Inside Sera's Office/ Nightime
"He doesn't recognize me!" Sera shouted, throwing a vase in a burst of anger as Michael stood there ever-so silently. "My own son, not a shred of recognition and now he is breeding those two creatures!"
It had been an excruciating encounter for the High Seraphim after the little lunch gathering they had became a battle for Noctis' love, but she was losing. She was being defeated by a pair of hellish women that made it clear during their eating that they had claimed her child, and ever so boldly hinting their own possessiveness by giving subtle affection in holding or kissing him in front of the council that wanted to join and be merry.
Currently she was destroying her office in the presence of her most trusted warrior and a most confused Emily that still didn't understand what was going on. If anything she was scared at how Sera was so out of character with this maternal rage burning in a mild glow with all her eyes showing as she screamed and threw more objects to shatter.
Michael remained indifferent though, as it is his personality to not be affected by such emotions after he vowed long ago to never be afflicted by emotions when Lucifer fell.
Joy wasn't even in his vocabulary as he watched Sera, not a shred of emotion even when Romna was an old friend he once considered a brother.
"Sera please," Emily spoke up and approached the enraged seraphim with a gentle gesture of her hands. "Calm down and compose yourself."
Sera wasn't in her right mind and snarled at the young seraph, her eyes burning white hot as the outline of her power glowed a little more with the room growing hot from the heat it radiated.
She stopped though, realizing when Emily flinched and backed away in fear that she was letting herself be consumed by prejudice rage towards Charlie and Vaggie for having her son as their lover.
"You're scaring me." Emily whispered, tear on the verge of breaking through as she held her hands in prayer for Sera to calm down.
Sera's eyes dimmed of their power and widened in self-disgust as she saw Emily maintain a distance. She walked over and cupped ether hands of the young lady in hers and kissed them.
In fact it actually felt good to anchor herself with Emily there to still support her.
"Forgive me. I am so conflicted with how Romna is distant with me and choosing those girls at every corner."
"But he loves them." Emily pointed out which made a pit feeling in Sera's stomach. "You heard them during lunch. Noctis—"
"Romna."
"No. Noctis." Emily argued softly, thinking Sera would come to grips with reality. "Charlie and Vaggie have taken care of him and have loved him. You heard them today at the gathering how they have treated him so well."
She held Sera's hands tightly and looked up to her, searching for some semblance of the gentle angel she knew.
"If you really are his mother then doesn't his happiness matter?" She asked with a genuine smile.
Sera gazed into those gentle eyes and was conflicted by that question. She hated that her son was with a demon and a fallen exorcist, but at the same time she was now with logic and realized that forcing her hand would mean risking the hatred of being a mother that tears love apart.
She gazed away in thought between gratitude for Emily being voice of reason and selfishness of having her child come home by force. It was was a terrible fork in the road that muddled her senses before Michael intervened to speak his own thoughts.
What they didn't expect was for him to speak out of turn in such a cold mannner couldn't be determined if selfish or logical.
"Happiness does not apply to the safety of heaven when this is Romna we are talking about. From that lunch we learned that hell has harbored him for months, which means they have the influence to use The Leviathan against us. If they haven't yet then it's only a matter of time before someone corrupts his mind like Lucifer once did."
"That's not true!" Emily argued with the archangel and stood her ground. "Charlie isn't like her dad and you know that. She loves Noctis and if she wanted to use him against us she would have already."
Michael scoffed at her counter with such dismissal of her opinion. He rolled his eyes and continued his harsh explanation.
"He is a divine beast you naive girl. Just because the Morningstar princess won't use him doesn't mean some other demon won't."
Emily was about to counter but the fact in Michael's words had her bitterly defeated and Sera inclining to how right he was. Hell did have many potential demons of low or high rank that would love to get their hands of a divine beast and use him to bring heaven to its knees.
With only the friendship she shares with Sera, Enily turned to her with pleading silence that she wouldn't do anything to hurt Noctis.
"Sera, please….."
Sera was at an empasse now, to adhere to Emily's words or to take Michael's words to heart and be the leader she's always been.
She wiped her tears away and straightened both her posture and demeanor. Unfortunately the drive to think long and hard guided her to turn away and look out the window—straight to the top balcony of the hotel offered to the three lovers conversing in the distance.
She noticed how Charlie and Vaggie were sharing an intimate dinner with Noctis underneath the moonlight, provided freely of course for Noxtis' status that he continued to reject.
It didn't stop Vaggie though from getting a good meal though, but she was known to use any resource she could to her advantage.
They were talking and laughing with candlelight between the three of them as shooting stars caught their attention.
But worst of all for the High Seraphim was the fact her son looked so happy with them—a happiness she she should providing, not these two unworthy hellions.
"Doesn't that make you happy?" Emily sighed at the sight after joining her, ignoring Michael's scoff.
