Chapter Text
The tree branch Adam held onto suddenly slipped from his grasp. Stepping back cautiously, he examined it closely from all angles before a small seed detached itself from the branch and dropped into his open palm. “The fuck is this?” he muttered, as the branch extended a twig-like gesture towards his ear, with one of its leaves gently tickling his skin.
Intrigued, he carefully inserted the seed into his ear canal. Almost instantly, a vibrant green vine erupted from the seed, twisting and curling as it grew rapidly, its tendrils spreading over his horns and encasing them in lush, emerald foliage. The seed itself then shriveled, darkened, and fell out of his ear, leaving a faint trace of green filaments behind.
“Hello, father, can you hear me?” A soft, melodic voice drifted into his ears.
“Wha-Willow? How can I hear you right now?” Adam asked, his voice trembling with surprise.
“The vines on your horns are forming a conduit, allowing me to stay in direct, physical contact with you,” Willow’s voice explained with gentle clarity.
Adam shivered as he felt a sudden surge of power; it was almost like a jolt of electricity. Looking at himself, he realized his body was glowing green, almost as if it were a cloak. He honestly hasn’t felt this type of power since he was the head of the army; in some twisted way, he missed the feeling. Having people respect and fear him instead of feeling comfortable enough to make him so insane that he would choose to jump from a building.
“Holy shit, this is insane.” He flexed his hands as he genuinely smiled, for the first time in a while, which was more depressing than he’d like to admit.
“Here I have something else for you, this one is more permanent.”
The tree reached towards Adam and dropped another seed; at least he thought it was a seed. Its middle was hollow, and it stretched wide as if it were made to be worn as a bracelet.
“Put it on.” Adam eyed the thing suspiciously before shrugging and sliding it onto his wrist.
He watched as a vine wrapped around his arm, before glowing a bright green and seeming to meld into his skin. Once embedded, tiny, razor-sharp thorns took root beneath the surface, causing him to jump slightly. “Ow! Ok, what the fuck?!” he exclaimed, irritation and surprise flashing across his face.
“Sorry I should have warned you it would hurt. This is to help you funnel blood into the roots in your arm so you can create weapons.”
“So I don’t need soil?”
Adam stepped back as he held his hand out in front of himself, twisting his arm to get a better look. “Nope, to be frank, you can make any plant as long as you come in contact with a plant.”
“Shit, that’s fucking awesome! So how do I make the weapons?”
“Just think about what you want, and what it looks like. The vine will begin to siphon your blood and create it.”
Crossing his arms, he tapped his claw on his chin as he thought about what kind of weapon to create. A smirk began to grow on his face as he held his arm out in front of himself. He knew exactly what he would make. For better or worse, he missed holding an axe. With a glowing green light, a branch began to grow from his hand. As it grew longer, it began to take form into a very familiar guitar axe, but with a little twist. Once fully formed it was modeled after his axe from when he was an exorcist, but with a change that was either a huge mistake or the best decision he’s ever made. In his hand, he held the neck of the weapon, strings leading down a long handle before the body of the instrument began to curve. Smirking, he took a moment to readjust to the sensation of wielding a weapon he had just conjured.
“This is fucking cool!" he exclaimed with enthusiasm.
Laughing softly, he gripped the scythe firmly with both hands, attempting to spin it smoothly over his wrist. The blade reached about halfway before slipping from his grasp and dropping onto the ground. Sighing in frustration, he bent to pick it up again, fingers tightening around the shaft. As he made another attempt, the weapon reached the midpoint of its rotation when he was unexpectedly startled by his name being called.
“Dad! There you are, I’ve been looking for you!” Abel called out cheerfully, waving enthusiastically as he jogged across the uneven dirt terrain toward his father. He eyed the scythe curiously, tilting his head. "Is that a scythe? I didn’t know you knew how to use these.”
Adam shrugged casually, leaning the blade of the scythe against his shoulder and giving his son a quick once-over. His rugged features were weathered, with a hint of a smirk playing on his lips. "'Cause I don’t, but I’m sure as hell willing to give it a shot. This thing is fucking awesome." His eyes sparkled with a mix of pride and excitement.
The boy studied his father intently, one hand gripping the top of his cassock He took a deep breath, puffed out his chest confidently, and adopted a serious expression.
"Dad, since you’re out here, I think you should train me," Abel declared boldly, voice firm with determination.
