Pardon The Way That I Stare

An Unwelcome Guest

The next morning, sunlight streamed through the curtains of Lucifer and Alastor's room, casting a warm glow on the sleepy figures in the bed. Lucifer stirred first, stretching and blinking against the light. He noticed Alastor still peacefully asleep beside him, and a smile crept onto his face.

Just as Lucifer was about to nudge Alastor awake, a gentle knock came at the door, followed by Charlie's voice calling out, "Dad! Can I come in?"

"Yeah, sure sweetie," he replied, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

Charlie opened the door and stepped inside, her expression a mix of excitement and concern. "Lucifer, there's someone here looking for Alastor."

"Who is it?" Alastor asked, still a bit groggy.

"I think you should just come see, Al," Charlie said, glancing back toward the door.

Curiosity piqued, Lucifer watched as Alastor sat up, groggily pulling on his red pinstriped robe. He moved toward the door, the slight frown on his face deepening as he opened it to see a familiar figure standing there.

"Vox?" Alastor's voice was curt, laced with irritation.

"Alastor, I—" Vox began, his head—a flat-screen TV displaying static—tilting slightly as if to express confusion.

"Go away," Alastor snapped, cutting him off. Without another word, he slammed the door shut.

Lucifer raised an eyebrow, exchanging a worried glance with Charlie. "What just happened?"

"Vox is here," Charlie replied, her voice low. "I think he wants to talk to Alastor."

Just then, Alastor marched off toward the staircase, his demeanor tense. Lucifer quickly followed, catching up to him. "Hey, wait. What's going on?"

"Vox is... an old friend," Alastor said, his tone stiff. "He doesn't just work with technology, he is technology. I can't stand it."

"Is that it?" Lucifer pressed, concern etched on his face. "I mean, is that why you shut the door?"

Alastor hesitated, the tension in his shoulders easing slightly. "Well, there's more. We briefly dated, and we haven't spoken since. It's complicated. He's become somewhat of a rival."

"Rival?" Lucifer echoed, surprised. "What does he want?"

"I don't know, and I don't care," Alastor replied tersely, crossing his arms.

Lucifer placed a hand on Alastor's shoulder. "Look, I'll talk to Vox. I'll see what he wants and report back to you, okay? Maybe it's something that can be resolved."

Alastor looked at him, his expression softening slightly. "I don't want to see him, Luci. I just... I don't want to deal with any of that."

"I get it," Lucifer said, his tone reassuring. "But you should at least know what's going on. It might help you feel better."

After a moment of silence, Alastor sighed, finally nodding. "Fine. Just... be careful. I don't trust him."

"I will," Lucifer promised, giving Alastor a reassuring smile before heading back down the stairs. As he reached the bottom, he spotted Vox waiting nervously near the entrance.