A Heavenly Affair - Chapter 5 - actualcheetah (2024)

Chapter Text

Lucifer was a damn coward.

He always had been, or at least he had been for as long as Adam had known him –which was close enough to forever but that wasn't the point– and especially so when it came to anything Heaven related. That was why it had been so laughably easy to convince the f*cker to agree to the Exterminations.

Convince.

Yeah right.

More like the sinners had been handed over to Heaven on a goddamn silver f*cking platter without a second thought from the fallen angel.

Fighting for the sinners he ruled over, no matter how much he loathed them, would've been the honorable thing to do and Lucifer was anything but that. From Adam's point of view of things, it had been simpler for the King of Hell to just let Heaven just do as they pleased, let the survivors of the latest genocide clean up the aftermath themselves –because the Seraphim wouldn't be caught dead outside the cushy carnival tent he called a home during or after the slaughter to help–, then go back to living their pathetic little lives for another year.

“I know better than to push back against Heaven when they want something now. Of course I won't do anything to stop you each year when you come down here.” Had been his quiet excuse all those millenia ago during the very first, and so far only, pre-Extermination meeting, a meeting Sera insisted upon before she'd consider agreeing to Adam's idea of going down to Cleanse Hell yearly. “Do what you want to the sinners, they're down here for a reason and deserve it anyway, but leave hellborns out of it.” The lack of fight or anger or anything outside meek agreement had made Adam see red, and not just because he was surrounded with the atrocious color. It was like that asshole thought rolling over and showing his belly to the Elders would grant him and his pathetic ragtag family asylum. It didn't, but it'd still been infuriating to witness such timidness. Lucifer's only condition hadn't really been a shock –though it had initially been a disappointment– but hadn't truly mattered in the end as each year hundreds of hellborns were slain when they were stupid enough to get in the way of an Exorcist and Lucifer still did nothing to retaliate. Maybe he knew it was pointless since those idiots put themselves in the way of his girl's blades.

So, hearing from Sera that Lucifer was puss*ing out of a post-Extermination meeting like a co*ck sucking little asswipe hadn't been all that surprising. Well, okay, she hadn't said it quite that way, how she'd described the situation had been a lot fluffier and gentler and way more forgiving than it had any right being but ah well. He liked his way better.

Adam typically tried to keep his nose out of all things regarding Hell –especially in the weeks post Extermination as that was prime celebratory f*cking time for him and he wasn't giving that up for a stiffy ass meeting in Hell of all places– and, more often than not these days, assigned Lute to take care of these types of things in his place. Lute was his best bitch, his second in command, his right hand, the Dangertit* to his Dickmaster. If he couldn't trust her to handle these meetings in a way he'd approve of then, f*cking Christ, he couldn't trust anyone. That, and he didn't think he'd be able to keep his temper under control if he was forced to sit in a room with Lucifer f*cking Morningstar, the original wife stealer, for multiple hours on end while they discussed, uhhhh, whatever the f*ck they discussed at those meetings. He had other reasons but, y'know, those were the most important ones.

But learning the other angel's daughter would be attending the meeting in his stead? Oh, this he just had to see.

At first glance of the princess, Adam thought Lucifer was playing some stupid trick like he used to back in Eden –for Christ’s sake, the bitch looked almost exactly like her father just in red and yellow rather than blue and white– but then he spotted her guard dog and knew the King of Hell wouldn't willing tote another angel around, even if she was a traitorous c*nt just like himself.

As far as he could tell, the princess didn't even know what her bean flicking pet was. That was fine, he'd hold that info close to the chest for when he needed it. Contrary to popular belief, Adam wasn't completely stupid and he knew how powerful information could be, especially something this big.

While the blonde may not have appreciated him offering her the plate of ribs and the subsequent hilarity that ensued when her hand phased through his hologram for a second time, Adam found it entertaining to f*ck with her. The more he spoke, the more Chandlers –Chandelier? Chardonnay? Cagney?– eye twitched and the harder vagin* glared at him and Lute –like she had the right to be mad when they let her live for her treasonous actions against Heaven– the more he just continued to talk. Rinse and repeat.

It was only once he got to the story about the dumb bitch who thought she wanted drummer dick –really? really??– that she finally caught on to who he was and suddenly her whole demeanor changed.

He'll admit, her nervous, “Adam, sir. Mister Adam, sir,” was… endearing, in a way. He might even go far as to say cute if only because she was suddenly awkward and anxious out of nowhere. It made sense, he was the Adam and she was just some filthy little Nephalem. Few demons got to experience his awesomeness and live to tell anyone about it.

Funnily enough, though, she didn't seem all that amused or awed when he told her to call him Dickmaster. In fact, that nervous twitching and twisting of her fingers she'd been doing completely stopped and was replaced with a peeved yet deadpan expression. Strange… Women usually loved to call him that when he told them to but, he supposes, she wasn't a normal woman.

When she goes back to prattling on and on about sinners and Hell, the more he regrets coming to this meeting. Ugh, she was so f*cking long winded but, he won't lie, he's thoroughly enjoying her talking him up. At least someone down there seems to have sense. Charlie –and okay, yeah, that sounded right– had gotten him excited when she started talking about his name being on sh*t –because, f*ck, he really did like when his name got to be on sh*t– but then she brought up Hell's problems and she lost him. Genuinely not knowing what the f*ck she's talking about, Adam started throwing out random ideas for the hell of it, sure one of them would stick.

Nothing seemed to be right for this bitch, though.

What, did she want him to read her f*cking mind? Jesus f*ck, apparently because now she was just staring at him. Great, now she decided to stop talking? Like blinking them big f*cking eyes at him would somehow tell him what she meant?

Fine. If she wasn't going to speak, he would. He leans back in his chair and just lets loose. He talks about anything he can think of, from preening methods to the most recent bitches he'd scored to even instruments he knew how to play, barely holding back from howling with laughter as she slowly gives up and collapses on the table. The princess was clearly trying not to be rude and interrupt him –though Vagasaurus continued to glare, as if working on boring holes through his skull– and he'll give her some credit, she made it through about thirty minutes of him chattering nonsense before she slams her fists down on the table, barking at him about their, again, “shared” problem in Hell.

If anyone asked, Adam would deny it but she'd surprised him.

He realizes quickly, after her declaration that the amount of demons Lute had killed was “not awesome” –somehow???–, that Charlie was most definitely her father's daughter, through and through.

Hopeful.

A dreamer.

Sickeningly sweet despite his lack of interest in anything she said.

Stupidly naive to anything outside her little bubble where everything was perfect and magical and consequence free.

Delusional beyond belief.

But the more he laughs and jokes and redirects at her growing anger, the more of an edge he was discovering she had, a sharpness that Lucifer, even in all his millenia living in and ruling Hell, had never outwardly shown. And he'd ignited it, at least for the moment. She had a temper, a fiery one at that, and it reminded him abruptly that she wasn't only Lucifer's, that she had to have gotten that familiar short fuse from someone. As annoying as miss sunshine and rainbows was, he was intrigued by her, like how a cat was intrigued with a mouse before killing it.

The change in her looks had him glad for the helmet because he knew without it, his reaction would've been hard to hide. She may be that two timing f*cks brat, and a half demon to boot, but f*ck did she look hot like this. The thought, while out of left field even for his mind, didn't outright disgust him. Deciding he didn't have time to unpack that, the first man did what he does best regarding issues and shoved it to the back of his mind to deal with later.

Her demonic looks melted away and she did her best to try to make him feel bad for her by stating that these were her people –sucks to be her, honestly– and he barely refrains from rolling his eyes when she tries to say that the sinners were just the same as the angels in Heaven. He couldn't even open his mouth to argue that before his best girl herself stepped forward, straightforward and to the point in how she tore down Charlie. Seeing the previously too big for her britches princess deflate and curl in on herself has him taking what some –just not himself– may call ‘pity’ on her.

“Welp, almost outta time, sweetheart. We should probably get into it.”

Instantly, her mood brightens and Adam cringes slightly as she rushes toward him with a grin and sparkling eyes as she seems to brush off all previous interactions with the angels like water on a duck's feathers. While she spoke, too distracted with her sales pitch to truly notice his split attention, his eyes were drawn toward the table where her graphs and statistics were spread out in front of her, drinking in the information. It's a lot. He may not like math much, and only has a very general understanding of English as it was understood and spoke nowadays, but even he could tell the numbers were crazy, the Exterminations hardly making a dent in how fast the population seemed to grow each year. He looks up in time for her to address him directly and he hums in mild agreement, shrugging slightly as his eyes drift downward to her notes again. The information was, to put it plainly, fascinating and his fingers itched to scoop up all of the papers. Truth be told, if Lute and Vaggie weren't there he may have been more willing to actually look over everything and attempt to talk to her about it in depth.

The more she spoke, however, the more his skin pricked with irritation and offense.

Was this broad serious right now? Redeem… f*cking sinners? It was like this bimbo didn't understand how sh*t f*cking worked, that if you lived a life of sin then you deserved an afterlife of torment. You couldn't just decide you hated the punishment you'd earned for your actions in life and choose to go to Heaven instead. Adam guesses he shouldn't be surprised at all of this coming from a hellborn.

“I'm gonna stop you right there, baby-cakes.” Adam grits out, enjoying how uncomfortable she seemed to be with the nickname. “Am I… hearing you right? Are you saying that we should let sinners climb the ladder of redemption, let them cross the pearly gates?” He scoffs at her, narrowing his eyes at the two women across from him as they share a quick glance. “You're implying we shouldn't kill these miserable pieces of sh*t because, what, you drew some pictures and said pwetty pwease?” The implication alone made him want to go down to Hell and go on a rampage just to show her what he thought of her sh*tty idea. Instead, he flaps his wings and lifts himself into the air just enough to land on the table, giving her a sharp grin. “Sorry, sweetie, but there's no changing their fates. They had their chance to be better and they wasted it. The rules aren't just something we can ignore in favor of your passion project.”

