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The first thing Alastor noticed when he walked through the door to his suite that night was that there was now a small kitchenette tucked neatly in the far corner of the room.
Which was… curious , considering they had a perfectly fine kitchen on the first floor that he had made sure was equipped with all the bells and whistles imaginable for one to whip up a hearty, tasty meal.
Cooking was one of his great loves, afterall, and if he was more of the generous sort, he might have approached Charlie about teaching a class for the hotel’s residents. It would be a good opportunity, he thought, for them to develop important skills of not only camaraderie but also independence.
Yes…it was truly a shame he wasn’t nicer.
The Radio Demon raised a brow as he made his way into the room, the sound of his steps eaten up by the plush carpet as his hands moved to unbutton his jacket.
“Darling?” He called as his eyes swept across their furnishings, looking for his petite partner.
Because who else could have simply summoned a whole kitchen out of nowhere?
“Oh!” A voice replied from the bayou. Alastor’s gaze snapped towards the trees and as Lucifer stepped out from behind the trunk of the largest tree, wiping his hands on a dishtowel, the kitchen was forgotten entirely .
Because the King was dressed to the nines, wearing a suit of pure white with shimmering gold stitching, a little snake emblem embroidered onto his breast pocket, his long pristine slacks leading down to white ankle boots that had been polished to perfection, shining brightly as they caught the light in the room.
And well, the sinner couldn’t help but stare . His partner had always been the most gorgeous being in all of creation, and even after these last few years together, he still managed to take the demon’s breath away.
“You’re just in time!” The angel exclaimed as he hurried to meet Alastor as the demon was shrugging out of his jacket, folding it in half and carefully laying it over the back of his armchair.
“Just in time for…what, exactly?”
The reply came in the form of a sheepish smile, the King looking back towards the bayou.
“Why don’t you…find out for yourself?”
With a chuckle, he inclined his head a tad, watching as his partner lit up immediately and led him back towards the water, the noises of the hotel slowly fading out the further they went, and replaced by the comforting, steady noise of crickets chirping and water babbling.
And as they approached the tree that Lucifer had popped out from behind, the sinner’s insides began to churn, though he couldn’t say why , to be honest.
It was just that…he loved his partner deeply, with all of his blackened heart.
And being treated by him…well, it always made him feel this way.
Butterflies in the stomach, so to speak.
It wasn’t a bad feeling. But he…could never quite explain it.
When the pair rounded around the trunk, it took all of Alastor’s willpower to not let his jaw drop right off his head.
All at once, the kitchen in the room now made sense.
Because there, sitting amongst the grass, was his small breakfast table with a pretty lace tablecloth set on top. And spread out across the surface were two place settings and a few covered dishes.
The sinner’s wide eyes shot to Lucifer, who was gazing at his work with a muted sort for pride, a soft smile on his face, his hands resting on his hips.
“Welcome home,” the angel said to him. “Dinner’s ready.”
“Well, I hardly seem dressed for the occasion,” Alastor teased without missing a beat, motioning to his normal, everyday outfit. But Lucifer grinned at him, a mischievous but knowing grin that told the sinner that he'd also planned for that.
“I thought you might say that,” he joked back, raising his arm into the air, snapping his fingers dramatically.
Around his body, the Radio Demon felt his clothes begin to shift and change and he looked down into the water near his now-polished shoes, watching as the shirt around his waist pulled in a bit to become more fitted , a brand new jacket appearing on his back—black this time, with tiny red pinstripes. The color of his normal bowtie faded into a pretty apple-red that matched the angel’s, and his hair pulled itself back into a ponytail of its own accord.
Well, the King had certainly outdone himself.
“Damn,” Lucifer breathed, and Alastor looked back up, regarding his partner’s now love-sick expression with amusement. “Why don’t we skip dinner and I could just stare at you all night instead?”
The sinner chuckled, shaking his head in faux exasperation before closing the distance between them and leaning down to press his lips to the King’s forehead.
“And waste a perfectly good meal?” He asked as he stood straight again, gingerly poking the other man on the nose. “I think not.”
The angel rolled his eyes, though a new grin tugged at the corners of his lips.
“Fine, fine,” he conceded. “But at least let me—” He rushed around to the demon’s other side, pulling out the wrought-iron chair that was tucked under the table.
Alastor huffed another laugh, but accepted the gesture, flipping his coattails out as he slid into the seat, Lucifer gently pushing it back in under him.
“Thank you,” he acknowledged demurely with a slight incline of his head as the King sat in his own chair.
The Radio Demon proceeded to lean onto the table on his elbows, resting his chin atop steepled fingers as he watched the angel open the lids of various dishes—all of the sinner’s favorites, he noticed quickly.
And though he had never seen his partner cook before…they all smelled amazing and perfectly on point —as the kids say these days.
“You made me dinner,” Alastor began, his eyes scouring the table before narrowing towards the other man, his suspicion rising. “What did you do?”
Lucifer clicked his tongue with a soft groan and a roll of his eyes as he reached for a serving spoon and began plating up each dish.
“Can’t a guy make his partner dinner every once in a while?”
The demon tilted his head, shooting the King a look.
“You’ve never made me dinner before.”
The angel huffed a sharp breath out of his nose, his lips pursing together.
“Well maybe I want to change that.”
Those words made the sinner’s heart flutter in his chest, and for once, he didn’t have a jab prepared to send back at him—even if it was all in good fun.
And as Lucifer set a pretty china plate in front of Alastor, he sighed, his shoulders slumping just a bit, his eyes fixated on the large pot of jambalaya.
“Al, I…I know I’m not exactly the best of companions,” he began again. “I know that I’m not easy , and that I have a lot of baggage.”
The Radio Demon opened his mouth to argue, but the King held up one hand to stop him.
“Please, let me finish.” Finally, the angel raised his eyes to the sinner, a soft smile blooming across his face. “And I just—I may not be the best of cooks out there.” He chuckled quietly. “I certainly could never match up to you in that regard but I…just wanted to say thank you , Alastor. For…for always being there, by my side. It must have been difficult at times but you…you never gave up on me.”
“But—” Lucifer cleared his throat, a golden flush spreading across his cheeks. “But anyway…I hope it’s…okay. It’s been a long time since I’ve actually cooked something.”
Alastor hummed, swiping his napkin from the table and primly setting it down on his lap.
“You know,” he began slowly, picking up his fork next. “My mother always said that you can always tell the difference between food that simply followed the recipe and food made with heart .”
He dipped the utensil into the rice and lifted it to his mouth. He was quiet for several seconds as he chewed, making sure he truly savored the dish, the one that had been so carefully crafted for him.
And God damn , he should take his mother’s advice more often.
Because this? I tasted just like hers.
Across from him, the King sat with bated breath, staring unblinkingly at him, his fingers curled into the tablecloth.
A fond smile pulled at Alastor’s mouth and he set the fork down again.
“She would be right.”
Lucifer’s breath audibly caught, his eyes becoming glassy, the water filling them sparkling prettily in the dancing lights of the fireflies floating around them.
“And loving you, mon amour ?” The sinner paused, reaching for the angel’s hand, squeezing it gently as he gazed into his partner’s eyes, his brows dipping. “Is the easiest thing I have ever done.”