Work Text:
Tail Pulling/Doe Eyes
Lucifer reached a hand forward. The men hanging from the ceiling stopped turning and finally faced him. He was a panther, which made it more difficult to see the blood dripping from his nose and muzzled tied together through the black fur. It became obvious that is what it was, however, when it dripped to the concret floor where the teared up fangs were getting wet.
"You know the rules, man," said Lucifer, still holding the red stained pliers he had just used. "We are in the black market, so the only way we can keep being a civilized bunch is if we all play by the rules. If we don't, then we aren't playing anymore. We are just shitting the entire gameboard and forcing everyone else to eat it. All you needed to do was to follow them and right now you could be having a nice hot meal at your own home. Instead, you," Lucifer hold one of the ears of the panther, getting him close to him as he glared at him, "you, stupid, greey idiot, thought you could just forget all about that as long you got a profit. My grandpa was pretty clear from the start. No kids. Say no to fuckers who want to sell kids. Denounce them. Get rewarded for it. But I guess the sound of that money was louder than all of that, wasn't it?"
Lucifer opened up his mouth to say something else, but before any word could come a notification ringed in his chest pocket. Immediately he let go of the ear and seemed to perk up, looking at the small device. All around them, the other members of his group, all dressed with the same formal suits, threw a glance to each other, confirming they all had the same thought. As a grin extended over Lucifer's face while his fingers typed away, they were already sure that their boss wasn't there at all.
Husk took a step forward and cleared his throat. "Sir," he called. When Lucifer just let out a giggle reading a response, he raised his voice a little more. "Lucifer."
"Mmm?" Only then Lucifer lifted his gaze. Once he saw the half lid stare of Husk, he seemed to remember what waa he supposed to be doing. "Oh. Right. One second." Lucifer wrote something else with a hapoy grin and pocketed the phone away. "That was my mate," explained Lucifer, keeping his smile intact as he pulled out his gun from his waist pants. He pointed straight to the space between the eyes of the panther, his voice barely holding his impatience down. During the entire capture and torture, he had been all for it, but right now it was clear he had better thing to do he would rather do than spend a single second more than necessary with this. "We are having a little cub! In just a few months I am going to have our little one running around! Isn't that great? That is why pieces of shit like you, who would put kids like them in danger, do not deserve to live, not even here. Go to hell."
With that, he shot. The panther, with his mouth closed, shook his head with tear running up his head, the entire time. When the bullet of Lucifer penetrated his skull, jumping out from the back in a explosion of more blood, he just stopped. His body kept moving from the impact, but now Lucifer didn't bother to stop it.
Lucifer checked that his gun wasn't being stained and turned to Husk, extending it to him. He smiled, unaware or not caring about a few stains that now decorated his white pearly scales.
"Alright, that was fun, but I have to go. Take care of the body and clean up," ordered Lucifer as Husk grabbed the gun. "I will be taking the night off, guys. It's pizza and movie night! I still have to get the pizza and some drinks. See you all later!" Giving to the whole room a handwave over his shoulder, Lucifer made his way to the outside, where all of their cars were waiting. The whistling of the albino komodo kept being heard until the door of the garage they were in closed.
---
A few hours later, Lucifer knocked the door with his tail. Both his hands were full with bags and at least two bottles that he was holding for dear life with his forearm. Alastor had texted him about also buying some milk and eggs. Just as Lucifer arrived to the supermarket, Alastor included a pot of ice cream, whipped cream and pickles into the list, which was the reason why Lucifer took a little more time than he wanted to. There was only one store that sold the kind of ice cream Alastor wanted after all. Only once he had everything, he made his way to their apartment.
Cravings were a perfectly normal and even healthy part of pregnancy! The team of doctors that Alastor had hired to be just below them in the tall building have all said so. It just meant that the baby was demanding certain biological deficiencies to be treated, to help with their growing. Lucifer was more than happy to supply for every one of them, even if it meant waking up at 4 AM to get a chocolate cake or making pancakes for dinner. He would offer his own arm if Alastor requested it. That haven't happened, though, since apparently their baby had a strong sweet tooth rather than his own carnivorous needs.
