Work Text:
The clock on the wall ticked rhythmically to the passage of time, its repeated sounds serve as a needle hitting her nerves at precise, exact times. Enough to be annoying but not enough to set her on edge. Not more than she already is, anyway.
Her presence here is unexpected, at least for him it must be, the post-exterminion meeting is isn't due until a few months later. But Lilith cannot find it in herself to care about her abrupt call.
Lilith examines her dress, smoothing over any wrinkle it might have, which is none, as always her dress is pristine, exposing a moderate amount of her cleavage. Her blonde hair is flowing down her back like a golden cascade, with some strands sitting over her shoulder. She's always loved to let her hair free, though she only ever did that at home or in family photos. She chose to use lipstick today, red is the color she chose, it's meant to be inviting, sensual. She took extra care to paint her nails in a blood red color to match her lips.
If anyone saw her they'd think she's about to meet with a partner, and they wouldn't be totally wrong.
They used to be together, a long time ago, before the apple and before Lucifer took interest in her. It has been so long that the memories of the happy couple they used to be have become blurry, yet still so clearly present that to this day it feels like they haven't moved on from there.
But has any of them truly gotten over eden? She knows she hasn't, not completely, and she knows for sure that Lucifer hasn't. She hopes that Adam is the same as her. She's betting everything on that fact.
She doesn't care if she looks desperate because, to be completely honest, she is desperate. She just can't take it anymore. For thousands of years she's upheld hell's balance on her lonesome. No thanks to the help of her depressed husband, she used to support him at first, but well over ten thousand years of the same and seeing basically no improvement from Lucifer's part… She's become tired. Add to that the fact that for the last 190 years she's also been playing the role of a mother on top of suporting wife and practically only ruler of hell. There's only so much a woman can do on her own and Lilith is well past her last straw of patience.
She needed an out and she knows only one person who could give it to her, yet asking him was not something she was prepared to do. After all… The story they share is not one that is without its problems.
She's also wary to ask him anything given how the last conflict between the two ended.
Lilith grabbed her trident with all the strength she could muster, her tired muscles protesting against the effort but she paid no mind, the anger inside her fueled her body with enough energy to clash one last time.
As she swung her trident forward, it was met with the golden axe of her ex-husband, the strike released a shockwave as the demonic and angelic energy collisioned and repelled each other. The surrounding buildings shook and threatened to collapse under the pressure of the two humans as they fought to bring down their opponent to their knees and end this war once and for all.
To the eye of the witnesses of such display, the queen and the angel looked to be equally matched on their clash. They would be proved wrong soon as Lilith felt her legs falter and her strength slip away for a moment, which gave the angel enough of a leeway to push forward. With a mighty roar his axe broke the stalemate and sent Lilith flying back and crash to the ground.
Her trident hit the ground and scattered away from her, not that she could've used it anymore. Lilith tried to stand up again, her legs were unresponsive and when she tried to use her arms to push herself up, she only managed to rise a few centimeters off the ground before her arms faltered and sent her down again.
Adam stood in front of her, axe in his hand. His golden eyes loomed above her, victorious.
Lilith felt rage burning deep inside her, her army was defeated and she failed to rise up to the challenge and kill Adam.
The first man looked down on her, just as he always had, yet unlike the rage filled eyes Lilith met him with, the first man looked at his ex-wife with nothing but pity. That only filled Lilith with far more rage. How dare he look at her like that! He doesn't have the right to feel pity for her!
"What are you waiting for?! Kill me if you dare!" Lilith shouts at him, trying to goad him, if she is to die here and now then she doesn't want to see that expression on Adam's face. She can't bear that look of pity on his face, she won't accept it.
But Adam doesn't fall for it, his expression becomes even more full of pity, like he was both sad and disappointed with her. Lilith bore her teeth. Adam can't be disappointed, he never expected anything from her, he doesn't have the right to look at her like that.
Another angel flies close to the two of them.
"Sir, we have to go now." She says, Adam looks at her over his shoulder and nods, before turning away from her.
"We're done here." He says, spreading his wings to take flight.