Sera remained silent to the scene growing right in front of her, shifting from a romatic dinner of connection to physical intensity with kissing and inappropriate touching.
It became a cruel reminder to angel that she was unable to put herself in the heart of her own child, not when Charlie and Vaggie had the advantage of being Noctis' lovers.
Emily waited patiently for Sera to answer, feeling her own heart flutter at how the three lovers blew out the candles and went back inside with the curtains shut.
She didn't need any explanation a couple minutes later about their silhouettes under the room light, tossing or throwing clothes off before said light went out with them piling on the bed.
"Oh my." Emily blushed with a hand to her mouth.
Sera clenched her fists so tightly her knuckles turned white with fury as a rare and dangerous smile crept Michael, his mind already playing the situation to the result he wanted for heaven.
He crept up behind Sera and whispered in her ear, "And now they are touching your son in ways unholy."
Sera's expression immediately shifted from conflict and anguish to cold certainty as she turned back to him. She walked past Michael and sat back down at her desk while Emily grew concerned at the dynamic shift.
"Sera?"
"Michael." She said sharply with the archangel dropping his smirk and bowing.
"Yes my lady?"
Emily understood what just happened after seeing how direct and unfeeling her friend became in her eyes. She stepped back and watched fearfully.
"Can you ensure that Romna stays with us tomorrow?" Sera asked, narrowing her gaze with challenge that made the archangel chuckle.
"They won't return to hell with our lord." He replied confidently with a hand on his sacred blade.
"No…." Emily gasped.
"Good, I want Romna to stay." Sera leaned in with clenched fists and continued. "Tomorrow when I adjourn this foolish meeting Charlie wants I need you and Gabriel to restrain him when they are cast back to their hotel."
"You can't do that!" Emily immediately stepped in as the voice of reason but not with courage.
Her defiance was met with cold glared from both angels that silenced her.
"Hush Emily." Sera ordered, scaring the young seraph back to her place on the couch.
She made not a sound after that, but heartache was in her expression at seeing how dark her best friend was acting.
"You will have your son again." Michael was final in his words before he disappeared in a flash.
"Are you going to continue judging me?" Sera asked after looking to Emily, anger hinted in her tone whilst her expression made Emily flinch. "Do I need to worry about you informing those three?"
"No, but you're making a mistake." Emily answered somberly. She didn't want to try and understand how Sera came to this evil conclusion.
She definitely did not have the bravery to go against the high seraphim.
Brokenhearted, she disappeared in a flash and left Sera to drown in her own thoughts.
The next morning in the room
Inaide the warmth of the bedroom a well-rested trio slept peacefully under the ruined pearly white sheets they deliberately ruined with their passion, snoring and shifting into a messy pile of musk and satisfaction as the sun started to beam through the crack of the balcony window and shine their naked and messy results.
Charlie was happily drooling on Noctis' thigh and dreaming of last night with content mumbles. Vaggie was relaxed mess that was spread on top of Noctis and snoring in the crook of his neck.
Noctis on the hand was wide awake with bloodshot eyes and some bite of bites and cuts that started under his pecks and worked down to a place he was certain would never be the same.
He didn't move or make a peep while the girls smiled subconsciously, whilst the disbelief of their intensity burned in his gaze to the ceiling.
"Note to self: say no to Charlie's tail."
He winced at his own mental note when the memory of how his princess used her tail came back in a painful reminder to the area he should've closed off.
It was a night he would never forget— not when Charlie gave into her demonic instincts and used them to prove who was the dominant one in bed.
A few minutes pass before the light beaming through hit the girls and stirred them awake, albeit begrudgingly when nobody was ready for the day to start.
"No." Charlie whined, scrunching her face into Noctis' hip. "Five more minutes."
Noctis felt a little uneasy when her arm draped over his thigh and she squeezed the inside of the skin a little too close to what they thouroughly used.
He shuddered while Vaggie was more responsive by reaching back and jerking the blanket over their forms before going back to sleep.
"Not yet." She yawned and kissed the crook of his neck.
Noctis merely smirked at their childish whining and tried to keep hold of the positives to this morning while they resumed snoring, resting one hand on Charlie to pet her head with the other moved gingerly up and down Vaggie's back. Both girls smiled subconsciously at his touch and nestled deeper to his skin as the blanket shielded them from the cruel morning light in the room.
He continued to smile and look up at the ceiling in thought of the meeting to happen this afternoon, his mind cataloguing every potential thought he believed to use about Angel Dust and his progress.
Thoughts he already shared with Charlie and Vaggie during their dinner last night.
What he didn't tell them was the evidence he gathered mentally from his past experiences around Charlie and planned to use her to make sure the council listened. Although she was going for redemption, he was going for the root of the problem about extermination day and he planned to make the angels see their flaws.