A few moments later, Alastor opened up the door. He was still wearing a dress shirt and pants that he often used for public appareances, his tie hanging a little loose over his chest. The eyes of Lucifer immediately went lower, to see the small tiny bump that was barely noticeable over the line of the belt. If anyone else would be able to see it at all, they would assume first that Alastor had just gained some weight rather than he was carrying the baby of a predator with the blessing of his wife. Lucifer knew, however, and loved it. To have a visual proof of the new bond that he and Alastor shared never failed to fill his chest with the same kind of warm pride and satisfaction. They did that. And it would only get bigger the more time passed. Lucifer couldn't wait.
"What took you so long?" asked Alastor, making himself to a side.
"Sorry, babe, the lines were long," said Lucifer, too happy to remak that was a product of how long he had to drive for his orders than anything else. Only once he passed the deer on his way to the kitchen he noticed the top of Alastor's head. "You still got the antlers on, Al," informed him.
"What?" Alastor patted the space between his ears, groaning when he felt the fake antlers and snapping them out easily. Ever since the pregnancy, the real antlers of Alastor had fallen off as if in shredding. Another normal thing the doctors said should be expected, but it meant that Alastor had to use a replacement while pretending for the rest of the world. Once the baby was out, it would take close to another month before a new set grew out of him. The fakes ones were itchy and uncomfortable to have, which was the reason why Alastor hated to use them when it wasn't necessary inside of their own home. Little things like that made Lucifer feel a little guilty that he didn't offer to carry their children first, but Alastor wanted to hear none of that. He wanted to live the full experience and if that included a few inconveniences along the way, so be it. He was only going to be the other parent when it came to Rosie, the one who would carry, which would give him a break while occupying with their new baby. "It was such a long meeting I didn't even notice," groaned Al, going along with Lucifer.
As Lucifer got on the stuff on their respective places, Alastor searched in the bags until he took out a candy bar. He unwrapped it and munched on it, keeping his same annoyed expression while putting the antlers over the counters. Lucifer didn't like them too much already. The real antlers of Alastor were great for nibbling, they tasted like him, but those were just carved wood with some barnishing to give a realistic effect. Not pleasant at all to bite into. Maybe if he was a beaver he would think differently.
"You keep having those long meetings," commented Lucifer, about to put the ice cream in the freezer. When Alastor immediately threw him a look of what the fuck do you think you are doing, Lucifer sighed a little and took out a spoon before passing the pot over to Alastor. "Is there anything important brewing?"
"Maybe, maybe not," commented Alastor with a shrug, burying his candy bar in the ice cream to take it into his mouth. Lucifer could only hope all that sugar would leave him with a plumper, squishable Alastor even after the birth, with some love handles that he would never get tired of. "People are talking about creating a meat substitute. Lab grown and pressumably safe to consume, but people doubt that it could actually supply for carnivorous species's nutritional needs."
"It would be cool if it worked, though," commented Lucifer, finishing with the bags and going to sit on a stool next to Alastor. "I wouldn't had to keep pretending I was studying just so nobody else could see what I actually had for lunch at the academy if there was an option like that."
"You are a especial case, dear," said Alastor simply. "Most predators in modern times are not obligate carnivore. They can live a meat free diet just fine, which is why any introduction of the contrary tends to have such disastreous results in their psyche. You had an entire lifetime to get used to it, so your body doesn't get the same kind of high with small or big portions. If this substitute works like how people wanted it to, as to reduce cases of domestic predation, it would only do so after a long period of time. And there lies the problem. There is too many ifs for people to want to invest all that kind of money and time to it. Even if it could be the best solution." Alastor sighed, shaking his head briefly. Clearly he had been arguing about it the entire day in front of powerful people and was exhausted off the whole topic. "We will keep trying, though. Sooner or later we have to get it," he added, moving over to the couch of their living room with the ice cream against his chest.
