Chapter Text
Asmodeus
“Bloody Hell Mate, why the f*ck would you say it like that!” Mammon chastised the Sin of Lust, who cringed as both the Sin of Greed and his niece screamed at him, the latter for clarification on what he’d said. Even Fizz had slapped his forehead frustratedly at his boyfriend’s choice in words. In hindsight, telling Charlie that she had killed Beelzebub with what she had told her, and they still didn’t know what that was exactly, was a terrible idea.
As for Beelzebub, who was still covered in green paint, the Deadly Sin had passed out and collapsed onto the floor, her back hitting the floor with a loud thunk. After doing so, everyone in the room had gone into panic mode after that. Vortex had laid her on the couch and was doing his best to try and wake her up to no avail. Although he was keeping his cool at the moment, the hellhound was a couple seconds away from visibly freaking out if his nervous energy was anything to go by. Though Bee had a pulse, it didn’t help the idea of her being dead given that her tongue was still lolling out of her mouth.
Meanwhile, Mammon was on the phone with Belphegor, calling their sister over to help wake up Bee, who for once wasn’t passed out due to drug use. It was a surprising form of initiative that Asmodeus hadn’t expected from Mammon, especially since not half an hour ago that Bee had broken his arm. Then again, for whatever reason, he and Beelzebub had a strange form of camaraderie that he didn’t know the origin of, so he supposed it made sense for him to at least get serious when something was wrong with her.
Lucifer, on the other hand, was sporting a bruised face, holding an ice pack against his forehead courtesy of Fizz as the king of Hell tried to recover after Beelzebub nearly killed him. Oh he loved his Fizzy Frog, but did he and Vortex really have to make fools of themselves in front of Luci like that earlier. Still looked adorable while doing it though.
Speaking of Lucifer, Asmodeus still had no sure idea why Beelzebub had tried to maim him. Bee had already been angry beforehand, but the rage she felt toward Lucifer as she turned his kitchen into a scene from an action movie was unlike what she had felt beating the crap out of Mammon. Whatever the reason, it had to do with Gabriel that was for sure.
As Asmodeus turned his attention back to Bee’s phone, he was caught off guard by an angry voice shouting at him through the other end, a voice that did not belong to Charlie.
“Why the f*ck would you tell Charlie she killed her aunt?” the agitated female yelled at him through the phone. The loudness of the voice caused Asmodeus to move the phone away from his ears for a brief moment, trying to stop the ringing in his ears, before pulling it back.
“Uhh, who is this?” Asmodeus questioned, not recognizing the voice and a little worried about the state of his niece.
“Answer the question, gallo de mierda,” the voice pressured him more directly, causing Ozzie to flinch at how forceful they were.
“A bad choice of words on my part,” Asmodeus sputtered, “Bee is fine, she just passed out after she heard whatever Charlie had to say to her. She’s been having a bit of a rough evening.” That was certainly an understatement, but from the looks of it Beelzebub had a slight air of tension with her all night.
“A bad choice of words,” a male voice chimed in, this one also unfamiliar. “My prima is literally breathing into a paper bag, you sex obsessed pendejo.” Asmodeus would have been insulted being called an asshole by some stranger if not for another word catching his ears. Prima, Ozzie realized. Isn’t that Spanish for… Wait. Suddenly, it hit Ozzie just what could have caused Beelzebub to literally pass out from stress. It shouldn’t have been possible. It really should not have been, but more crazy things had happened in Hell before than this. He released a tired sigh and pinched his brow, his two mane heads giving similarly annoyed expressions. How could this day get any more insane?
“Luci,” Asmodeus started, catching the king’s attention, “Open a portal to your daughter.”
“Uhm, why?” Lucifer questioned with uncertainty, flinching at a flare of pain.
“Just do it. You’ll understand why when you do.” Reluctantly, Lucifer waved a hand and a portal opened up in the middle of the kitchen. Everyone in the room, save for Beelzebub who was still unconscious, turned their attention to the portal and watched as three individuals stepped through one step at a time.
The first was Charlie, who from the moment she stepped through gasped at the chaos that was his kitchen before going to check on her father. The king did his best to assuage Charlie that he was fine and that he and the others had a bit of a spat. Charlie on the other hand, was too busy to listen as she took a handkerchief from her suit pocket and dabbed at his face. Even despite their rocky relationship, Charlie still cared for and adored her father. Asmodeus found it heartwarming.
The second individual, a Sinner if he had to guess (though she had a strange familiar aura he couldn’t place), wore a red polo shirt and black skirt. She had long gray hair and had a large X over her left eye. He likened it to the masks that the Exorcists wore when they came down to Pride every year to exterminate Sinners, and hellborn if Vortex’s claim was to be believed (which it obviously was). The Sinner gave him an angry scowl before comforting Charlie. Recognizing the loving gesture, Asmodeus realized that the Sinner was in fact Charlie’s girlfriend Vaggie (An odd name to say the least. Even Ozzie wouldn’t name someone that.), whom Lucifer had mentioned earlier.
The third individual, however, was the most surprising. He was a fox demon with pink eyes, blond fur and no facial markings on his face save for a red forehead mark similar to that of Bee’s own. He wore an orange polo and tan khakis as well as an aged brown fedora with gold rims on top of his head. Said head gave way to flowing brown curly hair that ended with a lava-like fluid similar to that flowing from Bee’s hair. These similarities were enough for Asmodeus to partially confirm that this individual was Gabriel, Beelzebub’s son. The young man stood awkwardly in the kitchen, rubbing his fingers together in what Asmodeus assumed was a nervous habit before his eyes laid on his mother. Well, he is quite handsome, Asmodeus noted. And a virgin. Oh I am helping this boy get it on. Bee be damned. Wait, does that sound wrong? Ok, maybe the kid was right about me being overly obsessed with sex.
“Mierda,” he mumbled before dashing over to where his mother was laying, doing a perfect slide onto his knees as he took in his mother’s prone form. Impressive, Asmodeus noted. He’s got skill and coordination. I wonder if it’s natural or if he was taught. I’m curious how it translates in bed.
“Is she alright?” Gabriel asked Vortex, his attention still on his mother. Vortex, caught off guard by the presence of the similarly appearing cambion, sputtered with his response.
“I–I mean, she’s breathing. She just passed out,” Vortex answered worriedly. Asmodeus noted how Vortex appeared to recognize Gabriel. He suspected from the hellhound’s reaction when Lucifer had called out Bee for her secret child that he was already aware of their existence. Though, that didn’t necessarily mean that Gabriel knew about Vortex. Yikes, this is going to get awkward once Bee wakes up.
“I got an idea,” Gabriel announced, his pointer finger sticking up in the air. Everyone stared in anticipation as they waited for Gabriel to give his so-called idea. “What’s her favorite dessert?” Everyone turned their heads sideways, crickets literally chirping in the silent background as they looked at Gabriel with confusion. You’ve got to be kidding me. He really is Bee’s kid if he’s thinking about food at a time like this.
“What, this ain’t the time to be eating,” Vortex commented with a hint of anger in his tone. The hellhound was becoming more irritated as the seconds passed and Asmodeus was worried that he might blow up at his potential step-son. Oh boy would that end well, Asmodeus thought sarcastically.
“Do you want her to wake up?” Gabriel asked bluntly. Vortex opened his mouth to argue but chose against it, his facial expression a morph between anger, confusion, and exhaustion.
“Peanut butter brownies with a caramel glaze,” Vortex sighed, just fed up with the day and wanting it to be over. Ozzie was sure everyone else could agree.
Asmodeus and the other Sins were left stunned as, with a flick of his fingers, Gabriel summoned an extra large brownie the size of Vortex’s head, catching it mid fall. Well if there was any doubt he was Bee’s son, it’s pretty much gone now, Asmodeus thought. It really shouldn’t have surprised him that the son of the Sin of Gluttony could create his own desserts out of thin air.
On the other hand, he was also a cambion, so there was some limit to whether or not he would have his mother’s powers. Oddly enough, Gabriel’s own aura wasn’t like that of a Sinner. In fact, his aura indicated that he was still human. How he looked like a demon then despite this, Asmodeus wasn’t sure. But he knew one thing. A long conversation was to be had about his existence.
He still couldn’t get over the fact that Beelzebub had kept the fact she had a kid from them. It genuinely hurt her not confiding in him or any of the other Sins about it. Even Mammon looked hurt by the fact she kept Gabriel (He needed context on why she named him that.) a secret. This wasn’t as surprising since Mammon did have a soft spot for Charlie, so it would make sense he would potentially have a similar one for Bee’s.
Actually, now that he thought about it, did Belphegor know? Someone had to have delivered that baby, and the only person that Bee would have trusted to do so would have been the Sin of Sloth given that she helped deliver Charlie. Oh she was also going to get a stern talking to by him, Mammon, and Levi and Satan.
Gabriel then proceeded to hold the dessert over his mother’s nose waving it like it was a treat for an expectant puppy. Honestly, Asmodeus wasn’t sure if such a thing was derogatory given that Bee was literally Queen of the Hellhounds. The look of offended exacerbation from Vortex didn’t help that thought either. However, it actually worked.
In an instant, Bee’s nose began to twitch, sniffing the brownie intensely, like that of a dog. I guess she isn’t Queen of the Hellhounds for nothing. Her eyes then popped open and Beelzebub leaped at the brownie and gobbled the entire thing in a couple bites. It would have been incredible to Ozzie had he not known who Bee was.
“Oh my honey, that is delish!” Beelzebub shouted with delight, not even phased from her unconsciousness from earlier. How did that even… Nope, not even going to think about it. Asmodeus was still staring, mouth agape at the sight as Beelzebub rubbed her stomach. “Oh Texxy, did I ever tell you that you make the best brownies ever?”
“Uh, Bee, that I didn’t make those,” Vortex told her awkwardly, noticing Gabriel’s eyes turning back and forth between the two, likely catching the nickname ‘Texxy’. Oh so he doesn’t know. Oh well this is going to be fun.
