Archive of Our Own ^beta

“I’d rather not,” said Alastor over his lunch of freshly shot deer splattered in a wine glaze and roasted potatoes – the vegetable added by Lucifer, who insisted he needed to add other variations of food to his meal.  

“Oh, please! It will be so fun! We have a new ride I haven’t tested yet,” replied Lucifer.  

“Don’t you own the place?”  

Lucifer shrugged his shoulders. “Yeah, but I don’t manage the day-to-day. They send me papers, I look them over, and I approve or don’t.”  

 Alastor took another bite of his meal. “Go with Charlie. She’ll have more fun.”  

“She’s coming too! As well as Vaggi.”  

“Sounds like a family affair.” He rolled his eyes, trying to avoid the puppy dog pout Lucifer attempted to use against him. “I’m not family.”  

“But you’re my boyfriend.” The coo in Lucifer's voice churned Alastor’s stomach. He’d become too weak against the King of Hell, and he hated himself for it.  

“How about I make you a deal?”  

“No!” Lucifer slid his chair back, holding his hands against his chest protectively. “Last time you did that, you tricked me into doing that thing in bed.” In unison, they both blushed happily. “No deals.”  

“Then a promise. I don’t go to Lulu World, and you can do that thing you want me to do in bed.” He took a large bite of meat to empathize.  

Lucifer swallowed, contemplating it, but regretfully stuck to his guns. “I prefer Lulu World. Please Alastor! Do I need to beg on my knees?”  

“I do rather like you on your knees.”  

“Stop it!” Lucifer pointed his finger at Alastor’s nose.   

Alastor moved Lucifer's finger with the back of his hand, but twisted to intertwine their fingers. “Why are you being so persistent?”  

“Because…” Lucifer looked away, bashful and stumbling to find the words. “I wanna show you off.”  

Alastor raised an eye, baffled. Begrudgingly, he sighed and blinked slowly. “Fine… but you must promise me not to…”  

“Wonderful!” Lucifer bolted to his feet, interrupting Alastor. He slipped out of Alastor’s hand and ran for the door, swinging it open and yelling across the halls. “Charlie, he said yes! Order those matching shirts!”  

Alastor’s eye twitched, ears falling back. He already regretted everything.  

Much to Alastor’s surprise, the one most excited to be at Lulu World was Vaggi. She was dressed from head to toe in apple-printed leggings, an A-line short skirt, and a top. Her hair was held back by a bow with an apple pendant, and a headband with an apple at the center, with Lucifer’s signature top hat.   

Her hand was locked with her newlywed’s, Charlie, who was also wearing white and red themed clothing with the same matching headband. Their arms were swinging side to side, humming happily as Lucifer spoke with the personal guide about something.   

Alastor, on the other hand, was far beyond matching the Morningstars. He sported a deep burgundy button-down, a short-sleeved buttoned-up top loose to show off some of the chest fur (a request by Lucifer), a pair of comfortable ankle boots, and a set of knee-length shorts (another request from Lucifer). He held a parasol while sporting a large set of red-tinted sunglasses. Most of all, he was wearing a grimace of disbelief that he allowed himself to be present.   

“Do you think we can ride the Blood Logs? I wanna get soaked!” Vaggi screamed while bouncing on her feet, for once acting more like Charlie than herself.   

Much to Alastor's disapproval, he would later learn the ride did not involve actual blood. “How long do we plan on being here?” he asked, eyes wandering around as sinners and hellborn alike were entering and gawking at the group. Apparently, it was rare for Lucifer to come to his own theme park, and many were already making a fuss about his appearance.   

“All day,” replied Charlie, the glint of joy on her smile giving away the agony of hours that were bound to come his way.   

Lucifer returned to the group, their tour guide --- a poor little imp named Daniel --- behind him. He sheepishly looked up to Alastor, nervous at the presence of the Overlord, very well knowing the reputation he had garnered. “Daniel is going to be helping us walk around and stuff, but I am in charge,” Lucifer announced. “I am going to show you everything there is to know. Now, on your phones, you should have the interactive maps and up-to-date wait times, and we will be making sure to hit every corner of the park.” He held his hand back, and Daniel placed a pamphlet in his hand. He then handed it to Alastor. “And for you, a paper map.”  

It was the little things the devil did that made Alastor tug a real smile against the edge of his lips. He opened the map and looked at the obnoxiously large theme park and wondered exactly what he was going to do.   

“Let's get started by walking down Main Street and toward Cannibal Town.”   

Alastor's eye perked up. “Lu, did you base the park on Pentagram City? Each of these lands is the same subsections.”   

“You bet! Figured it would make the layouts easier. Although the vibe is more to how it looked in the 1940s and not modern, so don't expect to see anything Vee related in Entertainment Land.”   

That sentence alone made Alastor smile wider. “Lovely.”   

