The tour of the hotel, for as large as it was, took the rest of the day until dinner time had crept up on them. Alastor disappeared to the kitchen at some point which left Lucifer in charge of babysitting their current residents (read: ensuring Niffty didn't either murder Angel or take a clump of his fur) but the wait was surprisingly less anxiety-inducing than he expected. While Lucifer hadn't quite gotten the time to get to know any of his daughter's friends during his stay, they were pleasant, if somewhat unhinged, company and he was shocked with how well they managed to keep his mind off of everything.
Once they corralled Niffty and she was firmly trapped under Husk's arm, the group had engaged in idle chatter ranging from topics of their favorite stories in Hell to good-hearted ribbing of each other. Despite the fact that Alastor owned Husk's soul, they did seem to be on decent terms whenever the red bastard was being his usual, insufferable self and not the insane, insufferable self that came out every now and then. Enough to allow Husk to land a jibe on him without threatening to maul the former overlord.
Not that Lucifer would let him because, well, he's grown fond of the bartender who let him sulk silently at the bar the few several times he found himself there the past month.
Niffty, on the other hand, was still the sole owner of her soul but she was possibly even more deranged than Alastor considering she did his bidding simply because she liked the Radio Demon. That was something Lucifer absolutely couldn't fathom. Not the fact she did as told but that she liked him. He may be the Devil but even he feared whatever went on in her twisted little mind.
Angel and Cherri were best friends. They met shortly after the girl died and Angel had dutifully kept her away from the Porn District. Lucifer wasn't so out of the loop that he didn't know about Angel's job; his face was plastered on every single poster that advertised adult films. He did find it interesting how quickly that topic was changed by Angel. He mentally filed that away to look into later.
Alastor, as always, remained a mystery. Husk would be the most informed about him but Lucifer knew it'd be counterproductive to ask for answers while Alastor had him under ball and chain. Lucifer did want to help but it was a matter of approaching the subject without having to corral Alastor into less murderous intent once he realized he no longer had Husk under contract.
Which wouldn't actually be an issue what with their differences in power but Charlie was awfully fond of the bastard so he digressed.
Currently, Angel and Husk were arguing about something Lucifer hadn't been paying full attention to. That led to Niffty managing to snake her way to freedom, who was then offered another drink from Cherri when no one was paying attention, and then the maid was positively buzzing on the couch before she lunged for Angel yet again.
Husk had to shove the porn star off the couch to save him from Niffty's claws, and Lucifer leapt from his seat to snatch her before she could make another move. That's how the touring group found them when they finally came back to the foyer: Angel, holding a laughing Cherri between him and the threat. Lucifer, on his knees restraining a murderous and oddly strong Niffty, ensuring she was out of biting distance of all nearby limbs, his included. The couch had overturned in his haste to grab Niffty and Husk let out an unimpressed huff as he bent down to fix it.
No one spoke as Lucifer felt mortification slowly creep into his bones. Charlie and Vaggie were trying hard to cover their concern, Azrael's head was tilted slightly in confusion to mirror Emily's while Gabriel chuckled quietly to himself. Michael, as always, was indifferent. Lucifer hastily got back on his feet and shoved Niffty into Husk's arms. He picked up his top hat from the floor to dust off and place it back on his head.
"Welcome back! I hope the tour went well?" The smile he shot his daughter was most certainly not nervous, thank you very much. And no, he was not avoiding any eye contact with the angels standing behind her. That would be a cowardly thing to do and not befitting of the King of Hell.
(It was moments like these where he cursed himself for being so damn weak.)
"It was very educational," Gabriel answered for her and Lucifer summoned the courage to meet his gaze. "I must say, I wasn't expecting such a fine establishment to exist within Hell outside the Heaven Embassy."
Charlie's face turned sour at that — forever fiercely protective of the place that she called home — but she schooled her expression quickly enough as she turned to look at them again.
"I'm honored to hear that you think so. Now!" She clapped her hands together, drawing everyone's attention. "How about we get ready for dinner! We can make proper introductions then and discuss logistics before we leave you to get settled in."
She didn't really wait for an answer as she led them towards the dining room. It smelled divine and as much as Alastor got on his nerves, he knew the man was an exceptional cook. From the scents permeating the air, Lucifer felt safe in assuming he was brewing up a delicious buffet of Cajun style foods. Jambalaya was certainly on the menu for tonight and Lucifer's mouth watered at the memory of the first time he had Alastor's version of that.