“Hey, Madre,” Gabriel said with an uncertain tone, eyebrows raised given his analysis of her and Vortex. Asmodeus made another note as he saw Gabriel’s ears twitching. He couldn't tell if it was anger, but it was at least annoyed given his aura.
“Oh, hey Baby Bee,” Beelzebub greeted, giving a short wave to her son with a carefree smile before turning back to her boyfriend. Then, like a switch was flipped, everyone in the room watched as Bee realized who it was she was talking to. And she flipped out.
“Oh my Dad!” Bee screamed, eyes bugging out of her head and her stomach and hair turning red. “Baby what happened? Oh Baby Bee, I’m so sorry!” Beelzebub was a blubbering mess as she tightly hugged her son who himself was confused about what was happening.
“Madre,” Gabriel began, voice tightened and uncomfortable sounding as he tried to shake himself out of his mother’s iron grip.
“Om goodness, your hand!” Beelzebub shouted, setting him down and grabbing his bandaged hand.
“Madre, it’s not–,” Gabriel started again, only to be drowned out by his mother’s sobbing.
“I wish I could have been there to stop you from dying. Oh Baby Bee I’m–”
“Madre, I didn’t die!” Gabriel managed to shout, startling his mother who, after registering what he had said, became confused.
“What?” she asked slowly, unsure if she should believe him or not. To be fair to her, Asmodeus too wasn’t sure if he should believe him or not. “But you’re, and you look just like…”
“Well, the red blood on my hand would disagree with whatever reasoning is going on in that head of yours,” Gabriel pointed out, waving his bandaged hand for her and everyone else to see. Asmodeus leaned forward, eyes squinting, to get a closer look. Through it he could spot a few specks of bright red blood that bled through the bandage. Huh, would you look at that, Asmodeus realized , it is red. He really is still alive.
“Oh yeah,” Bee mumbled, feeling embarrassed by her freak out, ears wilting to reflect her emotions. “But wait, why do you look like a demon, like me?”
“I have an idea as to why, but I need you to open a portal back to my apartment in order to test it,” he told her.
She pulled out an Asmodean crystal from her pocket. Asmodeus recognized it as the one he had gifted her years ago. The orange crystal glowed brightly before it zapped a portal into existence. The Sin of Lust squirmed as he felt the raw power coming from his own crystal, feeling its incredible aura oozing through his body majestically.
As Gabriel stepped through the portal, the other demons in the room were left stunned as the cambion’s appearance changed to that of a regular human. His muzzle turned to a human mouth, the fox ears on his head disappeared and gave way to the regular lobes on the side of his head, and his fur gave way to smooth tanned skin. Asmodeus couldn’t deny that for a human, Gabriel looked stunning. So how is this boy a virgin? I still cannot get over that.
The demons further stared in amazement, some of them laughing, as Gabriel stuck a hand back out toward them, it changing into a clawed paw. Gabriel himself appeared to be having fun with it as well. He tried the same thing with his head, magically changing into a fox head in the blink of an eye. Asmodeus thought it was silly, but in its own humorous way.
Though that raised the question of how Gabriel ended up in Hell in the first place. Had he stumbled through a portal made by one of his succubi, or had he teleported himself there. The fact that Beelzebub had been surprised by his appearance implied that she had no prior knowledge as well, which further clouded the answers to his question. He was sure he would find the answers eventually. For now though, there was the issue with his transformation abilities.
Asmodeus had never seen it himself before, but he now knew for sure what was going on. Looking over to Mammon, Lucifer, and Beelzebub, they too gave him a nod as all of them were thinking the same thing. The magical auras between Earth, Heaven, and Hell were vastly different from each other. Obviously, Gabriel was of both Earth and Hell, so his morphology must be able to shift between that of the two environments, shifting his appearance to accommodate them. It was the most logical explanation that any of them could come up with anyway.
Mammon, meanwhile, had a particular look in his eyes as he watched the spectacle before him, the kind that said he had a new way of making money. He heard the jester dressing Sin mumbling about a new magic mirror that allowed demons to see what they were like if they were human. Probably not a terrible idea, Asmodeus thought. Especially for those demons not capable of doing magic on their own like imps.
Eventually, Gabriel finished with his testing of his hypothesis, having found enough evidence to prove it true and stepped back through before Bee closed it. However, as Gabriel readjusted himself, his facial expression had become irritated.
“Everything good?” Asmodeus asked.
“There’s something on my back whenever I’m in this form and it’s driving me crazy.” Gabriel turned around to face them. As he did, Asmodeus in fact did notice a small flapping shape on Gabriel’s back through his shirt. Before he could say anything though, Gabriel proceeded to take his shirt off, revealing a furry chest that had Asmodeus’ mouth drop. Muscled arms and a six pack. Those women have to be idiots if they aren’t flocking to that.
Most notable however was a long scar that ran down the center of his chest, bare of any fur. The fact that the fur hadn’t grown over it implied that it was a particularly deep wound when it was inflicted. The lack of surprise on Bee’s face as he turned to her implied that she knew what it was. Whatever it was, it had to have hurt that’s for sure.
Though as Gabriel’s back turned to him, he finally noticed what it was that was bothering his nephew. Fluttering on his back were two pairs of tiny, clear bee-like wings.
“Blimey, the bugger’s literally a bugger,” Mammon noted with a chuckle.
“What?” Gabriel asked, turning to Mammon, facing morphing into shock as he stared up at his much larger uncle. Asmodeus realized that Gabriel likely hadn’t been paying too much attention to them, more focused on his mother and his body. The boy must feel like a fly against a prey mantis, Asmodeus cracked mentally.
“Gabe, you have little insect wings on your back,” Charlie cooed, finding the similarity between mother and son adorable. Beelzebub seemed to agree, finally picking up on how much her son resembled her and, eyes wide with motherly love, was taking several photos from her phone.
“Wait, seriously?” Gabriel asked for confirmation. Charlie walked over to him and took a picture of his back before showing him it. Gabriel’s mouth dropped, eyes widening, as he let out a gasp at the sight of the new appendages.
“Eso es increíble,” he whispered softly. He smiled as he fluttered his wings, attempting to use them and even managing to gain some air off the ground. The group of demons watched as Gabriel flew up into the air, chuckling as he tried to keep balance. Unfortunately, this wouldn’t last as Gabriel, who was still inexperienced with his wings, lost control and fell. Before he hit the ground, Bee flew up and caught him midfall.
“Careful, Baby Bee,” Beelzebub scolded in a motherly tone. “You only just found out you had those wings. Last thing we need is you getting hurt again.”
“Yes, Madre,” Gabriel groaned uncomfortably, not used to being doted on by his mother. Asmodeus and the others found it humorous. Setting him down, Gabriel stretched his arms and took a breath. Since Bee had woken up, the tension in the room had been nonexistent. This however, much to everyone’s detriment, this wouldn’t last as Gabriel, who had put his shirt back on, asked a more pertinent question.
“So, who is he?” Gabriel asked, calling back to his earlier analysis of the pair. Beelzebub and Vortex froze at the question, the former becoming nervous as she looked at her boyfriend, who was surprised by the question. Yep, Bee did not tell Gabriel about Vortex, and she did not tell Vortex that she didn’t tell Gabriel. Here we go, Asmodeus sighed.
“This is Vortex,” Beelzebub introduced, pointing to her boyfriend, who gave an awkward wave. “He’s my boyfriend.” The silence following her statement was severely noticeable, with no one able to figure out what to say next. Gabriel for his part, was calm about the admission, at least that was how it seemed anyway.
“Ok,” Gabriel replied, eye twitching ever so slightly, but enough for anyone to recognize that he was not exactly happy at the announcement. Beelzebub winced at his response, appearing guilty for how the truth had been sprung on him so suddenly.
“I’m just…going to go get some fresh air,” Gabriel announced, pointing over to the kitchen doors before walking away without a word. Truth be told, Asmodeus couldn’t tell if Gabriel was upset about the fact that his mother had a boyfriend that wasn’t his father (who Asmodeus needed to know more about to see how he wooed his sister), or if he was just overwhelmed and needed time to process it. Hopefully the latter, as the pitiful expression from Beelzebub at her son’s closed off response was heartbreaking.
The Sin of Gluttony reached out a hand as she began to follow after her son, only to be stopped by her boyfriend who shook his head at her, telling her silently that the boy needed space. Stepping through the doorway, Gabriel didn’t bother to look back as he let the doors shut softly behind him, the final sound before silence being that of the click of the doors. As they shut, the Sin of Gluttony felt a small flurry of tears run down her face as she sobbed into her boyfriend’s chest. To the world, it looked like she had lost the most important thing in the world to her. Granted, they all knew that Gabriel just needed space for a moment, but with how the night had gone, Ozzie couldn’t blame her for breaking down again. Waiting is the hardest part after all.
“That could have been worse,” Fizzarolli stated, breaking his previous silence and wanting to dissolve the tension.
“Yeah,” Mammon agreed, boasting an unusual amount of concern again, “At least the little bugger didn’t cuss you out Sheila.”
“I’m sure he’s not angry about you two,” Charlie comforted, placing a hand on her aunt’s shoulder.
“He’s just, had a bit of rough night to say the least,” Vaggie added, knowingly. Asmodeus wanted to ask her just what had made his night rough but chose against it. Something tells me that I do not want any context.
“Tell you what, Aunty Bee,” Charlie began, causing Beelzebub to stop crying for a moment. Charlie had put on a smile, albeit a nervous one, to keep things positive. “How about we go check up on him? Right, Dad, Uncle Ozzie and Mam?”
The trio looked at each other, before nodding their heads. Once again that night, Asmodeus and Mammon were in agreement on something. Personally, Asmodeus couldn’t believe it given the last couple weeks of harassment from Mammon. It was almost like Beelzebub had scared him into a parallel universe.
