♧Hellaverse♧

"I'M IN THE SHITTER GIVE ME A MINUTE!"

"Well I need to know if you're here so I can bolt the damn door!" Vaggie called out. She turned all 20 locks on the door, slide and locked the heavy bar in place across the door, and pulled a heavy filing cabinet in front of it for good measure.

She set her stuff down in her room and flopped beside Angel on the couch. "How's the arm?"

"Better, sadly." He looked down at his arm in the sling and sighed. 'Think I could lie to Val and get some extra days off?" Angel asked.

"Do you think you can lie to Val?" Vaggie said, giving him a "You know better than to try that" look.

Angel groaned softly, sinking deeper into the half-broken couch. "I don't wanna go back..."

"I know you don't, Ang," Vaggie said, grabbing the remote. "Maybe some TV will take your mind off things?"

"Did we even pay the cable bill?" Cherri asked ask she came into the living room.

Vaggie sighed. "If you actually paid it and didn't use it for drugs or explosives, then yes."

Cherri paused for a minute. "Yeah I paid it."

Vaggie sighed heavily and turned on the TV, browsing through the few channels they had. "Why do we even let her live here?"

"She's your friend..." Angel said.

"Don't push the blame on me."

They flipped through the few channels, eventually stopping when they heard an oddly familiar voice.

"-feeling lost? Are you lacking direction in the afterlife? Maybe looking for...redemption?"

"Holy shit..."

"Is she still trying to make that hack shot hotel work?"

Vaggie stayed silent and kept watching the commercial.

"Then come on down to the Hazbin Hotel! With new, improved, and updated facilities, the Hazbin Hotel is the perfect place to earn your place in Heaven!" As Charlie continued to speak, she walked around, showing off some of the amenities around the hotel. Vaggie watched intently as Angel and Cherri made some complaints and insults. She hadn't aged a day... The hotel looked exactly the same...

"Call 1 800-777-8998 to book your room today! And remember, redemption starts with you!"

The commercial ended and Vaggie laid back. "Damn... I haven't thought about the hotel in years..." She was lying. She thought about Charlie and the hotel weekly. "How long has it been? 10 years?"

"Probably closer to 15." Angel sighed and got up, going to their kitchenette. "Anyone want a beer?"

"Definitely."

"Maybe we should go and check on her. See how she's doing," Vaggie said. "It's been a while. Maybe she changed."

"Hell fuckin' no!" Angel tossed a can of beer to both girls before grabbing one for himself. "That bitch can rot here!"

"Yeah! After pulling that shit with Adam and her dad, I want nuthin' to do with her."

"And, didn't she say something about how she hated you?" Angel sat back down and sipped his beer.

Vaggie just looked down, rolling the cold can between her hands. "Well..."

"Vags, you know you-"

"I'm not going to go back to her. I just want to see how she's doing." She set down the beer and got up, heading towards the door. "You can come with me."

"Absolutely not."

"Hell no. I'd like one more night of freedom before I go back to the studio."