He leans down from his place above her and sneers as she scrambles away in thinly veiled fear, following her while still atop the table. “Hell is forever, whether you like it or not bitch! Try to chillax, babe, it's all cut and dry. You know the old sayings; fair is fair, karmas a bitch, an eye for an eye, reap what you sow!” Seeing her face twist with surprise at how aggressive he's suddenly being after his, admittedly lengthy, patience makes him chortle a humorless laughter before he flaps his wings hard and sends both her and the fallen angel tumbling back. A grin crosses his face upon hearing the painful sounding thump of both their bodies hitting the door and he holds a hand out to the side for Lute to high five, a smirk taking over his features as Charlie got to her feet and those cute little f*ck handles of hers sprout from her forehead.

“Oh ho ho, kitty's got claws, hm?” Adam taunts with a head tilt, anger momentarily forgotten in favor of eyeing her. Demon or not, he could appreciate when a bitch was hot. “Gotta say, you are sexy as f*ck all pissed off and fiery, but I seriously do not have the time for this. Lute.” He turns away from the three women and walks off, humming pleasantly at the squeak of surprise from Charlie as Lute tosses the traitor and the princess out on their asses.

“No. No, no, wait, please!” Adam pauses in his retreat at the pleading as Lute pulls the door shut. He wasn't sure what made him stop initially but the next words out of Charlie's mouth surely would've done the job. “I'll make a deal with you, please! Anything just…” A noise of intrigue leaves him and he turns around quickly, closing the gap between himself and the trio in seconds just in time to catch the heavy steel door before Lute could fully close it.

“Sir. She's a Nephalem, a lying succubus like her mother.” Hearing that, Adam whips his head around to glare daggers at Lute, narrowing his eyes as she takes a surprised step back. “You can't trust anything she says.” His second in command continues, this time slightly more reserved. The first man scoffs at her and sticks his head out into the hallway, dismissing her concerns.

“I'm pretty sure making deals is something your kind does, with other demons. Angels don't make deals.” Adam grins as Charlie's face twists.

Her argument, asking why he stopped the door from shutting, has their expressions swapping instantly, his face now twisting with displeasure as she almost sneers up at him. What a little trollop, thinking she got the better of him. Maybe Lute had a point about her. He doesn't even get a chance to respond before she starts demanding they stop the Exterminations again. But this time, she makes a dangerously open ended offer.

“Anything? Really? You're that f*cking desperate?” Past crossing her arms and lifting an eyebrow as if to say ’yes, and?’, she offers no response. “Alright, damn princess. I can respect that. Hm,” although he pauses and pretends to think, he already knows what he wants out of this deal and he knows Lute, and his other girls, will enjoy it too, “then give me her.” Adam turns his head toward Vaggie, his mouth a wide crescent of shark teeth as their eyes meet. Even though she's behind him, Adam could almost taste Lute's excitement once she's caught on to what he meant. He knew she'd been chomping at the bit to attack Vaggie since the duo had made their presence known and now that opportunity was within reach.

“What why-”

Seeing her face flood with confusion made him realize that, Jesus, it wasn't just a front to trick people into underestimating her. She really was a dumb f*cking blonde. “Oh the bitch didn't tell you?” His eyes never leave Vaggie and he thoroughly enjoys the palpable fear coming off her in waves. Hell had turned her soft it seemed, if her quiet pleading of his name was anything to go off of. “This c*nt is an angel. And not just that, oh no, she was an Exorcist. One of my best. Isn't that right, Vaggie?” He cups the white haired woman's face gently and sneers as she yanks her head away, finally turning his head to look at Charlie.

The blonde went through the five stages of grief in about three seconds and Adam feels smug satisfaction fill his veins as she turns away from vagin* to fully face him. When she opened her mouth to speak, he was fully expecting her to agree and shove the lying whor* to the metaphorical wolves. Hearing her tell him no has his wings tingling with rage as they stare one another down, Charlie lifting her chin defiantly despite how he crowds her personal space. “As heir to the throne, everyone who resides in Hell is under my protection and I won't sell one of my people out to benefit others. Ask for something else.”

This.

f*cking.

whor*.

Did she really think he gave a single f*cking sh*t that she was the ’heir to the throne’ of Hell? He clenched his fists at his sides and gnashed his teeth, glaring down at the stoic faced princess as she spoke, the next words she spoke clearly directed to Vaggie. “You should go. While you can.”

He lets Vaggie leave without a word, Lute hissing with anger behind him as he fumes.

“You're really gonna sit there and protect someone who's slaughtered thousands of your people?” Adam lets out a mirthless laugh, rage making his throat burn as he looms over her. “There's nothing else you, or any of those other sniveling little f*cks, can offer me that'll make me consider calling off the Exterminations!”

“I'm pretty sure I made the offer that I will do anything.” Her calm attitude makes his teeth hurt and he clenches his fists until the claws of his gloves stab the meat of his hands painfully and threaten to pierce the leather.

“Incase you missed it, sweetcheeks, I'll be nice and repeat myself. I'm a f*cking angel.” His wings flare open and spread around him in a halo of angry ruffled feathers. “I don't deal in souls like your lot does. What in the everloving f*ck could I gain out of you!?”

Red eyes flit over his shoulder, presumably to look at Lute, and she folds into herself some. “Whatever deal we make, it stays between the two of us. I don't want it getting out to anyone.” He's gotta hand it to her, she's got balls of steel to be willing to be alone with the leader of the angel army and not a witness in sight to protect her. Not that being alone with two Exorcists is much better. Still, she lifts her chin and tightens her crossed arm grip on her biceps despite how anxiety rolls off of her. Without many other choices past just completely ending the meeting, Adam flicks his wrist and sends Lute away. His Lieutenant grumbles in disapproval at the dismissal but she leaves the room nonetheless. He pulls the door open the rest of the way for Charlie, trusting Lute to have vacated the area and not be eavesdropping.

“Alright, Princess,” he says slowly once they're alone, “I suggest you start talking.”

Charlie shifts from foot to foot for a second after he widens the doorway, briefly glancing down the yawning hall of the Heaven Embassy as if second guessing herself, before her face screws up in a scowl and she thunders past him into the room. He supposes she thought her expression made her look tough or some sh*t but it honestly just made her look like a hamster with her scrunched up nose.

She keeps her back to him as she speaks, fidgeting nervously with her hair. “What I want is an extra year of safety from the Exterminations. Meaning, next year when you'd usually come back down here, you stay in Heaven and leave Hell alone until the following year.” She pauses and hums. “What could you gain out of this?” The princess releases her ponytail and turns around, her brows furrowed as she sets her shoulders in determination. “How about me?”

“You?”

“Me.”

Adam sighs through his nose, the noise drawn out and loud with exasperation. “Explain.” He was intrigued by the strange offer for sure but it had such ambiguity, ambiguity that he usually wouldn't bother having clarified because why the f*ck should he, but for such a big ask, like postponing the Cleanse, he had to have more information.

Charlie shuffles nervously and her cheeks darken as she glances away, ears and neck turning pink alongside her face. That's when it clicks. She's offering herself. Most of his anger evaporates at that and his eyes widen. Lil– no no, Lucifer's little hottie, being his newest f*cktoy? He's gotta say that did sound appealing, more than appealing actually, and he didn't really need approval or permission regarding the Exterminations. He could do whatever the f*ck he wanted, make any decisions he deemed necessary, so long as they stayed on the downlow and Heaven stayed in the dark. This would stay their little secret, assuming he's not somehow –unlikely– misunderstanding her.

Still, he had to make sure. He wouldn't be caught with his dick out –literally– due to a misunderstanding because then, well, he'd have to kill her to save himself the embarrassment of being wrong and he'd hate to kill a bitch with such a bangin’ body… “So let me get this straight,” the angel starts as she looks at him once more, “you're offering yourself in exchange for a measly extra year of no Exterminations?” A smile crosses his face when she doesn't answer immediately, face darkening even more, and he leans over to thoroughly get in her bubble. “You must think pretty highly of yourself, huh Princess?” His eyes rove over her form hungrily as she recrosses her arms and looks away, muttering how the only thing she had to offer him other than her soul was– “Your tight body?” She gave him a disgusted look at that, clearly unimpressed.

“I was gonna say ‘myself’ but sure. That works, I guess.”

Adam hums as he grabs her chin between his index finger and thumb, rotating her head as he takes in her looks more closely. “Ugh, this would be better if you looked less like him.” He releases her with a sharp flick of his wrist. She's far from ugly by any means but he hadn't been lying when he said she was almost identical to Lucifer. Uncomfortably so. “But I guess your face doesn't actually f*cking matter in the end.” Because, honestly, it didn't. To be safe, though, he'd just make sure to keep her facing away from him. “Fine. You got a deal, Sugartit*. How about we make it official?” He knew enough about demons to know a hologram couldn't make a deal but no f*cking way was he going down there for this sh*t. He didn't really have a single intention of upholding his side of this snowflake daydream of hers, anyway, so he didn't see any real harm in entertaining her for a while. What, did she seriously think her puss* was enough to save Hell, that he'd f*ck her one time and just change his mind about the losers she loved so much? Yeah, okay. Despite knowing he'd definitely get his ass chewed out for what he was about to do if anyone found out, he snaps his fingers and opens a portal to Heaven for miss butterflies and unicorns to step through. She steps away with wide eyes and simply stares at the swirling oval of light, pure wonder filling her eyes. Good God, what did he get himself into with her?

“Hurry the f*ck up, I don't have all year for you to gawk at the pretty sparkles, sweetie.” Adam hisses as he turns his hologram off, shaking his head when it takes her a few more seconds still to join him on his side of the portal. He gives her just long enough to spin in a stupid little circle before he grabs her wrist, yanking her around to face him. She blinks in surprise at the action, staring at his hand for a second like she's curious, then looks up at him with her big stupid owlish eyes.

“Listen, bitch, you can stare all you want another time.” Adam grumbles, squeezing her wrist slightly when her expression shifts into one of aggravation. “Pretty sure we have a deal we need to seal.” When she yanks her arm out of his grip, he releases her without a fight, sneering as she backs away and glares at him. “What, changed your mind already?”

