"What do you want, Alastor?" Adam asked, heaving a deep sigh and not turning the bar stool to face the radio demon. Adam saw Husk's face turn annoyed as he heard the telltale tapping come close behind him.

"There's Lucifer's new pet. Left you alone again, did he? Where did your master go this time?" Alastor asked, leaning in towards Adam slightly. Just as Adam was about to speak, Husk spoke first.

"Adam's not alone. He's with me until Lucifer gets back from his errand." Husk replied.

"Oh, so Lucifer found himself a sitter this time. Look at me, Pet. I don't appreciate being ignored when I'm speaking."

Adam turned the barstool around. He stood up to face Alastor, squaring his shoulders, lifting his chin, and standing as tall as he could. When he'd worn his heeled boots, he was eye to eye with the deerlike demon, but now with flat shoes on he was forced to look up at Alastor, if only by a few inches.

"What do you want, Alastor?" Adam repeated, more slowly than the first time. He felt slightly more comfortable than the last time Alastor had sought him out. The angel thought he was safer with Husk present. Alastor grinned down at him, seeming to enjoy looking down at the slightly shorter man.

"I've been so curious to find out how your first outing into hell went. Unfortunately, Lucifer was rather rude yesterday, rushing off with barely a word… Do tell me how it went, Pet. Did you enjoy yourself?" Alastor's tone was deceptively friendly. He kept his eyes locked on Adam, appearing to completely ignore Husk.

"Not too much to tell, really. We went shopping, had dinner, then we came back. Oh, wait, one interesting thing did happen. In the clothes store some huge, dumbass bastard dared to put his hands on me. Lucifer threw him around and bounced him off the floor like a kid with a ball. Then when he decided they'd had enough, he threw him out a window." Adam's gold eyes glared into Alastor's red eyes.

"My, my, that must have been quite a show for you. Hopefully, you'll take that minor display of power as a lesson. With that kind of strength, you wouldn't want to be a disobedient pet and make Lucifer punish you. Imagine what he could do to YOU if he wanted." Alastor lowered his voice on the last sentence, making for a disquieting remark.

"Anyway, I was glad to get back to the hotel after the trip. Everyone out there wants a piece of me. At least here only you do." Adam snipped.

Alastor couldn't restrain the urge to laugh. His laughter was a dark chuckle that sent a chill up both Adam and Husk's spines. Neither knew why he was laughing, and neither was certain they wanted to know.

"Okay you're being creepy. Why are you laughing?" Adam dared to ask.

"Oh, no reason. Just a little inside joke. Forget about it, forget about it. Now, let me have a good look at you. Lucifer rushed you by me so fast yesterday I hardly had the chance to see your new clothes." Alastor waved it off and changed the subject.

He took a step back and looked Adam over almost as intently as Yvette had the night before. Adam felt like he was being inspected like a dog after a trip to the groomers. Even so, Adam decided it was best to keep still and let Alastor look at him, so long as the radio demon did not try to touch him. Alastor made no moves to do so, and only looked until he was satisfied with his inspection.

"I was waiting to see what kind of clothes you'd come home with after your little outing. It appears your shopping trip went well. Don't you look spiffy?" Alastor's tone sounded genuine. Adam raised one eyebrow at him, as he could find no backhanded meaning in this seemingly real compliment.

"Um, thank you?" Adam responded hesitantly. Husk lowered his ears with annoyance, knowing the punchline was coming.

"Did you suddenly develop a sense of style since coming to hell, or did your master dress up his little doll?" Alastor asked. Adam rolled his eyes.

"There it is." Adam said flatly.

"Ha, ha, ha, but seriously. You DO look very well dressed. Hellish attire suits you far better than those unsightly, shapeless heavenly robes did." Alastor took a step closer to Adam, resuming the stance they had been in before Alastor looked Adam over.

"I'm definitely better dressed than YOU are. I don't look like a strawberry pimp." Adam retorted. His hands were at his side and he was leaning in subtly towards Alastor. The deer demon did not appear bothered by the lack of personal space. If anything, he seemed amused.

"Adam, why don't you come sit back down?" Husk suggested, trying to avoid Adam getting too heated. He could already see Adam clenching his fists. Adam followed the instruction and sat back down, turning his back towards Alastor again. Alastor decided to respond by following the angel to the bar and seating himself at the barstool next to Adam, making Adam groan with annoyance.

"Oh come now, don't be rude little pet. I'm only trying to socialize with you. Be a good boy and talk to me. You must learn to be sociable with more people than just your master." Alastor said smoothly.

"I WAS being sociable with Husk until we were interrupted. And who the fuck are you to be calling me little? What do you weigh? MAYBE a hundred pounds sopping wet? I could carry you on my shoulder like a sack of potatoes." Adam side eyed Alastor as he spoke.

"You seem to be doing better today. It's good to see you finally drop that obvious, useless facade you were trying to hide behind. How are you settling into hell?" Alastor asked, leaning in towards Adam again.

Husk frowned worriedly. He could see Alastor was not getting the reaction he wanted out of Adam. Husk couldn't tell yet if Alastor wanted rage, fear, or anguish, but Adam was staying relatively calm and not giving him any of it. Alastor was changing the subject rapidly to try to find a more sensitive point of attack.