“Uhm, yeah, just to make sure he’s okay,” Asmodeus responded, scratching his neck. “Besides, the last thing we want is him getting lost in my tower. Lots of things he’s probably going to get uncomfortable around if you know what I mean.” Well that and it will allow me and Mammon the opportunity to meet our nephew. Gabriel had been so focused on his mother and her boyfriend that he had paid very little attention to him, Mammon, and Lucifer. It was long overdue for the trio and the rest of the Sins for that matter to get to know and spend time with Gabriel.
Plus, he had to make up for how that initial phone call had gone. Though there were definitely a few rooms within his tower that a human like Gabriel would find appalling and a bit disturbing. If he was going to become Gabriel’s favorite uncle, he was going to have to keep him far away from those rooms.
Fizzarolli stretched his arms and climbed atop Ozzie’s shoulders and nuzzled into his boyfriend’s plumage, a gesture Ozzie very much needed in order to recharge his head. As they made their way to follow Gabriel, they were halted by a voice from behind.
“Lucifer, stay,” Beelzebub told him, the king of Hell freezing nervously, especially after the previous beating he had sustained from her. “I need to talk to you.” Lucifer released an audible gulp of fear at her serious tone, praying to his father that Bee didn’t try and kill him again.
“You all go ahead,” he chuckled anxiously, leaning on his cane for support.
“You sure, dad?” Charlie asked, picking up on her father’s anxiety.
“Don’t worry, Charlie,” Lucifer promised her with an encouraging smile. “I’ll be fine. Beelzebub and I need to have a long overdue conversation.” At this, Beelzebub gave Lucifer a dark glare, further emphasized by the dark tear marks and messy make-up around her eyes. Oh, I hope that Beelzebub doesn’t kill him. Charlie is not ready for leadership of all of Hell and Satan would probably militarize the whole seven rings, Asmodeus anguished. Vortex meanwhile was looking at his girlfriend with concern, also hoping that Bee didn’t go too far. Hopefully, he could keep her from doing so. If not…whatever force out there, please help Hell.
Nevertheless, Asmodeus took the risk and bade the trio farewell, he, Fizz, Mammon, Charlie, and Vaggie following Gabriel out of the kitchen. A kitchen that he just remembered that he would need to renovate.
One problem at a time, Asmodeus, he told himself. I just hope that Bee doesn’t destroy it anymore than she already has, if that’s possible.
. . .
Beelzebub
Beelzebub was tired. So tired, really. And the day had been going so well too, with having met the absolutely adorable Fizzarolli and enjoying a delicious dinner prepared by Asmodeus. She had been relying on it to be the one positive of the week aside from the short texts with Gabriel. First, Mammon showed up and pulled a prank on her at the worst possible time and ruined her dress. That had been an absolute travesty that she hadn’t been prepared for, but at least she had been able to take out some of her anger, even if that meant scaring the crap out of Ozzie and Mammon while also beating up the latter.
Next, Lucifer showed up, which was certainly unexpected given he rarely ever came out of his castle nowadays. While it was nice to see him in a good mood and hear that Charlie was doing well, nothing could have prepared her for what came next. The King of Hell basically confirmed to her that all of her fears about his reaction to Gabriel's existence were for nothing as he was actually excited to meet her son. That wasn’t mentioning that he had known about Gabriel the entire time as well. Beelzebub had been so enraged by that fact that she had lost her sh*t and tried to kill Lucifer in a heat of passion.
And just when things were looking up with a call from Charlie, bless her heart, she passed out after learning from Charlie that Gabriel was in Hell and falsely assuming he died. Thank goodness she had assumed wrong, and that he wasn’t actually dead. Granted, this still raised the question of how he was in Hell in the first place, though Bee suspected the cause of it.
She had seen from her limited interactions with Death that he was capable of traveling long distances through the shadows, so it was very likely that Gabriel had accidentally tapped into those abilities when he was thinking about Hell. Oh, she wondered how the other Sins would react when they learned just who Gabriel’s grandfather was. She especially wanted to hear Satan’s reaction given that the Sin of Wrath had once lost an arm wrestling match to the Horsem*n and had been wanting a rematch ever since. Bee recalled all of those years back when she had warned Manny about any potential powers that Gabriel might have growing up. She had never stopped to consider what powers he might inherit from his grandfather.
Speaking of powers, Beelzebub was pleasantly surprised to learn that Gabriel had inherited a demon form similar to her own, coming with lava lamp hair and two pairs of insectoid wings matching her own. The primary difference, however, was that he had not inherited her lava lamp stomach, which could easily be framed as a positive. It was certainly weird to be thinking about it, but those abs were exquisite. She was sure that Loona would be drooling at the sight of them.
Not only that, but Gabriel too had inherited her ability to make food. Although she hadn’t had time to dwell on it with him in Asmodeus’ abode, she was nevertheless proud of her son for seemingly gaining quick mastery of a skill that took her decades to gain control of. She could recall all of the failed attempts she had made when she first discovered her new power after being cast into Hell. To say that they had all ended in inedible messes would have been understating it. So for her to taste one of his own creations, and for it to taste so good for that matter, was so uplifting.
Of course, she didn’t have time to dwell on it when the next curveball came for her mental health. Beelzebub had wanted to tell Gabriel about Vortex when they next saw each other in person. She had wanted to break it to him gently that she was seeing someone else in the hopes that he would take it well. The gravity of his appearance hadn’t even hit her until he asked who Vortex was. Of course she had to introduce Vortex like this. Of course her luck would be sh*tty. She just didn’t expect Gabriel’s reaction to hurt so much. Sure it wasn’t nearly as explosive as she expected it to be thankfully, but that didn’t mean it didn’t hurt like hell. And as much as she wanted to run after Gabriel, she needed Tex to remind her to give Gabriel some space. So much for things going great between us. And on top of that, he got hurt again. I feel like no matter what I do, I’ll never be able to help him.
At the very least, she was grateful that Gabriel had made it to Charlie safely with only a minor injury, and that she had the others to help talk to Gabriel. It wasn’t how she wanted to introduce him to them, Beelzebub was certainly expecting them to give her a verbal reeming pretty soon anyways, but what happened had happened.
Now though, she had more pressing issues, like talking with Lucifer. She had been dreading this conversation for a quarter of a century, and now it was finally happening. How it would go was anyone’s guess, but she was tired all the same. When she had visualized it previously, Beelzebub had imagined herself bloodied and bruised, her son behind her, as she stood up to Lucifer. Of course, now Lucifer was the one bloodied and bruised and her son was in another room dealing with the revelation that her mother was in a relationship with someone that wasn’t his father. This was on top of the fact that Lucifer didn’t care about his existence at all, but that's besides the point. She was in uncharted territory and Beelzebub didn’t know how to proceed.
With Charlie and the others having left to talk to Gabriel, it was just her, Vortex, and Lucifer in Ozzie’s destroyed kitchen. In retrospect, Beelzebub felt guilty having destroyed it in her rampage. She made a mental note to herself to pay Ozzie back for the repairs to it. Standing next to her by the kitchen counter holding one of her hands comfortingly. Lucifer meanwhile was on the opposite end of the counter, standing about nervously.
Summoning a bottle of wine, Beelzebub popped the cork and guzzled the contents of the bottle down in one gulp. Instead of adding to the clutter on the floor, Beelzebub instead chose to simply set the bottle on the counter.
“Can I uhm, have a sip?” Lucifer asked from behind, using his cane as a walking stick to stand up. She had really laid into him hadn’t she. She wanted to tell him to f*ck off, but she was too tired to be angry. Instead, she gave into the request and summoned a bottle in front of the fallen angel. Lucifer fumbled a bit before clumsily catching it in his hand. He proceeded to take a slower sip of the alcoholic beverage, enjoying its taste succulently.
“So that was something,” Lucifer stated, his expression becoming sympathetic. “I know that it isn’t easy getting into arguments with your kid,” he added.
“And you would know?” Vortex asked sarcastically on Bee’s behalf. While Bee was flattered, she didn’t want her boyfriend to get in between her and Lucifer. Lucifer however, didn’t seem to mind.
“I would actually,” he sighed, looking at Vortex and Bee with confidence before looking off into nothing. “I always did my best to help raise Charlie as she grew up. I loved watching her every milestone, her becoming a proud, independent woman.” Lucifer smiled as he recalled raising Charlie. Bee could only scowl. At least you got to watch her grow up. How dare you compare yourself to me? She was about to say something when he continued, his sharp toothed smile morphing into a frown.
“But as she did, I started to see how much like the old me she was. The old me who flew through the stars and dreamt such big ideas. As she grew older, I…I began to grow distant from her because I was too terrified to watch her be broken down like I was.” Lucifer wilted as he poured his own fears and insecurities to Beelzebub. As much as she disliked Lucifer at the moment, she herself felt understanding of his plight. She knew full well how amazing it had been in Heaven, albeit a bit restricting, and when they had all been cast out it was like a gut punch.
“And then when Lilith left,” Lucifer stuttered, his breath hitched, “It only got worse from there.” Beelzebub frowned sympathetically at Lucifer. It had really been a surprise when Lilith left, so shocking that none of them had been able to comprehend it. Lucifer and Lilith were the ‘power couple’ after all, the ones who everyone looked to model themselves after. Much as Beelzebub hated to admit it at the moment, she and the others hadn’t done enough to be there for Lucifer after Lilith left. Looking back on Lucifer’s behaviors, Beelzebub was becoming more and more aware of the signs of chronic depression laced within them. The hopeless pessimism, loss of interest in Charlie, and other things were fairly obvious. It didn’t change what had happened, but it made him more sympathetic.