“No, but I'm not stupid enough to leave a deal so open ended, especially not with someone like you.” Adam's eyes narrow angrily, the pleased twitch of Charlie's eyebrow making his lip curl. “This is only until the next Extermination. You go back on the deal, if you even indicate you're going to start the Exterminations again before the two years is up, and the deals off.” Realization that this wasn't going to be a one time thing, that Charlie intended for this to happen at least a handful of times if her pouty lip and furrowed brows were an indicator, hits him like a ton of bricks as she continues speaking and he bites his cheek to hide his grin. Maybe he'd be postponing the upcoming Extermination after all. “I'll come to the Heaven Embassy once a month an-”

An unintentional scoff of irritation leaves him. “Once a month?” God, did he seriously get tangled up with the one prude in all of Hell?

Charlie's eyes light up red at his words and her horns spring up in an instant, growing longer the more she speaks. “Yes. What, you don't have enough women flocking to you up here to stroke your ego in the meantime?”

He couldn't even appreciate seeing her weirdly sexy demonic side again, she was seriously starting to actually piss him off again. “Once a month isn't worth the scrutiny of all of Heaven when they learn that the next Extermination is being postponed an entire year. Nuh uh, Princess. Four times a week, at least.”

“Four times a f*cking week!?” He flinches at her volume and the subsequent echoing that fills the Embassy.

f*ck he was so stupid, this dumb broad was going to get them caught in the first minute with her f*cking screeching! “Jesus f*ck, keep your voice down! Believe it or f*cking not, I'm breaking enough f*cking rules just humoring you, you dumb bitch. Anyone hears you're up here and it's my ass on the line. So shut the f*ck up!” Adam takes a deep breath and glares at her. When he speaks again, his voice is still firm but at a much more appropriate speaking level if not bordering on a harsh whisper. “Yes. Or is that too often for your prude ass?”

Charlie's face twists at the jab, growling low in her throat. “I have a life outside being your… sex toy.” She clenches her jaw and narrows her eyes before speaking again. “Twice a month, then.”

The angel does his best to keep his expression neutral but can feel his wings fluffing in indignation at that suggestion. “Is that really all your people are worth to you?” He asks, voice low and gravely as he stares her down. It's a low blow and manipulative as f*ck, even he can recognize that, but it does the job and he just barely resists the urge to smirk at the rage that bursts to life behind her eyes, taking great enjoyment out of her horns growing even longer, even sharper.

Her next offer is forced out between gritted teeth. “Once a week?” His eyes narrow slightly. It's… not a great offer but eh. It's better than once a month, he supposes. Adam eventually gives his assent to her suggestion, a click of his tongue as he nods, and Charlie's shoulders sag ever so slightly with relief. Clearly she was expecting a bigger fight from him. “Okay, once a week, I'll…” aaaaand he wasn't listening anymore, his attention disappearing alongside her demonic looks as she talked logistics. Boredom fills him as she paces around the Hell Embassy with her phone out, muttering to herself and growling at the little glowing rectangle in her hands. She says something as she turns, looking up from her phone to stare at him though she takes a half step back once their eyes meet.

It takes him a solid few seconds to realize that she asked him a question and he's just staring at her. sh*t. Instead of flubbing through a response and agreeing to something stupid, he just blinks in the hopes she'll repeat herself. And, thank f*ck, she does… kinda.

“Is that… insensitive? Asking to conduct these meetings on Sundays, I mean.” Sundays? Why would that be– Oh, right, because they're f*cking and Sundays are ‘The Lord's Day' or something, duh. He knew that, shut up. That was… strangely considerate of her, to be concerned about that. For him, of all people. It makes his throat prick uncomfortably for some reason but he ignores it. “If they don't work for you, I can figure something else out but it'll take me a few mi-”

She's being so nice, what the f*ck is wrong with her? “It's fine.” His voice is sharp even to his own ears as he cuts into her sentence, clearly taking her off guard, but she simply nods instead of commenting.

“Right. Sundays at noon then. I'll block out a few hours,” his eyebrows make a halfway decent attempt to join his hairline hearing that. Hours? Adam wasn't sure if he was supposed to be offended by that or not. On one hand, hours upon hours of sex? That sounded awesome to him, even with just one other person. On the other hand, uhhh, what the f*ck? Did she think he was inept and needed hours to get off? Before he could decide which he was –though he was leaning more toward not being offended– she continued quickly, “just in case! We don't have to use all that time, it's more of a precaution than anything.”

Confusion floods him. She's blocking out multiple hours as… a precaution? Huh? Instead of trying to figure out what she meant –because, Lord, this woman only knew how to talk in riddles apparently, what the f*ck– he simply nodded. “Fine, whatever. Sounds good.” He tipped his head a fraction and pursed his lips. “Since you had your rules for me regarding Exterminations, I have a few for you before we shake on it.” Not giving her a second to question what he'd meant, Adam grabbed her face harshly, digging his fingers into her cheeks. Not hard enough to cause her to bleed but enough to hurt and he grins when she yelps in pain and grabs at his wrist as he drags her closer. “You use this extra time to start a rebellion against Heaven then the deals off and there won't be a single festering pusswad left in Hell for you to waste your time redeeming when I'm done down there.” His fingers curl ever tighter until he sees reflexive tears prick her eyes and hears her tail whistle as it whips behind her. “And as hard as it may be for you, miss cupcakes and butterflies, try not to let your emotions get the better of you and fall in love with me.”

While it's meant to come out as a joke, there's an underlying tone of seriousness in his voice. Adam's slept around a lot in his years being an angel and, more than once, ended up with a bitch or two –er, hundred– becoming kinda sorta maybe a little, okay a lot, obsessed with him after they've f*cked. Adam only just shook his last stalker, he would rather there be a couple decades before his overly excitable fanclub gained another member, thank you very much.

“Don't worry.” Charlie snapped back, a throaty growl forcing its way out of her as she digs her nails into his wrist. “I am as repulsed by you as a person with f*cking eyes and ears can be.” The insult sets the angel's blood on fire and his face twists into an angry sneer as he shoves her back, a sliver of enjoyment sparking under his skin as she rubs at her red, but quickly bruising, cheeks with a glare.

Hesitantly, Charlie holds a hand out for him. “I offer my body to you once a week and in return you hold off the Exterminations for an extra year. Do you agree to these terms?” Adam's wings twitch at the somewhat abridged version of their deal and stares down at her hand, contemplating. He wants to say no, summon a portal, shove her back to Hell, then give her that initially planned nasty surprise in six months but…

“I agree.”

Something stops him. As much as Adam would like to swing down in half a year, this deal is just slightly more appealing to him. His girls won't be happy but, well, those bitches were never f*cking happy unless they got to spill blood so they could suck it up. Adam takes her hand finally and gives it one firm shake, watching as two lights curl from the space between their palms and twist around their wrists before fading.

Before the swirling red and gold could fade into the gray leather of his bicep length gloves completely, Adam curled his fingers into the woman's arm until he could feel her bones creak in his grip. She attempts to hide a wince at the rough handling and when he tugs her toward him, snatches the back of her neck, and pins her to the table in the span of a blink, she can barely make a squeak in response. Thinking back on it, she probably didn't even have enough air left in her body to let out more than that feeble little noise with how hard he slammed her down. Whoopsies. A small hum left him as she shakily began pushing herself upright and, in a flash of anger at seeing this small act of rebellion or fight or whatever this was out of her, he lifted her by his still iron grip on her nape just to slam her back down.

Satisfied she wouldn't be trying that again, Adam leans over slowly until he's fully covering her body with his own, pressing his mouth to her ear. “Just so you know, I'm only agreeing to this so I can have the satisfaction of seeing Lucifer's face when he finds out how much of a whor* his precious little brat is.” Charlie says nothing in response, instead staring at him dazedly, as he places his hands on her hips.

“I am going to enjoy every second of this.”

The angel pulls away until only his hands are touching her and slides his fingertips under the waistband of her slacks and panties, digging his fingers into her hip bones excitedly. Before he can get further than that simple act, though, Charlie's mind seems to clear up suddenly and she pushes herself upright in a flash. She twists around until she's facing him, shoving his hands off in the process. “What do you think you're doing?” The blonde demands hotly, eyes glowing brightly in the shadows he casts over her as she wobbles.

Adam smirks, too fascinated with her gumption to be upset at that exact moment. Tough little c*nt, wasn't she? “The f*cks it look like?” As he speaks, he bends down slowly to settle a hand on the table on either side of her so they're nearly nose to nose and effectively trapping her in place. “Forget the deal we made already, baby? I didn't think I slammed you down that hard.”

“The deal is only for Sundays–”

“Doesn't seem very fair to me,” he interrupts with a half-hearted glare, “to give you an entire week for free just because we had this meeting on a Monday and you didn't think to include a start date in your little terms and conditions.”

Charlie makes a face like she hadn't considered that. “W- well– it's not fair to me if I have to come back before seven days from now!” Adam watches impassively as she looks at the window then winces when she remembers they're in Heaven before glancing back to him. “It'll be sooner than six days at this rate since it's probably well past sundown i–!”

“I literally don't care.” He deadpans. The two stare at one another for a moment as Adam slowly rises to his full height again, towering over Charlie. “C'mon, Princess. Don't be a coward and puss* out of an agreement just because you're a little uncomfortable. One quick f*ck to show you're serious and I'll send you on your way until next time.”

Charlie leans away from him slightly, hands gripping the edge of the table hard enough he can see the tendons and muscles, can hear the steel groaning as it bends and heel of her palm supporting her weight, as her eyes flit around nervously. “I-” She bites her lip nervously and Adam's eyes jump to her throat as she swallows. “Alright.” The word is said softly after another minute of silence, causing him to look up finally. Charlie avoids his gaze. “Fine. Just, let's get this over with.”

With a satisfied smile, Adam lifts his hand and spins his index finger in a few slow circles, wordlessly telling Charlie to turn back around, which she does with a scoff.

Oh yeah, this was gonna be a fun arrangement.

