Chapter Text
The sound of rustling sheets was the first thing Adam could hear when rousing awake in the morning, and then immediately after he felt the bottles, they clinked together as his bodyweight shifted and moved uncomfortably in what was left of his sheets as most of the comfortable cloth was practically on the floor. His robes twisted and rolled in positions that made it feel tight and restricting on his warm skin, but he neglected to fix it. There’s a pounding in his head that beat like a damn drum that caused a low “Ugh…” to leave his lips.
After some time, the man simply sits up, contemplating going back to sleep or just keeping lying in bed for the rest of the day. Why he didn’t choose those options was a mystery to him; wouldn’t people rejoice and praise the day he wouldn’t show up, where his loud voice didn’t boom throughout Heaven? Those days when he overdid it, he was sure it was like a holiday for others. The only evidence he needed was the lack of anyone showing up to check on him other than the ones obligated to do so. He knew where he stood in this fucking place, which must be the reason why he had gotten up—to avoid the irritation of obligated care and not think about how lonely he was.
One. Two. Three. Four. Five. So many empty bottles. Each one stacking another disappointment on top of another as it seemed yet again he was left to his own devices and drank as much as he wanted. Surely the amount he consumed would have killed a living man, but a dead one? It didn’t matter. Oh well. It was another stupid day in Heaven. Adam wobbled his way to the front door, hand on the handle; there was a meeting waiting for him in an hour. Time to hide behind his mask again.
She was standing outside his door about to knock when it opened right before her fist could hit it. She looked up in surprise to see him, looking terrible even with the mask hiding his features. She could tell by the way he was standing, or leaning rather, on the frame and handle, almost oscillating between the two as he fought for a sense of balance.
“Sir.” She addressed him, her mask portraying some slight concern hidden by disappointment. “You’re already awake.”
It was difficult to tell by her voice or her LED-lit expression that she was feeling anything other than a background level of misanthropy, but her one slightly raised eyebrow indicated a level of surprise that he was even conscious. Unhappily so, as it were. She prepared for the irk at her astute observation and expectance otherwise. Hopefully he wouldn’t be such a cranky asshole when she produced the coffee from her hand into his line of sight; he was absolutely insufferable when he was in a bad mood. Inwardly she sighed; she hated seeing him after a night of self-destruction and isolation. She wondered if he even remembered her getting him home. He always treated her like she’d abandoned him or didn’t care to accompany him, but did he really think he magically got home and put to bed by himself?
The LED on his mask made a slight crackling noise; it was a bit damaged from when he chucked it against the wall yesterday when he got home; however he had gotten home. Ugh. He has a feeling someone saw his face yesterday, but he was far too tired to care right now.
“Uh-huh.” He said dismissively to her very riveting observation of his post-hangover posture. Taking the coffee in one hand, he lifted his mask a little to drink some of it before immediately spitting it out on the self-cleaning floors and then even spitting once more for added dramatic effect.
“The fuck is this? Piss?? YUCK! This is not my double mocha caramel banana latte with two shots of espresso, extra beans, and chocolate chips to CRUNCH!” He throws it over his shoulder and proceeds forward. “Alright, what’s on the agenda today? If it’s anything not near a toilet, then prepare a mop, 'cause I’m primed to puke any moment now. And oh, baby, it’s gonna be messy!”
Just… let him be alone.
She deadpanned as he grabbed a coffee out of her hand, proceeding to spit it out upon taking the first sip. And there it went, over his shoulder, ranting and complaining loudly as he tossed it.
“No. It’s not. This is.” She held up her other hand. “That one… was mine.” She handed him the correct coffee, though she was slightly concerned he wouldn’t be able to keep such a sugary concoction down now. “We have a meeting with Sera about last week’s training stats; we have a new schedule for the girls that we need to approve and organize, and then we need to count the gear to submit new requests to the blacksmith and armory. Plus whatever work Sera gives us at said meeting. You’ll have to try and pull yourself together, Sir. It’s a busy day.”
It looked like even the coffee wasn’t going to be enough to shake him out of this miserable state he’d gotten himself into, and she follows him as he takes the lead forward. This was going to be just as much of a rough day for her as it already was for him. She was already developing a headache.
Adam verbally groaned at all they had to do for the day, and taking the other coffee, he again tipped his mask up and took a little sip. Much better. But also, his stomach hurt and rejected the coffee, which caused him to once again spit it out.
“Stupid fucking coffee.” He grumbled, “Stupid fucking headache. Stupid fucking meetings..."
