Tthank you Conejo-Sama for the edited version : )

Chapter is a bit boring I think, and rather short o.o, This is a part 1 of Lute and Adam past scenes. Taking a break from the present : o

This chapter is necessary for the future stuff I got planned

thank you LunaReader for beta reading most of it : ) - updating it now since I want to start writing part 2 as soon as I can LOL

Chapter 26

The Past In Heaven

"Sir, I don't think -"

"How many times do I gotta tell you not to call me that, huh?"

"Sir… I must insist… this is very inappropriate."

"C'mon, Danger Tits, just trust me. Slip into it. Nice and easy."

"I can barely breathe! How the hell can anyone fit into this?"

"You just gotta get used to it. Now, just trust me, you're gonna look so fuckin' hot."

"Sir… this feels so wrong… I shouldn't be doing this."

"Damn it, Lute, stop bein' a baby and just put it on. Do I gotta remind you of the little deal we made? I take the captain's role seriously and you grant me some favors… Now, open the damn door. And while you're at it, give me a li'l twirl, will ya?" Adam teased, waiting with an amused smile on his mask for her to come out of the dressing room. "Come on… don't make me come in there after you."

He sat comfortably on the sofa while a shop worker quietly searched through a rack for another dress for Lute. Slowly, the door opened, and Lute stepped out. "I feel like I'm fuckin' naked," she grumbled.

Adam's eyes widened as Lute emerged in the black halter-neck mini dress clinging to her like a second skin. It revealed a daring amount of cleavage and highlighted her collarbones and strong shoulders. She turned as he requested, rather tensely, showing the halter design looping around her neck, leaving her back mostly exposed.

When she faced him again, she noticed the room was silent. She almost returned to the dressing room to tear off the dress.

"Perfect..." Adam murmured. Lute blinked, her face blank, briefly questioning if she had misheard. "That's the one. You're wearing that to the party and that's final."

"You can't be serious… I look ridiculous in this," she retorted, crossing her arms over her chest before glancing away. "I get it. You're trying to get back at me for that incident, aren't you? I fucking told you it was an accident. You can't possibly still be upset about that."

The incident she was referring to was one where she had barged into his bedroom without knocking a few days ago, as they had agreed she would do. She caught him in a threesome with two virtuous chicks. She had stood frozen on the spot, unable to pull her eyes away, as she witnessed things she didn't think anyone would dare to do with another human. Adam had freaked out, using his wings to shield himself and the two women, and shouted at Lute to leave. He'd been in a pouty mood the rest of that day, barely responding to her, claiming she'd ruined his morning.

Adam got up, walked over, and lifted her chin, making her look up at him.

"I'm being fuckin' serious, babe," Adam said, his voice calm and serious, taking Lute by surprise. "You look so fucking good. I bet ya all the ladies are gonna be jealous as Hell when they see ya."

She felt a warm sensation in her belly, one that she'd been feeling lately around Adam, at his words. She wasn't sure what was wrong with her, but she didn't worry much because it felt good.

Adam paused for a moment, staring down at her before a grin formed on his mask. "You really think I'm gonna let my number one girl look stupid at my New Year's Eve party?"

"Maybe," Lute grumbled, her eyes shifting to the corner. "Wouldn't put it past you."

"I promise I ain't messing with ya." He released her. "Now, let's get ya some shoes that will look perfect with the dress."

"Yeah, whatever," she huffed, but a small smile tugged at her lips as she saw Adam signal the shop worker eagerly.

"Alright, doll face, let's get my girl here the finest pair of heels you got," Adam told the worker with a grin. "Something that screams 'badass' and 'sexy' all at once."

Later that night, Lute returned to her sisters. Before she could slip the large red box holding her dress under her bed, Wildhair and Fury were eager to see what she had brought back. Warrior-class angels rarely possessed anything unless it pertained to their role.

Reluctantly, Lute allowed them to open it. Their eyes widened in surprise at the contents. Vaggie, sitting quietly on her bed, stared at the dress without saying a word.

Maintaining a composed expression, Lute explained curtly, "Our Captain is making me wear that for next month's event at his mansion."

Wildhair lifted the dress, admiring it. "It's so beautiful!" she exclaimed.

"It really is," Fury agreed, giving Lute a soft smile. "I can't wait to see you in it. You should do something different with your hair, too."

"Yeah, maybe add a ribbon or something," Wildhair said.

"I'd rather not…" Lute frowned, taking the dress back from Wildhair and putting it away before slipping the box under her bed.

"I'm so excited we're invited, too. I've heard his New Year's Eve parties are amazing," Wildhair said. "Is he going to play a song as well?"