Lucifer hoped that they did. One of his earliest memories as a kid was when he kept being fed tofu at the daycare grandpa left him. The first days Lucifer would cry that it tasted awful, that he hated it, he didn't want it. The employees had no fault of their own. They tried to prepare the tofu in different ways, to add candy, do anything for him to eat at all, but it was all the same. After weeks of that, a toddler Lucifer passed out and was taken to the hospital, where a doctor said that he was severely malnurished. When his grandpa heard about it, his roar was so loud that it left the windows of the hospital vibrating on their frames. Lucifer had never seen his usually smiley friendly grandpa so angry, fumming the entire way back home that he would destroy that stupid daycare, that how the hell would they let this happen.
In the end, the daycare was allowed to keep existing, but Lucifer would not go to it ever again. He was raised entirely in the Black Market, where literally nobody judged him if he had meat in his plate and Lucifer never got sick like that again. Until he was on his teens and got sent to the academy, Lucifer had never known another world. But he wasn't allowed to talk about it, to share his favorite meals or even say who was his grandpa, which made it so he couldn't speak of his only family member at all when got asked.
Only Alastor ever learned the truth and that wasn't even a choice, for any of them. Lucifer did not regretted it letting his deer in, but still, it had been a journey to reach where they were.
He knew that if Alastor was trying so hard to be a Beastar, it was also to create a better world for their fawn. Wether they turned out to be like him, getting any substanance through meat, or something else entirely, they should get the option to not hide to get what they needed. To live and thrive in the open, like everyone else. Better than their parents.
Lucifer sighed, making his way to the couch. He lifted the legs of Alastor and turned them to his lap, taking off his shoes and socks to massage him his feet under the hooves and calves. Alastor was still far too early to get the whole swollen ankle and pain associated with carrying a baby, but Lucifer liked to keep his practice going until it was truly required. Alastor huffed, making known he did not asked that, but didn't say anything as he kept eating the ice cream.
"I am sure you will do it," assured Lucifer, rubbing gentle circles on that furry skin. "You are the smartest guy I know. I never knew I actually liked nerds until I met you." Lucifer laughed when Alastor attempted to give him a half hearted kick to his chest. He caught the ankle and kissed the area just under the rolled up pant, nuzzling him until Alastor just relaxed. "If anyone can get it right, it will be you, babe."
"Mmm, I know," purred Alastor, never one to dismiss compliments.
He let his leg descend back on Lucifer's lap After a while of companiable silence, Alastor finished his candy bar and let the ice cream pot in the coffee table in front of them. He pulled back a little in the couch, lifting an arm over the back to hold his temple. Just watching him.
"Anything wrong?" asked Lucifer.
Alastor took a breath and released it. "I think your grandpa threatened me today."
"WHAT." Lucifer immediately turned to him, stunned. "What do you mean threatened?!"
Alastor, with a calm sigh that could really irritate Lucifer in moments like this, pulled out his phone and reclined forward to show him the screen.
"This was sent here today. The security team almost made me cancell today's reunion just in case." The first picture was of a little package, an open box in which there was a bloodied up rat's tail right down in the middle. "I managed to take the note off before they saw it. That is how I knew from who it came from." Alastor swipped to another picture, this one of a note with horrible handwriting that read "Tell Lucifer grandpa said hello!" Once he saw it, Lucifer released the longest most suffering groan as he rubbed his blushed face. Alastor raised an eyebrow at that reaction. "Would you mind explaining this?" encouraged the deer, adding a tone of warning.
"That is not a threath," said Lucifer finally, rolling his eyes to avoid seeing his face. "It's a stupid... cat thing. A tradition. Giving dead smaller animals is meant to be a show of affection. I assume that a full rat would be harder to send so he just did the tail. When he first send me to the academy he gave me the foot of some rabbit for lunch for the same reason." Lucifer groaned again, the red still not leaving his cheeks. "I am sorry, he should have never done that. No wonder it freaked you out."