Today sucked; he half thought about canceling the whole day and going to Chili's, but he also knew that he’d get his ass kicked much later for it, either by Lute or by Sera or whoever... It sounded like today was going to end with him getting his ass beat in some way or another.
“I’m guessing there’s no way I can fucking dip right?” He had no remorse for the coffee that he had thrown away nor for the one currently in his hand that he was pouring out to the side of him as they walked, leaving a trail of coffee in their wake. “I need pain medicine. And a ton of it. Maybe even a Xanax. Sera stresses me the fuck out. I need something to keep me mellow.”
Her white-lined features moved from stoic and apathetic to a visible frown as he poured the coffee slowly beside him as he walked. If there was a way to remove him from today’s agenda, trust her, she would; she didn’t really want to deal with his ungrateful, annoying ass any more than he wanted to deal with the workload and Sera. She shook her head in the negative to his question.
“There is pain medicine at the office, but unfortunately I cannot provide anything else.” She just knew Sera was going to ream them both today, probably her more than him. Sera already knew he was a lost cause, but Lute? She was his lieutenant, his right hand, and the one most responsible for him. He had no idea how much she managed; her proverbial plate loaded with a Thanksgiving dinner-sized portion that was taking care of him. And he was ungrateful for every serving. When they finally reached the shared space, she handed him a bottle from her desk and began to gather the materials for their meeting.
“Not really worth the night of fun, is it?” She half-quipped as he struggled to open the container.
There was already too much work to be done when they reached their office space, and as he took the bottle, it was like Lucifer himself had locked the lid down in some sort of wild curse just to spite him. His hands slipped again and again, and soon he gnashed his teeth against the lid, trying to twist and pull it open. Her quip hadn’t gone unnoticed, as once he did get the lid off, it came off with a sudden POP sound that sent medicine everywhere, and a growl ripped from Adam’s throat.
“Yeah. Fun. Sure.” He didn’t want to deal with her mouth, not at all. He took two pills, chewed them, and drank what was left of the coffee he had in hand, which... wasn’t much at all. “Laugh it up now, bitch, but I’m doing it again tonight. You know what? You really should let loose once in a while. You’ve got such a cock shoved up your ass that you’re waddling around like a fucking penguin.”
She made an aggravated expression with the utter exasperation in seeing pills scatter all over their office; they both knew she’d be the only one to pick those up later, but before she could even yell at him, he grumbled sarcastically in a way that gave her only the slightest bit of pause before covering it with a fresh layer of boasting and picking at her.
“Well, one of us has to be responsible.” You could practically hear her teeth grinding in her voice as she snapped back. “Do you really think that’s a good idea, Sir? You can hardly stand up straight right now; why make yourself even more miserable tomorrow?”
As frustrated as she was with him, it saddened her to see him torture himself like this and claim that he was not only fine but great, having the time of his afterlife…
“And maybe I would let loose if you would give me a goddamn break from your bullshit.”
Adam rolled his eyes as he sat at his desk now; the almost constant buzzing from his mask was getting on his nerves and also giving him a headache.
“Ugh, you’ll learn when you’re older.” Oh, that line, one he was certain pissed everyone off. Due to his own age and being so much older than all the exorcists, it was one of the only lines he had that both upset and confused the girls. They are already “old” and and fully able to comprehend what he was doing to himself, and yet he still said those things to them. A shake of his head and leaning back in his chair, he started cleaning under his nails with another nail passively, as if her worries and gripes meant little to nothing to him.
“I don’t see the title that makes you my mom, and secondly, babe, I don’t need you to get your knotted panties even more in a knot with worrying about what I do before and after work. Who knows, I may be balls deep inside some bitch, and it's not like you wanna be that broad anyways, right? You’d make it less fun, bitching halfway through. I’d probably have to cover your mouth to keep you from running it nonstop.”
"Older?!" She turned her head and glared. What an asinine thing to say; he's such an idiot! The more he spoke, the angrier she was getting. He was right; she wasn't his mom, and she shouldn't care about what he did before or after work. If Sera wanted to chew her out for Adam's behavior from now on, she'll make sure to quote that to her.
What really pissed her off, though, was the way he leaned forward and looked at her with that arrogant grin that made her face golden under her mask. The insinuation that she'd be annoying to sleep with threw her over the edge. Not that she wanted to; he was right about that part, but he really saw her as nothing but someone who bitched at him like that?
"Fine! Go on another bender; what do I care? Good luck getting home by yourself this time!" She hit the edges of the papers on her desk to straighten them and left for their meeting. He was on his own now.