AN: I completely forget to give some credit here. The some of the inspiration for Dad Adam comes from Megan Graham ( /mg8966) and her 'Raised in Heaven AU'.
Sorry for the very late post. Fanfiction was down for me for a while and I was on vacation so I couldn't post the chapter two weeks ago.
Also, just a quick note on here for the guest who wrote that I delete negative reviews. I'm sorry that you feel that's what I've been doing as I'm a believer that negative reviews are important feedback too to help one improve, but the reviews I've deleted as far as I'm aware of were the ones that made no sense or looked like spam. So if you have some critic, please, by all means write it again and I'll try to answer it, but from what I remember I've only deleted a few spam ones and a pair that made no sense to the story.
Chapter Four
As Time Slows Down...
It wasn't just because Adam wanted to get a soother for the tiny brat that Adam had fled from the office. In honesty, he could be completely indifferent to the angels' plight and let them fumble about helplessly as they tried to navigate how to handle an infant. After all, that was what they had done to him when he and Eve had been kicked out of Eden.
There had been no manual for him and Eve to read or elder to ask how creating humans was going to work. Only an order to procreate and a curse that childbirth was going to be painful.
God had just forgotten to mention that it was also going to be Hell too. Adam could still remember the day Cain had been born, how Eve had screamed in pain during the labor and damn near broke his hand doing it. He remembered cleaning the tiny baby that had been covered in after birth and wrapping him tightly in cloth and fur before Eve lay him to her breast to feed him, her milk having started a bit before the birth. Lord above how she had panicked when that happened, thinking something was wrong with her. They had spent days crying out to the Heavens for guidance and answers only to have Gabriel appear for a moment to tell them it was to feed the baby and then disappear just as quickly.
Back then, Adam barely knew any of the archangels beyond Uriel and Samael, and even then he only really knew Uriel from what Samael had told him. Otherwise whenever he saw the angel it was only when God visited to present a new animal for him to name. Uriel never spoke to him or Lilith or Eve. At the time, he thought the angel was just shy, since Samael had been when they first met in the garden, after his death and coming to Heaven Adam had learned the truth.
Uriel was just a stuck-up prick.
Even to this day, Adam barely knew the angel beyond that he was the keeper of records. He had maybe seen the man maybe a handful of times and even then, beyond a quick 'hello', Uriel had no interest in speaking with him.
If Adam was to describe Uriel, then he would say he was a stupidly tall stuck-up prick who looked deceptively thin and weak and dressed like a librarian servant. He was the only one of the siblings who had managed to keep the same hairstyle since the beginning of time, his blond hair short and framing his face, Uriel looked exactly as he had the first day Adam saw him in Eden, though nowadays he would dawn glasses when reading and writing.
Very few Winners had seen the angel and the lucky few who had spoken with him assumed the blond angel with pink irises was the weakest of his siblings, but Adam knew better. He hadn't seen Uriel in battle but he recalled Samael telling him how Uriel had once fought by God's side against some ancient and powerful beings while Eden was still being drafted and how he was teaching him and Michael how to fight as well with holy weapons. And he had seen Lucifer hold his own against some pretty nasty odds so that made Uriel someone he didn't want to get on the wrong side of.
But the other reason he wanted some space was because of the kid. Generally, Adam kept away from the young Winners in Heaven. It wasn't that he didn't like kids, he did. They were cute and curious and so easy to impress with the smallest things. Hell, he loved seeing their eyes fill with awe and wonder when they saw his golden wings as he soared through the sky. And you couldn't call yourself a dad if you didn't enjoy being around tiny souls, both Heaven-born and not.
But this kid... this little Hell-born he had accidentally abducted. She was waking something strange in him.
He wasn't sure what it was, but being around her and watching those idiots fumble about like headless chickens made him remember the first few years after Eden. They had been rough and lean years where he and Eve struggled with the harsh learning curve on how to survive. More than a few times, one or both of them lay sick with pains from eating something that wasn't safe to eat, or Eve was nursing some injury he had gotten. If he looked under his foot right now for exactly, he'd still be able to see the countless scars he had gotten from cutting himself either on rocks or farming tools. And then there were the scars from the wild animals he had had to fight or hunt.
