Chapter Text
Finally. A moment of peace and quiet between the hustle and bustle of Lucifer’s everyday life- virtual meetings, phone calls, in person meetings, and taking care of his daughter Charlie. Setting his car keys down on the small table near the door, sighed heavily.
As arranged, Lilith had Charlie during the weekends. She was well-studied, like himself. Top of her class, a perfect student. She only seemed to struggle with the social aspect of high school. They'd decided he would have equal custody over Charlie, enjoying her company during the weekdays rather than weekends. Homeschooling meant more time with his daughter. Homeschooling meant she wouldn't have to deal with the troublesome teenagers that threatened to soil the ray of sunshine that she was.
Now, all he needed was a tutor. He'd gotten a referral from a friend of his, as despite his level of education, he wasn't a good teacher. At all. Mr. Alastor LeRoux, a young but accomplished educator, who specialized in the transition from a public school to homeschooling, with a vast knowledge of all subjects.
Multitasking, Alastor flipped through several folders of student's works, making marks and leaving notes. He cleared his throat, sipping from a hot cup of black coffee, pausing at the buzzing of his phone nearby. Setting the mug down, he pulled the phone closer, not recognizing the number, but this wasn't unusual. Perhaps another client?
"Hello, Mr. Alastor LeRoux speaking," he answered, voice cheery and pleasant. "To whom am I speaking with? This isn't my normal business hours, but I was expecting a call from a possible new client…”
“Uh, yeah hi- Charlie, sweetie, hah, would you please put that down, I have to finish this and it’s making a lot of noise. Uhh- yes, um. Sorry, this is Lucifer MorningStar? I got your recommendation from my nanny, Rosie. She said to give you a call? I have a fourteen-year-old. She was in private, but her mom gave me full custody and I’m struggling to find the right school for her here. I just need a tutor for a few months until I find her a place. I’m hoping since Rosie said you’d had experience with that sort of stuff before that you might be able to help?” There was the sound of scratching, a pen on paper and a distant crash. A muffled ‘fuck’ could be heard as whoever was on the phone stood, opening the door and covering the receiver poorly to yell out after the noise.
“Charlie!? I said to not bring Razzle and Dazzle into the house, they’re guard dogs, not puppies anymore!”
A distant, “But daaaad-“ and barking could be heard before the door was closed, the speaker, one mister Morningstar, falling back into his leather chair and putting his head in his hand.
“Look. Whatever your other clients are paying I’ll double it. I’m desperate.”
Alastor listened to the phone call, setting his pen down and frowning. Did Rosie have to always send him the train wrecks?
"Ahem. No need for that, it would be unfair to charge someone double who simply needs a hand." He still managed to sound calm, voice smooth and steady over the phone. "I do however want to get acquainted. Would you be able to either visit my office, or if you're so busy, I can swing by sometime soon?”
“Yes, yes, uh. Probably best you come here, I don't mean to be a helicopter parent, but I'd like to make sure she likes you before I leave you with her. She's no trouble, not in a rude way, she just has a lot of ideas and they tend to lose a little focus." Lucifer pinched his brow. He couldn't name all of his daughter's projects. Smart, with a brain like his, he now understood why his own mothers had struggled so much with Lucifer's nonstop questions. He sighed heavily.
"I work from home and choose my own hours. Let me know what time works for you and I'll make time." He wet his lips, voice turning serious. "Mister LeRoux, I was told you were the best. I expect the best. Money is not an issue here so please take me at my word.”
"I see. Busy bodies are fun but challenging." Alastor laughed lightly, pinching the bridge of his nose as he thought about the possible Hell he was getting into. "I can come in about 30 minutes? Or tomorrow morning. Just wrapping up some papers here. Oh-you have my word. You won't be disappointed, Mr. Morningstar. The very best.”
Tonight? LeRoux could come tonight? Lucifer looked around and bit his lip. His office was in dire need of a clean, the living room currently turned to Charlie’s latest project.
“No, no, it’s alright. Tomorrow morning would be perfect. I’ll let Charlie know. Here, do you have a pen?” Lucifer gave Alastor his address and number, along with a code to get into the main building. He’d be escorted in by security upon arrival to Lucifer’s home, be checked, then allowed entry upon the time of their appointment. Should Alastor receive the job, then he’d be given security passes to forego check in every morning.
Alastor arrived right on time the next morning, cup of coffee in hand, the beverage so strong the scent announced his presence before the security guard informed Lucifer of his arrival. He seemed a bit flustered at the entire security protocol, once again wondering exactly what he'd gotten himself into.
Allowed into the foyer, Alastor followed the security guard, jaw dropping at the extravagant decor, looking like a kid in a candy shop at the million-dollar architecture.
Money was definitely not an issue.
He adjusted his tie as he waited for Mr. Morningstar, one hand full of folders of references and course materials among other things.
The kitchen was spotless, brightly lit and almost sterile in its decor. painfully modern marble countertops and pops of gold. Fresh flowers, a blooming set of daffodils rising up from a medusa head vase.
"Charlie, wait--"
A teen, clearly going through her goth phase came downstairs, dark bangs covering her eye against her usual blonde hair. She tapped away at her phone, looking up only when she noticed Alastor stood at the kitchen centre, coffee in hand.
"Huh. Thought I smelled coffee. You bring that in or is there a fresh pot?" She didn't wait for the reply, going to the burner to check.
"No!" Came the shout from the stairs as a short man, dressed in a pink shirt and white slacks, took the last steps two at a time. He let out a nervous laugh, crossing to Charlie who already dwarfed him in size and moved her away from the burner. "Charlie, no coffee. Not until you're older."
"But dad--"
"C'mon, behave, please sweetie?" He looked to Alastor and extended a hand. "Mister LeRoux, I presume? Sorry for the tardiness. Someone here was trying to sneak out."
"Wasn't!”
Alastor withheld his judgment, at least from the outside. They wouldn't have to know how he cringed at the bland decor, wasting the beauty of the house, or the apparent train wreck of the Morningstar household.
"Ah- yes!" He turned his full attention to Lucifer, shaking his hand and laughing pleasantly. "No worries. I think it's mutual- the coffee line was atrociously long."
He eyeballed Charlie at the burner and offered a loud clear of his throat, corrective without any need for harsh words. He watched Charlie skitter away from the burner, then winked at the shorter man before letting go of his hand.
"Teenagers. I unfortunately understand what you're going through.”
Oh. Oh.
Lucifer hadn't expected him to be so gorgeous .
Tall, thin, but with impossibly broad shoulders, the man dwarfed Lucifer's miniscule size. His attire was some flavour of dark academia, a deep brown suit and blazing red tie, complimenting the warm brown tone of his skin, the red bringing out the alpha glint of red in his almost black irises.
Lucifer didn't need to know his own had bled to honey gold, an unconscious reaction of an unmarked omega such as himself. Many wore contacts to contrast the effect, but Lucifer had never shied from his omega designation; he was proud to be Charlie's parent, and refused to feel any antiquated shame of his secondary sex. The home around them spoke very clearly of his success.
"You have children of your own?" Lucifer smiled warmly, dropping the form handshake to gesture to the bar seating, taking a seat himself. "I thought we could talk here rather than my office. Always felt weird sitting behind a desk and were still unpacking after the move.”
Alastor had to stifle the urge to deeply inhale the man's scent as they parted to sit down.
An unmarked omega. He felt a stirring in his gut, smothering the thoughts that bubbled to the surface of his mind with work-related thoughts.
"No kids- just her age range is what I teach the most. I'm used to juvenile delinquents." He laughed, making himself comfortable on the chair before setting the folders down. He pushed one labeled resume towards Lucifer. "There's my references and qualifications."
He pushed another folder his way.
"Here's my general lesson plans for Miss Charlie’s grade. Open to alterations, of course, but I've had great success with this outline.”
Blockers. Polite, Lucifer noted. But beneath the scent of the nullifying effects he could almost taste the hint of coffee and upturned earth, of cloves and aniseed. Heat. Spice. Yet homely.
He wanted to step into that space between them and breathe in the scent from the source.
He guessed that's what he got for being single for seven years. Desperation.
He refused to become that creepy old man who made Alastor's work uncomfortable, and instead busied himself flicking through the offered documents.
"These are very impressive..." He mused as he perused each line, lingering over certain achievements and awards.
He looked up at 'delinquent.'
"Oh! Oh, Charlie isn't - she's actually really smart. That's half the trouble." He laughed nervously. "She's really active in marches and liberal politics, but gets bored easily. She’s-"
"Right here." Charlie rolled her eyes from where she was fixing herself a herbal tea.
