Chapter Text
It was night when Lucifer woke from his sleep, splatters of rain thrumming against the huge glass windows Charlie had insisted on being in his room for a "better view" from the top floor. Grumbling, he rolled away from the window as if not facing it anymore would cease the sound.
His mind still felt dizzy, the kind of dizziness you get when you get woken up from a much needed beauty sleep. You'd think that all the rumours all the sinners bring down here about hell being a burning hot place, no water and fire everywhere would be true, but Lucifer found it's quite the opposite.
Heavy rain was a common occurrence, there rarely being any day where any non artificial light shone down on the place. In addition to that it was uncomfortably cold most of the days, not quite cold enough to call it freezing but enough for just one layer of clothing being too less to feel warm. He himself found the constant cold and the dampness of the air to be worse than heat, heat reminded him of the garden, of the warm and comfortable air, of Lilith and-
He brought one hand up from under the covers to pinch his eyebrows together. Yeah this night didn't look promising in terms of sleep anymore.
The splatter of rain still assaulting his ears, the King of hell rose from his bed, not quite as majestically as that sounded. He sat hunched over on the side of the mattress supporting his head with his arms while he waited for the feeling in his body to return.
A quick glance out the window told him it really was night, being able to see nothing besides the flashing lights of the pride rings city through the darkness. Was night in earth also this dark? Or would it be lighter? He remembered something from when the world was still in creation about a moon, a sun just at night, basically. Or that's what he thought it was, it's been a while since that time.
Enough with these pointless thoughts. Maybe he could go downstairs for a while, see if there's anything worth stealing for a midnight snack in the kitchen. Yeah, that sounded like a good plan. A new confidence with the new decision flowed through him and he showed a small smirk to absolutely no one besides maybe the shadows on his walls. As if it meant anything to the shadow of a nightstand.
Lucifer stood, stretching out and reviving his arms above his head. He let out a small grumble at the sleepiness of his actions but quickly moved on from that, mentally checking if he looked presentable enough to leave the room. As if anyone would even be up at this hour, he chuckled quietly.
He was wearing a pair of loose white pants that closed right over his ankles, paired with a light blue buttoned shirt with long sleeves.
After lazily closing the top button that had been open for coziness, and a swift run through his hair with a hand, he deemed himself good looking enough for no one but dark hallways and the kitchen.
Opening and closing the door to his room behind him, he scanned the dark hallway with his eyes for a moment. No sign of life, as expected, the only person having their room on the top floor besides himself was Alastor. He couldn't help an eye roll at the rather ... unfitting design choice. But Charlie had insisted it would be a good idea.
For reasons he cant make out.
Buuut, he wouldnt judge his daughter. So he started his way down the poorly lit corridor. On a back note he should've probably put on some shoes, the clacking of his hoofs on the wooden floor being very hard to avoid.
Lucifer passed Alastors room, was that door slightly ajar? Nah, definitely just looked like it in the shadows.
He made it downstairs fairly quickly, nobody stopping him to ask about something that didn't matter in the end, obviously. It was in the asscrack of dawn anyways.
He stopped on the staircase to the bottom floor. Was the light on in the entrance hall or was he seeing things? Suspicion creeping up his spine, he made extra sure he didn't make any noise on the way downstairs, the tiredness his body carried before seeming entirely forgotten now.
Finally around the corner from the main hall, he tilted his head around the corner carefully, and couldn't help his obvious confusion that came with it.
A few dull but warm lights had been lit around the hangout area, his eyes falling on a radio that stood on the small coffee table. Now that he saw the source, he noticed a faint melody hovering through the air. And lastly his eyes focused on the person sitting on the couch, drinking something out of a cup.
Obviously.
Because why not would he coincidentally meet the fucking Radio Demon at the ass crack of dawn in the hangout area.
He didn't seem to have noticed Lucifer yet though, an opportunity he used to observe the situation a bit more.
Alastor sat legs crossed in the middle of the couch, expression rather peaceful. His eyes were closed and the exaggerated smile he usually wore looked almost normal now. His ears were slightly tilted back Lucifer noticed, and couldn't think of a time he's seen that before. Another thing Lucifer hasn't seen before were to his surprise, a pair of hoofs. Not quite like his own, a lot more deer looking. They ended in two deep black hoof toes, which might just be a little bit more pointy than Lucifers, he observed after a quick glance down to his own hoofs.
