Chapter Text
Lucifer awoke to the feeling of fingers lightly moving across his forehead, brushing his disheveled hair away from his face. He let out a low groan, slowly raising one heavy eyelid to gaze groggily at his attacker.
Lilith lay mere inches from his face, propping her head up with her chin resting in the palm of her hand as she leaned against one of the many plush pillows that lined the head of their bed.
“Good morning, darling. Happy Hell Day,” she said sweetly, a soft smile gracing her face as she looked down at her husband with half-lidded eyes.
It took Lucifer a moment to comprehend her words as he slowly turned his head to look up at her, both eyes barely open, his vision blurry. He blinked rapidly a few times until she came into focus.
“Mmm, good morning,” he finally replied, rolling onto his back as he stretched his arms above his head. “It’s Hell Day already?”
“Yes.”
“It feels like we just celebrated the last one, though?”
Lilith chuckled.
“Time certainly does seem to fly by. Then again, for a being as old as you, things that happened a year ago probably feel as though they happened last week”. The corners of her mouth lowered slightly, her expression turning more pensive, and she turned her gaze to look in the direction of the foot of the bed. “Do you remember how many years it’s been now?”
Lucifer’s arms flopped down onto his stomach, his hands clenching the bedsheets. He stared upwards towards the dark crimson satin stretched across the tester of their four-poster bed with a blank expression.
“9,828,” he stated matter-of-factly, his countenance unchanging.
It had been nearly ten thousand years since they were banished to Hell. That’s ten thousand years since humanity was exposed to evil, and ten thousand years since Adam and Eve were booted from Eden. Ten thousand years since Lucifer made the biggest mistake of his entire existence.
Hell had changed a lot during that time; what had started as nothing more than a deep crater devoid of life had grown into a rather prosperous society of demons that expanded down the seven Rings. It was far from perfect—demons weren't exactly known for following the rules, Sinners especially so—but it was something they worked hard for, and something one could take a certain degree of pride in.
Or, more accurately, it was something Lilith worked hard for. Admittedly, Lucifer was never particularly interested in being a ruler, nor was he particularly skilled at it. He tried to enact change in his own way, but his ideas rarely, if ever, proved fruitful, and he had resigned himself to his efforts constantly paling in comparison to those of his wife.
Lilith had taken to ruling like a duck takes to water. The day of their Fall, she had seemed to require only a moment to compose herself before she brushed herself off and started planning their entire future, and she had been diligently working towards reaching that future ever since. She always shone so brightly as she discussed her ideas with Lucifer; you would think she was the one who was created from stardust. Her enthusiasm was almost infectious, her ability to command others was inspiring, and her list of accomplishments was extensive and magnificent. She flourished as queen; that much was evident, and Lucifer loved the unflappable feeling of pride he could sense emanating from her like a particularly fragrant perfume.
“Not quite a milestone,” Lilith sighed, sitting upright. “But we can still celebrate as though it were, if you'd like.”
Lucifer merely replied with a noncommittal “Mmm”, his gaze still fixed on the satin above them. It made sense for Hellborn demons to celebrate—Hell was the only home they've ever known—but he had difficulty finding anything festive about the anniversary of the day he and the love of his life lost everything. The fact that even Sinners celebrated it was positively baffling. He’d much rather forget about it altogether, but he knew it meant a lot to Lilith.
He sat himself upright, taking a moment to collect himself before pulling away the bedsheets and climbing out of bed. It was time to get his act together; if Lilith wanted to treat today like it was a milestone, he would make sure it was an enjoyable one for her.
Lilith followed suit, immediately making her way over to the large vanity on her side of the room.
“Did you send the Sins their gifts?” she asked, examining her face for any blemishes using the lavishly detailed mahogany-rimmed mirror.
“Yes, I made sure to send them out last week. Letters, too, of course,” Lucifer said, fixing his pink-and-white pinstriped pajama shirt, which had ridden up in his sleep.
Hell Day wasn't just a celebration of Hell’s creation; it was somewhat like the Sins’ birthday as well. Likewise, the Fall wasn't called that simply to sound fancy; Lilith and Lucifer literally fell into the pit they had created after giving Eve that damned apple, and the only way an angel could truly fall is if you took away their wings. Which Heaven did, forcefully and without mercy. From those six gaping wounds on his back spilled what must have been liters upon liters of blood—seraphim such as Lucifer did not need to fear bleeding out—and from those golden pools sinking into the hellish ground arose six unique beings: the physical manifestations of Wrath, Gluttony, Greed, Lust, Envy, and Sloth. Lucifer himself became the representative of Pride, and together they were to govern the seven most deadly sins humanity would commit. Every year on Hell Day since they became independent, Lucifer made sure to send them presents that he had personally picked or sometimes made himself.
“I hope they enjoy them. You always put so much thought into what you’ll get them,” Lilith said, now making her way to the washstand in the corner of the room. Using the pitcher that sat on the white marble top, she filled the porcelain washbasin next to it until it was about half full. She opened the drawer underneath and pulled out a piece of cotton cloth, dabbing it in the basin and gently wiping it across her face in smooth strokes.
Now it was Lucifer’s turn to use the vanity; they preferred to do their morning routine slightly offset from one another so that they weren't on top of each other. The first things he noticed upon looking at his reflection were the slightly darkened circles under his eyes. Luckily, they weren’t too noticeable, but noticeable nonetheless. It was his own fault, really; he didn’t go to bed until very late last night, and he only did that because he had been procrastinating on his work. At least he got some amount of sleep. Anything was better than pulling an all-nighter.