"Fine." Vaggie began to move the filing cabinet and unlock all the bolts. "Don't forget to bolt the door after I leave."

~~~~~~~~~~

The hotel looked incredibly different. They definitely doubled up on the rooms, and the dark purple exterior matched and contrasted with the surrounding buildings. The front yard looked clean and pristine, not a weed in sight and expertly mowed grass. The stone pathway up to the hotel was clean from any speck of dirt or dust. Maybe Nifty was still here. She heard through the grapevine that Alastor left around the time she did, and took Husk and Nifty with him. Maybe they came back. Or Nifty put her foot down and stayed.

The elaborate front doors were gone, and most of the front walls too, replaced by heavily amber tinted windows and a glass revolving door, also tinted that heavy amber color. Vaggie paused at the door. Maybe this was a bad idea. Was Charlie still mad at her for their fight? It's been over a decade. Vaggie got over it in a month. But she had never seen Charlie get that mad. She had never seen her hold any kind of grudge. Maybe something happened that made her snap back then? And she hasn't....snapped back to normal?

Would Charlie even want to see her?

Millions of thoughts rushed through Vaggie's mind. She should go home. She should rush into Charlie's arms and beg for forgiveness. She should go up to her and be honest, apologize for their fight and ask her on a date. So many choices, so many confusing, half-baked plans. But one thought came through above all. Just talk to her.

Vaggie took a deep breath and went through the revolving door, and what she was met with was the last thing she could ever imagine.

The hotel was actually...full. Sinners hustled and bustled in the lobby as Vaggie passed the threshold, taking it all in. The common area was exactly how it was before, but there was an actual group therapy session going on. And everything was in these beautiful shades of blue. Royal blues, ultramarines, periwinkles, and baby blues, giving the interior a calming aura with tasteful accents of gold and white. Vaggie wanted to cry. Charlie's dream finally came true, and she missed it all.

"I'm so sorry, all our rooms are full." Vaggie whipped her head around. She was just a few feet away. Vaggie could recognize that cheerful voice anywhere. "A few of our residents are almost Heaven ready, so come by at the end of the week and we'll get you set up."

"Alright. I'm sorry if I wasted your time."

"Not at all! I'm sorry if I wasted your time by having you come up here for nothing!"

The sinner just laughed and waved goodbye. "I'll be back Saturday, Princess Morningstar."

"Just call me Charlie! And I'm more of a hugger." She pulled the sinner in for a tight hug, which they reciprocated. "Stay out of trouble. And remember, redemption starts with you!" The sinner walked off and Charlie turned away, coming face to face with Vaggie.

A heavy silence fell between them in the busy lobby. Neither knew what to say or do. Start with an apology? Rush into each other's arms like a cheesy romcom? Everything Vaggie had originally planned to say (which wasn't much to begin with) was caught in her throat like a heavy lump and tears began to dot her eyes.

Charlie looked so different. Her long, beautiful hair was now chopped into a cute little pixie cut. The classic red suit that lived in Vaggie's mind for the past 15 years was now swapped out for a sharp blue blazer and slacks, with a cream colored tank top instead of a button up. She looked more casual. She looked calmer. She looked...happier.

Obviously, she changed a lot. Seeing her in the flesh, Vaggie felt like stone. The only difference she had made in the past 15 years was she had grown her hair out after the whole "Adam Setting Her Hair On Fire But It Was Actually Somehow Cameron" Incident. She still dressed the same, looked the same, and felt the same as she did when she left so long ago. Charlie had done so much without her. She didn't need her. She should leave.

Before she could move, Charlie made some quick strides to close the gap between them and embraced her in a bear hug. Vaggie reacted immediately, hugging back just as tight and gripping her blazer like a lifeline.

"I missed you so much..." Charlie whispered to her.

"I missed you too..." Vaggie responded, a smile slowly growing on her face.

Charlie pulled away all too soon, keeping her at forearm's length. "It's good to see that your hair grew back..."

Vaggie broke out in a few giggles, blushing and hiding her face. "Yeah. I kinda like it better."

"Me too..." Charlie finally let go and took a step back, settling into a quiet awkwardness. "So... How've you been?" She asked as she fiddled with her hands.

"I'm good!" Vaggie shoved her hands into her skirt pockets to try and sop herself from pulling Charlie back into her arms. "Well, maybe not good, but I've been getting by..."

"That's still good. Thriving is better than surviving, but sometimes all you can do is survive..."

Vaggie nodded gently. "Yeah... Well, how about you? How has the world of Charlie Morningstar been while I was gone?" Saying that made her heart feel hollow. The words rolled off her tongue like second nature. She always used to say that when they were dating. Whenever they were apart for a long amount of time, it was the first thing Vaggie asked.

The look on Charlie's face made her cringe internally. That look of nervousness and a hint of heartbreak, mixed with a dash of worry. Vaggie never liked that look. And all of it was gone in a flash and replaced with a forced smile. "It's been amazing! The hotel has never been better!"

"Yeah. I like the remodel."

"Thanks. Adam and Emily helped a lot."

Vaggie looked shocked. "You made up with Adam?"

"Yeah. It's been a long journey, but we've been able to...tolerate each other, at the very least." Charlie looked away, somewhat upset. "I know he's never gonna forgive me for what I did. But I still want to try to make it up to him."

Vaggie reached out, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder and giving it a soft squeeze. "I understand that feeling."

Charlie gave her an awkward smile, gently stepping back. "Umm... Why did you come down here?"

"I- I saw the, umm, commercial and-"

"Oh, that old thing? I'm surprised they're still running it. I stopped paying for the ad space years ago!" Charlie said with a little laugh.

Vaggie smiled and let out a little chuckle. "I-I just...wanted to, umm, check on you. See how... how things were..." Vaggie said awkwardly.

"Well... thank you for the generosity. Would... Would you like a tour of the updated facilities?" Charlie asked with a gentle smile.

"Sure! I mean, I got nothing better to do..." Vaggie tried to act nonchalant.

Charlie smiled and started walking away. "I'm a speed walker, so try to keep up."

Charlie led her around the hotel, showing off and bragging about the facilities. The library, stacked high and low with fiction, non-fiction, and every translation of the Bible you could imagine. A decently sized gym to help Sinners blow off steam, and an Olympic sized swimming pool as well. The sanctuary, where they'd have Angels come down to give sermons on Sunday. Sadly, no one had been going recently.

"And last, but certainly not least-" Charlie paused as they approached a set of elaborate dark mahogany doors. "We have The Lounge. Sinners can come and relax, get a drink, and just unwind from the day."

"So, a bar?" Vaggie asked.

"No, bars are for getting drunk and rowdy. The Lounge is where you can relax and unwind after a stressful day. It's all about the wordage," Charlie said, turning to open the door, until-

KCCH "Theives for Morningstar, come in Morningstar. Over."

Charlie immediately stiffened up, pulling a walkie-talkie out of a pocket from her blazer. "Go for Morningstar. Over."

"We have a Code 4-18 in Room 528. I repeat, Code 4 18 in Room 5 2 8. Fly in a crash kit. Over."

Charlie started walking away before the other person even finished. "Copy. Morningstar is 10-17 to Room 528. Over and out." She turned back to Vaggie as she walked away. "I'LL BE BACK AS QUICK AS I CAN! WAIT FOR ME, KAY?! I WANNA CATCH UP!"

"GOT IT!" Vaggie smiled awkwardly, letting out a heavy sigh as Charlie turned a corner. Something in her gut was telling her to leave, but one drink couldn't hurt...

She opened the doors, and it was like stepping into an entirely different atmosphere. Smooth jazz played quietly over the speakers, a few Sinners gathered at the small tables or at the L couch in the corner. The air smelled of a luxurious smoke, definitely the sign of someone smoking a cigar. And at the actual bar...

...

He took a deep breath and walked up the small staircase to the mansion's entrance, giving a few quick, sharp knocks.

"ADAM! GET OFF YOU LAZY ASS AND ANSWER THE DOOR!" Mammon's voice carried really well. There was some running around and Adam opened the front door.

"Hi..." Adam whispered, smiling softly. "I started losing hope..."

"I'm sorry, it took a little longer than expected..." Lucifer said softly, cupping Adam's cheek. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm great, now that you're here..."

Lucifer smiled, quickly dropping it once he noticed the scarf wrapped tightly around Adam's neck. "What happened?"

"I'd...rather not talk about it..."

Lucifer nodded softly.

"WHO THE FUCK IS THERE?!"

Adam pushed his hand away and turned into the house. "ITS LUCIFER!"

"WHO?!"

"LUCIFER!"

"WHO?!"

"IT'S THE KING OF HELL! GET OVER HERE!"

Lucifer had never seen Mammon move that fast. He was at the front door in a matter of seconds, a scowl on his face. "The fuck you want, you walking asshole?"

Now to put the plan in action. He gave a big, nervous smile and sucked in a breath through his teeth. "Yeah, so I had to have a meeting with Sera, and she found out that Adam isn't up in Pride anymore. And, you know Sera. She through a bitch fit and demanded Adam gets put back where he belongs."

"He's not going back with you," Mammon growled.

Lucifer held up his hands defensively. "I know! Believe me, I don't want him in my Ring! But if he's not there, then Sera might wreck havoc and..." Crap what was he gonna say?! He practiced this 20 times! "Destroy all of Hell..." That wasn't what he was supposed to say.

Mammon raised a brow. "Seriously?"

"Yes." Now he had to commit. "I mean, you know Sera. Takes the smallest thing and blows them out of proportion."

Mammon sighed and rolled his eyes. "Bitch still hasn't changed a bit, huh?"

Yes, he bought it! "Sadly, no. So, I just need to take Adam for a month or two back to my Ring. Once Sera calms down, I'll talk to her and make her realize that it's better if he's down her with you. Sound good?"

