Lucifer

When Adam walked through the doors to the hotel Lucifer let out a sigh of relief, he didn't really expect Mammon to make good on his word especially when all he got was-No! No, he can't start thinking of that it will just make him angry again. Adam looked around checking for his children that had not arrived yet. Charlie was frantically checking everything, tossing glittery tinsel here and there so that the place would look more enticing. At least that's what she said when he asked why they were putting up streamers and such.

Adam snatched a cookie from a tray as Nifty rushed by. He made his way to Lucifer since everyone else was too busy preparing the hotel. "When are they supposed to arrive?" He asked, munching on the treat.

Lucifer checked his wrist where no watch was but as he moved his glove a gold one with little rubber ducks for the hour and minute hands appeared. "About half an hour, if they're punctual."

"They are, Seth was usually the one who reminded me when I had a meeting here if Lute didn't. He is a pain in the ass about being on time." A small smile appears on his face recounting his son before it disappears with a more dour expression.

Lucifer shuffles in the awkward silence as Adam vacantly stares at the front door. "H-hey it's alright your kids will be here soon, don't look so glum." He tries.

Adam's gaze on the front door turns harsh. "Sure…"

The awkward silence feels like walking on glass with how many unresolved issues lay between the two. Adam takes the last bite of his cookie wiping the crumbs off his clothes, seemingly unaware of the silence. Lucifer thinks of a hundred topics he could bring up to fill the air but his mouth doesn't want to move, his hands keep repeating the same actions of clasped on his staff then reaching out towards the man only to return to the staff. The kind of pride, afraid to speak, what a joke…

"So how are you and Charlie doing, any progress?" Adam messes with his teeth as if they are in pain, Lucifer thinks he can see some of them even wiggle which is strange.

"Uh well we're talking at least, we started having tea parties like we used to. Minus the teddy bears of course. She's a bit cagey on some things…" Lucifer lowers his head feeling like a failure of a parent.

Adam chuckles a bit. "Heh, my girls loved tea parties too. I remember when my girls started making the stuff I didn't get why they would put leaves in water until I tasted some of the stuff. Then I realized that some of those teas actually helped when their siblings got sick."

Lucifer smiles at the genuine happiness he sees in Adam's face, it only seems to happen when he talks about his kids. "D-do your kids like pancakes?"

Adam shrugs at the abrupt question. "I mean they'll eat just about anything except Abel. Seth likes the ones with chocolate chips, Aclima likes raspberries with hers, but Abel likes blueberries with all the sweet toppings he can get since he's picky."

"Perfect! Let's go make them something to eat while we wait for them!" Lucifer cheers as he leads Adam to the kitchen.

Adam mainly watches Lucifer work his magic. Making every type of pancake known to man and making sure there's enough toppings to satisfy the holy guests. Adam stabs at a stack covered in syrup making meaningless small talk with the impromptu to chef. Lucifer wants to push the conversation into something meaningful but can't find a way to do that. Adam seems to be content with whatever their relationship is at this point but Lucifer can't help but feel like there's a brick wall keeping them from possibly rekindling their past friendship or possibly becoming more than that.

Charlie suddenly shrieks, startling everyone. "We're late!" She grabs Vaggie just as fast as she screamed and rushes out.

Everyone else does a double check of the room seeing if they need to do more as Lucifer and Adam move the teetering tower of pancakes next to the other foods. Adam is probably the most nervous Lucifer has ever seen him, constantly messing with his teeth, pacing, and not letting his eyes off the front door. He's starting to unnerve the other residence so Lucifer waits for a time Adam stops to turn and grasps his hand interlocking their fingers and giving a reassuring squeeze. Adam stops pacing but taps his foot impatiently. Minutes pass before they hear the door start to open, Adam straightens his back and stops biting his nails.

Charlie spreads out her arms with a big smile on her face as she leads the group of angels. "Tah da! Welcome to the Hazbin Hotel."

The three larger angels who are definitely Adam's kids look around. Aclima is scrutinizing every detail with a scowl. Seth has big eyes taking in everything like a curious child before his eyes land on Adam and he seemingly freezes, expression unreadable with the glitching on what looks like Adam's old mask. Abel looks at the residence and the food before waving his hand dismissively and the guardian angels take that to mean "Stand guard" as they land in front of the door like sentinels.

"Well this is-" Abel starts.

Seth interrupts with a shout. "ABBA?!"

The unfamiliar word makes many look at him odd but Adam visually relaxes opening his arms for a hug with a soft smile. "Seth, common gimme a hug."