"Sorry, sweetie." He continued. "Last year she started a non profit working with rehabilitation of addicts back into surviving society and navigating triggers." He paused, wetting his lip. "She.. nearly lost a friend to an overdose. Instead of sobbing, well, mostly, she asked me to help set this up. She's the second majority shareholder and manages a lot of the behind the scenes."
He pat the table. "Come tell our guest, Char Char?"
She seemed to brighten at her project mention, the moody teen turning to an excitable little girl with a dream with the blink of an eye.
"Ah. Perhaps I chose the wrong words. Just... teenagers." Alastor smiled warmly at both of them. In fact, the smile was almost constant. At the mention of her achievements, the smile grew.
"Wow. Truly inspirational! I understand now. You have a lot to think about all the time. You're bored. You'll be pleased to learn that instead of mind-numbing quizzes, I prefer . Studies show more information is learned and retained when students have fun .” He paused, clearing his throat. “Anyway, a bit about me. I'm 25. This is all I do, tutor and teach. It brings me joy. Though, I do love a good hunting trip.”
"That sounds," Lucifer took a calming sigh, relief flooding him. "Actually perfect for her. What do you think, Char Char?"
"Yeah!" She realised she should perhaps be more moody, then tried again. "I mean. Yeah, whatever."
Lucifer rolled his eyes, looking back to Alastor. "You've got a lot of accolades for someone so young! Congratulations." He praised, reading through Alastor's CV. "Very impressive. Would you mind if I kept these for my own references? My team would need to do a background check, obviously. But I think when that's out of the way I'd love for you to get started?"
"Oh yes, you can keep everything you need. I have copies and they are saved on my laptop." Alastor beamed, chest puffing out proudly as he sensed he'd confidently gotten another client.
"There's a secondary study through here." Lucifer stood, gesturing to Alastor to follow. He led the way to a large study, filled with wall to wall books, some even in cases. On one wall was a large floor to ceiling glass sliding window, looking out on a huge pool, complete with hot pool and diving board.
"Feel free to use this space as you see fit, just don't open any cases." He looked to Alastor. "So, hunting? Don't get me wrong mister LeRoux, I just wouldn't take you for the sort?”
"Oh, wow. Forgive me, but your home is beautiful. I have a much more modest home." Alastor laughed. "Can't say I've taken on a client of such... prestige. I'm a big fan of foraging and hunting. It's better for you. Cheaper. Not that it would matter much to someone working in the medical field, mm?”
He looked out the window, then back to the room, imagining where he'd put his things.
"Never been into blood sports myself, but then again, I've never really tried.” Lucifer chuckled. "Yes, I work in medical devices and engineering. I suppose I've seen enough blood in my life to really find hunting appealing."
He shrugged, then realised how that could sound.
"Not that I think what you do is bad! No, it's - heh, it's maybe just a bit much for me. Shall we-?" He gestured to the door to continue with the tour. “Kitchen here, feel free to help yourself to food and drinks while you work, there is also a chef we have in three times a week who meal preps. So if there's anything specifically you'd like, let them know. Upstairs is off limits, obviously, but there is a bathroom and a guest bedroom down the hall if for whatever reason you're here late, you won't have to drive in the snow. I heard the winters here get rough.”
"Hmm. I get it." Alastor nodded, smiling politely as always, making it nearly impossible to tell his true feelings. "This is all very wonderful. I'm pleased to work for you, and I can't wait to get to know Charlie. She looks a lot like you, you know."
Catching his scent again, he paused.
"Forgive me for prying. No partner? Just the two of you in this massive home?”
"Yeah, I guess I got lucky there. She has her mom's nose though." He chuckled, waving at Charlie as she pointedly ignored them both and went back upstairs, tapping away on her phone. There was a flash of dejection across his face as she left, ignoring him, Lucifer's hand sinking back down awkwardly. He cleared his throat and forced a smile, pushing his hands into his pockets.
"Lilly and I were married young. When we split, she took Charlie. I was in the middle of my doctorate, and couldn't fight her for custody because everything I had was in my education. Business took off about three years ago and several hundred dollars in lawyer fees and finally I have custody. Lilly still gets her on weekends." He looked out the window, looking at the pool beyond, then sighed.
"I had my mating mark removed when we split. She never wanted mine. Thought it was 'unseemly'." He shrugged a shoulder. "So no, no partner. Not for nearly eight years." He looked around. "I bought this place because it has the best schools in the district, and it's private. I don't want Charlie to be seen as some heiress rich kid and swamped by paparazzi. Or worse." He pinched his brow. "Honestly I'm just trying to keep it together. I never had money growing up, now I have it, I don't know what to do with half of it, so it goes back into free healthcare funding. This house was for Charlie."
He looked at the bland decor and smirked, glancing sideways at Alastor.
"I really should have fired the decorator, huh? He heard doctor and went with it for this place. I swear it even smells sterile first thing in the morning, you have no idea how nice it is to have an alpha scent in here-"
He stopped awkwardly, eyes going wide as he realised what he'd said. "Not- not that I'm- I mean. It just makes this place feel less cold. Y'know? Has some life."
He felt his cheeks burn. Shit.
Alastor listened silently, offering the sporadic nod and "mhm' as Lucifer totally offloaded on him. He folded his hands in front of him, after a point no longer listening, just staring at the other man's bright eyes.
"Yeah. Not the best decorator you went with. But it'll get life back." He laughed, then finally processed the comment about his scent. "Oh. I'm sorry. Did I forget my suppressants this morning?"
He panicked, thankfully ignoring the awkward comment for the most part, sniffing his coat.
"I'm truly sorry. I do my best, but with no one to worry about, sometimes I forget. And my clients were all virtual today…”
“Oh— no! No, no. I worked with a lot of folks when I was practicing in close quarters. There’s a sort of lingering… blandness that suppressants have, but you can still get the idea of their scent underneath if you’re too used to the scent of the bland. Especially if you’re using roll on.” Lucifer laughed, grateful that they both felt the awkward tug. It made it easier to brush off the way Lucifer found himself wanting to know what he smelled like under the white chalk scent of Alphabgone.
“Don’t be, like I said. It’s… nice. Inoffensive.” He cleared his throat. “I don’t use blockers since working from home. That won’t be a problem, will it? Since I had Charlie, the formula makes me ill.”
"Um... I don't think so." Alastor's answer was legitimate. He'd been around enough of that during his college years to be used to all sorts of odors. They never really bothered him that much. "Please. Your comfort is my priority. Worst case, Charlie and I can have a Zoom meeting."
“Nono, don’t worry, I’m pretty regular and rare now. If this doesn’t bother you, then you should be alright. If anything is too much, please let me know and I can excuse myself to my office upstairs. As I said, I want you to be comfortable so Charlie can be too. Zoom she’ll just get distracted and end up programming all my lights to respond to clapping again.” Lucifer snorted. “Took me forever to get them back the first time…”
Alastor took one last glance around, then returned to where he'd set his folders down. "Any of these you still need? Other than the ones you asked for?”
“Oh! No, thank you. Feel free to take them with you. Would you be able to start next week once we’ve run our checks?”
"Trust me, after college, you can handle anything." Alastor winked and laughed. He gathered up the extra papers and folders, putting them back into his shoulder bag.
"Well, it's been a pleasure meeting you. You've got my information and vice versa." A polite bow of his head and he shook his hand again. "Thank you, Mr. Morningstar."
He took his leave fairly quickly, ever the punctual man. He was gone in an instant, already back in his car and driving away by the time Lucifer noticed the jacket left on one of the barstools. It was slightly damp from a light sprinkle of rain as he'd walked in, reeking of Alastor and rain.
He shouldn’t.
He knew better.
But…
Lucifer picked up the jacket, spotting it when he came back in from waving Alastor off. It was too late to chase after him with it and besides, Alastor would be back come Monday. He headed to the closet where he could hang it until collection when he paused at the door, curiosity taking over.
He really had been handsome. Far younger than Lucifer's usual type. But that hint of scent…
He brought the coat to his nose and he inhaled at the collar, the sudden burst of untamed wetland and fresh turned earth burning through his senses, coffee, aniseed, bitter but homely. A welcome fire with crackling wood, a leather bound book and a good glass of scotch.
He exhaled slowly, and opened his eyes slower. The urge to take the coat upstairs, to fill his new, sterile bed with that scent? Lucifer forced it down.
No. Charlie came first.
He hung the coat up and closed the door.
Fuck .
The weekend didn't last long enough for Alastor. He hardly relaxed, catching up on work even on his days off. Hours spent making marks, several cups of coffee, a few phone calls from Mr. Morningstar, and Monday morning rolled around.
