Lucifer strode into today's designated game room, Adam at his heels. Charlie had rearranged the furniture in the room into a relatively circular shape around a low table. Armchairs and couches were arranged for comfort. Drinks and snacks were set out on another table to the side.
"Hello, everyone." Lucifer greeted everyone with a smile. Husk was not yet present, but the rest of the group was already seated and waiting for them.
Alastor sat in an armchair, smiling away with his microphone cane leaning against the left arm of the chair. Niffty was perched comfortably on the right arm. Both she and Alastor seemed perfectly comfortable with Alastor simply resting his arm over top of her legs. Charlie and Vaggie were seated together on a loveseat couch. Angel was sitting alone on a couch with room for two more.
The only other seat available was an armchair, so Lucifer decided they would sit on the couch next to Angel. Angel had a small pink pig with a few darker pink and black spots, and a pair of tiny horns on its head. It was comfortably seated in Angel's lap. Adam gazed at the little animal with some curiosity for a moment.
The couch was positioned by Alastor's chair, and Angel was at the far end from Alastor, so one of them would have to sit within arm's reach of the radio demon. Adam hesitated briefly, trying to figure out which spot he should choose. Would it be worse for himself to sit next to Alastor, or allow Lucifer to sit next to him?
"Adam, sit by Angel." Lucifer instructed, placing Adam in the middle and himself next to Alastor. 'That's right. I don't have a choice.' Adam thought. The first man's right hand rose up to briefly touch his neck. He momentarily contemplated on the golden collar that would appear around his neck the moment Lucifer willed it to be there.
He set his guitar down next to Angel's side of the couch, because he was not about to put it within Alastor's reach. Adam sat by Angel as he was told. Lucifer seated himself at the other end. Lucifer took the throw pillow from his spot and made Adam lean forward so he could place it behind Adam's wounds for his comfort.
Angel's pig immediately stood up on Angel's lap and stepped closer to Adam, sniffing at him curiously. Angel did not interfere but watched in case the pig became too invasive. Adam watched the little swine with interest and held his hand out to it the same way one might do to a cat or dog. The pig sniffed eagerly at Adam's hand and then pushed his head into it, encouraging Adam to give him some gentle pats. Angel smiled in approval.
"Good to see you managed not to be late this time, Lucifer." Alastor commented. Lucifer side eyed Alastor, giving him a mild glare.
"I'm surprised you're attending at all, Alastor. This doesn't seem like your type of gathering." Lucifer observed, still not looking directly at Alastor, as if the demon didn't deserve his full attention.
"Oh, it's true. I could be making more… productive use of my time, but dear Charlie insisted I attend. It's so hard to say no to her when she wants something." Alastor sent Charlie an affectionate look. It made Charlie smile back at him, and made Lucifer glare at the radio demon. Adam hesitated a moment, then placed his right hand on top of Lucifer's left hand to calm him. Lucifer turned to look at Adam and his expression softened. Neither noticed Angel Dust watching their interaction.
Husk entered the room and quickly claimed the last available seat. He plopped into the armchair and leaned back comfortably, with a lazy smile on his face. He glanced around the room, checking that he was the last arrival.
"Alrighty, looks like we're all here. Let's get this party started, Charlie." Husk declared. The winged cat demon seemed to be in a slightly better mood than normal, and that seemed to boost Charlie's mood further.
"Yes, let's get going." Charlie picked up an Uno deck sitting on the table. She shuffled and began dealing the cards out. When she dealt Adam his first card, he pushed it back towards her.
"No, thanks. I'm not playing. I'm just here to watch." Adam was careful to keep his tone as polite as possible. Despite how benevolently Lucifer had been treating him, Adam still remembered that threat Lucifer gave him the moment he gained ownership of his soul, and he took it very seriously.
"But Adam, this is a bonding session for the whole hotel." Charlie looked surprised then sad, giving Adam her sad puppy dog eyes for a moment. She didn't wait to see if they would work on Adam, and swiftly turned those eyes on her father.
"Dad?" She asked in a small voice, appealing to him. Lucifer reached over and pulled the face-down card back towards Adam.
"Play the game, Adam." Lucifer ordered. It was a soft and benignly spoken command, but a command nonetheless. Adam looked at Lucifer incredulously, then at Charlie with the same look. Charlie was now smiling wide, pleased. Adam pointed at her with a serious expression on his face.
"Not. Fair. Deal me in, then." Adam acquiesced with a sigh. Charlie resumed dealing the cards out. Adam leaned back on his pillow, while his right hand went up to rub his neck.
Husk noticed Adam rubbing his neck again and took in the context, growing more sure the action was a tell. Alastor took silent notice that this was the second time Lucifer's pet had touched his neck immediately after being given an order.
"You okay?" Angel Dust asked, one hand absentmindedly stroking the pig in his lap. He looked but couldn't see any sort of bruise or mark on Adam's neck. Adam's hand returned to his lap as he turned to Angel.
"What, the pillow? My wounds have been irritated today, but otherwise I'm fine. Don't worry about it. Lucifer does enough fussing over them for everyone." Adam answered.
"I am not 'fussing', I am attentive. You have two less-than-surgical amputation wounds on your back. They require meticulous care to make sure they heal properly. We already might be dealing with an infection. Do not take your care lightly." Lucifer scolded sternly.
"Yes, Lucifer. I'm sorry. Thank you for taking such good care of my wounds." Adam apologized in a low, reverent tone. Lucifer shifted his left hand so that he could properly hold Adam's right hand.
"That's more like it. Good boy." Lucifer uttered softly. Neither one of them noticed Angel Dust raising his eyebrows at them.
