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Your parents had always told you that you’d burn in Hell one day. You never dreamed in a million years that they’d be right, or you’d find yourself as some strange demon at the ripe old age of 35.
Yet here you were, decades later, still kicking around in Hell and working as a secretary at the Princess of Hell’s hotel, her new project meant to redeem sinners.
Said sinners were an interesting bunch for sure.
Angel’s crudeness took some getting used to, but Cherri’s explosions made even his jokes feel tame. Nifty’s quirks kept you on your toes, while Vaggie and Alastor…well, you learned quickly to stay on their good sides for various reasons.
Working alongside Charlie was fun, as you got to offer ideas for the hotel and different activities and she always took your opinion very seriously. And Vaggie seemed interested in your different perspective, though it was hard to get a read on her sometimes.
Angel and Cherri were great to talk to about any drama you had encountered while in Hell, and you subsequently learned a little too much about their more extreme habits.
Husk was the best listener, though you tried not to talk his ear off too much. You’d worked for him back in his casino days, and if anyone deserved some peace and quiet, it was him.
You didn’t get to interact with Alastor a whole lot, but that was fine by you. And with Niffty, you listened to her stories about bugs and in return she didn’t try to bite you. So that was something.
Life in Hell wasn’t perfect, but it was steady. Predictable, even.
And then you met him.
Lucifer, the literal Devil himself.
He was cocky, proud, anxious, a dork and…Charlie’s dad. Not to mention the King of Hell.
You knew any hope of a love story was doomed from the start, from the moment your eyes met. Did his gaze linger longer on you than the others? Yes. But that could mean anything!
Besides, why would he want some sinner who had never even believed in his existence during their life on Earth?
So you kept quiet and stuck to the sidelines during the king’s first visit to the Hazbin Hotel. Content to catch a mere glimpse here and there in the weeks to come.
Even after the battle with Adam and the exorcists, your interactions were limited to a wave here, a smile there, maybe the occasional “how’s your day going?”
What you really loved was the few one-on-one conversations you got to have whenever he caught you alone in the lobby and had a few minutes to chat before he met up with Charlie. It was mostly about Charlie herself, the activities she had planned, occasionally switching to whatever rubber duck designs he was working on. But you listened to his every last word.
And you may have noticed how he had started to hang around the lobby more often, lingering even when you returned to whatever task you were working on. He had even started to come to the weekly dinner nights everyone in the hotel attended, his eyes focusing on you more often than not.
None of it was all that special, really, but you held onto every word, every interaction and glance, holding these memories close to your heart. Hoping that maybe he treasured them too.
You always had been a hopeless romantic, even as a human.
Hope was a rare commodity nowadays, something you reminded yourself of for the umpteeth time as you flipped through the accounting folder on your desk in the front lobby of the newly remodeled hotel.
With Lucifer now permanently residing there, the budget had increased a lot. Which gave you a lot more wiggle room when it came to ordering supplies. You could even afford to be greedy when picking between various brands, though you tried to stay away from anything related to the Vees.
Last time you had ordered an appliance made by Vox, Alastor had broken every glass with his high-pitched static.
As you debated on what to order next, you felt a shiver run down your spine. Like someone was watching you.
Head snapping up, you noticed Lucifer walking ever so slowly towards you, face devoid of his usual cocky grin and replaced with a nervous frown. The fallen angel kept glancing around the empty lobby, his hand twitching ever so slightly.
Something was wrong.
“Is everything alright, your majesty?” You asked hesitantly, wondering if maybe you should text Charlie to come talk to her father. After seeing them interact, she seemed like the only person in the hotel capable of calming the king down whenever he was feeling anxious or depressed.
Lucifer jolted, before clearing his throat and leaning on his apple cane stiffly.
“No. Yes! I mean, sorta. Fancy seeing you here…at your desk…where you work,” Lucifer trailed off, biting his lip as his face flushed gold with embarrassment.
“Did you need something, sir?” You asked, smiling as reassuringly as you could while trying to figure out what exactly had him feeling so nervous. Usually he only got this rattled when arguing with Alastor or having to deal with the press questioning his sudden reappearance after spending so long out of the public eye.
Lucifer groaned then slammed his hands down on your desk, knocking a few things with the force of his movement. He stared up at you with a determined gaze.