Mammon sighed. He was obviously pissed off and hesitant. "Just a couple of months?"

"And he'll be all yours," Lucifer said with a smile. "Forever and ever..."

Mammon rolled his eyes. "You better fix it. Quick." He turned to Adam. "Go get your shit. You're going to stay with Lucifer for a while." He shut the door in Lucifer's face.

Lucifer let out a hefty sigh, feeling his heartbeat slow down as panic subsided. Thank God, he bought it...

Adam left a few minutes later, slinging his duffel bag over his shoulder and gripping his guitar case with a death grip. He raced down the steps and Lucifer ran after him, trying to keep his pace as they left the mansion grounds.

"I thought you said I wouldn't have to go back," Adam said softly.

"You won't. Follow me." Lucifer walked the dirty streets of Greed, holding Adam's hand and leading him along until he found a quiet alley way. He led him deep, until they couldn't see the road.

"What are we doing down here?" Adam asked nervously.

"We just need some privacy." Lucifer let go of his hand and pulled something out of his jacket pocket.

Adam stared at him, shocked and confused. "Is that..."

"A Luciferian crystal." He paused, watching Adam intensely. "I know what you're thinking, but I'm not gonna take this from you. This is yours to keep, Adam. I just need to show you how to use it, then it's all yours. I won't take it back. I promise."

Adam nodded. Although from the look on his face, you could tell he didn't believe him.

Lucifer put it on. "It's really simple, actually." He turned around and held up the crystal, looking back to make sure Adam was watching. "All you have to do is think about where you want to go and draw a pentagram." He used the tip of his nail to draw a pentagram on the flat surface of the crystal, watching the bight red lines etching their way into the crystal. When he finished, a portal opened up to Gluttony, right outside Bee's mansion.

"That's Gluttony," Lucifer explained as Adam stared in awe. "Bee has really good parties."

Adam didn't say anything.

Lucifer started getting uncomfortable. "If you want to get rid of the portal, all you gotta do is wipe it away." He made sure Adam was watching and he wiped the pentagram off the crystal, and the portal closed in the blink of an eye. "And that's just how it is. Think of where you wanna go, draw the pentagram, and wipe it away once you pass through." He took off the crystal and held it out to Adam, but he didn't grab it.

"Adam..." Lucifer gently took his hand and placed the crystal in it. "I'm not going to take it from you. I genuinely want you to have this."

"Why?" Adam asked, looking confused.

"Because after everything I did, after everything I said to you... This is the least I can do..."

Adam still seemed nervous and hesitant, but he gave him a smile.

Lucifer smiled back gently. "Can I show you one more thing?"

"Sure..."

"I was able to set up a spawn point or homing beacon of sorts on the crystal." Lucifer gently opened his hand, showing the flat surface of the crystal. "If you're ever running around the Rings and you need a place you know is safe, just think about home and draw the pentagram." He drew it for Adam and watched a portal open up into a red room.

Adam just stared, like he didn't want to believe this was real.

"It's safe. Trust me." As if to prove a point, Lucifer fell backwards into the portal and landed on the hard ground on the other side. Adam just stepped through, looking around cautiously.

Lucifer quickly jumped to his feet and carefully wiped away the pentagram. "Don't forget to do that. You don't know who will follow you through."

"Got it," Adam said, gripping the crystal tightly when he was done. "So... Where are we?"

"At my palace. I have a bunch of spare rooms, more than what I know to do with. So I turned one into a guest room for you," Lucifer said. "If you're ever scared, if you need a place to stay that you know is safe, or if you just need a break, then you can come here and stay as long as you want. I won't touch anything in here, I won't mess with any of your stuff. You can use any of the palace amenities, and I won't ask you to do anything while you're here." He watched Adam examine the bare room closely, as if he was looking for something. "Sorry if it's not that flashy. I thought it would be better if you decorated it since-"

"What's the catch?" Adam cut him off.

"Huh?" Lucifer looked confused.

"What's the catch?" Adam repeated. "There has to be some kind of catch."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"What do you mean? There is no catch." Lucifer looked just as confused as Adam.

"You can't be this nice just because. There's something in it for you."

Lucifer sighed softly. "Adam. Trust me when I saw this. I don't want anything from you. I just want you to be safe."

"Why?"

"Because I care about you. More than I probably should... After everything you went through, you need a place that you know is safe, and the only place I thought of was here. And with the crystal, you can go anywhere you want in Hell at a moments notice. It's not exactly the freedom you had up in Heaven, but it's close enough, right?"

Adam said nothing, his expression unreadable as he looked away from Lucifer and down at the pure white crystal in his hands.

"I'll let you get settled in...." Lucifer turned and left the room. He walked down the quiet halls, but it felt different than before. Just having Adam here, it made his home feel warmer. It made Lucifer feel calm. I mean, Adam was probably never going to use the room, but just the idea that he could be here anytime... It made him smile.

He heard a gentle knock as he passed by the front door. Confused, he went over and opened it a crack to see who it was.

"Charlie?" He asked, swinging the door wide open. "What are you doing here?"

"Can I stay with you for a while?" She asked as she sobbed.

"Of course, baby! Come in, I'll get you bags." He gently ushered her inside and grabbed the few bags she brought, leading her up to her old bedroom. She was silent, except for the occasional sob, sitting on her bed while Lucifer started to unpack some of her clothes and belongings.

The silence was eating him up. Charlie was rarely ever like this. And judging from the puffy eyes, she had been crying for days. He carefully sat beside her, wrapping an arm around her shoulder.

"What happened, duckling?" He asked, his voice soft and gentle.

Charlie started cry harder than ever. "I don't know, Dad! I don't know why I've been acting like this! Everything was going so well with the hotel and Adam then Cameron came around and started framing Adam and I just got so mad and everything went out of control and Vaggie left and I kicked you out and Angel ran away and Alastor left and if Alastor leaves then Husk and Nifty leave too and I was all alone and I just couldn't take it! I'm a failure!"

"Charlie, sweetie, you're not a failure," he said, pulling her closer. "You're just.... Maybe you like Lilith."

"H-Huh?" She wiped her eyes, smearing days-old makeup on her face.

"I mean, you know I have some form of anxiety, and I passed that onto you. Your mother never really showed it, but she had some kind of mood disorder. I wanna say she was bipolar, but I'm not a doctor so I can't diagnose."

"Am I broken?"

"No, no, Charlie. You're not broken," he said reassuringly. "You just need some help. You still have that human disguise, right?"

"Yeah..."

"Wonderful. I'll get an appointment set up and I can take you up to Earth so you can get a diagnosis from a good, trusted doctor, and some good meds to help. Not the shit that Belle has. Maybe set you up with a therapist, too."

Charlie seemed to calm down at that. "I thought you couldn't go to Earth..."

"Charlotte, I'm the King of Hell. I can fo whatever I want, whenever I want, and however I want. If I want to go up to Earth to help my daughter, I will." He smiled and kissed her cheek. "Get some rest, duckling. I'll make your favorite tonight."

Charlie smiled and hugged him. "You're the best, Dad... I'm sorry for kicking you out..."

Lucifer hugged back tightly. "You had every right to, Charlie. I promised you I would never take them again and I broke that promise."

"You just needed help," Charlie tried to reason.

"And I could've gone somewhere else for that help. I didn't have to go to Auntie Belle." He kissed her forehead and pulled away. "Now get some rest. Seriously. You look exhausted."

Charlie gave him a weak smile and laid down on her bed, easily succumbing to sleep.

Lucifer just smiled and left the room. Finally, after all the shit of the past year, things finally started looking up...

"I thought you were over this! You don't need these!"

"If I take them, then I don't feel like I want to die! I can actually be happy for once! Everything reminds me about what I lost and I can actually forget for once in my miserable life!"

"Fucking Hell, you're worse than Angel! If you wanna be like this, then go do it at your own home! Not in my goddamn hotel!"

"Fine! Go fuck yourself!"

"Right back atchya, you pice of shit good for nothing WASTE OF SPACE FATHER!"

Lucifer had no idea she had that in her, but at least he knew how she really felt now...

He just spent most of his time in bed, scrolling through Adam's Sinstagram again and not bothering to ask Belle for more pills. Talking to her felt like more trouble than what it was worth anyway...

He refreshed Adam's page for five minutes before seeing a new post about last minute tickets. $100 for some nosebleed seats to see Adam live in the Greed Ring... He had to take his chance. He might not get another one. He had to talk to him. Say something. Apologize. Beg for forgiveness. Just anything to try and make this right.

So, he bought a ticket. As soon as he got the confirmation, he just started staring at the clock. He didn't even move from his bed. He just stared at his little red wall clock, occasionally looking at his phone to check the date (and spy on Adam or see if Charlie called him.) 5 days passed, with Lucifer just staring at the clock. He didn't eat. He didn't sleep. He didn't even move until it was time for him to get ready for the concert, and even then he just threw on a white sweatsuit and some sneakers before heading down to Greed. But as soon as he arrived...

"Jesus Christ..." He should've gotten there sooner. He was miles away from the venue and the line seemed to stretch on forever. "There's no way I'm getting in..."

"Yeah! We're gonna be packed like sardines!" Someone said.

"I paid $1000 for this?!"

Lucifer just sighed and stood in the long line. It was moving kinda fast, but he was still super far from the entrance. He pulled out his phone and just stared at the home screen for a while. He shouldn't. She wouldn't answer...