He arrived right on time, arrival announced by security, where he was shown to the study. He promptly made himself comfortable, some small minor decor put up to add his personal flair to the room. An old ham radio, set to a classic station, providing a constant background noise. Some fresh roses to add a splash of blood red colour to the room. Some of his own books, on top of instructional materials.
He pulled out his laptop, sitting at the desk, sipping coffee, waiting for Mr. Morningstar's arrival.
"Good morning." Lucifer said as he opened the door, Charlie passed him to go into the study, falling onto the couch with a sigh. He laughed nervously and cleared his throat.
"She, uh. Is excited. I promise." Lucifer smiled, pausing as he caught the scent of roses. He reached for the vase, rubbing a petal between his finger and thumb to feel the softness. "Love this touch, mister LeRoux. Everything is to your satisfaction, I take it?”
"Oh, yes." Alastor smiled pleasantly at the two, sipping his coffee. He relaxed back in his seat, watching Charlie get comfortable. "Everything is wonderful."
His dark eyes regarded Lucifer over his glasses, smiling a bit wider for just a moment, before he shook his head.
Client, not a potential mate .
"Okay. So, starting with our least favorite subject or favorite? Pick your poison, Miss Morningstar.”
Lucifer sighed with relief, nodding, then, after a beat, nodded again, taking Alastor at his word. “Excellent, alright- I-I’ll leave you two to it. Let me know if you need anything and I’ll see you both at lunch.” A final glance at those warm brown eyes, and he stepped out, closing the door behind him.
After a couple of hours of work, Lucifer was so stressed he could barely move. Doctors, hospitals, all vying for his attention. He needed a break, just something to distract him before he had to make a ton of phone calls in the afternoon.
He still hadn’t tried out the pool. Burning a few calories sounded like a good way to relieve a little of the tension building between his shoulder blades.
Lucifer grabbed some shorts, a towel, and headed down to the garden, pausing to listen at the door to Alastor’s lesson. Surprisingly, Charlie sounded engaged, an odd laugh escaping her as her tutor encouraged her on. Satisfied, he opened the back door and went to the pool side, dropping his phone and towel on one of the benches before diving in, the cool water immediately helping erase the stress from his already exhausted form.
Alastor, satisfied with the lessons for the morning, especially the more difficult subjects, leaned back in his desk to relax a bit as Charlie worked on some classwork. Idly scrolling on his laptop, movement at the corner of his eye caught his attention. He hummed, turning to look out of the giant sliding glass door that led outside. He sipped his coffee, covering the fact he was staring at his client's father, peering over the rim of his cup.
Lucifer was simply gorgeous. Every part of him fit seamlessly together. Muscles rippled under the soft, pale skin as the man did laps around the pool. He nearly choked on his coffee, too focused on staring, apologizing profusely and blaming seasonal allergies for a tickle in his throat when Charlie raised an eyebrow at him curiously.
"Anyway! I'll let you work. I'm going to take a break, and I'll meet you downstairs for lunch." He left Charlie, remembering vaguely where the restroom was, closing and locking the door behind him. He stood in front of the sink, blushing dark red as he noticed the arousal in his slacks.
Oh, fuck. Come on, no. He's got a kid.
Lucifer got out and slicked damp hair out of his eyes, shaking off the water that clung stubbornly to his form. The coolness was bracing, but now he'd gotten out he could feel the chill of the late spring air. He reached for the towel and dried himself off as he wandered inside, bare feet padding on the tiles of the kitchen as he rounded the corner. He had been rubbing at the damp blond locks of his hair when he collided with something warm and soft, stumbling back a bit. Looking up, he was met with alarmed, wide brown eyes behind circular frames, Alastor having just come out of the bathroom down the hall.
"Shit- sorry!" He laughed nervously and offered his hand to help right Alastor from where he'd been knocked against the wall. "So used to being alone in this place I wasn't expecting you." Another nervous chuckle, heat colouring his cheeks as he realised he hadn't dropped Alastor's hand, which he did quickly, instead wrapping the towel about his waist to save some dignity. It wasn't his fault that the addition of the towel only made him look all the more naked beneath it, as If stepping from a shower, not the pool.
He cleared his throat.
"How's everything going?”
Alastor was busy trying to keep his mind off the uncomfortable, awkward arousal, not paying an ounce of attention to where he was going when he collided with Lucifer. He gasped, teetering to the side and into the wall, where his hand was grabbed. He laughed, trying to spare the awkwardness.
"I'm sorry, I also still don't know where everything is. I probably made a wrong turn." He shuffled uncomfortably, standing as stiff as a board. "Great. Charlie is extremely intelligent and seems to enjoy the hands-on approach to learning."
His gaze traveled down, thinking Mr. Morningstar was naked, his cheeks darkening as he averted his gaze. He sped past him suddenly, making a beeline towards the kitchen and sitting at the bar seating. Eating would clear his mind of such intrusive thoughts.
Alastor's words thankfully seemed to distract Lucifer long enough from the awkwardness of the situation that Alastor could use it to his advantage, slipping past him with an air of composure despite the sudden arousal in his gut.
"Oh, that's great! I was worried she'd put you through the ringer." Lucifer relaxed, letting the towel slip so he could continue to paw at his hair. "I'll get dressed then fetch lunch. Feel free to make yourself more coffee, I made a fresh pot before I got in the pool."
As he walked upstairs, he could smell the warm spice of an Alpha mixing with coffee. As he reached the top step, he'd already decided how much he liked it filling his home.
A few months went by; routines were easily set and Alastor's comfort increased. He was still professional but relaxed out of the rigidity of full professionalism very fast.
Charlie's marks were as good, if not better than ever. Even on her off days, she was still at least willingly cooperative with Alastor.
He was always on time, still, only sneaking into his study a few minutes early at most so not to disturb the household. More decor had gone up, and Lucifer had even let him paint the walls a deep crimson red to his liking.
He mused over his breakfast- high quality coffee from the kitchen, a bagel and some venison jerky from home. He wrote several notes on an essay of Charlie's, fixing a few small errors, but nothing serious.
Lucifer had also grown comfortable. Charlie was doing well, thriving in fact, work had relaxed enough that he was no longer going days without sleep, and the warm, background buzz of alpha pheromones as Alastor seemed to wear less and less of his blockers had become a safe blanket Lucifer felt at home in. Gone was the sterile scent of new linoleum and fresh paint. Just knowing an alpha was present seemed to calm away that itching isolation Lucifer had become accustomed to since his breakup.
He yawned as he padded into the kitchen, Versace robe wrapped tight around himself as he waved hello and pulled out milk from the fridge.
"Good morning, mister LeRoux." He greeted, pulling down a mug and filling it with milk, sugar and coffee, turning to lean against the counter as he sipped his beverage. He moaned at the taste, then spying Alastor's papers, stepped a little closer to read them.
"Charlie said you were taking her through quantum mechanics. How's she finding it? Do I need to hide Kiki?" He chuckled, taking another sip and returning to his spot against the counter, robe parting just enough to bare a long line of throat and shoulder beneath the expensive silk.
Alastor smiled pleasantly at him, setting his bagel down.
"Good morning, Mr. Morningstar! You seem well rested. You usually seem a bit stressed and exhausted." He chuckled, then added, "Yep, quantum mechanics. I would say Kiki is at risk, judging by her grasp of the concepts."
He looked up from his papers, immediately catching sight of the bare skin. A flash of red in his eyes and an audible gulp served as a reminder that he was very much an unmated alpha.
"I-um- yeah. Right." He shakily took a sip of coffee to try to get himself back on track. "Perfect marks on all her prep work for quantum theories.”
Lucifer seemed to not notice the slip, content with his coffee as he hummed along to Alastor's comments, happy Charlie was doing well. She was comfortable, happy with Alastor, and was coming along in leaps and bounds.
"Perhaps you leave out the idea of quantum immortality for now, hmm?" He chuckled, sighing as he set the drink down and rubbed his bare neck, palm massaging the muscle as if to relieve tension. He picked up his drink and softly blew over the hot liquid, sipping at it before using his thumb to wipe any spill from the corner of his mouth.
"I had a rough few days, but I'm feeling much better now. Good rest, a little stress relief and I'm good as gold.”
"Stress relief? What do you do to relieve stress?" Alastor asked, raising his eyebrows. "Me personally? A walk. Maybe a shot of whiskey."
Lucifer let a slow smile curl at his lips, wry and playful, eyes sparkling. He bit his lip to silence his chuckle, knowing poor Alastor had a habit of missing the obvious, oblivious to the flirting, the teasing, the play. Lucifer had found in the past few months that he could get away with a lot because of that, and the rare glances where he suspected that perhaps the alpha had cottoned on to what he was suggesting were thrilling. He felt young again, safe in some harmless flirting.
