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allie-cat-writes · 4 days ago

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A little dabble brought about by sleeplessness. Posting it here as otherwise it would never see the light of day.

I who loves you best

As soon as the portal from heaven opened, Alastor knew something wasn't right.

Charlie, Vaggie and Lucifer were smiling brightly. And so was Lilith. How was she there?

Lucifer’s eyes looked a little glazed, like he was drunk or feverish, something he's never been in his entire existence.

They stepped through and the devil looked around, a bit confused.

“Hey, where are we?” he asked.

Charlie looked at him, worried.

“What do you mean, dad? We're back at the hotel?”

“What hotel?” his eyes landed on Alastor. “Who are you?”

Everyone looked stunned. Angel and Husk, who had been waiting at the bar, approached cautiously. Charlie was looking over her father, her distress growing.

“Dad, what do you mean? That's Alastor, the hotel manager. You know him.”

“I don't think so. What's going on? Why are there sinners here?” Lucifer asked, his voice hitching up with sudden nerves.

“Dad? What's the last thing you remember?”

“I… I was at the palace. I got the call to come get you and your mother. She was on vacation for a year?” he looked a little uncertain. “I thought we were going home, what happened?”

Charlie was wringing her hands now, Vaggie stepped in to hug her. Upon seeing her, Lucifer unfurled his wings, taking a step back and dropping into a defensive crouch.

“Why is this exterminator here?” he hissed.

Charlie moved quickly to step between them, putting her hands up defensively:

“Dad, calm down. That's Vaggie, my girlfriend. You know her!”. She was starting to sound a little hysterical.

Lucifer blinked out of sync, but did not relax.

“What do you mean? Why would you be in a relationship with one of them?”

At this Lilith drew close to him, putting a hand on his shoulder. Alastor watched all of this, hackles raised, ears pinned harshly against his head. How dare she touch his angel?

“Dear”, Lilith began in a calm, reassuring voice. “Let's calm down. It seems something is the matter. How about you and I go to the palace and I'll explain?”

A loud static screech shook the windows in the room. Alastor felt the shadows draw in, called up by his rage.

“He will be going nowhere with you. What are you even doing here?” he hissed, words dripping venom.

The woman looked at him, eyes narrowing.

“Who do you think you are to speak to me that way, sinner? Know your place”

“Who do you think you are coming back here after all these years? What have you done to Lucifer?”

He stepped forward, his form growing larger, intent on squeezing the truth out of her. Lucifer moved between them to defend her.

“How dare you? ” he bellowed. “You will not disrespect my wife.”

Alastor felt his temper slipping further. His angel didn't remember him, and it was without a doubt that wretched woman's fault. And now he had to hear him call her his wife? Charlie was in front of him, speaking quickly, probably trying to calm him down. He wished he and Lucifer had told her about their relationship. Maybe she'd see how wrong this was then.

“Ex-wife, Lucifer. She left you. She left Charlie. Look at your hand, hmm? Where's your ring?”

Lucifer looked down, worry creasing his brow. Behind him, Lilith looked furious.

“How dare you speak like this to you king, scum. Our affairs do not concern you” she yelled. Her eyes were throwing daggers at him, willing him to stand down. But Alastor was no longer on her leash.

He shifted back to his normal stature and slipped through the shadows behind her.

“Oh, my former master” Alstor sing-songs next to her ear. Before she can whirl around on him, he's in front of the trio again, smile wide and predatory.

“You no longer get to tell me what I can and cannot do.”

Charlie looks between the two of them several times, then turns fully to her mother.

“What is he talking about?” she asks.

Alastor notices Lucifer is still looking at his bare hand. He takes advantage of everyone being distracted and moves to him through the shadows, pulling him into his arms and away from Lilith.

The king startles, looking angrily up at the sinner.

“Don't worry, mon ange, I would never harm you.” Alastor croons softly.

“Why would I believe a lowly sinner?”