But it wouldn't hurt to try...

He clicked on Charlie's contact and listened to the phone ringing. It rang and rang and rang...

"Hey! You almost reached Charlie Morningstar! Sorry I couldn't take your call, I'm a bit busy right now. Leave a message and I'll call you back! Byeeeeeeeee-" Her goodbye was cut off by the beep.

He sighed softly. "Hey, Charlie... It's your dad.... Again... Look, I'm really sorry about what happened. I wasn't in the right headspace. I really want to fix things between us... Call me back soon... Please..." He pulled the phone away and hung up.

"Kid problems?" One of the people in line asked.

"Yeah..."

"If you need any help, just give me a call, yeah?" They handed him a business card and went back to their conversation.

Lucifer looked down, a little confused, and utterly disgusted when he read the card.

Jaxon Cuck, Family Sex Therapist. Call 1-800-666-FUCK

Lucifer tore the business card up and threw it to the ground. "I'm gonna throw up then kill myself..."

Hours passed in the line, and Lucifer was getting impatient. The line was moving every second, but it felt like it wasn't getting any shorter. He kept bouncing on his feet, looking around and trying to see the entrance. He thought about leaving and giving up every few minutes, but something in his gut told him to stay. He had to see Adam. He didn't have a choice in this.

"Next!"

"Finally!" Lucifer rushed forward and pulled out his phone, showing the security guard the ticket confirmation on his phone.

The bodyguard looked at it briefly and scanned a list before he sighed. "I apologize, Your Majesty, but you're blacklisted. We have to ask you to leave."

Normally, Lucifer would cause a fuss. He'd demand to be let in, even show his horns and wings and start spitting fire. But tonight... He just didn't have the fight.

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize," he said, smiling apologetically. "Have a good night." He left the line and sat on a nearby filthy bench. He held his head in his hands and slowly started to cry. $100 dollars, put to waste, all for nothing...

"Sweetheart, what's wrong?" A tall imp sat beside, putting their arm around Lucifer's shoulders.

"I just..." He started sobbing heavily and pulled at his hair. "I need to get in tonight! I have to talk to Adam! It's been almost a year! If I don't take this chance, it'll never happen again!"

"Why do you need to see some guy playing a guitar?"

"Because I just have this...bad feeling or something! He's my ex but I don't think everything is ok! I need to talk to him but I'm blacklisted!" Lucifer sobbed and covered his face in shame. He felt pathetic...

"There there, just keep breathing, sweetheart." They patted his back and pulled out a pack of tissues. "You really need to see Adam?"

Lucifer just nodded and said some gibberish.

"Alright..." They tapped on their phone for a minute or two before pulling his up by front of his hoodie and dragging him to the entrance. "Follow me."

"Hey! I was here first!" Someone said.

"Shut up, slut. Hey, Benny," the imp said sweetly.

"Jackie!" The security guard smiled and gave the imp a hug. "Whatcha doing here?"

"I wanted to see the opening set, Cyclone." Jackie pulled out their phone and showed him the ticket.

"Alright, everything's good. Wanna hang after the concert?" Benny asked.

"Sure. If you buy me a drink." Jackie smiled and pulled Lucifer in along with them.

"Jackie-"

"He's with me."

"No, Jackie, he's-"

"With. Me." Jackie glared at them and pulled Lucifer in. "He won't do anything. He's been trying to sleep with me for like, 5 years. He's in too deep to piss me off."

Lucifer wiped his eyes and took a few deep breaths. "Thanks, Jackie."

"Anytime." They got into the venue and it was packed like sardines. You could barely move around. "Hope you get to talk to your guy. I'm gonna get wasted." Jackie quickly disappeared in the crowd and Lucifer was left at the front.

"Ok. I got in... Now what?" He said to himself. There had to be a backstage area. He slowly started squeezing through the crowd, taking every opening and slowly going deeper and deeper into the crowd. He'd occasionally pause, standing on his tiptoes and looking around, trying to find some way to get backstage. This seemed hopeless.

Deeper and deeper into the crowd, and every step slowly chipped away at any semblance of faith he had in his half-baked plan. He stopped again and looked around, seeing a service entrance to the backstage. His eyes lit up and he smiled to himself. If he could just sneak back there, he could find Adam's dressing room. But the entrance had two big security guards blocking the way. He had to think of a distraction. Fast.

"Hey, don't shove me!"

"You shoved me first!"

Or maybe he didn't.

A fight quickly broke out and everyone backed away. People took sides, bets were quickly placed, and the security guards rushed over to try and break it up. The crowd parted like the Red Sea to let the guards through, and Lucifer rushed through the gap when no one was looking. For once, he thanked God for making him short.

He ran through the service entrance and tried to look around the dimly lit hallway. He let his feet carry him, taking random twists and turns until he tripped over a cable and planted face first into the floor. He groaned, slowly pushing himself off the ground and noticing a small blood splatter left behind. "Crap..." He winced as he wiped the blood away from his now broken nose and finally got a chance to look around.

This hallway looked different. Good lighting, beige walls, and a lot of doors. Lucifer got to his feet and walked slowly, seeing multiple different names on every door.

"Must be dressing rooms or something. Adam's has to be here..." He picked up the pace, looking frantically down the hallway and trying to find the right room. He groaned at each incorrect name, rushing to the next door and groaning again. He wanted to pull his hair out. Adam's dressing room had to be around her somewhere! Why did he even come her in the first place?! Adam didn't want to see him! This felt hope-

"Yes!" Lucifer ran up to the door of Adam's dressing room and tried to open it. Locked.

"Of course it's fucking locked. Everything else has gone to shit tonight so of course the door is fucking locked." He started looking in the pockets of his sweatsuit, hoping to find something. He usually left a lot of stuff in his pockets and forgot about them. Maybe he left something he could use to pick a lock.

A pen? No.

Old receipts? Definitely not.

Coins? Maybe? No. They could fit into the slit of the lock, but he needed something to jiggle the interns pins.

A gift card? "When did I get this?" He mumbled. He tried shoving it between the door and the door jamb and jiggling the knob. He's seen the work in movies, so I had to work.

...

The movies fucking lied.

"Jesus fucking Christ, do I have anything?" He pulled the gift card out and checked his pockets again, finally finding his saving grace.

"Bobby pin, yes!" He whispered, bending it and shoving it into the lock. He wiggled it around, trying to hit the pins. This had to work.

"Hey, you got those tickets to Mammon's Clown Pagent, right?"

Lucifer froze. The voice sounded far away, but it was getting closer.

"Yeah. Front row, too."

"Seriously?! Those are so hard to get!"

"Fuck fuck fuck fuck..." Lucifer whispered and jiggled the bobby pin around, hoping, begging, praying, pleading this would-

click

"Yes!" He pulled out the bobby pin and rushed into the room, closing and locking it behind him. He stayed there for a moment or two, trying to quietly catch his breath and hope whoever was there didn't see him.

"Do you think Glitz and Glam will be there?"

"Of fucking course, dumbass! They have to defend their titles..."

The voices faded away and he let out a sigh of relief. He reached along the wall and flipped the light switch, looking around the room briefly. A vanity with a lot of makeup (when did Adam start wearing makeup?), a movable clothes rack packed with outfits, couch, coffee table, normal stuff you expect to see in a dressing room. But something caught Lucifer's eye in the corner.

"Eden?" Lucifer went over and picked up the guitar. "Why would he perform without Eden?"

Adam had carried that guitar with him for years, centuries even. She (yes, Eden is a she) used to be lyre, but he modified her over the years to keep up with the times, and she never left his side. He slept with that damn thing.

He put Eden back in the same position he found her in and looked for a place to hide. If Adam just randomly saw him in the room, he'd probably scream for security. He looked back at the clothes rack. Most of the outfits reached the floor, and it was packed to the brim. If he could just squeeze in there...

He pressed his back into the corner and squatted down slightly to make sure he wasn't seen. Perfect.

"Now I just gotta wait..." He pulled out his phone and put it on silent, turning down the volume to mute everything, and played dome mindless games. Wordle, Match 3, Mammonopoly Go, anything to keep his brain occupied for the next 3 or so hours.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

5 and half hours. Lucifer ended up having to sit on the floor cause his thighs started to hurt. And now his butt was numb. And his phone was almost dead. And still no sight of Adam.

Lucifer groaned and ran his hands over his face. "Why did I do this...?" He mumbled. "Maybe I should just go home..." But he didn't move an inch. He gut told him to stay. His heart told him something was wrong. His brain knew Adam wasn't ok. There has been signs for months. He had to at least try to speak to him, figure out what the fuck was going on.

He heard the sound of keys outside the door and stood up, squeezing himself into the corner-wallsit again to try and hide. He peeked through the hangers and saw someone enter the room. The brown hair, the tired eyes. It was him. Adam. Finally...

"Great show, Addy!" Oh god, why the fuck was Mammon here?

Mammon slammed the door shut and locked it. "Your fans were practically climbing that stage tuh get tuh ya!

"Uh huh..." Adam just sat at the vanity and pulled out some makeup wipes.

"Why so down, Adam?" Mammon asked, getting closer to him.

"Just exhausted," Adam said, wiping away the layers of foundation and green eyeshadow. Wait, is that a black eye? "You know those shows take a lot out of me."

"Well..." Mammon got closer, wrapping his arms around Adam. "Maybe I could put pep in your step?" His voice sounded low and sultry. Disgusting...

Adam mumbled something Lucifer couldn't hear, and Mammon's smile turned to a scowl. "What?"

"I said, get your hands off of me..." Adam said firmly.

