The final battle was at its end as Lucifer unleashed his rage on Adam with a flurry of punches all over his body. The fallen angel was seeing red after his daughter was attacked. The remnants of Adam's hood and mask lay destroyed on the ground. Still, Lucifer didn't stop striking until Adam fell face first into the dirt. The first man was still and quiet. Lucifer's rage finally seemed to cool and he lowered his fists.
"Is he…" Charlie asked, staring down at the body. Was it over now? Vaggie approached him and knelt down to check his pulse, then stood up. "Nope, still alive." She raised her spear to finish the job.
"Wait!" Charlie said. Niffty came running with her knife to stab the downed angel, but Charlie scooped her up and took away her knife.
"What's wrong, Charlie?" Lucifer asked. Charlie stared down at Adam, holding firmly to the squirming Niffty.
"It just seems… wrong to kill him while he's unconscious and helpless." Charlie said.
"What, ya want us to wait for him to wake up?!" Husk said incredulously.
"No… I know he has to die but like this? I just… UGH!" Charlie said, frustrated as she was unable to put words to her feelings.
"Maybe he doesn't have to die." Lucifer suggested. He had an idea brewing. "If we cut his wings off so he can't fly back to heaven, it won't matter if we let him live."
"I guess… that could work." Charlie said. She wondered if maybe she could redeem him? But he was already an angel… maybe she could still teach him better ways?
"Vaggie should do it. He took HER wings, so fair's fair." Angel Dust chimed in. Overhead, the army of exorcists assumed Adam was dead and started falling back, retreating to heaven.
"Actually, Lute did it… Fine, but I'm not doing it for vengeance. I'm doing it to ground him so he can't hurt the people I love." Vaggie knelt down next to Adam again. She lifted her spear and Charlie held the limp wing up. Vaggie found the joint where Adam's wing met his back, placing the edge of her spear so as to cut between the bones. With a squelch and a spurt of golden blood, she severed one wing.
"Oh fucking shit that hurts." Adam muttered, half conscious as the pain brought him around. He cried out in further pain as Vaggie put her knee on his back and put her weight on top of him to keep him down, but Adam was still quite a bit larger and heavier than her.
"Ow, hey what the fuck! MY FUCKING WING!" Adam realized in horror and panic that one wing was gone. He screamed expletives and thrashed violently, trying to throw Vaggie off him. Vaggie gasped and tried to put more weight on Adam to keep him down. The entire group fell upon Adam before Vaggie could be dislodged.
Charlie grabbed Adam's left arm putting all the weight she could on it. Husk hurried for his right arm and pinned it firmly. Angel Dust grabbed the now released Niffty and tucked her up against his body with one arm. He pinned Adam's legs, sitting on his right leg and holding his left leg with his free arms. Lucifer stepped on Adam's shoulder to keep Adam's upper body in place. He seized Adam's remaining wing, which was flapping desperately, and held it up and as still as possible so Vaggie could access the joint.
"Keep still, asshole. It's going to hurt even worse if I have to cut through bone." Vaggie said. Adam of course did not listen and instead screamed obscenities and tried to thrash. It was no use. Vaggie put her spear at the joint and cut. Adam was yowling with pain as his body splashed Vaggie with another spurt of angelic blood. Lucifer cast the now useless limb aside, and everyone released Adam and backed off.
"Fucking hell that fucking hurts! How fucked up are you to cut off my fucking wings?!" Adam bellowed in rage.
"Yeah, sucks pretty hard, doesn't it? You're just lucky Charlie didn't want to kill you while you were helpless. Grounding you was a mercy." Vaggie said flatly, crossing her arms and glaring at him.
"A cruel mercy." Husk said in a deadpan tone. "With the exorcists leaving without him, he's pretty fucked." Husk pointed out, smirking.
"Huh what?!" Adam turned his eyes to the sky to see the last few exorcists falling back.
"Hey wait! What the fuck are you bitches doing?! Get back here and help me!" He screamed after them, but they were too far away to hear and disappeared through their portal back to heaven. Looking around him in panic, he spied his battle axe and lunged for it.
With a boost from his wings, Lucifer beat him to it. "Yoink!" He cried as he seized the weapon and flew up higher in the air, so that Adam couldn't reach him.
"Oh give it up, Adam. Fight's over and you lost." Angel spoke with deep satisfaction in his voice.
"Vaggie, take this and put it somewhere he can't get to it, please." Lucifer said, holding out the heavenly weapon. Vaggie spread her wings and flew away with the weapon. Lucifer landed gracefully.
Adam was dumbstruck. No army, no weapon, no wings… He was stranded in hell. The deep dread set in.
"Look at that. The high and mighty Adam is finally speechless. Didn't think we'd ever live to see that." Husk said.