It was part of the reason he wore the massive robe that he did, as it hid away the marks of his hardships, and Adam wasn't ready to unpack that baggage any time soon, if ever.
Stopped by the nursery, Adam looked at the little Winners who were being taken care of as their guardians or parents were off doing their jobs for the day. It was weird to think of it like that. The good book back on Earth described Heaven as this paradise where you could do anything you wanted and yet everyone still found themselves working some sort of job to fill the day.
'Guess some habits just stay with people,' Adam mused as he recalled the first many years in Heaven, he would get up just before dawn to go hunting or panic when he'd find his kids missing. 'Then again doing nothing every day gets old fast.'
As Adam stood in his muses, a few of the little Winners spotted him and started to wave excitedly at him. Even if he didn't visit the area often, he knew the kids were shown pictures of all the important people of Heaven so that they would know them. His picture was always the easiest for them to remember because of his wings not to mention he tended to spend more time around in the lower areas rather than the Higher restricted ones. He had been human once after all, so he knew that socializing was important, unlike those stuck-up asses upstairs.
Smiling as he watched the little ones gather about and calling his name, Adam felt a new wave of nostalgia fall over him as he remembered his own children often doing the same when he would come home from a hunt or working their fields. It was a nice feeling and he was almost disappointed when several of the caretakers of the Nursery ushered the little ones away, the thunder of small feet rushing off as they were encouraged to go back to playing.
'Oh yeah, none of them know how to fly yet, do they?' He tended to forget that all newcomers took a bit of time to learn how to fly, remembering only when he noticed a few of them trying to and failing. Had he been like that too? He wasn't sure, it had been so long ago. "Hey, sorry for disturbing y'all. Hope I didn't mess anything up."
"Oh no, it's alright, Mr. Adam, Sir. The little ones were just playing and it's always an honor to have a visit from someone as important as yourself," The caretakers gushed. She was a pretty thing, just as most Winners were, with the normal slightly off-white wings. Honestly, he knew he had probably spoken to her a few times in passing but he had no clue what her name was since it wasn't important. "What can we help you with today?"
"Well, you see..."
* * * Hazbin Hotel * * *
When the group waited for Adam's return, Gabriel couldn't help but study Ava as she lay groggily in Michael's arms. She still hadn't fallen asleep yet, but he was certain it would be long before the need for napping would overtake her. Ava lay unfocused with her head pressed against Michael's chest, listening to his heartbeat as it thumped away.
"You know, it's funny," Gabriel chuckled as Michael tried to one-handed set up a sleeping area for her. "The way she's holding on to you but fighting it. It's just like how you would look after fighting Sera about nap time."
Michael frowned as he paused in arranging the pillows in two armchairs he had set together to form a makeshift crib. Sure he hadn't been around children a lot but he had seen the beds the Nursery had once some years ago. He was sure this would be fine.
"What are you talking about?" He scuffed. "Samael was the only one that fought when it was time to rest. I wouldn't argue with Sera about it."
"Well, yeah, after your first century. Michael, you were the loudest out of you two," Gabriel laughed as he sat down on Michael's desk, much to his little brother's annoyance. "In the beginning, you used to scream your head off and kick like crazy. Nearly knocked out one of Camael's teeth and gave Sera a black eye once."
Michael looks incredulously at his brother. There was no way what Gabriel was saying was true. Of the twins, Michael had always been the good child. The child who listened to Sera and their brothers and did as he was asked. He was the one who sat still during lessons and worked while Samael either complained or fought Sera every second, and he was the one who came when summoned. He wasn't the one who forced his way into meetings he wasn't invited to and would wait his turn to speak during them. Michael had been the obedient twin whereas Samael had demanded the most attention because of his immaturity and small size.
So the idea that he would be the one that threw a tantrum was just inconceivable.
"Sir Michael threw tantrums?" Philomena asked curiously as she tried and failed to imagine a younger Michael lying on the ground kicking and screaming. "I can't imagine it."