“These last few months though, I feel like I’ve grown so much more closer with her than before. Sure we’ve had our ups and downs along the way, but we’ve managed to keep our bond strong by listening to each other, by talking to each other. I know things seem bleak now, but I promise you that things will work out between you two.” Lucifer gave her a sincere smile as he finished his monologue. Beelzebub was still mad at him, sure, but hearing him provide her his own words of encouragement dulled out the part of her that wanted to kill him. He always did have a way with words.
“You’re just saying all that so that I don’t beat your ass again,” she responded, looking away from Lucifer so as to not show that she felt his words. Lucifer chuckled at her response.
“Doesn’t mean what I said isn’t true,” he said before taking another sip from his wine bottle. “Speaking of which, I think I know why but, just for clarification, could you explain to me why you decided to try and kill me.” Beelzebub glared at Lucifer intently before replacing it with a tired gaze. She was too tired to be angry.
“Let’s just say that up until a week ago, me and Gabriel were estranged,” she told him honestly. Lucifer’s eyes widened in disbelief at the admission
“Oh…well f*ck,” he responded quietly. Beelzebub leaned over the counter and covered her face in annoyance, releasing an upset sigh.
“I never got to watch him grow up,” Beelzebub recounted. “I could only watch from afar, hoping that I could find a way to get close to him. I missed so much of his life, and he was robbed of me, Lucifer.” Beelzebub wished so much that things had been different. Hearing Gabriel admit how much her not being there for him was a stab to the heart for her. Lucifer for his part, looked away guilty, clutching the top of his cane for comfort.
“I’m sorry,” Lucifer murmured pitifully, taking into account what his mistakes had wrought. “When I made that rule I…There’s really nothing I can say to make up for what you gave up because of me,” he sighed guiltily. It wasn’t supposed to be this simple. Beelzebub hated the fact that he seemed to take responsibility for the fear he inadvertently induced into her. Why did he have to be regretful? It would be so easy to put it on him if he fought back. It hit Beelzebub that she had forgotten how reasonable Lucifer actually was compared to what her fears led her to assume. My fears.
“It’s not all on you,” Beelzebub admitted, Lucifer looking up in surprise. “I’ve got my own issues and, more than anything, I let my own fears get in the way. I could have just said screw it and helped his father raise him up on Earth, but I didn't.”
“Because it’s easier to use you as a scapegoat than admit that I’m terrified of being a mother.” That was the truth and Bee knew it. “I’m sorry.” Beelzebub leaned into her boyfriend, who had been watching the conversation between the two with worry and anticipation, and allowed herself to be hugged by him. Lucifer looked away in thought and pity before turning back to her.
“Well, for what it’s worth, I’m terrified of being a father too, so you’re not alone in feeling the way you do,” Lucifer comforted softly. Beelzebub glanced at Lucifer, taking his words into consideration. It was true wasn’t it. They really weren’t that different in their circ*mstances were they.
“I guess so, Luci,” Beelzebub agreed, finding solace in the similarity. “Maybe we could work together. Ya know, offer advice when the time arises.”
“I think I would like that, Bee,” Lucifer agreed with a smile. “To parents trying their best,” Lucifer toasted, raising his bottle to her. Rolling her eyes humorously, Beelzebub picked up her own bottle and clinked it against Lucifer’s in jest.
“And doing our best to not screw it up, often,” Beelzebub added with a chuckle.
The two fallen angels looked at each other like two old friends, a scene that hadn’t happened in a long while. And truthfully, Beelzebub missed it. She missed the other Sins. She missed her family. She missed these little moments of camaraderie between her and Lucifer as well. After she fell, Lucifer and Lilith had been her rock, her guides to finding herself again, her siblings in their weird and unconventionally damned family. It was nice to feel like that again.
“By the way, why did you–” Lucifer began to ask.
Knowing what he was going to ask, Beelzebub interrupted him and said, “His father, Manny, wanted to name him after his late great uncle of the same name.”
“Got it. Was wondering if you had gone crazy.”
“Honestly, I think I already have,” Beelzebub laughed.
“How do you think Gabriel is doing with his uncles?” Lucifer asked, turning to the kitchen door.
“No idea, I just hope Ozzie isn’t harassing him with offers of helping him out in ‘the game’,” Beelzebub emphasized with air quotes.
“Oh dear mercy, I remember when Charlie told me about how he tried something similar with her,” Lucifer recounted, shaking his head in annoyance. “Gave her a PowerPoint presentation on safe sex, consent, and sexual positions to say the least. You name it, he talked about it.”
“Oh the poor girl,” Beelzebub bantered, finding humor in how unsurprising the revelation was.
“That’s insane,” Vortex guffawed, “Who would think any of that would be a good idea?”
“Asmodeus would, that’s who. I love the guy and I know he loves Charlie, but come on. My little girl did not need to know what a ‘Filthy Sanchez’ was and neither did I,” Lucifer shivered.
“A what?” Vortex questioned perplexedly.
“Trust me, you don’t want to know,” Lucifer responded. “All I’m going to say about it is that humans can be disgusting.”
“Tell me about it,” Beelzebub jested in kind, recalling a time when she accidentally stumbled upon an online Earth forum where people placed food in places that weren't their mouths. Seriously, humans are basically Rule 34 incarnate.
“And what about Mammon?” Vortex asked.
“Eh, I’m not worried about him,” Beelzebub shrugged. “The way he adores Charlie, I know he’ll be fine. The worst he could do would be offering Gabe business advice, which my son sure as sh*t wouldn’t take if he’s anything like me.”
“How Mammon makes any money the way he treats his employees I will never understand,” Lucifer cracked. “I wonder if Belphegor is here yet,” Lucifer spoke aloud.
“Bel’s coming?” Beelzebub queried with surprise. She hadn’t expected her sister to be coming over. When had she decided on that?
“You passed out earlier, remember,” Lucifer reminded her. “We wanted to be sure it wasn’t anything serious.” Beelzebub blushed red, remembering her reaction earlier.
“I did, didn't I. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize girl,” Vortex told her, giving her a peck on the cheek. “You’ve been stressed out a lot lately, especially with what you got tomorrow.”
“What’s tomorrow?” Lucifer queried curiously. Beelzebub glanced over at Lucifer, recalling another one of the reasons why she had been peeved at him.
“Well, Luci, you know how serious I am about hellhound rights,” Beelzebub started.
“Yeah,” Lucifer responded with uncertainty, not knowing where the conversation was going.
“Well, for the last few centuries, I’ve been trying to gain a meeting over there to gain a foothold in hellhound adoption in the Pride ring.” It had been a long time coming and the stress of it all was starting to get to her for sure. “I finally managed to have a meeting scheduled at the Hellhound Foundation for tomorrow. I’ve come to reasonably suspect that they aren’t treating the kids that end up there humanely and I want to put a stop to it.” Beelzebub said the last part with unbridled certainty. She was sick and tired of watching her people be taken advantage of by people who couldn’t care less about their feelings.
“I didn’t know about any of that,” Lucifer admitted, scratching his neck anxiously. Beelzebub wanted to be surprised by the admission, but she couldn’t be.
“Really, because I’ve been trying to bring it up with you for a while now.” Lucifer blanched at her accusation, fiddling with his cane as he tried to come up with a reasonable response. “Do you even check your messages?”
“I was not aware of that, either. I’m starting to realize that I may need to hire assistants to handle my incoming messages,” he admitted guiltily.
“Probably, or maybe just answer my calls instead of working on your ducks as I hear you like to do,” Beelzebub joked sarcastically. Seriously, from what she had heard, the fallen angel had an entire mountain of rubber ducks lying all over his palace. If he were human, he would likely end up on one of those hoarding shows that Hollywood likes to take advantage of people for.
“Hey, those ducks have names,” Lucifer defended passionately, pulling out a rubber duck with a top hat and monocle. “Take Sir Quackington for example, Isn't he just so precious. Or better yet,” Lucifer added, before pulling out a rubber duck in a spiked jacket with a scar over its left eye and handing it over to Vortex. Beelzebub screeched in delight at the sight of it. It was so adorable. Okay, now I can see the appeal.
“Did you seriously make a rubber duck of me?” Vortex asked with surprise, not expecting the gift from the King of Hell, and neither did Bee. It implied that he had known about her and Vortex prior to tonight. A part of her wanted to be nervous about it, but she couldn’t help but feel excited over the rubber duckling.
“Of course, we’re practically family at this point, uh Vortex wasn’t it?” Lucifer asked anxiously. Vortex nodded his head before Lucifer continued, “And I make rubber ducks for everyone I care about.” Vortex and Bee’s eyes widened at this comment. Bee hadn’t expected that reply from Lucifer.
After all, she and Vortex weren’t even married. Yet , a voice in her head added, causing Bee to briefly blush. She pushed the thought away, not wanting to think about that at the moment. Nevertheless, Beelzebub’s heart warmed knowing Lucifer at least supported her and Vortex’s relationship.
“Oh I love it, Luci,” Beelzebub chirped, briefly forgetting what she was talking about earlier. “Look Vortex, now we both have one.” Beelzebub pulled out her phone and showed Vortex a picture of a similar duck, one with pink eyes and flowy pink and blue hair on its head.
“But seriously, do you need me to show up?” Lucifer asked again, pulling everyone back to the conversation.
“Would you?” Beelzebub asked. She was hopeful that this wasn’t a dream, that Lucifer actually wanted to help her with this. It was surprising since Lucifer rarely ever took charge over his rule. His relationship with Charlie really changed him. Bless that girl with all her heart.
“Of course,” Lucifer confirmed. “Since rekindling things with Charlie, I’ve been meaning to get back in touch with the people of Pride, and with you guys for that matter too. If this helps with that, then I’ll gladly help you.” Beelzebub found herself tearing up at Lucifer’s promise to her. She couldn’t help but leap onto him and hug the fallen angel. Lucifer, initially fearful after earlier, leaned into the hug awkwardly.
‘Thanks, Luci,” she muttered happily.