"Just a few with his band."

"Hell yeah! We hardly hear him play with his band these days since he became our captain."

"Yeah, he's been talking about it nonstop."

Lute continued answering Wildhair's questions until she and Fury left the room, leaving her alone with Vaggie.

Lute lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling, replaying when Adam's fingers touched her chin. She wished he hadn't been wearing his mask then. Though she had grown accustomed to it, she wanted to see his actual facial expression at that moment.

"You've been spending a lot of time with him lately," Vaggie remarked.

Lute glanced at her. "I'm his lieutenant. What do you expect?"

Vaggie stared at her for a long moment. "You know he doesn't actually care about you," she said, causing Lute to narrow her eyes. "We're just warrior-class angels, while he's Heaven's golden child. He'll never see us as anything more than his tools."

Lute felt a knot of anger in her chest.

It was true; they were simply warrior class angels, and their only role in Heaven was to protect and serve, nothing more. And yes, maybe Lute spent more time with Adam lately for reasons other than shaping him up to be a better captain. She would listen to him play music during their breaks in a forest or by a beach. They also did other things that Adam wanted to do like visit some shops in the city, but Lute insisted to herself she was just keeping an eye on him. After all, the Seraphim had requested her to keep him in check.

And she knew Adam didn't see her as an actual person. So, it wasn't like Vaggie's words shocked her. Yet… Adam's words replayed in her mind: "You really think I'm gonna let my number one girl look stupid at my New Year's Eve party?"

"I just… don't want you to get hurt," Vaggie said quietly.

"You should mind your own business," Lute said coldly, looking away.

"Just the two of you?" the host of a restaurant asked as Adam and Lute walked into the Branch & Bloom restaurant.

"Yeah, it's just us," Adam said. "Now give us the best view you got!"

They were led to the rooftop of the building, where countless branches from the large trees that stood beside the building intertwined with one another. Guests sat among the branches at tables nestled in the natural structure. Adam and Lute were guided to a sturdy, thick branch adorned with white blossoms—well, right after Adam took a few pictures with some fans.

"Everything on the menu, as usual, sir?" the host inquired.

"You know it! But we'll start with the appetizers." The host nodded and departed.

"Did you seriously order everything?" Lute asked. "Are you really that hungry?"

"Bitch, I'm always hungry. Besides, it's not just for me. I want you to taste every damn thing this place has."

Lute raised an eyebrow at him.

"Don't give me that look. I decided to be fuckin' nice today by treating ya out. Consider it a treat for putting up with my bullshit. You're fuckin' welcome."

"By dragging me to the most popular – and most exclusive—restaurant in Heaven?"

"Oh, look at you! So, you do know shit other than just weapons and how to tear monsters apart."

"Of course I do. I'm not stupid," Lute retorted.

Her gaze was hard as she stared at the other human souls sitting with what seemed to be their partners or friends. Some were holding hands while others were snuggling next to one another. She thought it was strange that he asked her to accompany him to a restaurant with these displays around them. She assumed he hadn't found anyone else to tag along, though there were many who wanted his attention. Of course, she wasn't complaining. She enjoyed spending time with the First Man.

"I was startin' to think you were livin' under a rock this whole time," Adam teased. "But anyway, guess what: I managed to get even more fireworks for this year's party, way more than last year. Next month is gonna be fuckin' epic!"

"I've never seen fireworks before," Lute said bluntly and almost with disinterest. She crossed one leg over the other casually before she took notice of Adam's jaw dropping and his eyes widening in exaggerated shock.

"You've never seen fireworks? Holy shit, Lute! I take it back. You really have been livin' under a rock." He looked genuinely baffled, as if she had confessed to never having seen the sky. He then shook his head to snap out of his astonishment. "Well, I can't wait for you to see them for the first time. I guess I'm the lucky one who gets to pop your fireworks cherry right on New Years!"

"Fireworks are just noise and bright lights. There's nothing special about them," she said, based on her knowledge of such things.

"Pfft, you say that now, but just you wait. You're gonna be begging me the rest of the night for more of that boring 'noise' and 'bright lights'."

"If you say so."

The idea of fireworks didn't impress Lute. Then again, she once thought the same about Adam months ago, but now she believed he was the greatest soul in Heaven.

Eventually, the host returned with waiters carrying trays full of dishes. They brought an additional table and placed it next to theirs before filling them with a feast.

Adam's eyes lit up, and he turned to Lute with a grin. "Bon appétit, babe. Now, dive in!"

Lute felt overwhelmed by the variety of appetizers. They also all looked rather strange to her.

