𝐇𝐇 𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐏𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐒 𝐆𝐔𝐈𝐃𝐄 - Hazbin Hotel

to never let you go...

It started with a comment by Angel Dust in one of the monthly sections for abuse survivors. Of course, at that moment neither Lucifer nor anyone else knew it, but the idea would have been initially planted that day while Lucifer distractedly listened to sinners complaining about their life.

It seemed to Lucifer that they were all just self-pitying and yes, he knew that made him a hypocrite, but he couldn't see the point. Maybe it's because he felt uncharitable towards them after Angel Dust and Husker kicked Charlie out and banned him from these sections. Didn't they understand that everything they had was for his daughter?

His daughter was a bright ray of sunshine in this thrice-cursed place, perhaps the only good thing he had ever done, and her presence alone was enough to make Lucifer want to fight his own demons (metaphorically and literally), but these sinners who had already wasted a fist change, taken advantage of her hospitality and made her feel ineffective, no matter what Charlie said she understood, Lucifer saw her trembling lip and her eyes shining with tears.

So Lucifer sat, knowing that his presence made some of these souls, most of whom had happily fallen into the role of victims, uncomfortable, and listened passively, his face bored as he rambled or mentally criticized what he heard before becoming distracted again.

It was terribly repetitive and they didn't accomplish anything. What was the point of these?

By the end of the day the entire encounter would have been shoved into the "unimportant" box as he followed Charlie and he didn't think about it again until almost two months later.

Lilith had said once, or several times, but who's counting?, that he and Charlie were given to histrionics and justified that that was why she had to limit the time they spent together for the good of both. Those kinds of comments had always hurt, especially when Lilith went from helping him out of his coils to sighing with exhaustion and walking away.

(Until one day she didn't come back. Him and Charlie were more than she could handle apparently, but then again, his (Ex?)wife had always been cold and not likely to get attached. Who could be surprised?).

Lucifer never wanted to agree with that assessment, but he knew she wasn't entirely wrong. Lucifer and Charlie were... emotional. He tried to avoid it, he had been burned too many times and he did everything possible to make sure it didn't happen to him or Charlie again. His daughter should not make the same mistakes.

But Charlie...his daughter was inspiring and moving, she made the hardened part of Lucifer dare to dream again, even when he should know better. All he could do was watch the traps and try to keep Charlie from falling into them or catch her when it happened.

And Alastor was without a doubt one of those traps.

The man had given him the creeps from the moment he met him. How dare he try to take his place as Charlie's father? And the audacity to try to challenge him! Lucifer was furious, he was indignant... and, perhaps, a little excited.

Lucifer for centuries became accustomed to the same basic emotions of adoration of idiots who would make sacrifices to him (What was he supposed to do with so many goats?!) and abject hatred that he may or may not be justifying (his heavenly brothers, hundreds of humans who They blamed him for his own decisions, Adam for not supporting his wives, Lilith for things ranging from losing track of time and not paying attention to complaining about leaving her alone to handle the pride ring. The list was certainly long).

Come on Alastor.

And that bothered him.

There were irreverent idiots who had underestimated him thinking they could be his equals, they envied and longed for what he had. Lucifer was more than happy to let them believe that fantasy until he got tired. That's why he had pleased the strange demon when he entered into his song.