"As well as can be expected. By the way, how is your chest wound healing? Should make for a badass scar." Adam smirked, thinking that mentioning his near-mortal wound would get the best of Alastor. The radio demon did not miss a beat.

"Oh it's healing well. How is your back healing?" Before Adam could react, Alastor raised his hand and slapped Adam hard on the back, right on top of his wounds. Adam cried out in agony and doubled over the bar, his body momentarily shaking as it was racked with the most pain he'd felt in days. Husk grimaced in sympathetic pain.

Alastor's grin seemed to grow in delight and he stood up from the bar. He took a few steps back, giving himself space for what was to come. Then he simply waited for Adam to recover.

"You underhanded, sadistic jackass!" Adam cried out. He stood up from the bar and turned to Alastor, showing the radio demon the rage in his eyes, while Alastor's eyes were full of glee. He finally had the big reaction he had wanted.

"Adam, don't." Husk warned, the anxiety in his voice was audible. His ears were pinned back in fear. Adam started to take a step away from the bar, and Husk knew words were not going to be enough. He had to act and act now.

"ADAM, NO!" Husk partly jumped over the bar to grab Adam by his upper arms. Husk pulled Adam back so that his arms were bent slightly backwards and his mid-back was against the bar. Husk slid himself down the bar so that his feet were back on the floor, but his hands stayed firmly grasping Adam's upper arms.

"Let go of me, Husk! I'm going to kick his ass! One blow to the chest and this fucker's on the floor." Adam tried to pull away from Husk, but the bartender held tight to Adam for all he was worth.

"No you're not! Listen to me. You don't want to tangle with him. You're unarmed and he's baiting you into a fight he knows he'll win. If you touch him, I cannot help you. It will be a bloodbath I won't be able to stop. You need to cool your head NOW." Husk was halfway between demanding and pleading for Adam to calm himself.

Alastor chuckled to himself, watching eagerly to see who would win this battle of wills. He was halfway tempted to command Husk to release Lucifer's pet. Alastor met Husk's gaze, and Husk knew what Alastor was thinking. Husk looked back into Alastor's eyes, terrified that Alastor would give the word, and silently entreating Alastor not to do so.

The wordless conversation between them took just a second. Only the two of them knew that Adam's fate was entirely in Alastor's hands at that moment. Luckily for Husk and Adam, Alastor decided a bit of extra fun wasn't worth Adam knowing he owned Husk's soul.

Adam struggled against Husk, but Husk kept Adam in place where he had little to no leverage to get free of Husk's grasp. Husk knew he needed to calm Adam down before he managed to wrench himself free. Then Husk remembered something he hoped would prove to be the ace up his sleeve.

"Adam, remember what Lucifer said before he left? He said until he gets back, you're supposed to listen to me like you would listen to him. I'm telling you, do NOT lay a hand on Alastor. Do you WANT me to tell Lucifer you weren't behaving when he gets back?" Husk asked.

Alastor watched the blind rage in Adam's eyes cool off. Husk felt the muscles in Adam's arms as they relaxed and Adam's body stopped struggling against him. Adam closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths. Alastor chuckled to himself again. It seemed Husk was the victor between the two of them.

"Husk, you can let go of me. I'm okay now." Adam delivered his words calmly. Husk hesitated, glancing at Alastor again. Alastor just smiled back at Husk and Adam. Husk turned his eyes back to his charge.

"Swear you won't touch him." Husk ordered. His grip on Adam's arms was still firm as iron.

"I swear I will not touch Alastor." Adam answered. Hesitantly, Husk freed Adam from his grasp. Husk released a sigh of relief when Adam sat back down on the bar stool. Adam faced towards Alastor and leaned one arm on the bar, so as not to expose his back again.

"Nicely done, Husk. Seems you're just as effective a pet sitter as you are a bartender. Perhaps even better. You didn't even need his leash to get a grip on him." Alastor said, his voice drenched in pretended sincerity.

"Yeah, thanks." Husk said flatly, barely holding the sarcasm out of his voice. Adam gave Alastor the finger.

"It was lovely chatting with you both, but I have a chore I need to go attend to before it gets too late. Take good care of Lucifer's pet, Husk." Alastor turned on his heel and left. The tapping of Alastor's heels fading off as he walked away was music to both their ears.

"Ugh." Adam groaned and rested his head and shoulders on the bar, his chin resting on his folded arms. Adam closed his eyes. He already regretted letting Alastor rouse his temper so badly. Husk set a hand on his shoulder in sympathy.

"Are you alright?" Husk asked, already knowing the answer.

"No, my wounds are bleeding again. I can feel it. Luckily, they were already irritated from being on my back last night, so hopefully Lucifer won't notice anything happened… But I'm better than I would have been if you had let go of me. So, thanks for not doing that. Sorry I acted that way." Adam muttered.

"Eh, it wasn't your fault. Alastor was doing his damnedest to rile you up. You need to be careful. If you give him an excuse to hurt you, he'll milk it for all its worth. And believe me that demon knows how to make someone suffer without necessarily being lethal." Husk heaved a sigh.

Adam closed his eyes and breathed deep, trying to let the pain ebb down to its earlier level. After five minutes or so Adam sat back up. He picked up his water and had another sip.

"I think that's as good as my back is going to get for a while. That was a mood killer. But at least he had a reason to leave." Adam was trying to lift his own mood.