In the blink of an eye, Mammon had Adam pressed against the wall. Lucifer couldn't see him, but from the sound of it, Adam was struggling to breathe.

"Your body and your music is mine. I will do whatever the fuck I want with it. Understand?"

There was silence, except for Adam's struggle.

"Speak!"

"Y-es, Mamm- Mammon..."

"Good boy..." He let go and Adam dropped to the ground, trying to catch his breath. "You have some fans coming back here in 30 minutes. They paid extra to meet your sorry ass. Get them put quick and come back home, 'kay?"

"Yes, Mammon..."

The Sin quickly turned and left, leaving Adam alone in the room to curl up and cry.

Lucifer just stared in shock, his breath caught in his throat. Should he come out? Should he just stay and wait until Adam left? I mean, he was actually right. Something was wrong, and he had to fix it. So, he slowly stepped out and walked towards him.

"Adam-"

"WHAT THE FUCK?!" Adam backed into the nearest corner.

"Adam! Adam, it's just me!" Luckfer held up his hand and backed up a little bit. "I-I know I'm the last person you want to talk to, but... I just needed to check on you..."

Adam took a few shakey breaths. "Well, congrats. Someone finally beat you for last place..." He said, curling up and looking away.

Lucifer was silent for a bit. "Mammon?"

Adam didn't respond, just looked way as he tried to stop crying.

Lucifer went over and sat beside him, trying to give him some space still. "This isn't the first time he's done it, is it?" He asked, staring at the visible balck eye.

Adam caught his gaze and just silently shook his head. "No..."

"Do you...wanna talk about it? You might feel better if you do..." Lucifer offered.

Adam was silent for what felt like an eternity. Lucifer just looked at him, apologetic and sympathetic. "You don't have to-"

"He started hitting me about 6ish months ago..." Adam said. "He hid it for a while. Played the perfect boyfriend before he trapped me. Then he started to change. He was ruder, he'd say terrible things about me, behind my back amd to my face, he even got me this shitty guitar so I wouldn't have to use Eden. He called her a hunk of junk and tried to throw her away... And when I wanted to leave, he finally showed his true colors..."

"Is that all he did?"

Adam sighed heavily, his hands shaking slightly as he pulled at his clothes. "Sometimes, when he thinks I'm asleep... He touches me in places I...really don't want him to touch..." His voice was shallow and shakey. It was like he couldn't breathe. "And he... He tries to fuck me... If I tell him no, he hits me and does it anyway. And if I say yes... Well, he still does it. But I'm just lying to get it over with..."

Lucifer looked at him, shocked and upset. "Adam..."

"Don't start. There's nothing you can do..."

Lucifer glared softly. "Adam, I am the King of Hell. Mammon has to listen to me. He doesn't have a choice."

"He's twice your size. He'd fold you like a lawn chair and take your throne..."

Lucifer sighed and looked away. He had to choose his next words carefully. "Do you want to leave him?"

"Yes, but-"

"Do you want to leave him?" Lucifer asked again, his voice firm.

"I do, but-"

"Adam." Lucifer cut him off. "It is a simple yes or no question. Do you want out of this relationship?"

"...yes..." Adam sad softly.

"Then I'll do everything in my power to get you out as safely and quietly as possible. As much as I hate him, I do not need him throwing a hissy fit and tearing the Seven Rings to shreds..." He sighed softly and ran a hand through his hair. "I think I already know what to do, but it'll take probably two to three weeks. Can you survive with him for that long?"

"I..." Adam sighed softly. "I'll try..."

"Don't try. Do it."

Adam looked at him and forced a laugh. "Throwing my own words back at me, Morningstar?"

Lucifer just smiled at him, going back to silence.

"You should probably leave soon. Security is usually in her for backstage meet and greets. If they see you, they'll throw you out, King of Hell or not."

Lucifer sighed and stood up. "Yeah, that's smart. Can I see your phone before I leave?"

Adam glared. "Why?"

"Because I wanna give you my number but I need to make it inconspicuous so Mammon doesn't know it's me."

Adam dropped his glare and immediately pulled out his phone, unlocking it and handing it over to Lucifer.

Lucifer briefly scrolled through his contacts list, looking at all the different names. The only two people he had on there were Mammon and his marketing agent. The rest was food delivery numbers. So, Lucifer put his number in under "Other Other Pizza Guy".

"If you need some relief, send an S.O.S, call or text, something so I can help, ok?"

Adam stared at his phone, and for the first time in a long time, he smiled. Not a forced smile like in every Sinstagram post Lucifer saw. He genuinely smiled. "Thanks, Morningstar..."

He sat down in a rickety chair at a half broken table, watching some rando coked out of their mind just lazily banging a tambourine. "The guy better come up soon or I'm gonna burn this shithole to the ground."

The owner of the bar pulled the Sinner off stage and took their tambourine. "Thanks. Thank you for...whatever the fuck that was. Please welcome to the stage... I don't fucking care. I'm gonna take a nap in the back. Don't ruin my bar." The owner walked away and a man walked on stage while a few people cheered. For the now-free beer or the guy, Mammon didn't know.

The guy on stage wasn't that bad. He kept a good beat and had an amazing singing voice. And he was hot. That was always a good plus.

"So if Hell is forever, then maybe I'll just die

It can't be as bad as anything else in my life

Just torture, hate, and pain

Throughout every single day

Suffer more and more 'til I finally catch a break."

His song ended and a few people clapped, but most were trying to drain the liquor from the bar. Mammon kept his eyes on him, watching him down the rest of his drink at his table before making a beeline for the door.

"Oi, pudgy!" Mammon called out. Everyone turned to look at him, some attracted by the noise, some recognizing his voice and looking fearful, but the man with the guitar... He just looked annoyed.

"The fuck you want?" He called out from across the little bar. "I got another gig to get to."

Mammon got out of his seat and strode over to him. "Screw the gig, mate. I need tuh have a chat with you." He slung his arm around him and led him out of the bar. "I'm feeling kinda hungry. Whaddya say we talk over some barbecue, yeah?"

"If you pay for it, I'll eat anything."

"HA! I think I'm liking you already!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The man's name was Adam, he quickly learned. And he wasn't just any Adam. He was The Adam™. Ya know, first man created by God, Adam. Heaven's trophy, the golden child, right in his grasp...

He was extraordinary. He had the right vibes, amazing energy, passionate about his music and he was probably the only person other than Bee who could beat him in an eating contest. Adam was a lot smaller than him but he could give him a run for his money. It had only been about a month since they met and the guy already agreed to date him. "You're already a lot better than my last partner," Adam said when he had agreed.

"So, why are you running around from bar to bar every night?" Mammon asked as he stuffed his face full.

"It's a long story," Adam said. "I doubt you wanna hear it."

"I got all the time in the world, Addy..." Mammon said with a smile.

Adam smiled at him and continued to eat. "Ok, well, I was at the Hazbin Hotel that Morningstar has, and-"

"Charlie still tryna run that thing?" Mammon cut in.

"Wait, you know them?" Adam asked, looking oddly confused.

"Well, yeah. I fell with that little white twink," Mammon said nonchalantly. "All of us Sins were pretty close for a while, but Luce just started drifting away and none of us have seen him in years."

"Well don't bother," Adam growled. "He turned into a little fucking prick. His daughter too." Adam started stabbing his food and chewing angrily as he spoke. "I gave my heart and soul to that fucker! Back in Eden and back in the hotel! And he crushed it twice! He didn't even have the decency to listen to my side of the story! And then he just wants to apologize and thinks everything is ok?!"

"Addy, sweetie," Mammon started. "I love you, but please don't spit food on me while you're talking."

"Sorry." He swallowed and wiped his mouth. "But still! You'd think after thousands of years he'd learn some basic decency!"

"I know. That fucker wouldn't know decency if it came up behind him and fucked him in the ass."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Adam started to laugh and choke on his food. "Jesus fucking Christ..." he mumbled after he was finally able to breath.

Mammon stopped laughing and smiled at him. "So what now? You ain't gonna stay with him forever, are ya?"

"Nah. That's why I've been doing those gigs. To save up cash and move out."

Mammon smiled, trying to look genuine. He had this guy right where he wanted him. He reached out and gently took his hand. "Ya know... It gets a little lonely in my mansion..."

Adam smiled softly. "Mamm, you know I'd love to. But I can't leave the Pride Ring. No Sinner can."

"I'll get that taken care of, love. Would ya wanna keep me company?"

"....Yeah...."

A month or so passed and Adam was adjusting really well. He seemed so much happier out of the hotel. His music was taking off and everyone was forking over so much cash to pre-order concert tickets. Mammon was estatic... For the most part.

"C'mon, it's just one meeting!"

"And you'll only be away from me for an hour! You can handle it, ya big baby." Sometimes Adam really got on his nerves.

"But every second it torture," Mammon whined.

"Then you're gonna get tortured for an hour."

"Why do you not want to go?"

Adam sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Jesus fucking Christ. Because Lucifer is gonna be there."

Mammon just shrugged. "And?"

"And I want to keep things cordial between us. The best revenge is having a better life without him. So I'm going to stay away as long as I can." Adam turned away and went back to him music.

Mammon pouted and looked away. He desperately wanted to flaunt his new treasure in front of Lucifer, but if he wouldn't come then what's the point of even going? "It's been a month, Addy," he finally said after a minute. "Lucifer probably calmed down by now."

Adam looked up, not really believing him. "You seriously expect me to buy that?"

"Adam, you may have known him first, but I've known him longer. He probably doesn't even remember you!" Mammon lied.

Adam groaned and rolled his eyes. "Fine! I'll go. But you better think of a good lie as to why I'm there!" He yelled as he went upstairs.