He was inches away from your face and you felt your face heat up as you stared back at him with wide eyes.
“Look, I keep seeing you around and we talk, kinda, but I feel like I don’t know that much about you. And I’d like to. Know about you, that is,” Lucifer said, rubbing the back of his neck as some of his previous determination faded. “If you want to.”
“I’m afraid I don’t understand, sire,” You replied quietly. He groaned and looked away from you, though he didn’t move away.
“No more ‘sires’, ‘sirs’, or ‘your majesties’. You’re starting to sound like, ugh, Alastor,” Lucifer gagged at his rival’s name and you couldn’t help the giggle that escaped from you. His eyes lit up at that and his lips tugged into a grin. “Gimme a chance and I’ll guarantee that I can make you laugh again.”
“Yeah?” You asked quietly, starting to catch on to what he was saying but still hesitant to believe it. There was no way he was trying to ask you out…right?
“Mmhmm. Devil’s honor and all that jazz, all you gotta do is let me take you on a date,” Lucifer smirked, and you felt your breath catch.
Well. Damn.
There was no misinterpreting him now.
“The Devil has honor, does he?”
Lucifer laughed in response and you melted a little.
“Surprising, I know, but I do indeed. So…is that a yes?” Lucifer asked quietly.
Maybe this wasn’t the best idea, especially considering this was technically your boss’ father. And you resolved to ask him later if she even knew about this.
But he had such a hopeful look in his eyes and a sweet smile on his face. How could you ever say no?
You smiled and nodded your head, hoping you didn’t seem too eager.
His grin got even bigger, if that was possible, and he pulled away from the desk. When he glanced down at the things he had knocked over, his smile turned sheepish as he picked them up.
“So, where did you want to go?” You asked, and he paused, as if he hadn’t had a chance to think about it.
“Uh, well, it’s…a surprise!” Lucifer exclaimed hurriedly, though the nervousness in his voice and the strained smile made you suspect he wasn’t quite sure of the destination either. “You’ll have to wait till tonight to find out. Just, um, dress nice like you always do. And I’ll meet you in the lobby, say, around 7?”
So that would give you about an hour and a half after work to get ready for…whatever Lucifer ended up deciding on. Should be easy enough to manage, especially if you get Angel or Cherri to help you out.
You feel a little giddy as he departs, almost in disbelief.
It was difficult to bite back a giggle when you spotted Lucifer fist pumping the air as he rounded the corner, a little cheer echoing in the lobby.
Tonight was going to be interesting.
“Are you sure you don’t wanna borrow one of my dresses?” Angel asked as he made some final adjustments to your hair. You glanced over at the options he had brought when you had asked him for help.
One dress was almost completely see-through, another was classy but way too short to feel comfortable, and the third was a bright shade of pink that didn’t go with the shade of your fur. (Something you were still getting used to having here in Hell).
You shook your head, smoothing down the outfit you had decided on. It was simple yet chic, something that flattered your figure while still being comfortable. The color was one of your favorites, and matched the pair of flats you had chosen.
Heels weren’t an option given you were already an inch or so taller than Lucifer, and you didn’t want to tower over him the entire night.
“Thank you for your help, Angel,” You said when he’d announced he was done.
“No problem. But I expect to hear all the deets tomorrow,” Angel smirked, and you felt your face flush and you waved him off, ignoring his cackling.
You were ready a whole fifteen minutes early and made your way down to the lobby, hoping to give yourself a chance to calm down by the time Lucifer arrived.
But instead, you found him pacing back and forth in front of the TV, seemingly oblivious to your presence. You supposed you should have guessed he’d be as nervous, if not more so, than you.
Despite his nerves, it was obvious he had put effort into his outfit. His top hat was gone, along with his coat, exchanging his striped vest for a gold one with red buttons that resembled apples. He had white slacks with gold and red embroidery entwined together that ran down the sides, resembling vines. Even his bow tie was different, now crimson red and made of satin. The only thing that remained of his usual look was his white button-up shirt and cane.
He looked good. Really good.
He truly was the embodiment of temptation.
With a deep breath, you stepped in front of where he was pacing, causing him to pause as he registered your presence, his eyes raking over you as he took in your appearance.
You preened a little under his attention, a golden blush covering his face as he gave you an adorable smile.