Lilith crawls on the ground with what little strength she has left. He can't leave her like this, he can't! "Get back here!" Lilith shouts with all her might. "Get back here and kill me you coward!"
Adam just flies away, not sparing a look back at her, as if she was nothing, as if she meant nothing.
"I hate you!" Lilith strains her voice so that Adam will hear her, if he did hear, he makes no sign of acknowledgement. His form just becomes increasingly small as he approaches the portal to heaven.
He flew farther away from her, like the shining star she could never hope to reach. But hasn't it always been like that? No matter what she did the angels always praised him, she could never match his light. They were made to be equal, but she always felt lesser than him.
Hot, angry tears escaped her eyes. "I hate you, I hate you." She cried, resting her forehead on the ground as to hide her shame.
Lilith brings a hand to her face to clean her eyes from unshed tears. The sting of defeat still hits her whenever the memory of that battle resurfaces. Thousands of years have passed, yet the overwhelming sadness that consumed her that day still follows her. She's sure, that just as she has her demons to face, so has Adam.
During all this time Lilith has spent countless hours thinking about the past, about her frustrations, and about Adam and all the things she's made him suffer from.
She still has her doubts and fears, but she's come along so much since that day, now she only hopes that Adam can look past her transgressions. If a part of him still cares about her after so many years, Lilith hopes to find it on this night.
Finally after what seemed like eternity, Adam made his appearance. He was accompanied by that same angel that's always by his side. Lilith would feel threatened if she didn't know that he was still looking for a new wife.
Adam also has with him a plate of ribs. "Did I keep you waiting?" He asks, but doesn't give her a chance to respond. "good, because what the fuck do you want that you had to call for a meeting in the middle of the night?" he asks, subdued, yet irritated.
"I know that this is an unorthodox hour, but this was the best moment for me." she says. "This couldn't wait anymore." She had to do this now, before anyone realized what her plan was, she couldn't risk Lucifer or Charlie getting wind of it.
"Well, then, enlighten me? What does the mighty queen of hell want with me?" Adam asks her, Lilith takes a deep breath.
"I am not here as a queen, I am here simply as Lilith, not Lilith Morningstar but just Lilith." Adam raises an eyebrow at her wording, intrigued yet wary of her, Lilith supposes that's only fair. The mere fact that he's willing to entertain her is far more than she would've done if roles were swapped.
" I have a proposition to make of you, Adam, if you're willing to hear me." She says, walking closer to Adam, only to be blocked by his second in command.
"It depends, what kind of proposal do you have for me?" Adam says, the bright eyes of his mask shining dangerously, the message is clear, Lilith has to mind her words and pick very carefully what's going to come out of her mouth.
Lilith sits on the table, getting only as close to him as that dammed pigeon allows her to be. "I'm tired, Adam, I can't keep going like this, taking care of Lucifer, of hell, of Charlie, all on my own. I've reached my limit, I need an escape."
"And what makes you think I would provide it? If you think I'm going to let you in heaven just because you're suffering from your own actions then you can forget it." Adam says, Lilith understands, after everything she's done Adam would be stupid to accept her without several restrictions first, luckily he won't have to put any restrictions on her.
"I know, that's why I wanted to make a deal with you." Lilith said stepping off the table and raising her hand. "Until death do us part." She said, simple and concise.
She doesn't have to elaborate, the implication is more than obvious, and just as expected Adam catches it. His mouth turns into a big grin as he laughs, it is not a mocking one, Lilith can tell the difference. She can guess why he is laughing, this whole thing must be incredibly ironic for him.
What can Lilith say? She's always had a thing for angels.
Raisnig from his seat, Adam signals his little pigeon to stand down, she does. Adam grabs her hand a shakes it. As soon as he does a half gold, half black chain emerges and chains their wrists together.
"I am glad to have you right were you belong, my wife." Adam says. Lilith hopes that one day she'll be able to become the wife Adam deserves.
Her insecurities and doubts linger in her mind but the stubbornness and bitterness that plagued her have long since eroded into nothingness, all she has to do now is work to become better than she was in the past. With Adam at her side she's sure she can become the Lilith she should've always been.