"Oh," Alastor said, his furrowed brow finally clearing. "It was supposed to be good faith then?"
Lucifer nodded, scratching his neck. "Again, I am so sorry. I will yell at that old man when I have the chance."
"Why send that to me?" questioned Alastor, looking at his phone again. "We never even met each other. And why now?"
"I..." Lucifer cleared his throat. "I may have mentioned you once. Or twice. As for why now, he... possibly maybe knows about the baby," he muttered, not willing to recognize he had literally been telling everyone who would be willing to hear him about the baby. He couldn't help himself! Having his own cub to brag about was a big deal!
Alastor stared at him with a half lid look. "So what? Is this your grandpa's idea of sending his congratulations?" he asked, dripping with incredulity.
"I think so? If he wanted to threaten someone, he wouldn't go about it like that." Lucifer sighed. Probably not the time to say that grandpa would deliver his threats himself, only to squash the hand of whoever had annoyed him if given the chance. In other words, he wouldn't bother with a threat at all. "It won't happen again, I promise."
Alastor tilted his head, letting his back laid back on the armrest. He inspected again the picture. "Any idea of who the tail is from?"
"Some guy who pissed him off, I guess." Lucifer shrugged. "The rabbit whose foot he gave me was a guy who stole some profits. They are meant to be trophies and there is no point in a trophy if it wasn't your own prey."
"Good to know." Alastor sighed, rolling his eyes as if he couldn't be bothered to learn the etiquette behind giving body parts. He pressed his lips together for a moment before continueing, looking down at his own belly. "Well... he is going to be related to our fawn. If truly there was no ill intention, I guess it wouldn't be a bad idea to keep a good relation with him."
Lucifer turned fully to face him. "I mean... he is an stubborn old man stuck in his ways, but he is not like needlessly mean. I am sure that in his head sending you that tail was the equivalent of, I don't know, a box of bombons or something."
Alastor remained quiet for a moment. "What did he said when you told him I was an herbivore?"
Lucifer looked to a side. When the silence only got prolongued, Alastor lifted his gaze, widening his eyes. "Please, tell me you are joking," he said at last, fearing the worst.
"In my defense, that just isn't something that comes out in conversation," replied Lucifer, pressing his face against his hand until his voice came out muffled. "It's not my fault if he makes assumptions."
"Are you serious right now," said Alastor, deadpan.
"I was planning to tell him! Eventually! When the baby was a little grown and we needed a babysitter!"
Alastor glared at him with a frown, but took a deep breath. With his eyes closed, he nodded as if for himself. "Very well. That just decided it."
"Decided what?"
"We are meeting with your grandpa."
---
Turned out that arranging a nigh in which everyone's schedules were free took two full weeks. Lucifer was kinda hopin it would took longer, but the moment he suggested bringing Alastor with him, Goliat Morningstar had been so enthusiastic about it that Lucifer had to keep his phone away from his ears.
"By the way, he is a deer," added Lucifer quickly, as soon his grandpa started to calm down.
"What?" said the man on the other side. "A dear what?"
"Not dear, I meant deer. Like the species. With the antlers, although his fell off since getting pregnant, and the hooves and fluffy tail."
For a few seconds Goliat didn't say a word. Lucifer wasn't glad to confirm that his stomach felt exactly as he imagined, all twisted into heavy knots and about to fall to the floor.
"Seriously?" asked Goliat finally and Lucifer couldn't tell if he was still expecting to be told that no, it was all a joke, or he just needed to be extra sure.
"Seriously. He is an herbivore." Lucifer almost added that Alastor had already been targeted as food by the Black Market, but that wasn't his story to tell and, anyway, it wouldn't help his grandpa to accept the reality of a deer as his partner. "And married." Good fuck, why did he have to go and say that?
"Did you get married already?!" This time Goliat sounded almost hurt among his roaring. "WHEN? Why the hell I am not just hearing about this?!"
