A/N: So, this is an idea that came to me when thinking over the many other versions of this world I've had in my head. Sinful Savior and Unexpected Help are not the first of my ideas for Hazbin Hotel, and they won't be the last either. And if I'm honest, many of my ideas are how to build upon the little fan universe I've tried, maybe a little too hard, to create.
So, basically, the concept for this little tidbit is that instead of Vaggie, Charlie found John in the alleyway. It'll jump through different points in time, but it will focus mainly on a single relationship between Charlie and John.
So at least you get to see John's dynamic with one of the girls.
With that said, on with the story.
Charlie would never forget the day she'd met him. It was a seemingly normal morning following Extermination Day. She and her dad hadn't exactly seen eye to eye, what with their differing stance on sinners.
She'd walk the streets following each one. Because even if they rejected her, spurned her, pushed her away… she'd always try to help her people.
As per usual, anyone she'd tried to help had refused her. Usual in a harsh or vulgar tone.
Charlie never pushed. She knew better than to try.
The trail of people she'd greeted and promptly gotten rejected by eventually led her to the alleyway.
And that's when she saw him.
A massive beast, sitting slumped against a building. The size of which left the tips of his black cowboy boots poking the next building.
With every breath, large shoulders the size of the moon lifted, releasing with a slow and quiet huff. With every movement, muscles seemed to ripple and bulge beneath skin with just a decent amount of fat so as the beast didn't look too inhuman.
But the large, ugly gashes did that for him. Gashes which seemed to look fresh, as if they were constantly bleeding, yet there was dried, cracking blood around the bottom of the wounds. With each movement, the dry blood seemed to shift along the behemoth's skin, almost as if they were tattoos.
And yet, the way he sat, slumped against a wall, two hands cupped together with his forearms atop his bent knees…it painted such a despondent picture of solitude that Charlie felt her bleeding heart yearning for the sinner, desperate to make that pain go away.
So she'd walked up to him.
And she'd taken about five steps closer, her hand raised to touch a ridiculously wide forearm, when his voice had rumbled through the alleyway.
"You gonna attack me too?"
Charlie had paused. Many people in Hell had shoved her away, cursed at her, or outright snapped at in either pure disgust or hatred.
But there were only certain types of people who had ever asked her that question.
So, with the confidence of a proud mother reassuring her child, she'd finished her action, and let her hand rest upon his forearm.
He'd tensed, but said nothing as thin, delicate fingers softly stroked rough, green skin.
"Of course not. I'd prefer to help."
"At this point, saying no offense is useless. How the hell can I believe you?"
The dry, humorless way he asked it definitely reinforced Charlie's hypothesis as the beast lifted his head, the piercing blue gaze of a fresh sinner meeting her own red ones.
His face had captivated her for a moment. On the one hand, she wanted to recoil at the hideous gashes that she could now see spread across his face as well, three distinct ones resting atop the right side of his chin, bridge of his nose, and diagonally along the far side of his left eyebrow.
On the other, she found herself taken aback by how… pleasant his features were. Long, chaotic black hair framed a face filled with sharp features, broken only by a pair of horns that ran evenly with his skull. An angled jaw complimented the surprisingly youthful looking face as well, and the expressions were so soft.
But she'd also found herself drawn in the way his face morphed. The way his piercing eyes seemed to twist in not distrust, but frustration. How his smooth, pointy nose seemed to pull back in anticipation.
The way his mouth shuddered as his breathing wavered ever so silently.
But after a moment of staring, Charlie pulled her own features into a small smile, and slowly lowered down to her own knees. Despite the size difference, the sinner kept deceptively intelligent eyes trained on her. And yet, the Princess wanted to show that she meant no harm.
"The Devil doesn't lie. Why would his daughter?"
She remembered the way his eyes had widened ever so slightly genuine surprise, his jaw falling open just a little and exposing the vast array of serrated shark-like teeth the sinner held.
And then he'd let a small chuckle escape him.
And Charlie sat there, a small bit of sadness building as she prepared for him to shove her away as well. To tell her that he was fine once he was done from his laughter.
She hadn't liked the way the feeling lingered through the ends of his laughter… but then she found herself feeling surprised when she saw the genuine amusement in his face, the way his eyes seemed to lighten up with relief… and he turned to look at her.
His expression was no longer hard, and it wasn't as guarded as it was before.
"You know… I don't think I ever actually believed that was true."
A joke. It had been his way of lightening the mood. He was relieved that someone wasn't trying to attack him.
At least, that's what Charlie guessed. That soon, she could've been wrong.
But Charlie allowed her smile to return, a small bit of pride taking over her thin lips as she maintained his gaze.
"Well think again, buster."
She'd joked back. The beast's grin had widened ever so slightly, and his gaze had fallen as he let a heavy, rumbling chuckle escape him.
And then he'd turned his eyes back to the princess… and offered his hand.
"I'm John Gallagher."
That had been the most progress she'd ever had with someone she'd tried to help. And it was just a simple introduction, how sad was that?
But nonetheless, Charlie stifled her excitement. She didn't know what had led the sinner to be sitting in an alley assuming random strangers would come to fight, and she didn't want to toss that progress away.
Though, she had let a cheerful grin take over as she'd reached up and rested her small, delicate hand within his larger, heavier one.
"I'm Charlie Morningstar."
And that had been the start of something Charlie had never imagined.
From then on, John had been her number one friend. Mainly because he'd been her only friend. Well, there had been Aunt Bee over the years… but those were never simple visits.
They'd spent time together. Hung out together.
She'd come to learn of his past. Of his history as the Juggernaut, the world's first superhuman. Of his first and only love, Maddie. Of his grandparents, whom had adored him and raised him in the way their own daughter had failed. Of his power, power that he hadn't known was rare.
The power to freely kill angels. Or at the very least, the Exorcists.
In turn, she'd divulged herself to him. Her wishes for a better fate for her people. Her desires for someone who could accept her for herself. Her struggles to feel like she belonged in a world of darkness and misery.
Just as she'd been willing to be for him, John had allowed himself to be the ear Charlie had needed, the friend she'd always yearned for.