Adam ran a hand thoughtfully over his stubbled chin, his gaze narrowing slightly as he considered his son's request. He paused before replying, “You know, I’d forgotten I even agreed to that. But are you sure? I don’t exactly go easy, and don’t think you have an advantage just because I don’t know how to handle this thing yet.”
Abel excitedly pulled off his cassock, revealing a black bodysuit fitted to his frame underneath. He then extended his hand, and with a flicker of shimmering, gold light, a polished shepherd's staff materialized in his grip. Adam smiled warmly, a surge of pride swelling in his chest; for once, Abel looked undeniably cool—the confident young hero rather than the adorable, clumsy kid his family always knew—though opinions varied depending on who you asked.
"Alright, I’m ready!” Abel declared, adopting a defensive stance, his fists clenched and knees slightly bent. Adam carefully planted his spear into the ground, then approached his son, stopping directly in front of him.
Abel looked up, his brow furrowing in confusion as his shoulders slumped slightly and an eyebrow lifted in uncertainty. Adam stared his son down, a serious expression on his face, then flicked Abel’s forehead with a gentle but firm motion. Unexpectedly, the flick sent Abel stumbling backward onto the dirt, catching himself with one hand.
“Ow! What was that for?!” Abel exclaimed, rubbing his forehead where a small red mark was forming.
“Shit, Abel, my bad. I didn’t mean to hit you that hard—I held back,” Adam admitted with a trown of regret, kneeling down to examine the red spot on his son's forehead. He gently placed a hand on Abel’s cheek, checking to see if he was okay as a faint bruise started to appear.
Abel frowned, not out of malice but irritation. He swatted at his father's hand and then quickly scrambled to his feet. “I’m okay, Dad. It’s just a little scratch. I’m the leader of the army now, so I know I can handle getting hurt worse than this," he said with determined confidence, brushing dust off his knees.
“Alright, since you're so sure of yourself, don’t hold back on me. Show me everything you’ve got.”
Abel nodded his head before rushing at the man in front of him. Gripping the handle tightly, he used all of his strength to toss it. Since he hadn’t gotten used to the difference in weight, he went flying with it. Abel was immediately over him, coming down at an alarming speed. Adam had no choice but to roll away from his weapon and jump to his feet. He smirked as he watched Abel come to a stand while holding his staff.
“Not too shabby, you got me away from my weapon, but are you prepared to defend?”
He didn’t have time to respond as Adam began to rush him, holding his arm out to the side. In an instant flash of green summoned a short-sword before clashing with him, both holding their ground. Through struggling groans and subtle pushes, Abel spoke. “I…Didn’t even know you…used swords.”
Adam smirked as he began to apply more pressure on his son, causing Abel’s knees to buckle as he held his stance, but began to slowly lower to the ground. “I can use almost anything, at least anything that’s handheld, is concerned.”
Abel grunted as Adam shoved him once again, cursing under his breath he let himself fall to the ground, making Adam begin to fall over as well, as he was about to fall over on his son Abel quickly straightened his body and kicked his dad off of him sending him back a couple feet as he began to shakily make his way back to his feet. Adam was crouched over as he held his stomach. He was silent, which scared his son; he was about to ask what the matter was. But just as he was about to ask the question, a chuckle began to come from the man, which then became laughter, almost hysterical and genuine. Adam looked up as he ran his hand down his face.
“Holy crap, I miss this. I miss this feeling, I feel like I just got a long-needed breath of fresh air.” Adam smiled as he stood straight up again, motioning towards his son. “Come on, come at me.”
Abel quickly rushed at his dad once again. This time, when he got close enough, Adam slashed at him. His son leaned back, just barely avoiding the blade, before his father quickly grabbed the staff and kicked his back away from it. Abel slid on the dirt as he groaned, looking up at his father, who spun the shepherd's staff on his wrist before planting it in the dirt beside him.
“Don’t you have actual powers? Why are you only using this? I told you, don’t hold back on me.”
“I’m not holding back, I just…I don’t know how to handle that much power.”
Adam sighed as he tossed his weapon onto the ground and helped his son come to a stand. “It’s not hard, just hold back.”
“Maybe for you it wasn’t, but this is my first time using them, especially in this context. Why don’t you teach me how?”
Adam stopped and crossed his arms as he thought for a minute. Of course, he wasn’t always so gifted with his magic, and of course, he had to learn. But for some reason, he couldn’t remember how it happened, no matter how hard he tried. It was concerning, and he was honestly a bit hesitant to dig deeper. Shaking his head, he jumped back and held his hand out, conjuring an axe, nothing remarkable. He then looked up and jumped into the sky, using his wings to hover over the garden as he looked down at his son.
