I'll shelter and adore you more than anything

by gustywindsofwinter

Summary:

The story of how Charlie and Vaggie met, became friends, fell in love and eventually persued their dream together... with a few complications along the way.

Or, Charlie fell first but Vaggie fell harder.

Chapter 1: Welcome to hell, I'll be your shelter

Dimly lit and clouded by a heady sky, hell reeked of blood and death. Smoke hung in the air, grey and thick, and it twisted around every corner, settling especially in small nooks and crannies like that very alleyway. 

Distant screams rang out as the angels continued their slaughter on every pathetic sinner who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. 

A grey female sat coiled in the corner, her hands wrapped around her knees as she hid from the commotion around her. She was static. Her right eye was scored out with a large, red cross whilst her remaining eye was wide and shifty. The sky’s red hue reflected in it like flames. She looked completely shell-shocked. 

Charlie frowned. She had noticed two angels leaving from the area and decided to scope it out. Finding a survivor was rare. Had this sinner really survived an angel?

Slowly, Charlie approached the dumpster Vaggie had been hiding behind. She looked down at the woman and gasped when she noticed that her right eye was injured. Charlie kneeled next to Vaggie and immediately pulled out a gauze. Vaggie’s expression shifted from apprehension to shock as Charlie wrapped the bandage around Vaggie’s head, covering her right eye. 

Pulling away, Charlie felt her heart hammer in her chest as Vaggie smiled up at her. A soft, small smile that looked far too pretty. Charlie smiled awkwardly, suddenly feeling rather flustered. She ran a hand through her hair and reminded herself to be realistic. 

You can’t fall in love with every pretty sinner you lay eyes on. 

Instead, she bent down and reached her hand out to Vaggie.

“Are you okay there? Do you need any help?” She asked, keeping her voice low to try and prevent any angels from overhearing them.

Vaggie eyed her hand, shifting her eye up and down between it and Charlie’s face. Slowly, she reached hers out and let Charlie grip it gently. Charlie’s smile widened and she was equally gentle when pulling Vaggie up to her feet. 

Vaggie staggered like a newborn deer, her legs shaky and unstable as she tried to find her footing. Charlie’s hand moved to her shoulders. She held Vaggie steady and allowed her to lean against her for support. 

Vaggie closed her eye and sighed. “Thank you,” she said quietly. “Thank you for helping me.”

Charlie looked at Vaggie, concerned. “Are you okay? I saw two angels leaving from over here. How did you survive?”

Vaggie’s eye snapped open, wide and sharp. “I… they cornered me and got my eye but I managed to…” she paused for a moment, her gaze shifting, “run away,” she mumbled.

Charlie closed her eyes and nodded, a pained expression painting her face. “I’m so sorry that happened to you. These exterminations… they’re so cruel. Let’s get you back to my place so we can get you cleaned up.”

Vaggie nodded warily. She clung to Charlie and closed her eye as Charlie summoned a portal and led the both of them through to her room. 

“Sorry, this must be weird. A total stranger taking you to her house,” Charlie said upon entering the room. “I know it’s difficult to trust others in hell, so I understand if you want to leave.”

Vaggie stared at Charlie, surveying her up and down. She slowly shook her head. “I’ve only just arrived here. I’m grateful for you helping me out.”

“Oh! Oh wow!” Charlie suddenly lifted her hand to her mouth in shock. She moved closer to Vaggie, brushing the dust off her clothing. “I’m so sorry that this was your introduction to hell! It’s not this bad usually, I promise. Today was our yearly extermination. There’s… a lot of deaths.” Charlie stared at Vaggie’s wide-eyed expression and felt her heart drop. With sweat on her brow, Charlie ran a nervous hand through her hair. “I’m sorry, I should have introduced myself! I’m Charlie Morningstar!”

“Morningstar?” Vaggie asked, raising a brow. “As in…”

“Yeah…” Charlie said, chuckling nervously. “My parents are, uh, Lucifer and Lilith Morningstar.”

“Oh, shit,” Vaggie murmured, her eye widening. “You’re like… the Princess of Hell.”

“Yeah, I am,” Charlie rushed out quickly, then swiftly moved on. “Anyway, as long as that isn’t too off-putting for you and you’re happy to stay, I’d love to know what your name is!”

Vaggie smiled and sat down on the edge of Charlie’s bed. “My name’s Vaggie.” 

“Vaggie,” Charlie repeated slowly, then smiled. “That’s a lovely name. Welcome to hell, Vaggie!”

Vaggie let out a heavy breath and looked out through Charlie’s window. Tens of demons walked past, surrounded by flames and absolute carnage. Charlie watched too, then shifted her gaze back to Vaggie. She was probably wondering why the Princess of Hell chose to live in the city centre, but everyone seemed to underestimate how much Charlie loved her people. 

Vaggie sighed, turning back to Charlie. With a small smile, she remarked, “You know, I never thought I’d end up here.”

Charlie smiled too. “I hear that a lot, surprisingly. Hell’s all I’ve ever known, but for you guys,” Charlie stared at Vaggie with so much emotion, her smile getting wider, “you’ve experienced the world. It must be so strange to come here.”

Vaggie lowered her head, avoiding Charlie’s gaze. She nodded subtly. “Thank you. Again. You’ve shown me a lot of kindness today. That’s not something I’d expect from the Princess of Hell.”

Charlie smiled bashfully. “Oh, it’s nothing. Honestly. You can stay here as long as you want. I live on my own so you can crash in the spare bedroom. Oh! And I have snacks. Lots of snacks.”

Vaggie’s stomach rumbled at the mention of food and Charlie grinned, immediately heading for the door. 

“I’ll bring in what I can find and you can have something to eat. Then we can get you cleaned up.”

With that, Charlie left the room and headed towards her kitchen. She rummaged through her fridge, grabbing some chips, chocolate and candy. Huddling them in her arms, Charlie carried the snacks through to her room and threw them down on the bed. 

“Take whatever you want, I can get as many as you like,” Charlie said, pushing the snacks a little closer to Vaggie. Vaggie smiled and thanked her. Charlie smiled too and stood up. “I’ll go and run you a bath. Oh! Bath’s tend to run hot in hell. Is that alright?”

Vaggie nodded. “That’s fine. Thank you, these snacks look lovely.”

“No problem! Please, make yourself comfortable. I’ll find you some pyjamas from my closet so that you can get changed after the bath, then I’ll show you your room. If you’re sure you want to stay, that is. I understand this might be kind of overwhelming.”

“No, you’re making it better,” Vaggie admitted with an awkward shrug. She offered a small smile. “Thank you.”

Charlie grinned and left the room, walking towards the bathroom. She dropped the plug in the hole and turned the taps, filling the tub with water. She hummed as she ran her fingers through the water, testing the temperature. Once she was happy with it, she returned to her bedroom and told Vaggie it was ready. Vaggie smiled and thanked her once again. Charlie handed her a pair of pyjamas and Vaggie entered the bathroom, shutting the door behind her. 

Charlie let out a deep breath as she walked away. Who knew sinners could be so sweet?

 

*****

 

Vaggie sighed as she stripped from her clothes. She gave her body one look over and cringed at the dried golden blood on her skin. She was glad Charlie didn’t insist on seeing her in this state. It was hard enough to trust Charlie’s kindness considering she was the first person she met upon entering hell. She knew for a fact that she couldn’t trust the Princess of Hell with her secret. It was far too risky.

Still, it was nice that Charlie had been so generous to her so far. She would still be cautious, of course, but Charlie seemed to be alright. A little chirpy for a demon, but alright. 

Vaggie sighed as she stepped into the bath. She lowered herself into the tub, shuddering as the warm water encased her body. Just like the steam rolling off of her body, Vaggie felt the stress of the day release into the atmosphere. She winced as the water splashed against her back, touching the open wounds. She ran her thumb across her back, tracing the dried blood that ran down the middle of her back.

Grabbing a sponge from the side, Vaggie soaked it in the bath water and scrubbed furiously at the trail of blood on her back. She avoided her wounds, cautious to not irritate them. Once she was sure that she had removed all traces of golden blood from her body, Vaggie submerged herself in the water. She cringed as the wounds on her back made contact with the water, the sting piercing through her body. She bit her tongue and persevered, however. She had been through worse. 

After stalling for as long as possible in the confines of the bathroom, Vaggie stood up. She dried herself with the towel and quickly dressed herself in Charlie’s pyjamas. She couldn’t help but smile at the cute rubber duck pattern printed across them. This demon princess wasn’t quite who she expected, and Vaggie wasn’t quite sure how to feel about that. 

When she left the bathroom, Charlie was quick to greet her and give her a tour of the apartment, showing her the kitchen, living space and the spare bedroom. 

“You can stay here as long as you like! And, please, have whatever you want from the kitchen and tell me if you need anything,” Charlie said, flattening an untucked corner of the bed subtly. 

Vaggie smiled and walked into the bedroom, sitting down on the edge of the bed. 

Charlie continued, “I was wondering whether you’d like me to show you around hell tomorrow? There’s so much to see and it’ll be easier if you’re with someone who knows what they’re doing. What do you say?”

Vaggie smiled. “That sounds great.”

“Great! Great! Okay, I’ll see you tomorrow then!”

Vaggie nodded and Charlie turned to leave. Vaggie watched Charlie walk away with a certain lightness in her chest. She would have almost mistaken the fuzzy feeling for hope, if it wasn't for the heavy weight that was pulling it down. The reality that Vaggie would be stuck here forever began to sink in, and it stung more than the wounds on her face and back.

 

*****

 

Charlie smiled as she left Vaggie’s room, grateful that, at the very least, she was able to support one sinner during the extermination. She went to bed herself fairly soon after, eager to start a new day with her new friend.

 

*****

 

Vaggie woke up with an incredibly sore back. She groaned, shifting around in the bed. No matter what position she twisted into, she seemed unable to find any comfort. Reaching her hand behind her, she ran her fingers over the wounds on her back. The area still stung but luckily the wounds were no longer open. 

Her right eye also ached. It was a searing pain that leaked into the back of her head, giving her a dreadful migraine. Vaggie groaned, realising there was no point staying in bed any longer. She sat up, almost screaming as a ripping pain tore through her back. It appeared as though her muscles had weakened; she struggled to pull herself up. 

Slowly, she grabbed her white dress from the side and threw it on. Looking in the dressing table mirror, Vaggie ran her hands through her hair, attempting to straighten it out. The bandage Charlie wrapped around her eye was still there, covering the ugly thing from view. Vaggie was grateful for that, at least.  

She took a deep breath, willing herself mentally to face Charlie once again. She had a feeling that she would be stuck with her for a good while yet.

 

*****

 

Charlie placed a knife and fork on the table, leaving a gap for their plates. Razzle came up beside her and handed her a plate full of food with his mouth. Charlie smiled and thanked him, then did the same when Dazzle brought the other one. She placed a plate down on either end of the table and sighed happily, proud of her work. 

She made her way over to the fridge and poured two glasses of orange juice, placing them next to the plates of food. Just as Charlie was about to call for Vaggie, she emerged in the doorway. 

Charlie smiled, “I’ve made breakfast! If you’re hungry?”

Vaggie offered a small smile and nodded. “It looks lovely. Thank you.”

As Vaggie walked towards the table, she noticed two creatures that hadn’t been there when Charlie gave her the house tour. 

“Ah!” Vaggie screamed, jumping away. She pointed at Razzle and Dazzle, and Charlie stared at her confusedly. “What are those? You told me you live alone!”

Razzle and Dazzle growled at Vaggie, placing themselves in front of Charlie protectively. Charlie rubbed the top of their heads and whispered to them, telling them that Vaggie was okay and they were safe. 

She looked at Vaggie sheepishly, realising she had forgotten to tell her about her ‘bodyguards’. “Sorry! I totally forgot to tell you. These are Razzle and Dazzle. They’re like my little demon… companions! I promise that they’re harmless. Well, unless you’re attacking me, hahahaha. Which you’re not. Right?”