With the cards dealt, Charlie gave a brief explanation of the game Uno and its rules. Everyone picked up their cards and the game began. With it, the banter warmed up.
"Sorry, Sir, gotta skip you!" Niffty giggled to Alastor.
"Draw four, Adam. New color is red." Lucifer laid down his draw four.
"Passing that along to Angel, That's eight cards and I say the new color is blue." Adam took a small amount of pleasure in overruling Lucifer's choice of color. He gave Angel a small smirk.
"Shit! I just fucking played my last blue card." Angel griped, drawing said cards.
"You're up, Vaggie." Husk said, playing his blue four card.
"Let's change that blue to yellow." Vaggie said, laying down a yellow four.
"Sorry, Niffty. What goes around comes around. You're getting skipped this turn. Alastor's up." Charlie chirped, clearly having fun. Niffty didn't seem to mind as she studied her hand of cards for the next turn.
Adam lost himself in thought for a moment as he smiled at Charlie. She looked so much like Lilith, and seeing Charlie having fun reminded him of pleasant days long gone, days when his Lillie used to smile at him with a similar look in her eyes.
Adam just barely had the presence of mind to throw a card out when it was his turn. Lucifer took his turn and glanced at Adam, then turned his head more fully for a second look. Lucifer set a hand on Adam's forearm.
"Where are you, Adam? You look a thousand miles away again." Lucifer spoke barely above a whisper, not wanting Alastor to hear them above the banter of the room.
"Eden." Adam answered cryptically, scratching at his small patch of a beard for a moment. Adam adjusted his sitting position and his eyes came back to the here and now. Before Lucifer could ask for clarification, Charlie laid down her second to last card.
"Uno!" Charlie cried excitedly. "Fuck this game is great. I bet mom would have loved it. Oh, shit. Adam, I'm sorry. I'm sure you didn't want to hear about her." Charlie said, biting her lip. Adam had seemed to be enjoying himself, and she didn't want to ruin anyone's good time. Adam shook his head.
"Charlie, you don't need to tiptoe around the subject of your mother for my benefit. To be completely honest, for me to not think about her, you'd need to leave the room. I see Lilith everytime I look at you. And not just in the face. You inherited her ambition and tenacity, her great capacity for love, and her love of music too. You're most definitely your mother's daughter." Adam smiled wistfully as he spoke. Charlie frowned at this, seemingly brought down by what Adam had considered to be praise.
"I'm sorry to be such a strong reminder of such unpleasant times for you, Adam." Charlie spoke in a small voice again. Lucifer would not stand for that.
"Don't say that! Don't ever apologize for being who you are. You're the best thing that ever happened to some of us." Lucifer interjected. Adam nodded in agreement.
"Your father is one hundred percent right. You're way too good of a person to be apologizing for who you are. And besides… Who said you only remind me of the UNHAPPY memories? Just because your mom left me, doesn't mean she was unhappy with me from day one. The beginning of our marriage was great. We were so in love and so happy together, it seemed like the happily ever after of a fairytale…." Adam gave Lucifer a little nudge, reminding him to take his turn. Then Adam followed up with taking his own turn.
The rest of the group was silent listening to this conversation. Even Alastor was listening with rapt attention. Lucifer's pet was spilling his guts, and that meant a good chance of learning information Alastor could use against him in one form or another later.
"You were? But I thought that you demanded control from her…" Charlie questioned. Adam shook his head.
"Charlie, is the death knell of our marriage the only part of the story you know? Those words were the final chapter of what was our tale… And literally the stupidest thing I ever said during my mortal life…
"When Lilith and I were first made in Eden, it would have been pretty damn hard for us to be unhappy. It was very literally paradise on Earth. Problems just didn't exist yet. I remember the very first time I looked at Lilith, knowing that this was my wife, and thinking she was the most beautiful thing I would ever see, despite being surrounded by beauty. And you know what? I was right. And I appreciated her. At first, just for her beauty, and the more I learned about her, the more I had to value her for.
"Those days, every waking moment was play or relaxation. We spent our time exploring the garden, swimming in the water, staring up at the clouds playing that 'what does that cloud look like' game, interacting with the animals, singing and dancing to our own music, making up our own games to play, and talking for hours and hours…
"This part may come as a shock to you, but I was actually a fucking great husband if you could believe it. Lillie was the center of my whole world. She'd be my last thought when we laid down in the soft moss to sleep at night, and the first when I woke up in the morning. When she spoke, I hung on every word. Every day, I looked for new things to make her smile. Every day, I reminded her how important she was to me. I lifted her up, the way a husband should. The way any partner should." Adam went quiet and heaved a sigh.
"So if things were so damn perfect, what was the problem?" Vaggie asked. Her tone was genuinely curious. Adam had never talked this much about Eden, let alone about Lilith, while back in heaven.
"I let myself get arrogant and selfish. I became the problem that didn't need to be. She and I were literally made for each other. We lived in actual paradise, by all accounts our marriage SHOULD have been the easiest marriage in all creation. We had the deck stacked in our favor, and yet I still found a way to fuck up.
"When the angels told us we were going to be parents to the human race, I got a taste of pride and let it go to my head. It was slow, but I started thinking less about 'we' and more about me. I got the stupid idea in my head that because I came first, I was more important than her. I started listening less, paying her less attention, forgot to remind her I cared, stopped trying so hard to make her smile. Worst of all, I even started talking to her less. I stopped doing the most important thing in a marriage, communicating. I started failing her as a husband because I was too wrapped up in my own self-importance.
