Chapter Text
Twenty-four hours have come and gone since the skies of Hell had been dyed black by the shadowy wings of exorcists.
So much has happened in such a brief amount of time; the bodies of those who had fallen, including Adam, had been cleared away, Rosie's surviving cannibals had marched on home, and Charlie and her friends had begun reconstruction of the hotel.
In spite of their injuries, everyone had worked efficiently in order to help rebuild her dream as quickly and sturdily as possible, save for Alastor who had recovered in privacy before returning to the group only a few hours ago.
After working tirelessly through the night, with Lucifer's much-needed assistance, the group had managed to rebuild the hotel to twice its original size, with more space and character than ever.
But when it's all said and done, there's no looking past their losses, either. The sculpture to immortalize Dazzle guards the front doors, and the painting of Sir Pentious stands proud and tall inside at the center of the main lobby.
As they finalize the last few touches, Charlie watches over her friends as a Prideful red evening settles over them.
With her father now fully invested in her ambitions, he had kissed her goodnight before flying off to the new quarters he'd built for himself.
Alastor had bid them all farewell before doing the same, heading to the opposite side of the hotel.
Angel had invited Cherri to spend the night, and she'd accepted "just for now," to which Angel had smirked.
Husk had retired shortly afterward, claiming he'd need a good night's sleep in preparation for some new drinks he was planning on mixing tomorrow.
Niffty had scuttled off after paying her respects to where Fred had used to be.
And for tonight, Fat Nuggets, Keekee, and the remaining Egg Bois had curled up on the lobby's couch beside Razzle, who they would make certain would never have to sleep alone.
Charlie oversees it all, until the lobby is quiet. Due to the newly-expanded size of the place, it seems emptier and lonelier than ever.
She heaves a long, long sigh, and whatever little smile had been clinging to her lips in front of the others begins to tremble when her eyes scan over Pentious' painting. A single warm tear drips free, and she exhales on a quivering breath. Briefly, she closes her eyes, and the images of the brutal fight flash through her mind as if it was still happening. It's all so vivid. She isn't sure she'll be able to sleep again for a long time-
"Charlie…?"
-until she hears that voice. That familiar, warm, tender voice, laced with heartfelt concern and affection. A small hand finds its way into hers and squeezes gently.
Charlie sniffles, and before any of the bad or sad thoughts can resurface, she finds herself already smiling again. Because when she opens her eyes again, she finds herself looking at the only person in existence who she'd ever want to see right now.
"Sorry…" Giving a meek little chuckle, she wipes her face with her free hand. Vaggie's brow furrows with concern in spite of her adoring smile.
"You don't need to apologize for anything." Slowly, she lifts Charlie's hand to her lips and presses a little kiss onto her palm. "You've been through a lot in the past 24 hours. It's going to take time to feel better again... But we should at least start with some sleep."
Charlie already feels immensely better than she had a moment ago. A fluttery warmth spreads across her chest at the mere sight of her girlfriend.
"Yeah. You're right. We've all been through a lot." She says this pointedly, implying to Vaggie that she shouldn't dismiss her own difficult feelings either. "But you're right. Rest sounds like a really good idea right now."
And so, hand-in-hand, they retreat up the freshly-carpeted staircase to their newly-refurbished bedroom. It's essentially the same as the old one, just a bit bigger with a few more windows and decorations, courtesy of Lucifer.
They keep hold of each other's hands even after they've closed the door behind them and walked into the room. Vaggie lets out a content sigh.
"It looks beautiful."
"Yeah," Charlie smiles, but she isn't looking at the room. "I think so, too."
Leaning down, Charlie nuzzles their noses together affectionately, until Vaggie can't help but chuckle.
And true to form as ever, Charlie lets herself get swept away in the moment - and she ends up sweeping Vaggie away, too.
Taking both of her girlfriend's hands in hers, Charlie begins to twirl them around the room a couple times, a little celebratory dance for just the two of them. Vaggie follows her lead perfectly, predicting her steps and matching her with flawless ease.
When they finally come to a stop, both girls are giggling, at which point Charlie pulls her in to press a soft kiss to her forehead. She sighs again.
"Hey, Vaggie?"
"Yes, honey?"
"Have I ever told you that I love you?"
"It might've come up once or twice."
