Chapter Text
Lucifer takes a few steps away from the front gates of the newly rebuild hotel of his daughter. The building was decorated with colorful neon signs, each one costumed to a member of the hotel, it was a special request Charlie spoke out to him and he was more than happy to fulfill his daughter's wishes. That's why there now are golden shimmering music notes along the roof for Charlie, Xes for her girlfriend Maggie... Chaggie? Something similar, he will figure it out eventually. Symbols of playing cards for the bar-tending cat and a neon pink heart just above the glowing hotel sign, for the spider demon. For himself he had formed the outside of his suite to look like an apple and he has to admit, he had outdone himself with that. Sadly the beauty of his own room gets a bit dimmed, he thinks to himself as his eyes dart to the opposite side of his apple tower. On the other side of the floor is Alastor's radio tower. It honestly wasn't hard to built, he just had to take the colors red and black and just had to form something unsymmetrical and unsettling looking. He added a few deer antler inspired antennas too, not in favor of the cannibalistic deer, noooooo, nooo, he just- he had to do something to make this monstrosity look less,... bad, it really is painful to look at that tower thing. He removes his gaze from the tower.
The next thing that catches his eye is the very eye-catching, very dominant and very bright huge copy of the signature key, with the name of the Hazbin Hotel above it and a giant pinkish eye looking down at him. Perhaps it was the size, or whatever magic spell he might have put on that thing, but it felt like the eye could pierce right through his body and look directly into the darkest depths of his soul, the parts that are now stained with his sins, as black as the merciless, cruel pit he had created with his act of disobedience, a decision that would haunt him for the rest of his immortality. It wouldn't be that farfetched to assume it might just do that. Looking into every Sinners soul the moment they step through the gates of the hotel and scanning for even a flicker of light in those souls, in hopes to eventually find one that has the potential to leave the burning hellfire behind and live for the rest of eternity in paradise... or whatever they call Heaven now a days.
Lucifer peels his gaze from the eye away, this is a staring contest he was doomed to loose, and makes his way back into the hotel lobby. By now he honestly forgot why he was outside at the first place, but a few calculated aimless steps through the hotel might remind him again what he is supposed to be doing.
The King pushes the main door slightly open, just enough so he can slip through without drawing any attention to him. There immediately, a mix of colours welcome him, mostly a dark crimson red and a warm glowy yellow, just like on the facade of the building.
The furniture in the lobby don‘t differ much from the ones in the old hotel before it got destroyed.
They tried to rebuild the lobby room like the original lobby, to honor their memory. At least that‘s what Charlie told him. The only difference one could make is that it looks cleaner, not like an abandoned building that someone chose to turn into a place to live. However he really doubts that will be something he‘ll get complaints about.
His gaze moves from the lobby furniture to the hotel bar. Unfortunately, rebuilding an exact copy of the old hotel lobby included the tacky bar that the deer demon, for some unknowns reason???, decided to place there. Right in the middle of the calming red and yellows is now a poisonous looking green. The colour reminded him of nails on a chalkboard.
The bar is staffed by the grumpy looking cat demon… Buck?
Eh probably not.
Buck, for the time being he will just call him Buck, is currently engaging in a conversation with the spider, he won’t even try to guess, while absently cleaning a glass with an old cloth.
It seems like they‘re enjoying themselves laughing and joking with each other. The spider demon was propping two of his elbows on top of the counter of the bar, while the second pair were just laying on top of the counter.
Lucifer isn‘t close enough to hear what they are talking about, but a few shards like '…so blind he… count bills' and the word 'boss' he is able to pick up.
Lucifer stayed a bit longer to look at the pair, something about them seems off, not particularly in a bad way, it more feels like there is something else he should be noticing.
As the time passed, Lucifer didn‘t seem to notice anything that would back up his feeling. He just pushed himself silently off the wall to continue his walk, when he notices Buck extending a hand towards the spider and laying it on top of the taller demon‘s. The spider isn‘t facing Lucifer, therefore he couldn’t see his expression, but he can see his back straightening slightly.
Buck‘s face he could see clearly, the edges of his mouth are lifted into a slight smile and his eyes cast a soft look to the spider.
Oh… Oh!
The situation has a certain familiarity and intimacy, that Lucifer doesn‘t want to interrupt with his presence.
With silent steps he exits the lobby room unnoticed and goes up the double staircase towards the first floor, where the group activities take place.
The first floor is solely for common rooms, there is a conference room, one for group therapy, an anti-wrath-room and many more Charlie had told him in an one breath ramble. There Sinners can gather and do activities together, what these activities are? No idea. He is not sure what Sinners do in their free time expect kill and fuck each other. And he is not really interested to find out anyway.
So… what now? he visited every interesting location, the rest of the floors are just guest rooms, expect the 13th where the staff lives and his plan to remember his reasoning to exit the hotel in the first place hasn‘t manifested itself in his mind yet.
Without much more to do, Lucifer begins to stroll from the staircase towards the elevator. With a bing the elevator arrives and Lucifer steps inside the well-lit box and presses the button leading the elevator to the 13th floor, or more like supposed to lead him there, the elevator doesn‘t move.
After a few, painfully silent moments where nothing happened, Lucifer presses the button again,… and again…… and again!
Just then he notices the little hole at the bottom of the control panel where a key is supposed to fit. Suddenly he faintly remembers Charlie handing him a key to access the floor, he just forgot where he put that thing…
He searched his pockets and every inch of his body, but nothing, the only thing he found was an old gum wrapper and a miniature duck. Great!