Adam turned to them and glared. "YOU FUCKERS CALL TAKING MY WINGS MERCY?!" He snarled. Lucifer moved in with a cocky smirk.
"Hey, at least this way you've got a chance. You can walk off into hell alive. We won't come after you. If you're really lucky, you might even make it to the next extermination, and then one of your little flunkies could take you home to heaven. "
The group started at Lucifer, unable to believe what was coming out of the king of hell's mouth. Lucifer wasn't done yet and moved in closer to Adam, making the angel back away in an attempt to preserve his personal space.
"Of course, you'll be trying to stay alive on a plane of existence where everyone knows your name and wants to spill your golden blood. And thanks to Vox, everyone knows your face now too. And that's going to be at LEAST six months. After that defeat, they might push the next one back to a year again. Maybe even longer. Oh boy, I do not envy you, Adam."
Adam glared and scoffed, still trying to hold on to the rage in his heart. He found the anger preferable to the fear threatening to dominate his emotions. He sneered at Lucifer.
"So what, you're not gonna lock me in some fucking dungeon or something?" He said spitefully. If Adam could spit literal venom, he would have.
"Naaaah, after all you've done to my people over the millenia? I think throwing you to the wolves is the fairest thing to do." Lucifer said with a smug grin. Vaggie returned quickly from her errand and alighted next to her girlfriend. Charlie grabbed her father's arm.
"Dad don't you think-" She began. Lucifer shushed her gently and stroked her hair.
"Trust me, Sweetie. Daddy knows what he's doing." Lucifer turned his head to give her a wink Adam couldn't see from his angle. then turned his attention back to Adam.
Adam squared his shoulders and glared at Lucifer. "Fucking spit it out. What are you getting at, you snarky fuck?"
Lucifer leaned on his cane and gave a big grin reminiscent of Alastor's. "Well, believe it or not, I could be persuaded to help you out of this awful jam you're in. You may have called a lot of the shots up there, but down here? You're in MY world now. Nobody would dare spill a drop of your blood, if I forbid it." No one else in the group dared breathe a word. They were spellbound.
"Bullshit! No fucking way am I buying that. You would never fucking help me." Adam snarled. He stood as tall as he could, trying subconsciously to look intimidating. Lucifer was utterly unaffected.
"Oh, but I would. And I will. I'll protect you from the bloodthirsty hordes who want your life. Sell your soul to me, for my protection."
Adam, as well as Lucifer's allies were all stunned by this offer. Adam took a few steps back, fear finally showing on his face. "No fucking way. You can't fucking force me give you my soul." He said, for once in a soft voice.
"You're absolutely right. I can't force you. I won't even try to. By all means walk off into that vicious hellscape. Every demon out there has either had a brush with death because of you, or lost friends and loved ones because of you. I'm the best chance you have for survival now."
Adam looked out over the carnage the exorcists had left behind. He glanced over to his wings laying limp on the ground. Adam could feel the blood still oozing sluggishly from his wounds. He knew if he left on his own, he would never make it to the next extermination. The first man recognized that he had a very important choice right now. Would he choose his pride and his freedom, or his life?
Adam's eyes turned back towards Lucifer with a pained expression on his face and his hands balled into fists. The smugness coming off the older angel was practically palpable as he tucked his staff under his arm. Lucifer reached out his hand, golden magical energy gathering at his palm.
"What do you say, Adam? Your soul in exchange for my protection. Deal or no deal?"
Adam unclenched his right hand. He took a deep breath and raised it to meet Lucifer's. His hand trembled momentarily, hovering just short of touching Lucifer's hand. Lucifer waited patiently.
"It's a deal." He spoke in a strained tone, as he seized Lucifer's hand before he lost the nerve. Lucifer shook Adam's hand and turned his free hand palm up. A collar of golden energy formed itself around Adam's neck and formed a chain leading to Lucifer's open hand.
"Welcome to hell, Adam. Now let me lay down one quick, very important ground rule." Lucifer grasped the chain and pulled Adam in roughly by his neck, forcing him to partially bend to the shorter man's level. He was close enough that Lucifer's face filled most of Adam's field of vision.
"If you EVER try to hurt my daughter, or any of her friends again, if you ever disrespect her, if you make life harder for Charlie in any way, I will make your life so miserable, you will wish I had killed you. I WILL MAKE THE LOWLIEST WRETCHES IN ALL OF HELL PITY YOU!" Lucifer briefly took his demonic form when he started shouting, then reverted to his normal appearance. "Is that clear?" He asked, returning to complete calm.
Adam nodded, wide eyed. "I understand." He answered. Lucifer responded by loosening his hand and giving the leash slack, allowing Adam to stand at his natural height again. Lucifer turned to speak to Charlie, only to see her staring heartbroken at the destroyed hotel.
Lucifer dropped Adam's leash, making the chain and collar disappear. The king of hell seemed to entirely forget about his new captive as he went to his daughter's side. Charlie's father put his arms around her lovingly.