Lucifer laughed and took Alastor's hand as they walked under the golden archway that led to the entrance of the park. Alastor had to give it to Lucifer; it was rather beautiful for Hell, with the pearl marble buildings towering in spikes and glittering in blueish and iridescent bricks and doors leading into various shops, a café, a candy shop, and some quick-service restaurants. The aroma of the coffee was calling to Alastor, and his ears were twitching in wanting.   

Leave it to Lucifer to notice. “Daniel, some coffee --- one black with three pumps of blood and one glitter confection rainbow with extra whipped cream and sprinkles and five pumps of cake syrup.”  The imp scurried away as the couple continued.   

They halted when Vaggi began screaming in a cheerful delight that Alastor's ears fell back from the screech. “It's Lulu!” She yanked Charlie around the crowd, leaving only a blur in their wake.   

“Lulu? But you're right here,” said Alastor.   

Lucifer laughed into his free hand. “She's screaming about our mascot, Lulu.” He pointed to a giant apple with similar circular pink cheeks and a top hat like Lucifer's, except his smile was smaller and more child-like, with bright eyes that shone under the red sky.   

“I see… and nothing at all based on you, I assume?”   

“Nope.” Lucifer kept laughing. “Give me some credit, deer. It's my park, and I am proud of it.”  

“Being pride-less is the last way I would ever describe you.” He snickered as Lucifer scowled at him.  

In moments, the coffee arrived, and Alastor nearly fainted at the aroma of the cup and the exquisite taste of the blood mixed within. “I guess this isn’t so bad,” he remarked, watching Vaggi asking for the mascot's autograph and the girls basically having a photoshoot with him.   

Lucifer couldn't hold back his radiant smile, something lurking in the back of the joy that Alastor couldn't completely read, but gave it little attention. Instead, he quietly enjoyed his coffee on a bench beside Lucifer. Daniel did him the favor of holding the parasol as they held hands and watched Vaggi and Charlie act like small children before preparing to move on.   

Unbeknownst to Alastor, but that quiet moment would be the last second; everything would go according to Lucifer's plan.  

It would take another fifteen minutes for them to finally move on. Lucifer was giddy, a joy so pure, Alastor only saw the glow of the once angel of creation basking in the work he had accomplished. Various hellborns and sinners were looking their way, but after the five years together, Alastor barely paid them much attention. Being with Lucifer meant more eyes would plant themselves onto him, and, while irritated, he would remind himself that it also meant everyone knew the Overlord was attached to the most powerful creature in all of Hell.   

Sure — Lucifer couldn’t exactly harm sinners, but now he had the most powerful Overlord locked on his arms, and that was enough to balance them out.   

It was easy, admittedly, to be with Lucifer. He was like a child that had simple needs but was adult enough to pick up small nuances and hints of the aspects Alastor barely allowed anyone to see. In return, Alastor would adoringly follow the tiny devil’s needs when it wasn’t against his own desires. This is what he told himself repeatedly as they wandered the theme park and begrudgingly accepted the millions of little facts escaping Lucifer’s mouth.   

“And over there is the famous statue of Lulu and me, where we symbolize the beginning of the theme park and its creation. Around the plaza, I have statues to represent each of the Sins and our previous positions in the circus.” He pointed around the circular central park in front of the replica of his castle, showing off the golden statues of each Sin, posed as if mid-performance in the circus.   

Alastor tilted his head at the Asmodeus one, noting something covered in a cloth. Lucifer nodded his head, excitedly. “We are adding a Fizzy statue as a dedication to their union. I also have plans to add Yogirt near Satan, but he keeps insisting they aren’t a couple… as if he could hide that from me.”   

“You hid us for nearly two years,” Alastor remarked.   

“Yeah, well, we were different. I didn’t want to get anyone’s hopes up at first since the whole… um…” He coughed into his hand, ignoring his own words. “Oh, let’s head to the ride! Vaggi is nearly running there.”   

He was fortunate that the statement was true. Poor Daniel was running behind the happy newlyweds, begging them to slow down so he could do his job properly. Alastor shook his head, clenching Lucifer’s hand and holding him back from darting. “I am not running. We will catch up.”   

Lucifer blinked as he processed, but caved into the request, squeezing Alastor’s hand in agreement.   

Eventually, they arrived, seeing a large black mountain with what appeared to be a log flume ride with saws, knives, and flowing red liquid. The sight alone made Alastor smile, already liking the concept of the ride. “Ready to get on?” asked Lucifer.   

Of course, he was; why wouldn’t Alastor enjoy this innocent little ride? He was an all-mighty Overlord, and his body had been flung around in battle. There was nothing that could scare him. Plus, being drenched in blood was par the course for him. Nothing he wasn’t used to.   

Daniel escorted them to the back entrance and directly to the front of the line. Being connected to the royal family had its benefits, and Alastor was never going to complain about the all-star treatment. He sat down, legs wrapped around Lucifer’s in the tight log, and the employee reminded them to put on their seatbelts and to hold onto the rails on the side. The second the log drifted off the loading dock, Vaggi was screaming with her hands in the air. It was then he noticed Vaggi and Charlie were wearing a poncho, and he shook his head at the fear they seemingly had of some blood.   