“The usual, I guess.” He hummed, watching Alastor carefully over his mug. “Glass of wine. A good book. Maybe a bath. It’s one of the reasons I chose this place, the bathrooms upstairs are amazing and the water pressure is just perfect.”
Alastor chuckled under his breath, shifting his weight a bit in the seat.
"Spring break is coming up. Well, for most. I forgot to ask if you wanted me to keep working through it? I usually just block myself off, but Charlie is doing well. That is, if she'll be here and not with your ex wife?”
With the conversation turned to Charlie, and Lucifer's flirtatious attitude dropped for a more formal one. His daughter always came first.“Perhaps at a lesser pace? Lilly only gets her on the weekends, so maybe a day or two just to see her through?”
Alastor focused on Lucifer, still staring at the exposed skin. He thought about marking it, claiming it as his. Leaving a mark with his teeth, leaving a bruised blemish on the perfect skin. He cleared his throat, glad no one could read his thoughts. He crossed his legs, hiding the arousal that stirred. How embarrassing.
"That sounds wonderful. That way we can all relax quite a bit.”
Lucifer rolled his eyes but let the flirting slip. He looked up as Charlie came in, Lucifer beaming and giving her a tight squeeze that she groaned about before she fell into a seat at the bar. Without a thought he took to the cupboard, pulling out a mix of ingredients, setting to making a mixture as he hummed happily.
The batter went to the pan, which sizzled and hissed as the crepes formed, Lucifer flipping one with the joy of something that Charlie used to love, only for her to barely look up from her phone. Still, it didn't stop him from trying as he slipped a couple of crepes onto her plate, blueberries and syrup piled atop as he handed it over.
He didn't hesitate in making Alastor some also. Batter, pan, cream cheese, and smoked salmon with chopped chives, wrapped together and served with lettuce.
He put the plate down before Alastor, and before he could open his mouth to question him, added;
"I know you don't like sweet things, and you'll need more than a bagel to keep up with my little girl. Eat. I promise I'm a half decent cook when I need to be." He pushed the plate forwards, encouraging him to dig in. "Besides. I'm pretty sure under all that, you're skin and bones. You're the first alpha I've ever met with a waist I bet I could fit both my hands around.”
Alastor watched Lucifer cook, shocked as he'd never seen the man do more than heat something up in the microwave. He exchanged a look with Charlie, silently asking, "He can cook?".
"Oh, wow. This looks delightful. Very kind of you, Mr. Morningstar." He took a bite, electing to ignore the comment about his size. "Mmmh! This is good. Thank you."
He finished the plate rather quickly, chasing the crumbs around the plate with his fork. He politely set everything together, trying not to make a mess for him to clean up.
“While I was in medical school I was a line cook." Lucifer looked up from where he was loading the dishwasher. "Had to make payments somehow." He straightened up, poured himself a little more coffee and lent back against the side while he let Charlie finish up, still eyeing her phone.
"I haven't had a good crepe since New Orleans.”
"I thought there was a little twang beneath that trans-Atlantic you use." He grinned. The voice had featured in many lonely nights thoughts, but it really was that slip he caught every now and again that really drove him wild.
"My mother always told me to talk properly, if you catch my drift." Alastor rolled his eyes. He sipped his coffee, deliberating for a long moment. Deciding he had nothing more to say, he grabbed his coffee and stood up.
"Well, Charlie and I are going to get to it, right?" He cleared his throat, watching the teenager get up and trudge towards the study. He laughed, grabbing his bag and following after her. "I'll talk with you later, Mr. Morningstar.”
"Oh! Yeah. Haha. Sure." The abrupt dismissal put him suddenly on the back foot, and all Lucifer could do was watch them both go with a weak wave.
Maybe Alastor just wasn't interested. He knew plenty of Alphas who just preferred women, regardless of their secondary sex. He was getting on, and although 35 wasn't old , he could see how he might appear to a young buck like Alastor.
Hardly prime dating material.
He sighed and finished cleaning, heading back upstairs. There was no work today, and it was days like these he was reminded of how alone he really was. The closest he had to friends were his bodyguards. That hardly counted.
He looked to his bed, the nest not even entirely built in the step down floor he'd requested. Half of his things were still in boxes. He sighed and slipped out of his robe to crawl in, the disappointing scent of nothing but himself making him antsy. Lilly had smelled like her namesake, filling every room she entered.
Now...
He sighed and rolled over, rummaging among the bed's contents until he found his little rose vibrator.
Orgasms released dopamine, he reasoned, and turned it on.
Hands on his hips, the owner's face lost to him and his idle thoughts. They ran up his spine and around, over his chest, teasing his sensitive nipples before one traced lower. He could feel a firm chest at his back, not the breasts of a woman like he'd expected, and he welcomed it. He shuddered as his thighs were parted, fingers seeming to hesitate for just a moment before exploring lower, feeling over the hard swell of his cock, rubbing at it lightly before moving on, touching lower.
More hesitation.
Lucifer sank a hand down to guide the strangers, even as it became known, Alastor at his back, breathing against his ear.
"It's okay. You can touch me." He urged in his head, and that seemed to be all the encouragement Alastor needed to press two fingers deep and rough. He gasped, reaching back to grip his hair, hips bucking up.
"Eager thing aren't we?"
"How do I-"
"Like this." He guided the wet fingers from his hole up, circling his clit like cock, the slick easing the glide over the too sensitive tip. "Use your knuckles. Let me move between them."
Alastor did just that and Lucifer keened, hips stuttering to find a rhythm as he fucked between the slick, tight grip.
"Good- good. Fast learner. Knew you would be.”
Another uneventful day with Charlie was to be had. She was always easy, eager to learn, happy to be challenged and asked questions.
Alastor stayed in the study for lunch, deciding to catch a nap. He felt rather under the weather, a poor night's sleep surely not helping. He closed the door, but didn't lock it, finding the idea of locking someone out of their own home weird. He laid on the couch where Charlie often worked, relaxing on the comfortable material.
He closed his eyes, thinking of that bare skin. Unclaimed. Thank God he took suppressants.
Perhaps it was time to get looking. He was a virgin alpha in his prime…
Alastor's hand wandered to the tent of his trousers, thinking about soothing the ache...
No. He couldn't. If he was caught, that would be the end of him and his career.
He huffed, thinking about less arousing things, like quantum theories and the adorable cat named Kiki that he often had to remove from his desk prior to lessons.
It let him nod off into the much needed nap, sleeping blissfully for the entire lunch hour.
He woke up with a start, hearing Charlie open the door.
"Oh. I forgot to set my alarm! I'm so sorry. Give me just a moment."
"Mr. LeRoux, are you feeling okay today?" Charlie asked, frowning. "I've never seen you even look tired. We can ask my dad if it's okay if you can go home early today?"
"I wouldn't dare ask him that. I took a nap. I'll be fine." He walked back to his desk, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes with a quiet sigh.
Lucifer blinked dumbly up at the ceiling.
It had certainly been a while since he came that hard. The damn backs of his knees were sweating, thighs still trembling in aftershock.
He looked at the offending vibe and with a sigh tossed it to the side. It wasn't the vibe that had done him in, it was the idea of sharp teeth in his neck and the wet slap, slap, slap, of Alastor's hips as he bent him over the desk in the study. The idea that Alastor had finally caught on, and unable to help himself, had fucked the older man right then and there.
Lucifer longed for his younger years when he'd felt that desired. Now, all he saw was growing wrinkles, and silver hair amongst the blond. Lilith had taken that youth, and robbed him of a true lifetime mate. Now, he was a single dad with a teen, and due to his position he couldn't exactly just go to the bar and flirt.
Who was he kidding with this mess? Alastor wasn't interested in him. Not some used up omega way past their prime.
Lucifer signed and slipped from the bed and showered. He felt a little better after getting cleaned up and pulled on a comfortable pair of dark slacks and a comfortable white top, a salmon shirt going over the top to give his appearance some semblance of business.
The afternoon grew later, and it wasn't until three that Lucifer felt comfortable enough to show his face again, appearing with fresh coffee for Alastor, and a drink and a snack for charlie. Some simple apple slices.
"Hey, how're you two doing?"
Alastor smiled pleasantly from his desk, looking over Lucifer curiously. Something had changed about his demeanor between this morning and now.