"We lost so much. The hotel. Sir Pentious, even Alastor." Charlie said sniffling, trying to hold back the sobs. Lucifer comforted her while Vaggie, Husk, and Angel Dust glared accusingly at Adam for causing all this.
Adam, for once in his life, took a short pause to think before he spoke. Would it be in his best interest to stay silent or say what he knew? Then he decided the group would want to know what he knew. "Alastor's not fucking dead. At least I don't think so." Charlie and Lucifer turned to face him. Vaggie immediately pointed her spear at him.
"What do you mean you don't THINK Alastor's dead?! Spit it out Adam!" Vaggie demanded. All the patience she'd had that day was long gone. Adam raised his hands in a motion of surrender.
"Vaggie, babe, pointing that at me is not gonna make me talk any fucking faster, okay? What I was saying was; I didn't finish him off. I wounded him pretty fucking bad in the chest. It was actually fucking awesome, you should have seen it-" Vaggie jabbed at him with the spear, deliberately missing.
"Fuck, okay, damn. So after I hit him, he fucking disappeared into some kind of portal and escaped. If he didn't bleed out, he might be alive."
Charlie smiled, tears still in her eyes. "Alastor might be alive…" She wiped her eyes with her sleeve as she spoke. She was grateful for the good news, even from the likes of Adam.
"Well let's get rebuilding, Charlie. We've got to give him something to come back to." Lucifer said, kissing her forehead.
"Right, we gotta do this for Pentious too. Sir Pentious died for the hotel. If we don't get things back up and running again, then he died in vain." Angel Dust said, already picking up some smaller pieces of rubble to clear away.
"And you're going to help us. Get your ass moving." Husk said, getting behind Adam and giving him a sharp shove forward. Adam cringed and cried out as his body was wracked with an intense shockwave of pain. The wounds where his wings once were violently protested the force on his back. His face contorted into a grimace as he fought the tears of agony threatening to spill. That moment of pain was almost as bad as feeling Vaggie cut his second wing off.
"Ow, you fucking asshole! You can't tell me what to do!" Adam clenched his fists, wishing he still had a weapon. The golden chain and collar appeared again, and Lucifer pulled him closer, though not as roughly as before.
"I certainly can, though. You are going to help clean up the mess you made. Get ready to work for the first time in your life. We've got a hotel to rebuild." Lucifer said. Adam groaned but gave no further argument.
Many hours later and with lots of heavy lifting done by Lucifer's magic, the hotel was rebuilt, bigger and better than before. Everyone was looking up at the rebuilt hotel with pride and joy. Everyone except Adam.
Adam had his eyes down and shoulders slumped. He was more exhausted than he'd ever been in his existence. He hurt more than he ever had, both from sore muscles and the throbbing agony where his wings used to be. For the last couple hours he'd been taking direction in near silence, too tired and hurting too much to talk back or buck orders. He was just grateful it was done now. More than anything Adam just wanted to sleep and embrace sweet oblivion for a few hours. He breathed a soft, longing sigh at the thought of his bed back in heaven.
"Sorry about the brief intermission folks! We're back on the air!" With no warning, Alastor popped up out of nowhere. Charlie excitedly charged to hug him, but stopped short, remembering Adam saying his chest was wounded. She embraced him carefully, wrapping his arms around his lower back to avoid putting pressure on his wound.
"I'm so glad to see you again Alastor." Charlie said. The smile on her face was genuine and warm as Alastor put his arms around her in return.
"Glad you're okay, Al." Angel said. He thought about adding a smartass comment about Alastor not arriving until all the work was finished, but decided to let it go.
"Sir, you're back!" Niffty ran to Alastor and hugged his leg. Alastor bent down enough to scoop her up and hold her to his chest.
"You okay, Alastor? Do you need medical attention?" Vaggie asked with concern. Husk and Lucifer were the only ones who gave Alastor no greeting, aside from Adam himself.
"A pleasure to be back, everyone. Hope I didn't keep you all waiting too long." Alastor said, scanning his eyes over the group to make sure everyone made it through the battle.
Adam for his part, found the strength to lift his head and look at the deer demon. He braced himself, knowing it would not be a pleasant interaction when Alastor noticed him. And notice him, Alastor did.
"Well, well, what are you doing still alive? Let's fix that shall we?" Alastor's horns began to grow and his transformation to his more monstrous form, ignoring the pain in his chest from doing so. Adam quickly moved behind Lucifer's right shoulder.
"Stop, there's no need for this." Lucifer said. Alastor ignored the king of all hell and continued shifting form.
"No, no, no, Alastor, listen! Adam… belongs to my dad now." Charlie said, holding on to Alastor's shifting body the best she could. Alastor reverted to his usual form.