He squeezed his legs against Lucifer’s sides, and the devil returned a smile as the log started to go up the lift.  

Alastor should have taken the small drop as a hint of what was to come. It wasn’t the fake saws barely missing his head or the animatronics that were, in part, painting an image of cannibals that even Alastor found rather distasteful (he had to remind himself that it was only in the recent decade that Lucifer didn’t completely and adamantly hate sinners), nor the song that reminded him far too much of the records Rosie made him play on his radio when he used to be owned by her.   

No… it was that even the smallest drop in the whole ride soaked all of his bottom, made worse when he realized it was water with red food coloring. When he tried to ask Lucifer why there was a lack of actual blood, the log fell once again, and the water was beginning to rise to his ankles.   

“Lu…” he whispered, mildly irritated already and realizing how he should have taken a cue from the girls in front of him.   

There was a small fact about Alastor, he did not often speak, and only Lucifer and Niffty knew the full extent of it — Alastor disliked being wet (well, with water at least).   

Baths were often coerced with the promise of personal grooming afterward by the hands of Lucifer. It was one of the demands of their relationship. Alastor would promise to take more baths to smell less like the bayou, and Lucifer would make sure all of Alastor’s fur was completely dried and groomed properly. If there was one aspect of Hell that remained a punishment, it was covering his body in head-to-toe fur that took hours to naturally dry yet easily carried the scent of anything he lingered near for too long.   

Leave it to Alastor to realize far too late that this ride was about to not only soak all of his fur, but the clothes attached to his body and the boots on his hooves. “Lu…” he growled within clasped lips as the log reached the peak and plummeted down at a speed much to Alastor’s disdain.   

The girls were giggling, happily dry underneath their ponchos as Lucifer pushed back his hair and splashed the red water all over Alastor’s face by accident. When they departed the ride, each got off cheerfully until Lucifer turned to take Alastor’s hand and realized his grave mistake. In complete and utter horror, Alastor’s fur was drooping, ears far back, and hair completely over his face — covered in red stained water.   

“Hehe… Al?” Lucifer swallowed the lump in his throat and took Alastor’s hand to help him out. The smell of wet deer covered the space between them.   

“Towel…” was all Alastor could say, and the pair walked out of the exit hallway, stopped in front of a set of television screens, and Daniel approached with the requested towel. Before Alastor could take it, Lucifer snatched it from the imp and immediately began to dry his annoyed boyfriend.   

“Sorry, Al… I should have gotten raincoats. Next time, okay?”   

“Next time… there will never be a next time.” He moved his face closer to Lucifer’s, eye ticking with radio dials. “You are so lucky I lo…”   

Lucifer grinned nervously. “I love you too… let’s look at our picture, and then I’ll snap you dry. Okay?”   

Grumpy, Alastor followed, towel draped over his ears, impatient to get to the magical drying portion of the day done with, but reluctantly looked at the various monitors. There was a glitch over his own face and body in the on-ride photo of the four. Vaggi with her arms up high, Charlie embracing her from behind, Lucifer screaming in fanatical horror, and Alastor — wet.   

“Papa,” Charlie said toward Alastor, calling her this title only a few months before on the day of her wedding. “Will there ever be a moment we can get one single clear picture of you?”   

Alastor groaned. “You already have one.”   

“Fine… I guess.” She rolled her eyes, holding back a laugh, and went to the counter to order the image.   

“You could spare her another one,” said Lucifer as the girls vanished.   

“My wedding gift to her was one picture, and she got it.”   

“Yes… and I absolutely adore the family portrait of us four, but one from today wouldn’t hurt.”   

“Why? To remember how wet I am?”   

Lucifer couldn’t help but laugh lightly. “Just to remember today…” Something about the way he had said that final word twisted in Alastor’s chest. He wasn’t able to address it, but Lucifer took his hand and dragged him away, informing the girls they were going to the back and drying off.   

Once alone, in a bathroom normally meant for employees, Lucifer helped Alastor strip off his clothing and snapped it dry on a hanger floating in the air. Once that was done, he clasped his hands together until they were radiating heat, and he smoothed his hands over Alastor’s fur, beginning to dry him off. There was a lingering silence, and one Alastor didn’t fully understand why. This was normal for them, yet the awkwardness in the air was pestering his mind.   

As Lucifer’s hand reached Alastor’s chest, the Radio Demon took the warm right hand and held it tightly. “Lu… what are you thinking?”   

Lucifer blinked, befuddled, but snagged Alastor’s gaze and held it tenderly. “I just want you to have fun…” he confessed, innocent in its nature.  

It was a lie, but Alastor often told small lies to ease the monarch. “I am… just a hiccup is all.”   

Lucifer lightly nodded his head, slid away his hand, and continued to dry Alastor — that silence returning and growing in its tension.   