He may be the embodiment of pride but even Lucifer could admit that Alastor's cooking far surpassed his own.
By the time they all made it to the table, the demon in question was putting the last pot down with a flourish. There were three main dishes as well as a generous amount of sides. The quantity was essential considering the last time Alastor made Cajun food, a fight broke out between Cherri and Niffty for the last bit of jambalaya and there was a surprising amount of destruction that occurred. They learned very quickly it was best to avoid that kind of scene again.
"Welcome, our dearest guests! I've made a hearty meal straight from the bayous of Louisiana. I hope you find it to your tastes." As Alastor began to list off everything he's made, the others claimed a seat. The usual ordering was shifted with four new occupants and slightly crowded. Lucifer made a mental note to adjust the table later. For now, the seating arrangements were as follows: Charlie at the head, Vaggie to her right and Emily to her left. Lucifer sat on the other side of Emily and Alastor was to his left. Next to Alastor was Niffty then Michael at the other head of the table. Next to Michael was Azrael then Husk, Angel, Cherri, and Gabriel took the last spot to Vaggie's right.
As everyone began serving themselves, Lucifer shot the former exorcist an apologetic look. Vaggie was tense in her seat and while they no doubt knew of her origins, he couldn't blame her for being uncomfortable around them. She tried to smile as best she could but it was incredibly strained.
"Do we uh… should we pray?" Angel's unsure voice broke him out of his thoughts and Lucifer accepted the crawfish étouffée Alastor handed to him. There was already a small bowl of jambalaya in front of his plate and he swiped some hush puppies and coleslaw as well.
Azrael smiled. "There is no need. Prayer before feasts was a tradition made by humans. It plays no role in allowing one to ascend." As soon as Charlie finished making her plate, everyone dug in. It was, as expected, delicious and Lucifer was relieved to see their guests thoroughly enjoyed it as well.
The first few minutes of dinner were spent in awkward silence. Typically, any meals in the hotel were a lively affair ending in either a food fight, verbal battle, or property damage. The rare times it wasn't so raucous was enjoyed through pleasant conversations. The handful that Lucifer actually attended was how he learned most of what he did about the staff and residents. Despite their flaws, Charlie had found wonderful people to surround herself with and he couldn't be happier for her. She needed that support system after he and Lilith failed her so horribly.
This, on the other hand, was downright uncomfortable. Not even Angel and Cherri were talking to each other and Lucifer wasn't sure how much longer he could take this silence. The only one who seemed to be enjoying it was Alastor, which wasn't surprising at all considering he got off on other people's suffering.
"So, uh…" Lucifer cleared his throat, cutting into one of the hushpuppies and dipping it into remoulade sauce. "How have things been… in Heaven?" Incredible, Lucifer. Great conversation starter, bravo. If there weren't so many people around, he'd bang his head on the table for asking such a stupid question.
"The events of the last Extermination have caused quite the ruckus. Miss Charlie certainly knows how to leave a mark," Azrael answered not unkindly, and Lucifer let out a breath at the obvious avoidance of the past 10,000 years.
"Oh! I hope I haven't caused too much trouble. It wasn't my intention —" Charlie rambled nervously, only stopping herself when Vaggie reached over to grab her hand. She smiled over at her girlfriend and inhaled to calm herself down. Lucifer was impressed with how serene she made herself appear though he could see the underlying anxiety nestled deep within her at the thought of her dream being rejected a second time.
"I think it was needed. If I've learned anything from humans, uproars necessitate change." Emily beamed, looking just past Lucifer to wave a spoon of jambalaya in front of her. "This is really good, by the way!" Alastor nodded at her politely with a pleased smile.
"I just hope Sir Pentious is having an easy time up there." Charlie sighed, frowning down at her food. Gabriel scoffed at that, shaking his head like he would a child who said something ridiculous.
"It's Heaven. Despite his uncouth beginnings, he's now reaping the benefits of the perfect afterlife." It was condescending, the way Gabriel spoke and Lucifer felt the fork bend beneath his grip. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Alastor peering at him curiously but, mercifully, stayed silent.