Taunting her hadn't been part of the initial plan but, honestly, none of this was and, well, he couldn't pass up this opportunity to really grind salt in the wound about her situation now could he? She'd tried to snap back at him when he'd insulted her sh*tty hotel idea but a tight squeeze around her throat and digging sharp metal points into her hip quickly shut her up. Eventually, though, he got tired of that, especially now that she was barely reacting past silently crying, and reveled in just pinning her down and f*cking her.

When he first got his dick out and pressed it into her waiting puss*, there'd been a lot of initial resistance and he could barely stuff the swollen head in. He'd chalked it up to his co*ck just being a little too big for her, and her not being quite as slick as he was used to, but when he'd used his thumbs to spread her quivering c*nt open wider, he'd managed to get his dick inside her easier. Getting buried in the strangling tightness of her puss* was the initial challenge he overcame, finding his rhythm was another hurdle. Each thrust out had almost as much resistance as when he'd snap his hips forward and was pretty sloppy in the beginning. It took a few minutes of tuning out her sobbing –her regret at making this deal wasn't his problem and he refused to feel guilt over her changing her mind now that she saw what she was in for each week– before he was able to piston in and out of her smoothly. It seemed her body finally adapted to taking his co*ck like it was made for, the echo of their hips slapping together and the dark angry red of her ass cheeks made him drool almost as much as the princesses tight, clenched hole, but when he looked past her ass to admire how his co*ck looked disappearing into her and saw a flash of shimmery orange clinging to him during a backward thrust, his stomach had twisted painfully.

Charlie's pants were shoved down just enough to give him access to c*nt but the minimal amount of her thighs he can see is streaked in the same iridescent shine. It's not a shade he's seen before, and his mask keeps any smell from reaching his nose, but he knows instantly what it is.

Adam has had plenty of sex over the millennia but he's never seen or caused someone to bleed during it. Bile burns his throat and he looks away. Usually blood didn't bother him, it was a sign of a successful Cleanse after all and, as the leader of the Exorcist army, he'd be bad at his job if he had an issue with the stuff. Seeing it like this, though… he suddenly felt squeamish. Even seeing the faint bruises forming on her skin from his rough handling, the same bruises he'd been getting hard over a minute ago were now starting to make him uncomfortable. Maybe he should've just let her go home earlier and dealt with that lost week.

With a frustrated sigh, Adam pulls out of Charlie and steps away from her, her knees giving out as soon as he's no longer holding her up. Guilt gnaws at his gut seeing the woman collapsed on the ground at his feet so he turns away from her to tuck himself back into pants, still not looking at her as he fixes his robe and makes a portal.

“Go the f*ck home.” He grumbles, avoiding meeting Charlie's gaze as she stares up at him with watery eyes, her body vibrating as she shakes. She makes no move to stand, whether from the inability to do so on her own or from surprise at him effectively booting her from Heaven, so he reaches down and grabs the back of her blazer, lifts her to her feet, and shoves her through the portal. The princess catches herself against the table at the last second and glares over her shoulder at him as the portal shuts.

—––––——––––——––––—

Adam wasn't sure what got into him. No, seriously, what was he thinking?

It'd been a couple weeks since the incident in Heaven where he'd let a perfectly good f*ck turn sour with his sudden inability to just ignore the woman below him. It wouldn't be the first time he's completely tuned out the chick he was laying after all, and he doubted Charlie was gonna do much in the ways of trying to talk to him like so many women did. Thankfully, whatever it was that had happened that first time never came up again and she didn't start bleeding for no reason again. No longer was she hissing in pain or silently crying under him either, which was good because it would've been really annoying if she did that everytime in the hopes of cutting these meetings short. It wouldn't have worked, anyway. Their last two encounters were what he assumed the new standard would be between them; him getting off on sinking his dick into a tight, hot hole and showing her her place while she took it like the good little succubus she was. Easy peasy, though a little mundane and boring, and he had doubts it'd keep him entertained for long

Except this time, he had to go and lose his f*cking mind. God, he was stupid.

One minute, he's got her pinned face down in the same spot as last time, f*cking her guts into a pulp and the next, he's pulling her back to press her against his body and hooking his chin over her shoulder and teasing her. Granted, hearing her breathing hitch and stutter when he'd accidentally moaned in her ear went straight to his dick and when she parted her legs for his hand? Well, Adam would be the first person to admit he was a weak man when it came to sex. Discovering how responsive she actually was, on top of everything, just made him that much weaker.

“Oh, sensitive are we?” He purrs as he teases her, enjoying how her legs twitch and she whimpers needily, eyeing as her fingers curl tighter into the table.

“F- f*ck you.” Oh ho, so she wanted it that way, huh? Well, two could certainly play that game. He gives her a sharp pinch as punishment for the attitude and revels in her startled squeal, repeating the actions in the hopes of hearing that noise again.

For the first time since these meetings began, a genuine smile graces his lips. “Pretty sure you already are, but I am always down for another round, babe.” He surprises himself with how honest that statement is. It surprises Charlie too, if her quick side-eye is anything to go on but he decides not to let her think about it too hard. Based on the startled moan she tries to choke down and how weak her knees suddenly get, Adam's willing to give himself a pat in the back for a job well done at distracting her.

Half-lidded eyes track her hand as it slides off the table, losing sight of it past the curve of her body as she arches around him until he feels gentle nudging against his own hand, a silent yet polite demand to move. As he replaces his hand on the princesses hip, Adam purrs quietly against the shell of her ear before his thrusts become just a touch more pointed. She seems to enjoy the extra snappiness he puts into his thrust if her quiet whine with every meeting of their hips is anything to go off of. Charlie surprises him in return by letting her head fall back and wrapping her free hand around the base of one of his helmet's horns a moment later, solely dependent on him to keep her from collapsing. Her body arches more with her new position and he barely bites back a groan at the change. Fuuuuck, it takes everything in him to keep from pinning their hips together and bursting inside her then and there.

Hearing her babble nonsensical words of pleasure and praise mixed with slurred demands for more more more please more has an intense white hot feeling of something zipping through his feathers and he latches onto her boney hips harder in response, earning another round of happy keening from Charlie as her slick velvety walls cling to him. Their bodies are pressed so tightly to one another that when she begins tensing up with her impending release, Adam feels it in his chest through her back, through the minute tightening of her muscles under his hands. Mostly, though, he can feel it in the way her inner walls flutter and twitch around him, and he shudders when she finally does org*sm, the experience resonating down to his core.

Feeling Charlie squeeze around his dick like she was trying to milk him for all he was worth –and then some– pulls a gasp out of him and it's ultimately what sends him over the edge and he drops his forehead to her shoulder as he c*ms, grinding into her lazily as shudders rip through him.

Adam’s not sure how long they just sit there with his forehead on her shoulder and holding her against his body, though he knows it can't be longer than a minute or two, before he finally pulls out of Charlie with a shaky exhale. When her head lifts off his shoulder and she stumbles forward to catch herself against the table on shaky knees, he can't help but eye her body appreciatively –as many jokes and jabs he made about the fact that she was a demon, she really was a f*cking babe, especially like this– or the sheen between her bare quivering thighs before she finally moves to make herself presentable. His own level of undress is easy enough to fix and by the time she turns around, clearly prepared to hop through a portal, he's back to normal.

“So I was just thinking, you wanna, I dunno, take a shower?” Where that comes from, he's not sure but there's no taking it back now. It'll be different, having someone in his personal sanctuary, but he finds himself not… hating the idea. Well, until Charlie just gives him a look and asks… Why? How about ’thank you, Dickmaster’? What the f*ck does she mean by that? Why else would someone offer their shower to another person? “Figured you wouldn't wanna traipse through that cesspit you call a kingdom reeking like an overused sex doll.” He grits out roughly. While he's not entirely sure if that's accurate due to the filtered air, he has no doubts that she does smell like sex. “f*cking christ, it was just a suggestion. You can say no.” Ugh, last time he tried to be nice to her for no f*cking reason. However, when he opens the portal to Hell and she doesn't skidaddle on through, he glances at her slowly to see her looking down at herself peculiarly.

“It would be nice to clean up.” The princess says after a moment. “I was trying not to ruin another pair of pants by wearing the skirt but now I have a different problem.” He watches as she squirms uncomfortably and a grin splits his face.

It doesn't take a genius to figure out her problem and he finds himself looking down as if he'll be able to see her ‘problem’ himself. He wishes he could. “Hot.” He purrs out as he lets the portal shut. Adam shrugs at her argument and instead opens a different portal, this time to his home. Usually he wouldn't use his powers for something this trivial, he may be a bigger guy and not a huge fan of exerting himself further than he absolutely had to but he wasn't so lazy that he couldn't fly the couple minutes it took to get to his apartment from the Embassy, but he couldn't go dragging a f*cking demon around Heaven. Especially not this f*cking demon.

The portal is barely fully formed before Charlie's eyes light up and she jumps through, not giving Adam a chance to explain anything. Maybe he should've done that before opening a door to another location. Whatever. He follows her a few seconds later and gives her the rundown. It's pretty simple really. Don't touch anything and stay away from the windows. Sure, other angel's could see into his place if they looked hard enough, he has literal floor to ceiling windows and no curtains, but he's on the top floor of his building and people were pretty good about respecting privacy here and not being nosy. If she went and pressed herself against a window to look outside, well, that'd be a lot harder to ignore or overlook no matter how respectful everyone was.

Watching her dance around his place like a new angel testing their wings is the only thing that keeps him from interrupting sooner. He's not sure why she's so excited, it's just his apartment and all she can see without going near the windows is clouds and rooftops. Whatever gets her rocks off, he supposes. She seems more interested in his things than anything, though. While he's turned to glance outside, just in case someone happened to be flying by, a yelp of pained surprise leaves her and he turns in time to see her land in the middle of his conversation pit after stumbling over the back of his couch. She's on her feet before he can blink and giddily looking around once more. Charlie's eyes light up at the sight of the large vase full of his shed feathers but she refrains from touching at the last second. She moves onto his battle ax but unlike the jar of feathers, she doesn't seem too excited to see his badass weapon of choice. While her expression isn't upset, it's far from happy and she shuffles past awkwardly. Adam rolls his eyes and crosses his arms, looking away as his patience begins to wane. What did she know? Clearly she just didn't understand style. When he looks back to the princess, she's walking past his baby grand piano in the corner and eyeballing it excitedly. Hm, fine. Maybe she's not a completely lost cause.

