More to the Story

by MischaLoth

Something is wrong in Hell- other than the usual- and Lucifer has to take it upon himself to get to the bottom of it. But when old faces from Heaven pay him a visit, things are turned on their head as Lucifer starts to realize things go way deeper than he first thought. Will include a mix of lore including Lovcraftian Mythos. Subplot Pairings: Chaggie and Adam's Apple.

45. Honest Apology

Lucifer sighed, staring up at the ceiling over his head, listening to Adam's steady breathing in the other bed beside him. After throwing up like four times, the First Man had inevitably passed out face down on the pillows. Seeing Adam's drunk ass stumbling around had brought Lucifer a bit of much-needed laughter after getting fucking lectured by his perfect little clone. The worst of it had been explaining everything to Charlie who had left her own party in a rush after hearing something had happened. Seeing the fear in his daughter's face, knowing that there was nothing he could do-

No.

Michael was right.

He had put himself in that fucking situation and now he was having to live with the consequences of his own actions. It had been his decision to go. He could have been killed if Uriel hadn't gone with him, and all he did was hinder her ability to fight back.

He wanted to say he had been the hero, coming up with the plan to trick Nyarlathotep into opening the portal to Hell not knowing Michael was waiting on the other side. But in the end, the only reason they had even been in that situation was because Lucifer hadn't listened.

It sucked.

It sucked that Michael was right.

It sucked that Charlie was scared.

And it sucked the most because it was all Lucifer's fucking fault.

You fuck shit up but like... you're also trying to make things better, right? That's new for you... fixing things I mean. So obviously you're going to fuck it up a lot at first, but over time... you'll get better, then you won't be such a disaster.

Adam's words were still pinging around in his head. He rolled over in his bed to look at the First Man, passed out beside him. He didn't appear to be all that comfortable. He had half-way slid off the mattress, his neck and shoulders were crooked at an awkward angle. He'd be waking up with more than just a hangover at this rate.

Lucifer got to his hooves; he carefully lifted Adam back into the bed, putting his head back on the pillow. He tried his best not to wake him, but Adam stirred. Lucifer froze, before jumping back into his own bed. Adam made a small noise, before rolling over and going back to sleep. Lucifer let out a breath of relief. He didn't want to explain to Adam what he was doing. He got back out of the bed and pulled Adam's blanket up over him so he couldn't wake up complaining about being cold. Instead, he would probably be complaining about that fucking hangover that was most likely going to be awaiting him when he awoke. Adam was accustomed to the luxuries of Heaven, including alcohol that never got you blackout drunk and certainly wasn't accompanied by any sort of regret in the morning. Things didn't work that way in Hell. Adam would more likely than not, find himself vomiting for an entirely different reason.

Unless...

Lucifer sighed, going to the door. He looked behind him at Adam still asleep on the bed, before slipping out into the hallway. He knew what he wanted to do, but he wasn't entirely sure how he was planning on doing it.

There was no way he wanted to talk to Michael after that disaster of a conversation from earlier, but there had to be a way to...

"Master!"

"Syn, what are you doing up?" Lucifer wasn't expecting to see Syn outside of her room this late. She didn't really have a bedtime or anything like that, since she was technically a machine, but Lucifer had always felt as if a bedtime had been implied. Syn seemed to like to be in her room by a certain time with the door closed. "And... uh..." He looked her up and down seeing what looked to be one of his old dress socks dangling off of her. "What are you wearing."

"Adam is asleep; Lysander is not here; and I am unable to properly close my door because I do not have arms. And I am wearing a sock! But I assure you, Master, it has been most thoroughly knocked off."

"Uh... huh..." So, it WAS one of his old socks. The question of why came to mind, but it was honestly the least important in a series of questions his brain was currently constructing, so he dropped it. "Can't you just nudge the door closed?"

"Then who will tuck me in?"

"Tuck you in?" Lucifer blinked. That had to be a new thing, because Syn used to be just content sitting on a charging station in the hallway. (Even her desire to have her own room was something Lucifer had only found out about after Adam arrived, though according to Lysander, it was something she had been doing for a while.)

"I like to be tucked in!"

"Right, well, I can do that. But first," the Devil had an idea brewing as to how he could achieve his goals without having to look Michael in his smug, self-righteous face. (That was the reason he didn't want to see Michael, it definitely had nothing to do with the heavy knot that twisted in Lucifer's stomach as he thought about what happened with the Luck of the Pharaoh Hotel.) "Can you do me a favor?"

"Anything for you, Master!"

"Can you tell Raphael to come up here. Tell him that you need him for something, but make sure he comes alone."

"What do I need him for?"

"Well, I need him. But you are going to pretend you're the one who needs him to lure him away. Sound good?"

"Affirmative! I am very good at lying."

"Yes, you are and I'm proud of you." He patted her on the top of her little cylinder, careful not to damage her googly eyes or her little hat. "You do know which one Raphael is, don't you?" Lucifer rarely used the Archangels names around Syn, so he felt as if he had to check. Especially since Uriel was still: the Red Lady We Hate.

"Affirmative! I absolutely do!" Something in Syn's tone made the Devil narrow his eyes at her suspiciously.

"Do you really? Or are you showing off your super advanced lying skills?" Lucifer felt as if he had to ask, less she come back with Gabriel, or worse Michael. Syn's wings drooped and her colors all changed to shades of blue.

"Nooooooo."

"It's the green guy."

"Hurray!" And with that Syn went zooming off down the stairs. Lucifer trusted she would bring back the correct Archangel. They were conveniently color coded after all, and Syn knew her colors. At least, Lucifer assumed she did because she seemed to color code her lighting with her emotions. Lucifer didn't want to go back down stairs and subject himself to whatever the fuck the Archangels had gotten up to after he left. They were probably trying to figure out what made Michael purge the Corruption. Lucifer would admit, he too was curious. But he wasn't curious enough to actually venture down there and participate.

After a lecture like that, the Devil could only assume his superior clone wouldn't want to see him anyway. If Michael was so damn perfect, maybe he should just solve the entire Corruption issue on his own and Lucifer could go back to having his wallow time. It had been far too long since he had laid out on the couch, moping over all his problems in his fanciest bathrobe with a glass of wine while Syn played relaxing music.

Speaking of alcohol...

"You needed something?" Lucifer saw Raphael following Syn up the stairs. So, he WAS still hanging around. That was good for right now, as Lucifer had need of his services, but overall, that was an annoying revelation, as- at no point- had the Devil offered up his residence as an impromptu Archangel meeting ground. (The last time those assholes had all been together, his entire fucking house got blessed. It was a nightmare.)

"I did not! I lied!" Syn did a little flip in the air. She sounded so proud of herself that Lucifer felt he needed to interject before she had her spirit destroyed by a needlessly long lecture on how lying was not the heavenly thing to do.

"I wanted to ask you something."

"That makes much more sense." Raphael nodded, turning to look over at the Devil. "I wasn't sure what I was going to be able to do for young miss Syn as she's not an organic being. Not that I wouldn't have been happy to try."