"What did I miss now?" Alastor sounded quite calm for someone who had been ready to kill three seconds before.
"I own his soul." Lucifer said. To prove his point, he held his hand out and manifested the golden collar and leash into existence. Adam immediately flinched, expecting Lucifer to pull on it, but hell's king kept the chain slack.
"You might wanna look over there too." Husk said. Alastor followed Husk's pointing finger with his eyes. There he saw the two golden wings and dried patch of angelic blood. The expression around his perma-smile became more sadistic as he strolled towards Adam, looking him straight in the eyes.
"Oh my, what gripping material for my next news broadcast! Adam, first man and once the head of the exorcists, now grounded, trapped in hell, and reduced to being Lucifer's BITCH." Alastor was disappointed when Adam simply broke eye contact and looked to the side instead of rising to the bait.
"What's the matter, no fight left in you already? Or did they cut off your tongue as well as your wings?" Alastor asked smugly. He reached for Adam's face, presumably intending to force Adam to look at him again.
Lucifer knocked Alastor's hand away with a sweep of his staff. It was enough to catch Alastor off guard and successfully deflect his hand. Lucifer spread his wings in a protective motion, mostly hiding Adam from Alastor's view.
"Adam is MINE and I didn't give you permission to touch him. Keep your hands off." Lucifer demanded, clenching the end of the golden chain tighter in his fist. Alastor responded with a chuckle.
"Feeling possessive of your new toy? Fine, fine, have him all to yourself, Your Highness." Alastor said, the last two words with a distinct note of sarcasm.
"Hey, Alastor, let's go inside, get cleaned up and have some dinner. I'm sure we're all starving." Charlie said, taking Alastor by the arm and leading him into the hotel. Everyone filed in behind them. Lucifer and Adam came last as Lucifer dropped the leash and allowed it to dematerialize.
"So which room am I supposed to be staying in?" Adam asked. He checked his tone so as to not upset Lucifer. Adam was in so much ambient pain already, he wasn't sure if he could handle being struck right now. The eons in heaven had destroyed whatever pain tolerance he'd had in life.
"Oh, you'll be in my room. I don't trust you to have that much time unsupervised. I will be keeping eyes on you at all times. If I'm not watching you, someone else will be." Lucifer found and unlocked his room, stepping aside to let Adam go in first.
Adam stepped inside and glanced around the room. It was beautiful and lavishly decorated. The carpet and drapes were a deep red, and the walls were painted white. A king sized bed stood against one wall, the wood of the frame was a pale, polished wood and the bedding was luxuriously comfortable looked and dark red in color. It had an apple design carved into the headboard and a snake carved into the footboard.
A large dresser, which came up to Lucifer's shoulders, was done in a matching wood and had elegant brass handles. The carvings had a similar theme of apples and snakes. Next to the dresser was a large bookshelf, just tall enough Lucifer could reach the top shelf without straining. It matched the bed and dresser in theme, beautifully carved and richly decorated.
A large overstuffed red velvet armchair sat in one corner. It looked just nearly too big for the diminutive king, but it did look quite comfortable. In the opposite corner was what looked like a workstation of some sort with tools Adam couldn't identify.
It looked like the kind of room one would imagine a king having, aside from the workstation and the abundance of ducks. Rubber ducks put up as decorations on the bookshelf and dresser, a large stuffed duck sitting on the king sized bed, and even a painting of a little duck family swimming on a pond hung above the bed. It seemed the whole room was covered in a white and red theme with apples, snakes and ducks.
Adam stopped looking at the room and looked back to Lucifer when he heard rustling fabric sounds. His new master had shed his hat and coat and was sitting on the edge of his bed, working on removing his boots. Lucifer noticed him looking.
"Get undressed. We're taking a shower." He commanded simply.
"Uh, 'we'?"
"Yes, we. Privacy is not something you're going to have a lot of from now on. Get used to that. Now undress. Those robes are covered in blood and filth anyway." Lucifer said, boots now off.
Adam felt he should probably argue more and insist on showering by himself, but he just didn't have it in him right now. He removed his shoes and socks, placing the shoes beside Lucifer's and socks in the nearby hamper. With those off, he reluctantly began removing his robes. The dried blood had stuck the back of his clothing to his skin. Peeling it away was difficult and painful, especially right over his wing-wounds.
It took Adam focusing every bit of his attention to get the garment off without whimpering, tearing up, or letting the pain show on his face. He wanted to avoid showing weakness. He felt warm, fresh blood start flowing again as removing the cloth also removed the scabbing the wounds had tried to create.
Once those were off, Adam removed his underwear. Some of the golden blood had soaked through on the back, but they were much easier to get off.
Lucifer watched Adam, already nude, with a small smile. He had expected Adam to make a struggle of getting in the shower with him, so the unanticipated compliance was a relief. His smile turned to a frown when he noticed Adam's wounds bleeding again. He was a bit surprised Adam wasn't complaining about it.
