Chapter Text
They ended up on one of the many second floor balconies, one of the ones overviewing the new and improved front courtyard. Vines with bright pink-purple flowers grew along the walls, hanging off the terrace. The exotic perfume emitting from the flowers permeated the air. Lights were strung across the railing. The sky above them was a soft cherry red.
Under any other circumstance, she would’ve called this place romantic.
Charlie stood with her back to her, gripping the railing so hard her already pale skin was touched to a ghastly shade. Her shoulders were shaking, and, with a jolt, Vaggie realized she was crying.
Her heart twisted in her chest. She shut the glass door behind her louder than necessary to announce her presence. Immediately, Charlie stiffened, squaring her shoulders. She tried to wipe her eyes with the back of her hands, sniffling.
Vaggie was about to reach out and brush Charlie’s shoulder, but decided against it at the last moment. She settled for standing close to Charlie’s side instead. “Enjoying the view?” She tried to muse.
Charlie sniffed. “I thought I said I wanted to be alone.”
“I know, I know,” Vaggie replied. “I just couldn’t leave things like this, leave you like this. I can’t stand the thought of you up here alone, crying over something I caused.”
She moved to pick up Charlie’s hand and squeeze it, their hands intertwined and hanging over the railing. Vaggie was afraid she was going to pull away, but she didn’t. She just looked down at their touching hands and blinked.
“I should’ve known,” she said, almost laughing. “You’re just as stubborn as me.”
“That’s right. When I want to be.”
“And it’s not your fault,” Charlie continued. “I’m sorry for overreacting. It’s just.. everything. The stress of managing everything. The hotel, my dad, our friends, the new guests constantly coming and leaving, and I’m not sure how to make them stay.” She paused, looked at Vaggie, and groaned. “And I’m rambling again. I can’t even go one minute about worrying over work. I got a date with my beautiful girlfriend and I’m thinking about spreadsheets. Ugh!”
“Hey,” Vaggie tried to soothe, eyes widened. “It’s okay. You love your job. You do it well. That’s fine. And stress gets the best of everybody, especially after a long time. I’m surprised you’ve made it this long. At least once a day I want to go out and kill somebody.” She paused when Charlie blinked at her, alarmed. “Not really though,” she added quickly.
“You’re passionate about what you do, what you love,” she continued. “That’s what I love about you. You don’t give up, even the odds are against you, even when you’re in deep shit. Like, the deepest shit.”
“I get the picture, sweetie.”
“In conclusion, you’re amazing, and you’re allowed to be stressed and fall apart once in a while. You have a lot of your shoulders and it’s only natural for you to stumble. Just.. let me be there to catch you, okay? Don’t push me away, or any of us for that matter. There’s so many people here that love you and support you. They all want the same thing as you. Lean on them when you need to, and you’ll be there for them to lean on too.”
“The magic of friendship,” Charlie chuckled, turning away to wipe at her eyes.
Vaggie laughed. “Yeah. Something like that.”
Charlie sighed, leaning slightly into Vaggie, sharing body heat. They were still drenched and cold. The light breeze didn’t help either, though it helped dry their clothes. It didn’t stick to their skin as much as before.
“I’m sorry I yelled,” Charlie said after a moment, slumped over, head on Vaggie’s shoulder. Vaggie inhaled and got a whiff of her perfume.
“And I’m sorry I’ve been so agitated lately,” she replied. “And that our reservation got canceled, and our food got ruined, and Husk tried to give us a bath.”
“Again, it’s not your fault.”
“Yeah. Just bad luck.”
“ Real bad luck,” Charlie deadpanned.
“Yeah.” She bit her lip. “I just wanted this night to be perfect.”
Of course fate had other plans. Vaggie had never planned for the night of her proposal to go like this. But, then again, she never planned to end up in Hell, or fall in love with a demon, let alone the princess.
Fate was always a funny thing for her.