"Were you deceived!?"

"Very much so." Raphael assured her. Lucifer was glad his not-brother was humoring his employee. The last thing he needed was for Raphael to crush the joy out of yet another being in Hell. (Though, Raphael, himself, had not been as big of a player in the Fall as Michael. He had fought against them, of course, but he had also offered medical care to those that had their wings severed from their bodies.) "What is it you need? Did I miss something when I was doing your checkup after the fight? Are you feeling symptomatic?"

"No, no, nothing like that." The last thing Lucifer needed was more holy water poured on him. Raphael had done enough of that after they had returned from the excursion gone wrong. And, while the burns had healed quickly, the Devil was perfectly fine never having that shit poured on him ever, ever, ever, again. "It's about Adam, he was a bit drunk when he came home."

"He was more than a bit drunk, I would say." Raphael snorted, though he seemed to be genuinely amused rather than annoyed like Lucifer was expecting. The Archangels were a bit of a judgmental lot, in Lucifer's experience.

"Okay, so, yeah, he was shitfaced." Lucifer could admit that. "I guess Gabriel explained it?" He knew Gabriel had gone to fetch Adam, and then Adam had ended up being dropped off at his door by a rather annoyed Quackers. (Drunk-Adam had been enough of a bother to get Quackers to leave his beloved kitchen, so if the First man had annoyed the Archangels, Lucifer shuddered to think about what might have been said.)

"He certainly was."

"Adam drank the eggnog from Tom!"

"I assume Tom is Hellborn?" Raphael raised an eyebrow.

"Affirmative!"

"Well, that explains a lot." The Archangel of healing seemed satisfied with this answer. "He probably didn't realize what he was drinking."

"Yeah, probably not." Lucifer made a face. "Anyway, he is going to wake up feeling like he's dying, so I was just wondering if you... I dunno... had something that could help him feel a little better?" Lucifer felt a little dumb for asking now that he and Raphael were face to face. Why had he thought this was a good idea again? Maybe he was contact-drunk from man-handling Adam back into his bed. Was that even possible? Probably not, but Lucifer had to assume Corruption, somehow, made it happen because why else would he be here talking to the Archangel of healing about a hangover cure? (They were probably too good to ever need one. And advice like: Drink in moderation wasn't really helpful after the fact.) "Never mind, I don't-"

"Yeah, I have a pretty solid hangover cure." Raphael reached into his bag and pulled out a bottle. "I'm sure he feels bad enough with the Corruption," He reached in again, pulling out a small glass. He opened the bottle, pouring a pearlescent liquid into the cup. "Have him drink this and he'll feel good as new!"

"Wait, for real?" Lucifer looked at the cup in disbelief.

"Yeah?" The eyes in Raphael's halos flicked to the cup than to Lucifer's face, then back again. "What's wrong with it?" Lucifer stared at the cup in silent contemplation for a moment before finally deciding to speak.

"I just... why the fuck do you have this?"

"I deal in all sorts of ailments. Angels have accidentally had too much to drink in the past. We're not perfect."

"But angelic booze doesn't give you a hangover."

"No, but the infernal stuff does."

"Why would you guys even have that?" Lucifer certainly hadn't been supplying Heaven with booze, and why the fuck would the angels want something like that to begin with? He saw Raphael's eyes all roll in his halos.

"Do you want the cure or not?"

"Yes." Lucifer snatched it from his hand. "But I also feel as if I should be getting a cut of the proceeds of whatever the fuck you are getting off of our booze."

"We're not getting any proceeds." Raphael put the bottle back in his bag. "If he needs more than that, I'll be downstairs. We're trying to figure out what exactly happened with Mikey. We, uh," he snorted as he seemed to recall something funny, "we know it's not wonton cruelty. Michael tried it, and it backfired spectacularly." Lucifer felt as if he had missed something. (And if it involved Michael somehow failing at something, he was a little disappointed that he had missed it. He would love to see Mr. Perfect crash and burn just once.)

"And you guys couldn't be having this discussion anywhere other than my living room? What, is Heaven closed?"

"We're not bringing Michael to Heaven unless it's urgent." Raphael replied flatly. "Also, you have an incredibly comfortable couch."

"It is nice, isn't it?" Lucifer could take the compliment, but he would have to remember to have uncomfortable furniture stored away, so he could bring it out in situations like this one where he wanted nothing more than for his current company to leave.

"We stole it!"

"We didn't steal it." The Devil might have, unintentionally, created some sort of monster by promoting Syn's desire to lie.

"Hey, I'm not judging. It's not my department. Plus, I don't know the culture of Hell. That might be normal." Raphael shrugged his shoulders. "Anyway, I best get back to it. If I stay up here too long Michael might think something is really wrong and come looking for me." Lucifer tensed at the very idea of having to face the Archangel of Judgement. (He had already had quite enough of the Bitchy Blueberry's critique for one lifetime.)

"Go."

"If you need anything else, let me know." And with that, Raphael headed back down the stairs to rejoin the others.

"Do we hate him too?" Syn fluttered over, landing lightly on Lucifer's shoulder, shifting to stare up at him with her big, plastic eyes.

"He's not the worst." The Devil didn't really need Syn ranting and raving about how much she hated each and every Archangel while they were having a meeting in his house. Plus, Raphael had just done him a favor. (Or, well, he had done Adam a favor. Lucifer didn't really care about the First Man outside of not wanting to hear him whimper in pain all morning after waking up with, what would probably be the worst hangover in the Sinner's afterlife.) He looked at the glass in his hand. "Come on, Syn, let's get you to bed."

"Bed time!" Syn started to zoom around his head.

"Yep, bed time." Lucifer headed toward the room Syn had chosen. He could see her little charging station sitting on the bed, surrounded by pillows on all sides. He assumed Lysander and Adam had helped her set things up. Lucifer placed the glass on the night stand beside the bed, careful not to put it on top of any of the papers covered in colorful squiggles that he knew to be Syn's drawings. (It was probably difficult for her to do anything too detailed, given she just had a pen taped to her and would fly around to move it, but she was- surprisingly- getting better. Lucifer could see some definite shapes in some of her more recent work.)

"Hurray!" Syn zoomed in after him, settling down on her charging station, her wings folding behind her. She wasn't quite fitting. Lucifer glanced down to see the bunched-up fabric from his sock that she was still wearing, wrapped around her lower half, preventing Syn from properly connecting with her charging station. "Oh no! I cannot get comfortable!" Syn must have realized the problem as well, as she rolled back and forth.

"You're still wearing your sock." Lucifer held out his hand. "Come on, I can help with that." Syn flew over landing on his palm. He picked her up and tugged the sock off of her so she could properly connect with her charger.

"Can I keep my sock?"

"I..." Lucifer looked at the stretched-out dress sock in his hand. It wasn't like he had any more use for it. "I guess?"

"I might need it in case I must have my socks knocked off once again."