“You look stunning,” Lucifer’s voice was soft, reverent, and you couldn’t help smiling in return.
“So do you,” You replied quietly. His grin turned into a smirk, and you rolled your eyes in response. “Ready to tell me where we’re going?”
“Nope,” Lucifer snapped his fingers as he created a portal. “You’ll have to come with me to find out.”
With a flourishing bow, he held his hand out to you expectantly. You placed your hand in his, eyes widening as he kissed your palm before gently guiding you through the portal.
A rush of heat swept over you as you stepped through, letting out a small gasp at the sight in front of you as you dropped Lucifer’s hand.
A table covered in a deep red tablecloth held two wine glasses, an expensive looking bottle of red wine, and there was a white marble railing with fairy lights draped over it, the view letting you see all of Pentagram City.
You could hear piano music playing from…somewhere, and you quietly wondered if that was magic or a hidden speaker.
As you silently admired the set up, you failed to notice Lucifer staring at you anxiously until he cleared his throat to get your attention.
“So, I thought it’d be better to do something lowkey, where it was just the two of us without any spectators or anything,” Lucifer said, and it was then that you noticed how tense his shoulders were as he stood beside you awkwardly. “But we can also do something else if you don’t like it.”
“It’s lovely, Lucifer,” You said, hoping that would ease his nerves. It seemed to work, if the way his shoulders slumped and his face brightened were any indication. He pulled out a chair and waited till you had sat down to push it closer to the table, then took the other seat. “So what is this place?”
“My palace, of course,” Lucifer watched almost smugly as you took another look around, noticing minute details you hadn’t before.
The marble floor of what you gathered was a balcony that had specks of gold, and the french doors leading inside had golden knobs that reminded you of apples.
Definitely Lucifer’s design.
Still, the fact that you, a mere sinner, had been invited to the King’s palace suddenly made you worry that you were underdressed.
But then Lucier looked at you with such earnest eyes that you let your worries fade away as you resolved to focus on enjoying this night.
“Just tell me what you’re in the mood for and I can have my chef make it, no problem,” Lucifer said.
You ended up requesting a dish similar to something you had enjoyed during your life on Earth, a comfort dish that always made you feel at home. Lucifer decided to give it a try, and you two slowly began to talk and open up as you waited for the food to arrive.
It was the longest conversation the two of you had ever had before, and that was partially due to Lucifer’s tendency to ramble whenever talking about his daughter or—you guessed it—rubber ducks.
His creativity seemed to know no bounds, and he told you these stories of the different projects and ideas he had implemented throughout his years of ruling Hell. And while his confidence wavered at times but there were moments where you could see how he represented the Sin of Pride.
The only times he got truly quiet was when he mentioned his time in Heaven, skirting around any heavy topics.
You could understand that, could tell that he was still affected by what happened, so anytime his time as an angel came up, you were quick to change the topic, and he’d send you an appreciative grin each time.
Whenever you were the one talking, his focus was entirely on you, to the point where he had to snap his fingers to reheat his food multiple times as he’d forgotten all about his meal.
He was so attentive that you found it hard to look him in the eyes at times, not used to so much attention.
But it was kind of…nice.
“There’s no way your boss actually said that,” Lucifer laughed as you finished a story about one of your bosses from your previous life. They were a mix of a Karen and a dick, so you had enough outrageous stories to fill a book.
“They did!” You exclaimed, though your smile softened at your next statement. “It’s why I appreciate my job at the hotel. Charlie is by far the best boss I’ve ever had.”
And you meant it. Finding someone that optimistic and cheerful and just plain nice was really hard to find, especially here in Hell.
While you weren’t sure if you completely bought into the whole ‘redeeming sinners’ thing, Charlie had been so sincere when she introduced the idea that you couldn’t help but get swept up in her enthusiasm.
“Yeah, she’s really something,” Lucifer agreed, and his smile faded as he glanced away. “She’s got so much of her mother in her.”
Charlie’s mom. Lilith. Former Queen of Hell.
You’d known she would come up eventually, though you were surprised at how long it had taken.
“I see a lot of you in her too,” You said carefully, uncertain on whether or not Lucifer had been expecting a response. But if you two were going to have any chance at being in a relationship, you’d have to be able to handle conversations about her.