When he finally puts a stop to her exploring at the beginning of her fourth attempt at looking at all of the same stuff as the last three time, Charlie blinks up at him with big round eyes and offers an unsure smile as she spins in a circle, claiming she simply wanted to take everything in as she walks over. Adam's eyes drift around his apartment, looking at all the things that had her so enamored strangely, before looking back to Charlie once more with a shake of his head.

“Right,” the angel says slowly, “well, bathrooms through that door. Use whatever the f*ck you want while you're in there, just don't take forever.” Adam gestures toward the bathroom door and turns away from Charlie, ending their conversation as he walks away. It's only when he hears the shower kick on that he turns and looks at the cracked open door to the bathroom. He lifts his hand, shifting his gaze down to stare at the dried residue from Charlie clinging to his glove as he rubs his first two fingers and thumb together. The memories of her whimpers and moans flit across his mind and his eyebrows furrow. “Hmph.” It'd been a while since he'd drawn such tantalizing sounds from a woman and, f*ck, he wanted to hear more from her but something was bothering him.

“Why the f*ck did she stop me?”

The archangel closes his hand into a fist and looks up at the bathroom again. It's not like he was doing it wrong –not like there was a wrong way to do it anyway– she'd been putty in his hands and could barely keep her legs under herself so what was the problem? Whatever, he wasn't a bitch. It's not like it bothered him, he was a man, the man. And even if it did bother him, oh well. He'd get over it.

Adam leans on the counter and rests his head in a palm, glaring at the cracked open door as he taps the metal claws of his free hand against the stone. Minutes tick by like that before Adam growls. Screw this.

He thunders away from the kitchen and barges into the bathroom, though he stops short at the sight of Charlie in his shower. He can't see much of her through the steam fogged glass but what he can see has his eyes dancing down her body, drinking in the sight of her skin and following the curve of her spine as she washes suds off her body. For a brief moment, she looked… familiar.

Adam tears his eyes from her to shake his head and forces himself to move once more, closing the distance between the two of them to open the glass door soundlessly.

“Hey, so I have a question.” A co*cky smile overtakes his face at her surprised scream, though the sudden appearance of black and red wings filling the space and wrapping around her body has him taking a half step back to lean on the frame of the shower. “Calm down, it's just me. Sexy wings, by the way babe. So, anyway earlier, when we were f*cking, you slapped my hand out of the way. What was that about? What, was what I was doing not good enough for your royal c*nt?” Adam tilts his head as Charlie glares at him, snorting when she suggests he leave.

“For the love of Satan, seriously? Fine.” His eyebrows pop up to his hairline at her tone as she turns the water off. “Believe it or not, but it had absolutely nothing to do with you or your skills.” Adam's lips purse at that but she continues on before he can speak, turning away from him to mess with her wet feathers angrily. “I haven't had sex in months and today was the first time since my last relationship I got anywhere near actually getting off. I only took over because I know my body better. Simple as that.”

What? Adam blinks at her. His eyes harden. “Is that so?”

She glances over her shoulder at him and gives him a smile. “Yup.” His lip twitches behind the mask at that single word. “There, I've answered you. Can I finish my shower now?”

“No.”

When he backs her up against the shower wall and reaches through her shield of feathers to touch her stomach, Charlie shivers and looks up at him through her lashes, eyes big and round and fearless. As he speaks, his hand travels down her belly and her breathing hitches, pupils dilating. He watches her suck her bottom lip into her mouth with anticipation as his fingers make contact with the damp mound of hair between her legs hiding what he was truly after. As he finally reaches her cl*t, a stuttered gasp is his reward and he leans in to leer down at her, drawing a squirm out of Charlie.

However, as he actually begins touching her, the noises he'd been expecting don't come. Instead, Charlie lets out a slow breath and sets her shoulders like she's about to overcome some impossible task before giving a small whimper. The corners of his smile dip slightly and his eyes narrow with suspicion at the act she's putting on. Does she really think she's fooling anyone with this? When he doesn't stop her or pull away, Charlie's own eyes shut and she gives another fake moan. He can't tell what her end goal is here. Is she trying to pretend in the hopes he'll leave her alone? Or is she mocking him?

His lip curls into an angry snarl. That must be it. Women love him, why would she want him to leave? She must think he's stupid and wouldn't be able to catch on. She must be trying to get under his skin. Well, he wouldn't let her. Holy energy burns through Adam's veins as he grabs her neck with his free hand and presses her roughly into the marble, removing his hand from her groin to grab her hip and dig his metal claws into skin until he feels it split underhand.

Charlie squeaks out a startled ’what the hell!’ as her eyes reopen and he sneers at the fear he sees swimming in her red iris’. She doesn't deserve to be scared for trying to make a fool out of him. “Do you think I'm stupid? I can tell when a bitch is faking it.” Adam spits, wings flaring behind him with his anger as he leans in. “You're not even doing it well.” He wants to squeeze her f*cking neck until her head pops off, an all too familiar sting mixes with anger in his chest, but he reigns himself in. Her dead, headless body would be a little hard to explain to Sera so he settles for just tightening his grip until she whines with discomfort.

“Adam.” The evenness of her voice surprises him. He wasn't expecting such calmness from her and it makes his fingers loosen marginally. “I- I'm sorry, it's just…” She pauses for some reason, looking away from him like she's having an internal debate. When their eyes meet again a half second later, she seems to have gotten over her momentary dilemma but her next words reignite Adam's nerves with anger. “Y- you weren't doing it right.” Embarrassed heat blooms across his face and down his neck at that and he's thankful for the full body covering. Oh, how he wants to kill this little bitch! Him!? Not doing it right!? He begins squeezing her throat, who cares how Sera will react to finding some dead succubus whor* in his shower, she deserves it for thinking she could talk to him, f*cking Adam, this way! He should've killed her the minute she suggested this stupid f*cking idea. “You were!” She shrieks, grabbing his forearm with both hands and digging her claws into him as her wings drop in a seemingly subconscious act of submission in response to him spreading his own wings. Although he's no longer tightening his grip, he's not loosening it either as her mouth opens and closes in search of the right words. “The first time, I mean. You were doing it right the first time, I wasn't lying about that.” He can't tell if this is a desperate attempt to not be killed or the truth but ultimately he decides he doesn't care.

He releases her without a word and makes to leave. “Just hurry the f*ck up.” Adam's wings snap back to their usual positions as he steps from the shower. He's barely made it across the silent bathroom before she blurts out a shocking offer.

“I can teach you…” For the briefest of seconds, it reminds him of the Embassy and he wants to laugh. So this kind of sh*t was normal for her, offering absurd things to someone who was walking away from her just in the hopes of getting them to stop. He'll give it to her, she's two for two with him at this point. Adam peeks over his shoulder at her, not bothering to mask his skepticism and his look seems to spur her on. “How to… do it properly. If… you want, I mean.” Charlie squirms under his unrelenting gaze as he turns around.

“Why?”

“Why, what?”

Is she serious? Adam crosses his arms and gives her a look. “Don't pretend to be stupid, bitch, it's insulting. I hate you, you clearly dislike me for some reason. So why offer?”

Charlie shifts uncomfortably at the question, looking away as her entire face turns bright with embarrassment. “It's… been a while since I've been with anyone who gave a sh*t about me during sex, even if you only started doing it to mess with me. Since this arrangement is going to last a while like our deal says, I want to actually enjoy myself. When you were doing it properly earlier, I did. Enjoy myself, I mean.” She meets his gaze once more, a look of cautious determination in her eye. “So? Do you want me to show you or not?”

Not having her useless life snuffed out at his hands seems to have bolstered her, it seems. Honestly, how annoying. “Why the f*ck should I care if some uppity bitch gets off or not?”

Adam lifts a brow as she speaks. He supposes the princess had a point, he certainly had plenty of fun when he was getting off so he guesses the same must be true for the chick he's with. However, he didn't appreciate the blatant lie she tossed in his face. “I bet ninety percent of the women you've slept with went home and finished the job themselves.” Women didn't leave unsatisfied after they'd been with him, it just wasn't a possibility and he refused to entertain the idea.

The angel stalks back toward her, leaning into the shower but not fully entering. “Alright, c*nt, you've piqued my interest. Let's see if you can keep it.” She doesn't seem to appreciate Adam's comment about her ‘showing him’, despite him being completely serious, because she rolls her eyes at him and calls him a child.

“If you'll give me two minutes to dry off, I can show you what I mean.” Dry off, huh? Intrigue fills him at that and, despite her wings having lifted to block his view once more, he finds his eyes wandering to take in what he can of her. She growls at him, emphasizing she wants to be alone, and drawing a huff from him as he steps back. Yeesh. Women.

Adam pulls the door shut behind him a tad more forcefully than needed as he leaves the bathroom, groaning with exasperation. If he'd known this would be how today was gonna go, he would never have offered to let her use his shower. Let her be attacked by the deprived f*cks she claimed were redeemable, see if he cared.

With a sigh of frustration, the angel reaches up and tugs off his helmet. No point in keeping that on at this point. Despite his preferences to stay masked and mostly covered, he was pretty sure he wouldn't have his usual problem with Charlie. For starters, she was only allowed up here at his discretion so even if she did become obsessed with him, she couldn't exactly do much from Hell. Besides, he'd already broken his rule of not inviting bitches over to his place when he'd had a lapse in judgment earlier, what was one more by letting her see his face? He sets the helmet down carefully, dragging a hand along the length of the closest horn fondly, before working on removing the layers of his robes. After their f*ck in the Embassy, his skin had a layer of sticky sweat dried on it and the multiple layers of heavy cloth weren't helping the itchy uncomfortable feeling that came with sex in his robes.