"Because it never happened," Michael growled, rocking the baby a little to see if he could get her to sleep. She kept fighting to keep her eyes open, a small frown on her face as if she was expecting something from him. "Don't listen to him, Philomena. Gabriel is just making stuff up."
"Oh man, you really don't remember do you?" Gabriel gaped as he grinned. "Michael, the reason you two shared a nest so long was because you didn't want to sleep alone."
*** Flashback ***
Gabby fluttered excitedly next to Uriel and Sera as they headed towards the Aviary, both carrying one of the twins in their arms. The pair barely an hour one, they already had the mentality of three to four-year-olds and the size to match, just as all of them had been when they were born. Michael was the size of a four-year-old, and Sammy was far smaller, practically fitting fully in just one of Uriel's arms, looking like he was about two.
It had been such an unexpected surprise when the egg had hatched that two little angels had come out fully formed. Father had announced that this would be the last of the eggs that would hatch one like themselves and that the ones that would follow would be less powerful and serve other purposes. The siblings had been discussing for months what they thought would hatch from the egg, guessing if it would be a boy or a girl, and possible name ideas and such.
There hadn't been a day where they hadn't visited the Hatchery to visit the egg and speak to it for hours on end.
Gabriel had told it countless stories about how when they were born he would help Uriel teach them to fly and he would show them all his tricks. Ariel and Raphael had talked endlessly about all the plants they would show them and while they fought about who would get to touch the egg at times, Azrael and Camael talked about all the games they would teach them and play together when they were older. And as for Zadkiel, she would sing to the egg all the songs she knew and had made up while she'd pet the shell softly to let them know she was near.
So when the egg finally hatched and Father found not one but two identical boys in the egg, all of them were excited beyond belief.
Normally it would just be Sera heading to the Aviary with the newborns as it was her purpose to care for them and their needs, but with how squirmy Samael was, Uriel had to give a hand. Not that Gabriel was making it easier. He had convinced his eldest sister to allow him to go with Uriel and Sera while she helped tuck the others into their nests. Both twins had been born close to the midnight hour, with Michael breathing his first breath just five minutes before the twelfth hour and Samael five minutes after. And while Michael clung to Sera like she was his lifeline, Samael was trying his best to look around him and take in the night-covered Heaven which was his home. Not that he could see much, everything was blanketed in darkness then, the night sky being completely naked. It was only their holy glow that lighted their way and entertained the hyper newborn by flying behind Uriel and making funny faces or tricks in the air.
"Gabriel stop it!" Sera snapped, annoyed that rather than calming the little one down, Gabriel was hyping him up. "They need to sleep when we get to the Aviary. It's very late-"
"I hardly think these two will fall asleep right away Seraphim. They've just woken up after sleeping for nearly half a century. I think sleep is the last thing on their minds right now," Uriel laughed as he adjusted his hold on Samael, as his wings eagerly fluttered with excitement as Gabriel did a loop behind him. "What say you, little one? Do you want to sleep?"
Samael blinked curiously at Uriel, the tiny gears of his mind slowly turning as he tried to understand what he had said. Uriel had discovered when Gabriel had been born that while in the egg, the fledgling could hear everything around them as long as it was close so he had done his best to have all his siblings speak Celestial around them so they would have a basic knowledge of it. It didn't stop Sera from speaking commonly to them, she was after all the one that was going to take care of them every day. And the others tended to switch naturally to their common language when Sera was around out of respect.
Whether Samael understood him or not was debatable as the little boy suddenly let a heartwarming musical laugh that made all of their hearts fill with joy. Uriel had to stop for a moment as he looked at the little one with wonder, his pure and innocent joy making him almost see a glow brighter in the night. It even seemed to calm Michael down a bit before his tight grip on Sera eased a little.
Samael's energy didn't diminish once they were in the Aviary. Using magic to light the circular room, Samael fluttered slightly out of Uriel's hold and immediately started to run about, exploring the floor level of what would be their home until they were big enough. It was adorable to watch him zooming about from one spot to another, the tiny robe he was dressed in flapping behind him as he ran. The silly thing looked like a dress on the boy, reaching him mid caff instead of his knees because of his small size.