That stung, Alastor almost flinched back, but reminded himself that Lucifer was not alright right now. He took a deep breath and responded:

“You can tell when someone is lying, yes?”

Lucifer nods in response.

“I am 400 years old.”

“Lie” Lucifer says immediately.

“Quite right.”

From the corner of his eye he sees Lilith move towards them and pulls the king behind Angel and Husk. Husk, quick on the uptake, takes a defensive stance between them. Surprisingly, so does Vaggie.

Alastor turns back to Lucifer and continues so as not to give him time to pull away.

“You are in the Hazbin hotel. It's a place your daughter created to try and redeem sinners. Everyone here, except Lilith is your friend. She's been gone for more than 10 years, not one and she was not on vacation.”

“LIES” Lilith shreaks, but Alastor can see in Lucifer’s eyes that he can hear the truth in his words. He holds his angel's gaze, letting his smile drop, letting his worry show. He hears Charlie gasp at this.

“You and Charlie just came back from heaven after we were told one of the sinners staying here was redeemed. You were there to negotiate peace and to try and figure out how it happened.”

At this Lucifer stepped back, shock and disbelief clear on his face. Lilith reached out her hand, trying to coax him to her.

“It's going to be alright, let's go discuss this at home” she beckoned sweetly.

“No, mom, you can't go. Something is clearly wrong with dad.” Charlie interrupted.

Alastor caught Lucifer’s hands, turning his attention back on him.

“It's going to be alright, Lucifer. We'll figure this out.”

“Why do you care?” the angel asked.

“Because I love you.” Alastor responded.

There were several gasps, and one “I fuckin knew it” from Angel Dust. Lilith recovered first and stormed up to the two of them, pulling Lucifer away.

“Keep away from my husband.” she hissed.

“Ex-husband” Alastor retorted icily, not looking her way. His eyes never left Lucifer.

“You know I'm not lying, mon ange. Please, please let me help you. I don't know what happened to you up there… “

“He was fine before the portal opened.” Vaggie interrupted. “It must have happened at the last second.”

“Enough of all of this” Lilith ordered, but she sounded strained. She turned to Lucifer.

“I have no idea what this man is saying, but the girls are right. Something happened to you and we need to fix it. ”

She extended a hand to Lucifer invitingly, looking as sweet and loving as a young maiden, fresh from Eden. Alastor felt bile rise up in his throat.

“I don't know what he's talking about. Yes I was gone, but I had good reason. As for him saying he loves you. I don't believe that's true. Even if it is, what does it matter? I'm your first and greatest love.”

Alastor cackled at the last part.

“First perhaps, but greatest? Do you really believe so? I don't doubt for a second this is your doing, whatever this is. I also don't believe you plan to” at this he used air quotes. “Fix it”

Lucifer was looking between them, his stress mounting. Parts of his memory were apparently missing, his wife had been gone for years allegedly, his daughter had redeemed a sinner and then there was this strange man claiming to love him and arguing over it with his wife. And sure, the tall bastard was a looker, in a slightly creepy sort of way, but would he have actually moved on from Lilith. The woman he fell from grace for?

The man's embrace had felt oddly familiar though and surprisingly reassuring. Like being covered by a soft, warm blanket. Like starry nights full of fireflies and the low hum of quiet jazz. Wait, hold on. Since when did he listen to jazz? He liked show tunes and Lilith liked opera and classical.

The two of them were arguing over who knew Lucifer best now. All kinds of personal things about him were exchanged, like how he liked his coffee, his favorite pajamas, his nightmares. Surprisingly, the sinner seemed as informed as his wife.

Lucifer looked to the man again, Alastor Charlie had said his name was. Huh? That was odd. He was usually really bad with names. He had put himself between Lucifer and everyone else, one hand gripping the top of a cane that looked like a microphone, the other waving around angrily.

Lucifer stopped hearing what they were saying, his mind seeming to drift away from the situation, trying to shut down. As if sensing this, Alastor stepped back a bit to be by his side and squeezed his shoulder reassuringly. It was brief, the pressure just enough to be grounding without overwhelming and the heat from his palm chased away the chill that had begun setting in from the fear and uncertainty.