"And by all that's holy, Lilith TRIED to save us. She tried to tell me that something was wrong, that I was changing, but I didn't listen. I thought it was her problem, never remembering that as her husband, her problems WERE my problems. Lillie tried over and over, begged me to listen to her the way I used to, but I was too damn stubborn. I was determined to be 'right' and said the words that killed off any hope she had of fixing us…
"Ah, sorry, didn't mean to blab on like that. The point is that I had it coming. Lilith was more than right to leave me for your father. I practically drove her into his arms myself. The only reason Lucifer ever had the chance to come sweep her off her feet was because I let her down when I should have been lifting her up." Adam heaved another sigh but tried to keep a straight face. He didn't want to show the whole group that he still felt the regret and pain to this day. Charlie was silent, taking all that information in.
"Damn, so if ya learned that lesson so well, how did things go wrong with Eve?" Angel Dust asked. He was hugging his pig to his chest like a teddy bear, invested in the story.
"Because I still hadn't learned the lesson yet. With Eve… I was still grieving my loss of Lilith. In my pain and anger it was easier to blame Lucifer than face the fact that I was the problem. Eve… wasn't as strong a woman as Lilith, which was why our marriage lasted longer. She had it the worst, because I never loved her the way I should have. I wasn't emotionally capable of it at the time. She didn't get the good days with me like Lilith did… But to keep a long story from getting any longer, same problems, slower death.
"Wasn't until after I died that I had enough time to think about my marriages and realize what I did wrong. That's why I never took a third wife in heaven. So yeah, that's the tragic folly of my youth." Adam finished his monologue. Lucifer was squeezing his hand in comfort and Adam was squeezing back. Lucifer was resisting the urge to pull Adam into a hug. He worried Adam might cry if he did.
The first man turned his eyes to Charlie again. He knew he shouldn't give too much attention to what might have been. It was a waste of time and energy to wish one could undo the mistakes of the past, or to think about what the consequences might have been. Yet, he couldn't help but allow his mind a brief wander. If he'd continued being a good husband to Lilith, if she had been the mother of humanity as was originally intended, would any of their daughters have been like Charlie? Could a similarly amazing girl have called him Dad? Adam thought that he would have been very proud to have fathered a girl like her.
"What a time to go and give up, after you finally figure it all out." Husk interjected, playing his card as the game kept rolling nearly on autopilot. Nobody even noticed that the card Husk played couldn't be played according to the game rules. Adam just shrugged.
"Fixing a problem is rarely as simple as just identifying it. If I had tried again I still could have failed to correct the behaviors. Besides, look at how it all turned out for me. I'm stuck here in hell as the result of my own dumbass decisions. I'm glad I didn't have anyone to leave behind." Adam pulled his hand away from Lucifer's to rub his eye, willing it not to tear up.
Lucifer set his hand on Adam's thigh, close to the knee. Adam glanced down, noticing the ring on Lucifer's finger again. Adam looked up and looked around him. Angel appeared to be examining him thoughtfully, pig now asleep in his arms. Husk had gone back to his cards. Adam guessed he was trying not to stare at him. Vaggie was staring at him with her eye wide, stunned by Adam's openness. Charlie looked to be in shock from the information overload. Niffty was the only one who appeared to be focused entirely on the game.
Adam paled a little and his eyes widened when he noticed Alastor was staring at him intently, eyes half lidded and grin as wide as ever. He realized Alastor had deliberately been silent so as to not draw attention to himself. It sent a chill up his spine to realize how much information about his past and regrets he'd just spilled in front of Alastor. Adam knew right away it would come back to bite him. Adam tore his eyes away from Alastor's gaze.
"Fuck, I'm sorry everyone. I didn't mean to kill the vibe. How about we change the subject and see if we can't get a good time rolling again?" Adam suggested. He wished Lucifer had told him to shut up before he brought the room down. Adam noticed he'd been saying 'I'm sorry.' and actually meaning it a lot more lately.
He regretted monopolizing the attention in the room too, especially when he realized it brought the mood down. Adam still felt Charlie deserved to understand the whole picture of his marriage to her mother, but he realized after the moment had passed that the conversation could have waited until later when the whole group wasn't busy trying to have fun.
"I think we see eye to eye on this, Adam. A change of subject is in order." Lucifer declared in a somewhat serious tone. Thinking about Lilith was painful for him too.
"You can see eye to eye with your pet? My, that is a shock." Alastor jibed.
"Hey Alastor, here's an uno for you." Lucifer shot back, flipping Alastor off. Adam chortled, not even pretending to suppress it. Husk hid a smirk behind his hand of cards. Angel laughed out loud too. The multi-armed sinner noticed the tender look and pleased smile Lucifer gave Adam when he laughed.
"Now, where were we? I believe we had just finished with Charlie's turn before Lucifer's pet disrupted the game. It's Niffty's turn now." Alastor said, helpfully.
"Uno!" Niffty cried, throwing down her penultimate card and making Alastor draw two cards. Alstor drew his cards with no complaint and played his card, moving the game along.
With that the mood began to lift again. When it came back around, Niffty put down her last card. She gasped, looking upset.
"Oh no! I'm out of cards. I can't play anymore." She sounded and looked distraught.
"Nif, you're SUPPOSED to try and get rid of your cards. You're out. That means you win!" Angel Dust told her. He smiled and shook his head. Niffty instantly cheered up.
"Yay, I won!" Niffty cheered, throwing her fists up in victory and grinning. Alastor looked at her with what might have been affection and gently ruffled her hair.
"Congratulations, Niffty." Alastor's voice had just a hint of warmth to it. Adam noticed and raised an eyebrow. Those two seemed to have a genuine friendship. Adam was shocked at the concept that Alastor was capable of such a thing as social bonding.