It was going to be a gamble, almost as bad as keeping Sera fooled since yesterday that he didn't know her, but if he could pull that off then maybe he could give Charlie a good chance to save her people.
"I won't you down babe."
Suddenly his attention was drawn to Charlie's phone buzzing on the nightstand and he quickly grabbed it before the girls could wake up. He had a good idea as to who it might be and quietly opened to see a call from Angel Dust.
Quickly he opened the call and answered in a hushed voice. "Angel?"
"Noct, about time someone fucking answered. Carmilla is getting pissed. She wants to know why you guys have you not come back? Did something happen?"
Upon hearing that Noctis was hit with a sense of guilt for not having told the overlord what transpired or that they were staying longer.
Finally he responded.
"Everyone is fine but the situation has changed. The High Seraphim, Sera, knows I'm her son and she extended our stay for a day."
He waited for someone, mainly Angel Dust, to give a response as he heard Carmilla mumbling in the background.
It didn't long for the spider demon to respond, and as expected to be concerned.
"Oh shit! Are you okay!? Did she try killing you again!?"
Noctis raised an eyebrow before giving the explanation he knew was needed to calm his friend down.
What he didn't know was that Charlie had fluttered her eyes open and listened in silence.
"No, that's the weird part. She's been really loving and gentle and won't stop holding onto me. Right now we have her fooled into thinking I don't know her."
"Maybe she thinks it's her second chance without having to come clean?" Angel Dust suggested, surprising the divine beast with his logic.
"Carmilla says good boy by the way, use your deception to your advantage."
Noctis smirked and heard a brief incoherent mumble from Vaggie as he continued conversing quietly.
"It's risky, but if she's going to be a doting mother now then maybe we can use it to our advantage."
"Advantage how? And hurry the fuck up explaining because Carmilla is curious now."
He chuckled knowing his mother was wanting not just to know, but to test him.
And he was happy to oblige.
"The thing is the meeting may be about you, but I'm going to argue the meeting about extermination day and use Charlie as evidence."
If he had paid attention he would have heard his princess gasp on his leg and see she was listening from under the covers.
"What?" Angel Dust asked, sounding unsure of the man.
"Yup. She's the princess of hell and a demon and yet she's going against all odds to help her people. I'd say that's a valid evidence to her dream even even if she doesn't know it, not to mention the use of her free will to do good."
Charlie couldn't believe what she was hearing and tensed up with bottling emotions as Noctis explained it over the phone.
"I've got it somewhat figured out. I have no doubt the meeting will go one-sided but I'm gonna point out the flaws of extermination day to back the council into a corner. Charlie may be a demon but she's a good person and deserves to be heard."
Said princess quivered her smiling lups and whimpered as the depth of his devotion became clear to her. In her heart she wasn't just someone he loved dearly, she was his partner and he was her wall against the angels.
She couldn't be more in her teary eyed silence to have someone like him, divine beast or not.
"Just be careful." Angel Dust warned as the background got louder with Carmilla screaming at him and handling a fussy Max. "Anyway, talk to you in a little while."
"Right." Noctis agreed before the call ended.
He set the phone down in the nightstand and breathed a his thoughts before his sense of smell caught last night's musk, making his nose scrunch while unaware of Charlie pretending to be asleep under the downpour of her admiration for his loyalty.
"I need a shower." He whispered to himself before slipping away from Vaggie first.
Of course she was very unhappy at first, whining and reaching for air after he slipped from Charlie next, but went right back to dreaming when he slid his pillow to her, masking his disappearance with his scent and warmth on said pillow.
"Okay." He sighed to the sight of them still at peace under the covers and tiptoed to the suitcase Charlie packed with his essentials.
His taste of attire was very lacking with so many loose hanging shirts and torn pants from his work on the hotel, and it dishesrtened his confidence to be a good witness and speaker his Charlie.
"Shit." He huffed quietly and searched more inside the suitcase anything that would at least match without many tears or stains.
He tossed and threw piece after piece into a messy pile with knowing the lecture that would come when the girls woke up.
He started to lose hope until the final piece of clothing at the bottom of said suitcase wasnt anything he remebered having, nor sealed in plastic so cleanly.
Curious, he pulled the plastic apart and removed the first piece before slowly unfolding on the couch.
"Where did this come from?"
After a couple minutes of piecing said outfit he came to find a note on the red vest, and picked it up.
"Can't have my reincarnated best friend look bad in front of my daughter. Gotta represent the Morningstar name."
"Lucifer….." Noctis chuckled quietly and eyed the outfit again before taking it to the bathroom.
He looked around and thought how plain the bathroom was with so much white to the gold angelic etchings. As as handyman for so many years he huffed at the decor being so lacking and wondered who had the idea of being simplistic.
The only noticable design was the standup shower that took his disapproval away.
"Paradise and yet shitty taste."