And then came the first time she'd invited him over to her place.
"I just want to warn you," She'd begun as they'd made their way to her father's workshop, heavy booming footsteps overshadowing her far more delicate ones. "Dad… doesn't like sinners."
John had looked at her for a moment, those youthful features that she'd come to learn were of an eighteen year-old twisted in genuine amusement.
"Charlie, he's your dad." John had reassured her, raising a hand and resting it upon her shoulder. "He can't be all bad."
Charlie had been thankful in his confidence. It had given her some of her own, allowed her to find some she didn't know she'd had.
She'd gone in first, though, to warn her father and explain before judging the behemoth. It hadn't been easy, as he'd been just as rejecting of the idea as she'd expected. Nonetheless, she'd managed to at least convince him to give John a chance when she swore he wasn't like other sinners.
When John had stepped into the room, her dad's frown had visibly deepened. He hadn't been happy that Charlie's new friend was someone so big.
He'd always been sensitive about his height.
"You're Charlie's new friend? What's your name?"
John had stood there, relaxed as ever as he answered.
"John Gallagher. Nice to meet you."
"Yeahyeahyeah, right, right… what do you want with my daughter?"
John had shrugged in response.
"First and only cool person I've met since I died. We've been friends since a couple days after that, in fact. Just after-"
"The coolest person you've ever met? Is that a joke?"
Charlie didn't hesitate for a second to smack her father upside the head, earning a free chuckle from John out of amusement.
"Nah, no joke. She stumbled by, we got to talking… been friends since."
It had seemed like her father's opinion would never truly change. As the conversation went on, it was clear he was only giving the answers Charlie wanted to hear, not what he truly believed.
And then John asked the question.
"Okay, I know it's a change of subject, but I gotta ask… what's with the ducks?"
Charlie had looked around at the question. There had been extensive piles of rubberducks all over the room, looking pretty much indistinguishable from each other.
Yes, the big bad Lucifer Morningstar had a fixation on rubber duckies, and Charlie had never found herself feeling true embarrassment until now.
The pit of horror only grew wider when Lucifer suddenly did a complete 180, genuine pride in his words as he replied.
"Yeah, they're cool, aren't they? Most of them have a different feature, but they all have the squeaky yellow duckness of a proper rubber ducky!"
At heart, her dad was goofball with a knack for creation and a love for simple things.
And John's response had won him over.
"Different features…? Which has the loudest squeaker?"
And just like that, her dad loved John.
For a time.
Without any more hurdles, they'd found themselves spending quite a lot of time together at her place. They'd watched movies, exchanged secrets, played games, and even played with toys together like the little children they'd always be in their hearts.
They learned to truly see each other.
John had begun to see the way her smile seemed too genuine when she was embarrassed, the crossed her arms and pouted when she was disappointed… the way she'd let her true self out whenever she was angry.
And she, in turn, had seen him too. The way both his nose and lip both twitched perfectly when he was annoyed. The way his eyebrow raised when he was amused… and the way he saw himself as nothing more than a weapon, an engine crafted perfectly for destruction.
Something not helped by his ability to kill angels.
When one of them had their doubts, the other had been there to reassure them. When one of them was having a bad day, the other was there to cheer them up. When one of them felt like the world was caving in, the other one was there to push the cave back open.
And then, after knowing each other for a year… that night had happened.
She and John had been watching a movie. One of his favorites: Transformers.
They'd been sitting on the couch, and Charlie had been tucked up underneath his arm in a red t-shirt and her underwear, John being the only person she'd been comfortable around.
In turn, John was comfortably laid back against her ridiculously large couch, sitting comfortably in his shorts, his broad chest freely exposing the massive y-shaped gash that held a lot of significance to the behemoth.
The film had just introduced Mikaela, and it wasn't until the scene where Megan Fox was bent over under the hood of the Camaro that she'd saw it.
The crotch of John's shorts, slowly rising into a noticeable bulge.
It wasn't until his pants had begun stretching from his waistline that John looked down, and Charlie had felt him go tense in every single muscle the instant he saw her stunned gaze still locked upon the tent in his pants.
"I am so sorry…."
She could hear the shame in his voice, the utter despair at the humiliating situation.
Charlie, however, had only been curious.
"You like Megan Fox?"
John hadn't been sure what to make of her remark.
"Wh-what? Yeah, I mean, she's good looking, but…"
Charlie, unsatisfied with that answer, had questioned further.
And it had eventually culminated in John finally snapping.
"I'm pent up, okay?! I was having sex regularly till I died… and I ain't found anyone else I trust enough. And you're sitting here in your underwear, and the movie has her wearing a crop top and booty shorts and I…"
He'd trailed off into a sigh, while Charlie looked up at him in surprise.
And then her brow had immediately furrowed. She'd found herself overcome with a sudden, intense and negative sensation. She'd found herself suddenly feeling defensive, on edge, and she'd given John one simple questioning statement in response.
"Anyone else?"
John's surprise hadn't exactly hidden itself very well. And as usual, he had made that quite clear.
"That's what you got out of that whole conversation?"
"You have someone you go to and they just haven't been around?"
"What? No, there isn't anyone!"
"Then why'd you say anyone else?"
"Because there's no one I trust down here more than you, Charlie."
It had been the first time she'd ever seen embarrassment upon the face of John Gallagher. His noticeable pale skin had darkened up his face, a dark crimson red taking over as the behemoth refused to look at her out of a sense of humiliation.
Charlie had been shocked. Shocked by the implication behind those words. Behind the hidden message they carried.
The hidden message John hadn't even known he'd sent.
From there… things had progressed.
When Charlie had reached her hand out and palmed John's bulge, he'd tensed up, but didn't reject.
When Charlie had gripped his lower clothing and pulled them both down, John had let out a gasp.
A reaction that she mirrored when she saw his erection.
Charlie had felt only curiosity driving her motions, but there was a sense of caution behind her every action as well. Every time she'd do something, the Princess would look of at John, gauging his reaction.
But still, he never complained, just let out soft breaths.