"You look... well, lovely, for lack of a better word. We missed you for lunch. Well, Charlie did. I fell asleep in the study." He took the coffee with a gracious thanks, eyeing him over the rim of the cup. His gaze was keen and observant, almost like he knew what Lucifer had done in the privacy of his room, despite there being no possible way for him to know.
"I think Mr. LeRoux should go home a little early. He was passed out and said he didn't feel well." Charlie took the snack and drink, happily munching.
Those eyes. The way Alastor seemed to perceive everything at just a glance, and yet miss when Lucifer was being the most obvious in his intentions. He wondered if the younger man was just playing with him; like a cat with a mouse. He raised a brow as Charlie mentioned his nap.
"Oh?" He dipped out of the room to get his own coffee, returning with a gesture down the hall. "As I said, Mister LeRoux, there's a spare bedroom down the hall. If you need a rest, you're more than welcome- and if you're tired, you shouldn't drive. I can ask a driver to take you, or you're more than welcome to stay. Whatever is easier."
He turned to Charlie and ruffled her hair, bending to kiss her on the head despite her protests of 'Daaad'.
Despite it all. Charlie was his first priority. And if Alastor needed a break he saw no reason why lessons couldnt wait until tomorrow.
Alastor mused over the offer. He could drive home- or be driven, left alone to his own devices. Or stay in Mr. Morningstar's home, soaking in the scent of the older omega.
He made up his mind immediately.
"I think I'll stay in the spare. I can't believe I slept through lunch. How embarrassing." He stayed humble about it, closing up the books on the desk and his laptop. "I really appreciate the offer. It's what I get for grading until two in the morning. Well, you heard that Charlie, we're done for the day. I'm going to get comfortable. Perhaps we can share dinner together?"
Lucifer shrugged it off.
“Don’t worry about it. I get all nighters. Take a break and Charlie can actually make the movies with her friend tonight- Maggy?”
“Vaggie, dad.”
“Sorry sweetie.”
He showed Alastor to the room, then left him to catch a little rest while he cleaned up and set about calling for take out. He didn’t really know what Alastor liked, but he’d mentioned New Orleans, and there was a really good soul food place in town one of his guards had recommended. He didn’t know what Alastor wanted, so he ordered one of everything on the menu to be safe. Whatever they didn’t eat, he’d let his staff help themselves to.
Alastor set his materials and such on the bed, then closed the door behind him, locking it, then double checking that it was locked.
Freedom. Privacy.
He nearly jumped into bed, unashamedly inhaling the scent that he'd craved a good whiff of since this morning. It was still fresh on the sheets. He imagined Lucifer making the bed, taking care while he carefully arranged everything.
He thought about the slender body he'd seen in the pool, naked and glistening wet. He unzipped his slacks, freeing the suppressed arousal he'd considered all day. He shifted his hips to tug his pants down, his breaths coming heavy.
He did lock the door, right?
A nervous glance confirmed that he did indeed lock the door before he stroked his length, easing himself into his full hardness. He closed his eyes.
He felt the weight of Lucifer on top of him, grinding his sopping sex along his length. The warm tightness engulfed him, and Lucifer moaned, nails digging into his skin and hips rocking into him.
It was frantic. Desperate. They both just wanted release.
He begged. He begged to let him finish inside, bury the swelling knot deep inside him, filling him with-
The sharp jolt of his orgasm pulled him out of his fantasy, gasping and gripping himself at the base of his knot. The sensation, he imagined, was as close as he would get to knotting the man.
Hot, milky fluid spilled over his abdomen, moaning with each spurt, watching his cock jump with every wave of pleasure. It covered his lower abdomen and-
Shit . It spilled over his sides, onto the sheets. Trying to sit up and fix the mess only made it worse.
Fuck . He could spill maybe a glass of juice and apologize and have new sheets deducted from his paycheck.
While Lucifer waited for the food to be ready, he went upstairs to help Charlie choose an outfit for the movies. Apparently, this Vaggie girl was really something, because it took a fair while for Charlie to find something she deemed ‘cool’ enough.
He stepped past Alastor’s door on the way out to drive Charlie. He paused, the scent of alpha thick in the air, thick enough to make the hairs stand up on his neck, and heat to coil low. If this was all he could have, he welcomed it.
Alastor remembered his cup of coffee. He carefully removed the sheet, bundling it up and splashing the coffee on it. And waiting.
He heard the sound of Lucifer leaving, hearing something about Charlie and movies. He took the opportunity to leave the room, searching for wherever the laundry room might be. Thankfully, he heard the running of a washing machine a few doors down. He opened the door, pausing the washing machine.
He sighed in relief as the load had just been started. If the sheets ended up coffee stained, he'd own the mistake. But he couldn't be found with sheets full of cum. He tossed the bundle into the wash, starting it again.
He couldn't stay here. He was going to go insane.
When Lucifer finally got back, the scent of alpha seemed to have sunk into every room in the house, warm, spiced coffee and bitter dark chocolate. His nostrils flared at the scent, and Lucifer found himself moving without thinking, stepping down the hall and nearly colliding with Alastor as he came round the corner.
"Oh! Shit, sorry." He laughed, putting a hand on Alastor's arm to steady himself, then doing a double take when he felt the strength of the bicep there beneath Alastor's shirt.
Alastor nearly leapt out of his skin as he collided with someone else, especially when he noticed it was Mr. Morningstar. He gasped as he was grabbed.
But he was so close .
"Oh, wow. You work out huh?" He realised how stupid the words sounded as they left his mouth and he dropped his hand.
"I, uh." He cleared his throat, wrangling back the suave, flirty demeanor he'd put forth over the awkward, nervous stuttering he fell victim to. He straightened up, not that it made much difference to their height, and ran his hand through his loosely styled hair. "I ordered dinner from a place in town. I'm pretty solid at breakfast, but soul food I didn't want to mess up for you." He chuckled.
"My apologies. I shouldn't be speeding through your hallways anyway." Alastor watched the formerly suave man stutter, eyebrows raised over his glasses. "Dinner for two? How kind of you. I was going to order in, but if you're offering, I won't complain."
"You're my guest, I'm hardly going to let you starve." Lucifer chuckled, brow cocked as he seemed to drink in Alastor's flushed expression, ruddy cheeked and darting eyes. He couldn't help but sniff the air, eyes narrowing at the unusual scent of what he suspected to be panic radiating from Alastor. He took it as a sign to step back, giving the alpha room to steady himself.
Alastor made sure Lucifer was steady before he headed to the door leading to the garden. "Fresh air? It's rather stuffy inside today. By the way, I don't work out. This is just me, minus hunting.”
"Oh, yeah. Sure, uh." Lucifer watched Alastor go, torn between going to see where Alastor had been, or following him. Eventually, his need to check that Alastor was alright won out. He jogged to catch up, stepping outside onto the slabs that lead to the pool.
Alastor breathed a sigh of relief as the fresh air blew away the ever present scent of Lucifer. It was frustrating- why were hormones raging for no reason? He had no interest in any opportunity offered to him, even unclaimed omegas in heat.
At least for a moment. He heard footsteps rapidly approaching, swearing under his breath.
"Hey, are you okay?" Lucifer questioned, falling just behind Alastor as he made his way around the rippling water to where the plush benches lay.
"You seem... I don't know. Worked up." He reached out to touch Alastor's arm, but thought better about it just short and let his arm drop. "I didn't do anything to make you uncomfortable, did I?”
"I'm just fine. You haven't done a thing! However, you can't seem to stay away for very long." Alastor teased, sitting on the bench, a playful gleam in his eyes on top of his ever-present smile. The smile faded rather quickly, tilting his head to look Lucifer over. "I haven't seen you have company in a few months. Are you lonely, Mr. Morningstar?”
"Oh- I uh." Lucifer retreated into himself, stepping back to give Alastor more room, the playful edge lost on him. He felt the elongation of his fangs, a self defense mechanism he'd never really been able to control, and one his parents had chastised him for when he presented. An irate Alpha could be a dangerous thing. If Lucifer was just pissing Alastor off more by being here, maybe he should make his excuses and leave.
He cleared his throat and gripped his arm, rubbing his own bicep as a nervous habit.
"I.. have my bodyguards." He answered lamely, knowing how pitiful it sounded. "And work colleagues, but with the move, I'm working remotely now so I don't really see them much." He huffed a small laugh, lacking in humour, sounding more sad than anything.
In truth, there had never been a moment Lucifer hadn't felt lonely.
"I'll. Give you some space." Lucifer nodded and gave a weak smile. "I'll call when the food arrives."
With that, he turned on his heel and headed back inside, feeling even smaller than he already was.
Realizing that he was misunderstood, Alastor tried to correct himself, but was interrupted by Lucifer's nervous rambling.