After the awkward hug was finished, Lucifer spent the next fifteen minutes asking Beelzebub and Vortex about their relationship. Beelzebub was happy to humor him, providing her own fun little spin on the tail while Vortex offered his own corrections and explanations when Beelzebub spun the truth a bit, mostly just to save herself from embarrassment much to her chagrin.
Regardless, Beelzebub enjoyed the moment. What was supposed to be a draining conversation had turned out to be an emotionally uplifting discussion between two parents trying to make up with their adult children. It was a turn of events that Beelzebub was eternally grateful for. Plus, she had the full go ahead with Lucifer tomorrow’s plan. That was another load of stress off her back.
Eventually, however, Beelzebub realized that Gabriel and the others had been gone for a long time. She was concerned that something had gone wrong.
“We should probably check up on them,” Beelzebub said, motioning over to the kitchen doors. “Make sure they aren’t overloading him.”
“Oh come on, if he’s your kid, then he’s fine, probably anyways,” Vortex joshed, ignoring her glare at him saying ‘probably’.
“Yeah, Bee, listen to your boyfriend,” Lucifer added with a smirk, “Let him spend some time with his uncles. Meanwhile, you can discuss with me what your plans for the wedding are.”
“Wedding,” Beelzebub blurted in shock. “I mean, I…I love Vortex I–I do. Not that I wouldn’t marry him. I totally would, I–.” As Beelzebub rambled, Lucifer burst into laughter, holding his chest as he released the last of his guffaws.
Unbeknownst to Bee, Vortex himself was blushing from Lucifer’s tease, though for a very different reason. She didn’t know it, but the hellhound had been also thinking deeply about their future, and had already taken a major step toward guaranteeing it. Beelzebub, unaware of these plans, eventually stopped her rambling, calming down and giving Lucifer a playful punch to his shoulder.
“Alright, fine,” Lucifer relented, still giggling from Bee’s freak out, “Let’s go check on them.” With that, the trio walked away from the kitchen counter and out into the hallway. Beelzebub marched nervously down the hall to catch up with the others, Vortex and Lucifer not far behind. Oh, I hope Gabriel is doing okay.
. . .
Gabriel
Gabriel stared blankly into the lit room, disbelief written across his expression as he tried to process what it was he was seeing. Nonchalantly, he shut the door and leaned against it, confused as to what he’d seen. Suddenly, he burst into a fit of giggles that he covered with his mouth.
“Why were there dild*s popping out of everything?” he asked aloud, still giggling at the sight of a dild* popping up and down from the center of a lamp shade. “Mierda, I needed that.” Gabriel released a sigh, continuing his trek down the hallway.
For someone’s personal home, the hallway felt more akin to an office building, with benches lining the walls and plants placed periodically along them at intervals. The floor held a long red fancy rug along the floor as well. The walls were decorated with designs of gears, red drapes tied at the center hanging along them. He soon reached a circular room with a glass elevator at the center. Above, hung various purple-lighted lamps connected to a single fixture, a chandelier. Looking over the railing, Gabriel awed at how deep the elevator tunnel went. It occurred to Gabriel then and there that he was in a tower, a very tall one at that.
It kind of reminds me of the elevator room within the Hive facility from Resident Evil 2, Gabriel thought. Though more regal. Still dope though, I liked that game.
Matter of fact, however, where was he to begin with? He hadn’t had time to ask given his mother had all but passed out on him and Charlie. He knew that he was still in Hell, but where in Hell was he, and who’s home was this. He guessed that this home was one of his uncle’s. Oh sh*t, this is my uncle’s home. When the portal had opened, he had followed Charlie and Vaggie through it blindly to find a destroyed kitchen and several demons within.
Two of the demons were ginormous in terms of height, towering over Gabriel and making him nervous as a result. The first one, a tall demon in a fancy suit and red tophat, had two feathers (one red and the other white) flowing from the top of his head. He had green eyes and a blue fiery mane with two drama mask heads within it. The second one with white skin and green eyes and teeth, wore a green jester costume with dollar signs hanging from the cap. Like his mother, he also had four arms, though one of them was in a cast and he looked beat up. The former, he assumed, was the one who had taken his mother’s phone, his uncle Asmodeus and the Sin of Lust. The latter, based on the dollar signs, Gabriel assumed to be his uncle Mammon, the Sin of Greed.
Aside from them, there were four other demons in the room. The person Charlie ran to to check up on as they entered, Gabriel believed was his uncle Lucifer, who also looked like he had been through Hell (pun intended). He wore a torn up white suit and had blond hair and white skin with rosy red cheeks like Charlie. The man also had a cane with a golden apple on the helm. He was…shorter than Gabriel expected him to be. How is it that the so-called ‘most evil person in the world’ is so short? He’s got to be what, five foot two, maybe less?
Next to the king of Hell was another demon, this one in a black tank top with a heart design and cargo pants. He was the same height as Lucifer and wore a jester cap over his head. His body was a mismatch of white with red splotches here and there, with a red spot over his nose. Gabriel was curious what kind of demon he was as he’d never seen one like him before. Then again, he didn’t know much about the populace of Hell to begin with.
The last two demons were his mother and a tall, dark-furred hellhound with a scar over his left eye. His mother, who was passed out on the couch, had been his main priority as soon as he saw her. He slid down to check up on her, ignoring everyone else around him. Though as he inspected her, Gabriel noticed the way the male hellhound, Vortex as his mother would soon tell him, cared for her.
He noticed the worry in his eyes, the way he held tightly onto her hands, and the way his ears wilted at her unconscious state, like a puppy concerned over their owner. It was likely a demeaning comparison, but it was the only one Gabriel could come up with on the fly. The hellhound clearly cared deeply for Beelzebub, and Gabriel suspected he knew why. Of course, he didn’t want to think about that when his mother was unconscious.
While trying to figure out how to wake her up, Gabriel had thought back to last Sunday when he was talking with his mother. She had dropped a tidbit about herself that, being the foodie that she was, she could smell something delicious even in her sleep. Granted, Gabriel had been unsure if this was a joke or not, but his mother was magic by nature so there had been the possibility that she was being serious. Plus, pouring water over her face was rude, so it was better going with the dessert option than that.
At the very least, it also allowed him to practice his new magical abilities. He still couldn’t believe that he had magical powers in the first place. It was so surreal since he had never experienced them until now. That wasn’t mentioning the wings that came with his new form. Seriously, that was awesome. When he was a kid, Gabe had fantasies about being able to fly like a superhero, and now he was living those fantasies. Though given his failed attempt earlier, he could use some practice with them. He was probably going to need to get a new set of clothes for when he was in Hell so that his wings weren’t covered. Or could mom just curse my clothing so that they change with my form. That would be awesome.
Unfortunately, his amazement at his newfound abilities would be short-lived when his now awake mother introduced the hellhound as her boyfriend. If Gabriel was being honest, he didn’t care all that much that his mother had a boyfriend. Yes, it was weird to see his mother with someone that wasn’t his mother, but then it wasn’t like he ever had memories of his mother with his father. It just caught him completely off guard as she had never mentioned her having a boyfriend.
He wasn’t angry at her, but after the long evening he had, Gabriel needed time to process all of it before he exploded. He wished he had his earbuds on him. At least with music he could process everything better. Did he feel guilty for leaving his mother like that, especially given how upset she seemed? Yes, but what was he supposed to do? There were so many thoughts going through his head and he needed some space to process them. Which was what led him to this elevator chamber, leaning over the railing as he looked into the depths below.
Soon, however, Gabriel’s ears twitched at the sound of the elevator coming up. As it reached its destination, Gabriel could make out the person within. The demon in question, a woman if he had to guess from her poofy burgundy hair that was tied in a ponytail. She was goat-like in appearance, with long ears, black horns, and hooved hands and feet, as well as with a goat-like muzzle. She also had a candle with a purple flame sticking from the top of her head. Said goat demoness was wearing black sweatpants and a doctor’s coat over a blue sweater. A doctor. Didn’t realize they’d called one.
She looked like she was in a hurry as she stormed past Gabriel without even noticing him, or at least that’s what he initially thought before she stopped dead in her tracks. Slowly, the demoness turned around to face him, walking toward him and placing her hands on him, inspecting Gabriel like he were on show. Gabriel could only stand there awkwardly as she raised him arms and cupped his face, getting a look at every part of him.
“You’re Gabriel, aren’t you?” she asked as she finished her inspection of him.
“Si,” he replied anxiously, put off by being treated like a lab subject, “I’m guessing you’re here to see mi Madre. She’s awake now, so you don’t have to worry.” At the mention of his mother, the demoness released a sigh of relief.
“Well, that’s a relief. Still going to have to give her a check-up though.”
“Should I know you?” he asked, to which she gave a small laugh.
“I mean you should, I’m the one who helped deliver you.”
“Oh,” he mumbled. Oh wait. “Tía Bel. It’s nice to finally meet you. My Madre mentioned you when we last talked.” His mother had given Gabriel a quick rundown of each of his aunts and uncles when they talked. For Belphegor, his mother had told him that she was the ruler of Sloth, controlled Hell’s medical care system, and was a raging workaholic who spent more time working with patients or in a lab than she did sleeping. As a consequence, the Sin had overly frequent yawns mixed in with her conversation, though that appeared to be lacking here. If anything, Gabriel could see no bags under the demon’s eyes.
“Let me guess, did she say that I have the best drugs in Hell,” she joked sarcastically.
“Don’t know about that,” Gabriel shrugged. His mother said that Belphegor made her own line of drugs. He supposed it would make sense that Beelzebub being Gluttony would test them every now and then but… Damn, there was some real venom behind that quip. “But she did say that she worries about you overworking yourself a bit but that you’re the best sister she could ask for.”
“Of course she’d say something like that,” Belphegor blushed, clearly not expecting the response despite saying so. “So, what’s this? Because I don’t recall you looking like a carbon copy of your mother. Speaking of which, do you do drugs?”