At least Vaggie found that statement absurd as well. There was nothing 'perfect' about Heaven. On the surface, it came off as just that with their pristine buildings and lack of crime. Underneath all that though, you had the winners like Adam who viewed themselves above everyone else, only kneeling to absolute authority. He was the original narcissist and many of the human souls that followed him weren't any different. It appeared that Heaven's standards were strictly for the physical sins, not so much the verbal ones. The only exception was blasphemy which was really on par for how full of themselves the higher angels were.
A trait that Gabriel hasn't seemed to have changed the last time Lucifer saw him. Dutifully, he kept silent as he magicked the fork into proper shape as subtly as he could. It wouldn't help Charlie for him to cause a scene.
"Miss Emily has helped Sir Pentious adjust to the change. She's made the process much easier for him, I'm sure." Azrael tacked on much nicer than Gabriel had, the youngest seraph blushing under the praise. As far as Lucifer knew, Emily only ever had contact with Sera as the Head Seraphim never wanted her sister to have that responsibility. Regardless, his siblings were renowned in Heaven no matter how little they showed their faces to the public. She was clearly starstruck hearing such words from someone of Azrael's status.
"I must say, I am surprised how little of Heaven's influence is seen down here. You were always such a sentimentalist after all, Sami. I supposed I expected a bit more divinity." Gabriel laughed to himself, taking a bite of his coleslaw as he let out a pleased hum. The tension in the room grew tenfold alongside the temperature. Emily flinching away from the heat emanating off Lucifer's body was the only thing that made him force his rage back down.
"Yeah, well. Can't exactly cast out the problems here. Might as well embrace them." Lucifer's smile was sharp, bordering the edge of deranged as he glared Gabriel down. His brother seemed to have realized his mistake as a vaguely hurt expression overtook his previous one. The sheer audacity on his part only made Lucifer angrier.
"Samael, I didn't mean any offense —"
Lucifer cut him off with a growl, his recently fixed fork nothing more than melted metal in his hand. "Lucifer. It's Lucifer." He pushed himself away from the table, standing up as he tried to suppress his more demonic features. His vision had sharpened which told him he failed in preventing the shift in his eyes. At least the flinch Gabriel didn't bother hiding gave him some sick sense of satisfaction at his brother's discomfort. Lucifer should probably be more concerned by that train of thought than he actually was.
Instead, he moved towards the exit of the dining room. He could feel the hellfire burning at his fingertips, the very same ones nearly puncturing the skin of his palms. Lucifer stopped short of the door with a hand hovering over the handle. He schooled his expression, firmly pulling on his facade to appear calm despite it being a far-cry of how livid he actually was.
Lucifer turned his body half way, gaze flitting from Azrael to Michael before settling on Gabriel. That infuriatingly charming smile was nowhere to be found. It was replaced with sadness and the sight made Lucifer harden under his stare. His next words were cutting, any semblance of fake jovialness he had gone.
"Samael died in the Fall."
Lucifer disappeared from the room in a flash of red and gold.
~~~
He was pitiful. Truly, astoundingly pathetic.
After his rather cowardly escape from the dinner Lucifer made cumbersome, he found himself in the workshop attached to his bedroom. It's where he always escaped to whenever he needed to get out of his head. It probably wasn't healthy. Not the creating thing, but the hunching-over-his-desk-with-no-breaks-for-several-hours-on-end thing.
This time could be used for something productive. Charlie had a lot of plans for future renovations that she asked Lucifer for help on. She wanted to create an outside yoga space, one that could be shielded in case of acid rain. Of course, Lucifer could simply enchant the entire area around the hotel to prevent that type of weather from ever hitting it. He'd have to tell her about that.
Or — a surprisingly thoughtful suggestion from Angel Dust — he could begin modeling what Charlie has deemed relaxation rooms. There would be about five of them spanning over different themes with different comforts. The only two planned were a nature-esque room and a sensory room. Lucifer himself hadn't seen an earthly forest since Eden but he imagined it couldn't have changed much since then. As for the others — he had no idea where to even begin with those.
Point is, there were a lot of productive things he could be doing for Charlie. Things that he could use as an excuse for avoiding his brethren and an apology for his little outburst earlier. The dinner was already awkward, it was probably worse after he left.