“Yeah,” Charlie echoed. She turned her head to one side, her wet and loose hair cascading off her shoulder. Her features were highlighted in the red glare of the Pride Ring. “Why did you want tonight to be perfect?” She blinked harshly. “Oh, fuck. I didn’t forget an anniversary or birthday or something, did I?”
Vaggie didn’t reply. She gulped. Her heart fluttered in her chest. She supposed it was now or never.
Meanwhile, Charlie was panicking. “Wait, what day is it? Is it Valentine’s? Is it my birthday?”
“Charlie,” Vaggie said. “No. It is not Valentine's Day, or your birthday. That’s in six months.”
Charlie blinked again. “Ohhh. Yeah. Right.” She squinted, smoothing down a flyaway hair atop her head. “Then what day is it?”
Vaggie squinted back. “Uh, Wednesday?”
“I meant occasion wise.”
“Nothing,” Vaggie supplied, shrugging. “We’ve just been so busy lately and I wanted a moment to get away from it, to take a breath of fresh air.” She gestured to the open area around them. “Literally.”
Charlie looked around them. “Yeah. I forget how nice it can be out here.” She took a deep breath in, then started gagging, coughing. Vaggie haphazardly leaned over to pat her lower back. “Oh, COME ON!” Charlie exclaimed. “Do they have to be cooking a dead body right now?”
Vaggie only cringed. The perks of living next to a town full of cannibals?
She coughed once more, eyes watering. She collected herself and turned back to Vaggie. “What were you saying?”
“That I just thought a date sounded nice. I wanted to spend some time with you and I thought you deserved it. You do so much for others,” Vaggie paused, blushing. “And.. yeah.”
“Aw, Vaggie,” Charlie exclaimed. She pulled her girlfriend into a hug, squeezing her. She then paused and lessened her grip around Vaggie. “.. you weren’t going to break up with me, weren’t you?”
“Nope,” Vaggie said, popping the p. Her voice was muffled, currently squished against her girlfriend’s breasts. When she pulled away, her face was heated. “I never planned on it, nor do I plan on it in the future.” She took Charlie’s hand again, linking their fingers together carefully. “You’re stuck with me. Forever.”
“You mean it?”
“Yes. Literally forever. We’re, like, immortal or whatever.”
Charlie giggled, bumping her hip with Vaggie’s. Their hands were still touching. “Good. There’s no one else I’d rather be stuck with.”
Vaggie held up her pinky. “Like glue?”
Charlie leaned on, breath warm on the tip of her nose, and joined their ending fingers together. “Like glue,” she answered.
Vaggie smiled, nose wrinkling. “Good.”
They were silent for a moment, turning and leaning onto each other. She was just glad to resolve the situation so fast. Charlie was just overwhelmed. That was all. Phew.
They stood there, watching the shapes of the sky and the red haze shift as night fell over the city. Huh. Once you learned how to block out the sounds of fleshing being ripped off bones and the screams of the tortured down below, the view really could be breathtaking. She closed her eye and tried to relax and enjoy the moment, basking in the warmth and closeness of her beloved girlfriend (possibly future fiancée).
She was brought out of it as Charlie shifted against her. Her breath was warm against her ear. “Didn’t you have something to ask me?”
Vaggie opened her eye. “Huh?”
“At dinner,” Charlie clarified. “You said you had something to ask me, something important. Before Nifty caught on fire.”
Her heart hammered. Her palms were sweaty. Ah, fuck, did her hair look okay? She was still soaking wet.
She drew a sharp breath in anyway. This was it.
She hand instinctively went to her pocket, fingering around for the reassuring weight of the box inside. “Ah, right,” she said. Her voice was squeaky. She cleared her throat and started again. “Remember when I said we’re stuck together? Like glue?”
Charlie gave her a side glance, confused. “Uh huh?”
Vaggie cringed at her own words. “Um, how do you feel about making that.. official?”
“You can make that official?” Charlie echoed, then laughed. “How? A certificate?” She spoke in a strange, exaggerated voice. “This certificate hereby states that Charlie Morningstar and Vaggie , uh, last name unknown are stuck together like glue. Officially.”