After what felt like two hours of shopping and a few more milder rides like The Haunted Mansion (which Lucifer kept insisting he came up with the idea when someone named Walt Disney had summoned him to Earth to help create his theme park), Clown Maze (honestly, why Lucifer loved clowns and jesters was beyond his comprehension and it wasn’t completely his fault he punched one in the face forcing the ride to shut down to fix the animatronics), Apple Spinners (Lucifer should have known that spinning the demon was a bad idea and that offering some highly sugary confection afterward was not the solution to his vomiting), and Mirror of Pride (this one was fine, all things considering), the couples settled into a circus tent to watch a performance.   

The way Lucifer was holding a bag of bug-covered cotton candy and munching on a candy apple made Alastor a tad sick, but it was likely since every stop they made for food was nothing short of sweets. While he pondered it, he couldn’t recall seeing any form of savory treats outside of the coffee he had had upon entry, and his stomach was growling with the need for substance.   

He would make it a point to request some food once this show was over.   

Peacefully, Alastor sighed, watching as the crowd of people entered, and he waited to see what would happen next. Once Lucifer finished his apple, he reached over to take Alastor’s hand and smiled. “I think you’re going to like the show. It's the same show that the Sins and I used to perform, but now others do it. Some changes over time, but overall, the same thing. Man… I used to love being a ringleader, but the imp they got really looks a bit like me, and he does a great job.”   

“Mon ange, I would adore to see you perform once more. You speak so highly of those days, yet you never revisit them. I never gave up my broadcast; perhaps returning to some showmanship is in order.”   

Lucifer’s eyes were dazzled, bewildered by the man before him. “You-you want to see me perform?”   

“Of course. Why wouldn’t I?” It was silly of Lucifer to ask such a question. Alastor enjoyed a good performance. During their many years of dating, Lucifer would come into the radio tower to see Alastor do a broadcast. They often went on dates in various districts to see performances, from concerts to the theater. It was one of their favorite activities because of their joint love for entertainment, yet somehow Alastor had failed at showing how much he genuinely wanted to see Lucifer perform.   

“I just figured…”   

“Well, you figured wrong.” He lifted Lucifer’s hand and kissed it, somehow causing the girls to giggle in delight — which was, frankly, uncommon of them. They had seen such small gestures of affection before, yet today, it was responded to with such amusement. Alastor decided to ignore it.   

“Thanks, Al… I don’t know how you always do that.”   

“Do what?” The light shut off, and the room began to hush.   

Before the spotlight glowed in the center of the ring, Lucifer leaned closer to Alastor to whisper, “Ease me.”   

Alastor smiled, so gently he was happy only Lucifer could witness it in the dark. While they were open and not hiding their relationship, there were still a few things Alastor was never comfortable doing — kissing his boyfriend on the lips in front of such a crowd was one of them, but the sparing darkness offered him a moment, and he took it, pressing his lips firmly on Lucifer’s and nearly moaning before the spotlight flicked on.   

Lucifer remained stunned as the light illuminated the room, and he nearly lost grip of where they were, but the ringleader announcing the start of the circus snapped him back to the present, and he languidly turned to watch the show.  

However, his hands remained locked on Alastor’s with a golden blush across his face.   

That was, until something on the stage happened and Alastor found himself with a spotlight directly on him. “Shit…” Lucifer muttered under his breath, regretfully. “Daniel… Daniel!” he tried to whisper yell, but it was too late.   

Various clowns climbed up the banisters and yanked Alastor off his seat. Their fingers slipped away, as if begging the other to save their life, but the clowns had won, and Alastor was dragged to a chair and given two sticks. “Let’s all cheer!” shouted the ring leader, and the crowd went wild, except for an apologetic Lucifer.   

Everything around Alastor moved at a quickened yet slow pace. The words being muttered around him were like static, unrecognizable yet somehow still loud and annoying. He didn’t know what to do as his mind mixed various scenarios that involved him eating everyone on stage, but then he remembered Lucifer and Charlie would not approve of such behavior. Instead, he decided to try to scare them away, but it was too late.  

The crowd was in an uproar, led by Charlie and Vaggi, as they chanted Alastor’s name. The clowns lit the sticks on fire, the green burning brighter and higher with every passing second. Alastor could barely move as what seemed like a werebear riding a mini motorbike started to circle him, and the music played in the background.   

“Jump! Jump! Jump! Jump!” the crowd repeated, watching with wonderment as the werebear set himself up behind a ramp heading directly toward Alastor.   

“Lucifer!” he shouted as the roar of the engine kicked up and the motorbike came hurtling toward him. In a blink, the werebear and his bike were flying above, shooting toward the terrified Radio Demon holding two flaming sticks of hellfire.   

This is what second death must feel like, and he wondered if he would change anything from his afterlife.   

His eyes wandered to the crowd, locking with Lucifer’s, who was pleading forgiveness between hidden fingers while gnawing at his shirt. The werebear nearly made it out when the engine suddenly stopped, and the animal plummeted down, directly on top of Alastor.   

There was a gasp and then a hush as everyone sat at the edge of their seat, waiting for something to happen. “Dad…” Charlie whispered in concern, reaching out to take Lucifer’s hand.   

