Pardon The Way That I Stare

As Alastor left the bathroom, his thoughts still lingered on the conversation with Niffty. Her curiosity about his relationship with Lucifer had stirred something in him—a reminder of how new and different this all felt. Love was unfamiliar territory, and despite his usual confidence, there were moments where the weight of it all felt... strange.

He made his way back into the main room of the hotel, where the usual controlled chaos had resumed. Angel Dust was lounging on the couch, talking Husk's ear off, while Charlie was busy trying to organize something or another. Lucifer, looking pale but notably better than earlier, sat by the window, absentmindedly twirling a glass of water in his hands. He glanced up as Alastor entered and smiled.

"There you are," Lucifer said, his voice still a little hoarse from his earlier cold. "How's Niffty?"

Alastor walked over, sitting beside Lucifer. "She's fine, just a small cut. All patched up now."

"Good," Lucifer replied, his tone soft. He reached over and laced his fingers with Alastor's, squeezing gently.

For a moment, they sat there, just the two of them, in their own little world despite the activity around them. The hotel might have been bustling with its usual chaos, but in that moment, it felt like there was nothing but peace between them. Alastor glanced at Lucifer, noticing the way the light from the window played across his features, making him look even more ethereal than usual.

"You're staring," Lucifer teased, raising an eyebrow.

"Can you blame me, dear?" Alastor shot back with a grin. "I do have impeccable taste."

Lucifer chuckled, leaning his head against Alastor's shoulder. "I suppose you do."

They stayed like that for a while, simply enjoying each other's presence, until the sound of Charlie's footsteps broke the quiet.

"Hey, have you two seen Niffty?" she asked, her eyes scanning the room.

Alastor nodded. "She's fine, just tending to a small injury. She should be bouncing around any minute now."

Charlie sighed in relief. "Good. I was worried when I saw the commotion earlier. Everything okay?"

Alastor waved a hand dismissively. "Handled. Let's just say the guest won't be causing any more problems."

Charlie grimaced, understanding all too well what that meant. "Right... well, thanks for keeping things in check, as always."

With that, she disappeared back into the flurry of hotel activity. Lucifer turned his attention back to Alastor, his eyes thoughtful.

"Something on your mind?" Alastor asked, tilting his head slightly.

Lucifer hesitated for a moment before responding. "I was just thinking... it's kind of nice, all of this. Being here with you. It's different, but good."

Alastor's smile softened. "It is, isn't it?"

Lucifer looked at him, his eyes flickering with a mixture of affection and something deeper—gratitude, perhaps, for this strange, unexpected happiness they'd stumbled upon. He reached up and placed a hand on Alastor's cheek, pulling him into a soft kiss. It was gentle, almost tender, and when they pulled away, there was a quiet understanding between them.

Alastor glanced at the clock. "Shouldn't we be getting ready for dinner with Rosie?"

Lucifer groaned, resting his head back against Alastor's shoulder. "Can't we just stay here instead? I'm still recovering, after all."

Alastor chuckled, running a hand through Lucifer's hair. "I suppose we could delay... but Rosie won't wait forever. She's probably already waiting for us in the parlor."

Lucifer sighed dramatically but smiled nonetheless. "Fine, fine. Let's go before she starts hunting us down."

They both stood up, still holding hands as they made their way toward the parlor where Rosie was likely waiting, ready for the evening ahead. For now, though, everything felt... right. Alastor glanced at Lucifer out of the corner of his eye, feeling a rare sense of contentment settle over him.

Maybe this new chapter in his life wasn't so strange after all.