Vaggie stared at Charlie strangely and slowly shook her head. “No, I’m not.”

“Great! Good! Perfect, even. So, uh, Razzle, Dazzle, are you going to say hello to our new guest?”

Razzle and Dazzle looked up at Charlie obediently for a moment before nodding. They flew over to Vaggie and began licking her face like a pair of dogs. Vaggie stood there uncomfortably for a moment before awkwardly patting them on the head and shuffling away. 

Charlie beamed and immediately led Vaggie over to the table, pulling out a chair for her. 

“I can already tell, you’re gonna get along just fine here, Vaggie!” Charlie said gleefully, taking the seat opposite. 

Vaggie nodded and began to eat the breakfast. Charlie followed suit.

Once they were finished, Charlie stood up and waited by the front door. 

“Okay, so I was thinking we could start your tour of hell by walking through the streets! You get a better feel for the place once you’ve had a walk around, you know?”

Vaggie tried to flash a smile and nodded. “Ah. Nice.”

Charlie grinned. “There's so much you need to know about hell if you wanna get along here. And lucky for you, I know a lot!”

Charlie led Vaggie out of her apartment and into Pentagram City. As they walked along the main street, Charlie explained as much as she could. 

“So hell has seven rings. Sadly, you can only stay here in the Pride Ring because you're a sinner, but there's still a lot to see here! This is Pentagram City. There's casinos, bars, clubs, cafes, you name it!”

Charlie gestured to a nearby café that immediately burst into flame. Demons ran from it, scattering like headless chickens. Then two imps ran out with bags full of cash in their hands. 

Vaggie looked at the scene with concern. Charlie laughed nervously and bounced back and forth on her heels. 

“So, maybe it can look a little rough on the surface, but trust me, hell has a lot of positives too!” Charlie said brightly. 

“Sure…” Vaggie hummed, unimpressed. 

Charlie led Vaggie towards a group of demons sitting outside a restaurant. She gestured at them and said, “Another amazing thing about hell is the types of demons who live here. You have imps and hellhounds, sinners, overlords and, of course, hellborn. That's me, by the way. I was born in hell. Well, actually, I'm a little different to most hellborn, because of my… well, parental situation. Oh! And there's the Ars Goetia too. They're pretty cool! Oh! Oh! Did I mention the seven deadly sins? They're a wild bunch, haha…”

Vaggie's eye narrowed in concentration as she listened to Charlie's explanation, her head nodding subtly. 

Charlie took that as a sign to continue.

“Anyway, the most important thing for you to remember as a sinner is to not make deals with overlords. And try to stay out of trouble, especially with overlords…”

Vaggie nodded. “Okay. Thanks.”

Charlie smiled as widely as she could, the strain clearly showing in her eyes. Vaggie offered a small smile in return. Charlie's smile softened and she felt her brain short-circuit. 

Vaggie has a very pretty smile.

Oh. 

Charlie realised after a few seconds that she'd been staring at Vaggie for a little too long. She was forever thankful that the permanent blush on her cheeks covered her embarrassment. She quickly snapped her head away and tried to ignore Vaggie's confused expression.

Fuck. She probably thinks I'm a freak…

“So, uh… wanna see Cannibal Town?” Charlie asked quickly.

Vaggie smirked. “From the sounds of it, no?” She muttered sarcastically.

And Charlie laughed. Vaggie seemed to smile at that and Charlie chose to ignore the butterflies that erupted in her stomach.

“I'll show you where it is,” Charlie offered, then quietly added, “So then you'll know to avoid it.”

Charlie stuck her tongue out and tapped her nose. Vaggie's smile widened a fraction and she nodded her head. 

Charlie grinned, her cheeks becoming a darker red. “Perfect.”

 

---

 

After showing Vaggie where Cannibal Town was, Charlie led her closer to the heart of hell. 

Vaggie stared up at the clock tower looming above them. It had the number 364 in shining lights.

Charlie frowned. “That's uh… That's a countdown until the next extermination. They happen yearly. It's unfortunate that you got caught up in one so early on, but I'm impressed that you survived it! I don't think I've ever seen a demon escape an angel before.”

Vaggie averted her gaze to the ground evasively. 

Charlie, noting her discomfort, decided she wouldn't bring that up again.

Clearly she's sensitive about it. You shouldn't keep reminding her.

“Uh, over there is the Vees’ tower!” Charlie explained, gesturing at a tall tower in the distance. “That’s where hell’s best TV and movies are filmed. And next to it is the, uh, infamous pornography studio.”

Charlie chuckled nervously and stared off to the side. 

Vaggie chuckled. “Sounds like fun…” she said sarcastically

Charlie hummed, “For some.” She flashed Vaggie a wide grin and gestured to another building. “That’s 666 News! Tom Trench and Katie Killjoy report, like, basically everything going on in hell.”

A nearby screen flashed a news report from 666 News. 

Breaking news, after the recent extermination more turf wars have broken out across the city. 

Charlie frowned. “Uh, we should probably head back to my place. The turf wars can get a little rough, especially just after an extermination.”

Vaggie quirked a brow. “Turf wars?”

“Oh, right! Yeah! Turf wars are like… demons fighting for bits of land to call their ‘turf’. Because the exterminations cause a lot of carnage, it means there’s a lot more opportunity for demons to claim land.”

“Oh,” Vaggie said, sounding quite surprised. A strained smile crossed her lips. “It’s, uh, quite violent down here, huh?”

Charlie half-smirked and shrugged. “I don’t know…” She hummed, running a hand through her hair awkwardly. “You get used to it. Besides, not everyone down here is violent. Just a little… lost.”

Vaggie looked down at her feet. She sighed, then offered a more genuine smile. “That’s quite a positive way of looking at things,” she stated, staring deeply into Charlie’s eyes. 

Charlie had to remind herself not to blush or squeal like a little pig.

Instead, she beamed and nodded her head. “I don’t think all sinners are bad people. Heck, with enough kindness and encouragement, I’m sure any sinner would be able to challenge the holiest of angels!”

Vaggie let out a little giggle. “You’re very optimistic. You know, for the Princess of Hell .”

Charlie shrugged. “I care about my people, sure.”

Vaggie looked up at Charlie with a tentative look on her face. A very subtle smile tugged at her lips. “I suppose that’s quite admirable.”

Charlie’s heart practically jumped out of her chest. Vaggie’s eye was locked with her own and she couldn’t help but stare into it. 

Suddenly, a violent crashing sound broke Charlie’s train of thought. She turned around and, from a large cloud of smoke, emerged two demons shooting at each other. 

Charlie’s eyes widened and she quickly grabbed Vaggie’s hand. Running away hastily, she tugged Vaggie along, turning her head every so often to check that she was okay.

“Is that a turf war?” Vaggie asked, trying desperately to keep up with Charlie as she dragged her along.

Charlie nodded. She stopped to a sudden halt then turned and pulled Vaggie into a nearby alleyway. She crouched down to the floor and tugged Vaggie down with her. Then, finally, she let go of Vaggie’s hand.

“Sorry about that,” Charlie said breathlessly. She turned her head to Vaggie and smiled. “I didn’t want you to get all caught up in it all. Those things never end well.”

Vaggie nodded, closing her eye. “Thank you. You… looking out for me. In general. Thanks. It’s very kind considering you barely know me.”

Charlie shrugged. “I’m happy to help whoever I can! What kind of princess would I be if I didn’t, huh?”

Vaggie smirked. “I would have thought the Princess of Hell’s job would be to torture her citizens, not help them.”

Charlie smiled and shook her head. “That’s not what being a Morningstar is,” Charlie said, so quiet it was almost a whisper. A soft smile wavered on her lips. “People always misunderstand what my parents wanted. They were passionate about humanity and wanted to give them free choice. Isn't that great? So yeah, maybe the sinners here didn’t choose to do the best things, but I don’t think that necessarily makes them bad . I’d prefer the term… misguided!”

Vaggie looked at Charlie intently. “You see so much in them,” she observed. Charlie was almost worried she was putting Vaggie off, until Vaggie’s lips curved upward. “You’re too good.”

Charlie rolled her eyes playfully. “You don’t seem too bad yourself, Vaggie,” she hummed. 

Vaggie laughed. 

Heavens, that laugh sounded beautiful. Oh wow. Oh fuck. Brain short-circuiting. Gay. Gay. Gay. Gay - 

“So, how are we getting back to your place then?” Vaggie asked, snapping Charlie out of her stupor.

Charlie stared blankly for a few moments, blinking twice. 

Then, with sudden clarity, she said, “Ah, right! Yes! A portal. I’ll summon a portal.”

Charlie closed her eyes and summoned a portal. She grabbed Vaggie’s hand once again and led her through the portal. 

They arrived in the kitchen, Razzle and Dazzle both working together to make a meal for them. Charlie grinned and ran up to the pair, giving both of them a big hug and praising them for their initiative. 

When she turned back around, she noticed Vaggie had sat down at the kitchen table. Charlie eyed the timer on the kitchen work surface and sat down next to her. 

“It’ll only be like 10 minutes,” Charlie said, resting her elbows on the table. 

Vaggie smiled and looked down at her hands shyly. Charlie’s heart soared at how Vaggie was already starting to show more emotion around her. 

Charlie waited for a few moments before asking, “So, did you enjoy our little tour around hell?”

Vaggie nodded. “Yes. Thank you, Charlie. It was very useful. I’m glad I’m not going into this blind.”

Charlie grinned excitedly. “Of course! I’ll help you every step of the way if you need it.”

Vaggie didn’t offer a response, but she smiled. 

Keep smiling like that and you’ll have me head over heels for you in no time.

Chapter 2: Give me the chance and I'll adore you

Charlie yawned as she sat up in bed, stretching her arms out widely. The loud, imposing beeping noise droned on until she flung an arm over to the bedside table and hit the alarm firmly. She took a moment, blinking her eyes open slowly and taking a deep breath. Suddenly, her lips curved into a sunny smile and she jumped out of bed. 

Vaggie had been staying at her flat for a month now. Charlie was pleasantly surprised that Vaggie actually chose to stick around! Charlie almost felt like there was an extra pep in her step every morning knowing that Vaggie was in the next room over. 

That thought also made Charlie’s heart beat faster. Despite trying to ignore the small crush she gained on Vaggie ever since laying eyes on her, it only grew and grew the more time she spent around her. Charlie wanted to spend every second of the day with Vaggie and it scared her that she was getting so attached. 

I miss my mom…

Charlie closed her eyes tightly and shook her head, holding back her tears. 

She walked over to her dressing table and wrangled a hairbrush through her messy hair, trying to tame it as best as she could. She tied it back and smiled at herself in the mirror. She threw on some clothes and took a deep breath in before leaving the room. 

She spotted Vaggie leaning against the kitchen counter, stirring a cup of coffee. 

Charlie smiled and raised her hand in a small wave. 

“Hiya! I hope you’re having a good morning,” Charlie said brightly.

Vaggie smiled softly and nodded in acknowledgement. “Hey.”

Charlie made her way up to the counter and poured herself a cup of coffee. She turned to Vaggie and leaned against the counter with the back of her elbows. 

“So, I was thinking we could go out for lunch today,” Charlie suggested, trying to sound as casual as possible but failing miserably. The hopeful look in her eyes shone brighter than the sun. To seal the deal, she quickly added, “If you want, that is. There’s this really nice cafe a couple streets down from here and I thought we could walk over and check it out.”

Vaggie’s smile dropped. Charlie felt her heartbeat pick up. She opened her mouth, ready to immediately shut down the idea herself, but Vaggie beat her to it.

“That sounds lovely, Charlie. And it’s very kind of you to offer, but I don’t have any money,” Vaggie admitted sheepishly. 

