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He knew something was off the moment he woke up. He could smell a fire in the hearth, but no breakfast scents. No frying eggs or bacon, no bubbling oatmeal, not even the sweetness of a bowl of cereal. The distinct lack of a warm, snuggly body in his bed was a good indicator too. The king kicked his blankets off, throwing his legs over the side of the bed and rising to his feet. Tossing a robe over his bare form, he shuffled out of the enshrouded bed, the pair having added curtains around it in case they had visitors (like Gabriel, who still had to get used to the idea of knocking on the kitchen door from the other side even if he didn't hear any scandalous noises. They should probably see about getting him his own dedicated room instead of crashing in the cabin.)
Tying the sash around his waist, Lucifer made his way over to the couch where Alastor was sitting. A glance at the clock revealed it was still quite early in the day, barely into two-digit hours, and he was already multiple glasses into the bottle of whiskey on the coffee table in front of him. The blonde pursed his lips, stepping up behind him and leaning against the back of the couch to his right. "Alastor? You okay?" he asked softly.
The Radio Demon didn't respond right away, raising his glass to his lips and taking another sip of his drink. The ice cubes clinked together, the sound anxiously loud in the near-empty glass. After he had a moment to savor the burn, his gaze lowered to his lap. "...That entirely depends on your definition of the term, my dear," he replied.
The fallen angel took that as a no, striding around to the front of the couch. He stood in front of him for a moment, waiting patiently. His partner got the hint relatively quickly, leaning back and moving his hands away from his lap so the angel could claim it for his seat. His head found his chest soon after, folding his legs up to his chest and curling both arms around him. At length, and upon finishing his drink, the demon returned the gesture, hunching over him with limbs wrapped around his body, squeezing him like a favored toy.
He let out a quiet squeak when he squeezed a little too hard, the air forced involuntarily out of his lungs. Any thoughts of squirming in protest were firmly tamped down, though. He could handle a little pressure around his ribs if it brought the overlord any comfort. They sat together in silence, one holding on to the other like a life raft adrift at sea.
"...Would you like me to run you a bath?" Lu offered, his eyes flicking up to look at him. "I have a collection of different bath bombs that might be to your liking. Or scented oils that might help soothe you. I can even wash your hair for you."
A pause, crimson eyes flitting away while his offer remained on the table. Eventually, the demon exhaled through his nose, then slowly uncurled from around the angel. "A bath sounds… nice," he relented.
Lucifer smiled kindly at him before climbing out of his lap. A kiss was pressed to his forehead, and he ran his fingers through Alastor's short locks. "...Maybe trim your hair a little, too," he offered. "You've got a few split ends that need to be removed. Let's make it a spa day," he said. "I'll let Char-char know while I run your bath. No details, just that we're busy, okay?" he assured him, snapping his fingers to call his phone to his hand as he strode off to the bathroom.
He got the water started while he sent off the text, though his phone was quickly discarded, set on the edge of the counter in favor of focusing on the perfect bath. Not too hot, not too cold, with a few select oils he knew would help the deer relax. A snap of his fingers summoned a basket of tiny bottles, along with a mixing bowl and one larger bottle. Sliding on a pair of gloves, he muttered to himself as he sat on the toilet, devising a blend to help his partner as best he could. "Base of jojoba oil, for skin care," he said, pouring about a half cup into the bowl. "We'll do…" he trailed off, fingers hovering over some of the smaller bottles in contemplation. "...A little cedarwood," he decided, adding four drops to the bowl. "...Roman chamomile… and a bit of rose." Once the oils were added, he swirled them with the jojoba until it was uniform before dipping it into the bath, letting the rush from the faucet mix it into the bath.
He then set to adjusting the mood in the bathroom, clicking off the overhead light to replace it with a handful of votive candles, arranged around the floor surrounding the bathtub. A tray set on the counter by the sink where he stuck a couple sticks of incense, another snap igniting a small flame above his index finger to light both of them. He took a deep breath as the warm, earthy smell of frankincense filled the air, a hum leaving the angel as what little tension was in his shoulders melted away.
Satisfied, he stepped out of the bathroom to retrieve the deer demon. "Would you like me to carry you to the bath, love?" he asked, holding a hand out to him otherwise. Al tried to stand, stumbled slightly, and fell back to the couch. With a pout, he nodded, his ears folding back. "Oh, don't give me that face," he cooed, scooping him off his chosen seat. "You get to have off days too, y'know."
Into the bathroom he went, watching the deer's eyes widen in surprise at the changes to the room and watching his ears perk back up again. He set him on the toilet, helping him out of his pajamas before lifting him into the tub, lowering his legs before guiding him into a sitting position. The gloves were removed then, and he summoned a stool to sit behind Alastor. His hands dipped into the water, gathering little handfuls to wet his hair, running his fingers through his locks to help soak all of it.