Once again, Lucifer put on some distance. "Not... to me. It's complicated. But just so we are clear, nobody is cheating on anybody. Her wife knows about us and is cool. She kinda helped us out to even make this baby so, you know, it's all good between us. I think. I am not really sure what she feels about me, but regardless, we are good. She lives upstairs us."
Another beat. This time even longer than the last. "I... see."
Did he? Did he really see or he was just saying that to make time to process? In any case, Lucifer prefered to take that as a good sign. Even more so, one that he could use to just stop talking out of his own ass. "So, yeah. Saturday at 8, right? That would be great. See you then!"
He was about to hang up, when suddenly the voice of his grandpa stopped him, like it did before he went to grab extra cookies before dinner. "Lu."
"Y-yes, gramps?"
"Are you sure about him? It isn't just a little accident you now feel responsible to take care of?"
The nostrils of Lucifer flared up suddenly. His hand clamped up, and it was only his own will that made it so the screen didn't crack. "We have been dating since high school, gramps. We both wanted a baby for a very long time and finally happened. Remember that story you told me about dad and mom running away to get married?"
A sigh later. "Yes."
"That sure I am about him. I don't care if it isn't perfect, it's my family and I won't have anyone diminish that. If you want to see our child, you will respect that. Are we clear?" he finished with a hiss, his tongue flickering between his teeth.
His grandpa made a sound between a chuckle and a scoff. "Yeah, I heard you alright," Goliat said, his voice almost proud, but Lucifer was too peeved to think too much about it. "I will see you on Saturday, Luci. Take care."
Before Lucifer could get any word in, his grandpa hang up. Lucifer blinked, taken aback, and huffed staring at the black screen. Damn old man. Always had to have the last word.
As he drove to their destination, Lucifer was pretty sure that he was fine. His heart was beating through his chest and his stomach felt like a ribbon about to frail all over, but other than that, it was fine. When he stopped in front of a modest house that was all very familiar for him, Lucifer had to force his hands to unclasp the wheel.
"Last chance," he said to Alastor at his side, as if joking. "We can still turn around and pretend nothing happened."
Alastor didn't even grant him a response. The deer limited himself to undoe the belt and opened up the car himself. "It's the great grandpa of my fawn. Get out," he said, standing with his arms crossed.
Lucifer groaned internally as he came out behind him, joining him in the rocky path that went over to the door, a hand on the lower back of Alastor. He had the suit of the group on, while Alastor had his own brown suit on. Not one of his most expensive or the most formal, but one that would show he was entering into his space with the given respect. Lucifer had told Alastor all he could think could be used to prevent a bad reaction from his grandpa (among other things, how he should never call the man anything similar to kitty or cat), but honestly he had no idea how this could turn out. It could go incredibly well or... well, they would have one less contact to ask for free babysitting services. Once they stopped, Alastor sighed and rubbed his knuckles on the space between Lucifer's shoulder blades.
"Relax," said the deer, softly. "It's just one dinner. There is no reason to get nervous."
"I am not nervous," whispered Lucifer, frowning. Alastor snorted, skeptic. "And even if I was, there is good reason for it. I am sending my pregnant deer boyfriend to a literal lion's pen. I would say that is a reasonable response to have."
"Said my boyfriend, the obligate carnivore," added Alastor, reaching over the door bell before Lucifer had opportunity to reply. Inside they heard the sound, immediately followed by heavy steps. Familiar steps that always told Lucifer where his grandpa was a every moment.
As soon the door opened up, both of them had to look up in order to see the face of Goliat Morningstar. A tall lion even among other lions, head almost reaching the frame of the door and forcing him to bend down a little to reach him. Despite his age, Goliat had a full weavy maine that both framed his face and also fell over his wide shoulders, with only a few grey hairs coming out from his temples. At seeing them, Goliat smiled widely, showing all of his teeth with no shame, but his expression was too happy to not make it obvious he just didn't care to hide them rather than intentionally doing so. His brown eyes blew out, his pupils expanding, just like his grandson when he saw something he liked.