"Sure, Syn. I'll put it right here." Lucifer folded the sock in question and placed it on the edge of the bed. It wasn't like it would do him any good after Syn had stretched it out. He had enough socks as it was, and it seemed to make Syn happy. She fluttered back onto her charger.

"Now Master can tuck me in!"

"Yeah, I can do that."

"I need my blanket."

"Blanket?" Lucifer looked at the covers of the bed, clearly still tucked in. Those would drown Syn rather than just make her comfortable.

"Yes Master! My blanket!" Syn tilted on her charger. Lucifer turned to look, and saw a small crochet doily looking item resting on one of the pillows. He picked it up. "Yes! That is it! Thank you! I need my blanket!"

"Did Charlie make this for you?"

"She did! I like it very much."

"I do too." Lucifer started tucking the 'blanket' around Syn. He would admit, he had been worried about Charlie and Syn meeting (to the point where he had literally shoved Syn in the closet to keep them apart. He did feel bad about that.) But it seemed the two got along quite well, and Charlie didn't interpret Syn's existence as the desperate cry for help that it so obviously was. "All right, all comfy?"

"Affirmative! Thank you!" Syn's lights all flashed an array of pink as she wiggled back and forth on her charger.

"Good, you get some rest." Lucifer was amused by how much Syn tried to mimic the souls around her. He wasn't sure if he had programmed that into her, or if she had just learned that sort of behavior on her own. His memories of creating Syn were fuzzy, clouded with depression and desperation. He didn't particularly like reflecting on those times. "Good night, Syn." he grabbed the glass of hangover cure off of the table and headed toward the door.

"Can you turn off the lights?"

"Of course." Lucifer flipped the light switch and watched as Syn's lights began to pulse rhythmically as she went into sleep mode. He slowly and carefully closed the door behind him. There was no one else in the hall. Lysander was probably still with his family, Syn was in bed, Quackers was back in the kitchen, and the Archangels were (thankfully) keeping to themselves. With Adam passed out back in their room, Lucifer was able to head straight back without having to subject himself to any further social interactions.

He opened the door again, glass in hand, as he looked to see Adam had rolled onto his side, curling up in a little ball beneath the blankets. Lucifer placed the glass beside Adam on the night stand that was positioned between their two beds. He looked back to see the golden guitar he had so kindly made for Adam was leaning against the wall. That was going to be a tripping hazard in the morning, Lucifer could see it now.

The Devil decided it was best to move it now before Adam fell over it while trying to get out the door when he first woke up, and ended up breaking his arm, or worse, some expensive aspect of Lucifer's furniture.

He could just un-make the guitar, but Adam had seemed so happy to get it, and a deal was a deal, even if Lucifer felt that the Shoggoth attack was not in direct relation to his dinner party and therefore shouldn't have counted against him. Still, he didn't want the First Man ranting and raving about how the Devil didn't keep his word and how Johnny got a fiddle made of gold and Adam couldn't even get a shitty T-shirt with a punny slogan.

No, the Devil could keep his word... sometimes.

He grabbed the guitar and headed toward the closet. He could put it up for now and when Adam asked about it, he could give him a lecture on how Lucifer cleaned up after himself even after a wild party, and how the First Man simply needed to get on his level. However, there was a slight issue, about which Lucifer had forgotten. An issue involving the closet that would make Lucifer's planned lecture meaningless in the long run.

The Devil opened the door and there was a loud crashing sound as hundreds of ducks fell out of the closet like some sort of waterfall.

Right.

He had been planning to do something with all of those, but then he had to talk to Charlie, and Adam needed something, and the Apocalypse threatened to come... so he had been busy and the task had slipped his mind.

Until now.

Now, he was covered in a mountain of ducks. This was somehow Adam's fault, though Lucifer had been the one to store the ducks in the closet to begin with. Still, it was easier to blame the First Man and how he had left his golden guitar just lying around.

"Nnnng... my head..." Speaking of Adam, Lucifer could hear him stirring. It seemed as if the crash had been loud enough to wake the dead from their drunken stupor. Delightful. Just what the Devil needed to finish off his shitty day.

"Drink the glass next to your bed."

"Glass...?" Adam sounded out of it, but after the amount he drank, Lucifer wouldn't be shocked if he was still a bit drunk. He heard more sounds of stirring, as he assumed Adam drank the glass of the hangover cure that Lucifer had secured.

"Yeah, I got that right from Raphael," Lucifer started trying to dig himself out from under the duck-pile. "So, you fucking owe me for-" Lucifer cut off as the ducks on top of him started to move and suddenly he was looking up at the two-toned face of the First Man. Adam seemed to be doing his best to dig him free.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, fine, just annoyed because you left your fucking shit all over the place and now, I'm having to clean up after you. Aren't you supposed to be the maid here?"

"Did I get you hurt?"

"I'm not hurt, Jesus fucking Christ, those ducks don't weigh shit." Lucifer squinted at Adam's face as the First Man offered his hand to help the Devil out of his pile of quacking humiliation. (Why he was humiliated was anyone's guess, it wasn't as if Adam didn't know about the ducks, hell, he had cleaned up more of them than anyone.)

"I'm glad." Adam's expression was one of relief. But there was something about the way he spoke, his movements, how his features seemed softer than usual despite the two-toned coloration, that made Lucifer do a double take.

"Are you still drunk?"

"Drunk?" Adam tilted his head to the side like a confused puppy as the Devil begrudgingly took his hand and Adam was able to pull him to his feet. There was definitely something different about how Adam was speaking. "What do you mean, angel?"

"Oh," Lucifer felt his cheeks flush gold at the term angel, "great, you're definitely still drunk. Or you're just fucking with me." He squinted at the First Man trying to get a better read on him. "Which one is it?"

"I'm just trying to help." Adam let out a laugh. "Now look at all of these... ducks... right? They're ducks? I like that name a lot." He put his hands on his hips looking at the mess. "We'll have to find somewhere to put them."

"It's fine. It's late. Just go back to sleep."

"You woke me up, silly." Adam was definitely acting different. There was something lighter and more fluid in his movement, and the way he was talking was just... uncanny. There was no way they had talked for this long without calling the Devil some sort of name. (Other than angel but Adam hadn't called him that since...

Fuck.

It suddenly clicked as to why Adam's speech sounded so strange. He wasn't speaking the same language that he had been using while he was down in Hell. Adam was speaking in his native tongue, a very old, ancient dialect that humans had long since lost. Lucifer's brain simply translated everything instantly so he hadn't really noticed the change aside from the slight accent in Adam's pronunciation.

"Very funny, asshole." Lucifer scoffed. This had to be a joke, right? Something Adam's drunk brain thought would be hilarious to pull on Lucifer at night when all the Devil really wanted to do was go the fuck to sleep.

"Have I done something to make you upset?" Adam looked taken aback. "Did I mess up your ducks? I didn't mean to..."

"Forget about the ducks for a second." Lucifer had to prove this was a joke. "And drop the act, you can't pull this kind of shit when you're Corrupted."