He smiled shook his head arrogantly in hekief that he could design better before turning on the hot water and at least clean himself. Once his hair was drenched he went over to the bottles and to his surprise found a special hairbrush specifically meant to handle removing knots and koose strands. He picked it up and squeezed the handle to find shampoo suds foaming out while the bathroom door creaked open quietly.
Okay, now he was a little impressed by the brush and started to carefully run it in his hair while a very needy demoness slipped into the bathroom with a soft click of the door.
"Mango, not bad." Noctis told himself after sniffing the suds in his hair.
Just then he perked up to the feeling of hands coming around and rest on his pecks, followed by tighening and someone pressing their head to his back.
He didn't move as the princess stood there holding him but wondered if she was having an issue.
"You okay Charlie?"
"Yes." She said quietly and nuzzled against his back as the shower washed the suds down her body as well. "I was awake and heard what you were saying on the phone."
"You did?"
Slowly he was turned by the princess and faced with the admiration she expressed. She pressed against his chest and held him once more while listening to the calmness of his heart.
"I don't know what we did to deserve you, but we I am glad we have you." She whispered.
Noctis tilted his head at her gentle affection but figured she was having another enotional moment.
For now he would just be her anchor, and hugged her back.
"Im happy to have you both as well." He chuckled with a kiss to her head.
Charlie sighed to the affection and felt nothing bad could happen while they had their moment in the shower, and looked up to him with loving eyes that met his confident smile.
"You've grown so much."
"Have I?" He chuckled teasingly, pretending to look around distantly before shaking his head. "I dont think so."
"Yeah you have, dummy." She giggled to his silliness and continued to explain after a playful nip on his chest. "You went from being some guy who we helped to the one helping us, and now we're about to take on the entire council of heaven to stop extermination day."
"Yeah we are." He agreed gently, holding her finally in his arms, drowning the world away in their togetherness.
"Promise me you will always be with us." Charlie requested longingly, holding onto him so tight she was afraid to let go.
Noctis smiled down at her needy gaze and with all the love he could give her planted his lips on hers, effectively stilling the nervousness in her heart before he pulled said kiss apart.
"I promise I'm not going anywhere. Like you and Vaggie said about me being stuck with you, well you're stuck with me."
"Good." She breathed quietly, smiling. "We wouldn't have it any other way."
There was a moment of silence that seemed to stretch forever before they were discovered alone by a very unhappy Vaggie that ripped the curtain open.
"There you two are!"
Charlie and Noctis were startled and blinked, unsure how to explain to the pissed off woman that was still naked from bed and now making herself room for the shower.
"Pretty shitty you both left me to sleep alone while you two were having a moment."
Charlie cringed at how right Vaggie was and knew they were in the doghouse now.
Later in the day
After a serious makeup for leaving Vaggie left out and a courtesy breakfast from the heaven staff, Charlie, Vaggie, Noctis got themselves ready and prepared for the upcoming meeting.
All the while of adjusting his new attire with Vaggie to help and grateful of Lucifer, Charlie was focused in with a brochure she acquired in the lobby.
Charlie bounced on the bed excitedly as she read over its attractions. "Okay, I love Heaven. Guys, did you see here that heaven has an ice cream shop?"
She read over it some more and squealed. "It says here they have sprinkles made out of rainbows!"
"Those are just rainbow sprinkles." Vaggie pointed out dryly as she fixed the vest.
Noctis chuckled at Charlie, "Sounds like someone's a bit too excited to be here."
"Are you kidding?" Charlie could barely hold herself back while he stood there like a statue, after getting smacked of course by Vaggie for not staying still. "It's so clean and nice here!"
It was obvious that the princess was getting more excited with each attraction that she read.
"Oh my god, they have flower shops. I can finally see and smell flowers!"
Noctis starters feel a bit uneasy there after Vaggie finished. "Just remember why we are here."
He looked to the open window of heaven and grimaced, pondering the situation as various angels flew by and waved with calling him Lord Romna.
He was completely uncomfortable the formality.
"We can't let Sera discover that we know what she did, and we have to convince her to stop extermination day."
"I know, but we have a chance with you being some royalty." Charlie pointed out to her lover before she offered a comforting squeeze of his shoulder.
She could tell by the random angels flying past their balcony greeting him and how she pointed out his status that it was a bitter reminder.
It dawned to the princess that she was getting off course again and hugged his arm. "I'm sorry. Does it bother you that much?"
"Big time. I am not some lord of heaven. I prefer just being me." Noctis admitted with a tone of hate, scaring some of the fly-by patrons with his glare. "It doesn't help that Sera is acting so motherly and trying to win me over. Makes me wonder if she is gonna try something drastic."
"Do you really think she would try something?" Charlie asked, though it pained her to say that and imagine Sera doing something that could separate them. "I mean she thinks you don't remember so she would at least be gentle."