Husk had an idea. He glanced around the bar area and pulled a deck of cards out of a hidden nook. He set them down in front of Adam.

"Ya wanna play a game? We should still have plenty of time before Lucifer comes back." Husk suggested.

"I'd like to, but I don't have anything to bet with. And I'm sure as fuck not playing strip poker in the lobby." Adam smiled as he spoke. Husk laughed at his joke.

"Just because I'm a gambling man doesn't mean I don't know any other games. Wanna play Slapjack or War?" Adam sat up more on his stool.

"Sure, dealer's choice." Adam replied.

Sometime later, Lucifer walked in the door carrying a large, gift wrapped box under his arm. Lucifer's heart warmed when he saw Adam with Husk, no longer hiding behind his walls. To see them both smiling and playing cards like friends was a joy. Lucifer had hoped the ever blunt and grounded bartender would be able to connect with Adam in a meaningful way.

"Hey guys. Looks like you are having a good time. Husk, how was Adam? Did he behave for you?" Lucifer approached the bar. Adam and Husk both turned to Lucifer, smiles on their faces.

"Welcome back, Lucifer. Yeah, Adam was great. So what's with the box? Did you go out to get Charlie a present?" Husk asked. Lucifer grinned excitedly and placed the large box in Adam's lap carefully.

"Nope, this gift is for Adam." Lucifer said proudly. Adam looked stunned.

"Lucifer, I don't-" Adam started. Lucifer put a finger to Adam's lips to hush him.

"Don't fuss, Adam. Just open it." Lucifer murmured, watching him expectantly. Adam looked down at the box and slowly started to tear off the gift wrapping. He lifted the lid of the box and promptly dropped the lid on the floor in shock. In his lap was a guitar case, which he opened with slightly shaking hands.

Adam started down wide eyed at the beautiful acoustic guitar laying in his lap. His left hand covered his mouth in shock. His right hand gently ran his fingertips over the wood in awe, as if hardly daring to believe the instrument was real. He lowered his left hand.

"Lucifer, you didn't need to… you shouldn't have…" Adam said in a whisper.

"The words I'm looking for are 'Thank you, Lucifer.'. " Lucifer prompted gently, smiling. He was very pleased by Adam's reaction to his gift.

"Thank you, Lucifer. I can't thank you enough." Adam said. He could have grabbed Lucifer and hugged him, had the guitar not been between them. The electric guitar would always be his favorite instrument, but right now he didn't care about that. The word 'grateful' was not a strong enough word to describe how he felt. Right now, he had a musical instrument that he knew how to play back in his hands again. He could make music again.

"What are ya waiting for? Try it out. Let's hear ya play something." Husk prodded. The look on Adam's face clearly told Husk how delighted and awed he was to receive it, driving up the anticipation to hear him play. Adam picked up the guitar carefully, and Lucifer picked up the box and case to set them aside. Adam settled the guitar against his body. First he strummed each string one by one to make sure it was tuned correctly.

Adam took a deep breath and began to play a simple melody. The music washed over him like a cool ocean wave on a hot summer day. A gentle smile came to his face as his fingers danced gracefully over the strings. The simple melody became more complex as Adam played.

Lucifer felt his heart beat a bit faster as he saw the look of utter serenity on Adam's face as he continued to play. He loved this moment and wished he could preserve it. He loved seeing Adam play the guitar as if he didn't have a care in the world. Lucifer knew right then he wanted to hear Adam play every day for the rest of eternity.

"I thought you said you were rusty on the acoustic." Lucifer spoke warmly. Adam kept playing, softly. The music became almost a background track to the conversation as Adam played effortlessly.

"I guess I'm not as rusty as I thought I was." Adam murmured. Husk leaned on the bar, enjoying the relaxing melody. Lucifer seated himself on the barstool beside Adam and continued to listen while Adam played. As the conversation quieted, Adam brought the music volume back up a bit.

While Adam was distracted with playing his new guitar, Lucifer took the opportunity to pull a few more bills out of his coat pocket. Discreetly, he handed them to Husk. The bartender was confused, but wasn't about to turn down more money and tucked it into his pocket with what he'd been paid earlier.

"You did a great job. There's a reason I wanted you to watch him." Lucifer whispered. Husk's eyes widened, then he set his forehead in his hand and smiled, mostly to himself. Now he understood. Lucifer knew what he'd done to help Angel discard his false mask and had wanted him to do the same for Adam. Husk sighed. At least he'd recieved extra pay for playing the therapist this time.

After Adam had played for a while, he figured Lucifer and Husk might be getting tired of listening, and he'd had his fill of basking in the music for now. Adam packed it carefully into its case. Once it was put away, Adam couldn't help himself, he pulled Lucifer close and hugged him. Lucifer hugged Adam and smiled tenderly.

"Husk, we'll see you later. I should take Adam up to my room and go check on his wounds. They've been irritated today." Lucifer let go of Adam and stood up. Adam followed suit, trying not to look nervous as he picked up his new guitar case.

"See you later." Adam said to Husk, giving him a smile that betrayed his nervousness. He hoped Lucifer would not suspect what Alastor had done and start a fight. Husk gave them a little wave.

"Bye you two. Later." Husk said as the two walked away.