"Luci!" greeted Goliat, his voice like a presence on its own, going over to grab Lucifer on his arms and squeeze him tight. "My little grandson! Finally I see your handsome face after all this time!" Without giving the chance of Lucifer to get his breath back, Goliat rubbed his cheeks against the red spots on Lucifer's face. A rumbling sound came out from the giant man.
At a first moment, Alastor thought it was a motor of some byke nearby until it increased in volume and there could be no longer any doubt. Not that it made any easier to accept. He had worked with many predators before, but couldn't say that he actually saw a fully grown adult feline ever purring that strong in order to welcome his family. Goliat was clearly trying to mark Lucifer with his scent, something that Alastor could only assume happened a lot since Lucifer was a kid, as if the man feared Lucifer could take a step away from home and couldn't make his way back without it. Another felines could take that as a vulnerable moment, but it was given in front of Alastor without any hesitation.
Either because Goliat Morningstar couldn't possibly register Alastor as a threat of any kind, or he was too confident in his own strenght to even think he couldn't afford to do it. Alastor truly had no idea which one it was. If it was the first, then his goal would be teaching that old lion how wrong he was. If it was the second... there wasn't much to do. That was the same quality that had irritated him from Lucifer when they first met, and to that day Lucifer had those annoying moments.
After a long while, Goliat gave himself for satisfied and put Lucifer back on the floor. When his eyes finally landed squarely on Alastor, a shiver passed through his spine that he did his best to contain. His instinct were screaming at him to get on his knees and make himself as small as possible, invisible for the obvious predator in front of him. Precisely because of that, he forced himself to straightened up his back, throw his shoulders back and face the man directly. He was never going to let anyone make him feel like a defenseless fawn again.
Goliat rised an eyebrow and tilted his head to a side, right before letting out a loud guffaw. Surprised, Alastor couldn't help his ears pulling back on his head.
"Your little deer has some attitude!" commented Goliat, patting the shoulder of Lucifer. Alastor winced at the impact, like someone had slammed a log of wood onto him. Lucifer seemed used to it, but he wasn't. "Good, good! Alastor, wasn't it? Goliat Morningstar, nice to meet you!"
He then offered his paw for Alastor to shake. Alastor gave his almost automatically, blatantly ignoring the fact the hand of the lion could wrap his as easily as Alastor's could cover a puppy's head. He had no idea how accostumed he was to Lucifer being a smaller predator than him until then. Even so, he had to admit: the lion still knew to give a good handshake. Firm enough to make it clear that he could go stronger if there was any need, but gentle enough that it didn't hurt. Alastor relaxed at that. Despite how big and intimidating the old lion was, once upon a time he had been a parent and raised a fragile baby Lucifer. No matter how many years had passed since Lucifer wasn't fragile anymore, that muscle memory was still there.
The idea of being the target of such concern didn't please his own pride, but even that part of him couldn't erase the logical relief. This particular predator wasn't going to hunt him. Still, Alastor couldn't stop himself from squeezing him back as strong as he could. Goliat's smile didn't change at all, as if he barely noticed it.
"Likewise, sir. Thanks for having me," said Alastor, offering a grin of his own to show how not impressed he actually was.
"Well, Lucifer's partner was always going to be welcome! This is his home too, after all," said Goliat, giving him a slight squeeze before letting him go and getting back to his full height. "Please, come in! Dinner is all ready, it just needs us at the table."
With that, the man turned around and came inside without waiting for them. Lucifer took the chance to rub Alastor's back, his concerned expression as clear of a "you okay?" as it could be. Alastor gulped down and nodded. When Lucifer took his hand and pulled in order to follow him inside, Alastor's feet first reacted wanting to stick themselves to the ground, but he ignored to move forward. Lucifer already had been imprinted with the characteristic musky smell of the lion, but that was still Lucifer, a warm familiar presence. Once they crossed the threshold, it was impossible to deny that this was in fact the house of the lion. Every direction his head turned to, his scent lingered in the air as if the man himself was everywhere all at once.