"Yeah, but Charlie let's not forget that she did kill Noctis when he was Romna." Vaggie reminded the princess in a stern tone of distrust. "We can't give her any leverage of getting Noctis back."
"Well yeah..."Charlie agreed but sound concerned as Noctis closed the blinds when one of the patrons tried to stop for an autograph. "But still, with how she is acting I'm kinda wondering if she is trying to have a second chance."
"Nobody deserves a second chance if they kill their own child." Noctis said coldly, earning a nod of agreement from Vaggie.
It was obvious to Charlie that the conversation would not go the she had hoped with how bitter Noctis was getting after that and decided to put her mind back to excitement.
"So... Emily's invited us to a zoo where all the animals are actually soft! You guys coming?"
Noctis looked over to Vaggie, who seemed tired as is and figured this morning needed to be for her since she did feel neglected.
He turned to Charlie and shook his head.
"We will catch up. I'm kinda feeling off ever since that shard-thing went into my chest anyway."
Vaggie looked nodded in agreement and offered a somber smile. "I need a break as well so hug a koala for us?"
"O.M.G! Can you imagine an actual koala?" Charlie asked and laughed excitedly.
She wasted no time to zip out of the room. "See you guys later!"
Vaggie, though truly tired emotionally, looked over to Noctis and scooted over when he proceeded to focus on the golden fire he summoned with a snap of his finger as soon as he Charlie was gone.
The intensity in his focus as the flames on his palm flickered and sparked made her a little concerned when she could tell that his focus was stronger than usual.
She took her place at his side with both arms around his waist and asked softly, "You okay baby?"
Noctis flinched from her touch snapping him back to reality, and stopped the fire with a wave of his hand before he laid back with her following.
He answered truthfully with his own worries.
"No, I can feel that something is different ever since that shard."
He glared up to the ceiling with reluctant thinking of how his body felt whilst Vaggie cuddled up to his form to help settle his uneasiness.
"Talk to me." She cooed softly, caressing his cheek while her head was on his chest.
He held the spear user close by her waist as he thought back to the last 24 hours.
"I feel more energetic than usual." He openly admitted, earning a snort from her.
"I'll say." Vaggie teased, referring to last night while he frowned.
Noctis shifted from said uneasiness to mild annoyance at her perverted thinking and finished.
"Not to mention my back hurts."
Now that got her attention when Noctis was fit as a fiddle and always moving around to stay active when fixing the hotel. If anything the only soreness he should be feeling is last night when she and Charlie had their way with him.
So why would he have back pain?
Frowning with concern, she immediately unbuttoned the vest and forced the man onto his stomach before he could process.
"Hey!" Noctis yelped but was already against his will with Vaggie exposing his back and checking with her hands.
"Shut up and be still or I will tell Carmilla." She warned with a critical eye.
Noctis immediately paled at that threat and loosened up as she made gentle presses and circular motions all throughout his back for anything unusual. He would rather take a beating before getting another spanking or ass chewing from his mother.
"I don't see or feel anything." Vaggie admitted and slid off before giving a suggestion. "Maybe your body is just finally relaxing since you work the hotel so much."
"Maybe." Noctis agreed thoughtfully before a knock came to the door.
Vaggie groaned tiredly and proceeded to the door to open it and mainly send away whoever was trying to get their attention.
Unfortunately it was the last person she ever wanted to see in her entire life when they burst through the door.
"Hey there, Vag-asaurus!"
"Who the hell!?" Noctis raised his voice defensively and shot off the bed with nothing to cover his chest.
Adam, being as smug as ever, put on a straight face for the man and acted so friendly with an imitation finger bang.
"And there he is, the motherfucking Leviathan, the big dick in the showers, heaven's reincarnated Lord Romna!"
"And you are?" Noctis sat up and grabbed his vest, watching the interaction and ready to intervene.
The angel thrust a proud thumb to his chest. "Adam, the first man and the leader of the extermination."
"You?" Noctis growled quietly.
"Huge fan by the way. Heard all about your adventure in hell with all those losers."
Vaggie rolled her eyes at the disgusting way Adam referred to Noctis before giving a stern warning.
"Charlie's not here. She will be back soon but right now we are busy, so you need to get out now."
Adam didn't even pay attention to what she said, for he was still staring from the doorway at Noctis putting back on his vest and long coat, seeing just enough of the back muscles.
"Damn." Adam gave a low whistle underneath his mask while eyeing the defensive look he was getting. "Vag-asaurus I didn't know you were into the muscle type."
Vaggie growled at his disrespect and blocked the doorway.
"As I said, Charlie isnt—"
Adam interrupted and disregarded her unwelcoming statement by stepping inside with a shrug while followed Lute behind him. "I'm not looking for the blond babe."
He paused with a darkened outlook to his smug grin as he looked backed at the cautious Vaggie. "I'm looking for you and Sera's baby boy."
Vaggie narrowed her eye as she moved around the room to join Noctis. "Why?"