“Alright, let’s try a little aerial combat.” Holding his weapon, he pointed at his son’s staff, as he did a large green vine emerged from the ground, wrapping around the staff before unearthing it and tossing it at Abel
Adam jerked a bit as he looked down at his arms before speaking. “Willow, what the fuck was that? You didn’t tell me I could do shit like that.”
“Sorry, Father, I was unaware you could do that. I still have a lot to study about the magic of Hell.”
“Dad? Who are you talking to?”
Abel’s question made him shake his head as he realized he was talking aloud, fanning his hand at him. “Nah, it's nothing, just thinking out loud.”
As his son floated in front of him, he felt his chest clench. The familiar golden hue of the wings made anger that he thought he had packed away for a minute now resurface. His life before this wasn’t the best, but it was far from the worst. Now the very people who caused it all were in the same place with him, and he was even thinking about having sex with one of them. God, how could he have been such a fool, making friends? Being friendly? Why was he doing any of it? He didn’t want to go back to Heaven anymore, and he definitely didn’t give a fuck about Charlie’s dream of redeeming sinners, so why?
“Dad, are you ok?” Abel was now floating beside his father, his wings being a taunting reminder to Adam of what he had lost.
Adam held his hand up and pushed his son away a little more forcefully than intended. “Shit..I…Sorry, I can’t finish this right now.” He made his way to the ground and tucked his wings back into his body. Abel, confused, came to a land beside his father.
“Dad, what’s wrong? You can talk to me if you need. I’m here for you.” He went to place his hand on his father’s shoulder, but before his hand could land, Adam was already walking away.
“I’m fine…just a little more tired than I thought, I’m gonna go take a nap.” Abel’s hand dropped to his side as he watched the door to the kitchen close behind his father.
The blonde sighed as he dematerialized his staff. He hated that his father felt like he couldn’t share anything with him. He knew that it was because of his Dad’s fucked up view of parental relationships with their kids, and no matter how hard he tried over these thousands of years, he was still never able to get him to change his mind. It was more frustrating than dealing with Cain, in that sense, there was no way that. He turned away from the door and looked up at the tree in the middle of the garden, his eyes taking in the red and gold that seemed to be flowing through it. His shoulders drooped as he ran his hand down his face.
“I wish this were a lot easier.”
“You wish what was easier, dear?”
Turning around quickly, Abel came face to face with the queen of Hell, her strides long but graceful. Abel shook his head as he scratched the back of his neck. “Um, nothing you should concern yourself with, Mrs. Morningstar.”
The woman laughed softly as she waved her hand in front of herself. A sparkly purple puff of smoke appeared in front of them before it disappeared, leaving a table and two chairs, with what seemed to be a pot of tea and small sandwiches sitting on top. Abel watched her cautiously as she sat down and began to pour tea into the cups.
“Come sit down, I’ve got a story to tell you. Maybe it can help you understand things a little better.”
Abel unconsciously placed his hand on his chest as he eyed the chair. “How did you…”
Lilith didn’t speak as she motioned towards the chair, gulping Abel slowly sat down in the chair. “So what…What do you want to tell me?”
Lilith gripped her cup and brought it to her lips, taking a sip before sighing contentedly, before placing them down on the table. “It's the story of how Lucifer and I were originally banished.”
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Lilith sat beneath one of the many trees of Eden, her head gently leaning back onto the bark as her eyes remained softly closed. She didn’t know exactly what to call this feeling, but she wasn’t asleep. A sense of calm washed over her, yet she was far from tired. It was moments like these that she longed for Lucifer’s presence; she believed he’d surely have an answer to her quiet questions. Almost as if her thoughts were answered directly, a radiant light descended from the heavens, accompanied by the angel she deeply missed.
“Luci! I’m so glad to see you!” The woman instantly sprang to her feet, her heart leaping, and quickly wrapped her arms around the angel in a tight, joyful embrace.
“W-Wow, I didn’t realize you missed my presence so much,” Lucifer remarked softly, a hint of amusement flickering in his eyes.
Lilith gently pulled away, smiling warmly as she grasped his hands with affection. “I always look forward to your visits and your words of comfort.”
Lucifer returned her smile with a gentle, knowing look, then carefully withdrew his hands, the divine glow around him flickering softly. “Unfortunately, I can’t stay longer. I need to clear out some of the dark, corrupted energies from Beta Earth so it will be ready for you and Adam” he explained with a tender seriousness.