Even if it let a sinking feeling in your gut that told you Lucifer wasn’t quite over her yet.
“You both ramble when you’re either really excited or feeling nervous. She’s so imaginative, with her goals, her dreams,” You continued, thinking about that far-away look in her eyes when you’d been hired and she had first spoken about her vision of the hotel’s future. “And she fights for what she believes in. Treats people like…like they matter. Like what they have to say is worth listening to. Just like you.”
You felt your face heat up for the umpteenth time as Lucifer stared at you, mouth parted in shock as he looked at you like he could see into your very soul. Maybe he could, you didn’t know what all he was capable of.
But whatever he saw seemed to satisfy him as Lucifer smiled and reached his hand out to hold yours. He intertwined your fingers and you couldn’t focus on anything else except how perfectly your hand seemed to fit with his.
“Thank you, I, uh, didn’t know how much I needed to hear that,” He laughed sheepishly as he looked at you. “And, sorry. I’ve been out of the game for awhile but even I know not to mention an ex on the first date.”
“Don’t worry about it. She was in your life for so long, and she’s Charlie’s mom. It’s only natural that she’ll come up,” Your smile felt a little strained, and you could practically hear a voice in the back of your head that asked how you were supposed to compete with Lilith.
As if he could hear that same voice, Lucifer squeezed your hand and brushed his thumb against the back of your hand.
“Yeah, but I’d much rather get back to listening to you,” Lucifer stated firmly. “And I wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t ready to move on and be with someone else.”
His words soothed your doubts and the rest of the date was spent on more pleasant topics.
But unfortunately, all good things must come to an end and the time came for Lucifer to portal the two of you back to the hotel. He took you right to your door, and you struggled to figure out what to say.
He cleared his throat, looking everywhere but you as he spoke.
“I had a lotta fun tonight. And, uh, I hope you did too?” Lucifer asked hesitantly, and you nodded in response.
“Yeah, I had a good time,” You replied, then decided to take a leap of faith and asked the question you’d been dying to ask for half the night. “Are we gonna get to do it again?”
“Definitely,” Lucifer said with a cocky grin. “You won’t be getting rid of me that quickly.”
That giddy feeling from earlier returned and you could already tell that you’d be too excited to sleep that night.
“Great. Though I guess it’ll be my turn to plan the date.”
“I suppose so. Try not to feel too pressured, after all, a romantic dinner in a palace is pretty hard to beat,” Lucifer looked a little too smug for your taste, causing you to scoff in response.
“Is that a challenge, your majesty?” You crossed your arms as he huffed. “Because I can be pretty creative when it comes to romance.”
“I’ve got no doubts about your creativity. But!” Lucifer wagged his finger at you with a frown. “We discussed this earlier. No more sirs, sires, or-”
“Your majesties. I remember,” You giggled, then yawned despite yourself. Lucifer winced as he took a look at his watch.
“Heh, guess I did keep you out pretty late,” Lucifer said. “I’ll see you at breakfast tomorrow?”
You gave a quick nod in response, and then reached for your door handle.
“Goodnight, Lucifer.”
“Goodnight….” Lucifer looked disappointed, and you wondered for a moment if he was expecting you to invite him in when you heard him mutter under his breath. “Fuck it.”
He grabbed your hand and pulled you to him, wrapping his arms around you tightly.
Your face heated up at his close proximity, and you swore you must have turned even redder somehow when Lucifer gently tilted your head towards him.
“Goodnight kiss?”
You nodded shyly, and he smiled as your lips met for a brief moment. When he pulled away, he had a dopey grin on his face that seemed to mirror the one on your own face.
Lucifer slowly released you with a wink.
“Sorry, but you looked so pretty, I couldn’t help myself~”
“I already said yes to a second date, you don’t have to keep flattering me,” You said, though inwardly you were secretly pleased with the compliment.
“Just telling the truth,” Lucifer smiled as he gave a little bow. “I should let you get some rest now. Sleep well.”
“You too,” You whispered as he walked off, though he did turn around to flash you one more grin before he headed to his own room.
Once you had gone through your nightly routine, you’d curled up in bed with your favorite blanket and thought about the events of this night.
It was perfect.
Almost too perfect.
You sat up straight as you realized you’d hadn’t asked if Charlie knew.
Shit.