Noctis remained where he stood but now had a protective hand on her waist as Adam spoke in a hinting manner, respecting no personal space.
"Maybe 'cuz you left the band. You tried for a solo career, or I guess it's more of a... duet."
Adam was having too much fun with the situation as he looked to Noctis "Or maybe a Trio, with Heaven's most sacred weapon."
On guard now, Vaggie stated. "I don't know what you're talking about..."
Adam was not amused at her playing stupid act and decided to drop the ball on her.
"Do you really think I wouldn't recognize one of my top girls just cuz you're out of uniform?" He asked in a blunt tone of voice.
Vaggie immediately went pale when she realized how Adam had never forgotten her, proving that she could not escape her history with heaven.
"Wait what?" Noctis asked, shifting his gaze from Adam to the now fearful woman. "Vaggie what is he talking about?"
She didn't even get a chance to defend herself, as it was Adam's intention to make sure heaven got their leviathan back.
Even by using her history.
"Oh yeah dude, she was on the front lines. I wouldn't forget a bad bitch like her. It's why I named her after the best thing ever. 'Vagie'." Adam explained with ill intention.
"Actually, It's pronounced 'Vaggie'" She reiterated with deep annoyance, only to get a mock of the first man tapping his chin before he continued.
"Hmmmmm- no. Anyay, you sure fucked up three years ago, didn't you?" He mocked the thought with a taunting smile.
"What the fuck are you on about?" Noctis asked, confused as is and already having enough problems with today.
"Just listen your majesty." Adam gave a mock bow and explained.
The three Exorcists, or two exorcists and an ex-Exorcist, remembered that day specifically.
Vaggie had made chase to a terrified sinner that she thought like every other demon she had slain for heaven was just another corpse to the pile, until she cornered it to see it was just a scared child.
It was in that brief moment of seeing beyond the skin, watching it cower and cry, that her mercy came to blossom. The child was given escape, but it cost her everything as an angel that was slain by her own superiors for having compassion.
Alone, bleeding, forgotten, she was part of the streets of hell until one particular princess took it upon herself to help.
"To think someone as worthless as you landed Lilith's little hottie and Sera's reincarnated son." Adam added with lack of belief. "Grats on that I guess. Must be one wicked pussy you got."
Noctis couldn't believe what he just heard and stepped away from Vaggie as she tried to hold onto his hand even tighter, but fell short with how hard he pulled away.
"Vaggie…..did you?"
Vaggie didn't have any defense to the statement Adam was giving as she sawthe hurt in Noctis' eyes. He couldn't believe that one of the two women he was in love with was actually a former killer that shed sinner blood just because it was for heaven.
She swallowed audibly and felt the fear flood her body as Noctis stared at her in disbelief. She unable to deny her past anymore but couldn't find her voice to tell him when her first thoughts were of losing both him and Charlie.
"Baby…..I….I….."
Adam took advantage of her stuttering to put a hand on his shoulders and gesture to her.
"Oh yeah your lordship. You've been banging a former demon killer that's killed thousands." Adam chuckled darkly, knowing he was putting a wedge between them.
Noctis watched as her mouth opened once, twice, three times but no words escaped her lips. She glared on the spot at seeing Adam touch her horrified lover and break his view of her.
She began to shed tears as Lute took her turn in twisting Vaggie into a monster. Those tears however made Noctis break from his shock and remember more than their times together but also the demons he met and come to grow on.
He was already treating some of the worst demons in hell as family already, even calling an overlord that weaponizes death his own mother. Yet beyond the faults and the darkness of those demons he found what he craved for the longest of time—a family.
So why would he judge now?
And it was right there with that realization Noctis felt guilty for judging Vaggie so quickly after remebering Carmilla, who called him son was a killer herself, and he still accepted her.
He sighed to himself, but it wasn't one of disappointment for Vaggie like Adam and Lute had hoped.
No, his disappointment was in his lack of open-minded thinking.
"I am a hypocrite."
"Their love is vile and blasphemous, and even worse knowing she and that morningstar bitch taints our lord with their love." Lute said with disdain as she got into Vaggie's face.
"Hot as fuck though." Adam smirked perversely before turning to Noctis with nonchalance. "So your lordship, thing is you've been—"
"Shut up." Noctis interrupted sharply, giving them a strong glare. "And get your fucking hand off me."
"Excuse me?" Adam was a little baffled by that response before Noctis shrugged his arm off and stepped back to the surprised Vaggie, shoving Lute back to him.
Vaggie couldn't understand or believe what she was seeing, but it made her tears fall harder when Noctis instinctively hugged her tightly into his side and made sure they knew where he stood.
"I don't have a right to judge. Every demon has a past, every demon I have come to accept as family." He said each word with finality and smiled down as she took this relief to heart by hugging him. "So I don't care if she is a former angel. I know the woman that is now is real."