"Seemed like you two were getting along nicely. I'm glad that went so well." Lucifer commented as they headed towards the king's bedroom.

"Yeah it did go well. It was a little awkward and uncomfortable at first, but we got past it. We talked for a while. Husk helped me… understand a few things about being in hell. We had a good talk and we played some cards. Husk even taught me how to play strip poker."

"He did what?!" Lucifer stopped short and turned back to Adam, suddenly feeling a strong pang of jealousy. Then Adam laughed.

"I was kidding. We just played normal card games." Adam said, still laughing at Lucifer's reaction. Lucifer felt the relief hit him and took a breath to let that pang of jealousy pass. He turned again and continued down the hall.

"First you're laughing at jokes, now you're making them. You must be feeling better." Lucifer remarked. As they arrived at his door Lucifer opened it and stepped aside for Adam. Lucifer shut the door behind them and went to the bathroom for his medical supplies.

Adam went and set his guitar case next to Lucifer's big armchair, out of the way.. Once that was set down, he heaved a quiet, nervous breath and removed his shirt. Adam inspected the back of it. Thankfully the bandages hadn't leaked at all and his shirt was undamaged. Adam laid down on the bed and tried to control his expression so as not to look like he expected news that his wounds still looked bad.

"Oh dear. Hold on a minute." Lucifer said as he set his supplies down. He pulled the old bandages off seeing them full of golden blood. Lucifer threw the old bandages away and came back with a wet cloth. The old bandages had been so full that some of the blood couldn't be absorbed and needed to be cleaned off Adam's back and wounds.

"This is going to sting a little. I put some wound antiseptic on this cloth because your wounds aren't looking good. We may be dealing with an infection. I'll need to keep a closer eye on it." Lucifer began to dab Adam's wounds gently with the cloth. Adam did his best to keep still and silently cursed Alastor.

Adam quietly put up with the stinging, then sighed with relief when Lucifer followed it up with the pain relief gel. He felt a little guilty letting Lucifer assume it was an infection irritating his wounds. Adam resolved to be very careful to protect his wounds in the future.

"There we go. How does that feel?" Lucifer asked as he applied fresh bandages. Adam sat up and put his shirt on.

"Much better, thank you." Adam rose from the bed and froze. He made a face.

"What's wrong?" Lucifer asked, noticing Adam's face.

"Something's off… Something isn't how we left it." Adam gazed around the room slowly. Then his eyes widened.

"The closet is open…" Adam immediately went to the closet door which was ajar, and started checking the closet.

Lucifer frowned. He DID recall the closet door had been firmly shut before they had left the room this morning.

"That fucking BASTARD!" Adam shouted. He rushed out of the room, not running but walking quickly and with purpose. Lucifer hurried after Adam, the shorter man struggling to keep up with Adam's longer stride and fast pace. Lucifer was confused as to what just happened and what Adam was doing.

Adam went to the lobby. Husk looked concerned when he saw the look on Adam's face. Adam put his hands down on the bar.

"Husk, have you seen Alastor? I need to talk to him immediately." Adam asked. Before Husk could answer, Alastor materialized out of a shadow next to the bar. His grin was wide as ever and he had a sparkle of fiendish joy in his eyes.

"You called?" Alastor asked. He had both his hands resting on top of his cane. His arrival was so quick, it was almost as if he'd been waiting for this moment.

Adam strode over to him, almost stomping, and stood as close to eye-to-eye with Alastor as he could get in his flat shoes. The anger in Adam's eyes seemed to serve only to amuse Alastor more. He spoke slowly and deliberately.

"Did. You. Take. My. Boots?" Adam asked, emphasis on every word. Alastor's grin remained unchanged.

"I. Burned. Them." He replied mockingly.

"WHY?! Why the fuck did you destroy my boots?! Nothing was wrong with them, you fucking son of a bitch! They were still perfectly wearable!" Adam shouted.

"You don't need relics of a place you'll never see again. Be grateful I waited until your master bought you new shoes. There's no reason to miss them anyway. You should be a good pet and wear what your master gave you. And by the looks of it, Lucifer doesn't want you to boost your height anyway."

"That was not your decision to make! Do you even know how high-quality those boots were?! They could have lasted centuries." Adam yelled. His fists clenched at his sides. Lucifer stood by and made ready to step in if he needed to.

"I completely agree. The heavenly leatherworking was quite impressive. They were even heat resistant. It took a good while for them to burn to ash. I had expected them to go up in a flash like the robes, but they were much sturdier."

"You smug mother-fucker! So help me if I ever get my hands on my axe again I'm gonna-" Adam started to yell even louder, causing Alastor to pull back his ears at the unpleasant volume of the noise.

"Lucifer." Alastor cut Adam off. "Your dog is barking too loudly. Kindly quiet him down." Alastor finished. Lucifer took Adam by the arm and pulled him back away from Alastor, out of easy striking distance for either of them.

"Adam, let me handle it." Lucifer said calmly. The king looked back to Alastor. "Firstly, stay the fuck out of my room, Alastor. I don't go into YOUR room to take things. Secondly, when were you even in there?" Lucifer asked.

"I took the liberty of retrieving them while you were out and your pet was here in the lobby with his sitter. And don't worry, there's nothing in your room that interests me anymore." Alastor assured the diminutive king, bending over just slightly to emphasize the height difference between the two.