Charlie shook her head frantically. 

“It’ll be my treat. Honest!” Charlie reassured her. 

Vaggie, however, still looked unsure. “Charlie… You’ve already been so generous to me. I don’t want to take advantage of that any more than I already have.”

Charlie placed her hand on Vaggie’s shoulder, not realising how close she had gotten to Vaggie until a moment later. Still, she affirmed, “You’re not imposing on anything. I’m inviting you to go for lunch with me so we can have a fun day out!”

Vaggie looked at Charlie intently, still a little hesitant. “Are you sure?”

Charlie nodded firmly. “Mhm.”

Vaggie smiled. “Okay then. If you insist.”

Charlie giggled and took a sip of her coffee. “Absolutely.”

 

---

 

Charlie held the door open for Vaggie, smiling when Vaggie said a quiet, “Thank you.”

Charlie followed after her and smiled at the seat Vaggie chose. 

“I love this seat!” Charlie said, sitting in the seat opposite Vaggie. 

Vaggie smiled. “Oh… I just chose it because it was near the window,” she said.

Charlie laughed. Not because Vaggie had said anything especially funny, just because it felt right. Vaggie could only offer a polite smile. 

An imp quickly approached their table and asked for their orders.

Charlie had a long hard look at the menu. “I think I’ll have… the super deluxe hot chocolate, please. With extra whipped cream!”

The imp nodded and wrote down her order. He turned to Vaggie, who shrugged and asked for a black coffee. 

“Aww, but that’s so basic, Vaggie!” Charlie whined playfully. 

Vaggie rolled her eye. “I’m lactose intolerant, what do you expect?” 

Charlie grimaced, suddenly panicking over whether she said something insulting. “Oh, sorry… I didn’t mean to be insensitive-”

“Charlie,” Vaggie said, stopping the impending word vomit before it could begin. She tried desperately to stifle her giggles. “Lactose intolerance isn’t like… a race or something. You’re not being offensive.”

Charlie let out a breath of relief. “That’s good. I’d never want to make you feel uncomfortable.”

Vaggie smiled. “I appreciate that. It’s… not always been that easy.”

Charlie looked up at Vaggie. Concern riddled Charlie's eyes. “Vaggie, do you - ?”

Charlie was cut off by a loud ringing and vibrating sound from her pocket. She pulled out her phone and almost jumped when she saw her dad’s name pop up on the screen. 

“Oh! Shit! Shit!” She muttered, holding her phone out at arm’s length. She eyed Vaggie, who looked mildly concerned, and flashed a sheepish smile. “I’ll uh… I’ll be back in a minute.”

Charlie stood up quickly and almost ran to the restrooms, standing by the bathroom doors as she answered the call.

 

*****

 

Vaggie watched as Charlie frantically left the table with a frown on her face. 

It was odd to see Charlie so… panicked. Sure, she had a nervous energy to her, but it was usually due to a need to please or a buzz of excitement rather than genuine anxiety.  

She was still able to see her from where she was sitting, and it didn’t appear that the phone call calmed her nerves at all. In fact, Charlie seemed more nervous than before, her posture low and cagey rather than her usual warm and welcoming demeanour. 

Vaggie sighed. She couldn’t say she felt entirely comfortable sitting at a table in a cafe in hell, but this place seemed to be alright. Considering Charlie was their princess, Vaggie felt at least somewhat reassured that, by association, everyone would leave her alone.

Why did she trust this demon so much?

For some reason, Vaggie wasn't too fussed about finding out.

 

*****

 

Charlie took a deep breath in, waiting to hear her father’s voice.

“Hey, sweetie,” was the first thing Lucifer said. 

Charlie let out a shaky breath. 

“Hey, dad,” she said, trying to sound as bright as possible. “What’s up?”

There was a rattling sound in the background of the call. Then, there were some distant thudding and shouting. 

A moment later, Lucifer returned to the phone. “Sorry about that, uh… What was I going to say?” He began to mumble some random nonsense to himself before getting on track once again. “Aha! Yes! I was wondering whether you would be able to go to an overlord meeting for me.”

Charlie felt her heart drop. “Pardon?”

“Sorry, sorry. I know you’re not… all that involved politically, but they want a royal representative there and I’m really busy at the moment, duckie. I’ve got… a lot of, uh, important projects to be getting on with.” A high-pitched squeak sounded, then a sigh. “Sorry. I can make it up to you if you'd like? Anything you want, I promise.”

Charlie bit her lip and sighed. “It’s fine, dad. What day is it?”

Lucifer took a sharp breath in. “It’s… It’s tomorrow. I know it’s short notice, but I didn’t realise how caught up I’d get in this project. If I stop now… well, I might lose my thread.”

“It’s fine, dad,” Charlie said, throwing in a quiet laugh for good measure. “I get it. Ha…ha.”

“Lovely, thank you,” Lucifer said.

The phone line rang out. 

Charlie sighed and stared at the device for a couple more seconds before slipping it into her pocket. She looked over at Vaggie, who was now sitting with both of their drinks, and tried to flash a steady smile. She noticed that Vaggie’s gaze had been on her before she looked over and worried that Vaggie may have seen the whole thing. 

Fuck, I probably look like such a mess right now.

Holding the smile on her face, Charlie returned to the table. She sat down and pulled her drink closer to her, taking a lick of whipped cream for good measure. 

She looked up at Vaggie, who looked at her warily. She almost grimaced when Vaggie began to speak. 

“Is uh… everything OK, Charlie?” Vaggie asked, taking a sip of her coffee. 

Charlie began chuckling nervously. “Just my dad calling… haha…”

Vaggie stared at her for a moment, before her brows raised in surprise. “Oh, shit. Your dad is Lucifer, isn’t he?”

“Yeah… it kinda comes with the whole being a princess thing.” Charlie let out a heavy sigh. “We haven’t spoken in a while. He’s been busy, but uh… he’s asked me to cover an overlord meeting tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?” Vaggie asked in shock. “Talk about short-notice,” she murmured. 

Charlie shrugged and smiled. “Yeah, I guess… But I need to help him out. I think he’s been struggling since him and mom split up.”

“Wait, your parents aren’t together anymore?” Vaggie asked, then realised how coarse that sounded. She went to apologise, but Charlie shook her head. 

“Yeah, it’s… complicated,” Charlie admitted quietly. “But I should help him out. It’s sort of a political obligation thingy. I’m sure it won’t be too bad.”

“I thought you didn’t trust the overlords?” Vaggie said sceptically. 

Charlie laughed. “I told you not to trust overlords. I mean, I don’t trust them either, but none of them would try anything with me. My dad would destroy them… or worse.”

Vaggie smiled, looking up at Charlie through her fringe in a way that made Charlie’s heart hammer far too hard. “It must be quite nice to feel protected,” Vaggie whispered, looking out at the window.

Charlie nodded. “It is.”

The two remained silent for about a minute before Charlie took a deep breath.

“Have I ever told you about my ex-boyfriend?” Charlie asked, breaking the silence. 

Vaggie looked up at Charlie and half-grinned. “No?”

“Well, I was dating this guy I’d known, like, basically all my life. He was demon royalty and a hellborn like me, plus his dad was like besties with my dad,” Charlie said. “We were basically the perfect couple. I really liked him and I thought we were going to be together forever, but one day he just… broke things off. I mean, sure, we’d been arguing a little bit beforehand, but I didn’t think things were that bad. Anyway, when my dad found out he was livid. Especially since, you know, I was upset. So he goes to their fucking mansion and just blows a hole in the side of it!” Charlie begins to laugh at the shocked expression on Vaggie’s face. “And I’m like ‘Dad! Why would you do that? The Von Eldritches are like your biggest business partner’ and he goes off on this spiel about how Seviathan ‘broke my heart and so he’ll have to pay’. Honestly, I haven’t dated anyone since. I’m too scared my dad will blow their heads off for looking at me the wrong way.”

Vaggie snickered, shaking her head. “He sounds terrifying.”

Charlie laughed. “He’s not that bad. I think he means well, he’s just very overprotective.”

Vaggie smiled. She looked down at her cup of coffee and sighed. 

“I mean, he had a point,” Vaggie murmured. “That guy sounds pretty shitty.”

Charlie chuckled. “Ha! You sound like my mother.”

“I’m glad you two broke up, men are pricks,” said Vaggie, smiling into her coffee. 

Charlie raised a brow and smirked. “Do you have a shitty ex too?”

Vaggie’s face dropped and a blush formed on her cheeks. “Well, yes, but she wasn’t a guy. My old boss on the other hand… well, that’s a different story.”

Charlie felt her heart rate increase. 

She’s into girls? What? Oh wow…

Charlie closed her eyes and took a second to breathe. That was not how she was supposed to react to Vaggie finally opening up to her. She needed to be more supportive, more welcoming.

“Damn, a shitty ex and a shitty boss. You must have had it tough?” Charlie suggested, trying to sound understanding. 

Vaggie shrugged. “It was what it was.” She sounded deflective. Charlie could see from the twitch in Vaggie’s eye that she knew that too. “I… can’t change it now, right?” She tried instead.

Charlie hummed and tilted her head sideways. “Well, I always find it quite useful to talk about stuff. Even if it happened in the past. I mean, I wasn’t able to joke about Seviathan until months after he broke up with me.”

“I don’t think you want to hear about my ex,” Vaggie warned, looking off to the side. “We had a… very messy relationship.”

Charlie shook her head. “I’m happy to listen to whatever. And that doesn’t have to be right now, I can listen whenever you want! Honest!” Charlie reassured her. She looked into Vaggie’s eye for a little longer than was probably necessary. She continued, “I’d consider you a good friend, Vaggie. And I try to help my friends out wherever I can.”

Vaggie smiled. “You’ve already helped me out so much, but thank you anyway,” Vaggie said, tucking a stray strand of her behind her ear. She sighed. “There’s not much to say really. She was a bit toxic, I was probably a bit toxic, and it all came to a pretty catastrophic end. It, uh, probably didn’t help that my boss was not too fond of the relationship. I think he might have had his eyes on her and saw me as a threat. To be honest, we were so on and off that he probably could have swooped in at any time and she would have been all over him. That would have saved me a lot of headache. Minus the heartbreak, of course.”

Charlie nodded sympathetically and reached a hand out to grab Vaggie’s over the table. Vaggie’s body seemed to freeze.

“I’m sorry about that. I suppose you’re right… men really do suck.” Charlie said the last part with an awkward smile, trying to lighten the mood.

It seemed to work as Vaggie smiled and took another sip of her coffee. 

“That’s why I’m glad I’m a lesbian,” Vaggie said, pulling her hands away and sitting back in her chair. “Men don’t need to play any role in my life, really.”

Charlie chuckled.

“That’s certainly a… way of looking at it!” Charlie hummed. 

“It’s the best way to look at it,” Vaggie asserted. “Mind you, some women suck too. Maybe it’s just people who suck, I’m not quite sure.”

“Hey, some people can be wonderful!” Charlie disputed. “You, for one, are a lovely person.”

Vaggie blushed and turned her head away. Realising what she had said, Charlie did the same. 

“I suppose you’re right,” Vaggie hummed. “Not all people are bad.”

Charlie grinned, her pride shining. “ Thank you .”

“Mind you, your boyfriend sounds like a dick,” Vaggie added. 

“Ex-boyfriend,” Charlie corrected, then gasped. “Hey!”

“Hey, from what I’ve heard, he wasn’t the best…”

Charlie snickered. “No, he wasn’t. But he was good in other ways.”

Vaggie rolled her eye. “I’m sure his dick was lovely.”

“What!” Charlie shouted, then quickly placed a hand over her mouth. She looked at the disgruntled guests around her and quickly apologised then turned back to Vaggie. “That’s so… crude!”