Instead of all the useful things he could be putting his mind to, Lucifer resorted back to his old coping mechanisms. Self-imposed isolation surrounded by useless rubber ducks as he avoided facing his problems, opting to enjoy the ignorant bliss he forcefully put his mind into. There was already a forming pile of the offending toys next to his chair. It almost felt like home.
He thought not at all sarcastically nor bitterly.
Lucifer groaned, digging the heels of his palms into his eyes until it began to hurt. The current duck he was working on didn't have any defining features except for one detail he somehow added in his daze: a single, large eye sitting right on the chest. When he painted it, he didn't doubt there would be a smokey gray scar around that damned eyeball.
He grabbed the duck, turning in his chair to face the rest of his workshop. It was empty all things considered. Upon his transition from his palace to here, he only brought his tools and a small amount of memorabilia. Gabriel was right in that regard — he was a nostalgic fool.
Silently, Lucifer lifted the duck and threw it towards the bookshelf he had stuffed in the corner. It bounced off the wall with a squeak, landing on the ground upright and staring back at him. Lucifer frowned.
"I know you're there." There wasn't a response for a while before the duck shifted on the ground. Its shadow expanded and Lucifer watched as it lifted off the ground and a solid hand materialized around it, followed by the rest of a body.
"What a curious little thing you have here." Alastor's grin was wide as he turned the toy around in his grip. "I can't help but notice its likeness to one of our visitors. Quite interesting." He was amused by the whole situation though Lucifer couldn't fathom why he would be up here of all places rather than observing the aftermath downstairs.
"What do you want, Allen?" Lucifer turned back to his desk, golden light flowing between his fingers as he brought another blank duck into existence. He didn't really feel like working on anything else but he knew how much it bothered Alastor to be ignored.
The sharp feedback was only proof of that observation at the clear dismissal.
"Dear Charlotte is quite worried about you. I offered to check in with our moody king. That was certainly an entertaining spectacle you made back there, sire." Lucifer's very thin grasp on his temper was waning by the second. The rubber duck he created disappeared in a burst of fire. His fingers found purchase in the strands of his hair.
"I'm warning you now. If you value your measly existence, it would be best for you to leave. I'm not in the mood." Lucifer's forehead positively itched as his horns fought to be freed. Adam had been the last time he was able to let off steam but before that, it had been a couple hundred years. If Alastor wasn't careful, he'd be the unfortunate outlet of the Devil's frustration.
"I assure you, I do not wish to irritate you further." Alastor must've taken the deterrent to heart because he sounded genuine. Well, as honest as the Radio Demon was capable of. He was standing next to his chair now, eyes not having left the duck in his claws.
"Excuse me if I find that hard to believe." His scalp was beginning to hurt under the tight grip of his hair yet Lucifer couldn't find it in himself to let go. The pain was grounding almost and it reminded him that he was here and not there.
Alastor hummed noncommittally, setting the rubber duck back on the desk and turning his piercing gaze towards him instead. It didn't escape Lucifer that he angled it to where its beady eyes bore into him, the bastard. He reached out to turn it away.
"The tantrum you threw back there was rather unsightly of a royal such as yourself, Your Majesty. Don't you think so?" Alright, Alastor apparently had a death wish because that's quite the opposite of 'shutting the fuck up and leaving'. Lucifer's sclera bled red as he finally turned to face the sinner only to growl at the stupid fucking smirk playing on his lips.
"I don't need you to remind me of how I'm failing my daughter. I'm well aware of that already." Lucifer was standing now, face mere inches from Alastor's daring him to continue. The only thing restraining him at this point was Charlie's inevitable disappointment if he killed the man before him.
Alastor widened his smile, leaning down even further till he was eye level with the King. He lifted a hand to pat the top of his hat-less head. Lucifer sputtered at the audacity of such an action but his own surprise was disarming enough.
"It's nice to know our leader isn't above admitting his faults." Alastor straightened his back, adjusting the microphone in his hand to appear as if he was examining it. "Besides, the aftermath was quite the show! Family drama is always the greatest source of unfiltered entertainment, don't you agree?"
Lucifer's shoulders sagged as the fight left his body. A lick of hellfire escaped past his lips with the breath he released, plopping back into the chair previously abandoned. He ran his fingers through his hair, much gentler this time, and stopped their movement when his hands interlocked against the back of his neck.