A spot of white against the mahogany of the dresser caught his eye, and he looked down to see a small piece of paper. On it, written in Lilith’s impeccably beautiful handwriting, it read:
Dinner with the von Eldritches, June 21, 8 PM
“We’re having dinner with Freddy and Bethesda tonight?” Lucifer asked inquisitively, picking the note up and turning it towards Lilith.
“Yes. We planned it weeks ago, remember?”. Lilith opened the drawer of the washstand once again, taking out another cloth to dry her face with. There was the slightest bit of frustration in her voice, though she hid it well, and unfortunately, Lucifer was able to pick up on it.
“Yes, yes, I remember now. It just took me a minute, sorry,” he said with a forced chuckle. He hated how forgetful he could be, and he hated how upset it made Lilith to constantly have to remind him of things. He dreaded asking another question, but he needed some clarification. “Are we hosting, or are they?”
Lilith placed the dry cloth alongside the dampened one delicately onto the marble top and grabbed her toothbrush from the small porcelain dish pushed up against the white-tiled backsplash of the washstand.
“They are. It's much easier for us to go to them, seeing as you can simply portal us to their estate. They have enough to deal with, what with little Seviathan running them ragged; I wouldn't want to cause them any more stress by making them sit in a carriage for hours on end just to have a meal with us,” she answered, wetting her toothbrush in the basin and lightly tapping it against the rim to shake off the excess water.
“Oh, is Seviathan running already?”
Lilith giggled.
“No, it’s a turn of phrase. He's only ten months old, dear; he won't be running anytime soon. He is crawling, though.”
A bright golden blush bloomed across Lucifer’s cheeks, and he quickly spun on his heel to face away from Lilith and hide his embarrassment. What a stupid question. Of course it was a turn of phrase.
Lilith placed her toothbrush back in its dish and walked over to him, placing a hand delicately on his shoulder.
“I’m sorry, I didn't mean to embarrass you. I thought it was really cute,” she said, a reassuring smile on her face.
Lucifer brought his hand up to hold hers, gently brushing his thumb across it. Lilith was always so quick to apologize over idiotic matters such as these, not that she ever needed to. He couldn't believe how childish he was being. He wasn't even entirely sure why he felt so embarrassed. Of course he wouldn't be familiar with the developmental milestones of babies; he had never been around one long enough, never needed to know these things, because he and Lilith never—
No. Don't go there. Anywhere else but there.
“No, I'm sorry,” he sighed, turning his head to look over his shoulder, his eyes meeting Lilith’s. “I didn't mean to overreact like that. It was really childish of me”. He smiled weakly, and in return, Lilith’s smile dropped.
“You're being too hard on yourself, dear. That was hardly an overreaction…that was hardly a reaction at all. It isn't childish to feel a little embarrassed”. Her thin brows were knitted together, and concern flashed in her pale magenta-colored eyes.
Why was it that the one thing Lucifer was good at was upsetting her?
He released his grasp on her and took a step forward, increasing the distance between them so that Lilith’s hand was now held pointlessly in the air.
“I should really get to work.”
With a snap of his fingers, his pajamas faded away, his usual red-and-white tailcoat suit taking its place in a swirl of glittery red smoke. His hair was immaculately styled, and his skin was clean and clear. Although he found pleasure in starting his morning the non-magical way, it wasn’t a requirement, and he wasn’t particularly in the mood for it right now. He adjusted his top hat as he walked towards the door, the sound of his boots clacking against the hardwood filling the tense silence. Grabbing the golden doorknob, he hesitated for a moment and turned to look back at Lilith, a smile forcefully plastered on his face.
“I'll be sure to be back before dinner. I love you.”
He quickly opened and shut the door behind him before Lilith could respond.
— — —
Over the years, Lilith had encouraged Lucifer to keep himself occupied with various pet projects. Leading his little circus troupe with the Sins, assisting them while they settled into their roles as authorities of their Rings, renovating and decorating the estate…he was able to keep himself busy for several years that way. When that work was done, he’d take up a hobby. Music, dancing, reading, poetry, board games, gardening, sewing, embroidery, woodworking, metalworking; his most recent fixation was jewelry-making, and he had already crafted several pieces for Lilith that he intended to gift her on their anniversary. He had always found great enjoyment in creating, after all, it was what he was designed to do; however, he didn’t want to spend all of his time doing things only for himself, not when Lilith was working diligently on improving the lives of their citizens. He wanted to do more, do something that would benefit everyone in Hell.
It all started with a simple off-hand comment Lilith made one day: “I wish it didn’t take so long to travel, and that it wasn’t so expensive. We can always use your portals, but our people can’t. It would be nice if Hellborn, at the very least, could see more of this beautiful kingdom of ours.”
And with that, Lucifer started thinking of ways to make her wish come true. A way to travel throughout the Rings at a speed faster than a carriage that was accessible to all, and hopefully inexpensive, although he couldn’t be sure of that just yet. He pondered for months, ideas constantly coming and going inside his head, until one day he had it: a railroad. There were a few smaller railroads here and there, scattered throughout Hell, but none existed that could do what Lucifer wanted. So he’d just have to build it: a railroad spanning the seven Rings, connecting Pentagram City in Pride to Snoozeville in Sloth. It would be a lengthy and laborious process that would take years to complete, but he had nothing but time.
