After the chaos of karaoke began to settle, the hotel lobby was a cheerful mess. Blitzø was still trying to convince Stolas to sing a duet, Christine and Velvette had taken over the karaoke machine with an overly dramatic ballad, and Azrael and Valerie were chatting by the fireplace.

Cloud sat in Alastor's lap, giggling as she poked at his antlers, while Cherri and Francis whispered and laughed on a nearby couch. Niffty buzzed around with her new cleaning kit, muttering about how the karaoke machine needed a good scrubbing. Vox and Angie sat together by the bar, Angie poking fun at Vox's attempts to avoid singing.

I plopped down on the big couch, taking a deep breath. Lucifer had been nearby, and to my surprise, he casually sat down beside me. It was nice... not awkward, just calm, even as the chaos continued around us.

That is, until Angel Dust sauntered over with a smirk that immediately put me on edge.

"Hey, Aly," he said sweetly, in a tone that screamed trouble.

"What do you want, Angel?" I asked suspiciously.

He twirled a sprig of mistletoe in his fingers, his grin widening. "Oh, nothing... just thought I'd return the favor for earlier, y'know, when you made me kiss Husk."

My face fell. "Angel, don't you dare—"

But it was too late. With a dramatic flourish, Angel held the mistletoe high above us, his smirk practically glowing. "Look at that! Mistletoe! You know the rules, toots!"

The room immediately fell silent, all eyes on Lucifer and me. Even Husk, who had been grumbling over his drink, perked up to watch the show.

Lucifer blinked, clearly caught off guard. "What... is happening?"

I buried my face in my hands. "Angel, this is so unnecessary!"

"Uh-uh, no take-backs, babe," Angel replied, his grin devilish. "Tradition is tradition. You made me smooch Husk, now it's your turn!"

Lucifer let out a soft, nervous laugh. "Well, this is unexpected."

I peeked through my fingers to see his face, and to my surprise, he looked... flustered. His cheeks were faintly golden/yellow, and he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Come on!" Angel pressed, hands on his hips. "We don't got all night!"

From across the room, Charlie squealed in excitement. "Aly! Dad! This is going to be so cute!"

Lucifer sighed, glancing at me with an almost apologetic look. "I suppose there's no escaping this, is there?"

I groaned. "Apparently not."

The room was so quiet you could've heard a pin drop. Lucifer leaned in slightly, his movements hesitant and awkward. For someone as powerful and composed as he usually was, he seemed just as embarrassed as I felt.

The kiss was brief. Barely a second—but it was enough to send my heart racing. When we pulled away, I avoided eye contact, feeling my face heat up. Lucifer looked just as flustered, brushing his hair back with a sheepish chuckle.

"Well, there's your tradition," he muttered, his voice strained but still trying to sound nonchalant.

The room exploded with laughter and cheers. Angel was doubled over, wheezing with delight. "Oh my GOD, that was priceless! I can't believe it actually happened!"

Husk chuckled from the bar, taking a sip of his drink. "Guess payback's fair."

"Angel," I started, glaring at him, "I'm going to make you regret this."

Angel only cackled louder. "Worth it, toots!"

Charlie bounded over, clapping her hands together. "That was so adorable! Aly, Dad, you guys are the cutest!"

"Charlie, please," Lucifer groaned, covering his face with one hand.

Cloud, perched on Alastor's lap, giggled. "This is officially the best Christmas ever."

"Agreed," Cherri called out, grinning from ear to ear. "That was golden!"

Azrael and Valerie shared a knowing smile, and Francis tried (and failed) to hide his amusement. Even Christine and Velvette had paused their karaoke performance to laugh.

"FUCKING FINALLY!" Christine shouted.

I leaned back on the couch, glaring at Angel, who was still smirking triumphantly. "You are so dead," I muttered.

Lucifer chuckled softly beside me, his usual composure slowly returning. "Merry Christmas, Aly," he said, his tone warm despite the embarrassment still lingering in his expression.

I sighed, finally letting a small smile slip through. "Merry Christmas, Lucifer."

Angel, ever the instigator, clapped his hands. "Alright, who's next under the mistletoe?!"

The room erupted into laughter again, and as the chaos resumed, I couldn't help but smile. So far, this Christmas was loud, messy, and ridiculous—but it was ours. And I wouldn't trade it for anything.