"How upset were they?" Lucifer whispered, eyes following Alastor as he looked around the room curiously.
"Oh, Azrael was rather furious, one would say. Why, I was convinced he was going to leap across the table and throttle Gabriel himself!" Canned laughter filled the air after the statement and Lucifer shook his head at the theatrics. His arms fell limply to his sides as he considered his words.
With Alastor, it was hard to tell what was the truth and what wasn't. Lucifer had dealt with many sinners like the Radio Demon and there would be plenty more that came after but it didn't change the fact that he was a good manipulator.
The thing was Lucifer couldn't see why Alastor would lie in this scenario. There wasn't a single possible benefit he could get from this. Not unless he was playing some long con to get a deal out of the King of Hell but what role could this moment play in that? Alastor clearly got a hard-on upsetting Lucifer and yet, to tell him that no one was irritated with his outburst was just absurd.
So why did he believe him?
Maybe it was the fact that out of all his brothers here, Lucifer was the least weary of Azrael. Just as he was good at masking, Alastor excels at picking people apart. It comes with the territory of being a psychopathic serial killer so it wouldn't surprise Lucifer if he picked up on that little detail through the minute interactions Lucifer has had with the Harbinger of Death.
Lucifer wouldn't put it past Alastor to try and foster a false sense of security. Make him believe that one of his brothers didn't hate him so the inevitable event that made him realize the opposite was all the more devastating. Unfortunately for him, Lucifer refused to give him that satisfaction.
He turned away from Alastor again, staring at the empty space in front of him as new ideas flooded his mind. Unwittingly, he actually gave him plenty of inspiration for something Lucifer should've taken care of a long time ago.
"You can tell Charlie I'm fine. I'll see her tomorrow," Lucifer spoke after a while, golden magic coming to life once more as he materialized everything he needed. He'd create this project the old fashioned way — it's always how he preferred his inventions to be.
Alastor didn't say anything in response but the shift in atmosphere as the radio static left with him was indicator enough of his departure.
It wasn't until hours later, when the ache in his back was becoming unbearable, did Lucifer leave his workshop. The hotel was silent with the only light being the red glow of the moon shining through the windows. It would be too dark for regular demons but Lucifer's vision was far better than most.
He didn't have a particular destination in mind as he didn't expect anyone to be awake at nearly two in the morning and his appetite hadn't quite recovered from earlier. He just needed to stretch his legs for a bit before retiring for the night.
At least, that was the plan until he caught sight of silver hair out of the corner of his eye. The second floor balcony doors were open, allowing in a slight breeze that was surprisingly pleasant by Hell's standards. Vaggie leaned against the railing as she peered out at Pentagram City and while she was a light sleeper (years of military training will do that), he also knew she was one of the first to go to bed. All to say that seeing her up this late was odd.
Lucifer glanced back out at the empty hallway, debating if she would appreciate his company or not before deciding to just go for it. Vaggie was fairly forthcoming about her feelings, especially if she wanted to be alone, so he trusted she would tell him to get lost if need be. It's one of the many features of her that makes her such a perfect fit for Charlie.
In his ruminations, however, he did forget to make his steps heavier which earned him an angelic spear pointed at his throat when he put a hand on her shoulder. Lucifer immediately raised his arms in surrender and Vaggie lowered her weapon when she realized who it was.
"I'm so sorry, sir!" She apologized immediately, but Lucifer simply waved her off. Really, it was his doing for being so careless. Vaggie was an exorcist for hundreds of years after all, her reflexive abilities far surpassed many down here. Besides, it wasn't like her weapon would've been able to pierce his skin.
"It was my fault for sneaking up on you, don't worry about it. And please, just call me Lucifer." He smiled, dropping his hands and walking the rest of the distance to the railing. He took a spot next to her and glanced up at the sky. She hesitated for a moment before setting her spear to her other side and resuming her previous position.
They didn't speak. The silence between them was comfortable, in Lucifer's opinion, but he knew Vaggie's eye was as drawn to the outline of Heaven just as his own were. He wondered how difficult it was for her to adjust to Hell when she was wrongfully felled. The first few years of his punishment here he still remembered clearly. The way his body was in agonizing pain as it slowly stitched itself back together, the guilt as more angels fell alongside him, because of him, and his hope slowly dying out the more sinners that entered his realm. The more evil that became apparent with his choice.