"N-no. I- shit," he swore, watching him leave, standing up and pacing in a little circle. He swore again.
He waited outside for a painfully long few minutes, not wanting to rush after him. He could fix this, and it would be just as painfully awkward.
Inside, Lucifer didn't really know what to do. Food, according to his app, was still a good fifteen minutes away- the issue of living so far from the middle of town- so he did what he always did when he found himself spiraling.
He put the kettle on.
He watched the whistler on the hob, wondering why he didn't just invest in one of those fancy boiling water taps he'd seen. In reality, this was something familiar. The making of a cup of tea was a simple process, and one that required little brainwork. His therapist had called it an auto pilot feature for when Lucifer no longer wanted to be present. He guessed she was right.
He didn't want to be here right now.
He fetched a cup, a tea bag, and poured the tea to the line, watching the water turn golden brown.
Idiot. Old fool.
Lilly hadn't wanted him. No one did. His own shareholders tried to buy him out and he'd had to fight to keep his seat on the board, refusing to give in to that prick of an alpha Adam. He wanted nothing more than to jack up their prices and screw the little guy.
He was a repellent. Everyone he loved, everything, eventually went away.
He added milk and sugar.
God, he was so out of line. Alastor was his employee- the power balance alone made things impossible. Not to mention Alastor was at least ten years his junior.
"Mr. Morningstar!" Alastor called out finding him in the kitchen and blurting out the rest of his words. "I apologize. Truly, I was going to ask if you wanted to maybe visit the local winery for some wine tasting or something. If that's your thing.”
The yell made Lucifer pause as he dropped in the third sugar cube.
Looking back to the sliding glass door, Alastor looked even more disheveled than when he'd bumped into him earlier. Maybe something more was wrong?
"Wine?" He questioned, not quite getting what Alastor was asking. He quirked a brow. "Right now? I thought you weren't feeling great?" He sighed and put his mug down.
"Al," Lucifer never used Alastor's name, never mind shortened it. "Seriously, are you alright? I don't mean to pry, and feel free to tell me it's none of my business, but, when are you due to rut? You look flush.”
"No. Not right now, this weekend. Tomorrow!" Alastor blurted out, flustered he'd been caught in his lie. He cleared his throat, composing himself for a moment before speaking again. "I, erm. No. It's tomorrow.”
Then the way he was referred to gave him pause. Lucifer had only called him by Mr. LeRoux or simply LeRoux.
Then the question about his rut. Fuck, really?
"I'm fine. No rut due soon. Just a lot of work, and little sleep." He leaned against the island, keeping his gaze averted. "It's not Charlie at all! I promise. I have several other clients at different times and everything."
He paused, drawing circles on the countertop. "Truthfully, I'm a bit lonely, too. Most alphas my age are out partying and looking for mates. I'm too busy working.”
Lucifer watched the younger man struggle, then fumble, then downright fall flat on his face in his attempt to make amends. He had to admit; it was painfully endearing.
"Okay. I'll make you a trade." Lucifer cocked a brow as Alastor suddenly looked very interested.
"You take tomorrow off. Paid. No work. No marking. No nothing." He looked at Alastor pointedly. "Then, tomorrow night, you can take me to this wine bar." His smile curled slowly, as if nervous to return, to hope for something.
He opened his mouth to say something else when his phone buzzed.
"Oh! The food's here. Husker is bringing it up now." He looked up to Alastor. "I... Didn't know what you liked, so I got one of everything. Though the bacon crumble mac and cheese looked really good.”
Alastor perked up at the offer, grinning. The concept was innocent enough- simply two colleagues enjoying a break together. Or so it would appear...
"Works for me. I'll sleep in, get the sleep I deserve- oh. Perfect!" He was starved, as he hadn't eaten lunch. "Well, you'll try something new perhaps. I'll also give you my honest opinion on it."
He helped himself to the fridge, grabbing a sparkling water and sitting down at the bar seating.
"Oh, no, no, no." Lucifer chuckled, shaking his head. "C'mon, pretty boy. If we're eating, we're eating at a table. This thing is just for breakfast and lunch. Dinner is important."
Lucifer stopped to rummage in a cupboard, pulling out two long stemmed wine glasses, then leading the way down the hallway Alastor had appeared from earlier.
"Pretty boy?" Alastor laughed out loud, standing up and following after Lucifer with a smile on his face. He tried not to stare too much, but getting to have casual conversation and laughing with the man made his heart beat just a little faster.
"It was something my parents drilled into me, it's something I drilled into Charlie. Table manners. It's easy, simple rules to follow, with no real consequence. It helps teach manners and etiquette that affect how you treat others elsewhere in your life."
He stepped into a large dining room, this one less sterile and modern, more warm and inviting. A plush cream carpet floor, a well varnished wooden table with curling baroque patterns and legs, each ending in a splayed bird's foot. A gold mirror hung the length of the table across one wall, and below a long dresser that matched the table.
At the table, a tall, salt and pepper haired man was laying out the last of the food, each box open and steaming. He was well built, but clearly was far older than most of Lucifer's bodyguards, lines etched at the corner of his eyes into deep, warm brown skin.
"I got a bottle of Malbec and a Sauvignon, sir."
"Excellent. Thank you so much Husker. Alastor, this is my head of security, Husker Harrison. Husker, this is my guest for the evening, Alastor LeRoux. He is Charlie's tutor. I believe you two have met?"
"Briefly." Husker looked down to Alastor, his height enough to make even the young Alpha look small. "Is there anything else, Mr. Morningstar?"
"No, no. Thank you Husker. You didn't have to fetch the food I could have done tha-"
"It's my job, sir. You pay good. I don't mind helping out when I can." There was a quick look to Alastor, one that spoke of challenge and warning, the slightest flash of red in Husker's eye. Clearly, his words held double meaning even if Lucifer was oblivious, focused on laying out the glasses.
Entering the dining room, Alastor paused and breathed in deeply. It smelled like his childhood, like a comforting meal at home after a long day at school. He nodded politely to acknowledge the man.
He definitely caught the look from Husker, cringing inwardly and averting his gaze. He might have been an alpha, but whatever the bodyguard was didn't matter when he could fold him like a lawn chair.
"Yeah, I think he's old enough to be my father. Whew." He laughed out loud, taking a seat and looking over the food. "Well, it's certainly not wannabe soul food. We've got all the fixins. Even the chitlins…”
The little ask had been enough to fill Lucifer with confidence, and he poured himself a glass of the red, pouring Alastor some also and placing the glass down beside his plate.
"His mate, Angel, used to work in uh... The adult entertainment industry. Has quite the following, and that's how Husker ended up working as a bodyguard." He took his seat across from Alastor, close enough that if he wanted, he could very easily reach out his foot and run it up the inside of Alastor's pant leg. He resisted. Barely. "Well, I hope it's to your liking. I heard it's the best in town and it's run by this little old lady and her family. Very local." He lent his head in his hands. "Go ahead, help yourself.”
"Mmm. Well, it suits him. He looks like he could snap me like a twig." Alastor laughed, then took his pickings from the multitudes of boxes. He took a bit of everything, murmuring excited little comments about not having this or that food since he moved away. He filled his plate full- Truthfully, it was the most food he'd probably eaten in front of Lucifer. He made eye contact, offering a slightly embarrassed smile.
"I'm starved. No lunch."
He tasted the wine first, properly swirling the glass to get a whiff of the aroma before sipping it. He blinked a few times, then nodded thoughtfully. It was definitely something well out of his budget.
Then he dug into his plate, forgetting he'd just been told about how Lucifer had taught Charlie table manners.
"Mmmh... yep, this is good. Thank you!”
Lucifer laughed aloud at the sudden admittance of the alpha, taken aback by his frankness. He hid his mirth behind his glass, taking a slow sip and savouring the flavour.
"Yeah. He does." He chuckled, setting his glass aside to help himself to some of the food. He gathered some of the macaroni cheese, a favourite of his, and hoped it was as good as he'd been told.
He moaned at the first forkful, eyes fluttering closed.
When he parted them, he caught Alastor looking at him, and could have sworn he saw red in those dark eyes.
He didn't chide Alastor. Despite the ferocity with which he ate, his table manners were impeccable. No elbows on the table. Knife and fork in the correct hand, and placed down when he reached for his glass. And thank the lord he didn't chew with his mouth open. A deal breaker for sure.
"So, uh." Lucifer struggled for a moment, unsure of how to carry a conversation now he had the opportunity to. "How did you get into private tutoring? With skills like yours, I'd have thought you'd be searching for tenure?”