Leading the way to the attached bathroom, Lucifer turned on the large rainfall shower, and adjusted the temperature carefully. Adam's amputation wounds were already going to be tender and hot water would only make it worse.
Adam glanced around the bathroom. He was not surprised by the continuation of the duck theme as the room was painted in mainly blues and greens, with ducks on the shower curtain and a couple rubber duckies sitting conspicuously on the edge of the tub. His eyes briefly landed on Lucifer's shapely ass, but Adam quickly looked elsewhere. He didn't want Lucifer to turn around and think that Adam was looking at him in such a way.
Once Lucifer felt he had the water temperature adjusted to the best compromise of keeping them warm and avoiding hurting Adam more than necessary, he turned around. Lucifer held the curtain aside.
"You first." Adam stepped into the shower, tensing as the water began hitting his injuries. Adam moved to the other side of the shower to make room for Lucifer to follow him in and quickly turned his back.
'Just wash up and get this over with quick.' Adam told himself silently. Lucifer held a clean wash cloth over his shoulder, surprising him. Adam took it with a reluctant, muttered "Thanks" and soaped it up to begin washing himself. Lucifer chuckled as he did likewise.
"Honestly, there's no need to be so shy. This isn't exactly the first time I've seen you naked. I was there before you knew what 'naked' meant." Lucifer reminded him.
"Yes, I remember." Adam said, his voice tense from the water hitting his wounds. He tried to focus on getting clean and moving normally. The dried blood and sweat from the work of rebuilding washed away with little fuss.
Lucifer watched Adam silently as he washed himself. He had noticed since the rebuilding that Adam was attempting to hide how much it hurt. Every movement was an attempt to act natural. Yet, Lucifer saw every little hesitation, every muscle tensing and twinging, and every breath that hitched as he attempted to reign in his body's reactions. Pain being relative, Lucifer thought that for one who had been in heaven so long, Adam must be feeling unbearable agony. He knew the first man was trying to salvage a scrap of the pride he'd thrown away by selling his soul. Lucifer opted to say nothing and let him keep it.
Reaching a couple inches past Adam, Lucifer picked up the shampoo bottle to finish with washing his hair. Adam noticed. He gave it a few seconds, then turned partially to look at Lucifer.
The king of hell had his eyes shut as he washed his hair, as Adam expected. Adam's eyes roamed over the other man's form. Though Lucifer didn't have a lot of muscle mass, his body was quite toned and defined. His pale skin was so flawless it almost seemed unreal. Adam almost wanted to touch it… out of pure curiosity, of course. Adam's eyes drifted lower and he felt his face heat up at the sight of Lucifer's most intimate region.
Quietly, Adam turned back around and picked up the shampoo to wash his own hair, willing the blush to go away. The LAST thing he wanted was for Lucifer to know he'd snuck a peek at him.
Adam began washing his hair, scolding himself for even looking. It was not as if he'd NEVER experienced sexual attraction to men before. Everyone in heaven was hot, after all. While homophobia wasn't a thing in heaven, Adam had always held himself to a different standard in that way.
Homosexual attraction was fine for other men, but he was ADAM, the first man. His entire job as a man was to reproduce, so he felt it went against his purpose to be attracted to men. What was worse, THIS man was Lucifer. He was the angel who had taken both his wives from him. The angel who now owned his very soul. What the hell was he even doing looking at his body?
While Adam washed his hair and silently berated himself, Lucifer rinsed out his wash cloth then soaped it up again. He stepped closer to Adam and began to wash his back. Adam jerked and turned around to face Lucifer, having just gotten the shampoo out of his hair.
"Hey, what the fuck are you doing?!" Adam asked indignantly, taking care to keep his eyes on Lucifer's face this time. He was still blushing, but Lucifer wrote it off as embarrassment from being touched while naked.
"Washing your back, obviously. Your wounds need cleaning and you can't do it yourself. The shower brush will just make you bleed more if you try to clean them with that. I'll be gentle." Lucifer motioned with his finger for Adam to turn around. Adam gave him a hard, defiant stare for a moment. Just when Lucifer was about to threaten force, Adam heaved a heavy sigh of defeat and turned his back.
"Good boy." Lucifer murmured as he started washing Adam's back. He washed around the wounds first, removing the dried old blood. Even after all Adam had done, Lucifer couldn't help but feel just a little sorry for him when seeing the wounds up close. Vaggie had made the cleanest cuts she could, but a double amputation with no anesthetic could only be so gentle.
"I appreciate you not making a fight of this, Adam. I had fully expected to have to drag you in here by the leash and bathe you forcibly. You made this go much more smoothly… Deep breath, I'm going to wash the wounds as gently as I can."