Now, after months of meetings, planning, and preparatory work, they were finally ready to begin construction. Lucifer just needed to ensure that they had all of the materials they required, so that was how he chose to spend most of his day. There were fourteen logistics stations prepared, two in each Ring, and each one was to be adequately stocked with iron rails, wooden ties, and the various other components necessary to complete the job. Lucifer took his time flying to each one, taking inventory as well as noting any discrepancies between what was supposed to be there and what actually was. He could use his powers to materialize anything they needed more of; however, he felt it was more important to support Hell’s businesses, and thus, he would leave it to them to handle it. It wouldn’t be handled today, however, as everyone had been given the day off for Hell Day.
By the time Lucifer had finished checking the final logistics station in Sloth, it was nearly 5 PM. With three hours to go until dinner with the von Eldritches, he had more than enough time to do something to surprise Lilith. She most likely wouldn’t arrive back home from her own work until around 6:30, and their estate contained so many rooms that he should have no problem setting something up without her noticing. The only question was what exactly he should do to make today special, like Lilith wanted. Perhaps it was smarter to plan something for when they arrived home after dinner, so that they didn’t feel rushed?
He portalled into the main lobby of the house, trying to come up with ideas as he walked towards the grand staircase. The patter of numerous sets of footsteps stopped him just before taking the first step, and six figures suddenly flanked him, three on each side.
“Welcome home, Your Majesty,” they said in unison, curtsying.
Lucifer could easily keep their home in working order using his magic; however, Lilith insisted that they hire staff instead, and thus they have had a simple team of housemaids for a handful of years now. It frankly made Lucifer a tad bit uncomfortable, as he wasn’t accustomed to having servants, whether in the traditional or soul-binding sense, so he tried to limit his interactions with them as much as possible. When they did interact, it was always incredibly awkward.
The head housemaid, Mrs. Evelyn Bleakley, was particularly difficult for Lucifer to interact with. The older succubus’ face was always held in a neutral expression, her manner of speaking was always rather dull, and her sense of humor was practically nonexistent. She and Lucifer had simply never meshed well together, not for lack of trying on his part.
“Her Majesty has not arrived home yet,” she stated dryly. “Matilda has cleaned all rooms to the northeast, Harriet the northwest, Caroline the southeast, and Hannah the southwest. Miriam has tidied up the kitchen, and I have ensured that all of your mail is properly organized on the desk in your office, sir. Would you like me to prepare you a cup of tea?”
“No, that's not necessary. Thank you for offering,” Lucifer answered rather clumsily, still unsure of the exact tone he should take when speaking to her. “And thank you, all of you, for keeping the house clean.”
“There's no need to thank us, sir. We are simply performing our duties.”
There was a rather long stretch of silence, Lucifer not quite knowing how to respond, until finally he settled on simply clearing his throat to put an end to the uncomfortable atmosphere.
“Well then, I'll be in my workroom if you need me,” he said, silently hoping that they wouldn’t need him. “Oh, and Happy Hell Day, by the way.”
And with that, he practically ran up the staircase, quickly making his way to his workroom that sat in the furthest corner of the westward side of the house and nearly slamming the door behind himself once he made it there. His back pressed up against the double doors, he let out a deep, long sigh.
“That could have gone better,” he muttered to himself. He really shouldn't have portalled into the main lobby of all places; that dreadful interaction would certainly be replaying in the back of his mind for several days to come. Now wasn't the time for that, however, as he needed to come up with an idea for how he and Lilith could celebrate the holiday.
He began pacing back and forth across the room, his hand held up to his chin in contemplation. What should he do? They already had dinner plans, so that was out of the question. Their wedding anniversary was in a few weeks, so he didn't want to do anything that could potentially overshadow what he had planned for then, nor did he want to risk it being too similar. Today was the anniversary of their Fall—or the anniversary of Hell’s creation, as the Sinners and Hellborn celebrated it—so his surprise should be in the spirit of celebrating Hell, not disregarding it. What would make Lilith happy?
Lucifer thought of all the things he knew Lilith liked. She liked to sing, especially in duets; she liked listening to Lucifer perform music, her favorite style of dance was the waltz, and she loved tending to her garden in the courtyard more than anything. Music, dancing, and flowers…Lucifer had just the idea.
He portalled into the music room on the first floor, inspiration hitting him in quick flashes as he mapped out exactly what he planned to do. He used magic to uncover the grand piano that sat untouched along the internal wall to the left of the room, its white finish glistening in the long rays of light that managed to peek through the curtains that covered the large window across from the doors. The room itself, while not quite as grand as the pristine piano, was more than spacious enough for a couple to comfortably dance in. Even with the camelback sofa and matching armchairs, the mahogany coffee table, and the glass-fronted music cabinet that stored only their favorite sheet music, the space was still rather impressive.
Lucifer used his magic to move the coffee table, sofa, and armchairs so that they were lined up against the wall, as well as to roll up the large rectangular carpet that lay in the center of the room and place it propped up in the corner where the wall-to-wall bookcase met the wall closest to the doors. He moved the piano so that it was centered in front of the window and made sure to put a spell on it that would prevent any potential sun damage as he drew the curtains.
With a flourish of his hand, branched bunches of flowers bloomed in bursts of golden light along the floor, walls, and hanging from the ceiling. They were Hellish oleander; the first flower to ever blossom in Hell. Their bright ruby-red petals paired with dark purple leaves and branches contrasted beautifully with the sunflower-yellow, foliate-patterned wallpaper of the room.
Lucifer rested his hands on his hips and looked around at his handiwork, a proud smile growing on his face.
“Not too shabby, if I do say so myself.”
He took in the sight one final time, glancing over at the ornate ormolu mantel clock stylized to include two circus horses jumping over the black-and-white clock face that sat on one of the shelves of the bookcase. Lilith should arrive home any minute, meaning he should get as far away from the music room as possible so that he doesn’t ruin the surprise.