They smile and come together for a mutual kiss. It's warm and sweet and soft, and for that brief moment, all of Hell is a bit kinder.
When they part, Charlie nuzzles against her nose again.
"C'mon. Let's get to bed."
And it would've been the perfect conclusion to this little moment, had Charlie turned around a second sooner and not noticed the slight wince that crosses Vaggie's expression when she tugs her by the hand. Vaggie really didn't mean to let it slip, but she hadn't even realized there was still some pain residing until now.
Of course, Charlie notices and panics, instantly loosening her grip on her girlfriend's right hand.
"Oh no! I'm so sorry! Did I hurt you…?"
The way she reverts from her smiling carefree self, into sheer genuine concern is so endearing it makes Vaggie's chest ache in the sweetest way.
"Hey, hey…" She quickly reaches up to touch Charlie's cheek. "It's okay. You didn't hurt me at all, okay? I'm fine. I promise."
"Are you sure…?" Charlie cradles Vaggie's right hand in both of hers now, cupping it ever-so-gently. Her eyes become bleak and distant for a moment. "I saw… what she did to you…"
Vaggie refuses to let her spiral back into the painful memories when she'd almost started to relax. So she quickly intervenes.
"It's in the past, Charlie. I'm fine. It'll heal; just a bit slower."
She's still rightfully upset by the fact that Lute had used her own spear against her to split open her hand, but she doesn't let herself think about that right now. Not when Charlie is looking like a dejected puppy right in front of her.
Gently, Charlie rubs the pads of her thumbs over the back of Vaggie's gloved hand, then asks permission with her eyes. Vaggie gives a small nod.
Carefully, Charlie begins to remove Vaggie's glove from her arm, until she can ease it off her fingers and reveal the wound.
It's not as bad as it had been earlier, but there's a yellowish gash deep enough to still make even Charlie flinch at the sight of it. Her own wounds had healed completely hours and hours ago; probably more quickly than anyone else's had.
But since Vaggie had taken such a harsh blow with an angelic weapon, and since her body was so beaten and exhausted, it was taking her a bit longer. So Charlie offers the only help she can give, lifting Vaggie's hand to her lips and kissing the cut with featherlight softness.
The gesture is so sincere and so pure that it has Vaggie tearing up. She pulls Charlie into a firm embrace, one which her princess happily returns.
Charlie gets a secure enough hold on Vaggie that she's able to pick her up and twirl her around once, as she always loves to do.
But now, Vaggie can play that game as well.
With a bit of a smirk, she calls forth her wings, using them to elevate Charlie with her and taking her for a brief little twirl up in the air. Charlie squeals in delight like a child on a ride at LuLu World.
"Ohmygosh! Vaggie, this is sooooo cool!" She throws her arms around Vaggie's neck and giggles merrily, nuzzling into her shoulder as Vaggie takes her on a leisurely flight across their room.
"Don't get too excited, babe," she says gently. "Remember, we came here to get some rest."
"Says the one who's flying around the room with me!"
"Eh, guess you got me there…"
Vaggie continues flying with her, bringing Charlie up as high as the ceiling to explore every inch of their new room. She makes it as entertaining as possible with the limited space they have, and Charlie loves every second of it.
After several minutes, however, Charlie cracks her first yawn, which Vaggie immediately finds contagious. She wraps things up and glides slowly back to their bed, flapping her wings steadily to lower them down. She deposits her princess onto the fluffy cushions, making sure she's comfortably down while Vaggie herself continues to hover. Charlie giggles beneath her and makes a grabby-hands motion. Vaggie makes sure she's close enough before folding up her wings and flopping down gently on top of her while Charlie eagerly catches her.
"Gotcha!" She giggles and locks Vaggie into a snug embrace. "Gosh, Vaggie that was soooo much fun! Can we do it again sometime, pleeeease?" She looks up at her with those trademark sparkling eyes. Vaggie's heart does a backflip and a blush dusts across her face.
"Sure. Anytime you want, babe. Just say the word."
"Ohhhhh thank you, thank you, thank yooou!" Charlie pulls her down to plant a kiss on her nose.
From there, they realize they still need to get changed, so they end up getting up from the bed to get their sleepwear from the closet.
As Vaggie gets dressed into the white nightgown that reveals her shoulders and legs, Charlie can't help but notice all the little scrapes and bruises still marring her skin all over her body. But before she can get disheartened again, Vaggie catches her eye and offers a smile.