Lucifer had never let another being experience the pain of falling from Heaven. When the Sins were cast out, he used his magic to stop their impact from the ground, at least sparring them from that particular bone-crushing agony. Once his body was recovered enough, he caught the following angels once they crossed the threshold into Hell.
Vaggie never officially fell. She wasn't brought forth before a court to be shamed for her supposed sins. Ones she never committed in the first place. Despite their statuses, Adam and Lute didn't have the authority to do what they did. In fact, their punishment for Vaggie was highly illegal in Heaven. The only beings who have the right to strip an angel of their halo and wings were the court which the exorcist leaders did not belong to. Lucifer wondered what kind of fate Lute would suffer should that come out. She certainly belonged here just as much as Adam did.
In the grand scheme of things, Vaggie was easy to pick out as an angel. Because she wasn't truly fallen, Hell wasn't able to corrupt her appearance into something more demonic as the others before her had. She still had that protection granted to exorcists which meant she maintained all of her angelic features.
Lucifer hated how envious he was of that. The form he chooses to use wasn't his actual appearance. He had to maintain a steady stream of his magic to ensure it stayed that way. Without it, his horns, tail, and claws would constantly be on display. Even after 10,000 years, he still couldn't stand to look in the mirror to see what he's really become.
His true form, the one that drives everyone who dares lay eyes on it into insanity, had only slipped out twice in his existence. That one he has trapped under several layers of seals in the hopes that it never comes forth again.
"Can I… ask you something?" Vaggie broke the silence quietly, still looking up at the sky. He glanced at her unreadable expression.
"Of course." Lucifer fiddled with the golden band around his finger.
"Do you miss Heaven?"
What a loaded question that was. He hummed in acknowledgement but didn't answer right away. Honestly, his opinion on it changed quite frequently. The first few years, he wanted nothing more than to cross the pearly gates once more, to feel the clouds beneath his feet instead of brimstone under his hooves.
Then came the bitter acceptance. The anger. The hurt. The hatred towards Heaven and what they did to him, even though he brought it upon himself. He festered in those negative emotions for millennia until it was all he knew. Until it began to push Lilith away alongside his daughter.
"... I miss what my siblings and I used to have. I miss those times before Eden." He admitted quietly, turning to face Vaggie as she finally lowered her gaze to her hands. There was a frown on her face.
"If you were given the chance, would you go back?" He barely heard her over the wind and the implication of the question seized Lucifer's heart in a grip of anxiety. Vaggie wasn't looking at him still and that made him even more nervous.
"My place is no longer in Heaven." It was a deflection because Lucifer truthfully didn't know the answer to that. Would he leave Hell forever to live up in the clouds again? Absolutely not, he couldn't do that to Charlie. But if he were given the opportunity to visit, to step foot there again… he wasn't sure if he would take it or not.
"Would you?" Lucifer inquired cautiously, watching as Vaggie closed her eye before facing him completely as well.
"No." It was absolute, and the truth of it allowed Lucifer to release a breath. "Charlie showed me what it was like to be a part of a family. A real family. I wouldn't give it up for anything."
Ah, and that was the problem with Heaven, wasn't it? The hierarchy up above functioned the same as Hell's yet the distance between them and their duty was far greater for the angels. They were created for a purpose, one that they must serve out lest they incur the wrath of those in charge. Angels were social creatures and they did what they needed to in order to stay sane but no matter how close you may believe yourself to be, duty always came first.
Lucifer understood that feeling better than most. It's what tore him and his siblings apart, after all.
"I can imagine. I don't know how you managed to deal with Adam for years thinking that's what family is supposed to be like." Lucifer leaned to the side with a grin.
Vaggie laughed, the tension leaving her shoulders as she nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, Adam was a dick. Is it bad I'm glad Niffty killed him?" Vaggie leaned against the railing again but she was still looking in his direction. With a smile, Lucifer moved close enough to knock their shoulders together playfully.
"Nope. I feel the same way." He stretched his arms above his head, wincing as his spine protested the movement. It's been a while since he let out his wings. Though they weren't visible, the weight of them was constant and tiring after a while. In their subspace, it was the equivalent of all six being pressed against his back with little to no room. They weren't designed to be confined at all and after several hours of keeping them hidden, they were beginning to feel cramped.