"You can't be fucking serious!?" Adam exclaimed, sounding disgustingly astounded at how Sera's son would still accept the former angel. "You're really going to stand there and just say she's still your girl?"
"Damn right." Noctis answered without hesitation.
"But you're our lord; how can you side with a traitor?" Lute asked hatefully before trying to understand it herself. "Is it because they have offered you their bodies?"
"Yeah like what the fuck bro!?" Adam yelled with a shrug. "If its pussy you want then I can hook you up!"
He suddenly crossed his arms and turned to his favorite soldier, giving her a flat stare.
"Lute, suck his dick."
Lute gawked as she was apalled by such an order from her commander being so nonchalant, whilst Noctis stood firm with Vaggie.
"I am NOT doing that!"
Noctis tightened his protective arm as he glared at the two for their foul behavior and ignored that disgusting order, unbeknownst to his emotions fueling his aura to light up and surround both himself and Vaggie in an etheral fire.
"I have spent almost an entire year down in hell and I have come to accept the faults of every demon I know, even the ones who have done murder."
He took a dangerous step forward, ignoring the stunned looks on their faces. "So yeah, I dont have a right to judge the woman I love when I know in my core that is not who she is anymore."
Adam grit his teeth at the powerful display Noctis was exhuming from his body with the room getting a little bitter warmer and brighter. Here he thought he could at least warp his mind with the truth and turn Noctis away from one of them and get the power of The Leviathan on their side.
But here Noctis was, standing up to him and ready to fight for Vaggie as she stood there shedding new tears both for relief of not losing him and for his acceptance.
Lute would then become more disgusted at this act of love, so deeply she scoffed and pointed an accusatory finger at him. "You're a disgrace to the title given to you, siding with the morningstar spawn and this fallen trash."
In that moment Noctis bristled at those words as the fiery aura around him blazed more. Without even knowing it himself, what came next was a deadly display of doninance and protection that vibrated in his throat after he put behind himself with a push.
Of course she stumbled back but regained her balance just in time to feel as surprised as Adam and Lute when the gentlness Noctis always had became nonexistent in his posture.
"Baby?"
"What the fuck?" Adam narrowed his eyes on the man now clenching his teeth and every muscle of his body.
Noctis growled but it was something unnatural, and with it carrying a tone that sounded otherworldy while the amber of his eyes brightened.
"Insult her or Charlie again and I will tear you apart."
Adam and Lute actually stepped back at his threat and watched as the change started to show. Briefly his his hair whipped and thrashed while his body became more profound and sharper, as if undergoing a transformation.
Vaggie watched with more concern than shock as he growled deeper and deeper while Lute took position and drew her blade to protect Adam. She had seen Noctis angry before but something told the fallen angel that this was not him being angry or defensive that Lute insulted them.
It was like seeing an injured animal backed into a corner and ready to start thrashing.
It scared her.
"Baby?
"Stay back!" Lute held her sword at point.
Noctis didn't respond except with snapping his teeth at her, like a savage animal.
Adam now smirked at the aggression knowingly of what was going on, while Lute flinched and tightened her posture.
"Oh now it's getting good." He mused with a sadistic grin and shoved Lute aside to confront the enraged man.
"Come on big guy!" He taunted eagerly, gesturing for Noctis to do something. "Give me a reason!"
Vaggie couldn't believe what she was seeing. Adam was literally taunting Noctis into losing himself even more, challenging him boldly while Lute sheathed her sword and watched with bated breath.
"Come on fucker! Show me some of that power! Lets see what The Leviathan is capable of! COME ON!"
It was going to be ugly for everyone if someone didnt step in. Noctis was about to lunge at the snickering Adam, ready to rip his entire form to pieces.
Vaggie couldn't take this anymore and got between them with a hard shove, pushing the first man back to Lute before grabbing Noctis by his face.
"Look at me baby!" She ordered, holding as firm a tone she could while his anger grew. "LOOK AT ME!"
She looked and looked for any semblance of the man she loved when his eyes met hers but found nothing but a deeply furious being that was ready to cast it all aside. Desperate, she squeezed his face tightly and jerked him down into a kiss, hoping for the best while Adam remained arrogant as ever by smirking at the display.
Lute on the other hand cringed in disgust as the intimacy seemed to calm Noctis down.
He blinked as the overwhelming urge to kill washed away to her touch, his mind gripping the world around him once more while the aura finally died out and he was back to having those gentle eyes she adored.
He breathed a little heavy for his taste after Vaggie parted from his lips and forced himself to calm down. He looked to Adam and Lute, then back down to her, guilt written all over his face.
"I'm sorry."
Vaggie chuckled softly but refused to take her hands off him while the first man grew tiredly very quickly of the moment.
"Not your fault." She replied lovingly, brushing his now calm hair from his face. "Just remember that you can't use all that energy."
