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Lilith paced around the castle’s nursery, baby Charlie fussing and wailing in her arms. Lilith’s long hair was in her face, sticking every which way. Toys hadn’t calmed Charlie down, stories hadn’t calmed Charlie down, not even Lucifer’s quacking rubber ducks had stopped her crying. It was late, they both desperately needed to go to bed. They had royal duties to attend to in the morning. But Charlie came first.
“Charlie, please…” She rocked Charlie gently, her hair messy and covering her face from running her fingers through it in frustration, her usually elegant appearance was disheveled from hours of trying to soothe their fussy baby.
“Here, honey…” Lucifer returned from the kitchen, holding a bottle of warm milk. Lilith looked down at Lucifer with grateful, tired eyes as he gently took the baby from his wife’s arms. He carefully inserted the nipple into Charlie's mouth, and the baby latched on immediately, the sound of silence filling the quiet room. Lilith's shoulders sagged in relief as Charlie began to calm down.
"I think we're both at our limit here, love." Lilith sighed with a tired laugh, though there was no real complaint in her voice. Just exhaustion and wonder. "Look at us. The great rulers of hell, undone by our own offspring." She leaned against the wall as she looked at her husband with soft eyes. "We're going to be terrible parents, aren't we?"
“I'm sure we'll do fine, Lily...” He watched as Charlie quickly drained the bottle, her eyes closed in relaxation. “Heeeyy, char-char...yeah, no more crying, hm? Happy? Wanna be happy?” He yawned as he watched the milk disappear. “I was thinking of putting a special sleepy-time spell on the milk. The one you put on my tea that one time when I stayed up for a weekend making ducks? But I dunno if it’s safe for babies.”
Charlie's eyes fluttered open at Lucifer's voice, her small face turning toward her father. A tiny burp escaped her lips, and she released the now empty bottle from her mouth with a wet pop. Lucifer and Lilith froze as they waited for the wailing to continue, both of them sighing in relief as the baby only yawned softly.
Lucifer shifted Charlie to his other arm, burping the baby gently. Charlie made a soft cooing sound, reaching one pudgy hand toward Lucifer's face. Despite their exhaustion, both parents couldn't help but smile at their child.
Lilith’s heart swelled as she watched the interaction. "Look at that! She loves you, Lu!" She pet Charlie’s head, smiling at her soft giggles. "Go on, talk to daddy."
Lucifer held Charlie to his chest, his eyes welling up. Even tired, even overwhelmed, holding his daughter made everything worth it. "Hi Char-char," he whispered, his voice thick with affection. "Daddy's here. No more boo-boos, just happy-happy."
He gently pat Charlie's back, preparing for another burp. "You're such a good girl, you know that? Mama and Daddy love you so so much."
Lilith leaned against the doorframe, watching them with a mixture of love and amusement. "You're going to spoil her rotten, you know that?" But there was really no criticism in her tone, just fondness for how deeply his love showed even in these late, exhausted moments.
“Yep! And I’ll love her sooooo muuuch…Isn’t that right, Char…” His voice devolved into baby-talk as he nuzzled his face into Charlie’s stomach, revelling in his daughter’s laughter. “We’re going to love her more than all the ducks in the world.”
Lilith's smile softened at the way Lucifer's voice cracked. That raw, genuine emotion that always slipped through when he was being affectionate. She could see the way his small hands cradled Charlie so carefully, how his wings had unfurled just a bit from his back, instinctively wanting to shield their daughter.
“Wow, that much, Lucifer?” Lilith laughed. "Here," she moved to stand beside him. She carefully took one of Charlie's tiny hands and placed it against Lucifer's cheek. "Give Daddy a kiss."
Charlie’s face scrunched up in concentration, and after a moment, Charlie planted a wet, drool-covered smack right on Lucifer's nose.
"Ahhh!" he exclaimed with delighted laughter, his red eyes sparkling. "Charlie kissed Daddy! That's the best kiss I've ever gotten!" He pressed a gentle kiss to the top of Charlie's head in return.
Lilith couldn't stop her smile from spreading across her face. Despite the exhaustion, despite the chaos of the day, this moment was perfect.
"You two are ridiculous," she said fondly, reaching over to brush some of Charlie's light hair away from her face. She glanced at the clock. It was well past when they should’ve gone to bed. "We should probably get her to bed soon, or she'll be up again in... oh, I don't know, twenty minutes?" She yawned, her horns catching the dim light. "But thank you, Lu. For being so patient. She definitely likes you more.”
“Hah, I dunno if I’d say that…” Lucifer rocked her gently, Charlie’s eyes drooping as her tiny form finally succumbed to sleep. “I know she loves both of us. I’ll put her in her crib, you go to bed, Lily.”
Lilith’s tall form leaned against him gently, one hand coming up to rest on his shoulder. "You're sure?" Lilith asked, though she was already moving toward the door. "I don't mind helping…"
"Nah, I got this," Lucifer said with a gentle smile, carefully adjusting Charlie's position. "You look like you're about to collapse, love. Go get some rest."
She paused at the doorway, looking back at them. The sight of her husband, usually so vibrant and energetic, looking tired but genuinely happy made something in her chest ache with affection.
"Alright... I'll see you in a bit then," she said softly, giving them both one last look before heading toward their bedroom.
As she walked away, she could hear Lucifer's gentle humming, an old lullaby he'd sung to her countless times over the centuries. The sound followed her down the hallway, filling the castle with warmth.