At some point, Charlie's curiosity grew, and she'd found herself on her knees in between John's legs, his shorts having been discarded as she pleased him.
Her lips wrapped themselves tightly around his member, creating no cracks for any air to slip through as she used her saliva to lubricate him. Her tongue swirled along his underside as she bobbed her head, greedily taking every inch into her mouth until she was at the base, all the while keeping her gaze on his face.
And then John had gripped the couch, his piercing eyes hiding away behind eyelids as his head shot skyward… and he began to whimper.
"Ch-Charlie… I-I-I can't- you gotta- I'm gonna-"
He'd stumbled over his words, glancing down at her frantically, torn between his desires and his sense of manners.
Charlie, however, had made her wishes quite clear when she'd brought a hand up to rub his testicles.
John had come undone like no other she'd had before. It was almost like a water hose, she'd taken him as deep as she could and let him unleash all of his pent up stress deep into her stomach.
And yet, when he had finally finished, she pulled her mouth away… John's erection refused to calm. Even after standing to her feet, studying it despite John's embarrassment… it never gave any hint of going flacid.
"Are you usually this ready to go?"
"I uh… I have a lot of energy."
Eventually, she'd realized what the sensation she'd felt had been.
Jealousy. She hadn't liked the idea that John had someone he could go to for sexual relief. She'd felt a small bit possessive.
Coming to that realization had made her realize why she'd been experimenting so far.
She'd studied John's face… and she gripped the edge of her shirt, pulling it over her shoulders and casually tossing it aside as John began staring in disbelief at her now exposed breasts.
"Um, Charlie-"
She'd silenced him with a finger to his lips, having to climb upon his lap so that she could be close to him.
"Do you want to?"
John stared at her, before he'd slowly nodded his head.
"Then why are you so nervous?"
"Other than the fact that you're half my size?"
Upon demonstrating that the size difference was never truly an issue, she'd done her best to make John his very most comfortable. Though she led the interaction, John was to nervous to really do much of anything without any reassurances.
So, she'd made herself a bit more his size. A comfortable eight foot to his nine.
But, first and foremost… she wasn't going to push him. If he wasn't enjoying it, she wouldn't push it.
John showed hesitancy, but no signs of objection as she'd removed her now larger underwear, and cast them aside.
Her red gaze never left his blue hues even as she climbed upon his lap, gasping as her clitoris grinded against his member.
And when she'd taken him… they'd both let out sighs of pure relief.
It had been amazing… but she'd found herself once again feeling a bit of apprehension herself.
"Mmm… you're so big…"
"Shit… Charlie… ah!"
She'd wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him closer, his face tucked into her breasts as she rode him, crying out in bliss every time she took his rod within her once more.
But she'd began to notice that John seemed extremely hesitant to do anything other than sit there.
"What's wrong?"
He'd met her gaze, unusually nervous… vulnerable.
"I've only ever been with one woman like this."
Charlie had found it cute. The way he allowed himself to be this way. How he trusted her with everything he had.
So she'd leaned forward.
"I love you too."
When they'd finished, it had been blissful, mindnumbing. Charlie had taken him within her depths over and over, her body squeezing everything he had until it had reached it's apex, upon which they'd held each other together and cried out in euphoria as John filled her every crevice.
They'd sat there, panting, for around five minutes, her head resting upon his shoulder as his own nuzzled her ear.
"I love you too."
His words had been soft, almost unsure. But Charlie had simply giggled and hugged him closer.
From then on, their relationship had obviously changed. John was no longer this large gentle giant she called her friend, nor was she the kind, generous princess he'd come to enjoy the company of.
Instead, they were equals. Lovers in both heart and soul.
Her dad hadn't exactly been thrilled to hear that.
"Wh-What's that?"
"It's John, Dad. We're… we're dating."
"Huh. Yeah… That's uh… that's nice… I guess…"
Ever since, though, Lucifer had been unusually cold to John. The behemoth she'd come to call her boyfriend had eventually stopped interacting with the king of Hell entirely, and his unfortunate position as peacekeeper of the Morningstar family was effectively destroyed.
The day came for the inevitable argument.
"You were doing so good! Why are you suddenly being a jerk?!"
Lucifer had recoiled at her words, almost as if he'd been struck.
"He's a sinner! I just don't want you to get hurt."
"You've hurt me more than he has!"
"He's not good enough for you!"
"That's my decision!"
The argument eventually boiled over. No longer was it just about their her relationship with John, but their differing views on sinners. But eventually…
"Charlie, no sinner is capable of redemption! They're all psychopathic monsters!"
"This isn't about that! Why can't you support me when he can?!"
She remembered the distinct feeling of her tears flowing down her face, despite her angry twisted expression that she had given her father as they argued.
"Charlie, even if it was possible, Heaven doesn't change it's mind that easy…"
"You always say stuff like that, but you never explain!"
She knew her father was hurting. His banishment to Hell was probably a wound that would be sore forever.
It didn't change the fact that he couldn't bring himself to just talk, tell her, explain why Heaven was against such an idea.
He never did.
"He just wants to free himself of the Exterminatons!"
"He can do that already! He's the one who killed the Exorcists last year!"
That had caused Lucifer Morningstar to freeze… and suddenly, his entire demeanor went deadly serious.
"Killed the Exorcists?"
Sometime after that argument, she'd asked John to move in. He'd agreed, though he remained wary since her father's change in attitude.
She still remembered the day she'd been locked out, forced to wait outside of the first man himself, Adam, descended from Heaven.
He didn't like John's actions towards his now deceased soldiers, and he was determined to put a stop to it.
She learned very quickly why her mother had left Adam, when the first man's kneejerk reaction was to suggest John just let himself be killed. Like lamb to the slaughter. And with that female angel always there to back up his words.
Her father, John, and Adam had gone into the room while she'd been forced to wait outside awkawardly with the angel.
"Um… Hi-"
"Don't talk to me, demon scum."
Charlie had promptly closed her mouth and turned away.
Eventually, John came outside. A deal had been struck. So long as John maintained a residence within Pentagram City, the city was off-limits from the Exterminations.