Vaggie shrugged. “It’s all straight women go on about. I swear the only reason they stay with men is so that they can be ploughed by that… strange thing.”

Charlie crossed her arms over her chest and puffed it out. “I’ll have you know I’m bisexual,” she said, huffing indignantly. 

Vaggie’s brows raised. “Really? Damn… you’re more interesting than I thought, princess.”

Charlie tried to fight back a blush. Instead, she took a final gulp of her hot chocolate and huffed. 

“Are we ready to leave?” Charlie asked, staring at Vaggie’s empty cup of coffee. 

Vaggie nodded. 

Holy shit… Vaggie is something else. 

Charlie couldn’t help but recognise, however, that the wounds of Vaggie’s past remained fresh.

I’m going to have to get over this little crush very soon. This isn’t right.

 

*****

 

Vaggie watched as Charlie scrambled around the apartment frantically. 

“Is, uh, everything alright there, Charlie?” Vaggie asked, side-eyeing Razzle who snickered under his breath.

Charlie’s head snapped up to Vaggie, her eyes carrying dark circles under them. “Ahh! No!” She whined. “I can’t find my hairbrush anywhere! I’m going to be late!”

Vaggie stared at Charlie with a wide, concerned stare. “Uh, okay. Maybe you need to… take a breather.”

“I can’t take a breather! I need to get to that meeting!” Charlie shouted, rummaging through a random set of drawers in the kitchen. “Shit! Shit! Shit!”

“Charlie, calm down. You can borrow my hairbrush if you’d like.”

Charlie’s eyes widened. “Oh! Oh, thank you, Vaggie! You’re a lifesaver, a real lifesaver!”

Vaggie smirked and rolled her eye. “I’ll go and fetch it.”

Vaggie grabbed her hairbrush from her bedroom and passed it to Charlie, who was now in her bedroom.

“Thank you so much!”

“No problem, princess,” Vaggie said, sitting at the edge of Charlie’s bed and watching as Charlie got ready at her dressing table. Noticing Charlie’s freshly ironed suit, Vaggie smiled. “You’re, uh, really putting some effort into this, huh?” She asked. 

Charlie smiled sheepishly. “It’s uh… It’s not very often dad lets me go to meetings. I think he thinks I don’t like them, but…”

Vaggie smiled softly, and hummed, “I’ve seen how much you care about the sinners down here.”

Charlie’s smile widened into a full grin. “Exactly! I mean, these decisions are going to impact my people. Of course I want to be involved in politics!”

“Even if that means interacting with overlords?” Vaggie teased. 

Charlie snorted. “I suppose.”

 

*****

 

Charlie took a deep breath. She stood outside the door of the meeting hall, her stomach churning with anxiety. Part of her wondered whether the cramping feeling in her stomach was because her mind had been repeatedly wandering to Vaggie and how she had been that morning. The memory replayed in her head as she made her way to the meeting hall. 

She felt her heart rate increase. She bit her lip, trying to keep it down as she walked into the room. 

Only a few of the members were sat down, and Charlie made sure to smile and wave at them as she made her way to her father’s throne at the head of the table. Her face dropped, however, when she noticed who was sitting at the seat next to her.

“Hello, Charlie,” Seviathan said, grinning at his ex-girlfriend. “You’re looking… spritely.”

Charlie rolled her eyes and sat down, attempting to ignore him. Unfortunately, he had only grown more arrogant over the years. 

“Cat got your tongue?” He pressed, leaning forward in his chair. He crossed one leg over the other and tilted his head towards her. “I thought we were friends?”

Charlie closed her eyes and took a deep breath in. “Come on, Sev. I’m not in the mood for this right now.”

Seviathan grunted. He eyed Charlie up and down and smirked. “Come on, us hellborn have to stick together, right?”

Charlie stared at him like he was insane, her mouth dropping open. “How are you still here? Surely my dad doesn’t let you sit this near to him in these meetings.”

Seviathan chuckled. “You’d be surprised. I may have broken his little girl’s heart, but I’m still a von Eldritch. I deserve a seat here.”

“I see your ego has gone up exponentially since you ‘broke my heart’,” Charlie muttered, placing her face into her hands and sighing. 

Seviathan shrugged, then smiled at one of his hellborn mates next to him. “Who can blame me?”

Charlie felt her horns prickling at her head, irritation circling through her stomach. She willed their retreat, however, and tried to just breathe.

Charlie jumped as a deep voice sounded from behind her. A bony hand grasped her shoulder. She shuddered and turned her head slowly to look up at Zestial. “Art thou ready to start, your majesty?” He asked.

“Uhh,” Charlie looked at the room around her. “Yeah! Mhm. Let’s do that!”

Zestial smiled and took the seat to the other side of Charlie. 

Carmilla Carmine, who was sitting on the seat next to him, stood up and addressed the room. “Alright. Today we’re discussing the overpopulation issue in the city centre.”

Seviathan scoffed and nudged his friend next to him, laughing over some shitty joke he made.

Carmilla cleared her throat. She stared at them for a moment before continuing, “Overpopulation in the centre is leading to a surplus of infighting. Usually, this would be tolerated but it’s starting to affect business.”

“I’ve got an easy solution,” Seviathan said, shrugging nonchalantly. He side-eyed Charlie and smiled. “Feed them to the angels next extermination. Or better yet, mass slaughter them yourselves. They’re nothing but worthless souls anyway.”

The room chuckled lowly at that. Charlie noticed a servant sinner cringe out of the corner of her eye.

“That’s… an idea,” Carmilla said, eyeing Seviathan warily. “But it’s… somewhat impractical. Who would fund this ‘purge’ for instance?”

“Aren’t you the one with the arms dealership?” An overlord suggested, looking Carmilla up and down. Carmilla bristled. 

“I am. And I’m willing to provide weaponry, but only at a cost,” Carmilla replied. 

One of Seviathan’s hellborn friends scoffed. “As far as I can tell this is a you problem. You’re the one bringing it up, so why can’t you fund it out of your own pocket?”

Carmilla let out a deep breath. “I’m bringing forth the complaints of multiple overlords. This… insurrection has impacted my business minimally. I am happy to continue as normal. Purge or no purge.”

Charlie looked around the room nervously. “Hey… uh, just a question?”

Everyone’s heads snapped to her. Some looked at her with despair, others with amusement. She couldn’t say she felt like she was being taken entirely seriously. 

“What is it, Princess?” Carmilla asked with an exasperated sigh. 

Charlie smiled awkwardly and gestured vaguely with her hands. “Is this, uh, purge entirely needed? Surely we could just… ask these demons to move their fighting elsewhere?”

The room burst into laughter. Charlie watched as some of the demons were pointing, whilst others were crying hysterically. 

Even Carmilla was chuckling. “Sorry, Princess. But that is not going to work,” Carmilla said. 

Before Carmilla could steer the conversation away, Charlie tried again. 

“But why wouldn’t it? Surely we should give it a shot. I mean, killing all those demons without even giving them a chance…”

Laughter erupted again. Charlie was beginning to feel agitated at the room’s flippant attitude towards her ideas. 

It was Zestial this time who interrupted the laughter. He stood up slowly and addressed Charlie. “I’m afraid that is the only way to deal with sinners. Exterminations should be evidence enough of that.”

Charlie screwed her eyes up, shaking her head in disbelief. She stood up, looking down at the table below her. 

“These are sinners. Our people. Shouldn’t we be helping them?”

“They’re failures darling,” a camp voice cooed from the back of the room. Valentino, Charlie vaguely recognised, took a deep breath out, expelling a cloud of smoke. “Losing a couple hundred is no loss, really. Especially when they’re impacting our sales.”

A couple of the overlords nodded.

Charlie shook her head. “No. I can’t… I can’t listen to any more of this. I’m leaving this meeting. Your decision has no royal approval from me,” Charlie huffed, swiftly leaving the room. She heard Seviathan whisper distantly about how Lucifer most definitely would and, even if he didn’t, they weren’t held to any firm ‘Morningstar’ authority anyway. With him at their side, they would still receive some ‘royal hellborn approval’. 

Charlie was seething. He always finds a way to make it about himself, huh? Nevermind the hundreds of sinners who are probably going to die because of it.

Charlie ran a hand through her hair as she left the meeting hall. Her skin felt like it was on fire and she was actively trying to contain her demon form. Not here. Not right now.

She groaned and marched away from the building, opting to walk around hell to clear her head for a few minutes. 

She thought about her dad and how he would have acted in that situation. He probably would have offered indifference. He never seemed to care much about sinners or anything outside of his interests, really. Maybe she should have mirrored the passive front he usually puts on in meetings, but the thought of an internal purge… 

It made Charlie’s skin crawl. 

Somehow, Charlie had walked halfway across the city and was now outside of her apartment. 

How long have I been wandering about for?

Charlie sighed and walked up the stairs, entering the front door to find Vaggie scrolling through her phone, wearing a pair of shorts. Her head turned as Charlie walked in and Charlie forced a smile, offering a small wave.

“Hey,” Charlie said, trying to mask the fact that she was about to fall apart at any moment. 

Vaggie looked at her strangely for a second. “Are you, uh, doing OK, Charls?”

Charlie wiped a bit of sweat off her brow. “Phew. Yeah. Good. All good.”

Vaggie raised a brow. “How did the meeting go?” She asked, narrowing her eye sceptically. 

“It was…uh,” Charlie looked off to the side nervously. She quickly glanced at Vaggie a few times, who was leaning against the counter with a hand against her hip. She felt her resolve quickly weaken. “Not the best, haha…ha."

Vaggie’s face immediately dropped into something Charlie would akin to sympathy. Vaggie quickly put down her phone and walked up to Charlie. 

“I’m uh, not the best at all this emotional stuff but if you wanna talk about it…?”

Charlie looked at Vaggie hopefully and immediately wrapped her into a hug at the suggestion.

“Oh, Vaggie! You’re so sweet!” Charlie proclaimed and Vaggie quickly became stiff in her hands. Suddenly realising their proximity, Charlie broke the hug and took a few steps back. “Oh! Sorry! Sorry! I can… yeah. If you’re okay with that. It’d be nice to, you know, get it off my chest.”

Vaggie nodded and followed Charlie into the living room. Sitting on the couch, she turned to Charlie and offered a somewhat stiff smile. 

Charlie placed her hands in her lap and began to tap them awkwardly. “So, uh, the overlords and some of hell’s royalty were discussing overpopulation in the city centre. There was a suggestion that they…” Charlie paused, feeling tears well in her eyes. “That they purge them. No one seemed all that bothered, but I was so disgusted. I had to say something.” Charlie could almost feel the rage simmering in her body once again. She huffed, “But they all laughed at me. All I suggested was that we talk to these sinners and maybe ask them to move elsewhere but none of them were having it. They told me sinners were failures who deserved to die.”

Vaggie looked at Charlie carefully and nodded her head. “That’s… not good. Of them! You had a good point. Not all of those sinners-”

“-deserve to die! Exactly!” Charlie cut her off, stars shining in her eyes. She looked at Vaggie with complete adoration. “You get it! Maybe all those sinners need is a helping hand. Someone to show them that fighting isn’t the way!”

Vaggie smiled, tucking a stray bit of hair behind her ear. “Your faith in them is admirable.”

Charlie’s smile dropped, her heart suddenly pounding as reality hit her dramatically. “W-What?”

Vaggie blushed and turned her head away, her fringe covering her face. “You believe in them, don’t you?”

“I mean, yeah. Sure. I want sinners to have the best life they can. It’s kind of my… duty.”

Vaggie shook her head, her eye narrowed. “No. It’s more than that,” Vaggie observed. “You genuinely believe in them. Almost as if you believe they can change.”

Charlie stared at Vaggie, her heart practically jumping out of her chest. She felt the room around her twist and turn, her ears ringing out as she felt Vaggie’s words sink in.