“Uhm no,” he responded, to which Belphegor gave an over reactionary sigh of relief. “As for this, I think it’s just some innate disguise written in my DNA or something like that. A response whenever I enter Hell.”
“And how did you get here?” she asked with a raised eyebrow.
“I think I tapped into some innate magic on my dad’s side of the family,” he told her.
“Oh right, your grandpa’s Death,” she recalled thoughtfully.
“Wait, Death, as in the guy with the black cloak and scythe?” he asked with surprise. “He’s real?”
“Pretty much,” she confirmed. “It’s funny considering that how you described him is actually how he looks in real life too.” Gabriel stood there stunned. He always assumed that Death was one of those metaphorical concepts, not an actual deity. Not gonna lie though, I’d be twirling that scythe like a baton. Totally cool.
“I remember the day you were born, " Belphegor continued with a frown. “It was a horrifying day to say the least, but I remember how small and fragile you were.”
“Madre mentioned that her being pregnant was a health risk,” Gabriel told her. Belphegor nodded her head in agreement.
“Understatement of the millennia,” she quipped with a dark chuckle. “But Bee seems really happy, so I can’t complain.”
“It’s only been a week, sure. Yet, it feels so nice, having her around,” Gabriel smiled softly. It felt nice having his mother around to talk to, a piece of himself that had been gone that was now present.
“Welcome to the family, munchkin. It only gets more insane from here,” she joked candidly. “In fact, and don’t tell your mother I offered this, if you ever need a break from those nimrods, I can offer up to you some of those drugs that your mother loves so much. Will get ya to relax real quick.”
“Har har, very funny lamb chop,” a loud, rough voice called from within the hallway, “But I’m pretty sure that since he’s still human, those drugs will not have the effect you're thinking.” Turning in the direction of the voice, the pair noticed a pentet of demons consisting of Charlie, Vaggie, Asmodeus, Mammon, and the jester-cap-wearing demon (who was sitting on Asmodeus’ shoulder).
“Aunty, Bel,” Charlie called out, diving into the goat demoness and giving her a hug, to which Belphegor returned. “It’s so nice to see you again. And oh my goodness, you look amazing. Are you using a new conditioner?”
“No, I just decided to listen to Beelzebub and get some sleep,” Belphegor admitted with surprised delight. “Who’d have thought that three days worth of sleep would leave one feeling so rejuvenated. I haven’t yawned once today.”
I mean, literally anyone, Gabriel thought. Even Charlie was looking at her like she’d said something obvious.
“How shocking,” Asmodeus and Mammon quipped simultaneously, earning an eye roll from Belphegor.
“Hey, Gabriel, are you doing okay?” she asked with concern, reminding Gabriel why he had been out here in the first place.
“I’m fine. I mean, it’s weird finding out Madre has a boyfriend,” he told her. “I’m not angry about it if that’s what you’re wondering. Just caught off guard is all.”
“You sure? In your position, I’d be more than a little pissed,” Vaggie commented with a raised eyebrow.
“Yeah well, as long as she doesn’t make me call him daddy, I'll be okay,” he said with an awkward chuckle.
“I think your mother has that covered, kiddo,” Asmodeus quipped, resulting in Charlie and Gabriel groaning at how lewd the comment was. I did not need to have that image in my head. The demon on Asmodeus’ shoulder seemed to agree as he slapped Asmodeus’ on the back of the head for them.
“I love when ya talk dirty babe, but try to keep the sex jokes to a minimum in front of your nephew,” he told Ozzie, who gave a mumbled ‘yes’ in response.
“Ya know, ya ain’t winning any points with the little bugger with them comments of yours, Ozzie,” Mammon commented smugly.
“Oh, like you could do better, Mammon,” Ozzie challenged, his flames becoming brighter.
“Oh, I could ya big–Honk–,” Mammon insulted, causing Asmodeus’ mane to light up ferociously.
What did he call him? Gabriel questioned silently. It had to have been offensive if reality itself just bleeped him.
“Anyway,” Charlie vocalized loudly, drawing everyone’s attention. “Gabe, as you’ve met aunty Bel, I would also like to formally introduce you to our uncles Asmodeus and Mammon.” Standing at attention, Mammon and Asmodeus waved awkwardly at him. “And I don’t believe either of us have been properly introduced to the imp on your shoulders uncle Ozzie,” Charlie added, referring to the jester-capped demon. An imp. So that’s what he is.
Said imp hopped down onto the floor and extended both his arms to Charlie and Gabriel. Dios mio, he’s a cyborg, Gabriel thought, realizing with the imp up close that his arms (said arms having a heart shaped symbol on the shoulder region) and legs were robotic limbs. As Gabriel shook the robotic hand, he was further amazed by how fluid and realistic the movement of them was. It was way ahead of anything humanity had come up with.
Cousin Chloe would faint in excitement at the site of these. Would it be considered rude to ask about what happened to him? I don’t know, but right now probably isn’t the best time to do so anyway.
“This is my darling Fizzy Frog,” Asmodeus introduced with a love struck tone that Mammon blanched at, faking a gag at the gesture.
“Fizzarolli,” the imp corrected, “Though you can call me Fizz, or Uncle Fizz, or Queen Fizzy.” The last nickname he said in a more joking tone that Charlie giggled at.
“Oh, it’s so nice to meet you,” Charlie spoke happily. “I never thought uncle Ozzie would ever settle down with anyone.”
“Yeah well, I’m not just talented. I’ve also got the charm to back it up,” he said, extending an arm to rub Asmodeus’ face, to which the Sin shivered in delight.
“And what do you do for a living,” Gabriel asked curiously.
“I’m a performer, a professional clown to be precise.” Gabriel stared at Fizzarolli with confusion, unsure at first if he was being serious before realizing from the silence that he very much was. I didn’t realize that clowning was a serious profession. Sounds a bit like an oxymoron if you ask me.
“I still can’t believe that clowning is a serious profession down here,” Vaggie added with a chuckle.
“Hell’s a circus, so may as well capitalize on it,” Mammon quipped. That was one way of putting it, but Gabriel found himself alongside everyone else agreeing with the sentiment. I’ve never heard of it like that before. Oh wait, is that why Lucifer looks like a ringmaster? That explains so much.
“Oh I just love your performances, Fizzarolli. I’ve been a big fan of your musical performances especially,” Charlie chatted excitedly.
“Oh I don’t know about that. I know this raspy sound box isn’t the most appealing thing to the naked ear,” Fizzarolli humbled.
“Are you kidding me? Your voice is perfect! Maybe we could do a duet together. I just love putting on a good show. Oh it’s so nice to have you as part of the family,” Charlie continued to ramble, though Fizzarolli didn’t seem to mind given the heartfelt smile he grew at the last sentence, the imp swelling with pride at being accepted. Gabriel could relate given how accepting of him his aunt Belphegor was.
“How are your joints feeling?” Belphegor asked. Speak of the literal devil. “Any aching pain or infections that I should be worried about?” Fizzarolli shifted uncomfortably at the question, feeling nervous at having to speak to her on a medical basis.
“Perfectly fine,” Fizzarolli responded anxiously, “Sometimes I forget that I’m technically a quad.”
“Fizz is fine, Bel,” Asmodeus added with certainty, placing a comforting hand on Fizzarolli’s shoulder. “These limbs are the best that I have to offer. If he gets an infection, I’ll let you know.” Belphegor looked between the couple before nodding her head in acceptance of the response.
“Uhh, blimey, you dote on that clussy little clown too much,” Mammon gagged, disgusted by the care Asmodeus had for Fizzarolli.
“He’s my boyfriend,” Asmodeus relented, “I’m allowed to dote on him as long as he’s comfortable with it.” Fizzarolli gave his own nod of approval before sticking his tongue out at the Sin of Greed.
As Gabriel watched the pair argue, he looked to the others to see their reactions. Charlie was shaking her head at the sight of the pair arguing. Fizzarolli stood to the side, also shaking his head with the addition of pinching his forehead, clearly annoyed and embarrassed by the argument dragging on for longer than it needed to despite his earlier agreement with Asmodeus.
“I’m guessing this is normal,” Gabriel whispered to Belphegor.
“You don’t know the half of it, nephew,” she responded, rolling her eyes.
“All I’m saying is that it’s stupid that you don’t have him pay you for all that affection,” Mammon suggested.
“And you underpay your workers,” Asmodeus hit back, “So who’s more stupid.”
“You underpay your workers?” Gabriel asked with surprise, interrupting the pair. He can’t be serious right? It doesn’t make any sense to me, especially considering that he’s the embodiment of greed. “But you could make so much more money if you paid them what they’re worth,” he told him with confusion.
“Look kid, this is…” Mammon started, before pausing, taking into account what Gabriel had told him. “Say that again, nephew” Mammon leaned down to get face-to-face with Gabriel.
“You could make more money if you paid your workers what they’re worth,” he repeated slowly. Mammon looked at him with perplexion, uncertainty written on his face as he considered Gabriel’s statement.
“Explain,” he stated, pointing a finger at Gabriel. After a couple seconds to process the request, Gabriel began a lengthy discussion of classic worker’s principles. He remembered talking to his uncle Chester and aunt Sofia about this particular topic once before, so it was easy to explain to his uncle Mammon why underpaying your workers resulted in a long term net loss. It didn’t make any sense to him how a Sin of Greed could ignore paying his worker’s properly. Paying them properly meant lower turnover and higher worker output, which meant more work productivity, which in the long-term meant a greater profit margin. He found it funny how CEOs greedily cut corners and focused on putting themselves first when investing in their workers was a great way of making a big long-term profit.
Clearly, his uncle Mammon also needed a lesson in this. Said demon was busy jotting down on two notepads with what Gabriel was saying, deeply invested in the brunt of the conversation. That was probably the weirdest part of it as anyone else in Mammon’s position would have just told him to screw off, not rethink their whole way of operating a business. Still, it was comforting that his uncle Mammon was taking him seriously. It made him feel accepted as a part of his new extended family.