Obviously, word got out, and over the course of the next couple of months, the city's population had a boom.
Demons from all corners of the underworld were coming to Pentagram City, making lives somewhere safe from the angels. Sinners, hellborns, you name it. The Overlords saw a surge in power.
Meanwhile, her relationship with her father worsened.
The same topic, time and time again.
The same refusal.
All of it eventually culminated in a massive blowout during breakfast, leaving John to stand there and watch as she and her father had it out for each other.
"Mom's not here, Dad! But she tried to help-"
"And now she isn't here!"
"Ugh, you never listen."
Unlike the others… this one didn't end with father and daughter walking away, huffing but exhausted.
"Uh, maybe-"
"Shut up, sinner!"
"DON'T TALK TO HIM LIKE THAT!"
By the time the argument reached it's climax, they both stood half transformed, a matching pair of eyes and horns glaring at each other in anger. Charlie's tail was even showing, matched by the six wings her father held.
"I KNOW I CAN HELP THEM!"
"THEY'LL JUST USE YOU!"
Of course, for all the years he's been alive, one unfortunate truth remained.
Lucifer was the prince of Pride. And he'd earned that position for a reason.
"YOUR DREAMS AREN'T POSSIBLE, CHARLIE!"
"FUCK YOU!"
Despite how much anger she'd felt, though… she'd never forget sobbing into John's chest, his arms providing what comfort they could in the form of gentle rubs and soft squeezes as he hugged her.
"Wh-Why doesn't h-he listen?"
"Cause he's too damn old and too damn stubborn."
It went without saying that her father's sudden change had caused some irritation for the sinner as well… but he never made that his primary focus.
Whenever Charlie would cry, John was there to wipe her tears.
Within a week of the argument, the two had moved out, deciding to move into the weekend home Charlie's parents had gifted her almost a century ago.
It was massive, a mansion filled to the brim with a number of different rooms, some of which seemed to serve no use.
For a time, Charlie had felt lost. For the first time, she wasn't living with her parents. She didn't have her father anymore. For the first time in her life, she'd felt completely and utterly alone.
But John was there to pick her back up. While she'd moped and struggled and tried to come to terms with the way things had happened, John had taken care of her.
When she felt nervous, or unsure… John was there.
"I can't believe I'm on my own."
She'd whispered that sentence to him as she clutched his neck, having just cried her fears onto his shoulder.
"Bullshit. That implies I ain't here."
"I know…"
At times, it felt like she was the one who didn't deserve John. He truly did have a good heart, and he had been the one to keep her sane while she spiraled.
"How am I going to do this?!"
Without her father's support, she'd had no clue how she was going to help her people. She'd wanted to try a rehabilitation clinic, but rehab in Hell was about as appealing as the local parks.
But then… John was there.
"We take our time. Create a structure."
And with John's help… things had finally began to come together.
She remembered the day they had finally come up with the idea. They had sat in the workshop, discussing ideas with a bunch of papers and some pencils between them, creating notes and references as they discussed things.
"We need a place for sinners to feel safe. No judgment."
John had thought for a moment, before smiling from across the table.
"What about a hotel?"
And thus became the project they could come to know as the Happy Hotel. Hell's first redemption clinic, where sinners could check and redeem themselves, in order to check out into Heaven.
At least, Charlie thought that would've been a good motto. John deemed it unnecessary to have a motto this soon, and she'd trusted his judgment.
The Hotel had taken some time. They'd had to find a place to stay during the construction, and upon Charlie's insistence, they'd chosen a small farmhouse a few miles outside the city.
She remembered when John had once told her of his love for country life. Fresh air, wide fields, and peace and quiet for the inhabitants.
So, she'd decided that the farmhouse was perfect, and John had raised no objections.
Since there was no real reason to do farmwork, it had become a matter of maintenance more than anything. John had once stated his belief that a true home was made by the pride one held in it, and so he kept the grass cut fairly well and made sure to help keep the place clean.
During the construction of the Hotel, with nothing really pressing to do outside of those matters, the couple was mostly left to their own devices. They could occupy their time however they wanted, and with an eternity ahead of them, the quite literally had all the time in the world.
Charlie remembered very well how it had felt when they'd first walked into the house.
"It's just temporary, but it isn't bad."
John had walked in behind her, a smile on his face as he'd rested his hand upon her shoulder.
"No one said it had to be temporary, you know."
When he'd said that, Charlie had turned to look at him with a small smile on her face, while she brought a hand to rest upon his own currently atop her shoulder.
"Maybe..."
Charlie had felt a little cheeky when she'd said it, but nonetheless, she'd agreed with John's words. Even if they were at the Hotel quite often once it was finished, this would always be a nice place to come and unwind.
It was there that she experienced one of her most cherished memories.
It had taken quite a lot of time, but John had eventually accepted that dating the Princess of Hell definitely came with perks, and that included the literally limitless funds at her disposal.
He'd ordered a bunch of different things after Charlie had to repeatedly assure him, to her own amusement, that it was fine.
The next morning, she had found John in the living room, sitting atop the couch. His large hands had held a small action figure in his hands, the tips of his fingers moving it into different poses here and there. And Charlie let her soft smile take over when she saw the childish glee on John's face from the figure.
With his sense of smell, Charlie had known John was aware of her presence.
"What's that?"
He'd turned to her with the most excited grin on his face.
"It's a Transformer."
When in her own hands, the toy had seemed much larger in comparison to when they were in John's. It was a surprisingly sturdy figure, sculpted to perfectly capture the look of Optimus Prime from the films.
There was something so pure, in Charlie's eyes, about the transforming toys. More specifically, John's love for them.
John had died when he was eighteen, but he'd lived long enough that he was able to act like the adult some would see him as.
But the behemoth always released the inner child when it came to these little pieces of plastic.
Charlie hadn't been interested in Transformers before, not like this. She'd enjoyed the movies with John, but they'd never really caught her interest. She knew only what the films told her, and nothing more.
But seeing the way his face lit up when he had one in his hands had been enough to pique Charlie's curiosity.
"How do you transform it?"