“Yeah,” Charlie hummed, despite herself. Her voice was raw and quiet, but so incredibly genuine. “I do.”

Vaggie offered a small smile and turned back to Charlie, holding her hand and squeezing it tightly. They both looked up into each other’s eyes and smiled. 

They stayed like that for longer than would probably be deemed necessary. 

 

---

 

Despite vowing not to pursue Vaggie, even Charlie couldn’t deny the bond that had been growing between them ever since that day on the couch. 

Suddenly, in stark contrast to how Vaggie had been in the beginning, Vaggie spoke to Charlie frequently. Her initial awkwardness appeared to disappear too. Gone were the hesitant ”uh’s” and “hey’s” and in was a more confident, almost daring Vaggie. 

Secretly, Charlie didn’t want to admit that Vaggie’s quips may have had a hint of flirtation in them. That would require her to admit that what they had was something more than just a close friendship. 

The connection she had formed with Vaggie, from the late-night talks to the cosy movie nights on the couch, was the closest she’d gotten to anyone in the past few years and she didn’t want to jeopardise that with the complications of romance. 

Nevertheless, she didn’t stop the movie nights. She didn’t stop Vaggie from coming into her room at night and cuddling with her in bed. Hell, she prompted it a lot of the time. She craved those late-night talks about everything and nothing, and despite telling herself she shouldn’t fall for Vaggie, she couldn’t help but fall deeper and deeper. Her fate had been sealed the day she stumbled across Vaggie during the extermination and let her in. 

“You talk about your dad a lot,” Vaggie murmured, breaking the silence that had been simmering in the room. 

They were lying on Charlie’s bed together, leaning against each other and indulging in one of their late-night conversations. Charlie turned to Vaggie, breaking her gaze from the window, and shrugged. 

“You think so?” Charlie said with a nervous smile.

Vaggie smiled too. Charlie’s heart always went into panic-mode when Vaggie smiled at her. She worried Vaggie could hear it pounding due to their proximity and prayed that Vaggie would stop (though she knew her heart would immediately mourn the loss of her smile tenfold). 

Instead, Vaggie hummed, “Yeah. You… You said your parents were split up, right?”

Charlie grimaced. “Oh, yeah. Yeah, they’re uh… not together at the moment, no.”

Vaggie pursed her lips together and nodded. “Is there a… a reason you don’t talk about your mom all that much?”

Charlie choked on her own saliva. Sitting up, Charlie began to cough and Vaggie quickly sat up to help her, patting her back. 

“Sorry! Sorry!” Charlie wheezed. She began to chuckle nervously, eyeing Vaggie. She took a deep breath and answered, “It’s kind of complicated. No one’s seen my mom for about four years and she hasn’t contacted me or dad at all during that time. She didn’t even say goodbye or anything. But, I’m sure she’s just busy! Haha…ha.”

Vaggie frowned. Damn it, heart. Stop crying out every time she does that. 

“I’m sorry about that,” Vaggie said, looking at Charlie sympathetically. “You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to. I’m sorry if that question made you uncomfortable-”

“- no! No! It’s fine, honestly,” Charlie desperately tried to reassure her friend. “I understand why you’d be curious.”

Charlie smiled widely, trying to cover up how much she didn’t like talking about her mom.

Vaggie smiled warmly, Damn it heart, shut up!, and placed her hand on Charlie’s. Charlie felt her body heat up and she looked into Vaggie’s eye, trying desperately to shut her brain up before she said something stupid that would ruin this perfect moment. 

“Hey, Charlie…” Vaggie murmured, looking up at Charlie. Charlie could barely breathe. She felt as though Vaggie’s gaze was hypnotic, reeling her in and not letting go. 

“Y-Yeah, Vaggie?” Charlie breathed out shakily. She could barely hear her over how loud her heart was beating. 

Vaggie’s brows lowered, her mouth forming a line. 

No. No! Don’t do that! 

“Charlie, are you okay?” Vaggie asked. 

Charlie felt control of her body slipping away. She stared at Vaggie intensely, her eyes shifting to a darker red colour, and mindlessly reached for her cheek. She felt the tips of her horns teasing at her head as she surged forward and placed her lips against Vaggie’s. The kiss itself was soft, but it lasted for a good few seconds. 

Slowly, the red leaked out of Charlie’s eyes, the tips of her horns quickly retreating. She pulled away from the kiss and blinked, trying to take stock of her surroundings. Then, upon noticing a surprised Vaggie kneeling beside her, Charlie felt everything crash down at once. She jumped out of the bed, placing a hand over her mouth and staring at Vaggie with wide eyes, before rushing out of the room and slamming the door. 

 

*****

 

Vaggie stared at the door with a mixture of shock and sadness weighing at her chest. She watched as it slammed shut with unfortunate clarity.

“What the fuck,” she mumbled to herself, bringing a hand up to her mouth to feel where Charlie had just kissed her.

Charlie had just kissed her. 

Beautiful, gorgeous, far-too-good-for-her-Charlie just kissed her!

Vaggie brought her hands up to her hair. She tugged at the strands and groaned in despair. 

It must have been a pretty shitty kiss for her to run away.

Vaggie huffed and looked around the room, remembering she was still in Charlie’s bed. She cringed and quickly got up, flattening down the crease she’d left in the covers before making a sharp exit. She marched straight to her room, ignoring everything around her in fear of bumping into Charlie. 

She wasn’t even sure if she could face Razzle or Dazzle after that. Rejection had never hit harder. 

She shut her bedroom door behind her and immediately crashed down on the bed. 

Was Charlie just teasing her? Maybe she was trying to get under her skin as a joke. Though, the expression on her face when she left the room didn’t look like she was joking. 

Maybe Charlie genuinely liked her? Her heart had been pounding like crazy. Why did she run away then? Was Vaggie really that disgusting to kiss?

And that look in her eyes… Vaggie hadn’t been entirely sure before that Charlie was actually the daughter of the devil, but that dark look in her eyes confirmed it. Charlie was certainly a demon.

Vaggie hated that the memory of the kiss made her heart soar. How was it both the best and worst kiss she had ever experienced? 

Vaggie reached for a nearby pillow and held it close to her chest. 

She knew tonight was going to be a long night. 

 

*****

 

Charlie rushed into the kitchen - stepping over a sleeping Razzle and Dazzle - and frantically reached for her purse. The duo woke at the commotion and flew over to Charlie, nudging at her. 

“Not right now guys,” Charlie said, rifling through her purse and pulling out her phone. Her demon form kept showing and retreating as she darted around the house. “I’m gonna be out for a bit,” she told them, running a hand through her hair in stress. “Make sure Vaggie is okay whilst I’m gone, okay?”

She watched them nod and quickly patted them on the head, whispering a soft “goodbye” before leaving through the front door. 

She paced through hell, not taking account of any of her surroundings as she tried to reign in the emotions swarming around her. She felt her grip on her demon form slowly weaken, to the point where it emerged fully and could not be reigned in. 

She growled, pushing her way through whoever got in her path and gripping her phone tightly. She stopped at an empty side alley and looked down at her phone, her finger hovering over one contact. 

Ring. Ring. Ring.

Charlie felt her heart sink when her mom didn’t answer her phone. 

She tried again. Ring. Ring. Ring. Again, nothing.

Charlie growled, ready to throw her phone at the wall at any moment. Then, a phone call began to come through. Her finger hesitated when she saw her dad’s profile picture flash on her phone. A flood of anxiety washed over her, wondering what he wanted. 

She took a deep breath in and swiped, answering the call. “H-Hello, dad?”

“Charlie! Hey… Hello. So, uh, just wondering, do you know where your mother used to keep our canned food?”

Charlie stared at her phone in disbelief and sighed. “The understair cupboard. Third drawer down in the big unit. Are you… are you really going to eat food that’s been untouched for four years?”

Lucifer chuckled nervously. “Hahaha… Nothing a king’s stomach can’t handle! Thank you, Charlie.”

Lucifer hung up. Charlie stared down at the phone, ashamed at the fact she had no one to talk to other than Vaggie and she had severely fucked up that friendship by kissing her. She felt like crying. 

Instead, she just huffed and stormed her way through hell, wandering around aimlessly for the next few hours with nothing but her thoughts and her internal storm. 

She knew she couldn’t avoid Vaggie forever, but she’d be damned if she didn’t at least try.

 

*****

 

Vaggie woke up the next morning to Razzle and Dazzle offering her a cup of coffee. She smiled grimly and accepted it. Closing her eye, she took a long sip of the hot liquid and tried to ignore the persistent memory of yesterday’s events. 

“Fuck,” Vaggie murmured, rubbing the sleep out of her eye. She looked at Razzle and Dazzle, who were staring at her strangely, and sighed. “You don’t wanna know.”

They both shrugged and slipped away, allowing Vaggie to get up and get ready for the day. As she was walking towards the shower, still in her pyjamas, she noticed Charlie walking through the front door. 

They locked eyes and just as Vaggie was about to say “hey”, Charlie immediately rushed away to her room, letting out a little squeak as she slammed the door shut. Startled slightly, Vaggie’s hand hovered over the bathroom door handle before huffing and walking in. She scrubbed herself harshly as she showered, trying to ignore her brain’s insistence to think about Charlie, Charlie, Charlie…

 

*****

 

Charlie yelped as she entered her room. Immediately, she placed her hands in front of her face in embarrassment. 

“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” she cursed, throwing her phone down on the bed. She paced back and forth, holding her breath as she thought about how stupid she had been. 

You’re gonna have to speak to her. You can’t keep avoiding her. She’s going to get the wrong impression.

Oh god. She probably thinks I’m some weird pervert…

Charlie cringed and buried her face into her hands. She sat down on her bed and got lost in her thoughts for a few minutes, before she was interrupted by the door opening.

She opened her mouth to speak but was quickly interrupted by Vaggie, who raised her hand in the air, silencing her. 

“You cannot speak to me nonstop for months on end and then avoid talking to me after all of that,” said Vaggie, moving closer to Charlie. Charlie looked down at the floor in shame, a pout tugging at her lips. Vaggie sighed and grabbed Charlie’s chin, tipping it up so Charlie could see her. She continued, “Come on, Charlie. I thought… I thought we were better than this.”

Charlie’s heart ached at that. She was quick to disagree, “We are! Better than that, I mean. I’m sorry. I just… I fucked up. I’ve made this all messy and I’m really fucking scared that I’ve messed up our friendship. I didn’t want to have to explain… you know…”

Charlie was interrupted by Vaggie leaning down towards her, looking at her unsurely. “Is that what I am to you? A friend?”

Charlie dropped her eyes to the floor, avoiding Vaggie’s gaze. Her mouth formed a frown. “I dunno, Vaggie. I… I thought so. Or I tried to think so. I just,” Charlie returned her gaze to Vaggie, her eyes shining with genuine adoration, “I know this sounds cringy but I really value our friendship. I’ve been lonely for so long, I didn’t want to fuck this up and…” Charlie felt tears brimming at the surface, “and lose you too.”

Vaggie closed her eye and nodded slowly. “I get it,” she murmured, taking a deep breath herself. She paused for a moment, before asking, “Why did you kiss me?”

Charlie closed her eyes too. “I… I was so caught up in the moment. My emotions took control of me, I guess.”

Vaggie’s eye opened, staring at Charlie cautiously as though she were trying to figure out whether she was joking. “So… you really meant it?”

Charlie’s eyes opened too and she looked up at Vaggie hesitantly. “I…”

“Why did you run away?” Vaggie asked, dropping her gaze to the floor insecurely. “Was it… bad?”

Charlie’s eyes widened in shock. She immediately shook her head and insisted, “No! No! Of course not. You’re… you’re amazing, Vaggie. I was worried you’d be upset so I… you know, tried to get out of it as soon as possible.”

Vaggie sighed, the frown disappearing from her face and her gaze returning to Charlie. “So, if I were to kiss you again, you wouldn’t mind it?”