Michael stayed clutching Sera's robes, looking nervously about the room, which Sera seemed more than happy with. She whispered sweet endearments into his ear as she allowed her hand to gently brush through the newly formed feathers, admiring how beautiful pure white they looked with just a hint of light powder blue underneath. And instead of urging the boy to explore his new home, Sera set about readying him for bed instead.
Using a bit of magic, Sera summoned a small basin with warm water and set about undressing and washing Michael while Samael ran about and tried to climb anything and everything around him. She scowled when Gabriel looked at Uriel for permission before zipping over and picking their youngest up and flying him high in the air, though it softened when Samael squealed in joy, his six wings trying to flap instinctively with Gabriel despite his wings were offbeat.
"Gabriel, you're being too wild with him," Sera scolded as Gabriel took Samael into a small falling spin, easily coming out of it as Samael let out his musical laughter. "You have to be gentler with newborn fledglings."
"Sorry Sera," Gabriel apologized, suddenly unsure as he gently slowed down and set Samael back down. He didn't want to risk hurting his new baby brother, though he seemed fine as the little one started to spin around, making himself dizzy as he giggled. "I didn't-"
"He's fine Sera. Look," Uriel simply said in a dismissing tone as he picked Samael up and gave him a few good tosses in the air, trying to stimulate the natural flight instincts they all had. He had done this with all his siblings, regardless of what Sera would say about it. "Don't take what Sera says to heart, Gabriel. She's a worrywart. If Samael and Michael don't look scared by it, then they are fine."
"You sure, Uriel?" Gabriel asked, doing his best to ignore Sera's glare as she finished washing Michael and dried him off in a fluffy towel. They both knew she had heard her name but she didn't understand them which annoyed her. "I don't want to hurt them-"
"If he was scared he wouldn't be laughing, would you Samael?" Uriel asked only to grin as the little blonde head nodded quickly, his laughter never dying down. Uriel was about to through him into the air again when Sera practically ripped the little one from his hands, having now dressed and tucked Michael into a nearby nest so he could sleep. "Really Sera? Was that necessary?"
"He needs a bath to wash off the albumen or else he'll itch later," Sera firmly started as she pulled off the fledgling clothes a little rougher than needed because she was annoyed at the two brothers messing with her job. She quickly became more gentle as she lifted the small child and settled him in the basin, ready to wash him as she had his twin. "Alright now, let's get you nice and-"
Whatever Sera was going to say was lost instantly as Samael discovered the joys of water. With no control over what his wings were doing, Samael immediately started splashing about in the water, soaking everything and everyone near him. Sera blinked in surprise as her white hair hung limply to her face, only to smile when the tiny troublemaker peered adoringly over his shoulder at her, confused as to how she got wet as well.
While Sera set about bathing and readying Samael for bed, Uriel and Gabriel took it as their chance to bond a little with Michael who was watching curiously from his nest. The twins hadn't spoken a word yet, both slightly overwhelmed in different ways by this new and loud place from what they knew. Michael was far more timid than Samael, preferring gentle and slow encouragement to open up. Gabriel quickly understood that he couldn't fly around with him just yet, and instead urged the little angel to let them preen his feathers while he and Uriel sang a soft lullaby to him to calm him.
"Just wait til Zadkiel visits," Gabriel told him as the little angel purred at the feeling of having his wings brushed gently. "She's got the prettiest voice out of all of us."
"I'm sure you and Samael have some lovely voices too. Can we perhaps hear them?" Uriel gently urged only for Michael to shy away a little and Samael giggled mischievously as Sera struggled to dry the wiggling fledgling off. It was almost comical when she pulled the towel away how his hair and feathers fluffed around him, making him look like a little white powder puff. "No? Well, that's okay. There's no need to rush anything."
"There, now you're ready for bed as well," Sera said as she tugged a nightshirt over Samael as well. Like the robe, it was too big for the small form so it hung loosely off his shoulder. "Now don't you two look precious?"