Portalling back into his workroom, he opened a drawer of his workbench and pulled out his latest piece of unfinished jewelry: an onyx cameo, roughly one inch in diameter, with an unrefined side portrait of Lilith carved partway into the stone. He might as well work on it while he waited for Lilith to return. Opening another drawer, he retrieved his tools and set himself up near one of the windows so that he could take advantage of the natural light.
Lucifer had made a fair amount of progress in carving his wife’s lovely face into the stone— enough having finally been ground away to fully reveal the solid black that would become the background on which the stark-white portrait stood out—by the time he heard someone knocking at his door.
“Lucifer? Are you there?”
Lilith’s voice, even when muffled by walls and doors, was music to Lucifer’s ears.
“Yes, just give me a moment,” he loudly responded from his seat across the room, speedily returning the cameo and his tools to their respective drawers before running to answer the door.
Upon opening it, Lucifer’s eyes met Lilith’s, and he instantly concluded that no mere carving could ever properly encapsulate her beauty.
“Were you working on something?” she inquired, a glimmer of genuine curiosity sparkling in her pale magenta eyes and a joyful smile on her face. She seemed particularly excited about something, but what it could be eluded Lucifer for the moment.
“Just a little something to pass the time”. Lucifer gestured for her to enter the room, which she did quite gladly. “How was your day?”
Lilith made her way to the small wooden table a few steps into the room and took a seat in one of the matching wooden chairs.
“It was quite alright,” she said, crossing one leg over the other and folding her hands in her lap. “Not too busy, what with everyone but non-essential workers having the day off, which was nice. How was yours?”
Lucifer pulled out the chair across from her and took a seat.
“Extremely uneventful. I checked every logistics station for the new railroad, just to make sure everything was in order, and besides one in Sloth coming up a little short on iron, there wasn’t much to be concerned about”. He leaned back into his chair, crossing his arms across his chest in mild annoyance. “Which I guess is a good thing, but it made for a very slow and dreadfully boring experience.”
There was knocking at the door once again, which startled Lucifer as he momentarily forgot that there were other people in the house besides Lilith and himself.
“Ah, that must be our tea. Come in, Evelyn,” Lilith directed.
“Yes, ma’am,” Evelyn answered from the other side of the door, making nary another sound as she entered the room, wheeling in a tea trolley and parking it beside the table. She motioned to begin pouring the tea; however, Lilith raised a hand to signal for her to stop.
“That’s fine, Evelyn. You don’t need to do anything else. Why don’t you and the others go ahead and enjoy the rest of the evening?”
Evelyn paused for a moment before responding. If Lucifer didn’t know better, he’d say she looked almost dumbfounded at the concept of getting out of work early on a holiday.
“Very well. Thank you, ma’am, sir. It’s been a pleasure serving you today”. She bowed first to Lilith, then Lucifer, who responded with a curt nod in kind.
Not another word was spoken until Evelyn left the room. Lucifer hadn’t realized how tense his shoulders had been until they finally relaxed once he heard the click of the door closing behind her; yet another painfully awkward interaction for him to think back on at a later time, he was sure.
Lilith hummed a sweet little tune as she reached for the slim golden handle of the white porcelain teapot. Slowly and steadily, she poured steaming hot black tea into the two matching teacups. Using the small milk jug, she poured the smallest amount of milk into one cup and a significantly larger amount into the other. She then lightly plucked three sugar cubes from their bowl and dropped them gently into the cup containing more milk, taking a small silver teaspoon and carefully stirring the contents so that nothing spilled. She took the handle of the cup with milk and sugar in one hand and held the saucer it rested on in the other, placing it delicately on the table in front of Lucifer before placing her own tea in front of herself and retaking her seat.
Lucifer chose to quietly observe and admire her as she worked. She could make anything, even something as simple as pouring tea, look like an art form. He thanked her, graciously taking the cup in his hands and blowing on it before taking a long, contented sip.
“When we’re done here, I’d like to show you something before we leave for the von Eldritch’s,” Lilith said, her smile barely hidden as she brought her cup up to her lips.
It didn’t take much for Lucifer to realize that she must have prepared a surprise of her own, which would certainly explain her particularly chipper mood. He couldn’t help but wonder what it could be, and worry that his surprise would be lackluster in comparison. He knew it wasn’t a competition, and Lilith would more than likely be appreciative of his gift, if nothing else, but he couldn’t quite shake the nagging feeling in the back of his mind that he would disappoint her somehow. He had already upset her so early into the day…he couldn’t stand it if it happened again tonight. Even with all of the milk and sugar that had been added, his tea began to take on a rather bitter taste after that thought occurred to him.
— — —
After finishing their tea, Lilith enthusiastically ushered Lucifer towards the back garden, her child-like impatience difficult to miss with how she practically pushed him down the halls. Lucifer had rarely seen her behave this way since the Fall, which not only made him eager to see what it was that had her in such a splendid mood, but also a fair bit anxious. It must be something incredibly special; certainly something more special than a room full of flowers.
“Close your eyes, and I’ll guide you the rest of the way,” Lilith instructed once they reached the glass doors leading outside to the garden.
Lucifer did as he was told, squeezing his eyes shut, and allowed Lilith to guide him by holding his hand. Ideas of what the surprise could be flashed in his mind as they walked; surely, if it needed to be outside, it must be rather large, right? The anticipation was positively agonizing.
Lilith suddenly stopped, making Lucifer’s forehead collide with her back. He could sense her whirl around to stand behind him, placing her hands delicately onto his shoulders.
“You can look now.”