"Two steps ahead of ya, Royal Advisor."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I don't think I'm gonna go anymore..."

"What? Why?"

It had been a few months of the meetings and every week, Lucifer looked worse. He looked tired, upset, and starved. It was so hard for Mammon to keep a straight face. He loved seeing that fucker in pain. It was kinda odd, though, that he recently started doing better. A whole lot better. Like, way too happy, "he couldn't have gotten over it that fast" kind of better.

"I just...can't stand to see Lucifer like that. And the fact that you keep telling me to be rude to him? I just... I don't want to do this anymore..."

"Fine. If you're gonna be a child about this, then you don't have to go." Mammon rolled his eyes and started to go upstairs.

"No, I'm talking about us... You're like a completely different person now. I... I want to break up."

Mammon turned, looking shocked before he started laughing. "Oh, Addy, sweetie, it's hilarious you think you have say in this."

Adam just looked up with that stupid look on his face. "Wh-What?"

Mammon gave him a sinister smile and got close. Way too close. "You're mine now, love."

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Adam said as he tried to back up.

Mammon gripped his shirt and pulled him back, tearing off his necklace. "This crystal is you only way out of here, Addy. Without it, you stuck with me until you stop making me money. And you never gonna fucking stop, are ya?"

"Give that back," Adam said firmly, starting to tremble with fear.

"Never."

"I said give it BACK!" Adam jumped up and smacked his face, trying and failing to grab the necklace. He fell back to the floor, looking up at Mammon.

"...Mamm, I'm-"

"You just made a big fucking mistake..." Mammon dropped the necklace, crushing the crystal under his foot as he slowly walked towards him.

"Mammon, really, I'm sorry please-"

Adam didn't get a chance to finish. Mammon pulled him up and started hitting him, punching and kicking whatever he came into contact with. It was pretty easy with four arms, and went you had a lot of expensive breakable shit that could cause a lot of pain (mainly plates. Those shards gwt stuck everywhere.) He heard Adam screaming, begging to stop, begging for forgiveness, but Mammon didn't listen.

He hit him for hours. When Adam tried to fight back, he hit him harder. When Adam gave up, he hit him harder. It wasn't until he was covered in cuts and bruises with two black eyes, a broken nose, and a busted lip that finally stopped.

Mammon got close, pulling him up by the shirt and growling. "Never speak to me like that again, you understand?"

Adam just nodded weakly.

Her gut told her no, to turn him away. He spent thousands of years murdering the people of her kingdom, tried to start another war because of her hotel... But if Adam wanted to change, if he was capable of redemption, then surely everyone would be capable of redemption, right?

She let him in and dried him off, fixing his minor burns from the acid rain (must've been pretty tame that day since he didn't completely melt), and gave him a room in a more quiet hallway.

"I figured you'd like the peace and quiet," she told him, showing him the small room.

"I, uhh, don't want to sound rude, but..." Adam started. "Ya got anything bigger?"

"Sorry, but no," she told him sheepishly. "This is the biggest room we have, aside from mine and Vaggie's room. And...can't exactly let you stay there, right?"

"Yeah. Yeah... Thanks, um..." He trailed off.

"You can call me Charlie!" She told him with a smile.

"That...feels a little personal. It's not like we're exactly friends after everything that happened, Morningstar..."

Charlie smiled brightly at him. "Morningstar works! Until you feel comfortable with Charlie."

Adam just nodded. He seemed so distant at the time. "Yeah..."

Charlie had stood there awkwardly, and she remembered how she tried to inch away towards the door. "I'll...let you get settled in..." And then, she left him for the night. She went up to her room and talked with Vaggie, able to convince her this was a good decision and if they could get him redeemed, then Heaven could finally take them seriously. They just had to wait.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The days passed slowly and Charlie watched Adam get warmed up to everyone. He would frequent the bar and talk to Husk and Angel, he'd fight with Vaggie (for fun. For some reason they really like to try and stab each other.) He even found a way to get along with Alastor, somehow. He somewhat avoided Lucifer, and that made her a little upset.

"You can only change your future if you can fix your past," she told him as she led him up to Lucifer's tower. "If you can bury the hatchet with my dad, then the path of redemption will be a piece of cake."

"I don't think I can just 'bury the hatchet' with your dad, Morningstar," Adam tried to protest. "What he did..."

"A-dud-dud-dud-dud-duh! No passing the blame. You messed up, he messed up, forgive and forget!" She handed him a bouquet of white lilies, her dad's favorite flowers, and harshly knocked on his door before rushing off.

She turned a corner at the end of the hallway and peeked out slightly, watching her father open the door and stare in shock at the sight of Adam. Adam handed over the flowers, they talked for a moment or two, and Lucifer gently pulled him into the room. Once the door clicked shut, Charlie smiled and did a little victory dance. "HELL YEAH!"

"SHUT UP, I'M TRYING TO SLEEP!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was only a few weeks, but Adam and Lucifer grew close. They hung out a lot and went out on the town together, they shared dinner, they would cuddle real close in the little sitting area they had in the lobby. Right next to the fireplace, with KeeKee trapped on their laps with lovings and all the pets in the world. Everything seemed perfect. Charlie knew he wanted to be redeemed, but she almost hoped he would stay in hell. They could be like a perfect little family...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Charlie was hanging out with Vaggie at the front desk, talking about a few random things when someone got their attention.

"Oh! Hello!" She smiled and gave them her full attention.

"Yeah, I, uhh, heard you guys help people get redeemed?" The Sinner asked.

Charlie tried to hold back her excitement. "Mhm! It's what we do at the Hazbin Hotel!"

"So, you're wanting to be redeemed?" Vaggie asked, pulling out a book to keep track of the guests at the hotel.

"Yes! Well, I wanna try at least..."

"Wonderful!" Charlie piped up. "Can we get your name for our records?"

"Oh, it's Cameron."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The atmosphere seemed to shift after Cameron arrived. Everyone seemed...tense, would probably be the best way to describe it.

"There's something off about that kid..." Husk told her soon after he arrived.

"He gives off a creepy vibe," Angel said to one day.

"He seems kinda sleazy," Vaggie told her before they went to bed one night. "We shouldn't have taken him in."

"He's a total bad boy." Nifty wasn't really helpful.

Charlie tried to placate everyone. Everyone down here is sleazy or gives off a "creepy vibe", and that's why they come to the hotel. To better themselves and their future.

But even Charlie seemed put off when Cameron started hitting on her dad. He would always get too close, and Lucifer would always make an excuse to leave.

She'd have to talk to him about personal space and boundaries.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Why would he do this?!"

"I'm sure it was an accident, Charlie."

"How is setting your hair on fire an accident?!"

Adam was causing a lot of trouble. More than what he was worth, honestly. He had broken their prized chandelier, trashed the front yard, and this was the fourth time someone had gotten caught on fire because of him.

"Look, Charlie. I've known Adam for centuries," Vaggie said, pulling her now-short hair back into a tiny ponytail. "He's not the kind of person to just do that stuff to people he respects."

"So he doesn't respect us? Is that what you're saying?"

"No- Charlie-" She paused and sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "When Adam was leading the exterminations, he saw us as equals. We weren't just mindless soldiers. He treated all of us with care and respect, because we were on the same level as him. And now he is on the same level as us. He wouldn't do this kind of stuff. Someone else is probably doing it and framing him."

"No one in the hotel would do that kind of thing!" Charlie yelled.

"....Cameron might..."

"He would not! He's a total sweetheart!" Charlie defended. "Why would you say something like that?"

"Charlie, you've seen the way he acts around your dad. It's like he has a crush- No, obsession with him," Vaggie explained, cleaning up the small mess from the impromptu haircut. "He might be trying to get Adam out of the way to get with your dad."

"That's gross, Vaggie. I don't even want to hear it."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Charlie considered herself a patient person. She was incredibly forgiving, but this... This crossed a line.

She had no clue how she slept through it all, but Adam had somehow destroyed the entire lobby. The counters were destroyed, the carpet was ripped up, broken glass and torn wood everywhere, and everything that couldn't be destroyed was ruined with gold spray paint.

"Yay! Clean clean clean!" Nifty had seemingly pulled a broom out of her ass and started sweeping up the mess with lightning speed.

"He broke my Glen McKenna! How did he even get to that shit?! I kept it in a safe for a reason!"

Lucifer looked around at the destruction. "Holy shit..."

"Charlie, I know what you're thinking," Vaggie started. "But Adam-"

"Don't, Vaggie..." Charlie said, staring at the destruction.

Adam had mercilessly slaughtered her people for thousands of years, insulted her to her face, and when she decided to graciously take him in instead of throwing him out to the street, this was how he repaid her kindness?

"I don't like that look on your face, Charlie," Vaggie started. "Babe, just tell me what's on your mind."

"Believe me, Charlie. I'm pissed at Adam, too," Lucifer started. "But I think you need to go calm down. Just go upstairs and rest. You don't want to make any rash decisi-"

Charlie didn't wait for him to finish. She turned and walked over to Adam, who standing in the middle of everything looking dazed and confused. She stopped in front of him, glaring for a moment or two. She knew she had to choose her next words carefully.