"What are you talking about?" Adam stared at him blankly. Either the First Man had taken some amazing acting lessons while in Heaven, or something was genuinely wrong with his memory. Lucifer's tail flicked in contemplation as he watched Adam squat down, staring at his hooves. "Those are new! I like them!" The Sinner caught the tail as it flicked, holding it in his hand. "This is fun too! Very different. Are you trying out a new look?"

"Adam," Lucifer took a deep breath, and in one, fell movement he had Adam pinned, on his back underneath him. He could hear a gasp from the Sinner below him as he must have knocked the breath from his lungs. "Where are you right now?"

"I don't know!"

"Where do you think you are?"

"Your home? Heaven?"

"What are the names of your children?"

"What children!?" There was an expression of genuine fear as Adam looked up at him. The mismatched eyes were wide, the golden glow of his only working eye was dulled, but not to the extent it was when he would have his blackouts or seizures. The all white, blind eye, that sat, set in the dark half of his face looked to have an almost luminescent sheen. "Why are you mad at me? What have I done?" Lucifer could see the silvery liquid that composed the tears of the Fallen First Man, gathering in the corners of his eyes. He tried to sit up, but Lucifer kept him on the ground, his arm held underneath Adam's chin, pressed against his throat.

"Don't bite me."

"Bite you!?" Adam struggled underneath him. "What are you talking about? I wouldn't-" He cut off and Lucifer instantly tensed, increasing the pressure on Adam. "Wait..." His expression was thoughtful, though the fear was still clear in his eyes. "I do have kids..." He started struggling more. "Cain, Abel, Evie- where is my family!?"

"Calm down, Adam." Lucifer didn't ease up. The last thing he needed was for the First Man to have some sort of relapse. He screwed up when it came to Nyarlathotep, he wasn't about to make another careless mistake.

"Calm down!? Are you kidding me!? You lied to me! I remember now." The First Man's eyes narrowed, silver tears starting to spill down his two-toned cheek. "I trusted you. We trusted you and you hurt us!" He was getting more agitated. Lucifer didn't move. He ignored the words spilling from Adam's lips. "Where is Evie!?"

"She's not here."

"Let me go! I'm going to tell Michael!"

"I can't let you go until I know you're not going to bite."

"What are you..." Adam trailed off again. His gaze turned inward. "I... I'm dead... I'm supposed to be in Heaven! Abel needs me! If I don't get home before dinner, he's just going to eat an entire box of cereal and-" He seemed to be remembering more and more as he spoke. "Wait... no... I'm not in Heaven... am I?"

"No."

"I'm in... Hell..." The accent faded from Adam's words, the harshness returned to his features, he looked angry, then sad, and finally... defeated. He relaxed, no longer struggling against the Devil's choke-hold. "... fuck."

"Are you back?" Lucifer didn't let up.

"Yeah."

"Prove it."

"I played Mammonopoly with Lysander, Syn, and Lysander's family today. If you check the pocket of my robes, you should find Mammonopoly money. I was playing for Syn because she has no arms and I have little to no concept of money."

"What did you get me for Sinsmas?" Lucifer raised his hand and Adam's robe, which had been carelessly tossed to the ground as the Sinner readied himself for bed, floated over. He used his tail to reach in the pockets, finding a wad of Mammonopoly money. That explained how the alcohol got brought into play. Who didn't need a stiff drink after a game of Mammonopoly? It was like a crash-course in: why not to trust your friends.

"The stupid fucking duck!"

"And do you feel dizzy? Sick? Confused?"

"No. I'm fine, get off me."

"... okay." Lucifer slowly eased up. He grabbed Adam by the chin, before a muzzle appeared over his mouth.

"Are you shitting me?"

"I have to be careful."

"I'm fine!" Adam pulled at the muzzle trying to get it off, but there was no point. Lucifer let him tire himself out. Eventually Adam gave up, moving to sit on his bed, holding his face in his hands. "Goddamnit."

"You had an episode of memory loss, I was simply-"

"I know what happened." Adam snapped at him, cutting the Devil off before he could explain himself any further.

"This... isn't the first time?" Lucifer hesitated. There was something in Adam's tone and demeanor that suggested he was more aware of the scenario at hand than usual. Typically, after an episode, Adam came out confused. "Adam." Lucifer spoke a little more severely as the First Man sat in silence, holding his head.

"What?"

"You can't just go quiet on me like that. I need to know you're not about to go completely... I dunno.. feral. Now..." Lucifer took a deep breath; he moved closer to where Adam was sitting on the bed. The muzzle was still on him securely, so, outside of Adam bleeding on him, Lucifer was fairly safe. "Can we talk about what just happened?"

"No."

"Has this happened before?" He went for a gentler tone. Adam looked rather upset, and the Devil knew stress wasn't good for him. Again, he was met by silence. "Look, I'm not trying to be a dick, I just need to know. If something is happening to you, I want to..." I want to help you. That was what Lucifer had been about to say, but after everything they just went through, it felt like it was in poor taste. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Adam's tone was cold, but at least he sounded like the Adam who had been down in Hell with Lucifer the whole time. The way he was talking earlier... It sounded like Adam back before the Fall. He was so bright, so cheerful... so full of hope and life. Though... that Adam did have a darker side, from the stories Lilith had told him. Still... seeing him like that again... it didn't feel great. It reminded Lucifer of a time when they would lie together, beneath the stars, talking about all the possibilities of the future.

"Adam..." Lucifer closed his eyes for a moment. There was that heavy feeling again, twisting in his stomach like a knife, weighing down every move he made, forcing his heart to try to fight its way out of his chest. One would think, as the Devil, he would be immune to a petty emotion such as guilt. However, seeing Adam's face looking up at him as he realized what had happened... as the memories of the Fruit of Knowledge and the snake all came flooding back...

"What?" Adam looked over, realizing the Devil had gone silent, lost in his own thoughts. Lucifer took a seat so that he and the Sinner were side-by-side. His fingers curled up on the sheets, tightening into fists. He breathed in slowly, trying to ease the feelings inside of him. After everything that had happened with the hotel, the last thing in the world Lucifer needed was to be reminded of what went down during the Fall. Adam's words were still ringing in his head.

We trustedyou and you hurt us!

"Look..." Lucifer couldn't shake the image of Adam's face, contorted in rage, tears spilling from the corners of his eyes as that realization hit. "I'm... not a good person." Adam gave an audible snort in response.

"I mean, you're not even a person."

"No, that's fair." Lucifer already missed the First Man's drunken personality. He cleared his throat; this wasn't easy for him. But he felt like he had to do it. That heavy feeling in the pit of his stomach was almost torture at this point, and he couldn't help but wonder if this might... somehow alleviate it. "I just... wanted to say... I'm sorry."

"For the muzzle? Yeah, you fucking should be. Get it off me."

"No, not for that. The muzzle is a safety precaution." Lucifer was trying to have a moment here, but Adam was ruining it. He snapped and the muzzle finally released. Adam immediately massaged his face.