The rest of the group handed their cards back. Vaggie collected them and put them away while Charlie started unpacking the next game. Charlie cleared her throat.
"Okay so this game is called Clue. It starts with a murder-"
"Oooh, I volunteer!" Alastor declared eagerly, perking up at the mention of murder. Angel laughed raucously, Vaggie rolled her eye, and Charlie shook her head with a sigh.
"Alastor, the object of the game is to SOLVE the murder." Husk said in a deadpanned tone.
Charlie set up the game board and explained how to play. With that the game was underway. Adam found himself sneaking peeks at Angel as he played. Angel took notice and smirked. He turned towards Adam, his cards in his upper pair of hands while his lower set of arms cradled his sleepy pig.
"Adam, ya don't need to steal glances at me. If you wanna check me out, go right ahead. I'm a porn actor. I'm used to being stared at." Angel said, winking at him. Adam's eyes widened at being called out and he looked back at his cards.
"It's not that. I've just had a question I've been wanting to ask you. It's not important." Adam muttered his reply.
"Is it about my job or my personal sex life?" Angel asked, leaning in. He grinned when he saw Adam's face starting to flush as the former exorcist turned his face back to Angel's eyes.
"Neither! It's not that personal!" Adam answered. He sighed and rubbed his temple.
"Oh. Well shoot anyway." Angel said, still leaning in towards Adam.
"Well, you have four arms. I was just curious, do you have one dominant hand or two?" Adam asked.
"All four, I'm ambidextrous." Angel said proudly. "I'm sure you can imagine it's really helpful both in and out of the bedroom. You can press a lot of pleasure points with four-"
"This isn't the change in subject I was hoping for!" Adam said, cupping his hands around the side of his face and bending forward, elbows on his knees. Angel and Husk laughed, and even Vaggie snickered.
"Angel, be considerate. You're making him uncomfortable." Charlie scolded. Angel set a hand on Adam's shoulder
"Awww, but he's pretty damn cute when he gets all flustered and red in the face. Maybe that's why your dad wanted to keep him. Maybe Lucifer wanted-"
"ANGEL, enough. You are treading close to the line." Lucifer warned, putting his left arm around Adam's waist and pulling him a bit closer. Angel Dust shut up, but observed Lucifer's protective face and body language. He could tell he was close to rousing the king's temper.
Adam suddenly stood up and strode over towards the refreshments table. Lucifer almost stood up to go after him until he realized where Adam was going. "Anyone want anything while I'm up?" Adam asked.
"I'll have tea and one of those granola bars, thank you." Lucifer said, leaning back on the couch again.
"Baggie of pretzels, please." Charlie asked sweetly.
"Grab me a ginger ale, will ya?" Husk asked.
"I think I'll have a fruit punch." Alastor requested, mostly just to make Adam get him something.
Adam retrieved the requested items, plus a soda and a bag of snack mix for himself. He started passing the items out. Lucifer took his drink and snack from Adam's arms. He also took Alastor's fruit punch and passed it to the radio demon himself, not wanting Adam to get closer to the demon overlord than necessary. Alastor casually accepted it, opened the bottle and took a drink.
"Well, look at that. Lucifer's dog knows how to shake, sit, stay, and he can even fetch too. Such a good boy." Alastor taunted, keeping his tone mild enough that he had plausible deniability in front of Charlie.
"I am not a fucking dog you smug asshole!" Adam turned to glare fiercely at Alastor. Adam took one step closer to the deerlike demon. Lucifer caught Adam's wrist.
"No. Adam, sit." Lucifer commanded.
"Come on, that is not helping!" Adam complained, his pitch rising into a slight whine. Still, Adam did as he was told and took his seat again. Lucifer picked up the pillow and adjusted it to cushion Adam's back again. Alastor took notice that Lucifer's pet did not touch his neck after this order.
"Lucifer, you've certainly managed to teach him obedience, but you need to work on training that sass out of his mouth. He should speak with respect, especially to you." Alastor commented.
"I've told you repeatedly, Adam is not your business. Get that through your thick skull. My standards for his behavior are being met. Yours do not matter." Lucifer countered.
"Alastor, Adam isn't a dog. Knock it off." Charlie spoke firmly. Alastor chuckled.
"Dear Charlie, it's just a bit of good natured teasing. Really, can't I make a joke without people taking it so seriously?" Alastor asked.
"Somehow I'm not buying that. Isn't it your turn anyways?" Vaggie said.
"Good natured my ass." Adam mumbled under his breath. He opened his bag of snack mix and began eating it. Lucifer rested his hand on Adam's thigh again, eating his granola bar with the other.
"Oh, so it is. My mistake." Alastor leaned in towards the game board to take his turn. With the game underway again, Adam tried to focus on said game. It was a more pleasant alternative to thinking about Angel embarrassing him or Alastor humiliating him. A few minutes later, the game was nearing its end.
"Okay, I think I got it. I'm ready to make an accusation." Husk declared. All eyes went to Husk. The cat demon cleared his throat.
"I think it was Mr. Green, in the kitchen, with the dagger." Husk crossed his arms and smirked confidently. Charlie opened the secret envelope to check.
"Husk wins!" Charlie announced. Husk fist pumped in victory. Angel and Charlie both high fived him.
"Good job. Way to kick my ass. I was way off." Adam congratulated him.
"Yes, well done, Husk. Charlie, you said we had one more game today?" Lucifer asked.
"Yep, our last game is called Apples to Apples." Charlie answered as she started to clean up Clue. Adam helped by gathering up his, Lucifer's, and Angel's game supplies and organizing them before handing them over to Charlie to be put away.
"Sounds like a great game." Lucifer stated.