"What Adam does or doesn't wear is not your business, Alastor. He's MINE, not yours, so leave managing his wardrobe to me." Lucifer glared. He opened his free hand and manifested Adam's collar and leash to better make his point, his fist closing tightly on the end of the slack chain. Adam flinched, unused to Lucifer using the leash when he wasn't in trouble, or at least on the verge of being in trouble.

"Honestly, I did you a favor, Lucifer. Of course, he can't help being taller when his master is so vertically challenged, but why let your pet stand over you more than he already does? Oh, I have an idea. Perhaps you should make him carry around a step ladder for you, in case you need it." Alastor spoke to Lucifer, but his eyes seemed drawn to the sight of Adam looking nervous on his leash.

"Just stay out of my room, Alastor. And don't touch anything else I bought for Adam." Lucifer demanded, ignoring the step ladder comment.

"I never touched a thing you bought for him. I simply disposed of those tokens of heaven he didn't need anymore. With those vestiges of his past gone, he can fully accept his situation." Alastor said, his tone implying he was insulted.

"I have already accepted my situation, you bastard." Adam spoke with his voice low and glared at Alastor. His anger was subdued by the feeling of the collar on his neck, even with Lucifer holding the chain slack.

"Mind your business, Alastor. Adam is NONE of your concern, do you understand?" Lucifer asked. Alastor seemed unmoved by the king's attempt to put him in his place.

"Yes, yes, I understand, Lucifer. Your precious pet is all yours. Really, shouldn't you be above such possessive behavior? Then again, I suppose you aren't 'above' much, are you?" Alastor said, chuckling at his own joke.

"Why should I have to be?" Lucifer asked. "I own his soul. Adam belongs to me. He wears my collar. However I say it, he's mine. If I want to be possessive of him, that's my right." Lucifer raised his chin a bit as he made his point. Adam felt a shiver go down his spine hearing Lucifer talk like that. Yet he didn't quite feel it was FEAR, but he couldn't name the feeling.

Alastor was silent for a moment, unprepared for that response. Lucifer did not give him time to recover.

"See you at lunch, Husk. Adam, we're through here." Lucifer turned on his heel and started walking away. Adam had to turn and follow quickly before the slack on his chain rapidly disappeared.

Lucifer led the way back to his room, chain still in hand. He was quite proud of himself for rendering Alastor speechless. Adam for his part was nervous. Was he in trouble for storming off like that? Why was Lucifer using the leash right now?

Once at Lucifer's door, Lucifer opened in and stood aside. Adam went in first, careful not to move too fast and choke himself on the leash. Lucifer followed him in and shut the door. Adam turned back toward Lucifer, nervously. The king of hell led Adam over toward the large armchair.

"Sit down." Lucifer said, nodding towards the chair. Adam seated himself in the chair, now looking up at Lucifer. He couldn't quite read the look on Lucifer's face, but he looked calm at least.

"Are you angry?" Adam asked, a slight quiver in his voice. Lucifer released the chain and it dematerialized. Lucifer set his apple cane down on the foot of the bed and took a pillow off the head of the bed. Coming back over to the chair, he pushed Adam forward gently and put the pillow behind him, then pulled his shoulders back to get him to lean back on the pillow.

Lucifer then stepped behind the chair and began to pet Adam. Lucifer buried both his hands in Adam's soft and silky hair, stroking slowly, playing with it, and gently scratching at Adam's scalp with his fingernails. Adam slowly began to relax under Lucifer's warm hands and tender attention.

"No, I'm not angry. I understand why you're so upset. Alastor maliciously destroyed your only keepsakes. You have a right to be upset about that. I'd be furious too. I'm sorry I didn't think to hide your boots somewhere. I should have guessed he'd steal those too after he confessed to burning your robes."

"The word confess implies he felt some sort of guilt. Bragged is more like it." Adam muttered. He breathed deep, practically melting under Lucifer's caresses. His touch was so gentle and soothing. A soft smile came to Lucifer's face. He took pleasure in seeing Adam so completely trusting of his touch.

"As I said, I'm not angry, but I don't want you running off like that again. You should always be at my side unless I say otherwise. And if you are not at my side, I should always know where you are. Do you understand?" Lucifer kept his tone gentle.

"Yes, Lucifer. I'm sorry. I won't run off again." Adam murmured. Usually, knowing he'd upset Lucifer in any way was very concerning, but it was hard to worry with Lucifer so effectively calming him. Yet he did absorb the words. He didn't want Lucifer to be upset with him in the future.

Adam let his eyes fall closed as Lucifer's hands lulled him into a placid moment. If it were not for the pain still present where his wings once were, Adam could almost fool himself into believing he was back in heaven for a moment.

For several minutes, Lucifer continued to relax Adam with headpets and scratches. He could have gone on for hours and would have received no complaint from the younger angel. Adam opened his eyes when Lucifer tapered off. Part of him wanted to ask for more, but didn't want to be selfish.

"Feel better?" Lucifer asked, smoothing Adam's now tousled hair back into place. Adam nodded.

"Yes, I feel great now…Thank you." Adam murmured, glancing away out of concern he might be blushing again. Even after accepting that Lucifer was a better person than he'd ever thought, Adam was still impressed and slightly confused by how much care Lucifer put into the well-being of someone who was essentially his slave, even if Lucifer never used that word.