"I thought we were never doing the muzzle again."

"I never once said that. Now shut the fuck up and listen."

"Geeze, who crawled up your ass and died?"

"Adam, I'm sorry I hurt you!" Lucifer practically shouted the words as he tried to get his heartfelt apology out over the constant stream of sarcasm from the First Man.

"The muzzle was annoying but it wasn't painful."

"I mean in Eden!"

"Eden?" Adam made that motion where his head tilted to the side once again and Lucifer felt that pang of guilt twisting inside of him.

"What I did with the Fruit of Knowledge, to you, to Eve, getting you to eat it." Lucifer hadn't thought about that day in a long time. It always felt like a big accomplishment for him, for Lilith. They had proved their love to Heaven and given humanity the chance to truly grow. The Fall, the fight, it had all been simply because Heaven didn't understand- they couldn't understand- they refused to understand. The other angels didn't see things the way Lucifer could. It was traumatic to be cast out, but a part of the Devil still saw the whole event as triumphant in the long run. But with Lilith gone, Michael's lecture still heavy in his heart, and Adam wrought with Corruption... what was it even for?

"You're sorry?" Adam repeated the words, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, I'm sorry."

"Why are you being weird?"

"I'm not being weird! I just... you made me think about Eden again. And... I dunno... I'm sorry." Lucifer had really remembered that time differently, and seeing Adam acting like he did back then, opened his eyes a little more. "I'm sorry about Lilith too..." he stared at his hands, resting them on his lap. He heard Adam make some sort of strange noise between a laugh, and snort, and a scoff.

"I'm not. Lilly and I weren't good for each other. And apparently, you weren't good for her either."

"Still..." Lucifer winced at Adam's comment, immediately trying to shift the subject back to the tree and away from his failed marriage.

"Look, what happened, happened, and you can't change that now. But in your own weird, twisted little way, you are kind of making up for it now. I mean..." Adam shifted on the bed, drawing his knees up to his chest. "You didn't have to help me. You could have just left me to suffer down here."

"I technically couldn't let you just run amok; you have a highly contagious, highly dangerous magical form of rabies that could spread throughout Hell."

"It's not rabies. Don't call it that." Adam crinkled his nose at the word, Lucifer found a smile weaseling onto his lips at the image. "It makes me sound like an animal."

"Well, you are legally my bitch."

"Shut the fuck up!" Adam pushed against Lucifer's chest. He wasn't pushing hard; it was more playful than angry. But even if he had been using all his might the Devil was too strong to move. He might as well have been shoving a brick wall. "Look, you could have just killed me."

"Now you tell me."

"Too late to change plans now, you would never find another cook that knows what you like and can work with Quackers. Face it, you're stuck with me."

"Damn."

"Sucks to suck." Adam flopped backward, so he was partially on the bed once more, staring up at the ceiling. Lucifer followed his lead. Now they were both on their backs, staring up at what were just plain white tiles. Lucifer felt he needed to decorate his ceiling more. He used to be the Morning Star, after all, he created the sky the humans loved. He should at least have a painting or something for them to look at. It reminded him vaguely of the times back in Eden where they would lie together watching the stars and Lucifer would explain each one he made, and Adam would tell him how he could draw shapes in the sky using only the stars for guidance.

"You think," Lucifer lifted his hand and the ceiling above them turned black, pinpricks of light appeared in the darkness, simulating a starry sky that neither of them could see from Hell. "Maybe the alcohol had something to do with it? The memory lapse, I mean."

"I..." Adam seemed hesitant to reply. Lucifer could hear him sigh heavily. "No. It's happened before." He stirred, reaching under his pillow and pulling out what looked to be a small notebook. "It got better when we started sharing a room, so I thought it had stopped all together."

"How long has it been going on?" Lucifer looked over at the notebook in Adam's hands as he thumbed through it in the dark. He could see notes Adam had written in a very ancient dialect. Lucifer recognized the words instantly. They were simple instructions, things like: Drink water and affirmations like You are okay or you look different, but do not be afraid. The idea of Adam waking up with no memory of where he was and how he had gotten there, even if it were brief, was a little terrifying. Hell was bad enough when you knew you were there but Adam had to remember over and over again.

"I don't know." Adam closed the notebook, shoving it under his pillow once again. Lucifer wasn't sure if the First Man realized the Devil was capable of reading the text, despite the darkness and how rapidly Adam had flipped through the pages. "A while? It's hard to say."

"Did it happen in Heaven?"

"Y... yeah."

"Did you ever see one of the medical angels about it?"

"No. Bad stuff isn't supposed to happen to you in Heaven. When it started, I thought... ugh, never mind." Adam sat up. Lucifer could guess where Adam's mind went. He probably convinced himself he was Falling which would only panic him more, worsening the Corruption inside of him. And now? Now Adam was in Hell, which probably only proved his worst fears. Lucifer took a deep breath as he sat up alongside Adam.

"Memory loss has nothing to do with Falling. I should know."

"I dunno, your memory about the Fall seems hazy at best. At least, if that somewhat entertaining ride in your theme park is any indication."

"Somewhat entertaining?" Lucifer laughed waving his wrist elegantly in the air, holding up his index and middle finger. "Oh please, you screamed." The photo from the ride materialized in between the two outstretched fingers. He used his claws to carefully turn it so Adam could see he, Lucifer, and Lysander all on the ride. Lysander seemed to be having the time of his life in the back. Adam had his arms wrapped around Lucifer, face terrified, and the Devil himself was smug, laughing inwardly (and a bit outwardly) knowing he had succeeded. "But my incredibly fun ride aside, I remember the Fall. I haven't suffered any issues with my memory before or after it happened." The inconsistencies in the tale were more a matter of perspective than anything else. "The Fall messes with you physically, emotionally, but it doesn't mess with your memory. Corruption does. It eats away at what you are, your soul, your essence, your mind until you're just a husk, a shell of your former self shambling around while your flesh is paraded like a skin suit for whatever abomination you become." As he spoke, Lucifer could see Adam's face becoming increasingly uncomfortable.

"You... uh... paint a vivid picture."

"Well, I've seen this all before. Just not in a long time."

"Am I... going to be okay?"

"Yeah." Lucifer actually had no idea, but if the Devil was good at one thing, it was lying. "You've been doing a good job purging the Corruption. I think you'll recover." The truth of the matter was, that even if by some miracle, Adam was able to completely get rid of the Corruption inside of him, there was no guarantee that there wouldn't be some lingering... side effects, given the severity of his Corruption and length of time he suffered with it.

"Thanks. You're a good liar."

"I'm not lying." He probably was, but until this was all over there was really no way to tell. "But you should get more sleep, you have a breakfast to cook me in the morning." Lucifer hopped off the bed, walking back to the much larger and more comfortable bed that he could enjoy all by himself.