“Adam,” she said, unnaturally calm. “I want to help you. I really do. But this-” She paused and gestured to the lobby. “Has crossed so many lines. I have treated you with kindness, compassion, generosity, trust, and respect. And this… this is what you do with it… I want you out of here by tonight. No excuses, no exceptions…” She turned and walked up the stairs, followed quickly by Vaggie.

"Charlie, you need to go apologize to Adam," Vaggie said as she followed her.

"Why should I have to apologize to Adam for what he did?!"

"Because you were out of line, Charlie!" Vaggie yelled, grabbing Charlie's wrist and stopping her in her tracks. "Adam didn't do this!"

"Why are you defending that bastard?!" Charlie yelled, ripping her arm away.

"Because I know him better than you! And I know he wouldn't do anything like this!"

"You can't keep making excuses for him!" Charlie said, turning and walking away from her.

"I'm not making excuses! Charlie! CHARLIE!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Charlie had finally calmed down by noon and gotten changed into her suit, heading back to the lobby. Everything seemed to be in perfect condition, like the destruction never happened. Nifty was humming happily as she finished cleaning up the last of the spray paint.

"All clean!"

Charlie gave her a tired smile. "Thanks, Nifty," she said, petting the top of her head. "Hey, Cam!"

Cameron waved her off as he left the bar, having taken a half-full bottle of wine. "Yeah, Claire. They all fell for it."

Charlie raised an eyebrow and started to follow him.

"Yeah, they did! They thought he did it! I knew my plan would work!"

"What?!" Charlie exclaimed.

Cameron turned around, wide eyed and nervous. "Fuck... Claire, I gotta go."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Charlie, how can you be so hypocritical?!"

"I'm not being hypocritical!"

Charlie and Vaggie fought from time to time, but they never had fights that lasted weeks on end.

"Charlie, you thought Adam did all of that shit, you kick him out. Cameron actually did it, framed it on Adam, and all you did was give him a stern talking to!"

"Because Cameron is a good person at heart!"

"Adam already is a good person, Charlie! The only reason he came down here is because he killed a bunch of people!"

"My people, Vaggie! He killed my people!"

"So your treating him like garbage because he did what was ordered of him?!"

"YES!"

Vaggie stared at her in disbelief, her silence hanging heavy in the air. "Do you hate me for it?"

Charlie crossed her arms. She didn't want to say. "....sometimes...."

Vaggie said nothing and left the room.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Alastor," Charlie asked as she walked up to him. "Have you seen Vaggie?"

"Why are you asking, my dear?"

"Well, we had a terrible fight last week and I wanted to apologize, but I can't find her." Charlie looked away, seeming embarrassed by the way she acted.

"Oh, right. She left a few days ago," Alastor said simply.

"She left?" Charlie asked in disbelief.

"Yes. And she wanted me to give this to you," He handed her a note and walked away.

Charlie held the not in shaky hands. She didn't want to read it. She didn't want her fears to be true. But she knew she had to.

"Charlie,

For the longest time, it felt like we were perfect for each other. I thought you were my forever person, my soulmate. But ever since Cameron arrived, you've changed. You used to be so kind and welcoming, but now you harbor so much hate it your heart, it's disgusting. I can't stand to be around you, and now, I know you don't even want to be around me.

I hope you can redeem yourself.

-Vaggie"

Charlie felt tears well up in her eyes. This wasn't real. This was just a dream.

Lucifer was broken from his trance of cyber stalking when he heard a knock on the door.

"Dad?" Charlie called out. "Auntie Belle is here to see you."

Lucifer groaned and curled up deeper in his blanket prison. "I don't wanna see anyone! Go away!"

"C'mooooooon, Luciiiiiiiii..." Belphegor said in her soft, drawn out tone.

"Dad, she said it was important."

Lucifer groaned again and poked his head out. "Let her in..." He heard a small click and the gentle tapping of slippers on his hardwood floors. The soft bed dipped slightly and he looked over at the lavender sheep with her typical sleepy haze.

"Heeeeey, Luciiii. How ya feelin'?"

Lucifer yawned softly. "Hey, Belle. I've...been better."

"Whass goin' on?"

Lucifer sighed and sat up. "Just some relationship trouble. Nothing really...important."

"Ok... Ya know we have that meeting today, riii..." She trailed off and yawned softly, covering her mouth slightly.

Lucifer yawned as well, wiping his eyes. "Damn it! I completely forgot."

"Isss ok. Jus' get ready and I'll meet ya downstairs, kay kay?"

"Yeah..." Lucifer watched her leave and he got out of bed, getting changed into a simple suit before heading down and following her to the conference room.

He was expecting it to go normally, maybe just trying to ignore Mammon a little more, but as soon as he walked into the meeting room....

"What the hell is he doing here?!" Lucifer yelled, pointing at Adam seated in Mammon's lap.

Everyone whipped their heads around to the King of Hell, then back to Adam and Mammon.

"He's his..." Beelzebub started to say. "What the fuck are you again?"

"Royal advisor," Adam said. "I keep him from making stupid decisions."

"Right! Yeah. He's the smart guy." Bee smiled and nodded, looking back at Lucifer, hoping that would satisfy him.

"Seems like you need one of those, Bee," Satan teased.

"Oh, shove it up your ass!" She pulled a cup of yogurt at him, watching it bounce off his buff shoulder and bust open when it hit the ground.

The room erupted in quiet giggles, while Lucifer practically glared at Adam and Mammon. Why the fuck was he here, taunting him with his mere presence? He had that stupid fucking grin, thinking he was better than Lucifer for worming his way into his sacred ground, and that stupid goddamn crystal on an even more elaborate chain. It looked like golden fucking lace!

"Ya good, Luci?" Belphegor asked, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"I'm fine." He ripped his shoulder away and went to his place at the head of the table. "Let's get this over with..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It wasn't easy seeing him at the meetings. Every week for the last month or so, he'd go in and see Adam all dolled up, pampered not only by Mammon but the other Sins as well. The meetings dragged on longer and longer, and he had to suffer longer and longer as Adam was just out of his reach. He had to figure out how to get him back.

But any attempt fell short. Mammon would glare at him. Adam would tell him to fuck off, or punch him in the face. Even when he tried to apologize for what happened before. It never worked. Lucifer dreaded the meetings now, doing everything to end them quickly or avoid them altogether, but it was no use. He felt hollow on the inside and heavy on the outside. It felt familiar, somehow comforting, and unwelcome at the same time.

At that week's meeting, you could tell something was wrong with Lucifer. He sounded dead and tired, he looked like he hadn't gotten enough sleep, and his normally tight clothes seemed a little loose. Belle pulled him aside after the meeting, once everyone had left. "Luciiii, whass wrong?"

"I... I'm fine, Belle." He pushed her arm away and tried to leave.

"I knoow you're not ok, Luci..." Belphegor said, pulling out something from her bag. "Why don' ya try taking these?" She handed him a small pink bottle of medicine.

Lucifer glared and shoved it away, trying to hold back tears. "I'm not taking those pills again. They made me practically insane."

"Luciiii...." Belle sighed. "You 'member last time, right? How ya felt when Lily left?"

Lucifer looked away, furrowing his brow softly. He hated thinking about it, but the pain was still fresh in his mind. "I felt...broken..."

"And how didya feel before ya went off your meds?" She asked softly.

"I felt..." Tears began to fall. "Good..."

"What didya say it felt like?" Belle pushed on.

"It felt like... Like I was back in Heaven..." Tears fell harder, as he thought back on that time. "It felt like I was a seraphim again..."

"And...?"

"I'd do anything to feel like that again..." He said softly.

"And how do ya feel now?"

"Broken..." Waterfalls fell silently from his eyes as he looked up at Belphegor. "Fix me... Please..."

She nodded and pulled out some bottles. "How many didya take last time?"

"I think I was...up to six a dose? One dose in the morning, one at noon, and one at night..."

"Alright. This formula is a little different, so I want you to start with five. Take this one in the morning and at noon, and take this one at night." She handed him a lavender bottle with a sun on it, and one dark purple bottle with a moon on it. "This one has caffeine added, and this one has melatonin. Come see me next week to get you an official prescription, kay kay?"

"Kay kay..." Lucifer stared at the bottles while Belle walked away, leaving him alone in the meeting room.

He shouldn't. He knew he shouldn't. He knew what he was like last time, how everyone said he was a completely different person.

He wouldn't be the same.

But it made him feel good for once.

He would go insane...

But before that....he would feel happy.

This was a death sentence...

But before he died, he would feel ok again...

...

......

.........

"Dad, maybe you should give up," Charlie would say every time. "If he's acting like this over a minor misunderstanding-"

"It wasn't minor to him, Charlie," Lucifer would always reply. "He didn't break our trust. We broke his. I just...need to do something to fix it." And he'd go back to staring at the door.

One day, he was forced to move from his seat, now manning the front desk. Alastor was at an Overlord meeting and Charlie took everyone out for some kind of "Good Samaritan Venture", whatever the hell that meant. At least he had a better view of the door. He was mostly bored, having been there since 5 am, and almost fell asleep standing up. It wasn't until he heard the creaking of the floor boards on the stairs that he woke up, seeing Adam coming done.

"Adam!" he said with a smile, seeing the taller man approach the desk.

Adam didn't smile. He didn't say a word. He just put a key on the desk.

Lucifer frowned and looked down. "What is this?"

"My room key, Captain Dumbfuck. I'm leaving the hotel," he said simply. "I'll finally be out of your life, forever." He turned and started to walk away.

"Wait! Adam, wait!" Lucifer jumped the counter and rushed after him, stopping him long before the door. "I want to make this up to you! Please, just listen-"

"Oh, listen to you like how you listened to me after I trashed the lobby?" Adam asked sarcastically, pushing past him to get to the door.