The woman’s face fell at the mention of the first man, a deep sigh escaping her lips as her shoulders slumped in resignation. "Right, for Adam and me… Luci, if I... if I liked someone else, would that be a problem?" she asked, her voice tinged with uncertainty.
Lucifer felt his mouth go dry, his eyes widening in surprise and confusion. “What do you mean by that? Who else do you have your eyes on? There aren’t many beings in this forest—please tell me it's not an animal, because that would be—" his voice trailed off, a mix of shock and concern.
Lilith gently placed her hands on the angel's cheeks, her fingertips warm and trembling slightly. She leaned forward, her lips meeting his in a tentative kiss. Lucifer was so stunned that he couldn’t pull away, but strangely, he didn’t seem inclined to do so either. As the realization of what was happening dawned on him—their divine duties, the forbidden nature of their feelings—he hesitated, then placed his hands on her shoulders to gently push her back.
“L-Lilith?! What is this about?" His cheeks flushed a golden hue, and his eyes widened even more, like saucers reflecting his astonishment.
“It's you, Luci. I like you," she admitted softly, her voice trembling with honesty. "Adam is nice, but I just don’t feel the same way about him that I do about you. He feels more like what you called Michael."
“Y-You think of Adam as…as your brother?” Lilith nodded quickly, her gaze falling to the ground, her cheeks flushing with nervousness as she sensed his lack of excitement.
“Is that wrong? It doesn’t feel wrong, though, Luci. I love Adam, but it’s not the same way. Adam is fun and kind, easy to talk to about anything. But you, you make my heart race, and when you're gone, I miss you so much it feels as if I can’t find happiness without you.”
The angel’s delicate wings fluttered slightly as he sensed her emotions behind her words. Though her feelings stirred him deeply, he knew it was wrong. As an angel, he was meant to be a pure, celestial being. She was destined to be the first woman, the first mother—Adam’s wife. If anyone in Heaven discovered this, they might withdraw him from the Eden project, or worse, they could do something to Lilith.
Lucifer gently held the woman’s hands, gently hovering a few inches above the ground with his delicate wings. “Lilly… this is something we need to discuss thoroughly when I return. Please don’t mention this to Adam just yet.” Lilith clutched Lucifer's flowing robes, her eyes shimmering with glossy vulnerability as she looked up at him. Lucifer’s chest tightened at the sorrowful expression on her face, which managed to reach beneath his defenses. In a tender gesture, he pulled her into a reassuring hug, one hand softly cupping the back of her head. “I promise we’ll talk about everything. Please, don’t be afraid.”
As he prepared to vanish, Lilith nodded slowly, wiping away tears that threatened to fall. Then, with a heavy heart, she watched him disappear into the sky. Sitting back down beneath the sprawling tree, Lilith felt a surge of frustration. She despised that Lucifer didn’t want her to tell Adam. She believed he deserved to know, especially if he still thought she was his wife. But if she wasn’t his wife, what was she supposed to be? Was there something else she could become? Perhaps naming something like Adam, or maybe Lucifer, could teach her how to create things from nothing—what was that process called? Inventing? Lost in her musings, she was startled by the rustling bushes beside her. Turning toward the sound, she saw Adam emerging, holding a small coiled snake in one hand and gently stroking its smooth, scaled head with the other.
Lilith, there you are! Look at this tiny snake I found. Isn’t it just the cutest?” Adam stopped a few steps in front of her, then knelt down and extended his arm toward her.
Lilith eased into a kneeling position, gently reaching forward to pet the snake on its smooth, scaled head. Smiling softly, she looked up at Adam. “He’s incredibly adorable. Oddly enough, he kind of reminds me of Luci in a way.”
Adam tilted his head slightly, raising an eyebrow in curiosity. “Nah, Luci seems more like a duck to me—those wings, feathers, and that kind of thing.”
Lilith shook her head with a gentle smile, gazing at the man. “He’s quiet and sneaky—like a snake.” The snake smoothly slithered up her arm, causing Adam to pull back slightly, before sitting cross-legged in front of her.
“Have you seen Luci today? I haven’t seen him since yesterday.”
An eyebrow raised subtly on the first man’s face as he began carefully selecting and plucking some of the vibrant, fragrant flowers around himself, their petals soft and colorful. “What do you mean? I like him, just like I like all of the angels—his very kind, gentle nature always shining through,” he said warmly.