John had smiled, before he'd begun walking her through the process.
She'd had to admit, it had been a lot harder than she'd thought. John had transformed the figure back and forth, but there were so many different moving parts that rolled, slid, extended, compressed… Charlie had wondered how he'd done it.
She'd even pouted while she'd been in the process of transforming it.
"You make it look so easy…"
He had chuckled, and offered a reassuring kiss to her temple.
"It comes with practice. Besides, it is a masterpiece figure."
Obviously, being made in Hell, it was only a replica of the original man-made figure. Nonetheless, it was very detailed, and Charlie had found herself surprised by how familiar it seemed when seeing how the mechanics of such a complex design worked.
But with time and patience, she'd eventually done it. Charlie had been surprised at how accomplished she'd felt when she now stared at the familiar flaming deco of a red and blue semi truck.
And thus, she'd fallen right down into the same rabbit hole John had. A world of giant metal robots, righteous speeches, and genuinely captivating characters.
But then things changed again.
The time had been coming for the Hotel to finish construction. John had left to head into the city for something while Charlie had found herself watching cartoons once again to pass the time.
John had returned not too long later, his heavy thumping footsteps hitting the wooden floor and drawing the Princess attention as she turned to him.
Upon seeing the look of nervousness upon his face, she frowned.
"What's wrong?"
John swallowed, and his eyes jerked around in apprehension, visibly uncomfortable to the naked eye.
How this usually confident man could turn into such a nervous wreck, Charlie didn't know.
But eventually, he'd moved forward. He'd slowly leaned down, lowering a hand and taking one of her own into a tender grip, gently pulling her to her feet.
And then he pulled a box from behind his back.
A box that looked strikingly like a ring case.
"I uh… I went into town to… get something."
A large thumb rested upon the top ot the box, and easily hinged it open.
And Charlie found herself staring at a small, bright ruby resting comfortably inside of a ring.
She remembered how quickly her breath had left her at that exact moment, mesmerized by the ring, by the promises it entailed.
She found herself shuddering with each breath, shock reaching deep into her core when John slowly lowered himself to one knee, with only a small grunt and a heavy thud.
He raised the box, cupping it in his hands in an admittedly poor attempt to look normal, and looked up at her with an usually loving gaze.
"I've thought of a thousand ways to do this… but I was never sure of which way to say it."
There had been a familiar, gentle smile upon his face when he'd looked up at her. It was a face he only ever gave her, his brow furrowed in a look of such fondness that the Princess couldn't help but blush.
"I can never say it enough, I love you, Charlie. And there's no one I'd rather go through eternity with than you. Will… will you… will you marry me?"
Charlie had huffed… and then gasped… and her delicate fingers fluttered over her mouth in absolute disbelief as she felt tears begin to bud in her eyes.
Marry him?
The concept of marriage had always been one Charlie wished to experience for herself. Someone she'd love to spend the rest of her days with, someone to hold her and someone to hold, to cherish.
She supposed that in a sense, she and John were already married.
But the idea of making it official…
"Y-you… yes… yes-YES!"
The tears ran free, but they were sourced from joy, and the Princess made that known when she flung herself at John, her thin arms wrapping around his large neck with glee, earning a small relieved chuckle that quickly turned into an ecstatic laugh.
Despite his large size, John had a tenderness every time he did something. He made it look so easy, how casually he managed to grip her hand between his thumb and index finger. How swiftly he managed to slip it onto her ring finger with the opposing hand.
That night, she remembered very fondly. She and John had spent the night entwined in passion, desiring to be only with each other.
Charlie remembered distinctly how vulnerable John looked even as he eagerly filled her with quick, powerful thrusts that shook her entire body.
"I-I love you…"
Charlie had smiled as best as she could, just as much passion in her own eyes as she giggled.
"I-I l-love y-you t-too, goofb-ball."
Whenever they were intimate, they weren't afraid to spice things up. But it was soft, unexpectedly tender moments like these that reminded Charlie of why she loved John.
Deep down, hidden by so many walls, John had doubts and insecurities just like everyone else. And because of that, he was the strongest man she knew
And it was in these moments, when those walls lifted enough that Charlie could reassure him, that she found she cherished the most.
John had seen her at the absolute worst that she'd ever been, and Charlie had seen him at much the same times. And Charlie wanted to care for him as much as he cared for her.
To make him feel as safe and free as he could.
Once the Hotel had finished, it then became a matter of steady systems and maintenance. As John had unfortunately predicted, nobody was willing to take a job at the Happy Hotel, sit it had remained just the two of them for a long time.
As such, they'd ended up leaving the place they called home, and moving permanently to the Hotel.
Charlie remembered the euphoric first days of being inside of the Hotel, of living in the first steps of her dream.
And then, a snag in the road.
Charlie had begun feeling different. She'd gone to see why.
She'd ate her pride, and went to see her father.
She'd never forget how the white face of her father somehow still managed to go pale.
"Charlie… you're pregnant."
Charlie sat, staring at her father in stunned silence, processing what he'd said.
"Tha… tha-that's not possible…"
Charlie couldn't help the poor, unconvincing stutter that she'd responded with.
But her father had slowly shaken his head.
"You are, Charlie… you are having a kid. A little baby girl."
She'd remembered returning to the Hotel and going straight to their bedroom, where she'd sat on the bed for a few hours in pure and utter silence.
Sinners couldn't have kids. Infertility was a part of their punishment.
The only person who could be the father was a sinner.
John had managed to get her pregnant.
The only thing she couldn't figure out… was how?
Her mother had told her once, long ago, that she could have a child with whomever she wanted.
She'd always thought that would mean she could decide if she got pregnant. But maybe there was more to it than that. Her father had once said that their powers worked both consciously and subconsciously, to the point that it was often hard to tell which was which.
Maybe, on some level… she did want to have children with John.
But due to him being a sinner, she'd always dismissed it as a possibility. And besides, Charlie would have preferred to have a child when she was prepared.
Because… this was not prepared.