“He’s gonna kill me…”   

The tent was evaluated after the hellfire somehow blasted up to the ceiling — not somehow, but when Alastor exploded and grew into his monstrous form and reached over to eat the unsuspecting werebear. Lucifer was already writing the check to the owner of the creature as the fire department scrambled to control the fire.   

The bellowing smoke reached up to the crimson sky as Charlie and Vaggi stood on opposite sides of Alastor, waiting for the cue to give the awestruck sinner some comfort. Trying to be helpful, Charlie reached out to the edges of Alastor’s hair, which was smoking, and stopped a new flame from starting by pressing it between her fingers. “Papa, don’t be too mad. That wasn’t what Dad had requested. They got it wrong.’   

His eye twitched, and his jaw shook in response.   

Eventually, Daniel and Lucifer returned to the group, and the imp took Charlie and Vaggi away so that Lucifer could be alone with Alastor. “Haha, don’t you worry, Al, I got that guy fired for not listening to my request… nothing to worry about, right?” The chattering of his grin gave away the uneasiness of the matter and how horrified he was, waiting for a response from his partner.   

“I… need… you… to… listen… carefully,” he finally replied. In one swift movement, he pulled Lucifer closer by the shirt and yanked their faces to touch, “I am very close to walking away from this whole event. Do you understand? If you ever do something like that to me again, I will murder you. Don’t act like I can’t!”   

Lucifer held up his hands in surrender. “Yep! Roger! Right-o! Fully understood.” It wasn’t so much the threat to his life — even if Alastor had learned the one way Lucifer could be killed — It was the unspoken threat that he would consider leaving him that worried the devil.   

“Good.” Alastor let him go and pulled out his parasol to cover the blazing sun over his head and plopped on his glasses. “I need food. Now!”   

Lucifer nodded his head and called down Daniel to take them around to the different snack booths to get something to eat.  

There was just one small problem, and that was nothing, nothing, that which was served to them was anything short of sweet. The tolerance Alastor had for Lucifer’s angelic appetite instinct was already short, but being forced to eat nothing but sweets was irritating and intolerable. Alastor’s stomach was already angry, growling with a natural instinct to eat someone — anyone.  

He was trying to behave, after all, everyone in the park with either paying or working for Lucifer, but when Daniel held up the worm churros and, after one bite, Alastor realized the worm was in gummy shape, he’d nearly reached his breaking point.   

Something about the little imp was tempting. The fresh and plump hellborn meat would do well to quench his starvation. He did enjoy his meat raw, and there would be little harm in taking just one teeny tiny bite.  

He opened his mouth at the outstretched hand of the imp with a hunger covering his features that immediately brought upon a terror across his face. “Sir…” he whispered, curling inward as Alastor got closer.   

Feverishly, Alastor grabbed his wrist, tossed the churro to the ground, and unhinged his jaw, but was suddenly stopped by Lucifer. “Deer, it’s time to try the new ride! Come on!”   

In complete relief, Daniel fell to his knees as the frustrated and famished Alastor was dragged away.   

“Sir,” asked Vaggi, stopping at a fence boarding up a section of the park. “Was this where the Garden of Eden ride used to be?”   

“Hahaha! What - no, let’s move on! Shall we!” He tried to push Vaggi away while also hauling around his decaying boyfriend.   

“What are you hiding, Lucifer?” he said, the irritation in his voice pungent and grizzled with disdain.   

“Nothing… nothing at all…” He tried to keep moving, but then Alastor’s shadow wrapped around his waist and hoisted him to the sky.   

“My patience with you is very thin, so I demand you tell me.”   

Lucifer limped his body, giving in to the request. Alastor slowly placed him down and crossed his arms as he waited for a response. “We are shutting down the ride, so it really doesn’t matter anymore and…”   

“Tell me.” The vibration of the nearby speakers was enough to make Lucifer realize how much he was pushing his luck.   

“It was a love tunnel type ride called Garden of Eden… it was a ride taking you through a love story.” He tried to smile innocently but sank into himself when Alastor narrowed his eyes, waiting for him to finish. “The love story of Lilith and me.”   

Charlie snatched Vaggi with Daniel, leaving without another word. Remaining alone, in front of the fence, the two stared at each other in complete silence, barely moving.   

Then Alastor pivoted and turned away from Lucifer. “Whatever…”  

That whatever was a dagger directly to Lucifer’s heart. He chased after his man, reaching to take his hand and squeeze it. “But that’s why it's gone! We don’t need it anymore.”   

“Okay.”   

“Come on, Al! You can’t be mad at me for something in my past. We’ve talked about this and still…”   

“It’s fine.”   

The jaggedness of his response was anything but fine. It was a sore topic between them, the eternal love Lucifer would carry for Lilith. While it was clear their romantic relationship was over, Alastor was always reminded of the legacy they made together and how he could never compete with a woman such as Lilith, and that he was always the second choice.   

There was no reasonable universe that would allow Alastor to accept that Lucifer’s love was eternal.   