Adam's muscles tensed and his breath hitched when the soap and pressure combo hit and stung his wounds even more than the water was. Hot tears finally escaped his eyes. This time Adam allowed it. With his back to Lucifer and water raining down on them, no one had to know. A small whimper escaped his throat, which he vainly hoped Lucifer didn't hear over the running water. He let the tears flow silently from his eyes but refused to sob, lest Lucifer know he was crying. He just let the shower water wash away the evidence as quickly as it came. Adam kept his breath as slow and even as he could to prevent another gasp.
"There we go, all done." Lucifer turned the water off and picked up towels for each of them. Once they were dried, Lucifer went to his dresser and pulled out some underwear and a casual shirt and pants. He handed them off to Adam.
"Here, you can wear these." Before Adam could point out they were too small for him. Lucifer snapped his fingers and they magically expanded to Adam's size. Adam began dressing himself, grateful to be covered again.
"Leave the shirt off. And lie down on your stomach." Lucifer said, his own pants and shirt on. Lucifer headed back to the bathroom. Adam laid down on the bed as he was told and closed his eyes. He heaved a blissful sigh. Perhaps it was just Adam's imagination, but he thought maybe everything hurt just a little less. The bed was soft and comfortable, and it felt so good just to be off his feet and to rest for a moment.
Lucifer returned with some medical supplies. Adam looked up when he heard Lucifer approach. This time he asked no questions. He jumped slightly when he felt a cold gel being gently smeared on his wounds. Adam relaxed a bit as the gel seemed to be a pain reliever that soothed the throbbing ache a great deal.
"I know I shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth, but I have to ask. Why are you doing this?" Adam asked softly.
"If I don't, you're liable to get an infection." Lucifer said, rolling his eyes at the obvious question as he placed a large patch bandage on one wound, getting ready to place the other.
"No, I mean why do you CARE? What the fuck does it matter to you how much pain I'm in, or if I get an infection? All this is just extra effort for you." Adam clarified.
"Well for one thing, I don't delight in suffering. I never have. Not even people who deserve it. As angry as I am about you trying to kill my Charlie, your actions have already brought a lot of suffering upon you, and I don't see the need to add to it." Lucifer laid down the second patch and carefully smoothed down the adhesive.
"And secondly, like I told Alastor, you're mine. I take care of what belongs to me. Now get up and put your shirt on. I'm sure dinner is about ready by now." Lucifer removed himself from the bed and stood up. Adam groaned softly.
"I'm not hungry. Any chance I could just be left here to sleep?" He asked. Adam was fairly certain what answer he'd receive, but it was worth a try.
"No. I already told you, I'm not leaving you unsupervised. Besides, after all the work you did today, there's no way you don't need food." Lucifer waited and stared expectantly for Adam to heed his order.
"I swear, I really don't want to do anything but sleep. Why can't I just stay here?" He complained. Lucifer frowned and gave a mild glare.
"Adam, I am losing my patience. Get up." Lucifer commanded in a warning tone.
With another heavy sigh, Adam slowly rose up from the bed, wincing as he did so. He picked up the shirt and fully dressed himself, still trying not to show pain from his movement. Lucifer's face relaxed into a calm expression.
"Good choice." Lucifer murmured. Reluctantly, he followed Lucifer to the dining room. Adam didn't really want to face the others he'd been humiliated in front of. He tried to keep his back straight and his head up, in a facade of strength, with a poker face expression.
Everyone was waiting for them. Alastor had seated himself at one end of the table. To Alastor's right were Nifty, Vaggie, and Charlie. To his left were Angel Dust and Husk, leaving the other end of the table and the chair next to Husk open. Lucifer took the other end of the table, putting Charlie at his left. This left Adam to sit down quietly at Lucifer's right. He sat straight up so as to not let his wounds touch the back of the chair. Adam glanced over the food.
The plates had been made up with food ahead of time with cheffy presentation, with serving dishes set out for seconds. There was what appeared to be some type of steak, stuffed mushrooms, and sauteed green beans in some sort of sauce. There was also a small soup bowl filled with a soup Adam couldn't identify, and a little dessert plate with a piece of berry tart on it. It all looked quite good, especially for what he'd expected from hell. Adam couldn't help but wonder how all this was fixed up so quickly.
"How good of you to finally join us Lucifer. Charlie insisted we wait for you and your new pet." Alastor commented. His eyes went between Lucifer and Adam as he watched their reactions. Adam just glanced up from his plate and looked at Alastor, but successfully kept his poker face in place, so he didn't appear to have noticed the insult. Lucifer's brow showed his annoyance with a brief glare before his face returned to normal.
"Sorry we're a bit late, everyone. Adam needed his wounds properly cleaned and bandaged." With everyone now present, the group began to eat. Lucifer pulled Charlie in and kissed her cheek, making his daughter smile. Charlie gave Adam a sympathetic look.