"I prefer to work one on one. I feel like the quality of my work would diminish when spread between, you know, twenty or more students." Alastor shrugged, sipping his wine and setting the glass down to crack open a crawdad. He paused, glancing at Lucifer before skillfully removing the meat from the tail, then slurping the fat from the body.
He realized how sloppy it looked.
"I'm... so sorry. There's no pretty way of eating them." He laughed awkwardly, wiping his hands on one of the hand towels at the table. "Anyway, I like to get to know the whole family. Help problem teens get on track. Keeping students having fun keeps them engaged.”
Lucifer had never really gone much further than mussels into shellfish territory. His family lacked the funds for lobster when younger, and now older, it just had never really become part of his diet.
So the sight of Alastor, mid conversation, snapping a crawdad in half and sucking its insides out perhaps made Lucifer squirm a little. He wasn't uncomfortable perse, Alastor was right, there was no polite way of eating them. But the feral nature of the gesture at a fine dining table such as this would certainly have his mother turning in her grave.
He set his fork down, dabbed at his mouth with a napkin, then, following Alastor's lead reached for one of the crawdads himself. He examined it for a moment, then, copying Alastor, used his knife to remove the meat and separate the body, sucking the contents free of the shell.
His eyes met Alastor's and the absurdity of the moment overwhelmed him, Lucifer turning to swallow his food quickly and laugh behind his hand, nearly choking in his mirth.
Alastor made eye contact as he saw Lucifer making an attempt at eating a crawdad. He saw the knife, starting to say something, then watched him suck the juices out.
He laughed out loud, unrestrained, clapping his hands together.
"Bravo! You'd blend right in back home! Except for the knife!" He laughed again, finding another to demonstrate again, finding Lucifer staring at him incredulously.
He didn't care if his level of professionalism dropped dramatically. The company was as good as the food and wine.
Lucifer found the praise went right to the omega part of his brain, the idea he’d done something that made the alpha happy settling warm in his gut. It was messy, and a little gross, but the fun of it far outweighed the discomfort.
He watched Alastor demonstrate, then picked up another himself, following along and this time getting far more meat as his reward. He hummed in satisfaction, only to catch Alastor’s eye and dip his head, a bright smile and a warmth to his cheeks he couldn’t shake.
He laughed lightly, playful giggles escaping after each success, both of them teasing the other about their methods of craw -daddery as Lucifer dubbed it. It was comfortable and light, without the tension of what a date might feel like or the anxiety of first-time impressions.
Taking a chance, Lucifer licked up his finger in a way that could be innocent, if not for the fact the omega knew how he was being watched with laser precision. He sucked on the tip of his thumb, licking up the juices that covered his digits with slow, deliberate and soft sucks and drags of tongue. He hummed when done, looking his hand over before wiping it clean on the napkin and reaching for his wine to take a long, steadying sip.
Alastor's laughter and teasing trailed off as he watched Lucifer suddenly sucked on his fingers. He gaped, unable to take his eyes away.
"I guess the napkins weren't necessary?" He laughed, then finished the rest of his plate. He finished off his wine next, sighing heavily, belly full of alcohol and good food
"I don’t think I’ve laughed like that in… God, I can’t remember.”.
"Thank you. Seriously, Mr. Morningstar. That was... pleasant. Perhaps we're too uptight sometimes, hmm?”
Lucifer counted that as a success. He caught the way Alastor watched every minuscule brush of tongue, of how his fingers trailed over a plump, wet lower lip, pale pink and begging to be kissed. The way those eyes dilated, red flaring furnace bright, jaw slack like inhaling Lucifer's scent through his nose just wasn’t enough. He needed to taste.
Lucifer shrugged and dipped his head to hide his blush at being called out, pretending to wipe off his hands as Alastor chuckled at his expense. He was full, and there still was a mountain of food left over. He’d let husker know to help himself for lunch, and the rest he and Charlie would no doubt get through with Alastor’s help tomorrow.
‘It’s nothing. Really. Like you so eloquently pointed out- I don’t really have many friends around here.” Don’t have any at all , his mind supplied for him with a cruel jab. “This was nice. I think I forgot how to laugh like that.”
"Yes. It was pleasant." Alastor agreed, watching another glass of wine be poured. "Are you sure you aren't luring me into being hungover so I have to stay in bed?"
Lucifer took the last of his wine and poured Alastor and himself a fresh glass, finishing off the bottle between them.
“Y'know, I don’t think I actually ever gave you the full tour of this place.” He offered, lifting his glass. “C’mon, you can make fun of my decorating - or lack thereof, some more.”
He stood, tucking in his seat and bowing, gesturing Alastor go first with a light giggle.
He laughed, standing up, taking the glass with him. He copied Lucifer, tucking the seat in and looking to him for guidance until he was gestured to go first.
"Well... there's what? Five rooms in here at least, judging from the amount of windows- or you truly have an absurd amount of windows. I imagine you have an entertainment room of sorts? I also haven't wandered the gardens yet."
Taking a moment to contemplate, he looked towards the back door, then to Lucifer looking unsure about having the lead. He shrugged and chose to explore the rest of the house, poking around aimlessly.
Some of the rooms downstairs were just that- rooms. But he found the entertainment room. More bookshelves, a large couch, a surely expensive flat-screen hung up on the wall. Game consoles. Board games.
"Wow. No wonder Charlie likes to study down here. I didn't want to poke around in your house, y'know?”
Lucifer followed, explaining as they went what was what, and what still had yet to be unpacked. The house sprawled, a great mansion of a thing, and as they drew more to the centre the home opened up to a huge, marble lined lobby, a double staircase winding up on one side, a grand entrance on the other, and above, two additional floors with a giant glittering chandelier. Lucifer stepped out into the room and turned to Alastor.
"This is what sold me on the place." He grinned, circling with his hand to show it off, wine sloshing in his cup. "There's two more floors above. Guest bedrooms, my bedroom, Charlie's, but this, this is what sold me.
“This place is big enough to hold balls in. Dances in here? How fun would that be?" He beamed. "I can't wait for Charlie's birthday. I'm going to fill this place with balloons.”
Alastor gaped, wondering how he could possibly have missed something as ginormous and elegant as this. He sipped his wine, turning a small circle.
"Yeah. Wow. I understand." He nodded his head, turning to look at Lucifer. "I can't imagine ever living like this. You worked hard to get where you are. I, well... we won't talk about my home. This makes it look like a shack.”
Lucifer's smile dropped a little.
"It's for Charlie." He admitted. He dipped his drink, eyes going a little distant as he looked at the floor. "One of the best ways of passing my wealth to her is in property. She'll never need to worry about money, and will always have a place if something happens to me."
"I was in a bad place a few years ago. Had a health scare. I put a lot of my stuff in order and invested in this build for Charlie. Then I got better." He gave a small smile. "So, I'm grateful for this place."
He sipped his drink. "And it shows those blue-collar beta cucks not to underestimate me because of my fucking assigned sex.”
Alastor leaned up against one of the banisters, listening to Lucifer silently for a while.
"Well, let me tell you. I think you're doing amazing as a father. I've seen it all in my line of work. A lot of separated fathers are distant. Or seem to be so frustrated with it all they stop caring. I can say with confidence you love your daughter."
He wandered away, walking up the stairs, staring at the chandeliers as he walked. He seemed a bit more reliant on the railing to keep him upright, a bit tipsy from the wine.
"I mean... this is crazy. My home is old as sin and gets the job done, but it probably doesn't even touch this value.”
Lucifer followed, steadier in his steps but far more familiar with the layout. As they reached the second floor, Lucifer peaked into one door, then opened it, showing Alastor Charlie's room. Unlike her gothic appearance, the room looked perfectly suited to your average teen girl. Teddies, unmade bed, a desk covered with diary entries and other nick nacks.
"This is Charlie. Those two are spare rooms-" he gestured to two closed doors, then crossed the landing to the other side of the chandelier. "This is mine."
He wet his lips. He'd cleaned, thankfully, bed made, nest neat and tidy. He opened the door so Alastor could see.
His bed was set into the floor. A rare opportunity for an omega, most reduced to making their nests on the floor or on their beds, causing frustration when pillows and items fell. Red cushions bubbled up over the edges, thick, crimson blankets, and additional items here and there were woven in, no doubt from past heats urges to bring the scent of those important to him into his safe space.
Alastor peeked into Lucifer's room, taking in the sight of it with interest. He smiled, stepping in. He inhaled deeply, not caring to hide it. The scent of omega was rich in the room.