Once his discarded robes, as well as his thoroughly soiled glove, have been magicked away to be cleaned later, Adam leans against the counter once more to wait for Charlie. Thankfully it only takes her a handful of minutes but when she exits the bathroom, his brows furrow at the sight of her. “Um, what the f*ck is this?” The princess yelps and throws down everything in her arms as she spins around, grabbing the hem of her shirt and yanking it down to cover her crotch. While he appreciates how the action shows off her nipples through the now thin and taut fabric of her top, he doesn't appreciate that she's decided to get dressed. How is she supposed to show him anything when she's dressed? “Okay, now what are you doing?”

Charlie stares at him with wide round eyes for half a minute before blinking. “Oh my God. Adam?” She asks, looking between his features curiously.

He can't help himself when he gives a sarcastic response. “No, I'm just some f*cking guy he invited over so we could watch a demon bitch masturbat*. Of course it's me.” Despite his tone and words, she deflates with relief and releases her shirt. “What, you thought I was just that?” That relief dissipates quickly though at his question and she gives him an unimpressed look, complete with a hand on her hip and a co*cked eyebrow. “Don’t f*cking answer that.” He has a feeling he won't like her response. “Whatever. Back to my original question. What the f*ck is this? Why are you dressed?”

When she snips back at him that he sounds different, has changed clothes, and she couldn't see his wings, Adam supposes he can see her point about why she'd be surprised. But still. She's not even supposed to be up here, why would he bring someone over and risk them getting caught? For a laugh at seeing her surprise? He can laugh at her anytime he wants for any reason he wants, he doesn't need to hear her ear piercing shriek to get a chuckle. At her insistence that she's not dressed, that it's just a shirt, and she doesn't want to give him another full show, Adam can't help the amused sneer he gives as he tilts his head at her. “So what's this then?” He asks, gesturing to her partial state of undress. “A three quarters show, because there's no way those A cup tit* of yours are worth half a show on their own, babe.”

A chortle of laughter is bubbling in his throat at how upset that statement seems to make her but it dies when he sees the twin peaks of her sharp red horns sprout from her head, her eye colors inverting to be red sclera and yellow iris. His gaze flits between her horns as they lengthen, curious –and a little turned on at the same time– of the sight. They're strange, interesting. He finds that the sight makes his skin buzz in a way he's unfamiliar with but it's far from uncomfortable. Oh how he hopes the day that he pisses her off badly enough so he can rail her while yanking on those built in handlebars comes sooner rather than later. Adam catches himself just short of gawking and forces his face back to one of smug neutrality as he meets her eye. “Oh ho, don't tease me now. You know what they say about horns, sweetie.” Slowly, deliberately, he saunters over to where Charlie's glaring at him from the other side of his kitchen island, hair a wild mane around her head as he approaches. The princess stands her ground, jutting out her chin defiantly to hold his gaze and refusing to back down as he crowds her, as he grabs her horns, as he leans in until they're nose to nose and she has no choice but to look anywhere but at him. “Ya’know, that they're just handlebars for f*cking?”

Amusem*nt courses through his spine at how her entire face turns cherry red as she slaps at his hands until he releases her horns and her demonic looks quickly fade away, hidden once more behind her faux angelic features. Not even her calling him a pig makes his amused smirk go away. He's quick with a comeback that of course he doesn't only think of sex when he sees women when she asks, stating that he thinks of food too. “Though,” he tacks on slowly as if the thought suddenly occurred to him, “you should definitely try thinking about sex more often, cause it might help that pissed off expression you seem to always have glued to your face. With all the extra additions you have –a tail, wings, and horns?– sex should be the only thing on your mind, sugartit*.”

It doesn't quite give him the reaction he was hoping for and she simply calls him a pig once more before turning away from him. Adam's smirk drops slightly, the corners of his mouth tugging into the beginnings of an annoyed frown at the sight of her rubbing her temples. After everything she's put him through since she got here, this bitch had the audacity to act like he was the one being a headache here? He clenches his jaw as he watches her put distance between them. And when he hears her mumbled ‘let's just get this over with so I can go home already’? This whole ‘let me show you’ bullsh*t plan was her idea, so why is she bitching? Before Adam can snap exactly that at her, she stops abruptly and glances around. “Uh, where's your bed?”

Instantly, his smirk is back and Adam closes the gap between them until he can lean over her shoulder, their positions not unlike in the Hell Embassy. “We don't need a bed to f*ck, pink cheeks. I figured you'd know that by now.” She doesn't react to his presence behind her, outside sucking in a slow breath, so he grabs her face and directs it toward the curtains that hide his loft.

Her wings come out after a minute of nervous fidgeting and Adam forces himself not to stare. They're messy, a disaster really, but they're no less sexy for it. Angels of all classes and across the three spheres didn't really come in such dark colors outside his Exorcists, and the combination of gleaming black and stark blood red makes him want to take one of her primaries in hand just to feel the texture. How can one demon be such an enigma to him? She represents everything he despises, she's the daughter of the bastard he wants to gut with his bare hands, he should hate her and want nothing more than to see her unnatural blood spilled, and yet he finds her alluring and –he'll deny he dared even think this until the day he dies again so f*ck off– beautiful.

When she still makes no move to, well, move after yet another minute of squirming where she stands, he steps around her wings to stand beside her, meets her eye, and gestures toward the curtains slowly with a hiked eyebrow as if to say ’any day now, tit*.’

He watches her take off before following closely behind, landing beside her soundlessly and making his way to lean against the wall when it becomes clear she needs a little time to crawl all over everything to sate her curiosity.

“You sure like to stand around and gawk, huh? Don't tell me you're having second thoughts, Princess?” Although it's meant to be a tease, a callback to their initial meeting, there's an edge to his tone. It's meant to be a warning, he's not exactly in the mood to be mocked or played with today, but seeing the shudder that ripples through Charlie on his last word has him blinking then humming internally in thought. So she liked being called princess in that tone, did she? Hm, good to know.

Charlie manages to squeak out a quick confirmation that she isn't having second thoughts as she sits down, mindlessly petting his bed as she avoids eye contact with red cheeks. Oh, she really liked that it seems. Adam preens under the realization and drops his gaze down to pick at invisible dirt under his nails. Of course she liked being called that by him, why wouldn't she? It was him calling her that, after all.

The feeling of having eyes on him is one he's used to, so he doesn't immediately let on that he knows Charlie is eyeballing him only moments later –even if she's not being exactly subtle about it. When he finally looks up and meets her eye, she startles and her cheeks flush even darker before her mouth flattens into a line as she breaks eye contact. The corner of his mouth twitches upwards at the blonde's embarrassed display.

Just as the brunet's about to look away again, because she's clearly trying to work up the courage to not puss* out of this little arrangement, Charlie seems to get herself together because she scoots herself backwards on his bed until she's nestled into his pile of pillows. Curious, Adam's eyes stay locked on her as her legs hesitantly open, tracking her every movement as she slowly begins reaching down toward her c*nt then pulls away twice as fast, ears perking each time her breathing hitches as if she's about to speak but doesn't.

Suddenly, she sits up and glares at him. “Alright, I can't do this with you just… standing there, staring at me like I'm a piece of meat or something.” He can barely get a word out before she stops him, seeming to realize how her wording could be inferred. “Either get over here so I can show you a different way or make me a portal and we'll do this another time.” The princess folds in on herself, legs crossing as she looks away from him. God she looks pathetic. He should send her back to Hell after that. Still, thinking back on her telling him he was touching her wrong and the embarrassment that came with that, that came with wondering if she was being honest, made him bite his cheek to keep a smart retort from passing his lips, bend down, and work on getting his boots off. Once he drops the first shoe, Charlie whips around to stare at him in surprise.

“What, you think I'm just gonna get into my own bed with my f*cking shoes on? f*ck that, I'm not an animal. I have standards.” She doesn't say anything, simply blinking and staring at him as he makes his way across the bed to her. “God, now what?” He grits hotly down at her, minimal satisfaction accompanying him as she looks away quickly.

“I'm just… surprised is all. In a good way, though!” Adam can feel his scowl lighten somewhat at that so instead of acknowledging her words, he simply hums in response. “Right well, uh, anyway. Here…” He tenses some, though he settles just as quickly, at the feeling of her gentle fingers wrapping around the black skin of his forearm and lifting it over her head before she tucks herself back against his torso, his arm now coiled around her until his hand ultimately finds its place on her milky thigh. The position is far more intimate than he was used to or expecting.

“Sooo, to start, some women don't produce any natural lubrication but that's not necessarily an indicator of their arousal level so, um, sometimes you'll need to use an additional source of lube.” His eyes lift from where he was staring at his hand on her leg to instead watch her hand as she summons a small, nondescript palm sized bottle. “I don't mean to sound so… clinical, I guess, about it but this is important to know. The less wet she is, the less she'll be enjoying it, the more it'll… hurt and the less enjoyment both of you will get in the end.” Partially lost in thought remembering their first encounter where she'd left Heaven bleeding and crying, Adam just barely keeps himself from pulling away when she grabs his hand between her smaller ones and carefully works on unclenches his fingers until they're straight.

“Start with a small, but generous, amount of lube of your choice and spread it evenly.” Watching her slowly and methodically spread the clear liquid across his fingers, interlocking and wrapping her own fingers around the four digits to evenly coat them, has him thoroughly enthralled and he bites his cheek when he finally registers at the size difference between their hands. He only realizes she was looking up at him when he sees her hair bob with the motion of turning away quickly. “The cl*t has thousands of nerve endings and they extend past just the visible part you can see or feel. Use that to your advantage.” Goosebumps cover his entire body at how she speaks those words as she's slotting his hand between her legs. f*ck, that was hotter than it had any right being.

Under the pad of his middle finger he can feel the bundle where her cl*t resides and even just the light movement of him brushing against the little pearl of nerves had her legs twitching. The sight of her reacting to just a simple touch has his co*ck jumping with interest in his jeans and he clamps down on his tongue to stop from groaning. “How do you expect me to actually know what I'm doing if I can't see where or how you're… leading my hand?” He pants out after a moment, face flushing with arousal. Although the question stings his ego, Adam still doesn't understand how this will help. Sure, he can feel her cl*t and see her reaction to him touching it but was it really as simple as that? Touch her and watch? They look at one another in tandem and he scowls at the little smirk he sees once she registers his red face.