"Alright, let's start up with these bacon-wrapped dates. They're my all-time favorite here." He placed a couple on her plate, then added a few to his own.

Lute picked one up with her fork, eyeing it suspiciously before taking a cautious bite. Her eyes widened in surprise. It was a perfect blend of sweet and savory. She remained silent, gazing at the rest before taking it in with closed eyes.

"Good, right?" He grinned, then moved a plate over to her. He told her to dip one of the apple slices into the brie cheese that had been baked with honey and almonds. She did so and her expression turned into one full of bliss.

She continued to try the rest: bruschetta, spinach artichoke cups, beef wellington bites, and stuffed tiny mushrooms. Every unfamiliar taste brought her delight.

"I can't believe how good this is," she mumbled mid-bite. She nibbled another apple covered in the brie cheese before noticing Adam, despite having served himself a generous portion, hadn't eaten a single bite. Instead, he was simply watching her, a look of genuine pleasure on his face.

"Why aren't you eating?" she asked, her brow furrowing in confusion.

"Eh, I'm just enjoying the view." He leaned back, his grin widening. "I haven't seen anyone else in Heaven react like you when trying new things. So, seeing you enjoy the food is, I don't know, more satisfying than eating it myself."

Lute blinked, completely confused by his words. "That… makes no sense," she said, before narrowing her eyes. "Are you mocking me?"

Adam chuckled, shaking his head. "Not unless I want to get my ass kicked. But for reals, you never had stuff like this before, huh? Lepin told me you and the rest of the warrior class angels just eat some boring ass grey pudding for every meal."

"It has protein, carbs, and everything that keeps us going. It gets the job done. We require nothing more."

"You're always so practical." Adam rolled his eyes. "Babe, you're missing out on one of the best little pleasures of our existence! Food isn't just about keeping our bellies full. Delicious food makes us feel so goooooood. Like, c'mon, don't tell me that apple brie cheese didn't make you almost melt."

Lute paused, her fork hovering over another slice of apple. She recalled the creamy warmth filled with sweet flavors.

"I guess it was good. Really good," she admitted, reluctantly but truthfully.

"See? And I know you want more." Adam nudged the plate of cheese towards her teasingly.

With a small smile, she took another bite and once again relished the taste.

"And ain't gonna lie. You look fuckin' adorable when you're enjoying stuff," Adam said, causing a blush creeping on Lute's cheeks as she was completely taken aback at his words. Panicking at the strange feeling in her chest and stomach, she glanced down at her plate, trying to hide her embarrassment.

She wasn't sure what was going on. She wanted to smack Adam with her plate.

"He'll never see us as anything more than tools." The memory of Vaggie's words from last night made her grip her fork tightly, causing the feelings to disappear and leaving behind an empty void that made her put her fork down.

"What's wrong?" Adam asked curiously. "Don't tell me you're lactose intolerant."

She wondered why she even cared if Adam was just using her as a tool for his amusement. She was made just to be a warrior, to serve and protect, and even though she was ordered to keep Adam from getting himself into trouble, he was still a higher rank angel than her; whatever he did with her didn't matter.

She mentally berated herself for getting so worked up over things that shouldn't have mattered to her before looking up at him and giving him a curt nod.

"I ate too much," she said. She assured herself it was just a white lie, and there was nothing wrong with that.

"Aww, but the main dishes haven't even arrived yet," Adam whined.

"There's always next time. You go ahead and eat, sir. It's my time to watch you enjoy yourself."

Adam's mouth twisted to the side as he pouted in disappointment. He looked down at his plate, shrugged, and started to eat the bacon wrapped dates, moaning in pleasure.

Lute couldn't help but smile at the way he threw his head back every time he took a bite as if it was the greatest invention ever made in Heaven. His reaction just looked so pure and innocent. Others around them just ate quietly, barely even reacting to the food they were eating as they talked to one another or were glued to their phones.

Adam stood on the training grounds, watching his girls sparring one another a bit rougher than usual. Lute was happy that he wasn't napping off to the side like he used to, especially when Wimdor had taken a brief detour to observe them and had given her a nod of approval before moving on.

Lute was sparring with Rebel, who swung a punch, which Lute effortlessly blocked, and in a swift motion, she swept Rebel off her feet, sending her sprawling on the ground.

"You need to work on your defense more," Lute said strictly as Rebel groaned, pushing herself up.

"Do they, though?" Adam said, bored. "Not like anyone other than Heaven can hurt ya."

"The Boss's got a point," Wildhair agreed as she and Crash halted their own sparring. "We just have to know how to attack, and we're fuckin' great at it."