Vaggie chuckled nervously, scratching the back of her head. “Well, there would be a certificate, if you agreed. And I’d take your last name, probably. If you want me too.”
Vaggie reached into her pocket and slowly pulled out the box. She dropped to one knee and frantically attempted to smooth down her hair. Well, here goes nothing.
She vaguely recalled the speech Husk had given her merely an hour before. It’s Charlie. There’s no way she’d say no. A walk in the park. Lighten up. No reason to be nervous—
Yeah, well, eat my ass, Husk. This is NERVE RACKING.
Charlie’s back was to her. She could practically hear the gears turning in her head. She turned, gaze going from Vaggie down on her knees, to the small box still half hidden in her hands, back to her face, and back to the box. Her jaw slackened. Her mouth fell open. She gasped, slapping a hand to her mouth. Already, tears rushed to the corners of her eyes, eyes misty with what Vaggie hoped were tears of joy.
“Um,” Vaggie started. She fumbled with the box and thumbed open the top, showing her the rings and laying her true intentions bare. “I should’ve done this a while ago,” she started, chuckling. “I didn’t know anything about this place when I first arrived, after I Fell. All I knew was you. You were my constant, the person I trusted. And, for a while, the only person. I swore to protect you in return. And, four years later, I still don’t know a lot. Hell is crazy, and scary, and unpredictable, but you’re still here. My constant, my rock.” She swallowed thickly, getting emotional. “A lot has changed, but one thing that hasn’t is my love for you. Fuck, I’ve wanted to put a ring on your finger since I first saw you.”
She smiled nervously. “I’ve had the capacity to love, but I hid it away. I was scared of being seen as weak or getting hurt or taken advantage of. Then you came along and.. I’ve always been able to love, but you reminded me how.”
Charlie was crying by now, sniffling. She let out a strange half squeal, half squeak from the back of her throat. Vaggie furrowed her eyebrows. “Do you want to say something?”
“No, no!” Charlie exclaimed. “Continue. Please.”
“Alright, uh,” Vaggie stammered. She leaned forward, taking Charlie’s hands in hers. She met her eyes, attempting a shaky smile. “Charlotte Morningstar, will you—”
Before she knew it, she was being launched backwards in a flash of white and red and silver and purple as Charlie barreled into her. They rolled onto the ground in a jumble of nerves and smiles and tears and laughter, of pure happiness.
Vaggie let out a surprised yelp, then started to laugh uncontrollably. Then Charlie was on top of her, peppering kisses all over her face.
“—Marry me?” Vaggie managed between the assaults of kisses.
“Um, YES!” Charlie practically screamed. Her voice was high and sing-song. “ Yes, yes! Hell yes!” She leaned forward and pressed one last, big kiss on the middle of Vaggie’s forehead, smirking. “ Mwah. Do you get it?”
“Yes, babe. Because we’re in Hell. Literally.”
“Yeah. It’s so—”
Vaggie only sat up and crashed into her girlfriend’s fiancée’s (FIANCÉE!!!) lips with a passionate, longing kiss, arms coming up to cup her waist, her face, or get tangled up in her hair. When they pulled away, they were both smiling, laughing, and almost crying.
“No fair,” Charlie whined as they pulled apart, her hand on Vaggie’s cheek, fingers caressing it. “Proposing was on my bucket list.”
“You have a bucket list?” Vaggie echoed. “Aren’t you technically already dead?”
Charlie nodded, then they both broke into a fit of laughter, still on the floor, arms wrapped around each other. “Of course you do,” Vaggie said, twisting and finding the box that had been dropped when she was tackled by Charlie, her fiancée (!!!). She offered her the box. “Do the honors?”
Charlie blinked up at her with her big eyes, then smiled. She carefully slid the rings onto their fingers, Vaggie first, then herself. Once done, she looked down at her own hand, then squealed, bundling Vaggie into another hug.
“Are we really doing this?” She asked in between squeezes.
“Of course. I love you. More than anything, remember?”