“It's less about seeing what you're doing,” there she goes again with that breathy f*cking whisper, her lithe hands stroking his fingers and adjusting how they lay on her, “and listening to the person you're with, about using the queues they give you. You don't need to see to learn. If blind men can do this, Dickmaster, so can you.” Okay, he didn't like her calling him that after all. Or, maybe he liked it too much? Hard to tell exactly with how his skin buzzed when she cupped his hand and led him step by step what to do.

Oh, f*ck f*ck f*ck f*ck f*ck f*ck f*ck.

It's only once they really get into the lesson that he understands what she means by listening to the other person's queues. Charlie is a medley of noises and movements as Adam's fingers massage and stroke her and he finds himself entranced by it all. She's an open book when it comes to her pleasure and discomfort, hissing or growling or pulling his hand away with a squeeze when he does something unintentional painful but switching into cooing or purring or giving an aborted buck into his palm when he's doing something she enjoys.

She fully relaxes after just a few short minutes, muttering for him to keep going just like that, as her body practically melts into his own. Soon after, her hand leaves him and this time he doesn't stop the groan as she rolls her hips up to press harder into his hand briefly as she chatters something his brain can't translate. A louder, lower groan of approval is pulled from Adam's throat when Charlie reaches up on the side where her shoulder presses into his ribs and buries in his hair, yanking on the strands in time with the movement of his hand. It stings but it's far from painful, in fact it's an extremely welcome sensation.

He knew it. This is an assassination attempt, he just knows she's trying to kill him with a move like that. If it is then, sh*t, guess he'll die.

The air is heavy with the heady scent of arousal and brimstone as Charlie's hand slaps over his once more, her tail staking its claim on him as it coils around his leg to writhe almost as if possessed. Her hand curls into his and it's only once they're buried nearly to the second knuckle that he realizes she was pressing his middle and ring finger into her needy little c*nt, effectively cupping her cl*t as she humps his palm. If he wasn't hard before, he definitely was after that display. He barely has a moment to register her hot cum gushing past his fingers before his head is being wrenched forward and a mouth is on him.

Adam's entire body tenses though he doesn't pull away.

Kissing.

She's kissing him.

On his mouth.

It's the first true kiss he's had since he was alive.

It's… not awful… he guesses.

Well, maybe it wouldn't have been if Charlie hadn't separated their bodies and flailed to the other side of his bed in half a millisecond while sputtering apologies. Oh no she didn't. She didn't get to run away after getting him completely f*cking hard and worked up.

Adam lunges after her, silencing her mid sentence with a hand around her throat and pinning her beneath his body. “Shut the f*ck up.” Her mouth opens despite his demand and he catches a glimpse of her sharp canines and soft pink tongue and f*ck he wants to taste her and loses any control he might've been trying to maintain. He closes the gap between them with a snarl and kisses her. Keeping his hand on her throat feels wrong now that he's initiating so he buries them in her soft golden tresses and gives a few sharp tugs of approval when she deepens the kiss.

The hard on he'd amassed from just touching her reminds him that it's still there after she whimpers. He swallows the sound greedily before finally pulling away, wheezing softly as he regains his breath. If this was how lessons went with Charlie, Adam was willing to let her show him anything she wanted because good Lord he can't remember the last time he had a kiss like that.

He's about to say f*ck it and kiss her again, content to do that for the next three hours at this point, when she slides her dainty hands down his chest, over the curve of his stomach, until she reaches his jeans where she playfully tugs at the hem. “I seem to recall you mentioning something about a… round two?” Charlie doesn't wait for a response before she undoes his belt at the speed of a f*cking turtle, not breaking eye contact as she works on opening his pants. Oh yeah, he did say that huh? God, he was smart as sh*t.

Between the change in position and his eyes going crossed when she touches him through his pants, Adam doesn't catch her sneaky little grin until she's squeezing his dick and the blunt metal of his zipper is digging into the engorged, hypersensitive flesh. Oh she is such a c*nt and she's aware of the fact based on her unapologetic laugh when he tells her as much. f*cking bitch. He forgives her though when she finally, finally, opens his pants fully and takes his co*ck in hand.

Until she lets him go to drag her nails up and down it while taunting him. Okay, he's back to wanting her dead, what the f*ck? “Well if I'm such a c*nt, I guess you… don't want help with this, then? And I can just go home?” It takes everything in him, and then some, to not grab her hips and destroy her puss* when she hikes her ass up and wiggles it at him. It would be so easy. She's lined up almost perfectly for him, he just needs to change the angle of his dick and his tip would be nestled between her lips and just waiting for him to give one nice thrust forward. Instead, he sits back so he's towering over her –he sees the shudder that goes down her body when he does that, too– and copies her feather light touches, dragging his hands down her back until they land at her hips.

“I never said that, you cheeky little minx, so you'd better flip that scrawny little ass of yours back over if you know what's good for you.” It's an empty threat and they both know it. She holds her ground, simply lifting an eyebrow in challenge. “You really wanna test me right now, Princess?” Her head tucks down at that, hiding what he can only assume is a smirk behind her alabaster shoulder as his patience wears thin. He tightens his hold on her hips and her defiance breaks. Charlie rolls onto her back, his hands never lifting further than a couple inches off of her. This time, Adam's eyebrow lifts when she pulls her legs from between his own and settles them neat to his calves, the backs of her thighs pressing into just above his knees. With how her legs are spread now, he gets a perfect shot of her nudity and he purrs at the sight. “Hm, good girl.”

Licking fingers with dry cum and lube on them wasn't ideal but he doesn't know where the little bottle disappeared to in all the flailing so it'd have to do for now. When he's satisfied he's gotten plenty of his own spit on his hand, Adam settles it over Charlie's waiting puss* and gently touches her. Faster than he expected she's wet again, both renewed slickness from his touches and the rehydrated residue from before.

Adam pulls away from her with a grin, stroking himself as she growls at him –so she can dish the teasing but can't take it?– and lifts her hips. “Oh ho, someone's impatient.” He murmurs but obliges her demand as he lines himself with her entrance, takes her hips in either hand, and slowly sinks into her. He glides into her far easier than he had in the past and dual groans of pleasure leaves them both. Their hips touch softly half a minute later and Adam sighs quietly, staring down at Charlie's blissed out expression as one of her feet presses into his lower back and the other locks behind his knee, hands in her messy hair. Right. He should move befo–

You've got to be kidding? How the actual f*ck is she getting a call!? For a moment it doesn't seem like she realizes what's happening and he thinks maybe that's his cue to get moving before she comes to but then seems to snap back to herself and tells him to let her go so she can answer her phone.

No, he's not giving up that easily. Adam makes what he thinks is a valid argument –is she really going to stop what they're doing over a phone call?– but when she growls at him, and not the sexy one she was making when his hand was on her crotch, he relents.

He's seriously getting blue balled by the universe right now.

Adam pulls out of her with an angry sigh and releases her hips, watching as she flies off. It's fine, he decides. They'll just pick this up where they left off when she's done. No big deal.

Still… He tucks himself back into his pants carefully and joins her on the ground floor of his home, crossing his arms in what may be considered a pout at the sight of her on the phone.

“Angel, the whole point of the hotel is to redeem sinners. If he wants to strive for betterment, who am I to stop that? I'm sure Vaggie has this under control.” She was still trying that, huh? He thought she'd have given up by now. The fact she kept that traitorous lying bitch around was surprising. He really would've thought she'd have gotten kicked to the curb after the big reveal.

Whoevers talking to her on the other end never seems to shut up, huh? It seems like Charlie hasn't responded in well over five minutes. Weren't phone calls supposed to be quick? This wasn't quick. This was the opposite of quick. She's not even trying to wrap this sh*t up, just standing there and letting some demon talk her ear off. Oh wait she said something. f*ck he zoned out.

“You're leaving?”

Charlie twitches at that and ends her call. A second later, the screen lights up and she scowls, mumbling under her breath as she clicks ’Ignore’. “Yes, I'm leaving. I told you, I have a life outside of being your toy and I'm needed at home. Don't get your feathers in a ruffle, I've held up my end of the deal for the week so one portal back to Hell, please.”

Adam watches her shimmy her skirt back on with a glare. He can't even enjoy seeing her bare butt and all the new marks his fingers made in the skin of her hips because of this. He's half tempted to refuse her demand until they finish what they started, she initiated this entire thing she should have to follow through and get rid of the ache that's between his legs because of her, but he bites his tongue just before he can utter the words.

“Whatever. Just get the f*ck out already.”

—––––——––––——––––—
The portal has barely shut behind Charlie before Adam's calm facade cracks and he whirls around to slam his fist down on the kitchen counter, cracking the marble.

“That little bitch!” He seethes, turning his gloveless hands to dig his fingers into the marble until his knuckles turn an ashy white with the strain. “I'm f*cking Adam, she should be on her back begging for my co*ck, not running off for some damn sinners at their first f*cking call.” The angel sweeps everything off the counter in a burst of rage at the reminder of her cheeky little ’one portal back to Hell, please’ before he shoves himself backwards and stalks away from his kitchen, growling as he paces throughout his apartment. He would not transform into his true form over this little whor*. “What could be more important than me? f*cking nothing.”

Watching her step through that flaming halo of light and slip through his f*cking fingers, scurrying away back to Hell without even a second glance back at him, had been infuriating. Women never treated him like that. It pisses him off.

Before the portal shut behind her, he'd just wanted to grab her, drag her back to his bed, and keep her there until he ruined her c*nt for another dick ever again, until her legs were too numb to do anything other than lock around his waist and shake, until the only word she knew was his name. He refused to acknowledge what that said about him as a person. He's sure it meant nothing.

His co*ck throbs painfully, twitching with intrigue at the thought, and he had half a mind to seek out that Virtue skan* to take care of his blue balls but, hng, he only just got her to stop f*cking stalking him a couple weeks ago and he seriously didn't want to deal with that for another forty years. Yeah, no, he's not risking it. He'd rather just suffer.