Lucifer opened his eyes, revealing two small trees spaced roughly eight feet apart, planted in the center of the garden path. He was admittedly confused at first, until he realized exactly what made them so special.
“Are those…?” he gasped in disbelief, his eyes widening.
“Apple trees, straight from Earth,” Lilith finished.
Lucifer whipped his head around to look her in the eyes.
“Where did you… how did you…?”. His words were a jumbled mess, his mouth utterly failing to keep up with his thoughts.
Lilith laughed, clearly amused by his bumbling.
“You know how Asmodeus sends his little workers to Earth using those crystals you make for him? Well, there’s apparently a market for Earth items here in Hell, so I found someone willing to bring back a pair of young apple trees,” she explained, leaning forward to plant a soft kiss on Lucifer’s cheek. “Happy Hell Day, my angel.”
Lucifer remained in utter shock. When he began creating those crystals for Asmodeus—and allowed him to refer to them as ‘Asmodean crystals’, of all things—the intention was merely for Hellborn demons, such as imps and succubi, to fulfill their demonic duties by coercing living humans into sin. He had never considered that the demons would use them to bring anything back with them, nor that the people of Hell would be so eager to get their hands on it. He supposed it made sense for Sinners, especially, now that he had a moment to think about it, to desire objects that reminded them of their former lives.
Food, for example, had a noticeably different taste in Hell compared to Earth, despite many Earthly fruits, vegetables, and animals having clear counterparts in Hell. Hell’s apples, for example, were never as sweet as the ones found on Earth, regardless of the variety. Lucifer had tried for centuries to cultivate the perfect apple in Hell, with his only accomplishment being an apple variety that was only slightly sour compared to the rest. Before his banishment from Heaven, he could simply conjure up an Earth apple using his magic, but without his halo, it had become seemingly impossible for him to create anything other than the Hellish equivalent.
This changed everything. No longer would they be limited to Hell’s food, books, music, and entertainment. Lucifer could finally partake in the actual works of composers such as Bach, Vivaldi, Beethoven, and Mozart; of authors such as Shakespeare, Austen, Defoe, and Goethe; and of the myriad of other artists he had longed to experience, instead of being forced to indulge in cheap copies and forgeries found in Hell. No longer would he have to rely on humans summoning him for him to experience Earth culture, which he could never truly get from his summonings anyway, considering he could only project his consciousness to Earth and not actually visit it himself.
And when these two apple trees began to produce fruit in a few years, he would finally be able to partake in his favorite fruit whenever he wanted, without needing to rely on anyone else.
Lucifer embraced Lilith in a tight hug, squeezing his arms around her waist as he buried his face into the plum purple fabric of her dress.
“Thank you,” he whispered, his voice muffled by the fabric.
Lilith gently stroked the back of his head, wrapping her arms around him in an equally loving embrace.
They stayed like that for a while, simply allowing themselves to enjoy each other’s touch and listen to the warm summer breeze blowing across the flowers and leaves of the many plants surrounding them. In that moment, Lucifer was reminded of Eden, and how much he missed the feeling of tranquility that washed over him whenever he was there.
— — —
“Freddy!” Lucifer exclaimed cheerfully upon finally seeing his good friend, his arms extended outwards and ready for a hug.
“It’s so good to see you, Lu,” Frederick chuckled, extending his own arms in kind. He met Lucifer halfway, and the two men gave each other a quick squeeze and pat on the back before releasing. “What has it been, six months?”
“Nearly seven, actually,” Lilith corrected, taking far more care to greet their host in a respectable manner than Lucifer as she took her time to travel elegantly across the room. She came to stand beside him, offering her hand to Frederick.
“Ah, yes, that’s right. It was when Seviathan was but a couple of months old. Correct as always, Lilith,” Frederick conceded, graciously accepting Lilith’s hand and planting the softest kiss upon it. “Speaking of our precious little Seviathan, Bethesda is preparing him for dinner at the moment. They should be joining us shortly.”
“That’s right, he should be old enough to eat solid foods by now. My, they sure do grow up fast,” Lilith commented, to which Frederick chuckled once more.
“Indeed, they do. It feels like just yesterday he could barely hold his head up, and now he’s sitting with us at mealtime!”. He gestured for them to continue onwards into the house. “Come, we can talk while we walk.”
As they made their way down the hall, Lilith and Frederick carried on in their conversation about Sevaithan; how many developmental milestones he had already reached and how many they had to look forward too, how difficult it was to find a suitable nanny, how difficult it was to maintain a consistent sleep schedule, how difficult it had become to even leave the room as he seemed to have developed a slight case of separation anxiety…there was quite the laundry list of difficulties, Lucifer noticed.
He remained silent as he listened to them talk, not confident that he was knowledgeable enough to contribute anything of value lest he embarrass himself like he did that morning. It was interesting how this had been the second time today that he felt ashamed of his lack of knowledge on this particular topic, and he made a mental note to consider purchasing a book or two about raising children at some point in the near future.
“What do you think, Lu?”
“Hmm?”. Lucifer tuned back in, not realizing that he had been so lost in his own head.
“We were discussing which toys would be most suitable for keeping little Seviathan occupied while Frederick and Bethesda tend to other matters,” Lilith clarified.
The prospect of the topic of discussion changing to toys caused Lucifer to perk up immediately; finally, something that was in his wheelhouse.
“That depends. Does he like ones that make noise, or ones that move? Is he at the stage where he seems interested in shapes and colors? I heard he hasn't started walking yet, but I could make something that helps him learn to stand, at least. Is he too young to have a favorite animal?”
Lilith and Frederick chuckled, amused by his rambling.