Charlie felt her body heat up and her heart rate increase. She stared at Vaggie with wide eyes and felt her head begin to nod on its own. Vaggie smiled and leaned in even closer to the demon, pressing a soft, almost chaste kiss to Charlie’s lips. Charlie’s brows raised in surprise before she smiled too and lifted her hand to rest on Vaggie’s cheek, pulling her into a kiss of her own. 

When they pulled apart, they stared at each other for a few moments. Then Vaggie began to laugh. A genuine, bubbly giggle that echoed in the silent room. Charlie couldn’t help but chuckle too, staring up at Vaggie with a massive grin.

Oh wow. I think I adore her.

Vaggie placed her hand on her forehead, letting her laugh peter off. “What a mess,” she murmured, shaking her head. “Oh, Charlie… what are we gonna do?”

Charlie smiled, letting her laughter fizzle out too. She stood up, a determined expression painting her face as she grabbed Vaggie’s hands in hers and looked straight into her eye. 

“We’re gonna figure this out,” she said, so surely even her own ears were surprised. “Together. I promise.”

Vaggie’s smile softened. “You sure?”

Charlie nodded and squeezed Vaggie’s hands. “Positive.”

Chapter 3: Need you to know I love you more than anything

The sound of screaming and screeching blasted from the TV. Charlie and Vaggie were bundled up in blankets on the couch, sharing a bucket of popcorn. 

Charlie reached for Vaggie’s hand under the blanket. Vaggie smiled, side-eyeing Charlie before interlocking their fingers and squeezing tightly. 

A loud growl blasted out of the TV. Charlie jumped, the movement spilling popcorn all over the couch. Vaggie chuckled and squeezed Charlie’s hand tighter. Charlie smiled sheepishly, apologising under her breath. 

“You’re so cute, you know that?” Vaggie said, turning to Charlie. 

Charlie grinned awkwardly. “Aww, Vaggie. You’re too sweet.”

Charlie edged a little closer to Vaggie on the couch. Vaggie smiled and moved their interlocked hands to her lap. They continued to watch the movie until it finished. 

Vaggie must have fallen asleep at some point as her head was resting against Charlie’s shoulder. She let out small snores and Charlie almost giggled. She kept it to herself, however, and chose to instead let her eyes close shut. 

“Anyways,” she murmured into Vaggie’s hair, a smirk tugging at her lips, “you’re way cuter.”

 

---

 

The two were in the midst of eating breakfast when Charlie mentioned her father’s theme park. 

“It’s called Lu Lu World,” Charlie said, chewing on a piece of bacon. She swallowed it down and ran a hand through her messy 'morning hair'. “My dad made it as a theme park for sinners. It’s really fun! I think you’d enjoy it!”

Vaggie smiled, a blush painting her face as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Yeah?”

“Absolutely!” 

Charlie grinned widely at Vaggie. 

“Alright then,” Vaggie said. Charlie’s grin got impossibly wider, and Vaggie had to hold in her laughter. “What’s the worst that could happen?” 

“Omg! This is going to be so much fun!” Charlie said, jumping up from her seat. “I’ll get changed into something comfortable so we can go on some of the rides!”

Vaggie smiled as she watched Charlie run off to her room. She looked down at her half-finished breakfast and took a few more bites before standing up and getting ready herself. 

She rifled through her wardrobe, which she had been slowly building up over the past few months with some help from Charlie, and pulled out a few contenders. She avoided anything with skirts, recognising that gravity would certainly work against her. Considering the sweltering warmth of hell, she decided it would be best to wear a pair of shorts.

She decided to match a white and pink blouse with the blue and yellow shorts and threw on a pair of ripped pink tights for good measure. Looking in the full-body mirror, Vaggie smiled. She felt cute.

She grabbed a pair of high-tops from the side of her bed and left the room, searching for Charlie. She found her in her room, wearing an incredibly adorable pair of dungarees (that made Vaggie’s cheeks light up red) and a long-sleeved top. 

“Hey! Almost ready!” Charlie said, swiping some eyeliner across her eyes and grabbing her mascara. “I’m so excited, Vaggie! I haven’t been to Lu Lu World in ages. I mean… it’s a bit sad to go on your own, but now I’ve got you!”

Vaggie smiled and looked off to the side in embarrassment. “I haven’t been to a theme park in a while either. I’m sure we’ll have great fun.”

Charlie smiled and looked up at Vaggie from the corner of her eye as she applied some mascara. Returning the wand to the product and dropping it in her makeup bag, Charlie sprung out of her seat and barreled towards Vaggie. 

“Come on!” Charlie said, grabbing Vaggie’s hand. “I’ll lead the way!”

Once they arrived at the theme park, Charlie’s already excitable disposition increased tenfold. She pulled Vaggie along by the wrist, rushing over to the back of the queue to get in. 

“Oh wow! Look at it, Vaggie!” Charlie squealed excitedly. 

Vaggie smiled and looked up at Charlie fondly. “Wow,” she said, turning her gaze to the large metal structures that loomed over the whole park. “It’s uh… certainly something.”

Charlie nodded, her hands bouncing up and down near her chest in excitement. 

A member of staff rushed up to them, sweat dripping off their brow. The small imp brushed it off his skin before addressing Charlie, out of breath. “Miss Morningstar! We’re sorry we didn’t serve you sooner. You can skip the line, come on,” he said, waving his hand towards him. 

Charlie flashed an awkward smile. “Aw, come on, you know I don’t need special treatment,” Charlie said, looking off to the side. 

The imp shook his head. “Your father insisted any time you come here that you get through immediately. No questions asked.”

Charlie scratched the back of her neck anxiously. 

Vaggie looked up at Charlie and shrugged. “You know, it could be nice to skip the queue…” Vaggie said, noting the very long wait they had ahead. 

“But, Vaggie,” Charlie whined. “That’s like… totally an abuse of power.”

Vaggie laughed. “This is hell, Charlie! Who cares about ethics?”

Charlie pouted. “Me?”

Vaggie laughed and shook her head, grabbing Charlie’s hand. She turned to the imp and said, “Come on then, sir. Show us where we need to go.”

The imp looked up to Charlie for approval. She was much more occupied with the butterflies attacking her stomach but nodded distantly. He smiled. 

“Alright!” He said. “Follow me.”

The imp led them past the crowd and into the park itself. It was bustling with demons big and small. He handed them an ‘ultimate VIP’ pass each. 

“These should get you onto anything immediately,” he explained to Vaggie, who nodded. 

“Thank you,” she said and Charlie mirrored it, albeit much louder.

“Wowee, look at all of these rides!” Charlie said, swinging Vaggie’s hand in her own. Vaggie smiled and let her. “Which one do you think we should go on first?”

Vaggie shrugged. “Whatever you want, Charls.”

Charlie pouted and whined, “Aww, come on, Vaggie. Pick one!”

Vaggie chuckled. “Okay, Okay. What about…” Vaggie looked around and focused on a spinning teacups ride, “that one?”

Charlie beamed. “OMG! Yes! That’s a classic.”

Charlie then dragged Vaggie along by the hand. They were guided onto a teacup and secured in. Charlie placed her hand down on the space next to them and Vaggie placed hers on top of Charlie’s. Charlie smiled, looking into Vaggie’s eye. They both chuckled but stumbled slightly when the ride started up. They laughed again and placed their other hands on the bar in front of them, attempting to steady their balance. 

“You better hold on tight,” Charlie said, chuckling. “It can get quite fast.”

Vaggie smiled. “You’re telling me this after I’ve gotten on the ride?” 

Charlie laughed too and held on tighter. “Sorry!”

The next ride they went on was the ‘flying goats’ ride. Charlie laughed giddily every time the goats went up, even raising her arms in the air alongside the ride. Vaggie smiled at her fondly every time. 

The ride after that was a large, twisting roller coaster. Vaggie looked a little nervous as they were ushered on the ride. Charlie’s smile remained beaming, and she looked down at Vaggie excitedly. 

“This is the big one!” Charlie exclaimed. 

Vaggie laughed nervously. “Yay…” she said, though it sounded forced. Charlie’s smile faltered. Vaggie scratched the back of her neck awkwardly. “Is this a bad time to mention I’m… uh, not the best with big roller coasters?”

Charlie turned to Vaggie in shock. “What!?” She shouted, suddenly turning to Vaggie. “Are you being serious?”

Vaggie smiled awkwardly and Charlie’s movements became frantic. 

“Oh shit! Fuck! Stop the ride! Stop the ride!” She shouted, trying to call over any member of staff she could. 

It was all in vain, however. The ride started up and the two of them were immediately thrusted into the wind. 

Vaggie gripped onto Charlie, digging her face into Charlie’s shoulder. Charlie, despite the distress of knowing she’d placed Vaggie on a ride she was definitely not comfortable with, did feel a special tug in her heart when Vaggie gripped onto her. 

As the ride came to a stop, Charlie tapped Vaggie but she wouldn’t move. The imp working the ride looked at them strangely. 

“Are you, uh, getting off?” He asked. 

Charlie growled, her demon horns poking up for a moment, “Give us a couple minutes.”

The imp raised his hands and stepped aside. 

“Is it over?” Vaggie asked, her head still tucked into Charlie.

Charlie chuckled. “It’s all over, I promise.”

Vaggie looked up and managed a smile once she met Charlie’s eyes. 

“Thank fuck,” Vaggie muttered, taking Charlie’s hand as she led her out of the cart. 

Once they were back on solid ground, Charlie grabbed both of Vaggie’s hands and squeezed them tightly. “I’m so, so sorry!” Charlie said, pleadingly. “If I had known, I never would’ve-!”

Vaggie shushed her and pulled one of her hands away, placing a hand on Charlie’s arm and rubbing it. “It’s okay, Charlie. Let’s just… go and get something to eat.”

Charlie’s frown lifted to a smile. “That’s a great idea! We should get corn dogs!”

Vaggie smiled. “Absolutely.”

After sharing some corn dogs and a large coke, Vaggie and Charlie wandered through Lu Lu World hand in hand. Charlie ranted happily about the park’s history and how her dad created every ride. Vaggie listened happily, not even recognising she was smiling until her cheeks began to hurt. 

They stopped outside of the big ferris wheel and looked at each other. 

“You, uh…?” Charlie’s eyes gestured up at the ride. 

Vaggie smiled. “I’d love to.”

They stepped into a carriage together, sitting on either side of it. The carriage began to move upwards and Charlie and Vaggie smiled, holding each other’s hands. They watched through the windows as the carriage revealed more and more of hell. 

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Charlie said, her eyes fixed on the city below her. She was staring with so much adoration that Vaggie could have sworn she saw stars in Charlie’s eyes. 

Vaggie’s eye never strayed from Charlie as she hummed, “Yeah…”

Charlie’s gaze eventually shifted from the window, her head turning towards Vaggie. Tension filled the room, weighing down on Charlie and Vaggie in a blanket. They stared into each other’s eyes, the red hue of hell shining in them. 

It felt like an external force overtook them when their bodies moved. Neither was sure who moved in first or who placed who’s hand on who’s cheek. All they could remember was the euphoria that washed over them as their lips met. 

They didn’t pull apart until the carriage stopped. A blush formed on their faces when they turned to the imp running the ride. They stepped out awkwardly, Charlie offering Vaggie a hand like the gentlewoman she was, and they spent the walk home in silence, their hands still interlocked and their faces painted with shy smiles. 

For the first time in a long while, things felt alright.

 

---

 

Some of Vaggie’s favourite Latin music blasted from the kitchen radio, filling the morning air with vibrancy and joy. Vaggie hummed along to it, moving her hips in time with the music as she stirred a bowl full of strawberry jam.