The twins looked between their sister and brothers before Michael let out a long wide yawn which Samael slowly mimicked a minute later. It probably wasn't too surprising that the pair were tired. Hatching was hard work even with a boost with a breath of life from Father. Add on Michael being terrified of God's enormous size and Samael running around, it was hardly surprising the two little ones were becoming exhausted.
"Right, now let's see...," Sera gathered Samael into her arms, gently rocking him as she looked at the different nests that were placed about the room, trying to find the one that would be his until he was old enough to leave the Aviary forever as the last one. "Ah, this one."
Sera looked proudly at the nest she had chosen for the little surprise fledgling, having only prepared one which Michael was in. She would make a better one for him tomorrow but for now, Uriel's old nest would do. Samael certainly didn't seem to mind as he tumbled about a bit in it until he was comfortable, fluffing up his wings to make a small cocoon around himself for warmth. He looked like a little ball of feathers that Sera gently patted before she walked over to Michael.
"Alright you two, off you go," Sera made a 'shoo shoo' gesture at Gabriel and Uriel, passively pulling rank on the oldest angel. "These two need their rest for tomor-"
"Sammy!" Michael suddenly cried out as it dawned on him that they were all expecting him to sleep alone. His voice seemed to echo in the room, shocking Sera, Uriel, and Gabriel. "My Sammy."
From the other side of the room, Samael's head popped out from his mess of feathers, the golden blonde hair that Sera had brushed into place already sticking out in all sorts of directions. His blue eyes blinked uncoordinated for a moment, telling Uriel that despite how hyper the little one had been before, he had been drifting off to sleep already when his brother yelled for him.
"Sammy," Michael called again pleadingly as tears started to form in his eyes again.
Samael looked sleepily at his twin, the pair sharing a silent conversation that none of them were privy to until a tired happy smile broke across his face.
"Okay," Samael answered and half hoped, half tumbled out of his nest with a giggle. He then shuffled his way over to Michael's nest before lifting his arms at Gabriel with a sluggish smile, the silent request to be lifted was unspoken.
"Ah no, Michael and Samael," Sera went to pick Samael up, the little angel giggling drowsily as his feet dangled in the air. "You're supposed to sleep in your own nests-"
"No! My Sammy!" Michael demanded, suddenly reaching out and grabbing a hold of Samael's leg. "Mine!"
Sera looked utterly flustered as the docile boy started arguing with her, his grip tightening on the thin limb as Samael giggled louder in his tired state. She tried to pry his fingers off, but Michael just started to cry more and when she finally managed to detach him, the older twin looked utterly heartbroken before he let out a massive wail that was amplified by the stone walls of the Aviary. He kept demanding for his brother and the more Sera refused him, the more upset he got. Before either Sera, Uriel, or Gabriel were prepared for it, Michael was screaming at the top of his lungs, tears streaming down his face, as he lay kicking and flapping in the nest and making a mess.
"Michael! Michael stop this behavior, right now." Sera tried to order but her words were practically drowned out by his screams. Michael's screaming was so loud now that Gabriel was covering his ears and looked impressed as Uriel stood by the sidelines watching the exchange passively. Samael was calm during all this as well, looking a little confused as to why Michael was upset but thankfully wasn't crying too.
Yet.
"Michael! This behavior is not acceptable!" Sera tried to press on, only for Michael to shriek in anger, his kicking legs threatening to break the nest she had painstakingly made for him. "Michael!"
"Enough of this, Sera," Seeing that Sera was starting to lose her cool, Uriel took Samael from her arms and placed him next to Michael in the nest. The hysteric fledgling didn't notice his twin was next to him at first but as Samael sleepily reached out and patted his brother's head softly, the older twin's anger slowly started to tamper off from his screaming fit to hic-ups and small gasps of air. "There we go. Alright, Michael? Deep breaths little one."
Michael struggled to breathe for a moment when Samael gave him what would be known as his signature heartwarming smile and leaned over to wrap his arms around Michael softly. It seemed to help ground Michael even more and the older one wrapped not only his arms tightly around the smaller angel but also his wings.
