Work Text:
By her very nature, Lute was a soldier. In life, her family had been poor and she entered into the military right out of high school to improve her situation. One stray bullet ended any future she might have had. Her life was cut short but that was fine, because now she gets to serve Heaven itself. She has the honor, and pleasure, of serving under the command of the First Man himself.
That said, because of her financial situation growing up, she never got to experience nice things. After joining the military, she simply figured feminine things didn’t suit a soldier. They were luxury indulgences. Impractical. That made them symbols of weakness in her eyes. Obviously that mindset carried over to Heaven, as well.
So even if her gaze sometimes lingered on beautiful and delicate dresses and jewelry, it was just a mere passing fancy. A ‘what if’ fantasy of what it would have been like to wear such things in another life. But Lute was not a delicate or feminine woman, that’s all there was to it.
“Yo, Lute,” Adam broke her attention away from the mannequin in the window displaying an elegant royal blue formal gown; the wings on the model were draped in jewelry. It prevented an angel from flying so Lute never saw the purpose in wearing them, the same as any other jewelry.
“What is it, sir?” She asked.
The man scratched the side of his face even though his mask was on. A little nervous tick of his.
“I was wondering if you could do me a favor and help me out with something at my place tonight?” Adam finished his sentence with a slurp of his soda and a burp.
“Certainly, sir!” Lute stood tall and smiled at him, ever the dutiful soldier.
“I have something for you, babe,” Adam grinned at her with his real face, his wings ruffling happily.
Lute was sipping on some wine that Adam offered her earlier and was even wearing a form fitting dark purple backless dress at his behest. It hugged her curves and accentuated her curvaceous figure perfectly. Lute had to wonder if Adam just had a whole series of dresses for women to wear for him when they came over. She thought it was silly, putting this thing on, but she knew Adam liked to have a beautiful woman by his side, dolled up as eye-candy for his benefit, even if it was only to eat dinner or have a drink.
She doesn’t know why he wanted her though. Surely other women would be far better to look at.
Lute didn’t think she was ugly or anything, but she wasn’t exactly up to Adam’s standards of beauty. She would know, she’s seen the women he’s had relations with. In comparison, she was unkempt, didn’t bother with her appearance beyond simply running a comb through her hair and showering regularly.
“For me?” She chuckled, the wine getting to her head a bit.
“Yeah, a gift. I, uh…” Adam let out a dry laugh, “I saw it and thought of you.”
“Oh, what is it?”
Adam pulled out the most beautiful wing adornments she’d ever seen. Thin silver chains decorated with star shaped diamonds. It was lovely. Too lovely.
“Oh, sir, I— I can’t accept something like this…” Lute insisted, shifting uncomfortably in her seat.
Adam looked a little hurt by her statement, “Can’t you just try it on, Lute?” He asked her with a soft expression; one she certainly wasn’t used to seeing on the man. One she couldn’t resist either.
“If you insist, sir.”
The man gave her a lop-sided grin and draped the jewelry across her back, affixing the ornaments to her wings while being so close to her, she could feel the warmth of his breath against her skin.
She flinched when he fastened the bejeweled choker around her neck, ensuring the jewelry stayed in place.
The fingers of Adam’s left hand ghosted over her shoulder while his right hand adjusted a few strands of her hair. He pulled away from her, his eyes closed.
When he opened them, she could tell he was marveling at her and she felt… Unworthy.
Her wings trembled when he smiled at her, his hands still barely caressing her shoulder and hair, making her flush with embarrassment. The wine was really getting to her now, making her head swim.
Why was Adam doing this?
A single tear rolled down her cheek.
“Sir… This is too delicate for me,” she whispered, feeling the way his hands roamed across the skin of her neck and shoulders, so featherlight and gentle, “I— I’m not elegant enough for such a beautiful gift. I’m not… I’m not…”
Adam hummed, leaning down to get in her face, slotting their noses together, “Not what, Lute?”
The wine in her belly loosened her lips further, “Worthy. Something so lovely would be wasted on me, sir,” she confessed, “I’m a soldier, a warrior. Such feminine things serve no purpose for someone like me.”
Adam put his fingertips on her cheek and lightly stroked them across her jawline. Once again, his touch was so light, almost like it was barely there. Lute felt like she was melting, like she was putty in his hands.
“Don’t be an obstinate bitch, Lute,” he snorted, chuckling at how silly she was being, “c’mere.”
He stood and held out his hand, which she took. Adam led her into his bedroom, putting her in front of a full length mirror. She averted her gaze from her reflection.
“None of that now, Lute,” Adam softly took hold of her jaw and forced her to face her reflection, though she kept her eyes shut, “look at yourself, sweetheart, see what I see.”
Lute cautiously opened her eyes, a vibrant blush on her cheeks. She looked at her reflection but all she saw was someone who looked like she was pretending to be something she wasn’t.
More stray tears fell down her face, “It’s not me, I’m not like this.”
“Shh, don’t cry,” he wiped her tears away and put his hand on her lower back, his fingertips teasingly grazing up her spine, “you’re beautiful.”
She gasped when he touched her back and the adornments on her wings shifted when she flinched, the cool metal and jewels grazing against her back and feathers. Lute was suddenly alarmingly aware of the weight on her wings, some primal part of her feeling trapped, bound, unable to escape thanks to the fancy jewelry.
“A-adam…” Lute whimpered helplessly, “Why? What are you doing all this for?”
“Because I have eyes, Lute,” he leaned down, his hands now on her hips, lips ghosting over her neck; he placed a gentle but searing hot kiss on it, pulling a strangled croak out of her, “I’ve seen you from time to time, passing by those fancy dress shops, staring at those beautiful dresses and the wing jewelry, a sweet little longing look on your face,” he purred, “I always wondered: If you liked those things so much, why not get them for yourself?”