"I'M SORRY, OK?!" Lucifer screamed, tears falling down his rosy red cheeks. "I'M SORRY! I'M A FUCKING IDIOT! I SHOULD'VE LISTENED TO YOUR SIDE! I SHOULD'VE HEARD YOU OUT AND I DIDN'T! PLEASE, JUST TAKE ME BACK!"

Adam looked over his shoulder, a cold look in his eyes. "You're pathetic, Morningstar..."

Lucifer stared, trying to hold back his sobs in the quiet room. They stared at each other for an eternity, not saying a single word. After a long, uncomfortable silence, there was a harsh knock on the front door. Lucifer seemed to break out of his trance, drying his eyes and opening the door with a little magic.

"Are you ready to go, babe? You told me you didn't have to pack much." ...why... the fuck... was Mammon... at the front door?

"Yeah," Adam said, trowing his duffel bag onto his shoulder. "I just had to take care of a few things." He walked up to him and stood on his tiptoes to kiss the Sin.

Lucifer just stared in shock. He didn't want to believe what he was seeing. He couldn't believe it...

"Oi. If you wanna watch, you gotta pay," Mammon growled.

"Mamm, baaaabe," Adam said with a small blush.

"What? If he wants to gawk at a beautiful thing like you, he should fork over some cash, Addy."

Lucifer felt his heart break and his fists tighten. Only he could call Adam that...

"C'mon, let's not bother him anymore. We should go." Adam pushed him out the door. "I gotta take care of a few more things. I'll meet you at the car."

"Don't keep me waiting! Gas is fucking expensive!"

"I won't!" Adam shut the door and turned back to Lucifer, glaring.

Lucifer tried to swallow the lump in his throat. "H-How... How long-"

"About a month or two. He heard from a friend of a friend that I was a good guitar player. Came to check me out to be performer in his stupid clown thing and we hit it off," Adam said.

"I..."

"I swear to fucking God, if you say you're sorry one more time."

Lucifer shut his mouth, trying to think of something else. "Where are you going?"

"To the Greed Ring. To live with Mammon," Adam said simply.

Lucifer bit back a smile. "You're a Sinner now, Adam. You can't leave Pentagram City, nonetheless Pride."

Adam reached under his shirt, pulling out a dark green crystal on an elaborate necklace chain. "Think again, bitch."

Lucifer started in disbelief. "Is that..."

"A Mammonite Crystal. Let's me travel from Pride to Greed and back."

Lucifer remembered each Sin having some kind of crystal, to allow their subjects or various Sinners the ability to travel to different rings. He had to think of something to keep him here, to break it, quickly.

"He- He can't do that," Lucifer lied. "Any production of those crystals has to be signed off by me."

"Bullshit, Morningstar. Complete. Bullshit." Adam glared at him and turned away.

"Addy..." He said, tears falling as his voice cracked. "Please don't leave me... You're the greatest thing that has ever happened to me..."

Adam looked over his shoulder. "I want you out of my life forever, Morningstar... Sound familiar?" He scoffed and turned away, finally heading out. "B-T-Dubs, you're blacklisted from my shows, Captain Dumbfuck. Goodbye." And with that he finally left the hotel.

But here he was, standing in the hotel lobby, looking around at the wreckage. Chairs were broken, the carpet torn to shreds, the front desk was in pieces. Husk was crying, literally crying, over his bar, which honestly didn’t look like a bar. Broken glass, dried liquor, and the bar counter, like everything else, torn to pieces.

And the pièce de résistance? Gold graffiti, everywhere. There were golden dicks everywhere, the exterminator symbol on the front door, the large paintings of the Morningstar family had childish doodles like mustaches and “LOƧER” spray painted right on Baby Charlie’s forehead. And to top it all off, in a large empty section of the wall, were the words “ADAM WAZ HERE”, perfect to incriminate him in every way.

Adam stood in the middle of the wreckage, feeling his heart drop to his stomach. Cameron had really outdid himself this time. What did that fucker have against him? He turned around to see the snake sinner just smiling, and all Adam could do was start to cry. Silent tears dripped down as he finally paid attention to everyone else.

Husk was still crying over his bar, sobbing to Angel something about a Glen McKenna 50 year he had been saving. Nifty was practically having an orgasm, squealing about everything she could clean. Alastor just smiled his usual grin, shaking his head and looking at the destruction around them. Lucifer and Vaggie were both trying to comfort Charlie who was…quiet… Charlie was loud when she was happy. She was loud when she was angry. She was loud when she was sad. She always had these big, loud emotions over anything in question. Being quiet was never good.

She turned around and walked through the piles of carnage, giving Adam the coldest stare he had ever seen. She stopped two feet away, and it kinda clicked in his head how much smaller Charlie was compared to him. She barely met his chest. So tiny, so full of rage…

“Adam,” she said, unnaturally calm. “I want to help you. I really do. But this-” She paused and gestured to the lobby. “Has crossed so many lines. I have treated you with kindness, compassion, generosity, trust, and respect. And this… this is what you do with it… I want you out of here by tonight. No excuses, no exceptions…” She turned and walked up the stairs, followed quickly by Vaggie.

Everyone glared at Adam (except Nifty, who would probably kiss his feet for the mess). Adam just stared. He felt so small. He hadn’t felt this way since he was punished back in Eden. Small, helpless, defenseless, weak… He wanted to die again. He wanted to say something, to explain what was going on, prove to them he wasn’t to blame. He caught the gaze of Lucifer, who seemed sympathetic and upset.

“Lucifer, please,” he said as he rushed over. “I didn’t do this.”

Lucifer said nothing and walked away.

“Luci, babe, please!” Adam begged. “It wasn’t me! It was Cam-”

“Cameron this, Cameron that.” Lucifer turned around, the look in his eyes just as cold as his daughter’s. “You always pass the blame onto him and he has never done anything wrong. When will you own up to your actions?”

“Luci, I-"

“I don’t want to hear it,” Lucifer cut him off.

“Luci!"

“Don’t call me that. You lost that privilege when you destroyed my daughter’s hard work…” He turned and started walking away.

“Lucifer…” His voice was so quiet, it was like it was gone forever.

“Whatever we had before, Adam, is gone. I don’t care if you’re sorry. You still destroyed the hotel, and you destroyed my trust. Charlie wants you out by tonight. But I want you out by noon. Out of the hotel and out of my life.” And Lucifer finally walked away.

Adm just stood there, feeling everything inside him break into a million pieces. He had lost his only home in this shithole, his new family, and his sorta boyfriend in the span of minutes. Because of him…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Adam stared at his bag, his one tiny bag of belongings, as the morning’s events played over and over in his mind. He didn't want to do this. He wanted to explain himself. He wanted to earn back their trust. He wanted to beg and plead to Charlie fucking Morningstar of all people to let him stay. But it just…didn’t seem possible anymore… He sighed and picked up his bag, noticing it was two in the afternoon. Lucifer would be pissed, but did he care at the point? He sighed and left the room, leaving the old fashioned key in the lock as he trudged down like it was a death sentence. He looked around the lobby, seeing it in perfect pristine condition. Nifty and Alastor probably worked some weirdass magic to get it looking right.

He sighed, taking one last look around. Husk was at his bar with Angel, almost fully restored. They found some leftover liquor in the cellar to stock the shelves while they waited to get more in.

Alastor and Vaggie were manning the front desk like usual, bored out of their minds. They both caught Adam’s glance and looked away sheepishly.

Charlie was in the sitting area with Lucifer, talking to Cameron and looking very upset. Lucifer caught his gaze and seemed to perk up. “Adam!” He called out, getting out of his seat and rushing over. Adam just glared and walked faster to the door.

“Adam!”

He walked faster.

“ADAM!”

He started to run.

Lucifer ran in front of him and stopped him a few feet from the door. “Adam! Wait!"

Adam tried to hold back tears, expecting an onslaught of insults once again. “What?”

“Adam, I… I’m sorry…”

Adam scoffed. “Sorry? You think sorry is going to fix this?"

“N-No! But… Cameron told us everything…” Lucifer looked so guilty, it was almost like he was the one who framed Adam.

“And?”

“And he told us he was behind it. He said something about how his plan worked and Charlie made him spill,” Lucifer explained. “Breaking the chandelier, setting Angel on fire, tashing the yard, setting Alastor on fire, setting Nifty on fire, setting Vaggie’s hair on fire… He set a lot of things on fire- But that’s not the point! The point is… He admitted to everything, and we want you to stay…”

Adam just stared. “And?"

“And… And what? I can’t read minds, Adam. Believe me, I tried,” Lucifer said.

“And what are you going to do with him? You thought I did all of that and you kicked me out,” Adam explained, trying to hide his rage. “He’s the one who did everything and blamed it on me. Are you going to kick him out?”

“I… Well…”

“It’s a fucking yes or no, Lucifer.”

Lucifer just sighed. “No.”

Adam shoved him out of the way and reached for the door.

“Adam!” Lucifer grabbed his leather jacket to stop him. “Believe me, I don't want him here either, but Charlie thinks she can fix him. I’m going to try to explain it to her.”

“Don’t try. Do it. Get him out of here.” Adam glared and ripped his arm away.

“Ok…” It was so small and quiet, but still audible from Lucifer's smooth voice.

The two men stared at each other, unaware of what to say now.

“So… Are you staying?” Lucifer asked.

Adam sighed. “Yeah… But only because I have nowhere else to go. The second I have some cash coming in, I’ll do what you want. I’ll be out of your life forever.” He shoved past him and started to head back to his room.

Lucifer followed him. “Adam, please, I said it in the moment!” Now he was the one crying. “I didn’t mean it!”

“You didn’t mean it?!” Adam turned around in rage. “You didn’t mean it when you said we were over?! You didn’t mean it when you said you wanted me out of your life?!”

Lucifer just stared as he cried. “Adam… Addy, please… I’ll do whatever i can to make this up to you. I’ll spend the rest of eternity trying to fix this…”