"Don't worry. After a good night's sleep they'll all be gone."
Charlie nods, fully believing her, but she still doesn't like seeing her hurt.
As they climb into bed together, Charlie keeps a watchful eye on Vaggie as she moves about, helping her adjust the blankets and pillows so she won't aggravate any of her lingering injuries. Vaggie can't help but smile at how endearing she is.
"Babe, it's okay. I'm not crippled."
"Are you sure? I just want you to get better…"
"I will. I promise." Vaggie eases her mind with another kiss.
They settle down together, getting comfortable and cozy in their newly-redone bed. As always, they neglect to use their individual pillows, and Vaggie instead curls up at Charlie's side, resting her head on her shoulder. Charlie keeps her in a loose, yet snug embrace and begins playing through her long, fluffy hair. Vaggie melts right into her, drawn in - as always - to her warmth.
After all they've been through in the past six months, it's almost surreal to finally have a moment that truly feels peaceful and quiet. Something tells them both it isn't going to stay that way, but at least for now…
The moments are filled with gentle little touches and happy little sighs. Charlie cards through Vaggie's hair and all down her back, while Vaggie hugs onto her stomach. Charlie gazes up at the pink ceiling above them, trying to keep her mind off of the painful things…
But more than anything, she's so unspeakably grateful to have her girlfriend with her. She honestly doesn't know how she ever would've survived a single night sleeping without Vaggie by her side.
She can feel Vaggie's heart beating against her chest, slow and steady and supportive as always. Before she knows it, her mind is full of thoughts of her amazing, loyal, beautiful girlfriend, to the point where she can't help but gush to Vaggie out loud.
"Hey, Vaggie?"
She'd suspected that her girlfriend hadn't fallen asleep just yet, and Vaggie confirms this with a hum.
"Yeah?"
Charlie can't help but grin as she considers going through with saying what she's about to say. She lets out a bit of a chuckle. Vaggie catches on immediately.
"Oh, got something real clever, huh? Well, let's hear it then, missy."
"No, wait! I'm sorry, hold on…" Charlie bites her tongue, considering it over and over again in her mind before muttering out loud to herself. "No wait, maaaaaybe I shouldn't…"
By this point, Vaggie knows she won't sleep until she's made Charlie spill it, so she pushes herself up to glare playfully down at her.
"Come on, Charlie. You can't not say it now…"
"Okay okay!" Charlie inhales deeply to hype herself up, bites her lip again, and then asks, "Did it hurt?"
Vaggie blinks, confused.
"What? Oh, this?" She holds up her healing right hand. "Hun, don't worry. I told you it's fine-"
"When you fell from Heaven…?"
One.
Two.
Three beats of silence.
Vaggie blinks down at her in complete bewilderment until the words register. Then, all at once, a blush creeps across her entire face, her heart skips a beat, and her wings pop out in a feathery display of embarrassment.
"Ugh, Charlie-!"
"I'm sorry, I'm sorryyyy~! I couldn't resist, Vaggie!"
Vaggie curls her wings around herself to hide her blush and flops down onto the bed, groaning.
"Babe, you are so…"
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Charlie giggles. "Was it too soon…?"
"You are ridiculous, you know that…?"
"I'm sorryyyyyy!" Charlie paws playfully at the fluffy grey barrier between them, rubbing the feathers gently. She manages to ease her way in enough to glimpse Vaggie's blushing face. "Hey, heeeyy~ C'mon, Vaggie~ The wings are beautiful, but I'd much rather see your pretty face~"
Vaggie just whimpers adorably in response, unable to find any words. Charlie tackles her gently, catching her in a tickling hug while running her fingers lightly all up and over Vaggie's sides. Vaggie yelps at the unexpected ambush.
"H-Hey! Charlie, th-that's not-"
"All's fair in love and war, Vaggie!"
Charlie continues her relentless attack, until Vaggie breaks out into a fit of gleeful laughter - something that only Charlie ever gets to witness. Vaggie tries to curl away, flapping her wings on reflex. Charlie giggles and begins trailing little kisses all across her face and through her hair.
"Babe…! Babe-!" Vaggie squeals cutely, in a way that she'd surely never live down if anyone else in Hell ever heard her this way. But Charlie loves it more than anything else when Vaggie lets go and laughs her heart out.