"I'm shocked I'm not completely hungover." Adam kicked his legs up and laid them on top of his bed, looking up at the make-shift stars in the sky. And while he didn't comment on them directly, Lucifer could see him smile. (Adam's face looked a little like the night sky, the pale, empty white eye that sat on the shadowy side of his face looked like the full moon. The light coming from that side of his mouth was like a star.)

"Raphael made you a hangover cure."

"Oh shit, he's still here?"

"I think they all are, unfortunately." Lucifer didn't have the desire nor the mental capacity to go down and actually check. That would mean facing Michael.

"I hope they didn't bless anything on the way to the kitchen." Adam lifted the covers and wormed his way underneath them. "I was going to make crepes."

"Oh, that sounds good, actually." Lucifer looked over, watching Adam getting comfortable again. The lighting in the room dimmed as Adam's glowing eyes closed. Lucifer could see the faint glow from his mouth as his body relaxed, his lips parted, and he passed back out.

He was probably still shaking off the effects of that eggnog. Lucifer could let him sleep.

The Devil allowed himself to sleep as well, maybe getting some rest could put the horrible day behind him.

He awoke to the door being thrown open. Lucifer immediately sat up, his wings flared out, his horns protruding out from his skull as he blinked awake to see none other than Adam standing in the doorway with a spoon in his hand still covered in batter that Lucifer hoped hadn't been dripping all over his floor. Syn was riding on his shoulder, also covered in some sort of batter. Lucifer feared for the state of his hallways.

"Good morning/afternoon, Master! It is another hellishly warm morning! With only a fifteen perfect chance of acid rain! Charlie has sent a reminder that Vox leaves the Hotel today and that she loves you and hopes to see you later. And you have a text from Charon informing you that the Apocalypse did not occur last night!" Syn launched into her morning spiel and Lucifer was forced to wonder why Charon thought it was necessary to text him when the Apocalypse didn't happen, given that he felt that would be self-explanatory.

"Are you planning on getting your ass up any time soon?" Adam had another apron on, this one with a holiday themed pun on the front. Lucifer was starting to wonder how much of Adam's paychecks went to aprons, as the Devil hadn't seen him wear the same one twice.

"It is food time!"

"No. I'm comfortable." Lucifer retracted his wings and horns before flipping backward onto the bed once more. He turned his head toward Adam. "Why? Do you need something?"

"You need to eat your fucking breakfast- or... lunch. Well, it was going to be breakfast but you've been sleeping for fucking ever so it's lunch time. Now we're having brunch and it's kind of all your fault."

"Brunch is a perfectly respectable meal, so stop your whining and give it to me."

"It's downstairs."

"Is Michael there?"

"Yeah, they all are. But don't worry I made enough for everyone. Luckily the Arcs don't eat more than a moderate amount because they think it's rude."

"We even have the red-haired lady that we hate!"

"I... can't go down there." Lucifer was glad Lysander was still with his family if the Archangels were just going to hang out in their default forms. "You have to bring the food to me."

"I left your seat open for you; you can absolutely go down there."

"No, I can't." Lucifer pulled the covers up more so they reached under his chin. "I don't want to talk to Michael." Lucifer didn't think he could ever face Michael again after the clone went off on him. His pride was more wounded than his body had been after the Shoggoth.

"That is not true! Master can do anything!"

"Is it because you two had like a spat or something over the hotel thing?" Adam must have retained some information from when he had been stumbling around, shitfaced. Syn tried to fly over to join Lucifer, but Adam, thankfully, pulled her back as she definitely had food on her.

"It wasn't a spat, but yes."

"You guys fight all the time, I don't really see how this is any different. I mean, I am pretty sure I said something weird to him last night because he won't look me in the eye and Uriel keeps giggling. But they're Archangels, they're forgiving by nature. So, get over yourself and get some food."

"Wait, what did you say to Michael?" Lucifer perked up; it seemed like there was a funny story there that he was missing out on. Adam shrugged.

"Dude, I don't remember. I think I hit on him."

"You told him: I like it when you talk down to me." Syn parroted the words in Adam's own voice and Lucifer nearly choked on his own breath. He had almost forgotten Syn's weird habit of recording everything, but he had never been more grateful. That was gold.

"WHAT!?"

"Oh, yeah, that explains why he's being standoffish." Adam didn't seem nearly as concerned as Lucifer thought he might, given that he had inadvertently tried to flirt with the Archangel Michael.

"What was the lead up to that!?" Lucifer finally managed to catch his breath.

"Michael was mean to Adam."

"Why?" Lucifer squinted. That wasn't really Michael's brand so to speak. "And also, your first reaction was not to question his behavior, but rather tell him you were into it?"

"I was drunk." Adam shrugged. "And I am into it. Why do you think Lilly and I stayed together for as long as we did? Archangels can't kink-shame, by the way. It's illegal."

"Please just stop talking. I will do anything." Lucifer put his face in his hands, his tail curling around his body. He was, somehow, more embarrassed than Adam was, and the First Man was the one who had lived it. The Sinner smirked clearly amused by the Devil's reaction.

"Will you go downstairs and eat?"

"No, never."

"But Master will be hungry!"

"It's okay Syn, if Lucifer wants to be a big baby and hide away from his problems, he can do that. But since I am an adult, I will go downstairs and ask Michael if he would like another crepe." Adam was making direct eye contact with Lucifer. "And maybe see if he enjoys knowing my kink."

"I'm not hiding!" Lucifer swiftly stood, grabbing the blankets with one arm and throwing them back in a fluid motion so he was briefly hidden by the blankets and when he emerged, he was dressed in his suit, top hat, bowtie, and all. "Idiot human, the Devil does not hide. I was simply exhausted from dealing with your bullshit all last night." Adam had called his pride into question. Lucifer knew it was a trick, but at the same time, he knew he would have to face Michael eventually. And, it sounded like Adam had made a complete ass of himself the night before, so it might have thrown Michael out of his angry funk. It would be easier to deal with him when he was confused than it would be to deal with him after he had time to sit and silently seethe.

"Idiot human."

"Don't teach her that." Adam narrowed his eyes. "Now, get your ass to the table before the food gets cold."

"If it does, I'll just force you to make me some more up fresh~" Lucifer gave him a smug little smirk as he walked past. He had to deal with Michael, but if he went now, he could do it on his own terms. The last thing he needed after being called out like that, was Michael having to break down the door to his room in order to hurl more insults. If that was going to happen, the least Lucifer could do was make a show of it.

"No." Adam followed him down the stairs and into the dining area where the archangels were already sitting. Michael stood up the moment Lucifer arrived.

"Lucifer I-"

"Not now, Michael, it's breakfast. And it's rude to make a scene at breakfast." Lucifer's chair pulled itself out and he took a seat as The Archangels all exchanged uncertain glances- or at least, their halos did, the eyes on their faces were focused on the food. "Uriel, dear, how are you feeling after everything?"

"O-oh!" Uriel seemed taken aback by the question. "I'm actually doing quite well, all things considered."

"It could have been much worse." Raphael agreed before an awkward, heavy silence fell over them all again.