“I’ve always admired your passion for things like this,” Frederick admitted. “Never a dull moment with you around!”
Lucifer let out a chuckle in return, a faint golden blush spreading across his cheekbones. Back in Heaven, the other angels would laugh at him with derision and contempt, but when Lilith and Frederick laughed, he knew it was never intended to mock him. No one had ever said that they enjoyed his company back in Heaven, let alone that they admired him, so he couldn't help but blush at hearing those words, especially coming from someone he considered his closest friend.
Once they reached the dining room, they were greeted by two imp maids standing on either side of the doorway. They curtsied before opening the doors in perfect synchronization, and Frederick, Lilith, and Lucifer walked past them and entered the room.
Bethesda was standing near the fourteen-chair dining table, bouncing a babbling baby Seviathan in her arms.
“It’s good to see you two. It's been so long since we last shared a meal,” she said, clearly holding herself back from showing too much excitement so as not to startle the baby.
Lilith practically leaped to her side, not only happy to see her friend for the first time in ages but also eager to see Seviathan.
“He's beautiful, Bethesda. Positively precious,” she cooed, wiggling her finger a few inches from Seviathan’s face.
He looked up at her with brilliant emerald-colored eyes swimming in large pools of bright red that were unlike those of his parents; in practically every other sense, he seemed to resemble his father the most. He raised one chubby little hand and gripped Lilith’s finger tightly, shaking it like a rattle and letting out a giggle not dissimilar from that of a young cherub.
“Looks like he likes you,” Bethesda chuckled. “Would you like to hold him?”
“I'd be honored to, thank you,” Lilith replied almost immediately.
Bethesda passed Seviathan into Lilith's arms, who accepted the baby without a second thought. She cradled him, carefully resting his head in the crook of her elbow, and looked down at him with quite possibly the most contented expression on her face that Lucifer had ever seen.
“Darling, come over and say hello to the baby,” she urged.
Lucifer hesitated for a moment before sheepishly walking over to stand in front of her.
Lilith leaned forward slightly so that he could have a better look.
“H-Hello, Seviathan,” Lucifer stammered, reaching his hand out in a manner similar to how Lilith had a few minutes prior. “You’re looking…good.”
“He's a baby, Lucifer. You don't need to sound so stiff,” Lilith giggled.
Seviathan stirred restlessly in her arms and began to cry, shocking both Lilith and Lucifer, who had no idea what to do.
Bethesda shushed calmly, gently taking him from Lilith and bouncing him over her shoulder.
“Shhh, it’s okay,” she soothed, rubbing Seviathan's back in small circles as he continued wailing. “I'm sorry, I think he may just be hungry.”
As if waiting for their cue, the butler and footman practically burst through the doors, shiny silver cloches in each hand. Without a word, they worked in tandem, placing each one individually on the seaweed-green tablecloth in front of four chairs, with one at the head, one directly to the right, and two to the left. Another servant entered the room carrying a wooden highchair and placed it next to the chair to the right of the table head.
Frederick, Lilith, and Lucifer took their seats, with Bethesda placing Seviathan in the highchair before seating herself between him and her husband.
“Your appetizers, sir,” the butler said, addressing Frederick, the three servants removing the cloches in unison to reveal the dishes underneath: ten medium-sized shrimp on each plate marinated in garlic sauce and garnished with curly parsley. Bethesda’s plate came with a small additional porcelain bowl filled with a mysterious green mush; Seviathan's meal, surely.
Frederick thanked and dismissed the servants, clapping his hands together loudly as the doors closed behind them.
“Well then, why don't we get started?”
Dessert had just been served when Frederick dropped the news.
“We’re actually expecting, once again,” he announced, reaching over to tenderly hold Bethesda's hand on the table.
Lilith gasped, covering her mouth with her hands.
“That's wonderful! I'm so happy for you!”. She jumped out of her seat, leaning over the table to reach for Bethesda’s hands, who stood up to meet her halfway. “You’ve been blessed with another precious miracle.”
It took Lucifer a moment to comprehend the information.
“Congratulations, you two. That's truly wonderful,” he said, smiling warmly.
“Thank you. To be quite honest, it took us completely by surprise, but we couldn't be happier,” Bethesda replied, she and Lilith retaking their seats.
Seviathan cooed from his highchair, slamming his hands into the wooden tray in front of him like a drum. It was as though he demanded that everyone focus their attention back on him, having begun to feel left out.
Bethesda smiled at him, taking a napkin and wiping some of the food scraps from his round cheeks.
“When Seviathan was born, we realized just how much time and energy it takes to raise a child”. Her expression turned wistful for a brief moment. “It's been difficult, possibly the most difficult thing we've ever done, but it's been so rewarding at the same time. I can't wait to do it all again.”
Frederick leaned over to kiss her on the forehead, stroking her cheek with his thumb as they stared lovingly into each other’s eyes.
“I can't wait, either. I love you, Beth.”
“I love you too, Fred.”
Lucifer simply sat back and watched them awkwardly, feeling like he shouldn't be there to witness such an intimate moment.
Lilith’s hand brushed against his hip, presumably in search of his hand, which he gifted to her without a second thought. Their fingers interlocked, and she squeezed him lightly. He could feel a twinge of sorrow in that squeeze.
Frederick’s eyes met his for a split second, causing him to flounder to straighten himself out.
“Hopefully Seviathan gets along with them once they're born,” he said after clearing his throat.
“I'm sure he'll make a fine older brother,” Lilith reassured.
Frederick swirled his tea in his hand, pondering something, when suddenly inspiration seemed to strike him.