Of course that was the natural result of any person staying for long enough in one space. He knew that and yet, Alastor couldn't help to feel that there was some intentionality there, like the will of the man was commanding a ghost to stay behind just in case someone could forget who was the owner of that space. To distract himself, Alastor inspected the place as Lucifer took out his jacket and put it next to his on a hanger.
The house was big, but not in terms of luxury. Every part of that place was tailored to fit the big lion. From the couches in the living room, the shelves that Alastor himself wouldn't be able to reach, even a coffee table that was taller than the one they had at their apartment. He was surprised to see pots of growing plants near the door and droopy vines falling from pots hanging from the ceiling. Near the coucht there was a basket with some yarns and needles sticking through that instantly softened him up, next to a knitted quilt that maybe came from Goliat's hand himself. It was a strangely cozy picture, one so harmless and mundane he almost missed the wall of trophies.
He saw a thin object at the corner of his eyes and thought, before he turned his head, that it was a small tree or some other kind of plant. Then he saw that it was antlers. Just as the ones he had left at home, that he didn't bother to put on for that night, nailed to a wooden base and hanging from the wall. Next to it, a frame containing all the teeth of some predator with big sharp teeth until forming a smile. Over there, two rabbit feets of different colors hanged from the same chain. A chain of rat tails. Claws sticking out from another frame. A whole empty shell of a turtle. All and more went to cover the wall. Alastor stared at it for so long, that he missed Lucifer calling for him the first time.
"What?" asked Lucifer, coming for him and then noticing where his eyes were glued on. He got his shoulders together, cringing. "Shit, I forgot about that."
Alastor looked over at his partner, incredulous. "How in Earth do you forget about that?"
"When you grew up in the Black Market, you see all kind of things all the time," rushed to say Lucifer with a shrug, but avoiding to see the decorations all the same. He sighed, scratching his neck. "I am sorry, I should have warned you."
"Are you two coming or not?" called the voice of Goliat before Alastor could muster any response. "Lu, I raised you better than to let guest just stand around!" added the lion, laughing to himself.
"Do you want to go?" said Lucifer in a lower voice, taking a step to Alastor to reach for his hand.
"We just got here," replied Alastor, taking a step back. He threw one glance to the wall again before shaking his head to Lucifer. "No, it's fine. It's just a rather... original bit of interior decoration, nothing else."
Lucifer, despite his offer, gave him a soft smile and tangled their fingers together. Alastor found a little satisfaction at that and followed the dragon easily to the dinning room. He had already decided he was not going to show himself as a cowardly prey that night, and wasn't about to change that. At the table, Lucifer moved a chair to let Alastor sit first and then kissed his head. The ears of Alastor flickered slighty at the gesture, his tail moving ever so slighty over his pants. This was just a normal dinner in the house of someone Lucifer cared about. There was nothing for him to fear.
After a while, the door to the kitchen open up and Goliat came inside with a truly massive tray that only a man his size could carry. "I know already to not offer you any alcohol," said the lion with a wink to Alastor, "so I got some orange juice! Freshly made too! I have a buddy who cultivates his own fruits and he is always giving me way too many, so you will do me a favor giving it a good use."
"Thank you," said Alastor, sincerely. He took the glass and gave a little sniff. Oh, it smelled wonderful. When he tasted it, he smiled more easily. Maybe a little bit of sugar would help it along, but it wasn't bad at all.
"I can give you some of the oranges if you want later," offered Goliat, putting another glass in front of Lucifer. "Lu, wine?"
"Just one glass, gramps."
After serving his grandson, Goliat put the plates in front of each of them, all covered with a lid, before sitting himself at the head of the table like it couldn't be any other way. Alastor found it strange how all the plates looked exactly the same. How would the man know what to serve who what?
Once they opened up, he realized why that was.
"What the...," let out Lucifer, first sniffing the air before his eyes landed on the plate of Alastor. A rush of indignation furrowed his brow as he glared at his grandpa. "The fuck is that? I hope it's a fucking joke."
