Work Text:
*Lucks' POV*
I couldn't sleep... I kept staring at my engagement ring on my nightstand... I looked around the room, a room... meant for us...
And yet...
He wasn't here...
It felt like he never was...
Only coming up when he felt like it, or for a special occasion. He hasn't even met my son yet...
I stared at that ring for what felt like hours... The clock reading 11:02 pm.
'Why don't you wanna be here...?' I thought as I reached for the ring. 'Why do you always wanna do stuff down in Hell...?'
With everything that's gone on in the years I've known him... the time we've been together... it felt like I was the one putting in all the effort...
I sat up and stared at that ring... a symbol of our love...
Was there even any love between us anymore...?
I looked at a polaroid I'd taken of us back when we first became a couple. I had my arm around his shoulder, and he had his around my waist, kissing my cheek. I was laughing when I pressed the shutter.
I knew then we were in love...
But now...?
I saw a note attached to my window. "How long's that been there?' I asked myself before pulling it off and opening it.
"Derek, meet me at the Showgrounds, I'd like to have a chat with you. Al."
Talk about convenient.
I sighed and grabbed one of my hoodies. It was starting to cool down outside. I kept my sweat pants on and grabbed whatever shoes I needed.
Dressing fancy for a casual meetup wasn't necessary.
Especially this late at night.
I grabbed my keys and phone, slipping my ring into my pant pocket before I stepped outside into the cool night air.
"Okay Al." I said, making my way to the Showgrounds, "What do you want...?"
*meanwhile at the Showgrounds*
*Alastor's POV*
I stood by the entrance of the supposed Showgrounds, taking in the sight. "Rather ridiculous looking castle." I said, staring at the castle in the center of the grounds, "What is that back there? A pizza shop?" I pondered, squinting to look at the strange building behind the castle. I took in the giant building that said "Meme Factory" on the entrance. "That looks like a waste of space." I said, "And possibly resources." Then there was... 3's Coffee & Bombs. "Hmm, must have some good coffee." I said, "Must have an explosive taste~!" I chuckled to myself.
...
"It's not the same without Derek here..." I muttered, lowering my gaze to the ground. "He always laughed at my jokes, no matter how cheesy they sounded."
It was true. It was, one of many reasons, that lead to my falling for the former CEO of TAS Corp. He always enjoyed my jokes, compared to Angel who would groan or get annoyed at them. Hell Derek would tell me some of his own, and I'd laugh as well.
The other reasons, well... one was a surprise.
The fight against Adam.
He'd rushed in after Adam had defeated me, and started fighting him. I remember watching in awe at the way he was tussling with the first man, even throwing his own insults. One was a massive jab to his parenting.
He had said that Adam failed both Cain and Abel, and didn't seem to care...
Unlike Derek, who'd since made amends with his own child.
I looked to the sky, and could feel the strings holding my smile in place tighten.
'What I would give to ditch the smile right now...'
I pulled a face mask out of my pocket and placed it over my mouth. It was the only way Derek would take me seriously during... serious conversations...
The way he got mad at me after Charlie had failed her first attempt to gather help from the citizens of Cannibal Town was something I couldn't forget. His words echoed in my mind...
"Maybe I could take you more seriously, if you DIDN'T HAVE THAT DAMN SMILE ON YOUR FACE ALL THE TIME!! I don't care if it keeps people guessing!! I can't take you seriously when you smiling at me LIKE I'M JUST ONE GIGANTIC JOKE!! IS THAT WHAT I AM?? AM I A JOKE TO YOU ALASTOR??"
...
I closed my eyes and sighed...
That... actually stung.
No one had ever spoken to me like that before...
I didn't own his soul back then, so I had no control over him... Not like Husk or Nifty...
But that... that was him fighting back...
Words of a man who had been through a lot...
This is why, whenever I needed to have a serious conversation... I'd don a surgical mask to cover my mouth... my smile...
I hated that my smile was permanent... especially when it came to him...
I stepped more onto the grounds, looking for an... appropriate spot for him to see me...
At the same time... I couldn't risk his friends seeing me...
Not yet...
"Derek where are you...?" I said softly, looking around. I peered into the windows of the castle. I saw what I assumed was... SMG4, sound asleep on a... I believe they're called pull out sofa beds.
....
"He lives like this?" I muttered, confused. I saw his own husband beside him in bed. An egg shaped dog beside him, along with some... echidna wearing a top hat, and a small, more round variation of SMG4 snuggled up with them.