"You would fucking say that. She didn't even say anything about the game yet." Angel commented, laughing.
"Took the words right out of my mouth." Adam muttered with a roll of his eyes. Angel held his hand up, offering a high five. He was trying to make up for pushing too hard. Adam smiled a little and high fived him. He decided there was little point in holding a grudge over being embarrassed. At least Angel was being playful, unlike other demons in the room.
Once the new cards were dealt, Charlie explained the rules of this game. This time Adam tried his best not to disrupt the game, as he'd proven a distraction twice.
Lucifer found he quite liked this game. As the object was to make the other players laugh, Adam ended up laughing at the answers quite a bit, and that made Lucifer happy. He was genuinely glad to see Adam smiling, laughing, and starting to settle into his new home.
"Ah, fuck you, mine was funny." Husk groused to Angel, as Angel had just chosen Vaggie's card over his.
"Sorry, Husk. I just liked Vaggie's better." Angel shrugged.
"If it makes you feel any better, I would have picked yours. Vaggie's was pretty fucking funny though." Adam spoke to Husk, but he glanced at Vaggie. She seemed to be looking at him with less suspicion and anger than before.
"Looks like we're out of prompt cards. Okay, so now we all count up how many prompt cards we won, whoever has the most wins the game." The whole group went to work counting. Lucifer emerged the victor of the final game.
"Short King is the king of comedy too!" Angel said, clapping his upper set of hands for Lucifer. Charlie and Vaggie collected the cards together to put them away.
"Well I think the gaming session was a rousing success. Everybody had fun, right?" Charlie asked.
"It was a blast!" Niffty chirped.
"I always do love winning a game." Husk's satisfaction laced his voice as he spoke, stretching as he prepared to get up from his chair. Lucifer stood up.
"It was simply delightful, Charlie. Can't wait to do it again. I know we said we'd play some music, but I'd better bring Adam back to my room to check on his wounds. I'm concerned he's fighting an infection." Lucifer stepped around the table to go hug and kiss his daughter, which Charlie happily received, hugging him back tightly. Adam took the cue to stand up. He replaced the pillow back to where it was, and retrieved his guitar case.
Adam was a bit glad to not have to play in front of Alastor. Playing tended to relax him, and relaxed was something he didn't particularly want to be in front of the radio demon. Angel elbowed him gently from the couch.
"See ya later, Hot Stuff." Angel Dust winked at Adam, just to see him blush again. Adam looked away to unsuccessfully hide the blush.
"Bye, Angel. Later, Husk." He muttered. Husk chuckled.
"Don't take Legs so seriously. He's just like that." Husk advised.
Bidding the rest of the group goodbye, Lucifer led Adam away down the hall. Angel stood up and stretched. Niffty hopped up off of the arm of Alastor's chair and the radio demon stood to his full height. Angel waited a few seconds to make sure Lucifer and Adam were out of earshot.
"Those two are gonna fuck." Angel announced to the room.
"Charlie, my dear, this was lovely but I really must take my leave now." Alastor declared. Without waiting for a reply he stepped into a shadow and teleported away through it.
"Angel, those two are NOT having sex. You're just a whore who sees sex everywhere." Vaggie said firmly, rolling her eye at him.
"I didn't say they were fucking. They definitely aren't, YET. I said they're GONNA fuck, future tense. I may be a whore, but I can spot sexual tension from miles off." Angel asserted confidently. Husk sighed.
"I know I'm gonna regret asking, but I gotta. What makes you think those two are gonna fuck?" Husk asked.
"They're showing all the early signs!" Angel threw his upper hands out, palms open and up, as if he was presenting something clear and obvious. His pig began to rouse and squirmed around in Angel's lower arms, curiously.
"Did you guys not see the way they act? They kept holding hands, or hands on each other's thighs like a pair of shy teenagers. Was I the only one who noticed the subtle looks they gave each other the whole time? Did no one else see the way Lucifer was looking at Adam anytime he laughed? The way Lucifer got all protective when I made Adam get shy? Lucifer doting on Adam's wounds like a mother hen?
"And did NO ONE else notice the way their vibes have changed since Adam started coming out of his shell? Lucifer has been giving strong top vibes. And Adam? Dude is almost as much of a bottom as me!
"Damn I can't believe I didn't notice sooner how Lucifer keeps Adam at his side constantly like a possessive lover. Adam's a lot more shy, but he doesn't show any signs of not being into it. Lucifer's definitely ahead of Adam, but they're going in the same direction. Straight to Fuckville, population: them." Angel crossed his upper arms as if daring Husk, Charlie, or Vaggie to challenge the assertion.
"You really think Dad is… interested in Adam? Like romantically? He's not the type to just… get physical without any emotions involved, you know." Charlie pointed out. Her mother had divorced him years ago and her father still wore his ring, not to mention there had never even been the slightest hint of a new love interest.
"Who said there's no emotion involved? The two of them are clearly already emotionally attached. Look at the way your dad treats Adam. Lucifer genuinely cares about him. And Adam… At first I didn't think he was even capable of affection, but getting humbled seems to have done him a world of good. Right now, Lucifer is the only one he really trusts, but mark my words that trust will grow into more. I'd stake every cent I own on it, Charlie. It's too soon to say when for sure, but those two divorcees WILL end up under the duvet." Angel proclaimed with full confidence.
"I knew I was gonna regret asking. Anyways, I better get back to the bar. See ya." Husk waved and left the room. Vaggie picked up the game boards to go put them away.
"Lucifer and Adam?" Vaggie asked, mostly to herself. Charlie started pushing the furniture back into its usual arrangement.