Still, he didn’t pull his hand away. The pathetic look on Lucifer’s face was enough to guilt the demon into secret submission. Damn it… He loved this man more than he could ever comprehend. Never in his life and afterlife did he think he could ever open up to someone and allow them into his fortress. What made it worse was so many had tried to tear down the wall, crumble or destroy it brick by brick, but it was Lucifer who’d finally done with — holding a key to his blackened heart.   

He squeezed Lucifer’s hand to reassure him as they walked toward a large replica of the Tower of Judgement from Heaven. They stopped when they reached the others, the tension easy to read, but no one dared bring it up. “This is the new ride, The Fall,” said Daniel.  

“The Fall? Lucifer… is this a ride based on your punishment?”   

“Yep,” he said mildly cheerfully, but still worried.   

“Why, in this realm, would you make a ride based on the most devastating day of your life?”   

Lucifer shrugged his shoulders, looking around everywhere but at Alastor. “I thought it was a funny idea. Plus, Charlie and everyone at the hotel have helped me move on… You especially… with making me see that it is something to not be ashamed of and to accept the place that I rightfully deserve to be.”   

Daniel escorted them into the ride, and, moments before they boarded, Alastor made a small comment, “You get rid of the Garden, and you accept your fall… interesting…”   

They strapped on their seatbelts, and Lucifer grabbed Alastor’s hand. He kissed it, pointedly on his left ring finger. Before he could say anything, the ride began and started to go up like an elevator.   

Much like getting wet, Alastor was not fond of flying. It wasn’t so much the height as he was prone to increasing the size of his body or using his tendrils of shadows to elevate him off the ground. But that was the thing — there was still a part of him touching the ground.   

He remembered the first time Lucifer took him for a fly and how he’d whimpered openly for the first time, hands clenched so tightly on Lucifer that he started to tremble and nearly fainted. It was from that point forward that they had an unspoken agreement that Lucifer was to fly with Alastor only during an emergency situation, which, in Hell, had happened a few times.   

Still, for the most part, Alastor was rather good at handling tall structures, heights, and such, but the second the elevator shaft started to float away from the track, Alastor began to worry. “Lu… It's called The Fall?”   

“Yeah… I thought we established this,” he whispered to not disrupt the fun of the others. The cart started to float around different rooms, showing the story of Lucifer making free will, releasing it, and his court hearing afterward.   

“It falls… I presume?”   

“It's in the name.” He squeezed Alastor’s hand as the cart started to float higher up.  

“And this floating business is an illusion, right? The fall is controlled by secret mechanisms?” His heart was pounding, sweat pooling on his skin, and slowly dripping down as he tried to keep a brave face.   

“What? No! Then the experience wouldn’t be real. We designed the ride to have magical mechanics, so we are actually flying, and when we get to the part of the fall, it's, well, a free fall…” It was then that Lucifer put the pieces together. “Shit! Al, I forgot… I…”  

Vaggi and Charlie put their hands up as the cart moved into the final scene where Lucifer was cast judgment and given his punishment. A door swung open, showing off the Pentagram moon and the orb of Heaven — far closer than Alastor had ever seen it before.   

“Please tell me that is a projection and not the real thing…”   

Lucifer swallowed loudly and tried to get closer to Alastor. “You know what… after this… once we are home… how about I let you butcher me? Whatever you want. However long. Sounds good?”   

Alastor ticked his head toward his partner and thought about butchering a goat. “I loath you,” he slithered.   

And Lucifer grinned widely, apologizing through his teeth as the cart free-fell down a tunnel directly back to the loading station.   

Lucifer apologized repeatedly, sounding more like a mouse than a man. Alastor’s eye wouldn’t stop twitching as his hair and fur stood up in shock, eyes glossed over to a plant because it was the only thing he could focus on after being carried off the ride by Lucifer.   

In a moment, the girls arrived back with the on-ride photo. “Papa, you glitched again.” She held out the image to see a large blur facing a terrified Lucifer, but the terror wasn’t from the ride but the agony of the man beside him.   

Alastor did not reply, his stomach grumbling loudly and his heart resting on the ground beneath him.   

“Well, I think that is enough rides,” said Lucifer. “How about dinner?”   

Vaggi’s eye sparkled with delight, standing at the tip of her toes. “To the exclusive Club 666?”   

Lucifer shot her a finger gun. “Bingo! And my exclusive booth, too. Come on.”   

When Alastor didn’t move, Lucifer lifted him off the chair and carried him throughout the park to a secret door beside the castle that only had a doorbell and a sign with a golden 666 engraved on a plaque. Lucifer plopped Alastor into the booth and slid beside him, asking the waiter to serve them some wine and the order he had pre-ordered before arriving at the park.   

“Hope you’re hungry!”   

It was those words that made Alastor snap. After everything he’d been through that day, Alastor couldn’t take it anymore. “Am I hungry? Am I hungry?” He laughed hysterically. “I am starving, I nearly ate the tour guide!”  

“It’s against the rules to eat the staff,” Lucifer replied without thinking too much of the tension rising.   