"I'm sure he did. How are you feeling now, Adam?" Charlie asked. Adam paused, a bit caught off guard. He hadn't expected anyone to make conversation with him. Lucifer gave him a subtle, but sharp look. It was a warning to remind him of the threat he'd made right after their deal. Adam chose his words carefully.
"I'm a little better. Lucifer put something on the wounds to help with the pain. Thank you for asking." Adam said stiffly, then quickly glanced at Lucifer. Adam received an approving look in response. Adam went back to his meal and tried the steak. It was very good and well cooked, but he noticed it didn't taste quite like beef.
"Has he been giving you any trouble? Because I can-" Vaggie started, before Lucifer cut her off.
"Relax, Vaggie. I'm the king of hell. I can handle him. Besides, he hasn't even been difficult. I haven't had to use the leash or force once since we came inside, so stop worrying about it. Now, can we talk about something besides Adam?" Lucifer suggested.
"Hey Nif, ya did a great job on this spread this evening." Angel Dust attempted to shift the subject to the food. He elbowed Husk lightly.
"Uh yeah. Great job, Nifty." Husk commented. Lucifer Charlie and Vaggie all paid compliments to the meal as well. Adam stayed quiet.
"I completely agree. You've truly outdone yourself, Niffty. And you always serve my venison just how I like it." Alastor patted her on the head. Adam noticed Alastor seemed very fond of her. Something on Alastor's plate caught his eye. The deer demon had what appeared to be a steak like everyone else, but it looked completely raw. Alastor was clearly eating it with gusto. Nifty giggled happily, preening under the praise.
"Oh thank you! I'm glad everyone likes it. I figured we all needed a really good meal after such a long, tough day. So much stabbing." She said, giggling again.
"What do you think, Adam? It must be really different from the food you're used to in heaven." Charlie asked. Adam took a short pause. He recognized that she was trying to be nice to him.
"It's good. It's a lot better than what I was expecting for the food in hell…Thanks for cooking, Nifty." Adam added after a moment's thought. He felt unbalanced interacting with these people who already had such a distaste for him.
"Such a brutal and unruly beast turned into such a polite and well behaved pet. How DID you train him so quickly, Lucifer? I thought it would take you weeks to manage him." Alastor spoke with as much false sincerity as he could manage, and kept his eyes trained intently on the two men. Adam's poker face slipped and he glared at Alastor.
"Well, maybe I-" Adam began.
"Adam, no." Lucifer cut him off. "Ignore him, and eat." Adam huffed and looked back down at his plate. Lucifer turned his attention back to Alastor.
"Alastor, we have ALL had a long, hard day. We do not need your attitude making it harder. Will you kindly shut the FUCK up and eat your dinner, so we can all finish this evening in peace?"
Angel snickered because Lucifer said 'long' and 'hard'. Husk elbowed him and gave him a look to be quiet. Angel Dust just shrugged and continued with his meal.
"What? I was only paying you a compliment." Alastor leaned forward on the table. Lucifer glared but decided he was too tired to entertain Alastor's love for bickering tonight.
"Whatever." Lucifer said dismissively. There was a lull in the conversation and everyone ate quietly, as most everyone was tired, aside from Niffty and apparently Alastor.
"Hey, who wants to hear a joke?" Charlie piped up, trying to lighten the mood. She glanced around the table with a strained smile, hoping for someone to bite.
"I want to hear it." Vaggie said, quick to not leave Charlie hanging.
"Okay, so do you know why pediatricians tend to have short tempers? It's because they have little patients!" Charlie said. Her joke drew some polite chuckles and snickers. Alastor folded his hands in front of him and rested his chin on his hands.
"Much like Lucifer tonight. Though one can't blame him for having a short temper. It matches the rest of him."
"That's it! Adam are you finished?" Lucifer asked, more sharply than he'd intended, standing up from the table.
"Yeah I'm fine." Adam spoke, keeping his voice quiet. He wasn't sure how likely Lucifer was to take his anger out on him.
"Good. We're going to bed." Lucifer said. He took a breath, calmed himself and straightened up. Adam followed suit and stood up, pushing his chair in after himself. 'Going to bed' was music to his ears, but he reminded himself to keep his back straight and head up in front of the others.
"Good night, Dad." Charlie said, standing up to give her father a hug and a kiss. Lucifer happily received and reciprocated.
"Good night, Pumpkin. Sweet dreams. Goodnight, everyone. See you in the morning." Lucifer said, walking away from the table with Adam in tow. Lucifer walked fast. Adam could hear Lucifer mutter something about 'the smug deer fucker'. Adam picked up his pace a bit to keep up with Lucifer, but having a longer stride it wasn't hard.