Charlie smiled at Vaggie and kneaded a slab of cookie dough on the kitchen counter. Razzle and Dazzle flew around her, placing two pre-heated trays from the oven on the countertop next to Charlie. Charlie thanked them and reached for her rolling pin, only to grab at thin air. 

“Huh?” Charlie mumbled, looking around confusedly. She heard a giggle sound from behind her. She turned around and saw Vaggie holding the rolling pin in her hands. Charlie smirked and Vaggie lifted the object up and down like a serial killer. Charlie burst out laughing. 

“Have you suddenly turned rogue, Vagatha?” Charlie asked, reaching out for the rolling pin. 

“Not my name,” Vaggie murmured. She pulled the pin back sharply and grinned. “Nuh-uh. You’ll have to fight me for it, princessa,” Vaggie teased. 

Charlie huffed and rolled her eyes. “Vaggie…” she whined. 

Vaggie shrugged and began to walk away, swinging the rolling pin by one of its handles as she went. “Oh well…”

Charlie smirked and ran towards Vaggie. They chased each other around the apartment for a few minutes. Charlie reached out to grab the object a couple of times but never quite reached. Then, in a tactical move so cunning only Lucifer’s daughter herself could devise, Charlie kicked her foot out, tripping Vaggie up.

Of course, ever the gentlewoman, Charlie immediately caught Vaggie, pulling her close and laughing as Vaggie looked up at her in surprise.

“You! You!” Vaggie said, at a loss for words. She pointed an accusing finger at Charlie. “That’s not fair!” She whined. 

Charlie smirked. “Hey! Fairs fair,” Charlie insisted, snatching the rolling pin from Vaggie’s hands. “These cookies are not going to bake themselves!”

Vaggie rolled her eye and followed Charlie to the kitchen. Charlie placed the rolling pin on top of the dough and began to roll it flat. Vaggie stood behind her, humming along to the music, and handed Charlie differently shaped cookie cutters as she prepared each trayful. 

“These are going to be amazing!” Charlie said excitedly as Vaggie, adorning an adorable pair of oven gloves, lifted both trays of cookies into the oven. “Thank you so much for making them with me!”

Vaggie shook her head and chuckled. “It’s my pleasure.”

Charlie looked at Vaggie with pure adoration. Vaggie looked away in embarrassment, tucking a strand of hair behind her ears. 

“You’re really beautiful, you know?” Charlie said, walking closer to Vaggie. Vaggie shrugged but Charlie grabbed her by the shoulders and looked straight into her eye. “Honestly. You’re so gorgeous. I don’t even know how I managed to get you to stick around.”

Vaggie’s mouth dropped and she shook her head firmly. “Uh, not to be rude, hun, but I think I’m the one who’s punching here.”

“No way!” Charlie insisted. “I can barely get a woman to stay after a date!”

“Oh? What are these ‘dates’ you speak of?” Vaggie said coyly. Charlie’s brow arched in confusion. 

“Huh?” 

Vaggie grinned. “As far as I recall, you’ve never asked me out on a date,” Vaggie hummed. She flashed Charlie a challenging look.

“I, uh… I thought that’s what we’ve been doing for the past week…?” Charlie said, confused.

Vaggie chuckled, then flashed a demure smile. “I dunno. Without you outright asking, I wasn’t sure whether those were just friendly outings like before…”

Charlie’s brows scrunched together. “Did we kiss and hold hands before?”

Vaggie laughed into her hand. “Oh, Charlie… I’m messing around. Though, really. You haven’t actually asked me out yet.”

“Are we not dating!?” Charlie shouted, suddenly overcome by the fear she had overstepped. “Oh shit! Shit! I’ve fucked this up, haven’t I?” She muttered, mostly to herself.

Vaggie shook her head, her smile far too light and teasing for the gravity of the situation at hand! 

She interrupted Charlie’s internal spiral by grabbing one of her hands. 

She looked straight into Charlie’s eyes and asked, “Okay, how about this? I’ll give you the opportunity now to ask me out.”

Charlie let out a shaky breath and smiled. “Right! Perfect! Yes! Thank you!” Charlie said, grabbing Vaggie’s other hand and squeezing it tightly. “Okay, um. I… I’ve really enjoyed your company these past few months and I really, really like you as a person, so uh… will you go out with me?” Charlie rushed the last bit out to the point it was nearly incomprehensible but Vaggie’s eye seemed to light up anyway. 

“I’d love to, princessa.”

The stiff tension in Charlie’s body instantly melted away when Vaggie pulled her down for a kiss. 

When they pulled away, Charlie was about to lean in for another one when Vaggie pressed a finger to her lips. 

“The cookies,” Vaggie whispered, gesturing to the kitchen. 

Charlie’s brows raised in panic and she quickly rushed to the kitchen, throwing on a pair of oven gloves and pulling the cookies out of the oven just a second before they started to burn.

“How did you do that!?” Charlie shouted, turning to Vaggie swiftly. 

Vaggie smirked and shrugged. “It’s a talent of mine.”

Charlie grinned. “God, I’m so lucky to have such a talented girlfriend.”

Girlfriend. Girlfriend. Girlfriend. 

Vaggie smiled. “Girlfriend? That sounds so pretty from your lips.”

Charlie smiled too. “It sounds even prettier from yours.”

 

*****

 

Vaggie yawned, stretching her arms out as she sat up. She looked to her side, expecting to see Charlie lying next to her as she had been the past few months. Instead, she was met with an empty space. She rubbed her eye and looked around the room, noticing that Charlie was sitting by their window, staring out at hell. 

It was the yearly extermination today. That meant it had been a year since Charlie found Vaggie down that dark, dirty alleyway and saved her. A year since Vaggie had gained the privilege of moving in with the kindest, hottest demon in hell. A year since, if Vaggie was being completely honest with herself, she met the woman she’d deem her soulmate. 

It made sense, therefore, why Charlie wasn’t in bed and chose to, instead, trade her morning cuddles for staring out of the window. She had made it clear from the day she met Vaggie that exterminations were tough on her. As the Princess of Hell, she must have felt a sense of duty towards her citizens, so to watch back helplessly as they were slaughtered must have been difficult.

That’s why, when Vaggie approached her, she chose to be quiet and gentle. She sat down next to the demon princess and placed her hand on her lap. 

Charlie offered a strained smile and placed her hand on top of Vaggie’s. 

“Do you want anything to eat, hun?” Vaggie asked, trying to hold her girlfriend’s gaze. 

Charlie shrugged. “I dunno… not really feeling hungry.”

Knowing not to push, Vaggie nodded slowly and hummed, “OK. How about I get you a drink instead?”

Charlie blinked. “Yeah?”

“Yeah,” Vaggie said. “How about a coffee?”

Charlie’s eyes lit up a little. She nodded and yawned. “Yeah, that’d be good. I… didn’t get much sleep last night,” she admitted, looking off to the side. 

Vaggie offered a reassuring smile and kissed Charlie’s cheek before standing up and leaving to make them both drinks. She returned with two mugs of coffee, one filled to the brim with cream and sugar and the other black. She handed Charlie hers. 

“There you go, my princessa,” Vaggie said soothingly. 

Charlie whispered a ‘thank you’ and took a sip of the beverage before returning her gaze to the streets. Angel after angel swooped down and slaughtered demon after demon. Vaggie frowned, her stomach twisting as she watched each soul get exterminated. After living among sinners for the past year, Vaggie had to slowly come to terms with the fact that she had murdered several fairly normal souls who had unfortunately gone down the wrong path in life. 

Sitting here now with Charlie, a demon who rivalled even heaven’s most holiest saints with how much she cared about her people, Vaggie also had to grapple with the fact that she was in too deep with Charlie. How would she react if she were to find out that one of the very beings she felt such venom towards had been sleeping in her bed and living under her roof?

Riddled by the guilt, Vaggie did what she could to make Charlie feel better. She sat with her all day, not saying a word but holding her hand. She brought Charlie food and drink, making sure that she stayed fed and hydrated even if she wasn’t feeling up to it. She let Charlie lean against her when she was beginning to get tired and tucked Charlie into bed once the resounding bell of the clock tower signalled the end of the extermination. 

“How are you feeling?” Vaggie whispered as she wriggled into bed, pushing a strand of Charlie’s hair away from her face. Charlie placed her hand on top of Vaggie’s, holding it against her cheek. She leaned into Vaggie’s hand like a cat and sighed.

“I’m glad it’s over,” Charlie murmured, letting her eyes fall shut. She rolled over and laid on her back, letting out a heavy sigh. “It’s just… it’s so difficult to watch every year, but I have to do it. I have to remind myself of what they’re putting my people through.”

Vaggie sighed and placed a kiss on Charlie's shoulder. “I know, hun. I’m so sorry.”

Charlie looked down at Vaggie and scoffed lightly. “It’s not your fault. Honestly, I’m just annoyed at myself. I wish I could do something.”

Vaggie frowned. She paused for a moment, before asking, “What sort of thing would you do? You know, hypothetically. If you were able to.”

Charlie turned to Vaggie. She looked deep into her eye, as though she were trying to figure out whether she was being genuine. Vaggie nodded reassuringly. 

“I would redeem them,” Charlie said. Her face was unusually serious. There was a distinct sense of determination in her tone and it made Vaggie’s cheeks warm up in ways that were probably inappropriate considering the situation. Charlie continued, “I refuse to believe that second chances are exclusive to life.”

Vaggie nodded. “I think you’re right,” Vaggie hummed, taking one of Charlie’s hands and rubbing it affectionately. 

Charlie’s eyes widened. “Are you… being serious?” Charlie asked, stuttering slightly. 

Vaggie squeezed Charlie’s hand. “Of course I am.”

Charlie looked away. “No one’s ever taken me seriously before,” Charlie admitted. “Sev used to make fun of me.”

Vaggie bristled at the mention of Seviathan. She held back her tongue, but couldn’t control the bitter look on her face. 

Charlie smiled a little when her gaze returned to Vaggie. “I know what you’re thinking,” Charlie continued.

Vaggie scoffed. “He was a dick,” Vaggie said despite herself. 

Charlie smiled. “Yeah, you’re right. But not even the demons in any of hell’s meetings take me seriously. They think my head is full of fluffy unicorns and rainbows,” Charlie muttered, tapping her head. “It’s just refreshing to have someone hear me out, I suppose.”

Vaggie pressed a kiss to Charlie’s cheek. 

“I’ll always hear you out, I promise,” whispered Vaggie. She stared into Charlie’s eyes and, charmed by the determination flaring up in them, Vaggie felt herself inspired. Remembering all Charlie had done in the past year, Vaggie vowed to aid whatever dreams Charlie had, no matter how unrealistic. “Have you thought about what you could do?”

“What? To redeem sinners?” Charlie asked, quirking a brow. Vaggie nodded and Charlie shrugged. “It would be too difficult. I mean, how would I get anyone to listen in the first place?”

“Maybe you could set something up. A weekly meeting? A club maybe?” Vaggie suggested.

Charlie smiled, but shook her head, “Sinners in hell aren’t that orderly. The only ones who care about that sort of thing are overlords and they definitely don’t want to go to heaven.”

Vaggie sighed. “Yeah, you’re probably right.” Vaggie looked over at their window, mindlessly staring at the buildings opposite theirs. Then, in a sudden flash, an idea hit Vaggie. “What about a hotel?”

“A hotel?” Charlie repeated. Her brows furrowed. “Huh?”

Vaggie nodded, a plan slowly forming in her head. “You could set up a hotel to try and redeem sinners. Then they’d have to come to your meetings. It could be part of their tenancy or whatever.”

Charlie’s eyes widened, a smile forming on her face. “Yeah… yeah! That might actually work!”

Vaggie grinned as Charlie pulled her close, pressing a big kiss to the side of her face. 

“You’re amazing, Vaggie!” Charlie said, showering Vaggie in kisses.

“Hey, don’t thank me yet,” murmured Vaggie. “How would we even go about a hotel anyway?