“If you two had a child, I'd be willing to bet they'd become friends as close as we are!” he exclaimed, clapping his hands together. “If you have a daughter, maybe she and Seviathan could become more than friends, and our families could become even closer! What Bethesda said earlier is true; raising a child is the most rewarding thing you can do as husband and wife. You two have been together for thousands of years; surely now is the perfect time to start a family.”
Lilith’s grip on Lucifer’s hand got tighter and tighter the longer Frederick spoke, and he could see her smile slowly falter.
“It's just…not in the cards for us, Freddy,” he said, looking down into his lap dejectedly.
Bethesda audibly kicked Frederick from underneath the table and gave him a cautionary glare.
“I’m terribly sorry. I didn't think before I spoke.”
Lucifer looked to Lilith for a sign of what to do, but she gave him nothing. He furrowed his brows and sighed, standing and bringing Lilith up with him.
“It's been a long day. Dinner was wonderful, as was catching up after so long. Sorry to cut this short, but I think it's about time we get going.”
A portal opened up behind him, and he led Lilith through it without a second thought. Once it closed behind them, he whipped around to face her, holding both of her hands close to his chest.
Her smile was completely gone now, the look on her face nothing less than despondent.
“Freddy didn’t mean anything by it. He was just…excited! About the new baby!”. He searched frantically for the right words to say to make her feel better. “He said it himself—that he wasn’t thinking—you know how that can be, I mean, I do it all the time! What’s that one saying, the one about eating a foot? It’s like that! Sometimes I just go on and on, talking without thinking, and sometimes I say exactly the wrong thing at the wrong time, but that’s what happens when you don’t bother to think about what you’re saying! I’m sure Freddy does the same thing every now and then, and this just happened to be one of those times, but he didn’t mean to hurt your feelings!”
“Put one’s foot in one’s mouth,” Lilith said, a small smile reappearing on her face. “The expression is ‘to put one’s foot in one’s mouth’. I suppose it does make a certain amount of sense to think that it has something to do with eating, though.”
“Oh.”
Lucifer looked up at her, dumbfounded, and she couldn’t help but giggle. That giggle quickly turned into a chuckle, then a joyful cackle. She practically doubled over in laughter, tears forming in the corners of her eyes, although she made sure that her hands were still firmly held in Lucifer’s.
“You always know just the thing to cheer me up,” she said between breathless laughs.
Lucifer beamed, overjoyed that he had been able to evoke such a strong positive emotion; it was, after all, something he was designed to do.
He waited for Lilith to collect herself before taking a few steps backwards, dragging her with him.
“Come with me for a moment. It’s my turn to show you something.”
He led her through the darkened house, stopping once they reached the music room. He released her hand to grasp the door handles, taking a deep breath before opening the doors inward.
‘Moonlight’—really the light emanating from Heaven in the sky above—poured in from the large window, reflecting off the white sheen of the piano and soaking into the hardwood floor. Heaven wasn’t the only source of light, though; a rather unique attribute of Hellish oleander was that its flowers emitted a soft red glow at night, bathing the walls, floor, and ceiling in their delicate light.
With a snap of Lucifer’s fingers, the piano sprang to life, emanating a sparkling golden gleam as the lid and fallboard propped themselves open, and the keys began pressing themselves down as if a phantom pianist had begun playing. A familiar piece of music filled the room: a piano rendition of a song Lucifer had written and performed for Lilith around the time they first met.
“Oh, Luci. It’s beautiful,” Lilith said, awestruck.
Lucifer took a few steps into the room and offered his hand to her, which she took without hesitation. He led her into the center of the room, holding her right hand in his left and raising it so their arms were held at an angle slightly to the side. He slid his right hand up her left side until it touched just under her underarm, and she raised her left arm to rest her hand on his right shoulder.
The room didn't quite have enough room for a traditional waltz, but they made the most of it, taking small steps around the room while gazing lovingly into each other’s eyes.
During the last few notes of the song, Lilith’s eyelashes fluttered, and she crashed her lips into Lucifer’s.
His eyes widened in surprise for a moment before closing, wrapping his arms around her neck to bring her in closer.
Soft, muffled moans escaped from their interlocked lips as their kiss gradually increased in intensity, their hands grasping and tugging at each other, shifting around the room as they practically shoved one another around the room.
Lilith broke contact first, fighting to catch her breath as she moved her hands to gently cup Lucifer’s cheeks, rubbing her thumbs over their permanent pink blush marks.
“You've made me the happiest woman in all existence,” she said breathlessly. “I don't need anything else so long as I have you. I love you, Luci.”
“I love you too, Lili”. Lucifer removed her left hand from his face and began peppering it with kisses from her inner wrist down the length of her forearm. “I just wish I could do more for you.”
Lilith’s words were romantic, but deep down, he knew she was mostly using them to convince herself that what she said was true.
“You’ve done more than enough,” Lilith assured, bringing him into a hug.
Lucifer closed his eyes, taking a moment to breathe in the faded smell of her perfume that now just barely masked her natural scent.
He didn't feel like he had done enough. Until he could give her the one thing she's always wanted, he would never feel like he had done enough.
“I want to try again.”
Lilith constricted her arms around him.
“No,” she asserted sternly.
Lucifer pushed himself away from her.
“Why not? If you just gave me another chance…I'm sure I can do it this time!”
“Lucifer…”
“Why won't you just let me try? It's all you've—all we’ve wanted for thousands of years! I know this time I can make you happy, if you just—”
“Lucifer!” Lilith snapped, grabbing Lucifer firmly by the shoulders. She looked at him with a mixture of exasperation, weariness, and sadness in her eyes. “I know you think you can do it, but I don't want to take that chance. I can't go through that again…I just can't.”