"Adam, food." Lucifer filled the void by snapping his fingers in the direction of the First Man. Uriel giggled as Adam rolled his eyes.

"Keep your fucking pants on, you just sat down." Adam vanished through the swinging double doors, back into the kitchen.

"Master is mean to Adam because Adam enjoys it!" Syn decided to recollect her recording to everyone at the table and Uriel started giggling. Lucifer was glad he didn't have food or a drink, because it might have ended up all over Gabriel's face (he was the one sitting directly across from the King of Hell). Michael's cheeks tinted a bit golden as Gabriel put his face in his hands. Raphael seemed completely unphased by the announcement, eating his blueberry crepe quite contently as he scrolled on his phone.

"You... you do not need to announce that, Syn." Michael spoke gently. Lucifer was almost glad he had joined the breakfast as it wasn't everyday he got to watch the Archangel get flustered. "Adam wasn't himself when he said it."

"He was drunk!"

"Yes, he was." Gabriel returned to his food, but Lucifer swore he saw a hint of amusement in his expression.

"Take your fucking food, asshole." Adam reappeared and put the plate down in front of Lucifer. The food smelled incredible, the crepes were never the prettiest, but the taste was something Lucifer found to more than make up for the presentation.

"So, how long are you guys planning on staying?" Lucifer began to eat as Adam vanished into the kitchen once again, probably to grab his own food.

"We're heading home today; we've just been trying to figure out what... you know... happened with Michael last night." Gabriel replied politely. Lucifer was relieved to hear that news as it would get all but a certain clone out of his hair. "We have ruled out being needlessly cruel. So, we're making progress." The Devil snorted.

"Have you tried being cruel to someone who isn't turned on by it? It may not work if you just make them horny."

"I really don't think-" Michael began to speak, clearly flustered, but Lucifer cut him off without hesitation.

"You could try being cruel to me."

"I... don't want to do that." Michael avoided eye-contact.

"But you're so good at it." Lucifer was still upset about what had happened the night before; he couldn't help but try and put Michael down. However, the matter of Michael purging the Corruption was important. The Devil sighed. "Plus, you won't really be able to rule it out if you didn't actually offend the target."

"I think we can rule it out." Michael replied quickly.

"Maybe it was the fact that-" Lucifer started to speak, but Adam came back out. (They were being vague enough that Syn wouldn't be alarmed, but Adam would definitely ask follow up questions, and Lucifer didn't need the First Man stressing out over the fact that an Archangel was sick with Corruption.) "There you are."

"Yeah, I had to give Quackers his share." Adam pulled out the seat beside Lucifer, which was slowly just becoming the chair he always chose.

"What does he do with it?" Lucifer was wondering why every single one of his creations seemed to try and play human. He looked at Syn who was rolling around on her very sticky crepes. Adam shrugged his shoulders.

"I dunno, man."

"He eats them!"

"Right." Lucifer knew for a fact that Quackers did not eat them, as Quackers did not have a digestive system, but it wasn't worth correcting Syn.

The brunch was awkward, but Lucifer kept his head held high. They avoided the topic of the day before as if it were the Corruption itself. Still, there was a very uneasy air in the conversation, which never really dipped below the level of: small-talk. Lucifer knew they had to address the elephant in the room eventually, but he and Michael would have to talk. Lucifer was determined not to let the Archangel know how much the words stung, how they had wormed their way into his brain and were weighing heavy in his chest.

He was going to show Michael just how much he wasn't bothered.

"Lucifer, can we talk?" As expected, Michael pulled him aside as the breakfast finally came to an end. "In private?"

"I suppose I can find some time. I am quite busy today." Lucifer tried to keep his tone nonchalant as he glanced to the side at the angel.

"You are behind on your self-care and wal-"

"That's enough, Syn." Lucifer gently pushed the little helper aside with his hand. "Wh... why are you still sticky?"

"I just ate!"

"Adam hasn't cleaned you off yet?"

"He has not!"

"ADAM! Sorry Michael, just a second," Lucifer turned away from the Archangel in question. "HEY JACKASS!"

"WHAT!?" The answer came from behind the closed double doors that lead to the kitchen. Lucifer had expected Adam to come out and talk. But if he was just going to stay over there, it was fine by him. Lucifer could shout.

"SYN IS STICKY!"

"OKAY?" Adam seemed to be missing the point. "SHE JUST ATE! THAT'S TO BE EXPECTED!"

"SYN IS STICKY AND I DO NOT WANT HER TO BE STICKY! GET HER CLEANED OFF BEFORE SHE MAKES A MESS!"

"YOU WASH HER OFF!"

"I AM IN A MEETING WITH MICHAEL!"

"AND!? I'M DOING DISHES!"

"Do... you want to move closer to him?" Michael interjected, the eyes in the halos had been ping-ponging around to watch the conversation as if it were a tennis match, though Michael's face stayed focused on Lucifer.

"No, this is fine," Lucifer assured him before raising his voice again. "SO, YOU'RE ALREADY CLEANING SHIT YOU CAN JUST CLEAN HER TOO!"

"QUACK!" Quackers piped up from behind the closed door.

"YEAH!" Adam added. "WHAT HE SAID!"

"YOU KNOW I DON'T KNOW WHAT HE SAID! AND I AM ALMOST POSITIVE YOU DON'T KNOW EITHER!" Lucifer shouted back. He took a deep breath. "Syn, can you go with Adam so that I can have this important meeting with Michael?"

"Affirmative! I will add him to the meeting group chat!"

"Don't do that." The last thing Lucifer needed was to have the Archangels in the same group chats as the Seven Deadly. He didn't need Mammon trying to sell shit to Heaven, or worse, have Satan telling the Arcs about how Lucifer had been ditching out on meetings. (In his defense, he left a note.) But Syn was already off, pushing her way through the double doors, smearing icing and syrup all over the fine wood in the process. Oh well, at least she was gone. Lucifer straightened up, turning to face Michael. "We can talk in my office."

"Okay." Michael nodded agreeably as he followed Lucifer up the stairs and into the office. He closed the door behind him as Lucifer took a seat at his desk. "I..." Michael inhaled deeply. "I want to talk about last night."

"What about it?" Lucifer kept his tone even as he looked Michael directly in the eyes on his face. "I made some mistakes; I can admit that." It was actually incredibly hard for Lucifer to admit that, but he couldn't let the Archangel see it. "You went off on me, and then purged for... what I'm assuming is the first time?"

"It was."

"Have you figured out what caused it?"

"I have not... no. Are you really okay-"

"I think it's honesty." Lucifer leaned back in his chair. This wasn't the first time the two had been alone in his office, and the last time hadn't ended great.

"Excuse me?"

"Honesty. I think you purge when your honest the way Adam does when he's kind. Same basic principle, at least."

"That... doesn't make sense." Michael shook his head. "I'm always honest, I'm an Archangel, that's literally in my programming."