Yes ma'am." He nodded before sitting back down with a tired expression and discomfort in his back.
Once again he overused that power in one go and stressed his body.
"Pathetic." Lute snipped, maintaining a firm grip on the handle of her blade while Vaggie turned to face them with the same harshness she had earlier.
"You have overstayed your welcome here. Now what do you want?" She asked, keeping herself between them and Noctis.
Irritated that he did not get the result he wanted, the first man decided he was done tormenting Vaggie with her last life and making Noctis snap.
"I was gonna make an offer but now I'm just gonna give it to you straight since you ruined my fun."
He got in close to Vaggie and spoke with no room for argument.
"Work for me again to get Princess Sunshine and Rainnbows to stop her 'redemption' crap, and I won't spill the beans about you being one of us. Fail to do so and I'll tell her everything."
"You motherfucker….." Noctis growled tiredly but lacked the energy to get back up.
Vaggie didn't need to think for a second about the ultimatum Adam was giving her. Loyalty was her motive and she would die first before betraying Charlie.
But just before she could give her definitive answer she felt a sudden wave of overwhelming cold that flooded the room.
Everyone froze, seeing their breaths at almost freezing temperatures while a familiar presence had appeared in the doorway with his eyes fixed right on Adam and Lute.
Vaggie didn't look back but felt her body fill with both adrenaline and fear as she listened to his metallic footsteps move closer and closer while Adam and Lute lost their intimidating facade on the spot and began to shiver to this figure's commanding power.
"I told you to not to invoke his wrath." The Archangel warned, his eyes narrowed in a cold bluish glow and gazing down on the frightened Adam.
"Lord Michael." Lute breathed shakily and quickly and kneeled in the midst of Vaggie stepping back to Noctis when she found her bearings.
"I warned you." Michael repeated, expelling a deeper cold into the room as he clenched his fists with his gauntlets creaking. "And still you disobey."
Adam possessed no courage to argue the archangel, his wings shaking uncontrollably with his body as the leader of heaven's army maintained eye contact.
"My lord," Lute kept her gaze to the floor as Noctis and Vaggie watched from the bed. "We were just—"
"First man or not, you do not disobey me." He interrupted, speaking with so much authority it had the lieutenant biting her lip and whimpering.
Even when she wasn't being spoken to she was completely powerless to his presence.
Without warning he thrusted a hand to Adam and wrapped his fingers around the throat, clenching it tight enough to scare the man without actually causing any harm.
The act just on its own though was enough to scare both angels. Everybody, even Vaggie in her past life as an angel knew the terror that is Archangel Michael. And it was those same memories of witnessing his power that she sat by Noctis and held him protectively.
"Leave." Michael ordered and threw the angel out the door with a sickening thud, followed by his gaze slowly meeting Lute.
She was trembling and dared not to look up and see the injured Adam slowly recovering from his punishment.
"That means you as well."
Lute didnt need to be told twice at that suggestion. She flinched of course but was immediately out the door and helping Adam to leave.
"Think about it." Lute warned Vaggie with false courage before leaving the scene.
The room remained as cold as Michael had cast his power but now his gaze was fixated on Noctis and his scowling lover that continued to hold him.
But the terror only started for Vaggie.
She barely blinked and Michael had moved from the other side of the room to standing in right in front of them with his expression devoid.
She didn't even have time to act when the archangel squatted to the bed level.
"We are so fucking screwed!"
"You are not him." Michael tilted his head out of curiosity as Noctis met his gaze without fear like the others. "Yet you have such fire behind those eyes. Tell me; why are you not afraid like the others?"
Tired from his initial release of power, Noctis did not answer the angel that showed a surprising amount of patience in the silence between them. He just stared, glaring at the angel in an intense connection with a slight glow of his eyes.
A connection Vaggie did not understand, but the huff that came from Michael made her shiver worse than the temperature in the room.
"You have experienced the horrors of hell." Michael hummed thoughtfully and stood back up, understanding more than what was let on from the man.
Her fears got worse though when his reaction to Noctis staring him down did more than pique his curiosity.
He smirked.
"I know you're not Romna when he is long dead, but I am curious how you will handle the power when he wasn't even trained, and you are just a boy playing lord."
"Why do you care?" Noctis asked, his breathing labored from the sudden exhaustion.
Michael kept his smirk but turned away to the balcony windows with purpose to his visit. Slowly he went to them, and opened their view of the heavenly city.
"Just know that there are evils beyond extermination day, Noctis. And I plan to mold you into what heaven needs, even against Sera's wishes."
Vaggie wanted to question that but was still petrified by his facial expression and betrayed by her own eyes again when she blinked a second time and saw that he was gone with the room back to normal.
Like a ghost he had come and gone, leaving her with a new seed of terror in her hear and only one thought in her head as she clung to Noctis.
"What did he mean by that?"