"Angel, you could be wrong. Dad might just be affectionate to comfort Adam, you know?" Charlie suggested. Angel Dust huffed.
"Oh Lucifer is gonna comfort Adam, alright. He'll be comforting him with his dick!" Angel strode out of the room, frustrated at not being believed.
Concurrently, Lucifer was leading Adam back to his room. Alastor sprang up out of a shadow, making Adam jump. Lucifer moved more in front of Adam, distrustful of Alastor at the best of times.
"Ah there you are, Lucifer. Glad to have caught you. I wanted to ask you a question." Alastor stated as he leaned on his cane and grinned as usual.
"Fine. What is it?" Lucifer asked, with an air of short temper. He held his apple cane firmly, his tight grasp an expression of discomfort. The king stood as tall as he could, glaring up at Alastor.
"What Angel Dust said during Charlie's little event made me start thinking. I'd like to know, why DID you decide to spare him? You've put in so much extra effort when you could have simply finished him off and been done with it. What were you looking to get out of keeping him alive?" Alastor kept his eyes intently trained on Lucifer for once, ignoring Adam standing silently behind.
"I had knocked him out, and Charlie felt it was wrong to kill him when he was unconscious and helpless. So I came up with another solution." Lucifer chose not to go into detail, worrying that recounting the event too thoroughly would upset Adam.
"Is that so? Or are you just using her sense of mercy to veil your own ulterior motives? Did you REALLY do it for Charlie's sake? Or did you do it for yourself?" Alastor asked, lowering his tone and bending over slightly closer to Lucifer. The king narrowed his eyes in irritation.
"If you weren't going to believe my explanation, why did you bother asking me at all?" Lucifer demanded in annoyance. He tapped his cane on the ground to emphasize his ire.
"Because I believe I know the truth. I wanted to see if you would admit to it. But I see you're busy practicing to keep your 'Father of Lies' title." Alastor spoke with a cold tone. Lucifer rolled his eyes.
"I'll humor you while you pretend to know more about my motivations than me. Why do YOU think I spared Adam?" Lucifer began to lean on his cane, glaring at Alastor.
"I think you wanted him for yourself, plain and simple. You suggested trapping him in hell and leaving him alive, with no hope of actually surviving on his own. But you wouldn't really let him die, would you? You were quick to offer him protection in exchange for his soul. You sold him the solution to the problem YOU created for him, at a steep price, but one he couldn't afford NOT to pay. It all seems so… calculated.
"I think what REALLY happened, is you saw a divine angel, unfallen, as a piece of paradise. You saw a fragment of the home you can never return to, and you coveted it. Charlie gave you the excuse you needed to be able to claim him as yours, so you pounced on it. You clipped that bird's beautiful golden wings and collared him, securing him as your pet before anyone else had an opportunity. Better to have the angel for yourself than to risk someone else claiming his soul.
"I must admit, everything went exactly your way, didn't it, Lucifer? Once his wings were clipped, he did exactly as you expected and sold his soul to you for the simplest of compensation. Your new pet fell right into your grasp. Now that broken shard of heaven is yours to possess and cling to as tightly as you please. He's your caged bird for the rest of time. Such a pathetic desire, yet so cleverly acquired." Alastor grinned as he could see Lucifer bristling from his verbal assault.
"Why you THINK I did it doesn't matter. He is mine now. That is what matters. Adam is mine for eternity. And I will keep my end of the bargain and protect him from demons who want his life or his blood. That includes YOU Alastor!" Lucifer grabbed Adam's hand with his free hand and pulled him around Alastor as he stormed away towards his bedroom.
Adam had his head down, trying to hide his grimace as Alastor recounted the worst day of his afterlife. Prompted by Lucifer, he walked along with his master to Lucifer's bedroom. Unintentionally, he squeezed Lucifer's hand for comfort. Lucifer squeezed back.
As usual, Lucifer opened the door for him. Adam released his hand to walk in first. Lucifer followed him and shut and locked the door behind them.
"Are you alright?" Lucifer asked, setting a hand on Adam's lower back. Adam heaved a sigh.
"I'll be fine. You're the one he was insulting… So what would you like to do now?" Adam asked. Adam wanted to get more head scratches or maybe give Lucifer another back massage… anything that would be physical contact between the two of them actually, but he felt the decision should be left to his master. Alastor's words were still ringing in his head, making him feel small.
Lucifer turned fully to look up into Adam's face. The emotion in his eyes had turned off. The rest of his face had gone expressionless. He was standing stiffly again.
"Sit down." Lucifer instructed, motioning to the side of the bed. Adam set his guitar case down and pushed it under the bed so it was out of the way, then followed the order.
Lucifer came closer. He cupped Adam's cheek with one hand and started petting his hair with the other. The elder angel gazed deep into those golden eyes, looking to see the light turn on again.
"Come back to me, Adam." He whispered. Lucifer stroked his hair slowly. He was tempted once again to kiss him, in hopes it would bring him around, but this was certainly not the moment for a first kiss. Adam blinked at him, blankly.
"I'm right here, Lucifer. I haven't gone anywhere." Adam stated. His voice was sounding flat again, the way it had before their bonding moment in the lounge.
"You're hiding behind the walls again. Don't let Alastor's blathering get into your head. You don't need the walls to keep you safe. That's my job. I'm here. Trust me. Come out. Come back to me." Lucifer murmured, low and gentle. Never once taking his eyes off Adam's.
Adam closed his eyes for a moment. Lucifer was right. Alastor had made him retreat behind the walls again without even realizing. He leaned his head into Lucifer's hands and drank in the reassuring, comforting sensation of Lucifer's tender touch. Drawing a deep breath, he let the walls fall and opened his eyes, smiling softly.