"My Sammy," He grumbled stubbornly, giving Sera a slight glare as Samael snuggled into his hold, a slight cooing purr emanating from his throat. "Mine."
"My Mikey," Sammy answered sleepily back as he yawned.
His wings tried to embrace Michael as well but whether it was because of Michael's arms and wings being in the way or just because he couldn't control them yet, the pair ended up looking like a tangled mess of wings and feathers with two heads. Before long as Michael calmed down, Samael's eyes closed completely as Michael struggled to keep his eyes open, still glaring accusingly at Sera.
"It's alright little one," Uriel urged him with a soothing voice, surprising Gabriel that he was speaking in common when addressing the twins. Clearly, he wanted Sera to understand what he was saying as well. "Go no, lay down you two. It's time to rest."
"This isn't proper," Sera muttered, unsure of what to do now that the twins had latched tightly on to each other as tightly as they had. "They're supposed to sleep in their own nests."
"Why though?" Gabriel asked after a moment of thought.
Sure he could remember sleeping in his own nest as well when he recided in the Aviary, but once he left it... he was pretty sure he had gone to either Uriel's, Jophiel's, or even Sera's room in the middle of the night countless times and climbing into their beds to sleep with them. Heck, even to this day Azrael would come into his room with Zadkiel in tow and the two would practically commender his bed from him. Once every fortnight the siblings would even gather in Uriel's quarters and make a nesting pile and sleep surrounding each other after a preening circle.
So why was it improper for the twins to share a nest?
"Well, it's just..." Sera started to explain but floundered for a minute before asserting. "It's how it's always been done. That's why."
"Yeah but... we've never had two fledglings in the Aviary at the same time before either," Gabriel continued as he fluttered a little higher to look at the twins. Michael was starting to lose his battle in keeping his eyes open but his grip remained locked around Samael who in turn looked like he was in absolute bliss. "And I don't think Michael's going to let go of Samael any time soon."
"Just let them be Sera," Uriel told the seraphim, though Gabriel had the feeling it was more of an order as his brother gently pushed both of them towards the door. "There's no harm in letting them share a nest."
"But-" Sera tried to insist only to be met with a harsh glare from Uriel.
"They've shared an egg for half a century, being each other's sole company," He stated firmly, leaving no argument. "We've always had the new fledglings sleep alone because they were born alone. Those two have known each other since the beginning. So let them share a nest."
Sera glared at him as a hot blush crossed her cheeks. She was ready to remind him whose job it was to care for the new little ones and that their father had given her technically the final say on the matter. And she probably would have argued it if Gabriel hadn't been present and Michael was eyeing her with a pensive glare.
"Fine. They can share a nest for tonight," She relented, ignoring the smug look Uriel gave her. "They are both too exhausted right now to argue this. But tomorrow they are sleeping in their own nests."
"Whatever you say Sera," Uriel lightly chuckled as he looked back at Michael somehow still managing to stay awake. Walking over to him, Uriel has unbelievably soft blond hair and a few gentle pats to ease the fledgling's worry. "It's okay Michael. You and Samael can sleep in the same nest."
"My Sammy?" Michael asked uncertainly, as if he was afraid the moment he'd fall asleep Samael would suddenly disappear from his hold. Uriel just chuckled a little.
"Yes, Mikey. Your Sammy. Sleep well now," With a soft kiss on his brow, all the tension left Michael's body and the boy finally allowed himself to lie down in the nest with his twin tucked tightly to his chest. He was asleep before his head even hit the bedding of the nest. Smiling, Uriel started to head towards the door, the magical lights slowly dimming in the Aviary to allow the little ones to sleep.
*** Flashback End ***
"That... did that really happen?" Michael asked, feeling the blush slowly burn across his cheeks as Gabriel recalled the tale of the twin's first night. "You're making that up."
