Chapter Text
Between Heaven And Hell... Is A Place On Earth?
Chapter 1. Decision And Persuasion
Things are running smoothly at the Hazbin Hotel.
Well, as 'smoothly' as things could possibly run for such a place, that is. Even if there are a few squabbles, mishaps, and explosions here or there, Charlie couldn't be prouder of what she and her friends were striving to accomplish.
After dismissing her first group therapy session for the morning, she takes a stroll through the hallways and down to the main lobby to check in on everyone, offering a smile and a peppy greeting to every soul she passes on the way there.
The first of her friends she spots is Niffty, whom she passes in the hallway. She's scuttling along at top speed with her feather duster, attacking a corner full of cobwebs, muttering to herself with the usual grin spread across her face. Charlie gives her a little wave as she walks by.
"Hi, Niffty! Everything looking good?"
Niffty snaps her head around to give her a jagged smile.
"Yep! All good! I'm collecting roaches to give to Baxter! Have you seen any?"
"Hmm… I can't say that I have," Charlie says. "Which means you're doing an excellent job at keeping the place clean! But I'll let you know if I see any roaches, okay?"
"Okay!"
Charlie strolls on by and lets Niffty be as she continues on her way to the lobby.
Emerging on the second floor landing above the staircase, Charlie pauses for a moment to take in the results of all her hard work.
There are dozens of Sinners meandering about, chatting, snacking, watching TV, and so on.
Husk is handling the day-drinkers at the bar. He isn't too swamped just yet, and he actually finds a few moments to lean over the counter and chat with some of them.
Alastor is seated at the far end of the bar, observing the going-ons in silence as usual. Whenever there's a Sinner who's getting a little too rowdy or has had one too many drinks, he'll casually use his shadows to portal them back to their rooms.
In the center of the lobby, at one of the lounge areas, Charlie sees Angel and Cherri chatting with a group of Sinners. Angel is holding Fat Nuggets in two of his arms as he commands the crowd's attention.
"Now ya see, fallas, havin' a pet could be a great steppin' stone on the path to redemption. Takin' care of anotha soul's gotta earn ya some brownie points, don't'cha think?"
"Not them kinda brownies," Cherri cuts in.
"Not them kind," Angel confirms, patting the piglet on the head. "But like I was sayin', takin' care of a pet is probably one of the most rewardin' things there is down here. 'Course it can be challenging at times, and even a little messy-" He pauses to bring Fat Nuggets to his face and kisses his nose. "But it's all worth it."
"And-" Cherri says, scratching the pig's chin. "The best part is, the hotel's pet-friendly! So ya should all consida adoptin' and bringin' some new little rascals in to liven up the place, yeah?"
They have the crowd of onlookers in a starry-eyed chokehold, so Angel offers to let them pet Fat Nuggets and ask questions.
Charlie's heart warms at the sight of it all, and she lets out a dreamy sigh as she considers just how far this place had come.
It's then she hears the sounds of familiar wingbeats from overhead.
Charlie perks up immediately, even before she sees Vaggi. She turns to follow the soft, rhythmic sound with a smile instantly spreading across her face.
She spots her girlfriend arcing a circle as she descends from several floors higher. Vaggi has her hands full with a hefty laundry basket full of sheets, but she still pauses in her flight the moment she sees her princess, fluttering off to make a pit-stop as she hovers over the other side of the second-floor railing.
"Hey, honey."
"Vaggi~!" Charlie hurries over to meet her, taking the laundry basket from her with ease and placing it on the floor for the moment. As soon as Vaggi's hands are free, Charlie takes them and guides her down into a gentle landing so she can leave a smooch on her cheek. "Hi! How are you? Everything okay?"
Vaggi kisses her back on her nose.
"All good on my end. Just doing the usual rounds, nothing too crazy."
"Good, good!"
"Do you need help with anything?"
"Nope! I'm all good! Well, maybe just a quiiiick recharge?"
"Sure thing."
Vaggi smiles as she opens her arms and hugs her. Charlie squeals and pulls her in tightly, resting her chin on top of Vaggi's head as she lets out a happy little sigh. Vaggi draws energy from the embrace just as much as Charlie does. But after a moment, she realizes Charlie has no intentions of pulling away, therefore she has to be the one to do it.
"Okay," Vaggi says. "I better get back on track."
"Okaaaay~" Charlie lets out a playfully-dramatic sigh as she releases her. "Don't work too hard~"
"I won't."
They part with a little kiss before Vaggi picks up her laundry basket and takes off again.
After watching her go, Charlie heads down the staircase and mingles with the guests, taking care of a bit of paperwork at the main check-in desk and such. When she's got a moment to spare, she joins Angel and Cherri and gives a brief speech about the hotel's pet policies for anyone interested in having them.