"We still have some time before lunch. Would you like to make some beautiful music together?" Lucifer offered, sitting on the end of the bed and crossing his legs. Never one to turn down an opportunity to play, Adam leaned over the side of the chair to retrieve his guitar case and open it up. Needing no further answer, Lucifer snapped his fingers and his golden fiddle appeared in his hands.

Lucifer held the violin to his chin and began the melody. Adam followed along as he started playing. Lucifer's room became filled with a symphony of string music that enveloped them both. Adam glanced up at Lucifer as he played. Lucifer met his eyes and smiled warmly. Adam glanced away, but began to add little flourishes to his basic melody. Lucifer kicked it up just a bit too and the music swelled.

Adam soon became happily lost. Lucifer's music was so beautiful on its own, and Adam's own tune was equally lovely, but together the two simple melodies danced together as one. Their music was more than the sum of its parts. It was as if nothing outside Lucifer's room existed. Lucifer soon followed Adam into this blissful reverie of music.

A knock on the door was what disturbed them. Lucifer set aside his fiddle. Adam stopped playing his guitar, but left it sitting silently in playing position. He was hesitant to put it away. Lucifer stood and went to the door, opening it. Charlie stood there, smiling.

"Hey, you guys are late for lunch. I can understand why you were so distracted though. That was magnificent." Charlie praised. Lucifer looked shocked and quickly checked his phone. Adam stood up and put his guitar away.

"Charlie, Sweetie, I'm so sorry I lost track of time like that! Let's go." Lucifer exclaimed. He looked back to see Adam approaching to follow him. Lucifer took Charlie's hand and they led the way to the dining room while Adam followed behind. Adam out of habit put his poker face back on. A moment later, Adam caught himself and dropped the mask. Husk had been right, pretending was never doing him any good.

"There ya are! What took ya?" Angel Dust asked, already digging into his food. Lucifer, Charlie and Adam all seated themselves at their usual chairs. Husk flashed Adam a small smile, glad to see Adam taking his advice and at the table without his facade.

"Oh you guys should have heard it. Dad and Adam were making the most beautiful music together." Charlie spoke with a big smile on her face. Angel Dust snickered.

"I'm surprised you want everyone to hear those two 'making music' together." Angel Dust said, waggling his eyebrows. Adam turned his face away, trying not to let his face turn red from the implication. Angel smirked seeing Adam's reaction. Husk lightly slapped Angel's arm.

"Legs, not everything is an innuendo. I'm sure Lucifer just wanted to hear Adam play more on the guitar he bought him this morning. He played some in the lobby and it was really good."

"Husk, you're being flattering. That was just off the cuff playing. You haven't heard me actually TRY." Adam straightened up, a hint of his old pride showing through. Adam recognized that Alastor had been wrong. He may have lost most of his sources of pride, but selling his soul and being leashed hadn't taken his hard earned musical skill from him. Adam grimaced slightly when he heard Alastor's chuckle.

"Lucifer, I WOULD say you're really starting to spoil him now, but I suppose giving him something he can entertain you with does make him a SLIGHTLY more useful pet." Alastor grinned straight at Lucifer. Adam simply flipped Alastor off with his right hand while eating his food with the left.

"And I would say mind your damn business, Alastor. I will thank you to remember that anything involving Adam isn't on that list. Adam is-"

"Yours. Yes, yes, Lucifer. We all know he belongs to YOU." Alastor spoke using the same tone one would use to reassure a child. Lucifer glared daggers at him.

"So Dad, you and Adam are still coming to the Hazbin bonding session at two, right?" Charlie asked, trying to shift her father's attention. Lucifer turned to her and a loving smile instantly came to his face.

"Absolutely, Charlie. Wouldn't miss it for the world. Did you decide what we're going to be doing?" Lucifer asked warmly.

"Well Vaggie was saying we shouldn't let it run TOO long, so I was thinking, two card games, one board game, and maybe a jam session if we have time. And if you and Adam wouldn't mind playing?" Charlie asked, giving Lucifer a big smile.

"Of course we will. We'd be delighted. I'm glad you liked hearing us play earlier." Lucifer ate calmly as he talked to Charlie.

"Okay, I guess we're doing that then." Adam muttered. It wasn't hard for him to notice Lucifer was wrapped around his daughter's little finger. He couldn't help but smile a bit at the look on Lucifer's face when he was looking at Charlie.

"Hey, you're looking a lot more lively this afternoon. Good to see you coming out of your shell, Adam." Angel Dust rested his head in his hand as he spoke. He took a bite with one of his other hands after he did so. Adam hesitated a second to answer, but set his right hand on Husk's shoulder.

"Lucifer left me with Husk this morning while he was out. He set me straight. We had an enlightening talk and played some card games. Pretty good morning for the most part." Adam glanced at Alastor, hoping the deer demon would not mention his visit. Alastor met his eyes with a meaningful look. The radio demon winked at Adam, sipped his drink and said nothing. Husk caught the wink and shot Alastor a glare. Adam broke eye contact, grateful that Alastor did not reveal the full truth of that morning.

"Yeah, Husker is good for that kinda thing." Angel gave Husk a warm look as he spoke. Angel drawing Husk's attention made the cat demon smile.