It was... rather cute really...
It almost felt... familiar...
I soon heard footsteps and turned to the entrance. I spotted Derek's figure entering the grounds, and slinked over.
*Lucks' POV*
I made it, and couldn't see Al anywhere.
Where was he?
I sighed, "He invites me out here and he's running late." I said.
Did I just quote Jinu?
...
Meh, fuck it.
"Derek?"
I jumped a little.
"Jeez Al!" I said, "Someone oughta put a bell on you!" Al chuckled and approached me. "Sorry for this being such short notice." he told me, I noticed he was wearing a surgical mask. This was serious. "Everything okay...?" I asked, concerned. he shook his head. "I uh... I wanted to talk about us..." he admitted, rubbing his arm.
My heart felt heavy all of a sudden...
W-was he...?
"Al...?" I asked, my voice sounded like a squeak... "A-are you... breaking up with me?"
I saw panic flash in his eyes, he raced over and held me tight. "Goodness no." he said, rubbing my back before lifting my chin. "Why on Earth would you think I'd want to leave you?" he asked me, I felt tears coming, but I couldn't let them fall...
Not now...
I averted my eyes away from his... "It's just..." I began, "Ever since I came back to the surface... you've been distant..." I gripped my pant leg. "Every time you wanna spend time with me, it's usually in Hell." I continued, "You hardly come up to the surface world... You didn't even come for Christmas with Charlie, Vaggie and Lucifer." I pulled away from him, "And for Valentine's Day, you wanted to meet down in Hell for dinner, which I got... but still..." I rubbed my arm this time... "It feels like... I'm putting in all the effort for ua." I looked up at him. "Hell, we've been engaged for 3 years now..." I couldn't look him in the eyes, "D-do we... even love each other anymore...?"
I lowered my head, and finally let the tears fall.
"Hell, look at you..." I continued, "You have to wear a mask to hide the smile." I could feel myself coming apart...
"Do you truly love me, or just see me... as entertainment...?"
Silence.
I saw him take a step forward, only to stop and whine, almost deer like... but it wasn't sad, it was... painful...?
I finally looked at his face, and saw why.
He had both hands on the mask, I swear I saw blood beginning to pool on the surface. Tears were falling, but not sad tears... pained ones... "Al..?" I asked, growing concerned...
That's when I remembered... He told me he was cursed with that smile... it was stitched up...
I raced to him and pulled his hands off from his face... along with his mask...
My heart nearly stopped at what I saw...
Alastor's smile was gone...
Blood was dripping from his lips and he was breathing heavily, clearly in pain.
"Wha-but how?" I asked, shocked. He said nothing... Just looked at me.
I reached up, and held his cheek. "Alastor...?" I asked softly, He fell to his knees, I panicked and caught him. "I got ya deer..." I said, hoisting him over my shoulder. 'He's in shock...' I thought as I made my way back to my place, with a deer in tow.
*a few minutes later*
We'd made it and we were sitting in my kitchen, my gently dabbing at the wounds his stitches used to be. He'd wince here and there. "Does this mean...?" I wondered aloud, Al still said nothing. He was frowning though, and not making eye contact.
Not a good sign.
"Al...?" I asked, worried. He looked at my hand... and I could see fear on his face.
I reached into my pocket, and pulled my ring out. "I wasn't gonna wear it..." I said, "Not out tonight..." I sighed, and was ready to give it back...
It wouldn't be the first time I've had my heart broken...
Al looked at the ring, then back at me. "Were you really that afraid...?" he finally asked me. I looked away, and nodded. "I was..." I told him... "I just... didn't want to lose you...." Al stood and held me in his arms. " Derek..." he said softly, "You were never gonna lose me love..." he lifted my chin again, and I saw him smiling again. Not his permanent one... but a more... genuine smile, soft, caring, loving... "When I fell for you," he began, "I made a promise to myself that I would do whatever it took to keep you..." I believed that. "As we grew closer..." he continued, "I realized, you weren't something for me to own, but... someone I could love, someone... I could trust..." He leaned in close... "Trust enough, with my darkest secrets... my fears, my doubts..." he rubbed his face, "This..." he sighed. "I know the distance is killing us..." he told me... "And I want to be with you here on the surface world...." I knew there was a catch. "But...?" I said, "But," he said, "The hotel needs me... and, well, Vox is still an issue." he told me. "But," he continued, holding my face in one hand. "I want to spend the rest of my eternal life with you. In life, and in death." He smiled at me, "I want you to be my husband Derek Lucks." he said, holding me close. "Nothing, is ever gonna change that."