It's as he turns back toward the kitchen, the red tint of anger previously blotting his vision having minutely ebbed away, that he sees his helmet on the ground with the glass face hidden from his immediate sight and the rest of his anger at Charlie leaves in a rush. sh*t, Sera will lose her head if she finds out he broke another screen because of his temper. She'd already threatened to give him a standard Exorcist faceplate if he ever broke another one of his custom ones in, using her words, ‘a childish fit of emotion so fitting of you humans’. He makes his way to it cautiously, as if it'll explode once he touches it, and lifts it by one of the horns until he can hold it properly.

It must've hit the ground hard because there's spiderweb cracks starting at the left temple and stretching across the entire face, turning the previously smooth charcoal gray screen white and jagged. Some larger pieces of the screen have even broken away completely to show the circuitry and wires beneath.

That's just perfect.

Adam growls at the sight and shifts his helm in his arms, wrapping his arm around it and holding it securely as he gingerly pulls on the face plate until it disconnects. Pieces of uneven glass catch on the tracks that hold the piece straight in the helmet and tinkle against the ground as he works on yanking it free without bending the metal. He sets the now faceless helm down lightly and tosses the broken screen in the trash with a huff, glaring at the glass littering the floor around his bare feet.

The angel turns to his helmet once more and makes a face. Maybe he could convince her he knocked it off the counter with his wing by accident? Probably not, she was far from stupid and knew him too well for that. Plus, Adam hated outright lying about sh*t. His best bet was just being honest with her and hoping she forgot about that particular threat until after she handed over the new faceplate.

He plants his palms on the edge of the marble on either side of the helmet, taking a step back as he leans his weight into his hands against the counter as he conducts a one way staring contest with the blankness that watches him back and tapping his blunt nails to a thoughtless tempo. After a few minutes, Adam sighs and drops his head and, with a whine of resignation, pushes himself back to head to the bathroom for a shower.

While he didn't care if he smelled like sex and sweat, Sera always turned her nose up at him and was significantly less likely to do what he wanted if he wasn't perfectly squeaky clean. Why she never said anything to Lute and her actual blood stained armor but constantly griped about him if he had so much as a stain on his shirt –he could understand if it was his robes but, come on, his shirt?– he'd never truly know. Adam had his suspicions, of course he did, but until it started actually affecting him, he decided it wasn't worth getting his feathers in a bunch about.

His shower is quick and uneventful and he's momentarily tempted to rub one out from pure boredom more than anything else before he gets out but ultimately decides against it. No point, considering where he's going, plus he wasn't really in the mood anymore. As he gets out and makes his way across the bathroom, something black in the trash catches his eye. He didn't make a habit of digging in the garbage but after peeking into the small bin, Adam smirks at the sight of Charlie's underwear. The princesses' proclamation of ”Now I have a different problem.” comes to mind and he leans over to fish them out. He holds the fabric up by the side straps and stares at the dried mess in the crotch, pursing his lips. “Still hot.” He says to himself with a shrug before tossing the soiled panties back down.

Adam takes his time drying off and dressing, choosing comfortable gray sweats and a soft, worn New World band shirt just to get on the elder angel's nerves, though he's not in any rush to go see the head bitch herself. It's not that he hates Sera, she was his guide on the ins and outs of his new life as an angel and was who he ended up venting –read; sobbing his eyes out and trying to keep himself from completely falling apart at every given moment for a century or two– to when he realized none of those who'd died before him were in eternal paradise because he was the first human to make it there, he saw the older angel as more of a slightly strict older sister of sorts. He just prefers to keep their interactions to an absolute minimum since she has a hard time connecting with human souls and often treats them like children in need of reprimanding –Adam being her favorite human soul to get onto for every minor thing.

He wastes time putzing around the apartment, picking up the princesses' apparently abandoned black bra with a scoff –what, was his place where her clothes went to die now?– and repositioning decor and even taking time to clean up that broken glass from earlier, until he can't reasonably put off leaving anymore. Any longer and it'd be too late to catch the head Seraphim before she went… wherever it was she went when she wasn't in the office. Adam picks up his faceless helmet by one horn, takes a slow deep breath, before opening a small portal into her office, only opening it large enough to step through once he was sure nobody but the angel he came to see was there.

“Adam,” Sera says, not bothering to look up from her work, “what can I do for you?” Unlike most in Heaven Sera and Emily didn't take days off, neither seeing the point when there was always so much to do and that didn't just go away on Sundays, so seeing the sprawling papers covering the Seraphims workstation was far from a surprise to Adam. What does surprise him is not seeing the younger Seraphim attached at Seras hip, but he doesn't dwell on it and just counts his blessings at her being gone. Before the first man can even open his mouth though, the other angel looks up and sighs. “How many times must I ask you not to show up to my office dressed so… comfortably, Adam? It is disgraceful for an angel, even a human soul as old as yourself, to be seen in public in such unprofessional attire, and with your wings hidden at that.”

“Listen, Ser, I only came by for a quick favor. I'm not planning on staying long.” He answers, eye twitching at the jab about his age. “If you do what I want quickly, nobody but you will have to be disgraced seeing me like this and out of uniform.” Lifting his arm, Adam shows her his helmet. “I need a new faceplate. I broke the other one and since you insist on making it so I can't fix them myself for some reason, I need you to give me another one.” Sera's eyes narrow when she sees the missing faceplate. “Please?”

The head angel huffs sharply and rises to her full height, hands placed on the desk as she glares down at Adam. “What is your excuse this time?” Adam squirms uncomfortably as she stares him down and he looks away, dropping his arm back to his side.

“Come on, Sera. You know me and my human temper.” He groused, peeking at her from the corner of his eye. “I just got mad, nothing new.”

“If you want me to replace it, you will have to do better than that.”

Her statement makes him want to roll his eyes. Sure, ‘better’. She just wanted him to grovel, in all honesty. He'd already admitted to her that he broke it because of his attitude, what else could he say? “You really wanna know, Phim? Fine. I had a bitch over and before things could get good, she bailed on me. I took it out on the sh*t on my kitchen counter. Happy now?”

“Happy? That you decided to act so brashly and destroy your belongings over a woman?” The Seraphim scoffs at him. “Why would that make me happy, Adam?” She pauses, as if the rest of his sentence was finally registering. “You mean to tell me,” Sera starts, lifting a brow, “you had a companion in your home? And she saw your face? I thought you despised being seen without your helmet on?”

An eyebrow quirks at her words, mirroring her expression. ‘A companion’ made it sound so… innocent. He can't blame her for being surprised though, he preferred to not let the women he slept with know where he lived in case they got crazy eyes for him. It'd happened a few times over the millenia. While he could typically care less what others thought of him, she had a point about his helmet. It was less about his face and more the anonymity that came with the mask. It was almost like a safety net, a way to keep him safe without needing all of his armor. He could probably walk outside as is right now and not a single soul would even recognize him. Sera and Lute were the only two who had ever seen him without it on since he'd started the Exterminations. “It's not that I hate it, Sera, it's just… easier to leave it on.” He shrugs noncommittally. “Inviting her over was a,” he purses his lips as he searches for the words, “spur of the moment thing. Probably won't happen again.” The two stay silent for a moment before Adam huffs shortly. “So?”

“So…?” She repeats, a small smile worming its way across her face at his simmering.

“Jesus, do I really have to ask again?”

A hum of amusem*nt comes from the older angel as her eyes soften and she opens a drawer to her left, pulling a familiar glass screen out. “No, I won't make you ask again, Adam. Here.” She holds it out to him briefly, lifting it out of his reach as his hand starts to close around it and stopping him in his tracks. “Please be more careful with this one. I tire of cleaning up your messes.”

“Don't worry,” Adam grumbles, snatching the faceplate from her once it was within reach again, “next time I break it, it'll be for a good reason and not because I just lost my temper.”

Seras' mouth flattens into a displeased line. “I would prefer you not break it again at all but I suppose there is no stopping you. You are lucky I did not uphold my previous threat of giving you a standard mask.” She gives him a heated, meaningful look he doesn't fully understand. “Do not make me regret that.”

“Yeah yeah, thanks Sera.” Adam says as he turns back to his portal, waving over his shoulder at her. “See'ya ‘round, boss.”

Once back in his living room, Adam sits down on his couch and sets about attaching the helmet's new face. It doesn't take long but connecting the proper wires into the correct ports to power the screen is finicky due to how delicate it all is. He's done this what feels like hundreds of times at this point so he makes quick work of getting his new face set up once it's all plugged in and booted up. Custom this thing may be but that only applied to properly tracking his face rather than the creepy blank grin on his girls masks as well as his ability to eat and drink with it on. Like always, it takes some tweaking to get the standard white facial features changed to his usual dark gold but he's f*cking Adam so he gets it done in no time at all.

Setting the reassembled helmet down gingerly twenty minutes later, Adam sits in the quiet of his apartment for a few minutes before he summons his regular guitar with a wave of his hands, humming lightly as it lands in his open palms. It'd been months since he's held this thing and the familiar weight is comforting in the emptiness of his home. A moment passes as he thinks before he sets the guitar in his lap and lifts a hand once more, spinning his finger in the air to summon a worn notebook, the seams close to bursting with how many extra pieces of paper Adam had shoved between the pages over the decades. The extra papers were mostly abandoned ideas, lyrics and chords he'd never fit into songs but he was too stubborn to abandon or throw out, and the occasional wine drunk doodle or embarrassingly reassuring personal note, though there were also numerous phone numbers he'd gotten at gigs across the multiple spheres of Heaven that he never got around to calling –partly due to not having a phone and partly from lack of giving a sh*t. Yeah, he definitely needed to clean this thing out some time.

Shifting himself to a much more comfortable position, he slides one blackened hand across the modified harps body and up to the neck, smiling at the sound the strings make as his fingers journey up the fretboard before dropping his eyes back onto the notebook. It'd been a while since he'd written a song –his last attempt having been several years ago and not getting much further than him stumbling through writing a few bars and getting stuck on finding the proper words for over half a year before he gave up, the song never finding its way to the strings of his beloved custom Fender– and even longer since he'd truly played something that wasn't mindless notes. Giddiness fills his chest as the idea of playing again and he gets to work refamiliarizing himself with his guitar.