"What?" said Goliat, smile too cat like to look remotely innocent, swaying the content of his own glass. "I told you I was more than happy to have you both for dinner. You never said anything about doing different menus, though. How I was supposed to know?"
"I thought that would be obvious? You can't just serve a fucking steak to a deer!" snapped Lucifer. "What is wrong with you?"
"What I am wondering," said Goliat, taping his own chin, "is why is you making a huge deal about it and Alastor remains silent. Can't he speak for himself? And here I thought a prey dating a predator would have more backbone than that."
"You are such a dick, you know that?" exploded Lucifer. "This, this is exactly why I didn't tell you about him sooner! Everything has to go according to you and if not, everyone gets fucked!"
"I thought you wanted me to receive him in my home!" replied Goliat. "What, did you expect me to hide our actual food and how I live? Is that how you two live? How do you expect to raise a kid like that?"
"It's called partnership for a reason! No everything has to go one way all the time, old man!"
Goliat opened up his mouth, lifting a finger to point at Lucifer. But whatever words he had at the tip of his tongue dissolved in the air. Lucifer saw the direction of his gaze and turned to his side. Alastor had already grabbed both fork and knife to cut into the steak in front of him.
"Babe, you don't have to," said Lucifer softly, ignoring the shushing from Goliat.
"I know I don't," said Alastor calmly. "Just like I don't need you to speak for me, dear," reminded him in the same tone. The words of Goliat had succesfully poked him, although he wouldn't admit it. He could still just insist to turn around and go back with Lucifer to their home. Tell their security about Goliat and his description to make sure the man never came close to them again. Make it so the old lion could never get close to his fawn. He could, and Lucifer would understand, even though it was cutting his only blood relative out of a important part of his life. He wouldn't ask that of him, though.
Mostly because it would show the old man that he was right. That Alastor was too weak and fragile to withstand dating, not to mention having a family with, a predator with everything that implied. That Alastor wasn't built to be part of this family and never was. That Lucifer could only ever truly live at his side by contorting and forcing himself into a box where he didn't belong to.
This was a test. One that Alastor would rather puke his guts out rather than admit failure in. He haven't endured all he did and worked so hard for his relationship to give some guy permission to judge him inadequate for it. Fuck that.
With that, he brought the piece of meat to his mouth and bite into it. Both predators held their breath at the same time, their jaws slighty left ajar. Goliat looked just as surprised as Lucifer when, after a few bites, Alastor swallowed the portion of meat he had. They waited in silence as Alastor licked his lips.
"It's good," he said, taken aback himself. He never had meat before.
"Is it?" asked Lucifer and let out a tiny ow when Goliat slapped his arm.
"Of course it is!" said the old man, laughing. "Why, you thought I would give you expired meat or something? That hurts my feelings! I slaved away to cook it into perfection, you know? Your deer boyfriend seems to have good taste! I guess that is why he chose you, huh?" The lion agitated the shoulder of Lucifer, who still seemed concerned down to Alastor as he took a sip of his orange juice. "There is a lot more from where that came from, boys! Eat as much as you want! Especially you, Alastor, since you are eating for two there!"
Lucifer shrugged his shoulder off Goliat, but the lion didn't mind at that point. Satisfied now, he took a large gulp from his glass and started eating himself. Alastor had another bite, masticating just as easily as the first time. Under the table, Lucifer patted his knee and gave it a questioning squeeze.
"I am fine," said Alastor and smiled to him easily, blinking those big doe eyes that made Lucifer's leg falter. The deer knew exactly what he did when he looked at him like that. The funny thing was, he wasn't lying at all. His stomach was just as well as if he had eaten a salad or fruit. He would still need to ask the doctors laters if that was normal or was somehow an effect by carrying a predator's baby. "Just eat, Lu. It will get cold."
"Listen to your deer, Lu!" insisted Goliat, mouth full of meat himself. Alastor saw the man staring at him with a new look that wasn't there. One of respect and a hint of fondness. "He has a good head over his shoulders, I can tell."