I was surprised...
He did want to be with me up here... but of course, there was the Hotel... and Vox...
How did Garcy do it though?
He and Chris were always usually separate for days, Chris doing stuff down in Hell or spending time with his kids,
Why was this hurting me though...?
I clung to Alastor and finally... let myself go.
I sobbed into his shirt...
I felt safe around him.
Alastor rubbed my back and let me cry...
He wanted to keep me safe... and I wanted to do the same with me...
I knew Valerie was still out there, even if she was in prison...
For now... I was safe...
And so was he...
Once I calmed.... something hit me...
I think it hit him too...
I tried to hide, but something broke
I tried to sing, couldn't hit the notes
The words kept catching in my throat
I tried to smile, I was suffocating though
But here with you, I can finally breathe
You say you're no good, but you're good for me
I've been hoping to change, now I know we can change
But I won't if you're not by my side
Why does it feel right every time I let you in?
Why does it feel like I can tell you anything?
All the secrets that keep me in chains, and
All the damage that might make me dangerous
You got a dark side, guess you're not the only one
What if we both tried fighting what we're running from?
We can't fix it if we never face it
What if we find a way to escape it?
We could be free, free
We can't fix it if we never face it
Let the past be the past 'til it's weightless
Oh, time goes by, and I lose perspective
Yeah, hope only hurts, so I just forget it
But you're breaking through all the dark in me
When I thought that nobody could
And you're waking up all these parts of me
That I thought were buried for good
Between imposter and this monster, I've been lost inside my head
Ain't no choice when all these voices keep me pointing towards no end
It's just easy when I'm with you
No one sees me the way you do
I don't trust it, but I want to
I keep coming back to
Why does it feel right every time I let you in?
Why does it feel like I can tell you anything?
We can't fix it if we never face it
What if we find a way to escape it?
We could be free, free
We can't fix it if we never face it
Let the past be the past 'til it's weightless
Oh-oh, so take my hand, it's open (free, free)
What if we heal what's broken? (Free, free)
I tried to hide, but something broke
I couldn't sing, but you give me hope
We can't fix it if we never face it
Let the past be the past 'til it's weightless
By the end, Alastor and I were holding each other's hands... and I realized... he had the ring now...
"Derek, can I ask you one question?"
"Yes...?"
He got on one knee... and held the ring out...
"After all this, will you still marry me, my Demon of TAS Corp?"
I blushed, remembering when he proposed back then...
I nodded. "Of course." I said, he stood and slipped the ring back onto my finger before pulling me into a hug. "I love you Derek." he told me. "I love you too Al." I said smiling. "Would you uh, like to stay the night?" He nodded, "I'd be delighted," he told me, then looked me over. "Really?" he said, "Teddy bears and choo-choo trains?"
It took me a second to realize what he was talking about.
I looked down, and forgot I was wearing Pajama pants, not sweats.
To say I was embarrassed was an understatement.
"Choo Choo..." I heard him whisper, even doing the train whistle motion.
I chuckled. "I love you and hate you at the same time." I told him. He laughed. "Would you have it any other way?" he asked me, "Nope." I told him. C"mon, let's go to bed." I told him. We made our way to my room and he changed into his usual pajamas before we climbed into bed.
I set the ring by the polaroid of us, and smiled.
"Love?"
"Yes Deer?"
"What was that song we sang from?"
...
How do I explain a movie about a Kpop group of girls killing demons to a man from the 30's? "It's from a picture show that came out this year." I told him, "It's pretty popular." "Lemme guess, Disney?" he asked, annoyed. "Nope." I said, "Different company. Disney's been releasing movies that flopped." Alastor chuckled. "Guess they got too comfy then hm~?" he told me, "Guess so." I said. "As for the song..." I continued, "It's about two lovers, demons actually... wanting to be free... to heal, from what's broken..." I looked at him. "It kinda fits us... in a way." He chuckled and pulled me close. "I can see why." he told me... "But, it's beautiful..." I nodded in agreement.
Alastor held me close and I felt his warmth... It was nice... :Al?" "Hm?" I looked up, "I love you." I said, he looked at me, and smiled softly, "I love you too." he whispered, pulling me into a kiss.
I knew we'd be okay in that kiss... I knew, we'd be free...