"Better?" Adam asked in a murmur. He looked up into Lucifer's warm, compassionate eyes and saw the king's smile. Something about that smile brought a warm, vaguely familiar feeling to Adam's chest. It felt like a happy memory, halfway forgotten. The younger angel tried to recall when and where he'd last felt it.
"There you are. There's my good boy." Lucifer cooed. He pulled Adam into a hug, and Adam hugged him back. Adam mused that these hugs were feeling more and more natural, each one easier to give and to receive than the last. Lucifer pulled away, too quickly for Adam's liking, but the younger man did not complain.
"I'll go get the fresh bandages. Assume the position." Lucifer told him. Adam bent down to remove his shoes, then removed his shirt. He took the wound care position and waited for Lucifer.
As his chin rested on his arms, bits of Alastor's speech replayed itself in his head. Was there any truth to it? Adam thought it did seem suspicious how Lucifer was willing to dedicate so much of his time to Adam when he could have just killed him. Lucifer had been so eager to buy his soul, and not for the purpose of torturing him, as Adam had originally thought. Is it possible Lucifer really had wanted to keep him? Was he just a scrap of heaven to Lucifer?
Lucifer returned with the supplies, including the wound sanitizer. Adam sighed. This was going to suck. He was already silently cursing Alastor while Lucifer set the supplies on the bed and removed the old bandages.
"That's looking better. The bleeding looks pretty minimal this time. Here comes the antiseptic." Lucifer warned. He watched Adam's muscles tense at the use of the stinging antiseptic on the wounds. Lucifer cleaned the wounds as gently as he could.
"Lucifer? I know you said not to let Alastor into my head, but… was there any truth to what he said?" Adam asked softly. He was finding himself worrying less about saying or doing the wrong thing with Lucifer. Lucifer used a dry cloth to wipe away the excess antiseptic, taking a moment to think before he answered.
"I could tell you a comforting lie and say no, but the truth is… I don't know for certain. I can say for sure I was not planning it from the moment I saw you, like Alastor implied. The reality of the situation is that clipping your wings and putting you on my leash was an impulsive decision. I didn't have the time to think it through.
"I knew collaring you would end you as a threat without the need to end your life, but I also knew you'd never agree to it if you had any hope of returning to heaven, so the wings had to go first. I haven't entertained the notion of why I decided to claim your soul for myself. Perhaps I only trusted myself to keep you under control. I did expect you would be much more poorly behaved and obstreperous than you ended up being.
"It's also possible on some level I DID want to keep you. I just don't have a simple, concise explanation for you... And now here's the good stuff." Lucifer told Adam, applying the pain relief gel. Adam instantly relaxed as the gel eased the stinging. Lucifer applied the fresh bandages, then went to wash his hands.
Adam put his shirt back on and gathered up the supplies to go put them back for Lucifer. Adam put the items away while Lucifer cleaned his hands. Lucifer smiled warmly at Adam being helpful.
"What I can tell you for sure, is I'm very pleased with how that impulse decision turned out. Whether I wanted you on the spot or not, I know I want you now. I'm glad I collared you and made you mine. No one can ever take you from me."
Adam ducked his head down and left the bathroom. His face was heating up again. Why did Lucifer seem to get that reaction from him so easily? Lucifer dried his hands and followed Adam out, thinking about how cute he was when he started getting bashful. Lucifer's eyes wandered down to Adam's ass as he bent down to retrieve his guitar case from under the bed. Lucifer enjoyed the view in silence. Those pants really did fit him just right. Adam moved the guitar case over by the chair, bending over again to put it down carefully.
"So, what would you like to do while we have some time to ourselves?" Lucifer asked. Adam looked back at him and raised an eyebrow.
"Didn't I ask you that already?" Adam pointed out. Lucifer smirked.
"You did, but I want to hear your opinion." Lucifer replied. Adam looked away and bit his lip. He didn't know how to put words to his desire of wanting to touch Lucifer without it sounding pathetic and clingy. Adam groaned internally when he realized 'cuddle' was indeed the right word for what he wanted to do. What was happening to him?
"Nothing, really. Anything is fine with me." Adam replied, not looking Lucifer in the eye. Lucifer frowned and put his hand on his hip, with a serious expression on his face.
"Adam, I can tell you're lying to me. Remember what you said earlier? You said that communication is the most important part of a marriage. Well, you were right. And the same holds true for any relationship, romantic, platonic, or otherwise. You must learn to communicate with me openly. You have something on your mind, and I want to know what it is." Lucifer kept his tone even but his face serious.
"You're really going to make me say it." Adam groaned audibly and put both hands over his reddening face. Lucifer waited silently and expectantly while Adam tried to figure out the least humiliating way to phrase what he was being pushed to say. Adam kept his hands over his face to avoid looking at Lucifer.
"I really just… want to touch you. Shit! No, that sounded worse, not better. I didn't mean it like that. What I meant was I… I want to cuddle with you." Adam removed his hands from his face. He had an expression like he'd just admitted to an incredibly shameful secret. He still wouldn't look at Lucifer.
"Okay, that sounds fine. Why not?" Lucifer smiled at how cute Adam looked. Who would have thought the first man would be so sheepish about affection? Adam finally looked at him.
"You don't think it's shameful or pathetic for me to want affection from you?" Adam asked. Lucifer rolled his eyes.
"Firstly, no. There is nothing shameful or pathetic about wanting affection. It's a basic need to be fulfilled. Secondly, we're in hell, Adam. One of the few upsides is that judgment is kind of a moot point here." Lucifer replied. Adam looked away again and placed his left hand on his neck.
