down to give Razz and Dazz a pat on the head before unceremoniously sitting down on the floor to follow their example and warm his hands in front of the oven.
“Smells nice.”
“I told you I was going to prepare you a roast.”
“Duck?”
“Goose, I’m not that much in the mood to torture you today.”
“Splendid,” Lucifer said with a content smile, pushing himself up from the floor. “My poor heart would have been broken otherwise.”
“Can not have that,” Alastor replied, his smile not faltering. “Did you find what you were looking for?”
His question was answered by a small pout forming on Lucifer’s lips, his eyes just briefly averted to the floor. A telltale sign that it was a big, resounding no.
“Sold out?”
“How should I know?” Came the other’s quiet whine. “It was so busy out there! Why do people not think about doing their purchases a little earlier? Not that I think it would have made any difference because what I was looking for still wasn’t there, but-”
He was cut off by gentle laughter slipping past Alastor’s lips as he bent forward just to press a featherlight kiss against his temple.
“Don’t forget, you are one of the ones who decided to venture out at the last minute.”
“But I-”
Alastor tutted, tipping his chin up so those blue eyes had no other choice than to look up at him. Oh, how Alastor loved the whirlwind of emotion within them, drawing another chuckle from his lips.
“Pour yourself a drink and sit down, I expect dinner will be done relatively soon.”
“But we don’t have-”
Again he was cut off by a knowing look on Alastor’s face, his eyes only briefly cast up towards a cabinet above the sink. Lucifer’s surprise slowly morphed into a sly grin.
“You didn’t?”
“No, I didn’t indeed, as a matter of fact. It was a present from Hugh.”
Without an ounce of patience in his body Lucifer turned himself around, half climbing up onto the sink to grab a bottle of whiskey from the cabinet. Prohibition had made it a lot more difficult to get one’s hands on such a treat, but Alastor had his contacts. And what were the holidays without a little drink before, and without a doubt after dinner?
“One for you as well?”
Alastor hummed, just bending forward to see how the goose was doing in the oven.
“I’d be hurt if you would skip me.”
“Wouldn’t do it on purpose,” Lucifer laughed, reaching for two of their more ornamented glasses, deeming it fitting for the occasion - something Alastor could not disagree with - and poured them both two fingers.
“I simply don’t want you to put the kitchen on fire because it could get to your head.”
“The trust you have in my cooking,” Alastor huffed, taking the glass from his hands. He took a moment, twirling its content with a lazy smile. The biting smell in his nose was welcoming, not to mention promising, letting the liquid warm his throat after taking the first sip.
“Dear old Husker outdid himself getting his hands on this one.”
A non-committal hum came from Lucifer’s direction, his attention already on the plates he had gathered in his arms. He almost danced back into their far too tiny dinner room, admittedly also one they’d only utilise during the few special occasions a year had to offer them. Otherwise the small wooden table in the kitchen did do just fine. Alastor quite enjoyed his morning coffee there with the soft sounds of the radio in the background.
There were times he’d liked to think he was a man with simple needs.
“Candles! oh bloody -” A groan sounded from the dining room, making Alastor shake his head. Turning off the fire from the stove he turned himself around towards the cabinet that Lucifer had left open after grabbing the plates, rummaging through one of the drawers.
“Over here, mon cher.”
“Oh!” Lucifer popped his head just around the corner, a soft blush creeping across his cheeks. “How did you kno-?”
“Because I saw you storing them there about a fortnight ago, although I am not surprised to see you have already forgotten about them,” Alastor said, slight amusement dancing through his voice. Taking the candles he held them out for Lucifer to take.
“I was… occupied,” Lucifer tried to argue, to which Alastor merely nodded his head, the same mirth now having reached the warm browns of his eyes. If anything, he prided himself in knowing the kind of scatterbrain his love could be.
Also, he just liked to be one step ahead during times like these.
With another sip from his whiskey and a little bit of patience waiting just long enough for the goose to cool down so he could cut it, Alastor finally started on plating everything, smiling as he once again felt a pair of arms curl around his waist.
“Is this okay?” Came Lucifer’s voice, muffled against the back of his shirt.
“As long as you do not drool, all is fine, darling.”