Like herself, John had dismissed it as a possibility, and she'd found herself crippled with fear when the time came to tell him. What if he left her, accused her of cheating, told her to get rid of it- a myriad of possibilities crossed her mind, none of which were good.
Charlie remembered stepping into their bedroom, where he had sat going over notes for possible first guests.
"John? Um, can I… can I talk to you?"
She'd hated how small her voice sounded in that moment. But she couldn't help it.
John's reassuring smile, however, did help.
"Of course you can."
He had sat the notes down on the bed, before turning and lifting his massive frame up off the floor.
"What's wrong?"
Of course, leave it to John to read the Princess like a book.
Charlie remembered the way she'd stared at him, the nervousness in her stomach having been so abundant that she'd started digging a pointy fang into her bottom lip.
"I… I'm pregnant."
The way John had frozen, a noise of alarmed confusion escaping him as his eyes had gone wide and he'd stared at her.
And stared.
And stared.
Charlie wasn't able to help the fear at that moment.
"S-Say something! You're scaring me!"
John had sucked in a deep breath when she'd said that, and his features had softened as he saw the full extent of her fear. In that way that only he could.
Charlie had felt relief, when he'd swept her up into his arms.
"I'm here, and I ain't going anywhere."
With that revelation, Charlie had opted to shift her focus. The Hotel took a back seat for both herself and John, as they began to focus on preparing for the little life inside of her to be born.
Which meant finally getting married.
Three weeks after Charlie had found out she was pregnant, the two of them had their wedding.
It had been a highly publicized event. There were quite a few people whom had condemned her for marrying a sinner. Old friends, classmates, even her father had been less than enthused as she'd expected.
But… there were people who actually showed their support.
Per John's request, Charlie had only sent invites out to the people she'd trusted, while the behemoth didn't trust his own judgement and had refused to send any invitations of his own volition.
When the big day came, most of the Seven Deadly Sins had showed up, including her father.
If the look her Uncle Oz and Aunt Bee were giving him were any indication, the prince of Pride had taken quite the tongue lashing… at the very best.
The Eldritch family had arrived as well. As usual, she and Helsa had their rivalry, while Seviathan seemed to be genuinely happy for her. Luckily, Frederick and Bethesda kept their daughter in line.
An unexpected guest, however, had been Prince Stolas. The prince of the Ars Goetia had arrived to show his support, and Charlie had been surprised by how genuinely proud the prince was of her.
Accompanying him had been his daughter, Octavia, whom Charlie hadn't seen in years. The two had taken the time to catch up while they could.
Of course, there had been a few unfamiliar faces that had arrived as well, mainly due to the plus-one option on the invitations. As such, a seven foot hellhound with a scar over his eye by the name of Vortex had accompanied Aunt Bee, while a small cyborg-like imp by the name of Fizzarolli had accompanied Uncle Oz.
There had been a few people here and there who had arrived, namely a few Overlords, but the remained quiet and caused now trouble in the presence of most of Hell's royalty.
The time came for the ceremony, and Lucifer had finally swallowed his pride and had decided to simply be happy for his daughter.
He'd walked her down the aisle as she'd held a bouquet of roses in her hand, adorning a beautiful red dress with a matching silver veil, while John had stood by Uncle Oz looking unusually nervous.
To her surprise… Oz had been a fairly good minister.
"Lust is my thing, and for many years I stood by the idea that lust would always be stronger than love. That all changed when I found someone for myself." At that, Oz had shot a small, genuine smile towards Fizzaroli, before turning back to the couple in front of him. "Now, I couldn't be happier to join together my niece and her lover as husband and wife. As an Uncle, I couldn't be more proud of these two. And as the very Sin of Lust… I'm glad to be proven wrong once again."
John hadn't looked anywhere else since she'd finally arrived. As per customs, they hadn't seen each other since they'd left the Hotel that morning, and it had been his first time seeing her in her wedding dress.
He'd looked so captivated that Charlie couldn't help but to blush.
"You're staring!"
"Can you blame me?"
"A little, yeah."
"Now now, kids, let the lustful preacher do his work."
When Charlie had exchanged vows with John… it had once again felt like it was just the two of them.
"Eternity is a long time. As such, I vow to always be there when my Princess needs me, to love and cherish and hold forever. In sickness and in health. Through every struggle we'll face, every obstacle that blocks us, I'll be there by your side. Because I vow that there is no other place I'd rather be."
And then… he'd bowed.
Charlie had stuttered like a schoolgirl, and most of the attendees had laughed at her embarrassment as she'd scrambled to get John back on his feet.
"Why did you bow?"
"Because it's the respect you deserve."
She hadn't been quite sure what to say to that, and it had taken a moment to regather her thoughts before she'd finally made her own vows.
"I don't care if you're a sinner, or a mortal soul, or a demon. I've lived a long life, and I'm ready to have someone with me for the rest of it. I love you, and I will care for you and protect you with everything I have. You are worth cherishing, and I vow to always love you as much as you have loved me."
Getting the vows out had been nerve-wracking, especially with the audience they had. But making sure her knew she'd meant them had been more important.
And finally…
"As is the saying, by the power invested in me by our Lord Lucifer, I now pronounce you Husband and Wife. You may-"
Azmodeus hadn't even finished before they shared their first kiss as husband and wife.
The following dance and speeches had both been fun and nerve-wracking, especially when her father had gotten on the mic.
But then it had been John's turn.
The behemoth had stood up in front of the mic, his large frame hindering one of the lights behind him and casting a rather large shadow as he stood with a smile on his features and a glass of wine in his hands.
"When I died, I was ready to say fuck it. Be done with it. I was ready to throw away my values and morals, and fall into the cesspool of this place. Charlie changed that. She gave something rare down here, something many people can go their entire lives without it. I've always saw the world for what it is, a place that's both good and bad. Even if there is more bad than good."
The joke had been funny, admittedly.
"When I met Charlie, I'd have never thought I'd be standing her today with her as my wife. There are many things in my life that I've done, that I wish I could change, that I wish I could never do. Meeting my beloved Charlotte Morningstar will never be one of them.
Hearing John call her his beloved in front of so many people had been just as embarrassing as she'd thought. But she'd be lying if she'd said she didn't appreciate it either.