It felt practiced, like he'd done it many times before.

Lucifer closed his eyes briefly and forced himself back in the now.

“I am not arguing with the likes of you any longer” Lilith was saying. She looked pissed.

Once again, Lucifer looked between them.

“There's a room” he began. “In the palace. It's always locked and no one is allowed in. What's in it?”

All conversation stopped, everyone looking his way at once.

“Your broken halo” Lilith responded immediately. Lucifer turned to Alastor.

The sinner was looking down at him with concern. His mouth twisted in a bitter smile. Finally he responded:

“I will not say.”

“Hah. You didn't know” Lilith jeered. “See, I told you he's all talk.”

Lucifer lifted his hand up to interrupt her.

“Why?”

Alastor had said wouldn't. Not couldn't.

“You wouldn't want others to know.”

At the word others, one of his ears flicked briefly towards Charlie. Lucifer looked at her. She was grown, she looked strong, even with the tears threatening to spill from her eyes. If this guy really did know the truth then…

He steeled himself and turned to Alastor again.

“Answer!” Lucifer commanded.

Alastor inclined his head, gripped his mic cane with both hands and drew in a deep breath before responding:

“It's a large banner, that reads ‘HA HA YOU THOUGHT!’. The room is empty”

“Why?”

“Decoy.”

“Where is the real one?”

“Wrath. Secret vault.”

“What's in it?”

Alastor paused, looking around at everyone and back to Lucifer, looking for assurance that he should continue. Lucifer nodded.

“Your wings. The ones that were cut off during your fall. The ones that never heal.”

Lucifer inhaled sharply through his teeth. He knew. Somehow this sinner knew his longest held secret.

“How do you… “

Alastor interrupted by lifting his hand but didn't say anything. Lucifer looked at his face, then the hand still up, then back and forth a few times until…

He gasped and reached up to grab the hand. There, on the palm was an imprint, burnt into the skin, of a feather.

“Why would you do this?” Lucifer asked, breathless.

“Let me carry some of your burden for you.”

The words echoed in the angel's mind, they felt familiar, like a prayer heard in the days of old. He felt like he was falling towards the sinner and before he could think, he was pulling him down by the lapels to kiss him. Faintly he heard someone scream, followed by commotion. All of it was drowned by the thumping of his heart and the feel of the kiss, the taste of those lips. He knew it, fiery whiskey and spice and bitter lemon. Late night's by the fire, coffee on the balcony overlooking the gardens, whispers in the corridors and the fireflies in the bayou.

His memory came crashing back and now that it was lifted he could recognize the spell. It was old and angelic. His relief was short lived, followed quickly by pure rage.

Lucifer pulled away from Alastor as his demonic form began to emerge. He was about to tell him to hold Lilith down, but he didn't even get a single syllable out. His sinner saw his recognition immediately and moved with preternatural speed. Moments later he had doubled in size, one giant clawed hand pinning Lucifer’s ex-wife to the ground.

Lucifer moved quickly to Charlie, pulling her away. He gave Vaggie a curt nod, the former exorcist quickly catching up and hugging her girlfriend, keeping her in place.

Lilith was thrashing against her restraint, screaming obscenities. She tried summoning up her magic to escape. Lucifer snapped his fingers and it all left her before she could.

“Lucifer, what are you doing?” she yelled at him.

“Funny. I was about to ask you the same thing. What was the plan here?”

“And who helped you do it?” Alastor added. “I know you don't have the power to do that kind of thing.”

“What he said.”

The woman looked to one then the other with unguarded vitriol in her eyes. Now that her plan had failed, all pretense was dropped it would seem.

“Like hell I'm telling you anything” she hissed.

“Oh, don't worry, darling.” Alastor began, his voice filled with a dark promise. Lucifer finished the sentence for him in much the same tone:

“We will make you.”

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