Most of her sister's dismissive attitudes caused Lute to frown, while Adam directed his gaze towards the sky, observing how the clouds were formed. "Welp, it's 6 pm. Time to call it a day!" He grinned. Most of Lute's sisters let out a cheer. "See you ladies tomorrow, bright and early!"

"Yes, sir!" most of the girls chorused before they dispersed, chatting and laughing among themselves.

"Hey, Lute!" he called out, getting her attention. Vaggie, who had been standing silently, narrowed her eyes as she watched Adam stride over to Lute.

"Lepin just brought me some amazing new movies from Earth. You wanna come by and watch a couple with me?" He leaned in with an excited grin, his eyes sparkling with anticipation. "He made sure to pick up the good ones."

Lute stared at him, her expression unreadable. She hadn't gone down to his basement since he'd introduced her to the world of rock and roll. She imagined the women that had been in Adam's bed in the past and hoped she didn't find herself to be in their situation, just a one-night experience for his dick. From the corner of her eye, she noticed Vaggie, who was eyeing them with a skeptical frown.

"I've never seen a movie before," Lute said, her voice neutral.

"Of course you haven't. Looks like we need to make you a bucket list and start checking it off as soon as we can!"

Lute stared in confusion.

"Yeah, you know, stuff you've never done but gotta try. And, of course, the first thing on the list is watching movies with me!" He waggled his eyebrows playfully. "So, you comin' over then? I can even order all those delicious appetizers from Branch & Bloom, even your favorite, the brie honey cheese, since you were crazy about it last time."

"You don't have to do that," she said. "And yes, I'll come over."

"Hell, fuckin', yeah! Alright, see ya in an hour, then!" He spread his wings and took off, leaving Lute's chest feeling rather strange.

As he disappeared into the sky, Vaggie approached Lute.

"I don't want to hear it," Lute said, immediately stopping her sister from saying any remarks that would probably enrage her. "He's the one in charge here, and that means we follow his every order without question. Know your place and do exactly what you were made to do." She turned away, leaving Vaggie standing there, ignoring the worried and dejected look on Vaggie's face.

Later that evening, Lute walked down the stairs with a brave face to meet with Adam in the dimly lit basement. As she entered the room, she saw the projector silently playing some random concert clips. Tensely, Lute sat on the same chair as before. She stared at the cart filled with the appetizers he had promised.

"Sir, I told you didn't have to do this," she said as he plopped down next to her.

"It's no biggie. Now, eat up. You know you want some," he said before offering her the plate with the baked cheese surrounded by apple slices.

Smiling slightly, she dipped an apple slice into the cheese before eating. She closed her eyes just like before, enjoying the divine sensation in her mouth.

They watched two movies just as he said they would and nothing more afterwards, much to her surprise. He hadn't seduced her as she expected, which left a soft smile on her face as she slept—in her own bed back home.

"Here ya go! Part one of a growing list. First one's already checked off." Adam handed Lute a list that comprised of 10 items when she came over to his mansion the following evening.

"Guitar lessons?" Lute read aloud, glancing up at him skeptically.

"Yup! And today's your first lesson!" He beamed, holding up a new guitar to her. "And I even got you your own axe!"

And that was how Lute found herself in Adam's living room, sitting awkwardly on the couch with the guitar resting uncomfortably in her lap. Adam stood beside her, holding his golden guitar, his mask off, revealing his face.

She noticed the dark circles under his eyes were not as dark as before.

He played a couple of chords and then had her mimic him.

"Whoa, easy there, crazy thing! Don't strangle the poor thing. It's a guitar, not a monster!" Adam chuckled, leaning over to adjust her grip, which caused her to feel all sorts of soft feelings in her stomach she wasn't sure she should enjoy or not. He then gently guided her fingers into the right position while he had her strum the chords again. Well, more like fumble over the strings. "Relax those fingers."

"I'm not cut out for this," Lute grumbled, feeling inadequate as she attempted to play the notes flawlessly like him. She honestly didn't think she was capable of producing music like the other angels. She was meant to destroy, after all.

"Hey, nobody's perfect on their first try," Adam said. "Hell, even I sounded like garbage when I started. You just have to keep practicing."

She doubted his words, but her eyes narrowed down at her guitar before she tried again. The sound was still off, but Adam nodded approvingly.

"See?! You're already doing better, babe! I fuckin' call that progress!"

A blush crossed her face and determination ignited within her as Adam instructed her to play more chords.

She found playing the guitar more difficult than slaying a giant snake, but what kept her going were his beautiful golden eyes filled with warmth and pride as he watched her and the feeling of his leg softly brushing against her.

Thank you for the suppoert peeps : D

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