Following that was there honeymoon. Instead of a large, extravagant vacation to somewhere exotic, they had opted simply return to the place they called home for the duration of their newlywedded bliss.
And it was then, after they had finished another bout of passion, that John had allowed himself to truly let his walls down.
They had sat in bed, Charlie resting atop his lap with his member wedged within her, his fluids leaking out of her as the two panted in the aftermath of their activities.
And then John had brought his gaze to meet hers.
"Do you think I'm fit to be a father?"
Charlie's brow furrowed at the question, and she had sat up straight, ignoring the shifting within her as she tilted her head to the side.
"Why wouldn't you be?"
John had simply sighed, and hugged her closer as he'd let his head fall to her chest.
"My parents weren't good parents."
"You're not your parents. You're my husband."
John had allowed himself to come undone. Charlie had finally come understand John more than she ever had before, as he let his walls down and finally let her see his fears, his insecurities.
He felt that he was only good as a weapon. Charlie had pointed out how much he'd helped with the Hotel and how little he'd actually been violent at all, outside of the occasional scrap somewhere in the city.
He had been unsure of his role in Hell. Charlie had found herself assuring him that being a prince didn't give him anymore responsibilities than he wished.
And he had once again found himself doubting his worth, questioning if he was good enough for her.
Charlie had shaken her head, giggled, and brushed her thumb across his cheek.
"You're more than enough. I love you."
"I love you too."
Outside of constant sex and the few times in between occupying themselves with something normal, the honeymoon hadn't really been all that eventful.
And yet, it had been perfect, in Charlie's humble opinion.
Over the course of the next nine months, Charlie had found herself facing her biggest obstacle yet. In much the same way John doubted himself, Charlie had doubted her capabilities as a parent in a world like Hell. She had began to doubt her role as a mother.
And much like she'd assured him, he would assure her.
"You're gonna be a good mother. Don't ever let yourself believe otherwise."
During the process, Charlie was pretty sure that she'd taken John for granted. When she had cravings, he'd sought to satisfy them. When she'd had her doubts, he was there to make them go away. When she'd felt alone, John was there to prove her wrong.
John had pushed himself to satisfy her every whim, and Charlie hadn't realize quite how much she had demanded from him over the course of her pregnancy.
Of course, the mood swings hadn't been fun either. There were the times where she'd just start crying for no apparent reason, and there were the other times she'd shout and scream at John over something menial.
And despite apparent frustration on his face… he'd never say a word until she was done ranting. Only then would he step forward and take her into his arms, assuring her that her actions weren't her fault.
When the day came for their child to be born, John stood by her side for the entire 16 hour fiasco, giving her someone to hold and whispering sweet words of assurance into her ear as her body seemed to betray her.
She remembered thinking throughout the entire process that she never wanted to have a child again, that the pain was just too much, that nothing was worth it.
And then she held her child in her arms.
A small baby girl, who had her father's dark hair, piercing eyes, and long horns, while possessing the angelic skin tone and complexion of her mother. A wonderful bundle of joy created from a place so pure, not even Hell could take it away.
Charlie loved her from the moment she'd first seen her.
Madison Gallagher Morningstar had been born, the newest addition to the royal family, and the brightest light Charlie had ever seen.
While she'd had help to recover, it had been so comforting watching John entertain their giggly little girl, who had a habit of crawling onto his head and yanking on his sensitive horns.
Despite the pain etched in, John would only ever focus on the joy he felt, and Charlie in turn took that lesson and followed it to the letter.
Of course, once everything had finally gone back to some semblance of normalcy, the time had come for the talk.
"So, are we still doing the Hotel?"
"Can we when we have to raise Maddie?"
"I think so. Nobody wants to pick a fight with the royal family. But in the end… it's all up to you, Charlie."
In the end, Charlie still wanted to see her dream flourish into reality.
Getting the Hotel in working order alongside raising and taking care of a newborn wasn't easy, but they'd managed to work out a balance to get it going.
They would switch off between running the Hotel and taking care of Madison. Though, the Hotel should be safe enough that they would still be able to roam free with her, helping where they could.
Though, they had learned the hard way that there would be times that Madison would need a baby-sitter.
Charlie had eventually decided that she would suck up her pride once more. She was still angry at her father over the argument that had ended with her and John leaving, and the wedding didn't change that.
But she couldn't help the paranoia she felt when it came to the safety of her only child.
Her dad had taught her how to conjure portals that would take her wherever she wanted to go. As such, she would never be more than a few steps away from her daughter at all times.
Eventually, they'd managed to find someone. Hell's biggest porn star, Angel Dust, had fit the bill the best as a test run for the Hotel. So, Charlie had Bee and Vortex babysit, and John had accompanied her to make the offer to the spider-demon.
Though… there had been a little bit of trouble when the spider hadn't gotten the hint that John was a married man.
Nonetheless, he'd finally gotten into the car and heard them out.
"So what's what? Like I said, I'm on the clock."
"We got a proposal for you."
"I thought you said you weren't looking for any action?"
"Careful, my wife might get jealous."
When the porn star had figured it out, Charlie had to admit that it was hilarious watching the way he'd frozen in utter terror.
"Calm down, he's only joking with you."
"Yeah, uh, do you get out much? A joke like that tends lead to body parts all over the place."
John had let a rough sigh of annoyance escape him, but Charlie had considered it a win when he'd smile at the sound of her own giggling.
"Alright, let's not fuck around. We're running a Hotel right outside the city, called the Happy Hotel. The goal is to rehabilitate sinners and get 'em into Heaven."
After a few seconds of looking between Charlie and her husband, Angel had raised an eyebrow.
"Right, and I'm the Queen of England."
All they had to do was pull out the blueprints to prove they were serious… though Charlie noticed the odd looks both John and Angel had when they saw her additions.
A little flare never hurt anyone.
"I'll be straight with you. We don't know if it's possible, and we're hoping you'll be the test run."
"And what's in it for me?"
"A place to live rent free with provided food and water and like fifty different rooms to occupy yourself."