Her voice cracked at those last words, and her eyes became glossy.
Lucifer averted his eyes, unable to look her in the face.
“Lucifer, please look at me,” Lilith pleaded, gently pushing his chin up with her fingers, although Lucifer adamantly refused to meet her gaze. “I am happy. I don't want or need you to push yourself for my sake, especially if you end up hurting yourself in the process. Do you understand?”
Lucifer truly didn't understand; what happened to him shouldn't matter if the end result was her happiness. He nodded nonetheless, simply desiring to end the conversation.
“Good,” Lilith sighed, releasing him. “It’s late. Why don't we get ready for bed?”
Lucifer remained silent, pushing ahead of her and refusing to look back as he left for the bedroom.
— — —
It didn't take long for Lilith to fall asleep; Lucifer, on the other hand, was still tossing and turning.
9,828 years. That was not only how long he and Lilith had been in Hell; it was also roughly how long they had been trying to have a child. Whether in Heaven or Hell, once a human soul arrived, it changed form and was subjected to certain limitations. One of those limitations was the complete inability to produce biological children; a Sinner's or Winner’s body was more dead than alive, seeing as this was their afterlife, and was thus incapable of creating or housing new life. Lilith, being the first Sinner to arrive in Hell, was no exception.
They had hoped that, being an angel, Lucifer might have been able to overcome such a restriction; however, as it turned out, Heaven had planned for such a thing and did something unimaginably cruel to prevent it from ever happening. Not only could Lilith not conceive naturally, she couldn't do it magically, either—or any other way, for that matter. When she became a Sinner, her outer appearance did not suffer many drastic changes save for a large pair of horns that she could will away at any time; her insides, on the other hand, had changed quite a bit, for she no longer had a uterus.
Lilith was created to become the mother of humanity, to carry life within her and raise a family in paradise, and now, because of Lucifer’s choices, she was prevented from ever experiencing that joy.
They had explored alternatives over the years, chiefly adoption and surrogacy, but ran into problems. Their lifespans were eternal, but a Hellborn’s was not; adopting a Hellborn child meant they'd have to watch them grow old and die someday. Goetia were far longer-lived but too obsessed with maintaining their family lines to ever consider giving up one of their own, and child Sinners were incapable of physically growing up.
The Sins came into existence as young children, and Lilith and Lucifer did play a role in raising them to adulthood; however, they never truly saw each other as having a parent-child relationship. They considered themselves family, just not in that way.
Only in more recent years did they try experimenting with a more… unorthodox solution. Lucifer couldn't recreate what Lilith had lost, no matter how hard he tried—Heaven had seen to that—but he could create it within himself. Older seraphim such as himself were not created with a biological sex and could control all aspects of their form at will; they simply chose to take on male or female humanoid appearances so as not to unsettle humans whenever they interacted. While Lucifer presented as a man, he could just as easily change his body to that of a woman if he so desired.
Being an angel of creation meant that he didn't require any outside assistance, either; he could give himself a womb and create a child within it. The resulting baby would genetically be only his and would technically be considered a Hellborn; however, they would share his and Lilith’s expanded lifespan. It should have been simple enough for Lucifer to do it—creating was one of the only things he was actually good at—but there were…complications. Ones that he felt deeply ashamed about.
Lucifer had attempted to become pregnant three times now, and each attempt had ended tragically.
He had never felt such pain before, physically or emotionally; not even his Fall had made him feel that way. All three were lost fairly early on, never making it past seven weeks of gestation; however, that did nothing to diminish his and Lilith’s pure anguish whenever it happened.
After their third attempt, Lilith insisted that they stop. She had said that she couldn't bear to go through another loss, nor could she justify putting Lucifer through that again. He didn't want to give up, but he relented because he could see how deeply it was affecting her, and didn't want to push the issue.
Seeing how happy Lilith was with Seviathan reignited a flame within him, however. She told him that she was happy the way things were, but he knew deep down that she was simply saying that to spare his feelings. All she ever wanted was a child, and he was prepared to give her one, no matter what. He just needed to try.
Lying on his back, he concentrated as a swirl of red and gold smoke wisped around him, swapping out his male genitalia for a vulva and vagina, and changing his internal reproductive organs into female ones. He intentionally neglected to change anything above the waist, as he couldn't afford to let Lilith notice any changes just yet. It didn't particularly bother him to have his body appear this way—they were simply parts to him—but he couldn't help but worry that Lilith would be quite bothered if she knew, as he didn't exactly look like a man at the moment. He always noticed she looked at him strangely whenever he transformed into a woman.
Folding his hands over his lower abdomen, Lucifer closed his eyes and focused all of his energy into his new organs. A reddish-orange glow radiated from deep within him, lighting up the dark room like a freshly-lit fireplace. It took a lot of concentration to do what he was doing—far more than he ever needed for anything else. He compelled one of his ovaries to produce a mature egg and directed it towards the fallopian tube. Traditionally, it would be at this point that a sperm cell would fertilize it, but in the absence of that, he simply triggered the fertilization process himself. The newly formed zygote was now well on its way towards the uterus, rapidly undergoing cell division until it became a blastocyst. From this point onwards, Lucifer no longer needed to do anything; he could sit back and let his body work its magic on its own.
He placed his arms at his sides and let out a sigh of relief, staring upwards at the satin-covered tester with a look of sheer determination on his face. If this attempt were successful, he would finally have been able to grant Lilith’s deepest wish; if it failed once again, he would deal with it alone, and she would never need to know.
This would work. He was sure of it.