As the meal wound down and the hotel residents started getting up from the table. Vaggie stood, glaring at Adam. "Lucifer, do you mind if I have a private conversation with Adam?" She asked tensely. Lucifer raised an eyebrow

"I suppose that's fine." Lucifer answered. He was a bit concerned by her tone, but he trusted Vaggie. Adam stood up without a word to follow Vaggie. The smaller angel led Adam into the hall, then turned on him, glaring fiercely.

"Alright, what are you up to, Adam? What game are you playing?" She demanded. Adam raised an eyebrow. It was a struggle for him to not put the poker face back on at the first sign of confrontation.

"I'm not "up to" anything, Vaggie." Adam said flatly.

"Bullshit. You may be fooling the others, you might even be fooling Lucifer, but you're not fooling me. A person like you doesn't change. A person like you doesn't make friends. This… this isn't you! You wouldn't just go shutting down for days, and now suddenly you're being friendly and polite and cozying up to Husk and Angel? I'm not buying it. You're scheming something to get back to heaven, I know it." Vaggie said. Adam turned his face away as Vaggie struck a tender nerve.

"What fucking hope of ever going back do you THINK I have? I have no wings so I can't fly back. Even if I could somehow get to a portal, I can't go through. With Lucifer's leash on my neck, I can't leave hell. I don't so much as have a weapon to protect myself with. I can't even do this anymore."

Adam formed his hand into the rock-on sign and pointed it at Vaggie. Vaggie flinched, but what came out was nothing more than a spark like a static shock. Vaggie blinked at what had once triggered powerful energy beams. Adam relaxed his hand.

"See? I've been cut off from heaven's energy too long already. I'm entirely fucked, and I'm well aware of it. Tell me, Vaggie. Tell me what reason can you possibly think of that my hope of getting back to heaven wouldn't be dead?" He asked, his voice wavering slightly with emotion. Vaggie struggled to answer.

"Well...Lute could try to rescue you." Vaggie posed weakly.

"She thinks I'm dead like everyone else in heaven. And even if for some reason she didn't, Lucifer still owns my soul. I can't get out of his reach. And no, I do not think she could beat him. Next?" Adam stated flatly.

"You.. you.. Could be biding your time! Waiting until the next extermination! Then all you'd need to do is be seen and-"

"And go nowhere? Lucifer would never let me be seen. Even if someone DID see me, Lucifer still owns my soul." Adam emphasized "No one is coming for me, and I know it. I can't leave on my own, and I know it. I'm just trying to make some sort of life here, like you did." Adam was careful to keep his temper this time.

"You are NOTHING like me." Vaggie said in a low, angry tone. Adam had unintentionally struck a nerve for her. She marched closer to Adam. Quickly, Adam stepped back away from her. He placed both his hands behind his back as if handcuffed, signaling his unwillingness to fight.

Adam wasn't afraid of Vaggie. He knew he could take her in an unarmed fight. What he was afraid of was the consequences if Charlie or Lucifer thought he'd laid a hand on her. No one would ever believe it if he said he didn't start the confrontation.

"How DARE you even try to compare us, Adam? We may both be angels, but you never belonged there. After all the pain and suffering you caused with your self-importance and willfulness, you think after a few days in hell you can just pretend to start changing your ways? You had THOUSANDS of years in heaven and you didn't think about your actions once. You think I'll buy that you have now? I'm warning you, if you hurt anyone in this hotel with whatever you're planning…" She said, her voice slowly raising in volume as he approached while Adam kept backing off.

"There IS no plan, Vaggie. I have accepted my fate. I'm living out the rest of my existence here in hell, on the end of Lucifer's leash. My only 'plan' is to try and make that as bearable as possible." Adam said, slowly continuing to back off.

"What's going on? That private conversation was getting a bit loud a moment ago." Lucifer spoke, announcing his presence. Charlie stood at his side. Lucifer observed the look on both their faces.

"Vaggie? Do you need to talk?" Charlie asked sympathetically, looking at her girlfriend with concern. Vaggie looked at Adam again and saw the fear in his eyes as he went around her to stand beside Lucifer. Vaggie turned back to Charlie.

"I… think I do." She said softly. Charlie moved over to Vaggie and hugged her. Vaggie hugged her back firmly.

"Dad, Vaggie and I are going to go to our room and talk for a bit. See you at two." Charlie squeezed Vaggie's hand as she spoke.

"See you later, Apple Dumpling." Lucifer answered. He took Adam's arm gently as they parted ways.

"Are you alright? I didn't think you were scared of Vaggie." Lucifer murmured, his eyes forward as they headed down the hall.

"That's because I'm not scared of her. I TAUGHT Vaggie to fight. I could have taken her. What I was afraid of was what YOU would do if you thought I'd started a fight. I didn't think anyone would believe me that she started it, even if she did, so I couldn't touch her." Lucifer was silent for a moment, thinking about his response.

"Firstly, I'm proud of you for keeping your cool and not matching her aggressive energy. I'm glad you're being careful to avoid trouble…" Lucifer spoke softly, glancing sideways at Adam.

"But?" Adam asked. He noticed Lucifer was leading him back in the direction of what was his room.