Once it was sufficiently damp, he grabbed a bottle of unscented shampoo, and was about to use it when the demon lifted a hand out of the water. "Could… could you use your shampoo?" he requested.
The unscented bottle was returned to its home, replaced with the apple cinnamon blend that the king preferred. "As you wish, darling," he hummed in response, drizzling a little into his hand and rubbing his palms together, then beginning to massage the soap into his scalp with smooth, practiced rolling motions. He was careful not to get any inside Al's ears, though he got a little around the base of the fuzzy things. Pleased groans and bleats filled the air as he tended his partner, answering them with quiet, reassuring chirps that were more instinct than intent.
Once his hair was thoroughly soaped up, he rinsed it out, then pressed a kiss to the top of his head. "Pretty buck," he whispered, draping his arms over his shoulders and letting his hands rest in the water on his chest. "Is this helping?"
"It is," Al confirmed with a content sigh, his eyes long since having drifted shut as he soaked in the tub. Lu buried his face in his damp hair, beginning to hum a slow, gentle melody for him. His fingertips traced idle circles against his skin, almost as soothing as the heat of the bath seeping into his body. "...Would you join me in the bath?" he requested.
After a moment of thought, he drew back away from him, reaching down to unfasten the sash around his waist. His robes slid off his shoulders to pool on the ground, some catching on the stool he was seated on. "Do you want me chest to chest, or front to back?" he asked, pressing another kiss to his temple.
"Mmn… chest to chest," he settled on, watching the angel climb into the tub to join him. He settled between his thighs, sprawling over his form and resting his head on his shoulder. His arms submerged to loosely wrap around his waist, relaxing against him.
"If you'll allow it, I'd like to give you a full-body massage after this," the fallen angel said softly. "You can stretch out on the bed, and I'll work from your shoulders down to your ankles. Maybe a mani-pedi after? Let me spoil you, darling," he murmured into his throat. "Let me pamper you."
They relaxed in comfortable silence in the bath for a good hour before the water grew too cold to enjoy anymore, the king using his tail to unplug it before he beckoned over a towel, laying it on the ground outside the tub to keep either of them from slipping. Once they were both out, he led Al to the shower, turning on a warm spray to rinse them both off, leaving only fresh, clean water behind and the lingering scents of the oils. The incense had long since burnt down to nothing, the candles having melted and consumed their own flickering embers, leaving the room dark with only the glow of their eyes to illuminate.
Not wanting to hurt their eyes with the abrupt brightness, the angel simply took extra care to make sure they didn't trip or stumble. Once he was satisfied with the rinse, he turned the shower off, toweling his partner down, then himself, and guiding him out of the bathroom. A pair of scissors appeared in his hand before he summoned a simple wooden chair, gesturing for him to take a seat. The towel was wrapped around his shoulders to catch trimmings, and just like that, the king started snipping at his hair, trimming it just enough to remove any split ends to avoid changing his hair any way he didn't want.
When he was finished, another snap of his fingers dismissed the towel and disposed of the clippings. Helping the deer walk to the bed, he instructed him to lay on his belly, then went through his drawers until he found a seldom-used bottle with an old label on it. "Not much reason to use this when you're by yourself," he admitted, checking the expiration date. He popped it open and sniffed it, grimaced, and shook his head before snapping it away. "That one's no good."
"Can they go bad? It's just oil," Al pointed out.
"It is not just oil," Lucifer corrected him, pulling out a different bottle that looked much newer. He did the same for this one, snapping it open and giving it a sniff, then nodding. "It's difficult to keep oils like this from spoiling in Hell, considering we don't really have cool, dry places to store things. Same issue with keeping wines; all of mine are stored in a pocket dimension so I can keep it properly temperature-controlled. Otherwise I'd have a vinegar cellar instead of a wine cellar," he joked.
Climbing onto the bed, he straddled his waist, bracketing his knees against his hips and pouring just a little of the oil onto his hands. He closed the bottle and set it off to the side, rubbing it between his hands, then laying them both on the overlord's shoulders, beginning to gradually knead and rub into his muscles, pushing and pulling to help relax them. "The oil base can expire and oxidize, which can then cause skin irritation when used instead of the intended relaxing qualities," he explained. "Most of the massage oils I like have a grapeseed base, but the oil I used in the bath was a jojoba base. Jojoba is a good moisturizer since its texture is very similar to the oils naturally produced by human skin, while grapeseed is faster absorbed and won't linger as long. If I'm just making the bath for myself, I use grapeseed oil since my hair is pretty fine and I have fair skin, but I figured since your hair has such a thicker texture than mine and your skin doesn't get as much attention with your care routine - or lack thereof - jojoba would be better for you."
