Pardon The Way That I Stare

Breakfast

The next morning, sunlight filtered through the curtains of their cabin, casting a soft, golden glow over the two demons entangled beneath the sheets. Lucifer stirred first, blinking groggily as he registered the warmth of Alastor's body beside him. He stretched slightly, feeling the damp stickiness of sweat clinging to his skin.

"Ugh," Lucifer groaned softly, his voice hoarse with sleep. "We're... kind of a mess." He glanced over at Alastor, whose tousled hair stuck to his forehead, a rare sight for someone always so immaculately put together.

Alastor opened one eye, then the other, and let out a soft chuckle. "I must agree, dear. It seems we're not as graceful in sleep as we'd like to imagine." He shifted, making a face at the sensation of their clammy skin. "I suggest a shower before we turn into something even less pleasant."

Lucifer laughed, sliding out of bed and offering Alastor his hand. "Agreed. Come on, let's get cleaned up."

The two made their way to the en suite bathroom, where the cool tiles underfoot were a welcome relief from the heat of the cabin. Lucifer turned on the shower, the water quickly warming up and filling the small space with steam. Without hesitation, they stepped in together, the spray cascading over their bodies.

The shower was quiet at first, the water washing away the remnants of the previous night. Alastor tilted his head back, letting the water run through his thick hair, while Lucifer stood next to him, rinsing off the lingering stickiness.

"You know," Lucifer said after a moment, "I never thought I'd be doing this with you. A shower, of all things."

Alastor gave him a sidelong glance, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "I never thought I'd find myself here either, but life—or afterlife, rather—has a way of surprising us. Besides, I rather enjoy this. It's... intimate in a way I hadn't expected."

Lucifer smiled at that, feeling a flicker of warmth that had nothing to do with the temperature of the water. "Yeah. I guess it is." He leaned in closer, pressing a kiss to Alastor's damp shoulder, the water beading on their skin.

Once they finished, they toweled off and dressed for breakfast. As Lucifer slipped into his casual clothes, he glanced at Alastor, his mind swirling with the events of the night before. It still felt surreal, this new closeness between them, but he wasn't about to overthink it.

"Ready?" Alastor asked, smoothing out his shirt with a practiced motion, looking as composed as ever.

Lucifer nodded, and after a brief pause, he reached out and took Alastor's hand in his. Alastor looked down at their joined hands, a small, pleased smile crossing his face before they headed out of the cabin together.

As they walked through the ship's corridors to the dining area, Lucifer felt a mixture of nervousness and excitement bubbling up. Holding Alastor's hand in front of everyone felt like a bold step, but it also felt right. He glanced over at Alastor, who seemed completely at ease, giving him the confidence to keep going.

When they reached the dining area, the usual crowd of residents and staff were already gathered at the long breakfast table. As they approached, Angel Dust's eyes immediately zeroed in on their joined hands, and a wide grin spread across his face.

"Ohhh, what do we have here?" Angel drawled, leaning forward on the table with a devilish smirk. "You two are looking all cozy this morning. Did someone have a good night?"

Lucifer flushed slightly, but he kept his cool, giving Angel a sidelong glance as they sat down together. "We slept well, thank you for asking."

Alastor, ever composed, added with a sly smile, "A very restful night indeed. And you, Angel? How was your evening?"

Angel waggled his eyebrows, clearly enjoying the playful back-and-forth. "Oh, my night was just *fine*. But I'm more interested in how you two are getting along now that you've had some... quality time together." He winked at Lucifer, making it clear that his teasing wasn't about to stop anytime soon.

Lucifer rolled his eyes, trying to play it off. "We're fine, Angel. Nothing more to it."

But before he could deflect further, Alastor leaned in, his voice low and playful as he spoke to Angel. "Tell me, Angel, how was your evening with Husk? I noticed you two seemed quite... cozy yourselves."

Husk, who had been sipping his drink across the table, choked, spitting out a bit of his coffee in surprise. His cheeks flushed as he tried to regain his composure. "W-We didn't do anything!" he sputtered, his voice flustered. "I just slept. Alone."

Angel snickered, patting Husk's shoulder with faux sympathy. "Sure, sure, Husk. Keep telling yourself that."

The entire table burst into laughter, the tension between Lucifer and Alastor momentarily forgotten as Husk's embarrassment became the new topic of conversation. Even Lucifer couldn't help but chuckle at Husk's obvious discomfort.

As the teasing continued, Lucifer leaned back in his chair, squeezing Alastor's hand under the table. Despite the playful banter and the awkwardness of the morning, he felt a strange sense of contentment. Being here, with Alastor and the others, felt right.

For the first time in a long while, Lucifer felt like he was exactly where he was supposed to be.