"Vaggie, you're such a cutie!"
"Look who's talking-"
Vaggie manages to find an opening, trapping Charlie in her wings before launching a counterattack. She goes for Charlie's sides, making her shriek.
"Wah! Vaggie, no faaaair!"
"What's that you said about love and war?"
"Noooooo!"
Vaggie turns the tables on her, until it's Charlie's turn to become a beautiful, disheveled mess. She giggles and squeaks with the most adorable sounds ever uttered by any creature in existence. The more Charlie smiles, the fuller Vaggie's heart becomes.
And even when she's under siege of such sensations that make her lose control, Charlie still manages to be mindful of her hooves so she doesn't kick Vaggie by accident.
Vaggie manages to get the upper hand, using the weight of her wings to her advantage to innocently pin her princess down. As Charlie laughs, she laughs too, until both of them have become breathless.
At last, Vaggie ceases her counterattack and calls it a draw.
Charlie is a mess of ruffled clothes and fluffy hair beneath her, and Vaggie herself is much the same.
When Charlie finally gets her breath back enough to open her eyes, she smiles up at her so adorably that Vaggie feels weak all over again. Vaggie clears her throat, already feeling another blush coming on.
"So… it's a draw?"
Charlie makes a pensive hum.
"Hmm… I dunno…" She admires Vaggie with her nightgown slightly skewed, her hair poofy, and wings ruffled. "From where I'm laying and from what I'm seeing, I'd say I'm the winner~"
Vaggie pouts.
"Oh, really? Well what do you have to say about this, Princess?"
In one quick motion, Vaggie leans down and kisses her lips. Caught off guard, Charlie can't stop her horns and her tail from popping out as her face turns as red as her cheeks normally are.
"H-Hey!"
"Oh that's cute, babe. That's really cute."
"Not as cute as you!"
Charlie lunges up to grab her, locking both arms and her tail around Vaggie before pulling her back down on top of herself. The two of them get tangled up again in a mess of hair and tails and wings, nuzzling noses and peppering kisses at every opportunity.
But eventually, they end up catching the same yawn.
The horns, tail, and wings retract as quickly as they'd appeared, until the two girls are resting against each other fully and warmly. After the battle and the subsequent restoration of the hotel, this is a much more welcome kind of exhaustion.
They lie on their sides facing one another, arms wrapped around each other's stomachs as they cuddle up beneath the blankets. Charlie presses a soft little kiss over Vaggie's bad eye, at which point Vaggie returns it with a kiss to her cheek.
They then come together for a mutual kiss, one that comfortably lulls them into a state of relaxation.
Vaggie cuddles up against her, savoring Charlie's indescribable warmth, which always makes her feel safe and loved.
And Charlie pulls her in closer, breathing in Vaggie's familiar scent, which always reminds her that she's at home.
Together, they let out a mutual sigh, and their hearts fall into a matching rhythm. They share one last kiss before they close their eyes, finally ready to invite sleep.
Well, almost ready. Not before one last little yawn from the princess.
"Hey, Vaggie…?"
"Yes, sweetie?"
"Have I ever told you that I love you…?"
Vaggie chuckles.
"It might've come up once or twice…"
The princess giggles.
"Goodnight, Vaggie." Charlie kisses her cheek. "I love you."
Vaggie kisses her back.
"I love you too, Charlie."
And it might be safe to say that the heat from all the fires in Hell just might radiate from the insurmountable warmth that exists between the princess and her angel.
If you're new to reading my stories, you should know that I am physically incapable of writing a sapphic ship without including a tickle fight.
I incorporated some ideas from twitter into this! I, myself, am DYING for a "did it hurt when you fell from Heaven?" joke in season 2 (PLEASE VIV). And I also headcanon that when they get flustered, Vaggie's wings will pop out and Charlie's horns/tail will pop out hehe~ However, the line of Charlie saying "I love the wings, but I'd rather see your pretty face" was someone else's idea (I just can't remember who on twitter!)
Anyway, I was DYING to finally write some fluff between them! I wanted Charlie to get a chance to defend Vaggie against Lute sooo badly... but alas, maybe she can just kiss all her wounds better instead.
This was the cute fluff chapter! The next one will be... a bit more angsty...
Hope you enjoyed!
Please leave comments or kudos!