So, since he was in the presence of a fellow angel he trusted, Lucifer unfurled all three pairs and stretched them to their full span. He groaned at the twitching muscles and it took a while for them to calm down — just enough for them to fold much more comfortably. He didn't feel the need to put them away yet. Vaggie shook her head at the clear lack of care on his part but in a show of solidarity, she let hers out too. They were in much better shape than his own.
"I have something for you, actually," Lucifer spoke after a moment, bringing his hands up to transport it from his room to his palm. "I was going to give it to you tomorrow but since you're here, might as well do it now."
Dangling from his fingers was a necklace made of a thin, silver chain. Lucifer had blessed it, meaning that her already impressive angelic attributes were enhanced when she wore it. At the bottom was a clear gemstone with red and gold magic swirling inside of it. Six wings made of the same metal encased the crystal in a secure hold. Vaggie gasped, hand hovering next to it carefully.
"It's beautiful." She looked back up at him and Lucifer didn't miss the way her eye was watery. "What's the occasion?"
He cleared his throat uncomfortably, looking back out at the city, then to the necklace, and back to Vaggie. "It's a Potentia Pendant." The smile dropped from Vaggie's face immediately and she snapped her hand back to clutch it against her chest.
"No." Vaggie grit out, taking a step back when Lucifer reached towards her.
"Vaggie, please. Just hear me out—"
"No!" She shook her head as she stared at the piece of jewelry with disdain. Underneath that, there was alarm dancing beneath her expression and Lucifer held it out to her once more. "I refuse to accept that. I know how Potentia Pendants work and if I take that, then…" Vaggie trailed off, gaze peering at him helplessly as the words escaped her. Lucifer smiled softly, resting his free hand on her shoulder.
"If something happens to me, I have to make sure Charlie will be safe. Please, Vaggie. There's no one I would trust more with this." Lucifer slid his hand down her arm until he was cupping her own, lifting it up to place the necklace in her palm. She stared at it, eye wide with unshed tears.
"Accepting this means that I believe you'll die." Her voice was small, lacking any of the previous bravado it once had. He felt his heart swell at the fact she cared for him so.
"I'm not saying it's an inevitability." Lucifer assured Vaggie with confidence he didn't quite feel. "But if that were to happen, I want you to inherit my powers. Not only to protect Charlie but to protect yourself, too."
Vaggie brought her gaze back up at that, searching his own for any deceit that may be there. She wouldn't find any — Lucifer wasn't doing this because he was convinced he would perish soon. He was doing this because his life had always been unpredictable and he had people he needed to protect.
After a moment, Vaggie's expression hardened and her fingers closed around the necklace with far more care than she showed for it just seconds before.
"This isn't a free pass for you to be reckless. Charlie still needs you and your death better be a last resort, do you understand me?" Despite the command in her tone, her voice wavered dangerously around her words. Lucifer positively melted into the concern. Many of the times he spent with Charlie since moving in was spent with Vaggie as well. It wasn't hard for him to adore her with how amazingly she treated his daughter. He just didn't think Vaggie cared about him as much as she apparently did.
Lucifer was turning into such a sap. His smile split his face.
"I promise, Vaggie. Thank you." Then, he took the necklace and carefully clasped it around her neck. Lucifer put in the thought to make it stand out as little as possible and the red of his essence matched well with her usual uniform.
"Do you need anything before I head to bed?" Lucifer asked, hands dropping to his side. He hadn't realized how tired he was until the emotional roller-coaster that was that day came crashing down on him.
"No, I should probably get back too. I just needed some fresh air to think." She sighed, grabbing her spear and leading them back inside. Lucifer shut the door behind them and made sure to lock it before walking her back to her and Charlie's shared room.
Vaggie opened the door, pausing for a moment before turning back to look at him over her shoulder.
"I'm really glad you're here. Goodnight, Lucifer." He blinked in surprise, barely having time to wish her goodnight himself before he was alone in the hallway. His throat felt oddly tight as he began the trek back to his own bedroom.
Lucifer didn't feel bad about the fact he was crying by the time he reached his quarters. With a snap of his fingers, his attire was changed to his patented duck pajamas and the lights flashed off.
He crawled into bed, a smile on his face and heart full as the darkness took him into a thankfully dreamless slumber.