“And so that’s how paying your workers properly can make you more money in the long term,” Gabriel finished, taking a breath and releasing a dry cough after rambling for so long. He loved talking about things he liked, but man did it often leave him with a sore throat.
“Blood Hell, mate,” Mammon mumbled in amazement. “Sheila really popped a big brained fella out of that vag of hers didn’t she.”
“I suppose,” Gabriel responded awkwardly, feeling weirded out by the comment of his mother's bodily anatomy. He never considered himself particularly smart. Sure, he had a way of hyper-fixating and remembering certain things, and he was knowledgeable in business and cooking. But that didn’t mean he was intelligent by any means.
It was at this point, however, that Gabriel noticed the looks of disbelief that everyone except for him and Mammon had. They were staring at him, eyes wide and mouths dropped looking like he had performed an impossible magic trick. It occurred to him that they were in shock not over the conversation itself, but rather at the fact that Mammon was appearing to take Gabriel’s words to heart. It wasn’t like Gabriel had performed a magic trick. He had just simply appealed to his uncle’s nature: making money.
“Unbelievable,” Asmodeus muttered in disbelief. “You’ll listen to your nephew but not…You know what, forget it.” The Sin of Lust pinched his forehead in annoyance. Even his other two heads seemed to share the sentiment. “I’m too tired for this bullsh*t.”
“Welp, this has been fun mates,” Mammon started, pocketing the notepads into the folds of his suit. “But I gotta get going and implement the ideas that ‘brain bugger’ here gave me.” Mammon proceeded to rub Gabriel’s head dotingly, much to his annoyance before turning to Charlie. “And it has been a pleasure seeing you again, princess.”
“Same, uncle Mam. And thanks again for supporting me with the hotel.”
“Ah anything for my favorite niece,” he said with a rare sweet smile.
“I’m your only niece,” she told him humorously.
“Don’t matter, sweetie,” he said, pinching her cheek affectionately before saying “Can’t wait to see you two again. Don’t be afraid to call. And keep smiling. The smile is the thing we all want to see from you,” and disappearing in a cloud of green smoke. The group of demons coughed up a storm as the smoke dissipated in the tight hallway, unable to see through the smoke. Asmodeus opened up a portal in the hallway, allowing for the smoke to leave the hall.
“I wish he–cough–would have given us a warning–cough–before he did that,” Fizzarolli spoke, hacking at the smoke in his lungs.
“Agreed,” Vaggie said, waving at the air around her. Gabriel had to agree as well. He was lucky he wasn’t asthmatic or else he’d need to take a puff from an inhaler. Still, it was nice to meet his uncle Mammon, even if he was a cheapskate who, according to Beelzebub, was a raging misogynist.
“Ya know, I don’t think I’ve been properly introduced to you,” Belphegor asked Vaggie, the one-eyed fallen angel freezing for a moment.
“Oh, right. That’s my bad. With everything that’s been going on I completely forgot to introduce you all to her,” Charlie realized. She walked over to her girlfriend and placed an arm around her shoulder. “This is Vaggie. She’s my girlfriend.” Vaggie, feeling the spotlight on herself, gave everyone an awkward wave.
“Well, it’s nice to formally get to know you, dear,” Asmodeus greeted. “I must say, after Seviathan, I wasn’t sure that our Char Char would ever date again.” At the mention of the name Seviathan, Charlie’s face flinched ever so slightly, though it seemed Gabriel and Vaggie were the only ones who noticed it. An ex boyfriend I’m guessing. And the break-up must have been a nasty one too if her reaction says something.
“Let’s not bring him up, Uncle Ozzie,” Charlie spoke calmly, though there was some tension in her voice that made Gabriel flinch.
“Err, yes my bad,” Asmodeus responded slowly, a touch of guilt stretching his face for mentioning the ex.
“Just don’t go breaking Charlie’s heart and we’ll be good,” Belphegor added with a stern gaze fixated on Vaggie.
“I promise not to,” Vaggie replied nervously. After a couple more seconds of her staring, Belphegor decided that the threat had landed, and backed off.
“By the way, Gabriel, you didn’t happen to open any of the doors in the hallway did you?” Asmodeus asked awkwardly, scratching his neck.
“Why are you so concerned about that, brother?” Belphegor asked with a smirk.
“Hey, I just want to make sure he didn’t stumble upon anything too lewd for his tastes,” Asmodeus defended, though no one seemed to buy it if their smug expressions were anything to go by.
“Yeah, I saw your dild* room. By the way, that was hilarious,” Gabriel chuckled.
“Oh, well I’m glad you liked it,” Asmodeus responded slowly, unsure of how to handle his nephew’s nonchalance.
“Why do I get the feeling that Blitzø would say something similar,” Fizzarolli mumbled.
“Who?” Vaggie and Charlie asked.
“Just a friend of mine,” he responded.
“Oh I think I know that guy,” a familiar voice called from behind. Recognizing it, Gabriel turned his attention down the hall to find that it was his mother, alongside her boyfriend and his uncle Lucifer. Still weird to think of him as my uncle. The trio were smiling and Gabriel could feel positive vibes from them, like a storm cloud lifting and revealing bright sunlight over an empty flower field.
“You do?” Fizzarolli asked, surprised that his friend knew another Deadly Sin.
“Yeah, the dude showed up at one of my parties a couple months back all sad and depressed. I even let him out-drink me out of pity during a drinking competition.”
“A couple months ago, huh,” Fizzarolli mumbled with a frown, his expression appearing slightly guilty.
“Me and Tex are actually friends with his daughter, Loona,” Beelzebub added. Gabriel’s eyes widened slightly at the mention of the hellhound. He had forgotten that Loona was friends with his mother. Maybe he could ask his mother for her number, but then that would mean he would have to tell her why, and admit to his mother that Loona had seen him prior to last Sunday. He wasn’t one to break people’s secret’s, especially people who he considered friends, and he didn’t want to get Loona in trouble with his mother.
“f*ck, I keep forgetting that he adopted a kid,” Fizzarolli commented.
“She’s definitely rough around the edges, but she’s a real softy once you get to know her,” Beelzebub continued. “One of my favorite people really.”
“What do her and her old man do for a living?” Gabriel asked. He figured if he couldn’t ask his mother or Fizzarolli directly, he could at the very least get some other information out of them to narrow down Loona’s location.
“They run an assassination company, IMP I think it’s called,” Fizzarolli noted. Gabriel recognized the name, as soon as the imp had said it. It took a moment of thinking for him to realize just where he’d seen it.
“I think I saw a billboard advertising it while I was in the Pride ring,” he told them.
“Yeah, their primary clientele is Sinners,” Vortex interjected. Drawing Gabriel’s attention to the hellhound, who became nervous after Gabriel turned to him. Picking up on this, Beelzebub too began emanating her own nervous energy that Gabriel picked up on, causing him to remember why he was out in the hallway in the first place.
“Listen Gabe, I–” Beelzebub started.
“Look, I know. And I’m okay with it,” Gabriel interrupted, Beelzebub pausing in surprise as she took in his words. Vortex for his part, released a small sigh of relief.
“Oh, you are?” she asked.
“I’m not gonna lie and say it isn’t weird, but you’re a grown woman and you have your own life,” he explained. Gabriel wasn’t going to pretend that someday his parents would get together and make their family whole. It was an unrealistic goal that he had given up a long time ago and one that conflicted with what Gabriel’s definition of family was.
Family’s were complex and messy and didn’t all fall into the same build, but true families were built on love and trust for one another, the good and the bad mixed together in harmony. This family gathering here was just proof of that. Plus, it wasn’t like he knew the boyfriend, this Vortex. From initial perspectives, the guy had a decent vibe to him, so that was something at least, and if he made his mother happy…“I’m not gonna let my personal feelings get in the way of your happiness.”
“Oh, Baby Bee. When you walked out I–”
“It’s been a long night and my brain kind of got overloaded a bit,” Gabriel reassured. “I just needed some space by myself to think.”
“I get that. My little brother can get like that sometimes,” Vortex acknowledged. Gabriel nodded his head in acknowledgement, glad that at least Vortex understood where he was coming from.
“Plus, he seems like a cool guy,” Gabriel added, earning a smile from the couple. “Just don’t make me call him dad.” That was the one line he did not want her crossing.
“I would never,” Beelzebub promised her son, and from the certainty of her voice, she sounded like she meant it. Of course, he wasn’t expecting Vortex to sympathize with him as well.
“Trust me, as someone who’s mom has brought home a couple boyfriend’s over the years, I can perfectly relate,” Vortex concurred. Gabriel smiled, glad that they were all on the same page. Though there was still one thing he was curious about.
“Just one question,” he began. “Is he older or younger than me?” That was the one thing he wanted to know. He knew the hellhound was on the younger side, but he couldn’t tell how old due to his deep voice and youthful complexion intermixing. Well that, and he didn’t know all that much about how demons aged, if at all. His mother became uncomfortable at the question, looking over to her boyfriend to say something only for him to give her a glance expecting her to be honest.
“Older,” she blurted out anxiously, though her anxious tone told Gabriel that it wasn't by much.
“Okay, but can you count the yearly difference on one or two hands?” Gabriel followed up. Beelzebub’s response was to slowly hold up one of her hands and raise two fingers, looking like a child who was being scolded by her parents in the process. Two year age gap, huh.
“Eh, I’ll live with it,” Gabriel shrugged, deciding that it wasn’t really worth him worrying about. If his mother and Vortex could follow his rules then he could live with it. Beelzebub and Vortex shared a sigh of relief at Gabriel’s response, visibly grateful that he wasn’t going to make a big deal out of it despite how weird it was.
“Oh hey Bel,” Beelzebub greeted. “Luci said you were showing up. Actually now that I think about it. Where’s Mammon?”