Seth takes hesitant steps towards Adam carefully reaching out towards his father like he might crumble to ash if he were to actually touch him. "I-it's really you? Are you actually alive? I'm not just dreaming?"

Adam closes the distance wrapping his son in his embrace which Seth seems to melt into. "Yes, kiddo, it's really me. Did ya really think I'd die after a minor stab wound from some wimpy demon maid?"

"I knew it! I knew you were still alive! Nothing could kill my dad!" Seth casts aside all hesitance, suddenly squeezing Adam enough to grunt and lifting his father, making an excited spin as he cheers.

A flash of agony crosses Adams face as his back is pressed upon. "Yeah yeah I'm alive, now ease up on my back."

Seth quickly places his father down but does not release him, instead snuggling into his neck having his wing wrap around Adam to show his unrelenting affection for his parents. A part of Lucifer wishes Charlie would do something similar. Abel looks at Adam with suspicion. Aclima on the other hand looks insulted, no, enraged.

"Seth why don't you-" Abel tries again only to be cut off by his sister which he glares at for the interruption.

"You have a lot of nerve demon spawn!" Aclima glares daggers at Charlie, her hand waves at Adam like her father is some disgusting object. "Using one of your demon servants to puppet our father's corpse to trick us into agreeing to your hopeless dreams is low even for your ilk."

"T-that's not-" Charlie tries to defend herself but Aclima doesn't let her.

"I was willing to humor you if only because my dear sibling seemed so desperate to find a different solution than what our father proposed. If, and only if, you would subject our fathers murder to proper justice, but she seems joyously free." Her hand shifts to Nifty who merely giggles at the angel.

"Lima." Abel tries to stop her tirade but she just ignores him.

"Yet you have the audacity to insult us more with this sad imitation of our father in this decrepit, eyesore of a hotel. Have you no shame?" She leans over Charlie with a look more hate filled than any sinner's. "Oh wait I forgot you are too prideful to be ashamed of your actions like father like daughter I guess, but at least my father had a spine unlike yours."

Lucifer can feel his horns poking out due to her insulting Charlie more than the insult to himself. Charlie's eyes are turning red because of her own anger. Vaggie looks ready to attack any second. Husker and Angel Dust look at the women with nervous smiles and an anxious sip if his glass in Husker's case as they back away. Alastor and Niffty are enjoying the building tension with evil smirks. Aclima seems to be waiting for Charlie to move as if to prove a point of some kind. The guardian angels look ready to attack on command constantly looking at Abel who's pinching the bridge of his nose in annoyance.

"Aclima! That's enough!" Adam says drawing the hateful look of his daughter to himself.

She steps toward Adam deliberately. Seth worriedly glaces between her and Adam as he backs away from his father to avoid being in the middle of a fight. Adam has a good few inches on her so to be eye to eye she uses her wings to hover slightly above the ground. Adam's years show with the tired look of a parent trying to make a child stop throwing a tantrum. Alima has no warmth for the man in her eyes, just disgust like she's looking at a rotting carcass rather than her father.

"Don't you dare say my name with his voice you vile pig! Just because you can fool Seth doesn't mean I'm as easily convinced by this poor charade your king and princess are pulling." Her words sound like venom but Adam shows no pain from them.

"Common my sweet little rose, I raised you to be smarter than this. Lucifer may be a crafty fuck but even he can't replicate perfection." His voice is calm but laced with annoyance as he reaches towards his daughter for a hug.

He avoids his attempt. "Using my fathers nicknames isn't earning you points, demons can probably obtain memories of those they eat. Your attempt at appearing as him is poor as well, for one my father doesn't have piercings. As much as he wanted them, it's against god."

Adam rolls his eyes. "Yeah, blame Mammon and his 'punishments' for that I didn't do this myself, baby doll. Seriously thought I'm really-"

"Nice try, scum. My father wouldn't allow a demon to touch him let alone be so calm in a room with the very sin that ruined his life. He-" She seems set in her belief no matter how wrong others know she is.

Frustration reaches its limit for Adam as he grabs Aclima's arm pulling her close. "ACLIMA LISTEN FOR-"

She hits him with her free arm hard enough to knock him to the floor holding his mouth at the blow to the jaw. "DON'T TOUCH ME!"

