Chapter Text
The Hazbin Hotel was booming with business these days. After the battle with Adam, more and more people showed up everyday. And while not everyone showed up for the right reasons, business is still business. Everyone was pulling their weight twice as much to make sure they were running as efficiently as possible, even the elusive host of the hotel. Until one fateful day.
Alastor had been helping, actually helping, the staff run the hotel for the first time since he arrived. It was a pleasant surprise to everyone. Did he mostly start helping because it gave him opportunities to annoy the father of his young friend Charlie? Yes. Did he enjoy the work he was assigned because it gave him more opportune times to talk to Lucifer? Most definitely. Would he ever tell him that? Preferably not.
Until the incident, Alastor was sure he would have to live with his unrequited crush forever. He was sure that since Lucifer had already been married, he would never measure up to his first marriage. Even though Lucifer himself had told him his marriage was over, Alastor worried that since the object of his affection had been married, it would certainly affect any of his future relationships. You see, Alastor was not comfortable having sexual intercorse with anyone and he was worried Lucifer would never want to date him otherwise.
All that changed when Alastor woke up in the middle of the night with the flu
Lucifer woke up to the sound of someone stumbling down the hall. It was coming from one of the bedrooms on the far left. It was coming from Alastor’s room. He took a deep breath and started down the hall to check on him. He’d had trouble admitting it to himself for a while, but he did have feelings for the man, so he was worried about him.
“Alastor, are you okay?” He said as he knocked. All he heard was the sound of crying coming from inside. ”I’m coming in.” What he found was no surprise given the circumstances. Alastor was crying from what seemed to be pain that was radiating from his head.
“Hi. If I had known it was you I would have dressed up for your majesty.” Alastor gave a weak attempt at humor as he lay on the floor where he had fallen off his bed. He had sat up too quickly and lost his balance from a headache and nausea. Lucifer had seen many sick days between himself and his daughter so he knew what to do.
“Alright, let's get you off the floor and go from there.” Lucifer bent down and picked up his crush, ignoring the flutter that went through him as he did so. The man was sick for crying out loud. Alastor was too tired to protest and in too much pain to argue. He just wished Lucifer was here for any other reason.
Lucifer laid the patient down on his bed before telling him. “I’m going back downstairs to get you something to drink and some pain killers. Don’t move.” Alastor nearly laughed at the idea of moving. Luckily for him, his crush was back before long with aspirin and something to drink He called it Sprite.
Lucifer held the cup for him while he sat up enough to swallow. He took his medication with no protest then laid back down. Then, in a decision he knew he would regret in the morning, Alastor decided to ask him the biggest question on his mind. He could blame it on the potential fever later.
“Can I ask you something?” Lucifer nodded, unsure where this was going but happy to answer anything if it meant he could stay longer. “Would you consider dating again if you met the right person?” Having now asked, Alastor braced for the answer.
Lucifer was instantly surprised by the question but he answered honestly. “What makes you think I haven’t already met them?” He could feel his pulse speed up as he waited for Alastor to answer. Could it be that his feelings might be reciprocated?
That answer caught Alastor off guard. “What do you mean by that?” He could feel himself about to cry again, for a different reason now. “I mean, what if I told you I already had someone in mind. Someone who’s already been here the whole time, I was just too blind to see it for a while. And what if he was already in the room with me?” Lucifer said, smiling, and brushing one of his hands over Alastor’s ears.
“Wait what! Do you actually like me? Are the painkillers getting to me?” Alastor was so shocked he was the one blurting everything out. Usually, Lucifer did that. “Is this the time to mention I have feelings for you, because it feels like the time.”
Lucifer laid down next to him and folded his arms over his chest. “Does it help if I tell you I feel the same?” He laughed at the other man's shocked expression while he talked. “I never thought I would find someone after my divorce, much less someone who actually liked me. And you already accept my daughter so you’re a double whammy.”
Alastor winced at that. “That was the corniest thing you've ever said. But you are right about everything else.” He asked the next biggest question then. ”And the fact that I’m asexual doesn’t bother you?”
Lucifer kept smiling. “Of course not. And before you ask why, I've already been married once and I have a grown kid. Sex is the last thing I even want these days.” Now it was his turn to ask a big question. “When you get better, would you consider going out with me? Like on a real date?” Alastor smiled for the first time all night. “What kind of question is that? Of course I will. Though I will slightly criticize you for your timing.”
“It could have been better, I will grant you that. But you are the one who brought it up now.” Lucifer kissed him lightly on the forehead. “Try to get some sleep. I'll be on the couch if you need me. Tomorrow, you’ll hopefully wake up better and I’ll have to come up with a way to explain to my daughter how we plan to make this work.”
While neither talked after that, both of them lay awake for a while thinking about how the flu of all things seemed to bring about their biggest wish. Eventually they fell asleep, dreaming about the next day.