She enjoys her free time in the morning as such, chatting with her friends and the guests in between handling work tasks in the time before her next group.
It's a little before noon by the time she spots her father making his way down the stairs in his usual morning attire; his pink robe splattered with a duck pattern, yellow duck slippers, and a matching hair net. He sluggishly makes his way down the steps with his Deer Season coffee mug in-hand, muttering to himself all the while.
It's several hours later than his usual time doing this, and Charlie can't help but feel that he's a little extra cranky for some reason. So she steps away from her crowd-mingling for the moment to hurry over and greet him.
"Hi, Dad!"
The instant he hears his daughter's cheerful voice, Lucifer brightens up a bit.
"Charlie! Morning, sweetie."
"You mean Morningstar?~" she laughs. "Sorry, it was right there."
"Hah! Oh, I'm glad to see you've still got your old man's terrible sense of humor," he grins.
"Everything okay?" she asks. "You're a couple hours late. It's almost lunch time."
Lucifer chortles and waves his hand dismissively.
"Oh, pffft, absolutely! Totally fine, Charlie, don't you worry about a thing!" He reaches up to ruffle her hair a little before taking another sip of his coffee. But then he groans. "I've just got this thing coming up tomorrow, that's all."
"Thing?" she parrots. "What thing?"
"Oh, nothin' too crazy!" he says. "Just an annual ritual they hold for me up on Earth. I've been tryin' to get out of it the past few years cuz believe me, it's gotten pre-tty bland lately. Y'know, humans just aren't as creative as they used to be with the whole thing anymore. I mean, it used to be oodles and oodles of chants and summoning circles and boy oh boy I can't even tell you how many sacrifices they'd do - human and animal, though I've really been trying to discourage that in recent years. Y'know, just fruits and flowers should do, wouldn't you think?"
He babbles on for a moment as Charlie tilts her head more and more to one side. Lucifer clears his throat and tries to wrap it up.
"Long story short, I've just gotta attend a quiiiiick little thing topside tomorrow. It's just a bit of a drag, that's all. Kinda puts a damper on my whole day when I have to think about it. I mean, it's at noon, our time. Noon! Just so happens that the location on Earth where this is all goin' down is exactly opposite us, so it'll be midnight for them, but down here? Noon! That means I gotta wait for it alllll morning and then it's right in the middle of my day. And it won't even be longer than 5 minutes, honestly, but then it kinda just feels like the rest of the day is shot after that, am I right? Anticipating it all morning to go up there just for a couple minutes, and then come back? It's exhausting. Really! Why couldn't it be the good old witching hour my time for my annual ritualistic sacrifice? Humans these days have no consideration…"
After realizing he'd gone off ranting again, he clams up. But Charlie had been listening intently the entire time, and she even perks up a little bit.
"Wow, Dad! I didn't know you still did stuff like that! You still engage with living humans?!"
"Ehhhh, from time to time," he confesses. "But I've been makin' myself scarce up there as of late. Got a lot to deal with down here 'n all. Earth's changed a ton over the centuries. It's kinda, ohhh what's a good word for it? Icky? Hazardous? Harrowingly depressing? I mean, they are kinda killing the planet faster and faster with each passing day, so that's to be expected. But what I mean is, going to Earth's just not as fun as it used to be, to be completely honest. Even if it is just for a few minutes." He heaves a sigh. "But, I guess it's still part of my duties as ~King of Hell~ to make an appearance to the devout believers every now and then, right?"
Charlie listens attentively as he rambles on. She can't remember the last time she'd actually heard him talk about performing his duties as King of the Underworld to the living humans who still worshipped him. When she was younger, he used to tell her all kinds of stories about how he'd appear for summoning rituals in order to keep humankind appeased. The way Lucifer saw it, if he didn't make an appearance every now and then, some more extremist humans might go a little crazy and start causing problems for their fellow man. So as long as he gave them a little something every now and again, he could help maintain some semblance of peace and order.
But in the recent decades, Charlie knows her father had been making fewer and fewer appearances since he'd lost his faith in humanity, and she really can't blame him. Now, the activities he once enjoyed so much are clearly more of a chore for him, and he isn't all that thrilled about tomorrow's ritual.
Which gives Charlie an idea.
"Well then... why don't I go?"
Lucifer had continued muttering under his breath, lost in his own thoughts to the point where he hadn't even heard her - or if he had, the words hadn't registered.
"Like I said," he mumbles. "It's kinda just something I have to do and… wait, what…?"
"I said, why don't I go?" Charlie reiterates with a smile. "I wouldn't mind!"
Lucifer blinks once, twice, three times, staring at his daughter's bright and energetic smile with a dumbfounded expression.