“Lucifer! This park has been anything but enjoyable! You keep dragging me into different locations, rides that make me sick, or want to murder someone desperately. Every place we go to for food is nothing but sweets! That stupid Garden ride, wall, thing! I am going crazy trying to control my anger, but I have very little patience left in me, and I am about to commit a crime worse than Hell could fathom and…”   

“One family-style jambalaya special, as requested,” said the waiter, leaving a table-length pan of the southern comfort food with four plates. “Enjoy.”   

Alastor sat down, straight-backed, and lightly swaying like a bamboo tree. The words he’d been yelling trailed away with the wind as the scent of spices, rice, shrimp, and sausage took over his nostrils.   

“Surprise…” Lucifer said, still a bit scared. “I had them add it to the menu. Just for you.” He laughed nervously and poked the tip of Alastor’s nose.   

Alastor snapped at Lucifer, nearly biting off his finger, but then returned to smelling the delightful meal before him. He almost couldn’t believe it. Lucifer had made him watch shows about people making realistic-looking cakes. That could be this — this could all be a daydream of his delusions.   

He grabbed the serving spoon and scooped out some of the mixture into his plate. The aroma was everything, healing not only the wounds of the spirit but the inner child hiding within. When he took a bite, serenity took over his mind, and all he could do was think about the food and the sweet release of bliss.   

“Happy?” reluctantly asked Lucifer.  

“Happy…”   

It was the end of the night. After dinner, they enjoyed a few more slower moving rides like Frozen Ever After (this one, Lucifer admitted stealing from Earth as he was a big fan of the films), Its a Small Hell After All (Alastor nearly lost his senses again when the ride broke down midway and the song wouldn’t stop repeating. Now the jingle was living in his mind), and The Deadly Sins in 4D (Alastor liked this one since it was footage of Lucifer and the Sins during their last performance together and he found it charming). Winding down, Daniel took them to their final spot, a reserved table with the best view of the fireworks and a bottle of whiskey awaiting them.   

After that first sip, Alastor finally relaxed and fell into the seat.   

When the show began, it was nothing short of spectacular, and Alastor enjoyed the blasting lights and exuberance of the closing festivities. He lounged beside Lucifer, holding his hand and rubbing his thumb against the inner palm of his boyfriend.   

With a nervous chuckle, Lucifer placed his glass down and leaned his chin to rest on Alastor’s shoulder. “I know there were a bunch of hiccups… but it wasn’t all bad. Was it?”   

“I am grateful when I say this whiskey is making up for the disasters of the day.”   

Lucifer pecked a kiss on Alastor’s cheek. “I guess that’s all I could ask for. I just wanted you to have fun.”   

“Yes… Your desperate attempt at fun was a bit daft, but I know that’s how you are. Prideful to a fault.”   

“Forgive me for wanting to show you a good time at my park.” He sorrowed and leaned in closer. “I wanted it to be a day to remember.”   

“Oh, trust me, it is a day I will soon never forget.”   

“Well, what if I…”   

“To think, you completely ignored everything you know I dislike to do, to what? Impress me? That makes so little sense.”   

“Haha… well, you have to try the rides and…”   

“And you tried to hide that one ride. Makes me think you’re still hiding things from your past. You could have just told me. I would have understood.”   

“Yeah, well, I didn’t want to bring up you know who today of all days and…”   

“And you put me on center stage in a circus!”   

“To be fair, I asked them to pull you for the magic trick, not the clown routine. They didn’t listen and…”   

“Goodness, all I want now is for the day to end quietly with my whiskey, your hand, and no one looking my…”   

The spotlight turned on from the top of the castle and directly hit their table. “Fuck…” Lucifer said under his breath and started waving at Charlie.   

Charlie panicked and grabbed Vaggi to run somewhere backstage, but the light remained on them, and it was in that moment that Alastor noticed the castle was projecting millions of little hearts, and the melody in the area turned romantic.   

Lucifer pulled his collar, and that is when Alastor saw he was holding a box. “No! No! Never mind! Thank you for coming to the park! Nothing else to see here! Shoo!” he shouted, but the light remained on them as well as the thousands of sinners and hellborns surrounding them.   

“Lu… what is going on?”   

“I um…” He looked back and didn’t see Charlie, so he panicked and decided to stand up. “Okay, whatever. I am gonna do it.” He took Alastor’s left hand and started going down on one knee.   

Halfway down, Alastor yanked him closer and shot a death glare. “I swear to fuck Lucifer, if you are doing what I think you are doing here! Now! I will not only say no, but I will end this relationship. This is not the time!”   

Lucifer’s grin widened further, more for the people watching than anyone else. “Haha! Pranks on you! Like I would… Cut the lights already!” he shouted to whoever was listening.   

Finally, the spotlight vanished, everyone was confused, and the faint letterings of Alastor’s name projected on the castle quickly disappeared, and the regular firework show began again.   