A groan. “I might already be drooling, it smells delicious.” Both dinner and Alastor, in this case.
Turning himself around, Alastor smiled, the small of his back pressed into the kitchen counter as he wrapped his arms around Lucifer’s shoulder. He just kept him pressed close to himself for a little bit, something Lucifer wouldn’t even dare miss a precious second of. It simply was not often that Alastor would feel comfortable enough being this close, and Lucifer knew to take whatever his lover could offer him.
As for Alastor, looking down at that blissful expression on Lucifer’s face, it was more than enough to melt his stiff demeanor just a little, even though he was quick to break the spell, earning a soft whine from Lucifer before he reluctantly pulled back.
“I do not wish for your meal to get cold, mon cher.”
“Yes, yes,” with a small pout Lucifer reached up, straightening the collar of Alastor’s shirt before he cast his eyes up with a wicked glint that had Alastor narrow his own.
“Don’t you-”
“You’d already be more than enough of a meal for me,” he cackled, jumping back with an overly exaggerated wink that made Alastor roll his eyes.
“Dinner table, now.”
“Yes, sir,” Lucifer laughed, grabbing both their glasses before darting off, leaving Alastor in the kitchen with a warm feeling pooling in his stomach.
Dazz mewled, making Alastor raise an eyebrow at the cat.
“Not a word,” he huffed before grabbing both plates and joining his lover in the dining room.
“Darling, I can not even see the other end of the table.” With one raised eyebrow he put down both plates - or tried to, at least, with the already small table being covered with what he already dreaded, more holly. Not the most hygienic, but even his little comment did not seem to dim the gleeful look in Lucifer’s eyes.
“It’s Christmas, Al, come ooon-” he whined softly, reaching out to grab the other’s hand. Alastor merely opened it, letting Lucifer trail the soft indents with his thumb as he sat himself down.
“Which is exactly why I am holding myself back from grabbing any matches and making us a cosy little fire in the hearth.”
"Tonight! I promise, you can do so tonight, but now-”
“Now we eat?”
“Almost,” Lucifer grinned, letting go of his partner’s hand and shoving his chair back.
“I’m not praying, if that is what you-”
“Oh dear God, no,” Lucifer laughed, briefly taken aback. “No, no, I would not even dare ask that of you, you should know that by now. No, I-”
Alastor raised an eyebrow as he watched Lucifer duck himself under the table for just a split second, emerging with a large box in his hand, neatly wrapped.
“I had to!”
“You…”
“Why did you think I had to go out today? You really bought my excuse of getting more decorations when the house is already brimming with them?” Lucifer asked him with a victorious smile dancing on his lips.
“Well, I…” Alastor - for once in his life - sounded baffled, looking from the box back at Lucifer. Yes, he’d actually believed his lover when he had whined about there not having been enough baubles in the tree.
But this? He’d specifically said an evening together like this was already more than enough of a gift to him. Not many were this lucky, he knew that only all too well.
“Well, what are you waiting for? Open it!”
Cleaning his hands on the napkin in his lap, Alastor reached for the box, looking at it a little hesitant.
“No little devil will jump out, I promise,” Lucifer laughed.
An almost inaudible chuckle left Alastor as he carefully took the ribbon from the box, swallowing the sound as opening the lid revealed to him a brand new RCA 44 Ribbon Microphone, only just new on the market (but one he’d been eyeing ever since rumours of a revolutionary new model had reached the recording world).
Lucifer moved a little uneasy on his chair, never being one to appreciate silence.
“Is it not the… right one?”
“Not the right one?” Disbelief coated Alastor’s voice. “Mon cher, it is almost impossible to get your hands on one. How did y-?”
Relief washed over Lucifer’s face, his shoulders raised in a simple shrug.
“You have your connections, I have mine. I just really wanted to get you something special,” he started explaining, seemingly very eager to explain in detail how he had managed to have a cousin of a friend who had connections, but before he could even launch himself into the full story, Alastor had already pushed himself up from his chair, the microphone forgotten as he slid his fingers under Lucifer’s chin, a kiss pressed against his lips before he could even utter another word.
“It’s perfect, mon cher. You are perfect .”