Partners in Crime

1: Pleasure to Meet You

Alastor's POV

I sit in my dining room, drinking coffee and reading a book. I hear cars passing by my house once in a while. My neighborhood is always sort of busy on a Sunday morning.

What to do today? Maybe visit Rosie. Always a delight to see her.

I look out the window in front of my sink to the house next to me. I dump the rest of my coffee and clean the cup. I place it in the cupboard gently, making sure it's facing the right way. Then I see someone in the corner of my eye. A short man walking in the house holding a box. Quite short. Like a child's height.

Someone's moving in.

About time someone moved into that poor house. That has been up for sale for the past three years. I pick up my book and look at it for a bit, memorizing the page I am on. I walk outside and to my new neighbor. Short little blonde man in front of me struggles to pick up a box. He had long hair tied in a man bun, some strands loose from the hair tie. His white dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up. His pale white skin glows a little in the sun. Interesting. Interesting indeed.

"Greetings, newcomer." The short man jumps and turns around, looking up at me. I smile down at him. 

"Oh uh. Hello. And your name is?"

"How rude of me. I should introduce myself. I'm Alastor, pleasure to meet you on this fine morning."

"Lucifer. Pleasure to meet you too. I will uh... just get back to moving."

"Let me help. It's the least I can do for giving you quite the scare."

I took the box he tried to pick up, realizing it was a bit heavy. I wondered what was inside. I place it in the kitchen. If it needs to be moved, I can move it for him.

"Thank you," he says.

I give him a big smile, creeping out the new neighbor a bit. Lucifer brings in another box into the house as I go to grab one from the moving van. I hear something move inside the van and become curious. I walk into the van, searching for the cause of the noise. I find a little girl, looking a lot like Lucifer, sitting in the back behind a bunch of boxes, eating a sandwich. I tilt my head slightly, looking down at the little girl. Seems I have found another little neighbor.

"And who you might be, darling?" I squat down, my arms resting on my bent knees.

"Charlie! Are you daddy's friend?"

"I just happened to meet your daddy not 30 seconds ago. What are you doing back here?"

"Hiding. Shhh. Daddy has to find me." I smile at Charlie. I pat her head, assuring I won't tell her daddy where she is. She giggles and takes a bite of her sandwich.

"Alastor, what are you doing?" Lucifer asks at the end of the van. Charlie puts a finger over her mouth with a smile, signaling for me to stay quiet. I stand up and look at my neighbor.

"I thought I saw something move, I guess. It was nothing," I quickly lie.

"Is Charlie back there?" Lucifer sighs.

"Who?" I tilt my head and narrow my eyes.

"Never mind." Lucifer takes another box and leaves. I look back at my neighbor's daughter. She giggles and I pat her head. Such a cute little girl.

"I must get going now, darling. I'm helping your daddy put his stuff in the house."

"Don't leave!"

"I must, darling. I'll come back, don't you worry."

"That's what mommy said. But she didn't come back." The child's good attitude drops and she hugs my leg tightly. I look down at the kid with concern and sadness. She wipes her eye, probably not realizing she said something Lucifer probably didn't want me to know.

"Alright. Just hold on really right, dear. Okay?"

"Okay!" Her happy and joyful attitude was back. Her smile plastered on her face once again, as if she always had it on. I carefully pick up a box and bring it into the house. Lucifer looks at me holding the box, then sees Charlie hanging onto my leg with a smile. He was staring at us quite a while before blinking rapidly. He walks away like a robot awkwardly. I walk, well limp, to the kitchen and Charlie giggles. Lucifer smiles at himself again and goes back to get another box.

Lucifer's POV

After everything was moved in and mostly unpacked, the sun was starting to set. I sit down on the floor beside an empty box, panting in exhaustion. Alastor sits next to me, while holding a sleepy Charlie in his arms. She yawns before slowly closing her eyes and dozing off to sleep. I'm thankful he helped or I would've still been loading boxes. We finished getting everything in and did half the unpacking. I'll have to pay him back tomorrow.

I smile at my daughter before yawning. The stupid contagious yawns. I am tired. I lay on Alastor's shoulder and doze off.

I wake up with the feeling of someone in my arms. I like this feeling, I used to do this with my ex-wife, Lilith. I miss holding someone or being held by someone. I loved it. I hold whoever I have in his arms closer, planting my face in their chest, without looking at who exactly I'm holding. But they're also really warm.

"Am I that comfy, darling?" Alastor's voice asks as realization hits me. My eyes go wide.

"I-I didn't mean to..."

"Perfectly fine, my dear. Just maybe let go of me, please." Alastor smiles at me. I let go of him quickly and went to find Charlie. I hear Alastor chuckle and get up. I search every room in my new house. Behind boxes and anything that has been unpacked already. No sign of my little girl.

"Do you know where Charlie is? I can't find her," I ask, looking behind more boxes. Charlie jumps out of the box, or at least tries to, with a giggle. Alastor picks her up out of the box and I sigh in relief. "Thank goodness." I take Charlie and kiss her forehead. She giggles and I smile at her. I look at Alastor, who's just smiling at us. When is he not smiling? Kind of creepy. 

"I should be getting back home and into fresher clothes," Alastor says.

"You'll come back, right?" Charlie asks.

"Only if your daddy allows me too, sweetheart." She looks up at me, doing those puppy eyes. I can't turn down those puppy eyes. But do I want him to come back? He's been a big help. I can make him and Charlie pancakes! Yes.

"Yes, he can come back if he wishes too."

"Yay!" Alastor chuckles deeply and pats her head.

"I'll see you two very soon." He leaves with his hands behind his back. I set Charlie on a stool by the counter in the middle of the kitchen. Should I make them now to start them? Well first I need a pan. And the ingredients. I don't have any food at the moment. How will I feed Charlie? Oh no. I'm such a terrible father.

"Daddy. When can we see Uncle Az?"

"Uh...maybe later today. If he's able to."