"It looks very comfortable. It's a bit... clean. Strange to not have the scent of an alpha in here." He wandered around, peeking at the master bathroom, then photos of Charlie and him on the walls. He looked to the bed again. How desperately he wanted to smother his scent over it, to claim it as his. To claim Lucifer as his upon that bed, marking him his.
"Mmm... I mean, man. I envy the bed." He cleared his throat, cheeks darkening as he tried to dispel the thoughts nagging at his head.
Lucifer hadn't expected Alastor to go inside, so when the alpha walked by him, emboldened by wine and a little bit of swagger, Lucifer followed close on his heels in a panic. Anxiety reared its head. He certainly hadn't prepared to display his nest- things weren't perfect, there were duck plushies piled in one corner for the children at the hospital, the bed slightly unmade, the edges not aligned.
He laughed perhaps a little too loud, eyes darting about as he swallowed thickly.
"Ha! Uh. Yeah. Well. Don't really have much time to go out and meet many. Not in my line of work." He cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck, feeling a flush colour his cheeks deep pink, ears burning. "And I'm not in the habit of bringing strangers home."
Lucifer took a very long drink of wine.
"It's... Yeah. I wanted something that felt cozy and safe, heat or not. I dunno. Might be an omega thing as much as I hate the stereotype, but I can't stand sleeping without the walls." He hid a small smile. "Charlie says I'd live in a rabbit den if given half the chance.”
"Not judging! It's just... interesting. Things we notice... we as in alphas." Alastor finally caught on that he wasn't exactly welcome in Lucifer's room, laughing awkwardly and backing out to the door. "Sorry. I guess the wine is getting to my head. You surely don't need me coming in here and stinking it up."
He walked the rest of the way out of the door with a heavy sigh. He tugged at his collar, trying to cool the hot rush of embarrassment that rushed to him.
"Where else? The gardens? Otherwise, I might find my way back to bed…”
"No! No, it's fine!" Lucifer reached for Alastor's arm, catching him before he could go much further. Immediately when Alastor turned to look at him he dropped his arm, swallowing thick.
"I.. don't mind." He admitted and looked away, back to the direction of the bedroom. "It's actually nice to have- I mean. I like your scent. It's comforting."
He shrugged a shoulder and continued on, leisurely walking Alastor back downstairs towards the spare guest room on the lower floor. He hesitated outside the door.
"I- um. Would you like to finish this with me? I haven't shown you the pool or anything yet." He was making excuses, but he was having fun, and he didn't want the night to end quite yet.
"Oh." Alastor seemed surprised the man wanted to continue, surprised expression quickly turning mischievous. "Can't get enough of me?"
He grinned, playfully elbowing the arm that wasn't holding wine, winking before heading towards the back door. He opened it, walking towards the pool, humming. He'd seen it from the office, watched Lucifer take several swims to decompress.
"Is it heated? It must be. It's not that warm out yet.”
Lucifer rolled his eyes.
"Maybe I just don't like to drink alone?" They both knew why Lucifer wanted to be near him, and drink had nothing to do with it. He led the way to the pool, the lights making it glow and glitter in the navy night air.
"It's heated, but usually I have it turned off in the morning. The chill helps wake me up. Shock to the system." He sat down on the side, tugging off his shoes and pulling away striped gingham socks. He rolled up his pants legs to the knee and slipped both feet into the cool water, the gentle splash almost musical as he sighed in delight.
"C'mere and try.”
Alastor sat next to him, pulling his socks and shoes off. He set the definitely expensive shoes aside- custom made leather- far away from the water. He rolled his slacks up, dipping his toes in.
He gasped at the cool air, gripping the side of the pool as he got used to the cool water. He laughed, sipping from his wine glass.
"It's cold. I don't know how you do it." He swirled the wine around his glass, sighing heavily and relaxing. Crickets chirped, and frogs croaked in the grass behind them, a pleasant background noise. He kicked his feet, watching the water splash. "This reminds me of my youth. I loved to sit outside and watch the stars.”
Lucifer sighed, comfortable and happy. It had been small; dinner, good company, and friendship, things he'd lacked in his life outside of Charlie. Lucifer couldn't remember the last time he'd not been on edge around an alpha, including his own ex-wife.
"It's lovely here. There's so little light pollution." He looked up to where the stars shone like a nebula, a streak across the endless black.
"So...?" He tilted his head and looked at Alastor, a small smile on his lips. "We know why you tutor one on one, but... You're young. Handsome. Far more patient than most Alphas I know. And betas too now I think about it. Why no mate? There's no way you don't have a line of suitors just waiting to put a mark on that neck and tie you down. Have some pups.”
Alastor looked taken aback at the question. Truthfully, he'd never considered it much. He found most of the process... crude.
"Mmm. Well, it's really never occurred to me. I've had plenty of offers, but... I just want the right person, you know?" He kicked his feet again. "Someone who understands me. I want someone to settle down with, with an emotional and intellectual connection."
He moved his hand closer to Lucifer's as he spoke, perhaps subconsciously.
"No interest in playing the field? Well, aren't you a rare specimen." He chuckled, picking up his glass to finish it, setting it aside and out of the way as he lazily kicked his feet too and fro. "I remember being around your age. Lilly felt like she was my world. Like I'd do anything to be a good omega for her. I got pregnant young and everyone made such a big deal- wouldn't stop telling me how lucky I was. That I should give up school and be a good dad. Make that my life."
He took a deep breath.
"I never did. And as much as I love Charlie, I don't regret it." He smiled, but it wasn't sad, more at peace. "If I'd given it all up and made my alpha my world, right now I'd be ruined. It tore my marriage apart, but I still don't regret it because now- now I can give Charlie whatever she needs. Not whatever she wants though."
He laughed.
"Find you, then find the person who wants to share that with you. I dunno. Take it from this old omega and do what you want with it." He shrugged his shoulder.
Alastor stopped and stared at him, listening intently, like a student listening to a teacher. He stared down at the water after he finished speaking, processing everything he just heard.
On a whim, he moved the hand closest to him over his, smiling.
The hand over his made Lucifer jump, jolting lightly and turning to look at Alastor, wide eyed. He didn't move away, welcoming the touch as he listened.
"You've done great with Charlie. I can tell she's your world now, and that's admirable." He squeezed the hand, then seemed to realize it might not have been the right thing to do, face turning red. "Oh. Jeez. Sorry."
"She is." Lucifer beamed, looking down at the glittering water. "When Lilly had her I felt like my world was broken in two. Like a part of me was missing.”
Lucifer went to squeeze back, only for the touch to be snatched away, leaving him feeling cold. He wanted to chase the touch, but politeness kept him back.
"You're okay." He huffed a small, gentle laugh. "Thank you, Alastor. I'm glad she's taken to you so well. She's really opening up more.”
"It's my pleasure, Mr. Morningstar." Alastor smiled, looking back to Lucifer. "I would say it's simply my job, but it's not. It's my passion."
He went quiet for a while, sitting in silence, staring down at the pool. He sighed deeply, standing up after several minutes.
"Thank you for showing me around. I think it's time for me to retire for the evening." He picked up his empty glass, tucking his socks and shoes under his arm. He offered the other hand to help Lucifer get up. "Help for an old man?”
Lucifer looked up, surprised Alastor had gotten up, but hesitated. He didn’t reach out to stop him, knowing that it was for the best. Alastor was sweet - sexy, funny, - but he was Charlie’s tutor first. He nodded dumbly.
“Yeah. Anytime. Thanks for the company.” At Alastor’s snark he rolled his eyes, but reached out, taking his offered wrist to stand up with his help. He shot back with a smirk and picked up his shoes, following him back inside. “Har, har. I’m barely ten years older than you, whipper snapper.”
"Well, I'll see you in the morning? Thanks for letting me stay the night. I'm definitely not in any shape to drive home." Alastor lingered near the door to the spare bedroom. He turned to look at Lucifer, seeming like he wanted to say something else.
Instead, he smiled again, opening the door and stepping inside. He made sure not to reveal the messy, sheetless bed from his activity earlier.
"Have a good night, Mr. Morningstar." He closed the door, letting out the baited breath he'd held for what felt like hours. He could finally relax.
Lucifer nodded, biting his lip as Alastor's door closed. God help him, he was in deep.
Returning to his room, he found the scent of Alastor's presence still lingered. He undressed for something simpler, just a pair of boxers, and slipped into his bed for the first night of sleep in a long time where he truly got rest, comforted by the scent of an Alpha.
Alastor flopped onto the bed, staring up at the ceiling, trying to settle to sleep, trying to forget what Lucifer's hand felt like in his. He felt pathetic, simply holding his hand making his heart skip a beat.
Eventually, sleep took him, his dreams filled with those warm brown eyes and beautiful smile.