“No, no. I mean… do you ever miss Luci when he’s gone? Like you miss him so badly it makes you feel sad inside?” Adam tapped his chin thoughtfully, running his fingers over the stubble as he considered, then nodded gently.
“Sometimes, especially when he's with you,” Adam replied, Lilith’s brow furrowing in confusion as she leaned forward slightly, her eyes searching his face.
“What do you mean by that?” she asked softly.
Adam slowly rolled the stems of the flowers in his hand, his voice quiet and contemplative. “I don’t feel good saying this out loud, but I wish Luci would spend more time with me the way he does with you.”
The woman smiled softly, her eyes warm as she slid closer to him and gently placed her hand on his leg, offering reassurance. “It’s alright, Adam. I feel the same way you do.”
His curious gaze lifted to meet hers, filled with questions. “Really? How? Isn’t he always here with you?”
“Yes, but I feel that way even when he isn’t here as well. It’s called love, which means you want to be with someone forever.” Adams furrowed his brow, looking down at his lap, his voice tinged with uncertainty.
“Love? Does that mean you'll have intercourse? Michael told me that we would have to do that to have children.”
The woman's face flushed a deep red as she lightly hit him in the leg. The question was so embarrassing she wanted to run away. She understood his question, but she hadn’t really thought about it. Would she and he do something like that? The more she pondered, the more it dawned on her that Adam shared her feelings. She didn’t dislike that he felt that way, but she was at a loss for words.
“Well, I don’t know about that, but maybe one day,” she replied softly.
A confused expression crossed Adams’ face as he carefully set the flowers,down on the ground beside him. “But Sera told me that you were supposed to do that with me… that it was our responsibility?”
“I don’t know what to say. I understand that maybe the angels won’t be happy, but what about me?”
Adam frowned as he shook his head, feeling his confusion deepen. None of this was making sense. According to what the angels had told him, Lilith was his wife, wasn’t she? They were created for each other, weren’t they? “But Luci told us that God created us for each other. Why are you changing that? Aren’t you afraid of what God will do?”
Lilith shook her head, leaning forward and balling her fists into the ground in frustration. “What about God? He is not me, Adam. I can think for myself. He gave me a life, so obviously, he’d want me to choose what to do with it.”
His face grew increasingly confused as she spoke in a way he had never heard from her before. “Why are you talking like this? Did you eat the apple? I pray that you did not!” He stood up abruptly and began pacing back and forth in front of her, his brow furrowed in concern.
The snake, coiled between Lilith’s legs, slithered onto her leg and remained attached as she rose to her feet. “I did not! Why are you asking these things? Are you not happy?”
“Why would I be happy, Lilith? You were created to be my wife, and we were made with the purpose of tending to Eden and having offspring. Who knows what could happen if we don’t?” he replied, his voice tinged with worry.
Lilith stepped forward and placed her hand gently on his arm. “Calm down, Adam, nothing will happen to you.”
Adam gave her an incredulous look and smacked her hand away, shocking himself and the first woman. “How do you know that? If you’re not here, what will happen to me? If you are not here, how can I do what God wants me to do?”
She had to admit she didn’t have an answer because she didn’t know what would happen; maybe this was why Lucifer hadn’t wanted her to tell him yet. Biting her lip, she held her hands clasped together in front of her. “I hadn’t thought about that, but I know the angels would never do anything to you. We are their children, do you really think they would bring harm to us?”
Adam furrowed his brow at her as he crossed his arms over his chest. “Are you sure they wouldn’t? There are more angels than just Luci, his brother Michael isn’t as friendly as he is.”
“Why do you say that?” Lilith cocked her head to the side curiously and cautiously.
“I met him a while ago. He did not say anything mean. But I gave him a flower as a gift, and something just did not feel right about him. He seemed more serious than Luci, more scary than Luci.”
Lilith reached out for Adam her hand hovering over his arm. “As long as I am in Eden, I will do my best to make sure Michael does not harm you.”
Adam’s hand trembled before it clenched as he angrily turned towards her, slapping her hand away again. “You have no right to ruin my life because you want to run away with Luci! I demand that you stay here!”
Lilith gasped as her hand flew to her chest. She spat out her words. “You can not tell me what to do! I am my own person! You may want to follow someone who will not even show us his face, but I want more than that!”
Adam bitterly stared the woman down before he threw his hands up in the air. “This is a mistake, Lilith. If you go through with this, you will pay for it.”
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