"I don't think wanting affection in general is embarrassing… Just wanting it from YOU. You own my fucking soul. I should hate you, or at least be angry at you for taking my freedom away. But I can't be, because I know I'm the one to blame. Even if I can't be pissed, I still shouldn't be wanting cuddles from you like an attention hungry pet." Adam huffed, feeling frustrated because he couldn't even seem to feel the right emotions anymore.
"Well, I'll take your lack of anger and desire for closeness as a sign that I'm doing a good job being a magnanimous master. Now, go sit down." Lucifer motioned to the armchair. Adam sighed and obeyed.
Lucifer removed his boots, coat, and hat and set his cane aside. The king of hell then seated himself sideways in Adam's lap, as he'd done before. Lucifer had been too distracted by Adam's distress the last time he'd sat in his lap, but now he noticed he found Adam's lap rather comfortable. It helped that the height difference between them was minimized this way, and he could now reach Adam more easily.
Adam sighed softly as the king of hell's hands went into his hair to begin petting and gently scratching. Lucifer could feel Adam relax and felt Adam's arms wrap around him. Adam's left hand absent mindedly rubbed Lucifer's back. Adam felt safe with Lucifer this close, and being petted by him made all Adam's tension fade away.
The petting was mutually enjoyable. Lucifer loved the soft, silky feeling of petting Adam's hair. He wondered if it had been this way while Adam was alive, or if Adam's hair had only gotten so soft after his ascension to heaven. Lucifer almost regretted that he'd never touched it back in Eden, but he quickly shrugged it off. Either way, he could pet this luxurious hair every day now. Perhaps Adam could be persuaded to grow it out a bit…
Adam had a soft, relaxed expression on his face. He hugged Lucifer a little closer. Lucifer savored the moment, noticing that Adam looked almost as serene as he did when he was playing music. He enjoyed feeling Adam caress his back in return, though Adam almost seemed timid about touching him in return. Lucifer leaned in, resting his body partially on Adam's chest. Adam ducked his head a bit to more easily receive the petting.
"Lucifer… I have a question I've been wanting to ask you. Just for curiosity's sake. Not that it's any of my business." Adam murmured. He was only halfway paying attention to his own words. It was hard to focus on thinking when Lucifer petted him.
"You don't need to be shy about asking me questions. If I don't want to answer, I will say so. What do you want to know?" Lucifer asked softly. He didn't want to disturb the peaceful moment they were sharing.
"I was curious if you owned anyone else's soul, or if it's just me." Adam muttered, coming out of his comfortable relaxation just a bit by the uncomfortable thought. Lucifer petted and scratched a bit more vigorously, trying to lull Adam back into that relaxation.
"Nope, I only own your soul. Well, and my own, of course. I never really needed that sort of direct control over others. I have enough power to get my way on my own. Buying souls is generally more of an overlord thing. It's part of how they build their power. You are the only one in hell wearing my collar." Lucifer answered. He found himself smiling a bit wider, remembering the sight of his beautiful, shining golden collar encircling Adam's neck, with an equally beautiful sparkling leash leading to his hand, showing all of hell that Adam was his and his alone.
Adam made no reply but let the room go quiet. He fell back into that sweet calm that made Lucifer's heart warm when he saw it. By all that was unholy, Lucifer wanted to kiss him again. Adam was looking back at Lucifer, still holding him close and gently rubbing his back. Then Adam noticed Lucifer was giving him that look again, the same one Lucifer had given him right after he'd apologized the night before. Adam met his gaze, trying to understand that look. The answer did not take long to come to him.
Lucifer's right hand slid down from Adam's hair to his neck. The small hand curved to fit the back of his neck and pulled Adam's head down as Lucifer rose up to meet him. Before Adam even comprehended what was happening, Lucifer's lips met his. Lucifer's eyes closed as Adam's eyes widened in shock and his body stiffened.
As he was frozen for a moment, Lucifer's lips moved gently against his, trying to coax a response out of him. Adam suddenly couldn't think with Lucifer's lips on his. He could only feel and react. Adam's eyes slid closed and he began to reciprocate the kiss, much to Lucifer's relief and delight.
After a moment, Lucifer decided to try to deepen the kiss. He parted his lips and slid the tip of his tongue along Adam's lower lip, asking for permission. Adam followed his impulse and parted his lips. Lucifer quickly availed himself of the granted consent and slipped his tongue inside.
There Lucifer's tongue quickly found Adam's and initiated contact. Adam's tongue moved hesitantly. It had been so long since he'd had a kiss. Yet Lucifer quickly reminded him just how enjoyable a good kiss could be. As their tongues moved around each other in his mouth, Adam felt jolts of pleasure, the likes of which he had not known in thousands of years, and moaned into Lucifer's mouth. Lucifer felt a shiver go up his spine as he experienced similar jolts of pleasure. Lucifer wanted more. The king of hell turned the caresses of their tongues into a mild wrestling match, intensifying the sensations for both of them. Lucifer was the only one with any rational thought left as the pleasure from the kiss traveled to his loins.
A knock on the door disrupted them. Lucifer reluctantly drew his tongue back into his own mouth and pulled away from Adam. Lucifer frowned at the door. He considered asking who it was, and telling anyone but Charlie to leave.
Adam was in a slight daze as his brain tried to come back down from the pleasure high that had been building. He could only just register that they had been kissing, and it had been amazing. Bewildered, Adam tried to understand why it had started, and more importantly why it had stopped.
Lucifer unhappily decided it might be for the best if their first kiss didn't go too much farther. Begrudgingly, the king removed Adam's arms from around him and slid off the larger man's lap and went to the door.