"You can ask Uriel if you don't believe me, but you pitched one heck of a fit when Sera tried to separate you at bedtime. It took her almost two centuries before she accepted that you wouldn't go to sleep without Samael. Heck, she even tried putting you both into opposite nests once in the high levels only to find both you and Sammy on the morning in the morning curled up together." Gabriel laughed before looking smugly at Philomena who was watching the exchange with curiousity. "Even when they moved out of the aviary and got their own rooms, I think Michael was probably eight Centuries old before he was finally okay sleeping alone."
"Now I know you're lying," Michael growled and turned his attention back to the baby who whined lightly in his arms. She kept looking at him as if she was waiting for something specific. "Come on now, Ava. You know you're tired. Why won't you sleep?"
"Whatever you say, Mikey." Gabriel sighed while giving Mena an all-knowing look. He then glanced at Ava who was starting to squirm a little in Michael's hold, her whine growing steadily louder.
"What the fuck, why isn't she asleep yet?" The trio jumped as the door opened and Adam reappeared, an unamused expression on his face. Walking briskly over to Michael, Adam reached into his pocket and pulled out a strange circular disc that looked like it was made of mother of pearl with a rubber bulb on one side. "I thought I told you guys to sing to her while I got this. Here you go, Tiny. This is better than your thumb."
Tugging the digit out of her mouth with a little more force than he thought he would need, Adam managed to pop the pacifier into the baby's mouth and kept it pressed there for a second as she testingly sucked on it. Once he was sure she wasn't going to spit it out, Adam removed his hand and looked rather proud of himself for still having his 'dad' instincts despite how long ago it had been.
Though that didn't stop him from looking annoyed at the three morons just standing around.
"Look, you need to get her to sleep soon or the little hellion's gonna get cranky as shit and I can tell you right now, she might not have a lot of teeth but she sure as fuck knows how to use ยด'em," Adam warned, recognizing all too well a cranking baby when he saw one. "And the little monster wasn't cranky when she did this."
"Her name's Ava," Michael bit out though he did wince when he saw the bite Adam was still healing from on his wrist. He had noticed that Ava had a couple of teeth, probably enough to eat small-sized solid food with, but apparently, they were sharper than he assumed. As Ava started to squirm more, Michael shifted her a little in his arms so that she was lying against his shoulder instead of the crook of his arm."And I've been trying but she's been fighting it the whole time."
'Ava?' Adam made a face at the name, wondering how the hell they managed to figure out the baby's name when she couldn't talk. He wanted to ask but first things first, they needed the little one to sleep. "Well, have you tried singing? You guys are supposed to be good at that shit, no?"
"And sing what exactly?"
If looks could kill, Adam would have stranged the archangel for the moronic question. How was it possible to be as old as they were and at the same time so utterly stupid and useless?
"For fucks sake, a lullaby stupid," Adam growled as he started to grind the heel of his hand against his eyes in frustration. "The church is filled with hundreds of different songs and you fuckers can't think of at least one?! Fuck me, did any of you have a song you liked hearing as a child? Even Cain had a favorite song Eve would sing at night. Hell, even I would sing to the kids at night when Eve was too tired."
Michael stood frozen for a minute, trying to think of something. He hadn't sung since Father had given him his purpose, needing to focus on protecting Heaven and building its army. It was an important job after all that demanded a lot of his time, filled with obligations and expectations that had only grown with time. He was Michael the Archangel, God's Warrior. He couldn't shirk his duties after all.
But he had sung once when he was younger. And he could vaguely remember his sisters singing soft songs to him and Samael when they were preening their feathers or just relaxing. And yet, he couldn't remember a single one of them no matter how hard he tried. There was a whisper of a melody he sort of remembered, but the words just wouldn't come back to him. He was pretty sure it was something about an angel-
"Can you eyes~... voice Haven..."
Adam suddenly started to sing a little, his voice a little strained and gruff. Gabriel and Michael started in surprise as Adam spoke in Celestial but it was clear by how he was frowning in deep thought and his pronunciation, he was repeating something he only knew from memory. Still, it was just enough for both Gabriel and Michael to recall enough of the old lullaby that they both slowly joined in with a softer tune.