"Bedrooms?"
"Nah. A swimming pool, a gym, an arcade, shit like that. And I'm being serious when I say that there's like three of each alone."
"And the catch?"
"Give it a genuine shot. Attend sessions, lessons, shit like that, make an attempt to actually better yourself."
Understandably, the spider seemed hesitent. The idea was a laughable one amongst Hell, and anyone participating would likely take a massive hit to their reputation.
It had seemed like the deal breaker would be the next question.
"Only thing else we need to know is if you've sold your soul."
Of course, anyone who has sold their soul almost immediately goes tense in discomfort, and Angel was no different. The spider had immediately curled in on himself, crossing his arms and refusing to meet either gaze as a hesitent expression crossed his fuzzy features.
"What's that have to do with anything?"
"Accept the deal, and I fix that for you."
That had understandably piqued the porn star's interest.
"Wait, you serious?"
"Dead serious. You don't know much about me, do you?"
"Not really. I didn't even know you were a Prince."
"Well, believe me when I say that taking care of deals is something like my specialty."
Of course, it took a bit of reassurance and promises, but Angel finally accepted on one condition.
"There's a succubus sinner with me, just died recently. A mousy teenager of a girl. She's sixteen, and… look, I'm risking a lot, so if you can help me, can you help her too?"
"Sixteen? She's only sixteen and she's working in porn?"
That had made Charlie recoil, and the sad part was that it was nothing new. This was Hell, pedophiles were everywhere. To be quite frank, it's a wonder that the girl was still a teenager.
Fast forward to three hours later, John had returned from the studio with the little succubus named Vanessa in tow, who sported a fresh set of clothes and a rather nervous demeanor.
Which was understandable, if what Angel had told her was any indication.
"She's been with Val since she died a month ago. She don't get to wear anything there, nothing, and Val keeps telling her how he's gonna deal with her tail so he can get his money's worth. You know, that kind of shit."
"No, I don't know actually. That's terrible."
When John had returned with the girl, Vanessa had immediately run and wrapped Angel up into a hug, and the two of them ended up collapsing in a heap of tears in the middle of the Hotel lobby as they realized that a promised eternity of pain had been ended.
In return… they'd been model guests.
A dynamic had started. The couple found themselves forming bonds with their guests, such as the brotherly relationship that John had found with Vanessa, while Angel had become the wild card of their little family.
Of course, they had ended up introducing Madison to the two, and Vanessa had come to view the child as a little sister whereas Angel was hellbent on being the fun Uncle.
Progress was good as they finally got started on the Hotel. There were issues with Angel's repeated ignorance towards the no drugs rule, but outside of that, the Happy Hotel's first guests followed the programs to the letter.
And when they weren't doing that, there were pretty high chances that they all gathered in the lobby, where they would end up watching movies or playing games with the laughing baby joining their excitement.
Eventually, the two had come to trust their guests to watch over their daughter, and Charlie couldn't have felt happier.
Things only got better when the interview came. Although, it wasn't without it's… hiccups.
"Uh, Charlie? I love you, but please don't sing."
She'd sang.
Outside of that and the near murder of Katie Killjoy had it not been for Charlie, the interview had gone fairly well. Angel had even managed to give the truly desperate people something to think about when he'd revealed how John had gotten them out of his contract with Valentino.
Of course, that also had the effect of bringing John into the spotlight, as nobody had really been sure why the Overlord and his companions had disappeared.
Now they did.
Then… things got crazy.
"Hel-!"
SLAM!
Open.
"-lo!"
SLAM!
"Uh, honey? The Radio Demon is at the door!"
"The who?"
Charlie had nearly facepalmed when she'd remembered how ignorant John had remained to the topic of Overlords. Of course he wouldn't know.
Then again, what reason did he have to expect the knowledge to come in handy? He could kill angels after all.
Even then, John had noticed his wife's discomfort as he always had, and he'd gone to answer the door in her stead.
"May I speak now?"
"Yeah, come on in."
Charlie hadn't expected that, but it also never escaped her attention how John had immediately told Vanessa and Angel to get to their rooms and to take Madison with them.
"Why are you here?"
John had stood by Charlie's side with his arms crossed, his stern eyes gazing into the dark, crimson orbs of Alastor.
"I'm here because I want to help!"
Charlie and John had immediately looked at each other in utter disbelief.
"Uh, say what now?"
"Are you serious?"
"Why of course! There's nothing more entertaining than watching sinners struggle to better themselves, only to inevitably fall back into the pit of failure!"
…
Well, at least he'd been honest.
Despite reservations, Alastor had been quite the help, getting them a maid in the form of the little cyclops called Niffty, and a doorman/barkeep in the form of a grumpy drunk cat named Husk.
And from there… things took off.
More and more people were coming, eager to get out of their deals, willing to give it a shot. Every day, the Hotel had begun to see more and more guests.
Now, they had the likes of Crymini and Baxter, and Angel and Vanessa had begun to double as both guests and staff. In fact, Husk and Niffty had begun to follow that same role as well, actively participating in the sessions despite not being obligated to.
If it hadn't been for that day she met him in a dingy old alley… Charlie was positive that things would've gone much differently. She may not have even gotten the Hotel started at all. She would still be living with her dad, and the Exterminations would still be going on in her home.
They still were, she supposed, but nowhere she had to see it. That didn't make her happy, but it made it easier to focus without the need for the massive clock in the middle of Pentagram City.
John had been but a newly dead sinner when she'd found him. Now, there was no one else she'd rather have by her side.
And as they rested in bed at the end of another day at work, another moment of passion, with Madison sleeping soundly in her crib…
Charlie turned her gaze up to face the behemoth who currently held her in his arms, and she let a soft smile take her features.
"I love you."
"I love you too."
A/N: And that's the story. This is meant to be the first in a series of oneshots that I may or may not write any time the inspiration hits me. And I wanted this one to be a more wholesome story, because let's be honest, the world could use a bit of wholesome fun at the moment.
With that said, I hope you enjoyed this little oneshot, and I'll see you all in the next one. Good luck, good day, and good night.