"Hm. Will having soaked in it cause you any issues?" he asked, glancing over his shoulder at him.
"Nah, one soak isn't going to do much. Rinsing it off will help, but I plan on taking a proper shower when I'm finished getting you all settled to make sure I get it all off. I'll do my full routine while I'm at it just to be sure."
Alastor was quiet for a while after that, pleased groans escaping him as Lu found different knots and points of tension in his muscles, gently working them out before smoothing his hands along the area. "Mmm… would you come up with a routine for me?"
"If you like," he agreed. "I'll need to do a bit of research on how to best care for your skin type, then we can go over different options for best results and come up with something you'll enjoy that will yield the results you're after. Which… what results are you after?" he added, arching a brow. "Do you want softer skin, more resilience, are you having issues with acne that you're hiding with a glamor or something?" he asked, the last one more teasing than anything.
"Something to help with the dryness," he explained. "I've… noticed sometimes I'll have… flakes in my hair, or on my elbows. They come out easy enough in the shower, but…"
"Dandruff," the king said with a shrug. "A small change to your shampoo can help with that. We can check to see if your brand already has a formula designed for your hair type that will keep that softness or if we need to change your shampoo and add a conditioner to maintain your hair. The elbows we can fix with a moisturizing cream. Anything else?"
"I don't think so. Do you have any suggestions?"
Lucifer shook his head, leaning down to kiss the back of his neck. "I think you're perfect as you are," he replied. "Not a thing I would change." He scooted back, moving his focus to his legs now that he was finished with his back. "Might reach out to the royal tailor to see about getting you some fitted slacks that will let your tail out, though," he remarked. "I can't imagine having mine trapped under my clothes; I don't know how you put up with it." He reached out to run his fingers through the short, soft fur of his tail, watching it twitch and flick under his touch.
The overlord fell quiet for a while as the angel finished up his legs, then started his inspection of his hooves. "...When was the last time you trimmed these?"
"I haven't," he admitted. "Why would I trim my feet?"
"Hooves," he corrected him. "Yours are a fair bit overgrown. Y'know, back in the day when horse sinners were more prevalent, we actually had blacksmiths that made a killing on shoes for them," he commented, snapping his fingers to summon a basket, this one with tools such as heavy-duty clippers, a large iron file, and a bristly brush of some sort. There was also a sharp, hooked tool that looked almost like a scoop of some kind.
"Your hooves are more deer-like, though. Cloven, like a goat," he mused, sitting on his thighs and bending his leg at the knee to start tending to them. "Not too different from my own. Less complicated care than a horse's, but still necessary. These just need a good trim and polish," he explained as he worked, taking out the clippers and starting to shear back a little at a time, paying attention to where the soft pad of his foot began to tell where he needed to stop. Once it was trimmed back enough, he took out the file instead, scoring and scratching it down the little bit more it needed and rounding out the edges the way they would be by natural wear and tear on proper terrain.
"It might take you a little to get used to the adjustment, but you'll feel a lot more agile once you do," he explained. "You've been altering your gait to make up for the overgrowth; you'll need to break yourself of that habit." When he was done filing, he took out a clear polish, brushing it over the exposed parts of the hoof and lightly blowing on it. Once that hoof was finished and dry, he moved on to the other.
With his feet finished, he clamored off, flipping him over and pulling him up to stand. The demon wobbled a little, but the angel stayed in front of him, holding onto his forearms as he got used to the change in his feet. A snap of his fingers had a fluffy burgundy robe over his shoulders, extra fluff on the trim in black. One nod from the king loosely tied the sash, and he helped him walk back to the couch, sitting him down. After pouring him another glass of whiskey, he snapped a nail file into his hand, taking his partner's free one and starting to work on filing back and shaping his claws to a more tended but still threatening razor tip. A plate of finger foods appeared on the couch beside the deer demon, an offering of a snack while the angel finished his fussing. Not cucumber sandwiches or tea cakes, literal fingers, likely pilfered from Rosie's storage in exchange for a handful of gold pieces. Far more than they were actually worth, but it wasn't as if Lucifer didn't have gold to spare.
After his claws were done, the fallen angel leaned against him, resting his head on his shoulder. "...Duke Ellington?" he suggested, glancing up at his partner with a smile.
Alastor's smile finally shifted into something genuine, and he nodded, setting his glass aside and sending a poppet to fetch a couple bottles of water instead. "That sounds delightful," he agreed. With a snap of his fingers, a CD loaded into the stereo on the other side of the room, and Lucifer settled down to cuddle with him as the sounds of a jazz orchestra filled their shared space.