Lucifer opened the door to his room and this time went in first. Adam followed and shut the door behind them. Lucifer seemed to calm down once in his bedroom. His body language relaxed, and his pace of movement slowed.
"Lock it." Lucifer said as he began going through the dresser again. Adam hesitated in confusion a second before realizing Lucifer was talking about the door and turned the lock.
Lucifer set out some pajamas for both of them, magically making one pair large enough for Adam. The king of hell changed and put the clothes he was wearing away, as the fresh outfit had only been worn for a little over an hour.
Adam followed his example, keeping his mouth shut. He felt it would be stupid to further irritate Lucifer right now. Yet Lucifer's temper seemed to have cooled. He looked towards Adam and smiled softly.
"I'm sure you've been waiting on this for hours. Go ahead and get settled. I'll be right there." Lucifer said, walking past Adam towards the bathroom. As the bathroom door closed, Adam looked towards the bed. It was still just as inviting as it had looked before, but the idea of getting in it WITH Lucifer made his face heat up.
Adam touched his neck, where the collar appeared anytime his owner wished it so. He sighed quietly. There was no use fighting it, no matter how uncomfortable he felt. Besides, it couldn't be more awkward than showering with Lucifer. The first man picked a side and got into the bed. He decided to lie on his side, his back towards the center of the bed so that he wouldn't have to look at the other man.
Soon, Lucifer emerged from the bathroom. The king of hell turned out the bedroom light and settled himself into the bed. He turned towards Adam and looked at his back, then reached over.
Adam made a surprisingly unmanly yelp as a slim, but very strong arm wrapped around him and pulled him back towards the center of the bed, up against Lucifer's chest. There the other arm slipped under his side and settled wrapped around his stomach.
"Hey! Is this really necessary?!" Adam said, squirming and trying to pry Lucifer's arms off him. He was glad the lights were out, because Adam was sure his face must be beet red. Lucifer's strong arms held tight, barely even reacting to Adam's attempts to dislodge them.
"I won't have you sneaking off to get into trouble while I sleep, so you won't so much as get up for a piss without waking me. You'll be sleeping right here in my arms, so settle down." Lucifer said calmly. Adam stopped squirming and laid still, face burning from being spooned. The struggling had started to irritate his wounds again too, and Adam didn't want to lose what comfort the strange gel had given him.
Lucifer smiled when Adam went still without a real fight. He thought it a little funny that Adam put up more of a fuss over the sleeping position than getting in the shower. Lucifer held Adam, keeping his eyes open. He didn't want to fall asleep before Adam, but he didn't have to wait long.
Adam soon caved to his exhaustion and the siren call of the soft, comfortable bed. Lucifer mused that it felt good to cuddle someone in bed again. He felt Adam relax in his grasp and his breathing grow deep and slow. Once he was sure Adam was fast asleep, Lucifer followed him into slumber.
Sometime later that night, after the rest of the hotel was in bed and asleep, Alastor exited the Hazbin. The smile on his face was relaxed, showing no teeth. He strode over to the spot where Adam's wings lay in dried angelic blood and dirt. He knelt down next to them. Usually, he hated getting his clothes dirty, but this would be worth it.
Carefully, Alastor picked up one of the severed wings. He brushed the loose dirt off of it and inspected it. The shining golden feathers were soiled in spots from the blood, but it was nothing a little cautious washing wouldn't fix.
He folded the wing along its natural joints, meticulous to cause minimal disturbance to the feathers. Once it was as compact as it could naturally be, Alastor cradled the folded wing in his arms. He then repeated the process with the second wing, using his tentacles as his arms were occupied. Alastor then placed the second dusted and folded wing in his arms with the first. Then, he stood and returned to the hotel, carrying his load like something precious.
*Early the next morning*
Good morning, Sinners and Hellborn! Your favorite radio host Alastor here to fill you in on the events of yesterday. Now you may have noticed that Charlot Morningstar's Hazbin Hotel was razed to the ground yesterday, but thanks to hard work and a bit of magic, we're back and bigger than ever! The Hazbin only suffered one loss, that being Sir Pentious. The exorcists on the other hand suffered losses in the thousands. The cannibals were so kind as to assist in the cleanup as well as the battle.
On that note, to those of you that survived extermination day, congratulations! Help yourself to some of the abundant angelic weapons lying around. Plenty of the proverbial 'spoils of war' to go around.
Speaking of the battle trophies, I have some very interesting tea on that. King Lucifer Morningstar chose a very interesting prize for himself. He chose… ADAM. That's right, Adam, first man and former head of the exorcists had his wings severed, sold his soul to Lucifer, and is now Lucifer's new pet.
As for Yours Truly, well I acquired a beautiful pair of angel's wings. And not the average gray or white. A golden pair. They'll be my personal treasures for a long time to come, I assure you! That's the news for this morning, folks! This has been Alastor, Hell's best radio host, signing off for now!