Lucifer scratches the idea to use the elevator and summons, with an annoyed sigh, a golden shimmering portal right inside the elevator. With flourished grace he steps through the portal that leads right into his room and closes it behind him with a snap of his fingers.
The curtains of his room are closed, still from his depressive episode earlier that day, so the room that is normally bright and funky, is immersed in a suffocating darkness. However Lucifer is neither motivated nor optimistic enough to change the atmosphere. With grinding steps, the King walks towards his bed.
With a plopp Lucifer lands face first in the soft cushion of his bed, the mattress dips under his weight, easing him into the comfortable cushion. He doesn’t even bother taking off his shoes, much less his attire he simply turns to lay on his back and stares with heavy eyes at the ceiling.
He doesn‘t know how long he laid there until he heard a faint knocking on the door. He ignored it at first, not having the energy to get out of his self pity or bed. However the person on the outside was insistent and knocked again, this time also calling through the door. It was Charlie.
„Dad, are you in there? Uhm, I don‘t want to bother you, but I just wanted to make sure you are okay, since you didn‘t join us for dinner. B-but if you are busy that‘s also fine. I’ll go“
The uncertainty and doubt in which Charlie‘s words were soused in hit Lucifer with full force, that she thinks she could ever bother him.
In a blink of an eye Lucifer shots up and is so quickly at the door he might just made a new world record.
Without a second thought he swung the door open and tried to plaster a smile on, but it probably seemed forced and looked crooked, given the fact his smile muscles are already hurting.
Charlie flinched when the door suddenly swung open behind her, just as she was about to leave. When she saw her father facing here a little smile lifted her edges, however her gaze was filled with concern, clearly edged in her golden eyes.
“Oh dad, hi!“ she greeted calmly „Is everything okay?“ she asked, her softer gaze easing Lucifers bristled nerves a bit.
The King clears his throat and tries to causally lean against the door frame „yeah, yeah everything‘s fine, Char Char. I just was working on some ducks and didn‘t hear you knock, that‘s all“ he brushed of with a wave of his hand. He knows he shouldn‘t lie to Charlie and he also doesn‘t want to, but he also doesn’t want her to know about his depression. She has already enough on her mind, Lucifer doesn‘t need to add to that list with his mental health that is literally hanging by a thread.
He physically could see the tension in his daughter’s shoulders fade and some of his own stiffness eased.
„I’m glad everything’s fine“ she says „Oh and did you get the washing powder? The dirty sheets are already pilling to the ceiling“ she adds curious.
Fuck.
Well at least now he knows why he went outside.
“Ugh right the- the powder. Well I just, you know. I just forgot to… I didn’t get it“ he confessed to Charlie and looked down to his feet to avoid meeting her gaze.
„Oh, that‘s fine I‘ll just ask Alastor to-"
„NO!“ Lucifer interrupts her and shots his head up again, so hard it cracked slightly. The princess looks at Lucifers with surprised startled eyes at him. He clears his throat, rubs his hurting neck and forces his body to relax.
„I mean no, it‘s fine I‘ll do it tomorrow I promise“ he stated
Charlie however still doesn‘t look so convinced „you sure?“ she asked disbelieving and squints her eyes slightly
„Yes, I am“ Lucifer assures with a confidence he doesn‘t have.
„Okay, Great“, Charlie says and claps in her hands. She was just about to turn around when she suddenly stops and turns back again „Oh, before I forget, we plan to do a movie night tomorrow, do you want to come too?“
No. He actually would rather do anything but that. But there was a certain hopeful shimmer behind those eyes, it reminds him of himself before his fall… ah better not dive into that topic.
He just can‘t bear it to be the reason this glimmer will dim, not again.
„yeah, sure. I‘d love to!“ he lies and forces his lips into at tight grin.
Charlie mirrors his smile with a wide grin of her own „Great! See you tomorrow then. Good night, dad!“ she waved enthusiastically before she walked away
„Night sweetie“ he mumbles back and watches her leave the hallway before he closes the door and slouches against it, covering his face with his hands and letting out a drawn out groan.
He already knows he will regret agreeing to this movie night. Maybe he will be able to stay in the background for the evening, it‘s not like he usually interacts with the guests of the hotel, so it won‘t be much different tomorrow, right?
With a sigh Lucifer pushes himself off the door and stalls over to the bed, this time taking off his shoes and top coat and hanging them on a clothing rail, before snapping his fingers to switch his clothes to his pyjamas, an oversized light blue shirt with a yellow rubber duck print and white shorts.
He plops back to bed and returns to his favourite activity, staring at the ceiling and questioning his existence.
Fun for the whole family!
…
He misses his family.
It‘s not like he isn‘t thankful for what he has now, having a connection with his daughter again was the best thing to ever happen! But… he still misses the times where they really were a family. A proper one. The time where Lilith wasn‘t gone, where he didn’t have anxiety that one wrong word would ruin everything and make Charlie hate him again.
It‘s just hard sometimes to think about the past and not miss what‘s long gone. Especially because Charlie doesn‘t deserve this family constellation.
sigh
Lucifer lifts his hand and lets it hover above his face, where the golden wedding band shines faintly in the dim light. A pang shot through his chest at the sight of it. He lets his hands drop to the side again and curls his body around an oversized duck plushy, hugging it like it was his lifeline.
His tails lashes out behind him and wraps itself around his leg, the tip of it soothingly stroking his thigh.
With a last longing look to the family portrait with Lilith, Charlie and him, all smiling and cheerful, Lucifer closes his eyes and lets sleep wash over him, pulling him out of consciousness and making him forget everything for a while.
end.