"But I want you to know I want your respect, not your fear. I own you. That doesn't mean I want you to live in fear, especially not of me. I want you to respect me and my rules, not fear the consequences of upsetting me. My rules are for your own good, so if I punish you for breaking them, it will be for your own good as well. I will never punish you with the intent of revenge or to hurt you, only to teach a lesson.

"Don't forget, I promised you my protection. I should be a source of security to you, not a danger to fear. Selling your soul to me wouldn't be much of a bargain for you if I became what you needed to be protected from. And I don't intend to be. Give me your respect, and I have no need for your fear."

"Yes, Lucifer." Adam nodded as he spoke. He noticed that phrase was becoming one he said a lot lately. Still, he felt himself relax a bit. He believed Lucifer's words, as his owner had yet to lie to him. Lucifer opened the door to his room and stood aside, so Adam entered first, wondering what they'd gone back to his room for.

Lucifer took off his hat and coat. He stretched his arms over his head, popping his back a few times. He'd decided Adam needed a little quiet time to decompress after Vaggie had gotten his nervous system all worked up. Adam watched him for a moment.

"Do you… want a back massage?" Adam offered hesitantly. He had made Adam feel better earlier, and returning the favor didn't sound bad to him. Lucifer was surprised but pleased by the offer.

"I think I will take you up on that." Lucifer removed his boots and his shirt, then laid down on the bed stomach down, arms folded under his head. Adam took his own shoes off so as not to get any dirt on the bed. Then he looked at Lucifer and couldn't help straight up giggling.

"What? What's funny?" Lucifer asked, looking over his shoulder at Adam.

"Now YOU'RE the one assuming the position." Adam pointed out. Lucifer chuckled at that and rolled his eyes resting his chin back down on his arms.

"Get over here." He said. Adam climbed up onto the bed next to Lucifer and began to rub Lucifer's back, working the muscles as well as he knew how to. With some guidance from Lucifer, Adam worked all the right spots, leaning enough of his weight into it to properly apply pressure to Lucifer's back and shoulders. Adam continued, though he didn't REALLY feel he knew what he was doing, Lucifer seemed to enjoy it. Adam didn't pause until he noticed Lucifer was lightly snoring.

Adam hesitated. It wasn't bedtime or even night, but Lucifer was asleep. So that meant he should stay on the bed, didn't it? Or should he wake him? They had to go to Charlie's bonding session thing in a while. Carefully, Adam leaned over and retrieved Lucifer's phone from his coat pocket to check the time. It wasn't quite one yet, and it appeared Lucifer had an alarm set for one-fifty so they wouldn't miss it. Adam put the phone back where Lucifer had put it.

Lucifer began to snore slightly louder as he fell into a deeper sleep. He reached out much the same way he had that morning and found Adam's arm, tugging it towards him. Adam quickly laid down next to Lucifer, not wanting Lucifer to find his chain instead.

"Okay, okay, easy. You want cuddles? Here I am." Adam muttered, trying to get into a lying down position quickly. Adam wrapped his arms around Lucifer, trying to make sure Lucifer stayed warm without his shirt. For once they were chest to chest, with only Adam's shirt in the way of skin to skin contact. Lucifer snuggled in comfortably and wrapped his arms around Adam in return. Adam was glad Lucifer wasn't awake to see his face turn red from such an intimate pose.

Adam closed his eyes and rested his head on the pillow. With Lucifer napping, there wasn't too much to do but take a nap himself. At least this was a chance to show Lucifer he'd learned his lesson from this morning. As the minutes ticked past, Adam began to doze off.

Sometime before Lucifer's alarm went off, Lucifer opened his eyes. He rubbed his eyes before setting his arm back around Adam. As he shook off the sleep, his memory came back to him. He recalled falling asleep during Adam's back massage. Lucifer raised himself up on one arm.

Lucifer had been unnerved by the news that he was capable of using the leash in his sleep. The king of hell was well aware of his physical strength, and knew there was a risk of significantly harming Adam if he pulled on him with too much force. The fact that he could do so in his sleep, without being fully in control of his power, made it even more important that Adam obeyed the rule about staying in bed while he slept.

Adam continued to doze as Lucifer leaned over him and inspected his neck, worried he may have pulled Adam down while asleep. He tried to slightly adjust Adam's head for a better look without disturbing him. Adam's eyes opened partially

"I didn't move, Lucifer. When you fell asleep, I stayed on the bed like I was supposed to. You didn't pull me." Adam murmured drowsily. Lucifer smiled with relief and petted his hair.

"Good boy, Adam." Lucifer whispered. Adam closed his eyes again and leaned his head into the petting a bit. Lucifer turned to pick up his phone and see what time it was.

"Fifteen until two. We'd better get ready." Lucifer turned his alarm off and slid off the bed. Adam reluctantly pulled himself up and slid off the bed to put his shoes back on and straighten his clothes. Lucifer put his shirt back on and straightened his clothes as well. Both men ran combs through their slightly sleep tousled hair.

"What do you think? Do I look good?" Lucifer asked, trying to make sure he hadn't missed anything. Adam looked down at him with a smile and gave him a thumbs up.

"Looking classy. Do I look okay?" Adam asked. Lucifer nodded.

"You look great. Grab your guitar. Don't want to be late." Lucifer headed for the door, slowly. Adam picked up his guitar case and followed after.