"Yes, and no." Lucifer leaned back in his chair. "You are honest about some things, but not about your negative thoughts. Not about anything bad. You are constantly making sure everyone is convinced that we are not on the verge of a crisis to the point where you will skirt the truth. You'll do it to save other people, but that's not being honest, is it?"

"I don't understand." Michael's eyes narrowed. "I'm plenty honest."

"Yeah, you'd be honest if I asked you something basic like, what kind of ice-cream do you like. But..." Lucifer tented his fingers trying to formulate an example. "Michael," he spoke with authority, "Do you like all the ducks around my mansion?"

"I mean... they're nice. I know you like ducks-"

"Do you think my mansion is perfect and spotless, and the envy of everyone who looks upon it?" Lucifer's mansion had not been in the best shape when Michael had arrived, and that was without accounting for the giant hole in it made by the Shoggoth (and later War Horse). Adam kept it in... decent condition, but Lucifer could see the concern in Michael's face when he first saw the bedroom, before Adam had moved in, with the old food boxes, the discarded clothing, and the ducks scattered everywhere.

"It's... lovely."

"Especially my bedroom when you first got here."

"Oh... yes, I... liked the duvet."

"Tell me how flawless you thought it was."

"It... had a lot of personality."

"You can't do it. See? You're using Angel-speak to avoid my questions because your too fucking perfect to hurt my feelings."

"I'm not perfect, Lucifer, I-" Michael tried to speak, but Lucifer felt as if it was best to keep pushing the Archangel to understand.

"Even if it would literally be the cure, you can't let yourself be anything less than the amazing, flawless Archangel."

"That's not true!"

"Then prove it. Tell me what you thought of my room. Tell me how you think this whole War on the Old Ones is going. Tell me what you think of my Kingdom? My Fellow Sins? My wife?" He fired off the questions one after another in rapid succession, refusing to let Michael get a word in. He knew it was working when he felt the room grow colder, one of the eyes in the halo that went around his forehead twitched.

"I thought your room was a cry for help! Okay? I thought it looked like you were suffering and that you needed help!"

"And?" Lucifer pushed him.

"And I feel like you aren't taking any of this seriously!"

"Keep going.

"Your Kingdom is nothing but chaos! No one could even tell if Corruption hit because there's barely any organization. The other Rings seem better, but that's probably because the other Sins are the ones keeping it that way. Most of them at least seem to be hands on- Satan being the most organized of them, which is honestly makes him kind of attractive. And I have never liked you with Lilith because you were bad for each other! You brought out the worst in one another and that resulted in you leaving us!"

"There you go." Lucifer sat back, propping his feet up on the desk a confident smile on his face, despite the harsh words, as Michael let out everything that had been building up inside him. "Wait... what was that about Satan?"

"I- I'm going to be sick." Michael grabbed the trash can by the desk and started heaving heavily into it. The smell of Corruption quickly filling the room. The good thing about Michael purging, versus Adam, was that Michael burned the vomit the moment he finished.

"It's like I said. Lucifer stood in his chair so he could put one foot on his desk and look down at Michael who was leaned over the trashcan. "Honesty."

"Y... you were right." Michael looked up at him, his eyes were wide. Lucifer couldn't help but feel a wave of satisfaction.

"I know. I usually am."

"Right." The eyes in Michael's halos squinted at him.

"Look, you may be used to doing everything yourself and keeping all those big bad emotions locked away so you don't hurt anyone's fragile feelings, but this is Hell, Michael, I'll hear worse shit if I just walk down the street."

"I... guess..."

"LUCIFER!" The door to his office flew open and Adam ran in. Lucifer was about to lecture him about interrupting but one look at Adam's face shut him up. The First Man looked frantic, borderline feral. They needed to calm him down before he relapsed.

"Adam? What's wrong?" Michael must have noticed too because he was immediately guiding the First Man to one of the chairs in the room. Adam was shaking.

"It's Cain! Cain's in danger! I have to- I-"

"Breathe, Adam, just breathe." Lucifer was instantly in front of him, moving Michael to the side so he could put either hand on Adam's shoulders. He needed to keep him as calm as possible. "Where is Cain right now?"

"Doomsday district, he says there are monsters."

"I'll go." Michael's sword appeared but Lucifer grabbed his wrist with his tail. There was no way he could let Michael go out with that shoulder injury.

"No, you won't."

"I..." Michael's eyes narrowed a moment, but he took a deep breath, the sword vanishing. "No, you're right."

"I'll go." Lucifer went to stand. Michael gave him a look.

"Really? After the last time?"

"It's just monsters-" Lucifer started to protest but Adam interrupted.

"He needs help!"

"Gabriel." Michael looked Lucifer in the eyes and the Devil gave a reluctant nod. (He supposed he didn't really have a leg to stand on after he botched the last mission.)

"Yeah, send Gabriel."

"On it." Michael hurried out of the room and Lucifer refocused his attention on making sure that Adam didn't start biting.

"It's okay. Cain is going to be okay." He kept his tone confident and calm. "That asshole has made it this long in Hell. I don't think he's going anywhere." It was almost surprising how much Adam truly loved his sons. The image Lucifer had built up for Adam in his head after years of separation had him incapable of caring about anything that wasn't himself. "And he called you for help. That's a big step."

"You think so?" Adam perked up.

"Oh, for sure. And once Gabriel gets back with him, maybe we can all do something fun." Lucifer just wanted to get Adam's mind in a happier place.

"Not Mammonopoly. Syn is crazy."

"Okay, not Mammonopoly. BUT we could go to Lu Lu World!" They had been talking about the Fall the night before and it was still fresh on his mind.

"Does Cain like Lu Lu World?"

"He does when there aren't a lot of people." Lucifer snorted.

"I..." Adam looked up at him, he seemed a little more relaxed. "I think I'd like that." Lucifer eased up on his grip.

"And maybe this time you can use your money, rather than almost starting a fight."

"I don't know about all that."

"You have money now, jackass." Lucifer was distracted as the door opened once again and Michael returned.

"Cain is fine." The Archangels words sent a visible wave of relief over Adam. "As are Victor and Veronica who were with him."

"Wait, Victor Oxton again?" Lucifer had to assume via context clues that the Veronica in question was Veronica Lettoli who went by Velvette in Hell.

"Yeah." Michael nodded.

"That guy keeps finding trouble." Lucifer shook his head.

"But Cain is alright?" Adam was less interested in the Vees and far more interested in the Agricultural Overlord.

"He's fine, Adam." Michael smiled gently. "We'll still have Raphael look everyone over, but Gabriel said that they seemed to be in good condition when he arrived.

"Thank fucking God." Adam finally relaxed, but it only lasted a second before he sat back up. "That means we're going to Lu Lu world!" He pumped his fist in the air. "Though we should make sure that Lysander gets invited.

"What?" Michael blinked, clearly confused as he had been gone when Adam and Lucifer had made the executive decision to take a trip.

"We'll invite him." Lucifer assured him, ignoring Michael's comment. "You get Cain over here and then, yeah, I guess we're going to Lu Lu World."