Charlie grinned and pulled Vaggie in for a hug. 

“Don’t worry, I have some ideas,” Charlie said, pressing a firm kiss to the top of Vaggie’s head.

 

*****

 

Charlie looked at Vaggie nervously. Her bottom lip was trapped between her teeth as her finger hovered over her dad’s contact. 

“You sure you’re OK, hun?” Vaggie asked, squeezing Charlie’s hand firmly. 

“It’ll be fine,” Charlie said, though she knew it sounded forced. She tried to smile and took a deep breath. “I mean, sure, we barely speak to each other except from when he rings me but… what’s the worst that can happen, right?”

Charlie’s smile twitched. Vaggie offered a reassuring smile and shook her head.

“Go on, if he does anything that upsets you, I’ll deal with him,” Vaggie’s voice took on a threatening tone at the end and Charlie chuckled. 

She knew that Vaggie realistically could not hold a candle to her dad in terms of strength but it was a sweet sentiment nevertheless. 

“Right, here it goes,” Charlie whispered, before pressing on the contact and calling her dad. 

“Hello?” Lucifer said. “Is that you, Charlie?”

“Yeah, it’s me, dad,” Charlie replied, trying to sound as breezy as always. “I was, uh, wondering if you could do a favour for me? Ha…ha.”

“Of course! Anything for my little duckie!” 

Charlie took a sharp breath in. “I want to… well, I’m planning on opening a hotel and I was wondering if you had anywhere I could use to host it.”

The line went silent and for a few seconds Charlie thought she had messed up big time. Her heart began to hammer in her chest and she took a deep breath. 

She heard the rustling of paper and the sound of a chair being dragged along the floor. “Alright, kiddo! Whereabouts in hell do you want this building?”

Charlie let out a deep breath and smiled at Vaggie, who had been holding her hand tightly throughout the whole phone call. 

“Near Pentagram City, but not in it,” Charlie said, then added, “I need it to be quite big too. I want lots of guests.”

“There’s my ambitious girl! You’re just like your mother,” Lucifer said, before rustling more paper. “Right. Here we go. A multi-story complex just outside of Pentagram City under the Morningstar name! I haven’t been down there in some time so it might be a little dirty, but I’m happy to help you fix it up if you need it?”

Charlie chuckled nervously. “Uh, no. We’ll be fine, dad. I can sort it out myself.”

“Oh, yeah, that’s perfectly fine,” said Lucifer, offering a nervous laugh of his own. “I’ll make sure one of my chauffeurs will operate there full time now. It’ll save you the walk,” he explained. “What a lovely little project! A little hotel. My little girl is all grown up,” Lucifer gushed, before clearing his throat. “If you need anything, make sure to call your old man!”

Charlie laughed awkwardly again and said, “Yeah. Will do. Bye, bye.”

She hung up the phone and let out a heavy breath. Vaggie wrapped her in a hug immediately, squeezing tightly. “I’m so proud of you, Charls. Well done,” Vaggie said quietly.

Charlie smiled and returned the hug. “I can’t believe we’re actually doing this!” Charlie admitted, pressing a kiss to Vaggie’s forehead. 

“You’re gonna do great sweetie.” Vaggie’s smile was so soft that it melted Charlie’s heart.

 

---

 

When Lucifer said the building would be a little dirty, they weren’t expecting it to be this run down. 

“Uh, are you sure this is the building your dad was talking about?” Vaggie asked, side-eyeing Charlie.

Charlie walked up to the front door, dusting off the sign that hung on it. 

The Morningstars.

“Yeah, it definitely is,” Charlie confirmed with a sigh. Then, with a deep breath in and out, Charlie smiled and grabbed Vaggie’s hands. “But let’s not get all defeated! It’ll just make it so much more rewarding when we get this place up to scratch!”

Vaggie couldn’t help but smile as Charlie pulled her along and into the building. The place stunk of rotten wood and damp. Mould was growing on the side of every wall and bugs crawled around everywhere.

“Is this place even fit to live in?” Vaggie asked, swiping her finger across the wall and almost retching at the amount of dirt that settled on her skin. 

“Maybe not at the moment,” Charlie said, “but once we spruce it up a little, demons will be queuing to come in!” Charlie turned to Vaggie with one of the brightest, most optimistic smiles she had ever seen. “Right, Vaggie?” 

She couldn’t help but cave in.

“Of course, hun,” Vaggie said, nodding determinedly. “We’re gonna make this the coolest fucking hotel in hell.”

Charlie nodded too. “Absolutely.”

They started by wiping down the walls, ignoring the grotesque amount of black mould that was coming off with each cloth. Once the walls were mostly clean, Vaggie inspected the rotting wood and suggested that they buy some new wooden planks to reinforce the walls. Over the next few weeks, they renovated the building, resurfacing the floors and roofs and painting the newly reinforced interior and exterior walls. 

Once the building itself became a more liveable space, Charlie and Vaggie chose to move in full-time, transporting their belongings from their flat to the top floor of the hotel.

“You’re really giving us the penthouse suite, huh?” Vaggie asked as she pushed their bed against the wall. 

Charlie chuckled and wrapped her arms around Vaggie. “I think we deserve it. We’re the ones running things, right?”

“Absolutely,” Vaggie agreed. Secretly, however, Vaggie knew she wouldn’t mind what room she was in as long as it was with Charlie.

The decorating came after the foundations had been established. They decorated their room first, mostly by just filling it with what they moved over from their old flat. After that, they focused on the living area downstairs. They brought in an old sofa and a mini fridge to keep them going. 

With it being a Morningstar property, there were several family portraits lying about the place. They decided to hang them along the walls, checking with each other to ensure they were straight and giggling whenever the other would make a ‘you’re definitely not straight’ joke. 

Charlie even produced a frame that had a picture of her and Vaggie at Lu Lu World, hanging it in plain sight. 

“Can’t wait to sit here and remember that day every time I look at it!” Charlie explained, kissing Vaggie on the cheek. 

Of course, the workload never ceased to exhaust them, but Charlie and Vaggie did enjoy the simple moments when they would sit back on the couch and snuggle up together. 

Charlie came up with the name ‘Happy Hotel’ and worked hard on creating a large, steel-enforced sign that Vaggie attached to the front of the building. The first time Charlie saw it she almost cried from happiness. Instead, she wrapped Vaggie in a tight embrace and attacked her with kisses, proclaiming that she loved her over fifty times. 

Once the hotel was as up to scratch as they could manage on their own, Charlie turned her attention to advertising the hotel. She spent hours every night hand-drawing and writing leaflets promoting the hotel, and then spent hours in the daytime handing them out across the Pride Ring. 

Vaggie tried to support her as best as she could by bringing Charlie food and drink throughout and trying to encourage her to rest a little. She worried that the lack of interest among the general population would dampen Charlie’s spirits and cause her to give up on her dream. 

Then, out of the blue, a demon appeared at their door, holding one of Charlie’s handwritten leaflets. 

“Is this the uh… Happy Hotel?” The spider demon asked. Vaggie raised a brown in suspicion, her hand reaching out for her spear which was resting near the door. 

Charlie, on the other hand, beamed. She went on an excitable rant about the hotel and how it functioned and her dream to reform all sinners.

“Can I just interrupt you for a moment, sugar,” he said, placing a hand on his forehead. “What are the rates here?”

“Rates?” 

“You know, monthly cost?”

“Oh!” Charlie’s eyes lit up. “No cost! It’s free and completely accessible for all sinners!”

“Sweet!” The demon exclaimed, tugging his suitcase behind him. “My name’s Angel Dust by the way. You might have seen me on the big screen, I’m a bit of a celebrity.”

“Really!?” Charlie and Vaggie said in unison, though Charlie sounded a lot more convinced than Vaggie.

“Yeah, they call me the king of the porn industry,” he said, inspecting the place. “It’s a little run down, but hey, can’t complain if it’s free,” he muttered to himself.

“Well, it’s not exactly free,” Vaggie said, stomping behind him as he made his way around the hotel. “The whole point of the hotel is that you’re here to redeem yourself.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever, shortstack,” Angel said, flicking the top of Vaggie’s head with his fingers. “What are you doing here anyways? I thought this was little miss sunshine’s fantasy?”

Charlie slid between them, gently moving Angel’s hand away from Vaggie’s (notably very angry) face. 

“Vaggie is my partner! We made this hotel together,” Charlie explained, grabbing Vaggie’s hand. Vaggie’s face softened and she let out a heavy sigh.

Angel tilted his head in confusion. “Is that partners as in business partners or…?”

Charlie smiled, and brightly said, “Both!”

Vaggie squinted and asked, “That’s not going to be a problem, is it?”

Angel scoffed. “Honey, look at me. You think I don’t bat for the other side too? I’m just surprised someone this bright and happy would date such a miserable so and so.”

Vaggie growled, glaring daggers into Angel. Before she did something she might regret (she probably wouldn’t regret it but Charlie tried to convince herself she would), Charlie stepped in front of Angel and said, “I’ll lead you to your room! Follow me!” 

Charlie grabbed Angel’s bags and hoisted them up the stairs, leading him to one of the newly renovated rooms. 

“We have a kitchen downstairs that you can use and a chauffeur that goes from the city to here. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to come to our room. My door is always open. We’re on the top floor, by the way,” Charlie said, placing Angel’s bag down on the floor. “I hope you settle in okay!”

Angel Dust smirked. “I’m sure I will. Hey? Am I okay to keep going to my job? I work in the city and, uh, I’m kind of under contract so…”

“Of course! Of course! We totally understand!” Charlie said, nodding. “Oh! I’ll give you my phone number so you can contact me.”

Charlie scribbled her phone number onto a scrap of paper and handed it to Angel. 

“Enjoy your stay!” she said as she walked out of the door.

She closed it behind her and rushed back downstairs. 

“OMG! Vaggie! We have our first actual guest!” Charlie exclaimed, wrapping Vaggie in a hug. “This is so good!”

“Yeah, hun,” Vaggie said, smiling. Then, her voice became a little shaky, “He’s uh… certainly a sinner.”

Charlie grinned lopsidedly, “Yeah, he might be an, uh, adult entertainer but at least he wants to make a difference, right?”

“I suppose,” Vaggie hummed. When she looked up at Charlie’s face and saw the absolute joy beaming off her, her weariness instantly melted away. “You’ve done a real great job, you know that, hun?”

Charlie nodded and grabbed Vaggie’s hands, pulling away to look at her fully. “I couldn’t have done it without you, Vaggie. You’re the best partner I could ask for.”

They shared a soft, gentle kiss, the world around them fizzling away for a few moments as they embraced each other. 

Who knew what lay ahead for them in the future, but one thing was for certain. No one could deny how much they adored each other and how driven they were to secure their dream. 

 

---

 

“I love you,” Charlie said after a long day of trying to figure out exactly how they were supposed to redeem sinners. She was cuddled up beside Vaggie in bed, their hands interlocked next to them. Vaggie squeezed their hands together tightly. 

“I love you too, Charlie,” Vaggie murmured, pressing a kiss on Charlie’s shoulder. 

“More than anything?” Charlie asked, looking into Vaggie’s eye as though she held all the answers to all the questions in the universe. 

Vaggie nodded and rested her head against Charlie’s shoulder, closing her eyes.

“More than anything.”

Notes:

Woo! I'm so glad I finally finished this fic :D

I hope you enjoyed and comments are much appreciated!!

Did you notice the Lu Lu World scene had them in their outfits from the portrait seen in the pilot!! I've tried to include some easter eggs throughout this chapter so hopefully you've been able to find some!

Notes:

I was going to stagger uploading the chapters, but I've decided I'll give them a quick readover and post them all tonight! Please forgive any spelling errors, this has not been beta-read!!

Series this work belongs to:

• Part 5 of I'll shelter and adore you more than anything