Charlie and Vaggi returned, giving Lucifer thumbs up in hopefulness, but instead they were met with Lucifer’s head between his knees, Alastor with his arms crossed downing the whiskey directly from the bottle, and a misery that overtook them both.   

It took three months for Alastor to finally stop guilt-tripping Lucifer about their failed trip to LuLu World. The poor devil had apparently worked for six months trying to get the day right to propose to Alastor, but instead it ended up going the complete opposite direction, and now the question felt off the table.   

It’s not as if they were breaking up, but the air of surprise was gone, and Lucifer didn’t know if he could ever make it up in the future.   

Oftentimes, when alone, Lucifer would pull out the box and look at the antler-shaped ring with an apple resting at its center. It was onyx, shimmering with light sparkles of glitter so that it appeared like the universe covered in stars. He was certain a day of fun at his theme park would do the trick, but instead, it was a day covered in selfishness as his hyperfocus clouded his better judgment.   

Charlie insisted he should try again in the future and that it wasn’t the end of a possible nuptials. Still, Lucifer worried that it couldn’t be resolved, that he would instead remain Alastor’s boyfriend instead of his husband.   

One evening, Alastor climbed into bed with his book, draped in his silk pajamas and sporting the reindeer headband Lucifer swore he’d never mention outside of the bedroom. His face was covered in a green face mask, matching Lucifer’s. As they waited for it to dry, Lucifer spoke up, “When was the moment I messed up?”   

“What are you drabbing on about?”   

“At LuLu World? What was the moment I messed up the proposal?”   

“From the second you told me, let’s go to LuLu World…” Alastor sighed, seeing the remorse on his partner’s face. Three months was enough for his grudge to hold — even if he had secretly gotten over it a few weeks after, but what fun was it to end the joy of torturing him? “Lucifer… mon ange… My issue was honestly many factors, but mainly that you didn’t seem to remember what it is I like to do. I’m not saying it couldn’t have worked at the park, but the way you went about it…”   

“Shit… I know! Arg, I’m such an idiot! I should have done it differently. More private? Slower?”   

Alastor provided a gentle and crooked smile in agreement. “See, you do know me. You got too excited again.” He leaned to steal a kiss, messing up both their face masks in the process.   

Lucifer reached over to smooth away the smudge and caressed his hands a little longer on Alastor’s face. “I should have kept my original plan.”   

“Let me guess, you asked Charlie for feedback?”   

Lucifer snorted out a laugh. “I’m that obvious?”   

“You love her too much to have kept a secret like that. Tell me, what was the original plan?”   

Lucifer wiped his hands on his robe and sat crossed-legged to face Alastor. The demon closed his book and gave his partner his undivided attention. “I was going to take you on a private walk around the park. Just you and me. Would have had an attendant mainly as a security guard and to help with a few things here and there, but mostly, walk you around at our pace and stop for any rides or food you showed interest in. Dinner would have been the same, which is why I had them add the jambalaya to the menu. Then for the firework show, we would have sat quietly with the whiskey, and as the finale started, I would have asked you to marry me.”   

“With the spotlight on us?”   

Lucifer shook his head. “No… just us, quietly. And to make sure no one else bothered us, we would have left from the back and gone returned to the castle for a late night evening of soaking our hooves and cuddling on the couch while we catch up on our soaps.”   

“That last part sounds more for you.”   

Lucifer pointed an accusing finger at him. “Don’t act like you don’t want to know what Alexandra is going to do with that evil twin sister.” They both laughed, knowing very well the truth. As their voices softened, Lucifer took Alastor’s hand and began to play with his fingers. “I would have told you how grateful I am to have you in my life. That I can’t imagine going into this next phase without you. That I am a better angel thanks to a sinner.”   

“Now that is delusional.”   

“But it’s true… because I love you and I want to be with you for eternity.”   

“And if I said no.”  

“I would have climbed up the Blood Log and tried to end it all.”   

Alastor snickered and longingly looked at him. “That all sounds like a far better day.”   

“Yeah…”  

They held hands for the remainder of the evening, and Alastor dropped his grudge game thereafter. Another set of weeks passed, and they remained the happy couple they once were, but Lucifer never figured out how to propose again.   

Perhaps Alastor would simply consider them engaged at one point, and they could meander their way to marriage somehow. Regardless, he decided to give himself some time before trying again and continued on with how perfect his punishment in Hell had been going.   

Then, one evening, Lucifer left the shower, not expecting to see Alastor that night, as he was going to help Niffty with a project at her new laboratory, which she was sharing with Baxter. Something about bugs now blending in with shadows — Lucifer didn’t dare ask.   

As he was drying his hair, he walked over and saw a red rubber duck sitting on his nightstand. It wasn’t one he had ever made, so he naturally picked it up. Beside it was a card and as he opened it, his smile took over his face.   

Lucifer,  

Want to try LuLu World again? This time, like you originally planned?  

Alastor  

He closed the card and placed it against his chest before opening the drawer and pulling out the box with the ring. This time, he wouldn’t fail, and three weeks later, Lucifer finally heard his yes.