The event was about what Lucifer thought it would be.
"A bunch of pompous critics." He heard her murmur to herself.
He chuckled and brought their linked hand up to his mouth and kissed her knuckles.
"I was just thinking that."
"I'm starting to remember why I went solo. The critics aren't as carefree as you'd think and they have so many rules. And they aren't as open minded as you'd hope." She sighs and looks around the building, "Arts too objective and free for them to put in a box."
She was starting to sound like him when he spoke about Heaven.
"Then why now?"
Mia squeezed his hand, "Because even though I hate it I still want to prove myself as an artist."
"But you are." He makes a show of twisting his head around the room, "And a lot fucking better then these other ones."
"Lucifer." She scolds.
"Mmm, I'm so happy I told you my name. It's my second favorite thing on your lips." He smirked over at her and enjoying her blush.
"Lou!"
"Get your mind out of the trenches. I was referring to our lips." He wiggles his brow, "But I mean, I wouldn't say no to that either."
Watching Mia's reactions when he would tease her was one of his favorite past times. There was an innocence there that you hardly saw in Hell, but of course he knew there were dirty thoughts that cohabited with the pure ones.
The balance that he loved having at his side.
"I'm not opposed to returning the favor later." She lifted a brow at him, "Okay, let us go see the gallery in full."
"Lead the way, Your Highness." Lucifer chuckled at the inside joke. Though the title sat well with him. Her at his side in that way.
He could already imagine all the murals she'd paint all over the Hazbin Hotel, and the Morningstar Manor, and bringing life to the slums of Pentagram City.
They couldn't not follow her dad. Charlie had been curious on where her dad had been heading off to and this explained the money that Husk had given him.
Angel Dust and Charlie tailed him along the streets till they made it to a building with windows lit, in them looked like art pieces on display.
Charlie watched as the woman spoke to the young guy at the door. Who lazily looked through a clipboard and then waved them through the door.
"The place looks kinda ritzy to me. What did you say this Mia girlie did?" Angel asked.
"She makes deals with people. That's all I know. Apparently she's in the mortal realm often." Charlie continued the walk toward the door, passing the lit windows that had beautiful art showcased to the world.
When they made it to the door she saw that the young guy was wearing a pair of black slacks, a white button up and black vest, "Name?" He asked while looking the two of them up and down.
"Charlie." The guy started to scan, "Charlie Mor-"
"You're good to enter. There's only one Charlie here."
Angel turned to her and as they enter, "Dat guy don't care much for his job. We coulda been murderers. Like that Manson guy that lived down the street from Vox."
Shrugging, "I would rather it be easy to get in versus not."
Charlie looked around at all of the people. Her first thought was how interesting it was to see what humans did. They were all looking at the art on the walls with judgmental looks. There were younger ones dressed like the door guy walking around with trays of food and drink.
"How we gunna do dis? Are we really going to just crash yer dads date?"
She hadn't thought that far ahead, "Lets just look around first."
Mia was nervous when her and Lucifer had made it to the wall that displayed her eight paintings. Various sizes and all depicting nature. Birds, bugs, plants, and animals, all brightly painted.
It wasn't her art that made her nervous as much as it was that Harmony and 'Roberto' were over there with another man.
When they approached Roberto with the first to speak, "Ms. Carson." There was a bit of a sneer.
The other man was the first to address her with a smile, he held out his hand and Mia accepted the handshake, "It's a pleasure to meet you Mia, my name is Tanner." It didn't go without notice that his fingers lingered a bit longer than necessary.
When he did release her hand he turned to her companion, "Lucifer," his handshake was firm, "I'm Mia's partner."
Mia's eyes met Harmony's just before they both looked at the interaction that made the air heavy.
"Business?" Tanner's ask was curt.
Lucifer released Tanner's hand and slid it around Mia's back to draw her into his side, "Pleasure."
"Ah." was the only thing that came out of Tanner's mouth.
Harmony, of course, took the chance to interject herself into the conversation, "I've heard so much about you. It's great to finally meet the boyfriend to the name."
"It's an honor to be the boyfriend to the name."
Mia was mortified. Between Lucifer and Harmony she couldn't feel any more embarrassed and equally flattered at the same time. Even though it wasn't officially spoken the words sent butterflies to her stomach.
Lucifer's possessive hand around her waist. The little spurt of jealousy that she could see that he delicately contained. She was grateful to have him at her side.
"I have to say," Robert spoke, "I was surprised to see that someone such as yourself could pull it off."
She was taken back but didn't want to show it, her hand wrapped around Lucifer's back to stay grounded and in control of whatever temper was going to flare.
"I'm sorry. I'm not following."
"When we all discussed your art work we came to a," The man swished his hand in the air to think of his words, "disagreement. I did agree to your work on the chance that you could pull off an additional four original pieces."
That was his way of saying that he had hoped she'd fail.
"Hmm, I can really pull off anything if I set my mind to it. And just between us," Mia motions to the small group, "You're not doing a very good job at 'pulling off' that hair piece. I'm here to tell you that bald is beautiful. You should embrace it."
Lucifer was the first to laugh, followed by Harmony and then Tanner. Robert was clearly embarrassed and made his leave.
After recovering Tanner straightens up, "I will check on him."
Gathering her breath, "I could use a drink."
"I'll get you a glass." Lucifer kisses her temple and walks away.
Looking up at Harmony she sees her smirk, "He is as fucking sexy as his damn name. Lou is short for Lucifer?"
That's when they started to spill the tea to one another.
"Dis shit is boring." Angel said as he took a mini sandwich from a passing server, "But the food is great."
Charlie couldn't pay attention to Angel Dust's complaints; she was engulfed in the scene of her dad having a conversation with a group of people, his arm intimately wrapped around a woman. She hadn't seen him look so happy since before her mom left them.
She had to admit that it was strange seeing him with another woman. It didn't anger or upset her. It was just a bazaar. She watched as he kissed her temple and separated.
"How ya feelin?" Angel Dust interjected, making Charlie turn toward her friend.
"It's different. Not different bad though."
"It's good to hear that yer over your daddy issues, we just gotta work on them mommy issues now." And that had her laughing.
"Excuse me. But I'm going to have to ask you to leave." A suited man approached them and was specifically addressing Angel.
"Yeah. Why is that?" The voice he used had a bit of seduction laced in it. But Charlie could tell that the man wasn't in the mood.
"Your attire is inappropriate and is a distraction from the art."
Charlie saw this going south and fast.
"Inappropriate? There's a painting of two women fucking and yous saying that I'm the distraction." People were turning heads.
Before the man could speak his counter argument another person approached.
"I'm going to have to ask you to stop harassing my guest."
"I am simply-"
"Causing a scene." The woman finished.
"Their outfit-"
"Is a piece of art and this is an art exhibit. They are here as my guest and you aren't in a position to tell them that they have to leave when there isn't a dress code."
Charlie was impressed and even more so when the man left them.
"Ay, you didn't have to do that." Angel spoke to the woman.
"No. I had to. There are waay too many ass hats in the building." The woman was beautiful and Charlie was beginning to have a different understanding of the whole humanity and human thing. She could understand why her father had fallen in love with her mother when she was human.
It was being human that made their existence so much more intriguing.
The woman turned to her and held out her hand, "My name is Mia. Forgive me if I'm mistaken, you're Charlie, right?"
Charlie could smell the sweet humanity blissfully fill her nose coming off of Mia.
Her father had fallen for a human once before and it seemed like he had done it again.