She leaned further in and pressed a kiss to the tip of her nose. “I love you too.”
They leaned into each other, processing all that had happened. They were engaged now. They had a lot to do. They had to tell everyone, plan a wedding, and still had a hotel to run,
But it was okay. More than anything she was happy to picture their future together. Together. Like glue.
Vaggie laid her head down on Charlie’s shoulder where they sat curled up on the balcony’s flooring. Despite the coolness of her still-wet clothes, she felt nothing but warm inside. She let out a sigh of content, eyelashes fluttering.
The peace and stillness was promptly shattered as the glass door suddenly slammed open and four figures stumbled out, letting out their own twinges of curses.
The couple immediately scrambled up, surprised. They turned to their huddle of friends, hands still brushing. They continued bickering and blaming each other, but fell quiet when they realized a certain fallen angel was fixing them with a death glare.
Vaggie bristled. “Were you all there the WHOLE time?! WHAT did I tell you?”
“It was Angel’s idea,” three of them said in unison. Cherri, Nifty, and Husk shuffled away, leaving Angel exposed in the middle.
“ Hey! What the fuck, guys?” He exclaimed.
Before anyone could react, a kaleidoscope of color broke out across the red sky, followed by several loud booms. The whole group turned to watch the colorful bursts of lights and sparks. Fireworks, like the ones Charlie summoned to signal the end of the Exterminations.
Vaggie looked to her fiancée. “Did you..?”
Charlie only shook her head, looking as surprised as the others.
“ HIYA, GIRLS!”
Vaggie nearly fell backwards at the sound of Lucifer’s voice so close. She was aware of him hovering a few feet above the landing, smiling widely. Suddenly the fireworks made sense.
He landed and immediately crushed them into a hug. “Oh, what a thrill! Congratulations! Glad it went well, Vaggie. Front seat, remember? Away from Mister Dark and Not Handsome?”
Charlie just squinted. “Huh?”
Right. Charlie still didn’t know of their little chat a month before.
Then Lucifer was turning to Charlie, squishing her cheeks into his hands. “Oh, my little girl is all grown up! I’m gonna cry. Seriously. I’m gonna cry!”
“Please don’t,” came Husk’s deep voice.
“I do not need to see that,” Cherri deadpanned.
“I can dry your tears whenever you need me too,” Angel said in a flirty tone. He was promptly elbowed in the gut by Husk.
He glared back, holding his abdomen. “I will push you off this balcony.”
Husk only shrugged. “Cats always land on their feet.”
“Oh, okay, Mr. Smartass,” Angel huffed.
Lucifer ignored them, crushing the newly engaged couple into another hug. “ GAH! I’m so proud, so proud!”
With another squeeze, Charlie spoke out. “DAD!” she exclaimed.
“Lucifer!” Vaggie hissed.
“Oh, call me Dad. You’re engaged now, which is practically married!” Lucifer laughed, throwing his arms around them. “Welcome to the Morningstar Family.”
“Yeah,” Vaggie deadpanned. “I won’t be calling you that.”
Lucifer only chuckled, wiping at his eyes. “Ha, I need a drink.”
“Drinks!” Cherri suddenly hollered, raising her arms over her head. “On the house!”
Her and Angel whooped, already out the door. Nifty scampered after them quickly enough. Husk bristled, growling. “You better not touch my shit!” He shouted after them. “You hear me! Get back here!”
The fiancées looked at each other, exchanging glances, then smiled and started to laugh. One night. They would spend one night with their friends and family, drinking and laughing and making a toast to this new, exciting beginning. And then they could have some time alone.
After all, they had their whole futures ahead of them, and the night was young.
Charlie’s hands found her way to Vaggie’s shirt collar on their way out, pulling her back. “This outfit looks good on you. But I think it’ll look better on the floor.”
She sent her a wink and whispered tonight, leaving Vaggie standing there, face hot.
Well, something told her it was going to be a good night. She pushed out of her thoughts and hurried down the stairs to catch up to her fiancée.