Abel immediately starts to calm the now enraged guardians who move to protect Aclima. Seth grabs hold of Aclima's shoulders pulling her away before she attacks again. Lucifer rushes over to help Adam up. Adam spits something into his hand that makes his face turn pale as a ghost staring at it. Looking Lucifer sees a tooth but that isn't what made Adam stiff. It's the blood that accompanies it, not gold like an angel, nor red like a sinner, but an odd rose gold like halfway between the two. Lucifer glances at the rows of teeth from the slack jawed terror on Adam's face but no teeth seem to be missing instead one canine like the one in his hand seems far longer and sharper than the others.

"Okay Lima real dad or demon masquerading as him, that was uncalled for!" Abel says with a glare at his sister.

"Oh so I should just let some revolting devil touch me?" She counters.

Abel mumbles something under his breath that Lucifer can't catch. "That is not what I meant, and you know it. Please, just try to be understanding to these hellions even if you have to fake it."

"You can't believe these sinners actually have a chance that they can be redeemed, they had their chance and wasted it. Just look at them, drunk, murderous, whores the lot of them. If I had it my way-" She waves her hand at the residents who mostly look like they're trying to melt into the walls to avoid this situation.

"IF YOU HAD IT YOUR WAY THEY'D ALL BE DEAD, YES I'M AWARE!" Abel screams, pulling at his hair in anger. "Look, if you're not even going to try pretending to be civil just go home."

The two engage in a short staring match that ends as Aclima turns her head in a huff taking steps to the door with a few guardians following her. "Don't come crying to me when you get killed a second time." She says with a wave as she exits the hotel.

Adam snaps out of his trance reaching out to his daughter as if to try and stop her from leaving only for Abel to hold his hand up for Adam to stop. Adam looks at his son then at the closing door then at the floor with a lost look. Seth nervously looks at his brother then at his father as if trying to see who to comfort. Lucifer takes the chance to clean Adam's hand and hold it. Charlie awkwardly steps towards Abel with a sympathetic smile. The other residents twitch in the tense atmosphere but make sure to give the angels a wide berth.

Abel lets out a long sigh. "Sorry, about my sister. Please don't judge her too harshly for this outburst, she's just trying to protect heaven and especially our family which comes off as extremely harsh to those she sees as a threat to that."

"No problem, we all get a little heated about the things we're passionate about." Charlie agrees.

Seth looks at Adam. "Don't worry about her dad, we'll talk to her later when she's cooled off… We've been a bit stressed without you."

"I never said I believed that's dad, Seth." Abel says pointing at Adam.

"I thought you said you believed me." Seth glares at his brother hurt by something Abel said.

Abel drags a hand down his face. "I only said that so you'd leave his room and actually eat something! We saw dad die, I'm not saying there isn't an extremely minor chance he somehow survived but who's to say this is him."

"How can you say that! Look at him, do you not feel the familial connection to him? There is no doubt in my mind that this is our father." Growls at his brother.

Abel isn't fazed. "Look if he's really our father we can come down another time and talk, but for now we came here to see the hotel and discuss possible solutions aside from exterminations. Okay?"

Seth tries to keep up the glare but can't. "Fine."

"Great, now that that's settled-" He turns to Charlie with a tired smile. "Why don't you show us around?"

Charlie happily begins to show off the hotel for Abel. Seth refuses to leave Adam's side, latching himself to his father's arm like he'll disappear if he lets go. Abel ignores his father which visually hurt Adam who's been uncharastically quiet after Aclima left. The other residents are happy to avoid the awkward tension of earlier, and to be ignored by the angels. Except for Niffty which both sons seem keen to give her murderous glares when she makes herself known or walks in their line of sight.

Abel and Charlie discuss solutions but Abel doesnt let it show which he'll actually consider. Seth is supportive of Charlie's ideas and even offers some ideas that may help. Abel eventually deems it time to leave despite the protests of his brother. Seth squeezes the air out of Adam's lungs with a hug, and Abel gives everyone a curt handshake as they leave. Adam waves them goodbye as they leave but his face is pure sadness. Lucifer can feel him shaking a second later and excused them both pulling Adam into the room he stayed in a while ago.

As he sits Adam on the bed he notices the tears falling from the man's eyes. Instantly he hugs Adam who holds him in a bone crushing hug. His breath is erratic as he snivels into Lucifer's neck, the sin rubs his back trying to comfort him in any way he can. Hell is hell and Adam hasn't stuffed in decades so the months here and then his own kids not believing he's really who he says he is must have finally broken his mental state. Lucifer remembers the first few years after he fell from heaven it was terrible but he had Lilith Adam doesn't.