“He left, but not before Gabriel pulled a Houdini on him,”Belphegor answered, glancing at Gabriel.
“Ooh, details, spill now,” Beelzebub beamed, jumping in front of her son for details.
“We can tell you later,” Belphegor interjected. “First, I need to give you a check-up.”
“Bel, I’m fine. I just got a little worked up and passed out from the stress.”
“Doesn’t sound normal even for you,” Belphegor pointed out. “Were you on any drugs?” The question would have caught Gabriel off guard if he didn’t know what his mother’s vice was. Still, it made sense to him that drugs could be involved. Though from what interaction he’d had with her today, she didn’t appear to be on drugs or at least suffering from withdrawals of any kind.
“Really Bel?” Beelzebub huffed in frustration, before stating bluntly “No, I wasn’t.” Belphegor and Beelzebub stared each other down, waiting for the other to break. Gabriel could see what was happening. His aunt Bel was waiting for his mother’s demeanor to break, to catch her in the act. Soon, however, Belphegor sighed, seemingly accepting Beelzebub’s answer.
“Fine. I still would like it if you could come into my office sometime soon just so that I can make sure everything is fine with you,” she emphasized.
“Madre,” Gabriel spoke out, giving her a look of concern. He was sure his mother was fine. She was an ancient immortal being who had suffered worse conditions than a bout of stress-induced unconsciousness. Yet, a voice in the back of his head was causing Gabriel to become worried. When his father had first developed pancreatic cancer, they had caught it in the nick of time, before it became malignant. They hadn’t been lucky the second time. Even if it was nothing serious, he was still worried about his mother’s health. He didn’t want to lose her after she came back into his life. His mother looked back at him and saw his worries and frowned.
“Fine, if it will make your concerns go away,” she relented with a sigh.
“That’s all either of us ask,” Belphegor told her.
“Thanks, madre,” Gabriel chimed in, smiling softly at his mother, who smiled back at her son.
At that moment, Lucifer, who was watching the scene play out with mild concern, used the opportunity to change the subject and introduce himself to Gabriel.
“Hello Gabe, I am your uncle Lucifer. Here’s a rubber duck,” he offered, much to the annoyed groans of everyone else in the room as he held out a yellow duck with brown curly hair and a fedora on top of its head. It had to be the cutest thing Gabriel had ever seen.
“I like this. Thank you,” Gabriel responded, fondly inspecting its every little detail. It wasn’t often that one saw a custom rubber duck like this, and while Gabriel did not fancy them in the slightest, the businessman inside of him could identify the craftsmanship and opportunity for them.
“You’re most certainly welcome,” Lucifer gloated smugly.
“Have you ever thought about turning this into a business?” Gabriel asked. “I’m sure there are plenty of people who would find these things adorable.”
“I never thought about it like that,” Lucifer responded, interested in the prospect.
“If my father ever did, he’d have quite the stock to get it off the ground,” Charlie teased, causing Lucifer to blush.
Following this, everyone returned to the destroyed kitchen to help clean up the room, Beelzebub especially since she was in fact the reason why it was such a mess to begin with. With several magical individuals present, it only took about ten minutes. Lucifer added his own touch to the kitchen, adding artwork of ducks along the walls that Asmodeus feigned adoration for, though Lucifer didn’t appear to notice.
Another ten minutes went by as everyone continued chatting with each other, asking how everyone was doing, and by everyone that meant Charlie and Gabriel, who both had much to divulge about their personal lives, especially the latter. Personally, Gabriel didn’t mind it too much. After all, they were just meeting for the first time today and he felt it would be rude of him not to at least answer some of their burning questions about him.
It was basic questions such as what his favorite music was? What did he do for a living? Did he have a human family on Earth? What were his sexual preferences and desires? Okay that last one he sure as sh*t was not something he was going to give his uncle Asmodeus an answer to.
“Come on, Gabriel. At least share with me some of your kinks,” Asmodeus nearly begged.
“No,” Gabriel affirmed with a hint of disgust. He did not want to be having this kind of conversation with his uncle. Why were people in Hell so horny? “You have a boyfriend, talk kinks with him.”
“I already know Fizzy’s kinks. What’s the point in you keeping quiet about them?” At the question, everyone, even Fizzarolli, looked at Asmodeus like he had said the dumbest thing in the world. Okay, the only way I can see Fizzarolli putting up with him is if he is just as sex crazy.
“The point is to stay in your lane. I'm his mother. Leave the questions and meddling about his love life to me,” Beelzebub argued.
“Yeah…wait,” Gabriel paused, his mother’s words catching up with him. Ah mierda, does that mean she’s gonna try and set me up on dates.
Gabriel found it humorous that despite wanting to make sure he didn’t step into one of his sex dungeons, his uncle Asmodeus was interested in getting the nitty gritty details about his nonexistent sex life. The hypocrisy was uncanny, but it made some sense. The guy sounded like the type to be overly open about those details and wouldn’t see an issue with asking people about them. It was just who he was.
But beyond that, Gabriel had a hunch that his uncle was not going to let the conversation go without a fight, enough to get the message clear about boundaries. From what Gabriel had gathered from conversation, he and Fizzarolli had only recently come out publicly as a couple, and his uncle Asmodeus’ reaction toward the coverage appeared to be infuriated. If he wanted to play the overly personal game, Gabe could also play it, or at least try to. Oh I hope he doesn’t take this the wrong way. Or do I?
“I’m just surprised you haven’t put him in the hospital yet,” he said loudly, drawing everyone's attention.
“Excuse you, Asmodeus asked, with a hint of shock at hearing the question.
“Well, proportionally, you’re obviously bigger than him. So, you know…” Gabriel proceeded to visualize an explosion with his hands. Causing Asmodeus to break into a coughing fit while Fizzarolli watched with curious amusem*nt. Initially, everyone had started groaning at hearing the attempt at humor, though as they noticed Asmodeus’ flustered expression, their tunes started changing to realization. Gabriel could see glints of opportunity behind their eyes.
“It’s nothing like that. Fizzy can…I mean…I…Bee, control your son,” Asmodeus pleaded.
“I would, but I’m also kind of curious now as to how that works between you two,” Beelzebub smirked, enjoying seeing Asmodeus fluster about his sex life for once. “Do you go all the way or…”
“I’m not going to share with you all what happens in bed with me and Fizz,” he said embarrassingly, his face blushing hard.
“Why not uncle Ozzie, you’re always wanting to know about ours,” mocked with an evil grin.
“Ya know, Oz, even though technically it’s at both our expenses, I still can’t help but find you sexy when you're flustered,” Fizzarolli teased, jumping in at the opportunity to play with his boyfriend.
“Not now, Fizzy,” Asmodeus pleaded with his boyfriend, looking around for any lifeline to bail himself out of the conversation.
“Not wanting to talk about your sex life. That’s a first,” Belphegor chimed in. Asmodeus couldn’t take it anymore, covering his face with his hands to hide his shame while everyone else teased him relentlessly.
“This is karma isn’t it,” Asmodeus whimpered in embarrassment. Fizzarolli stood next to his boyfriend and gave him a pat on the back.
“I love ya Ozzie, but let's keep the sex talk between us from now on,” Fizzarolli told his boyfriend, who covered his face to hide his blushing face, though his other two heads told everyone all they needed to know.
“At least Mammon isn’t here,” Asmodeus mumbled. “He’d be having a field day.”
Checkmate.
Not long after, Gabriel decided it was time to head back to his apartment. He was tired and couldn’t pretend anymore that he wanted to sit down and talk. Fortunately, everyone else understood and were looking forward to getting their own night's rest. He gave his mother a hug goodbye and promised to talk with her during the weekend. As for his cousin, aunt, and uncles (Asmodeus didn’t seem to hold any hard feelings toward him and even stopped with the lewd questions.), he offered his own farewells and promises of seeing them again. He even offered them a chance to stop by his place of work to grab a bite to eat. Though their excited glee made him question if doing so was a good idea . I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.
Lucifer had also mentioned that the Pride Ring Ball, some large scale royal event, was coming up next month and offered it as an opportunity to be acquainted with the rest of his demonic family. His mother instantly struck the idea down, claiming that she did not want to expose Gabriel to the rest of Hell, let alone the Ars Goetia at the current moment. Gabriel didn't know who the Goetia were, and while he understood his mothers concerns, he wasn't completely against the idea. He would just need to think about it as the last thing he wanted was to bring heat onto his mother.
Soon, he was back in his apartment, after jumping through a portal, giving his new extended family a wave goodbye as the portal closed. Afterwards, he took a long shower where he changed his bandages before heading to bed. Tomorrow was going to be an especially tricky day with managing without one hand. He would need to delegate some of the work to his employees, but he could still take care of the easier tasks, which were most of them.
Despite the twists and turns, Gabriel could argue that the night went relatively alright. He got to meet some of his aunts and uncles, discovered he had superpowers, and managed to teach two of his uncles valuable lessons, one in business and the other in staying out of his personal life. All in all, it was a productive night.
As he settled himself in his bed, Gabriel couldn’t help but think about what was to come. Meeting his mother’s side of the family really started getting him to think about his father’s side. He was going to have to talk with his aunt soon at some point as well as update his grandmother about his visit to Hell. He honestly could not wait to tell his grandmother about his accidental trip. Sure she’d initially be terrified, but he felt that she would come to see it in a positive light. His aunt Sofia on the other hand would probably be livid and start freaking out. Then again, it was also possible that she could have changed her point of view since talking. But since that was barely a week ago, his hopes were not high.
Still, as sleep finally began to take hold, he thought about his future with Hell and what that meant for his future on Earth. It would be tricky balancing his human and demonic lives between the two worlds should he choose to make his debut in Hell. It was his birthright technically after all. Yet, there was still concern for his safety should he be found out as a cambion. Nevertheless, Gabriel ignored those worries, instead choosing to finally allow the darkness to settle, and for his mind to get the rest it so desperately needed.