"Can you see~ our bit of Heaven?" Michael sang softly, his voice straining a little as he did. Ava seemed to lean back for a moment to look at him before she curled back into him, a sigh of relief slowly making her relax in his hold. Was this what she had been waiting for? Why she had been fighting sleep? Michael mentally felt himself relax as he crooned softly and felt the tension slowly leave Ava's body. "Where our fa~mily awaits you to rest."
Gabriel crooned softly along with his brother as the baby started to drift off to sleep, her tiny fingers playing with the long hair of Michael's ponytail. He could remember this song as well, though only the two verses. If he remembered right, Zadkiel had made it up one night when Michael and Samael had been scared and pledged by bad dreams. He didn't know what it was that had frightened the pair, but it didn't matter. Zadkiel had always had a wonderfully soft voice, and her singing had always calmed the twins down when they were sad or upset. Especially-
"Wait, how do you know that song?" Gabriel looked suspiciously at Adam who was smirking at Michael in amusement. He had stopped singing but was humming the melody softly along with Michael's singing. "It's not even a human song."
"Samael used to sing it for us in the garden," Adam answered. There was a soft smile on his face for a second before it faded quickly. He didn't like to think about those days. There were too many mixed emotions involved with those memories; hurt, anger, betrayal... guilt. "Look it's not important. I'm gonna go see if Sera's free yet or not so we can figure out what to do about... Ava."
"I should go as well," Philomena said, feeling very much like the third wheel among the trio. She felt like she was somehow intruding on something very private and personal, especially since the two archangels had switched to singing in the strange language she often heard them speaking to each other. "The Cherubs will get worried if I'm gone too long."
"Of course," Gabriel nodded his head in understanding before looking nervously at Michael and Ava. "But what about..."
"I can watch her," Michael confirmed in a hushed tone. He couldn't see it but he could hear Ava was finally asleep by the slow sucks on the pacy and the soft puffs of air on his neck. "I only have some paperwork to do so I can keep her in here and out of sight."
"You sure?" Gabriel asks, looking nervously at his little brother. He wanted to help out too, feeling a pull that urged him to hold the little one too, but he did have a job that demanded he deliver several important messages to different higher members of the Heavenly Court, his other siblings included. "Maybe I can push some of these messages for later-"
"People will notice if you're gone too long," Michael reasoned, feeling oddly reluctant to let Ava go. 'Maybe it's because Gabriel already lost her once.' "No one will question not seeing me for long hours."
"If you say so Big M. And good luck with that," Adam gave him a mock salute before opening the door just enough to let Philomena slip out the door and Gabriel as well. He gave Michael one last look before a smirk spread across his face as if he knew something Michael didn't. "And Michael? I mean it. Good luck with that."
Michael blinked as he watched the First Man finally leave, closing the door softly behind him.
'What did he mean with that?' He pondered, gently rubbing Ava's back as she slept. "You're not trouble at all, are you Ava?"
* * * 30 Minutes later * * *
"That son of a bitch," Michael muttered hotly as he glared at what should have been his name but instead was a mess of scribbles and blotches. "He knew. That son of a bitch knew."
Michael was trapped!
AN: Oh man, baby's hand grips can be amazing sometimes. They can have the weakest holds on stuff and suddenly turn into superman when you least expect it. As an infant, my daughter often grabbed hair so I was quick to cut my short. I'm luckily indifferent to hair normally so I had no problem going from mid back long hair to bopped.
I've been playing with ideas on how the twins hatched and while I haven't fully decided on how that when, I love the idea of Michael being a bit of a scary cat and originally a bit bratty about wanting his little brother to stay close to him. As for Adam's singing, I like to think he's trying to sing the song in celestial but because it's not a language he's grown up with or gifted, it's a bit like how some of us grew up thinking the lyrics of a song was one way and turns out it was another. Goodness, I'm aging myself here, but I remember having to buy the Eiffel 65 CD album just to prove to my sister that the chorus to 'I'm Blue' was 'I'm Blue Daba de daba di" and not "I'm blue but if I was green I would die'. Yes I'm that old.