He also wasn't quite used to seeing Alastor in such casual clothing. The man wore long dark pants, paired with a slightly see through white button up, and of course because full casual would be too underdressed for midnight, an armless red vest over it.
In a moment of carelessness, Lucifer tskd' at the ridiculousness of wearing a vest at night, and his cover was blown.
Alastors ears snapped forward the second the sound left his mouth and red eyes stared back at him in what could almost be called shock, that didn't linger long though as he recognized the person he was looking at.
Lucifer could feel a chill run up his spine, what was it called again? Deer in headlights? Haha.
Considering the situation fucked anyway, he stepped out of the shadows in the direction of the hangout area and only stopped when he was about 3 meters (10 feet) away from the couch Alastor still sat on, his stare didn't leave him for one step.
"So, uh.."
Lucifer started, awkwardly grinning with too much teeth at the situation, avoiding the obvious stare he was given at all cost. Scrambling for any words that made sense until his eyes landed on the window behind the radio demon. Rain splatters. Of course-
"...bad weather? Can't sleep?"
He dared a look at Alastors face, meeting with perplexed eyes and furrowed brows. He also seemed to have sat up a little straighter, why?
On a second note, why did it even matter? This was HIS daughters hotel and he could roam it freely as he wishes!
"I don't see how that would bother you."
Came the cold answer. Yeah, Lucifer didn't see why it would bother him either. The words sounded slightly less dipped in static than normal though, almost calmer, or tired. It made him wonder if Alastor controlled the static or if it was just always there. And he was welling in thought again.
Forcing himself back to reality, he noticed the demons eyes having traveled down his body, oh right. Hoofs. He didn't normally parade around the hotel without shoes on. But the observant look didn't last long and returned to his face again.
He felt awfully awkward, why? It's not like he was the one being weird and sitting in the hangout area at the middle of the night while drinking what appeared to be tea and listening to music, he was just here to get a snack! Oh right, he completely forgot about the music that's being played again.
With a quick glance at the radio, he noticed the current song would end soon enough, 48 seconds left. It sounded quite upturn, quite nice actually something about a showgirl, he picked up her name was Lola.
He was startled out of the short trance he got caught up in again as the radio demon put down the cup of tea he held and stood up from his sitting position. Carefully eyeing his movements, he watched as Alastor moved around the coffee table and held out a hand towards Lucifer.
A hand that, under closer inspection, had claws. Claws? Wasn't he supposed to resemble a deer? He had never noticed them before, blaming the red and black gloves Alastor normally wore. The Hand also ended in black, much like his fitting pair of hoofs. Another curious thing was the trail of also dark fur trailing from the back of his hand up to his elbow.
He was entirely caught up in his mind again by the time Alastors words, request, sounded through the hall.
"Care for a dance?"
Lucifers eyes quickly switched from the outreached hand back to the demons face.
What?
A Dance?
He hoped he looked as confused and shocked as he felt at the moment. What?
"A dance? What is this this?"
The reply came quick and ended in a quick laugh, not that he'd need to think about that much because it was an obvious no. But the hand remained unmoving in front of him.
Alastor rolled his eyes as if Lucifer was the one being unreasonable. Pfft.
"Just take it."
Lucifer would've been less confused if unicorns started appearing in hell. Was this some sick trick? Some twisted strategy? He couldn't help but be suspicious of the man in front of him, who wouldn't be?
But then he noticed the radio playing the last few tunes of the song about that Lola girl, and the static coming from Alastor increasing slightly. Seemed like he knew what song would come next.
Alright.
Lucifer reached for the hand in front of him and took it.
Why?
He did not have a clue.
He was probably sleep deprived. Gone mad. Lost his marbles even. Yeah that's it, deprived of sleep, not the tiniest flatter of excitement in his chest. Nuh uh.
Alastors smile widened as he began speaking.
"The song is called Masochism Tango."
Lucifer quickly took notice of the words, alright, a tango. He could do a tango. Wait - Masochism?
As soon as he took the hand, he was dragged away from the couches to the middle of the entrance hall. With a snap of Alastors not occupied hand, The music starting just now increased in volume. Not loud enough to wake the others, but loud enough for them to hear it a good distance away from the radio.
Lucifer frowned up to the demon, up. He hated that. But he just got a smile in return, of course. A smile he couldn't really decipher either. Excitement? Mockery? Mischief? His thought process was cut short as the next song started playing and he settled his hand on the back of the demons waist, again, just because that's how you do the tango.
Alastor took the lead as a few upturn violins started playing, Lucifer tried to focus on the others steps while also focusing on the song.