He kissed her neck again and she shivered, “But then I started to see it. You reject anything and everything feminine, anything elegant or pretty. No formalwear, no jewelry, nothing that is simply adornment. Nah, everything you own has to be practical for the life of a soldier.”
Adam put his chin on her shoulder and grabbed under her jaw, forcing her to hold her head up high and proud.
“And I think that’s such a waste of beauty, sweetheart.”
Lute’s breath hitched and she couldn’t seem to swallow the lump in her throat.
“So I took it upon myself, as the only man in your life, to adorn you in something as beautiful as you are on the inside,” he whispered into her ear, “and that was a challenge, babe, because finding anything that even came close to your beauty was near impossible. Hmm, lemme tell ya, I get why this used to be such a sin. The way this dress hugs your body, the way the jewels sparkle and contrast against your feathers, fuck me, I can’t take my eyes off of you even more than usual.”
A pathetic noise came out of Lute’s throat. She was lightheaded, feeling like everything was spinning. Every word of praise that came out of Adam’s mouth was too much for her.
“Adam… I- I can’t, sir, it’s too much!” Lute sobbed, her legs giving out from under her, forcing Adam to hold her upright.
“You’re pretty, Lute,” he cooed into her ear, “you deserve to be adorned in delicate, sparkling, elegant things. The finest silks, shiniest metal, and polished gems, only the best for the most beautiful woman I’ve ever laid eyes on.”
Lute couldn’t stop the violent sob that came out of her, feeling more emotionally raw and vulnerable than she ever had in her existence, “I don’t! I’m too crass! Too rough! I’m too strong for such things, sir! These things are delicate and weak, it— it’s weakness, sir…”
Adam raised his brow at her, “Oh, baby girl, do you think being feminine means you’re weak? Because that’s bullshit.”
Adam snapped his fingers and suddenly a necklace with a thin silver chain appeared in Adam’s hand. The pendant was shaped like a guitar pick. Adam held it up by each end of the clasps.
“Take this, for example,” Adam gripped the chain and tugged on it, hard, resulting in nothing happening, “it’s thin and delicate, it looks like it’ll snap easily, but it’s angelic steel,” he slipped it around Lute’s neck and fastened it, “the same metal we use for our weapons. Would you call our steel ‘weak’?”
Lute shook her head, “No, sir, of course not.”
“Then don’t you get it now, babe?” He smiled softly at her, “It doesn’t matter what you wear, you’re still you. Strong as the sturdiest steel, sharp as the deadliest blade,” he kissed her cheek, “now, look at yourself.”
Lute inhaled deeply and looked at her reflection again.
Adam gave her a smirk, “Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who’s the most beautiful, baddest bitch of them all?” He snickered and Lute couldn’t help but feel giddy; smiling and blushing while reaching up to twirl some of her hair on her finger.
“Me,” she responded shyly, “I am, sir.”
“Fuck yeah, you are!”
Lute snorted, rolling her eyes as she tilted her head back to smirk at him, shaking her head. Then her smirk gradually faded, “Sir, in all seriousness, what prompted all this?”
The man let out a long, exasperated, sigh, “You are one dense bitch, babe, I fuckin’ swear. First of all: What prompted this is that I wanted to do something nice for my best girl. Boost her damn confidence! Second: I wanted to see your hot bod and gorgeous wings all primped out. Thirdly: I was literally just kissing your neck, Lute, if that’s not making shit obvious then you are just utterly clueless, sweetheart.”
The gears turned in Lute’s head for a few moments.
“Ugh!” Adam threw his head back with a groan, lightly shaking Lute by her shoulders, “I have feelings for you, you stupid bitch!” He shouted with some degree of irritation, “I mean, damn! How much more obvious can I make it?!”
“Feelings, sir?” Lute stared at him with genuine confusion and Adam slapped his hand against his forehead.
“Love, Lute! I’m head over heels in love with you! I wanna do things with you! Real freaky nasty shit like holding hands with you in public and going out on fuckin’ dates! I wanna do things with you, fully clothed, in daylight hours!” Adam gestured erratically, “I wanna doll you up and show you off, making dudes seethe with envy because I’ve got a hottie like you on my arm and make all the bitches mourn the loss of my perpetual bachelorhood!”
Adam spun Lute around and got in her face.
“I’m in love with you, Lute, and I want you to see yourself the same way I see you,” he cupped her face before he slowly turned her head to look over her shoulder, “like an angel.”
He snapped his fingers and the light dimmed in the room. Lute’s eyes widened as the diamonds started to glow a soft white light with little glints of yellow twinkling within.
Lute began to cry again as, for the first time in her life, she felt elegant and beautiful.
She smiled, turning her head back to face Adam, “You hopeless romantic.”
Adam blushed under her bashful smile, “Yeah, well, you make me wanna be all sappy and shit.”
Lute stood on her tip-toes and wrapped her arms around Adam’s neck, giving him a kiss on his cheek, “I’m in love with you too, sir, and I really love the gift you’ve given me. Maybe tomorrow you can take me out so I can show it off, hm?” She flexed her wings and the jewels and charms tinked together lightly.
“That’s my girl,” he whispered, cupping her cheek and slotting their lips together tenderly, “now let’s get changed and go to bed so we can cuddle the shit outta each other.”
Lute barked out a laugh, “Just cuddle, sir?”
“Pfft, please, Lute,” he chuckled softly, “I’m a gentleman! We got eternity, baby, no need to rush.”
The woman squirmed happily, hugging Adam tightly, “You are very sweet, sir. Thank you.”
Adam just hugged her back and was glad that Lute finally saw her beauty as he saw her. A perfect and lovely creature, inside and out.