"I ache for the touch of your lips dear,-"
Didn't sound too bad.
"-but much more for the touch of your whips, dear."
Never mind.
He could just ignore the text and just focus on the instrumental note of the song then, which he had to admit, sounded quite nice.
For a second, he got caught up in the atmosphere. Holding eye contact with his dancing partner, because that's how tango works. No other reason. He took notice of the warm lights around them, the air swishing by them when the song demanded more dynamic steps. The tapping and clicking of both of their hoofs on the wooden floor. Then, Alastor misplaced his foot, causing Lucifer to trip and almost fall if it hadn't been for the hand around his waist and the hand holding his own.
An accident? A quick confused glance back to the other mans face told him otherwise. Mockery, clearly this time, the bastard was loving this.
"As we dance to the masochism tango."
Alright if that was what this is, he would be glad to play.
The tune played just as fast as before, and matching the speed were their steps. Lucifer smirked up to his dancing partner with a wicked expression, Alastor returned it just as extreme.
He let go of the demons waist as they spun to a particular enticing melody, making him successfully loose balance and take side steps that almost had him trip, but he recovered quickly and stood up to his full height again, his smile now getting close to a snarl as he stared down at Lucifer, who's chest almost exploded with pride at his success.
"My soul is on fire, It's aflame with desire."
His pride didnt last long as Alastor fought back for the lead again and the hand on Lucifers waist loosened once again, but this time the hand intertwined with the others was lifted above his head and his tango partner spun him in an old timey fashion.
It wasn't even an attempt at sabotage, but it took Lucifer off guard anyways. His heartrate started to match the speed of the melody as he didnt know if enjoyment or competition further rose, all tiredness forgotten as his body felt on fire.
He recovered, if sloppily, but he did and wasted no time to send Alastor the nastiest glare he could bring up at the moment.
"Your eyes cast a spell that bewitches,"
Lucifer already planned his next attack.
"The last time I needed twenty stitches."
This time Lucifer ripped the lead from Alastor before he could pull another move, much to the others disdain, as the music was temporarily interrupted by heavy static, but much to his own excitement.
He tightened his grip on the Radio demons waist, successfully pulling the taller man towards himself so that they were chest to chest, eye to eye, breath to breath, not that any of that would matter. Then, Lucifer simply bend them both towards the floor, forcing Alastor to stand in a risky backwards arch, the only thing stopping him from falling flat on his back being Lucifers thight grip.
For a second they held eye contact, Lucifer thinking he might actually see the angry flames all the sinners talked about in Alastors eyes, it made him smile in malice.
Then, Lucifer promptly let go of exactly that grip. Making his tango partner fall on his back with a thud, though he quickly prompted himself up with his arms, and took a second to muster Lucifer with a glare and a smile so aggressive it made his skin crawl. Yeah, look who's on the floor now. He smiled back mockingly.
"Bash in my brain, and make me scream with pain-"
Alastor no more than leaped back up from the wooden planks, throwing both his arms around Lucifers waist and leading the duet along the fast tune once again.
"Then kick me once again, and say we'll never part."
This time Lucifer wouldn't allow the other to recover, he planned. He'd instantly pull the next sabotage to their rhythmic steps and - wait, was that smell blood?
Now he was thrown off, distracted, had he dropped the other hard enough to cause injury? No, that was only a 3 feet drop. His mind was racing, so the next move took him completely off guard.
"Darling if you smell something burning, it's my heart."
Another purposeful misstep from Alastor, quite the step back from the previous sabotages, Lucifer barely took any time to recover. But his body was moving on auto pilot now, what was up with that smell? He let himself get lead through what sounded like the last few tunes of the song and took his time to observe the face above him.
Distracted, panicked, panicked? That was an expression he had never expected to see on Alastor of all people.
"Fracture my spine, and swear that you're mine,"
Lucifer didn't plan another attack, instead noticing the others steps had gone sloppy, his movements seemed a daze, nothing to be found of the former fury. He almost didn't notice the song slowly tuning out over the sound of his own heartbeat. The entire challenge they had going on being forgotten, replaced with, was that worry?
"As we dance to the Masochism Tango."
The song ended in a dramatic instrumental touch, making both of the still intertwined individuals stand still, heavy breaths from the fast movements hanging in the air.
He wanted to say something, but he quite literally didnt get the chance as Alastors body suddenly leaned into his own, and the Radio Demon, promptly fainted in his arms.