"I'm sorry-!" he laughs. "The old noggin' must be playing tricks on me, because I could've sworn I just heard you ask if you could go to Earth on my behalf, sweetie."
"I did!" Charlie nods vigorously. "Why not, right? I mean, I might not be the ~King of Hell~, but I'm the Princess! That should still count for plenty, right? And if you don't really wanna do it, then I could absolutely spare a few minutes out of my day tomorrow to tackle this for you, Dad! I mean it!"
Lucifer blinks again, looking his daughter up and down as he tries to comprehend the words coming out of her mouth.
"I… you… n-now hoooold on there, Char-Char! I wasn't trying to make you volunteer by complaining to you just now! Not at all! You don't have to feel obligated to-"
"I don't feel obligated!" she insists. "Dad, I'm offering to do this for you! It's just a quick little appearance for a ritual, right? You said like 5 minutes? I can handle 5 minutes on Earth! And you seem like you really don't wanna bother, so let me take this off your plate for you!"
Lucifer's more light-hearted tone and smile fade for something a little more serious.
"Charlie, dear, I mean it. I was just complaining out loud. You don't have to worry about it."
"But you're worrying about it," she reminds him. "If it's gonna be weighing on your mind all day today and ruin your day tomorrow, then just let me go! I'm 200 years old now, Dad. I think I can start taking on some more Princess of Hell responsibilities now, right? You've never let me attend a ritual my whole life. I think now's a good time! I'll be in and out of the portal in no time!" The more she thinks about it, the more animated she becomes.
Lucifer hesitates, but he has to admit she's making some good points. Still…
"I dunno, Charlie…"
"Oh, come on!" she begs. Clasping her hands together, she gives him her best and biggest puppy-dog eyes. "Pleeeeease, Dad? It's just for 5 minutes!" It's almost as if sparkles and rainbows and flowers appear in midair all around her as she presents him with a blinding smile.
Lucifer puts a hand to his chin and ponders for a moment.
"I mean… this would be one of the tamer rituals, and it's a fairly nice area… Plus, the group's numbers have dwindled over the years, so there shouldn't be more than ten or so humans present. They're always a little loopy too, so one brief properly-timed appearance from any kind of demon should suffice…"
"I can do that!" Charlie beams. "I can do that no problem!" To demonstrate, she brings out her horns, tail, and claws, which would have been a fairly menacing look if she wasn't also still making such an adorable pleading puppy pose with her tail wagging.
Lucifer takes another moment to think it over. Charlie was absolutely right in the sense that she was definitely old enough now to partake in something like this. Had she not created and dedicated her time and efforts to her own passion project here with this hotel, she likely would have been engaging in rituals, summonings, and other demon royalty events at this time in her life anyway.
And then, he also considers their family situation, how he and his wife hadn't exactly been around or been able to raise her to fill the shoes of Princess of Hell as they'd intended in recent years…
A bit of guilt plays into it on his part, but overall Lucifer makes his decision based on the more logical aspects presented to him.
"Well… if you're sure you're comfortable with it…"
"Yes~!" Charlie wags her tail even harder, her eyes sparkling brightly even though they're still red in her demon form. "Absolutely! I'm suuuuper comfortable with it, Dad!"
"And since it'll only take a few minutes and just a quick portal up there…" He sighs, then lifts his face back up to her with a hopeless, yet proud smile. "All right then, kiddo. You can go."
"Really?!" Charlie emits a brief burst of flames in her excitement before bending down to squeeze her father into an exuberant hug. "Ooooh my gosh, Dad, thank you, thank you, thank yooooou! This is gonna be sooooo much fun! Even if it's only five minutes on Earth, I can't wait!"
Lucifer chuckles as he gives her a few pats on the head. Charlie sets him down, bringing her horns and tail back in as she reverts to her usual form, but she can't help but let out another squeal. Lucifer chuckles.
"Well, I'm glad you're so eager about it. You're right, this'll be a good first excursion for you, and it should be over and done with lickity-split. You'll get to see what a human summoning ritual looks like in the modern day, too, so it'll be a great learning experience!"
"Right?! Oh gosh, this is gonna be incredible!"
Lucifer grins. He's admittedly getting more excited about this the more his daughter expresses such eagerness.
"Well, all righty then, I guess it's settled! Just clear your schedule tomorrow around noon and I'll coach you through it. I'll handle the portal, so all you've gotta do really is just make a grand entrance, accept whatever offering they present to you, maybe say a few words, and come on back!"
"Got it! No problem!" She gives a thumbs-up. "See, Dad? Now you can be excited about tomorrow instead of dreading it! And I'm excited, too!"
"You've got me there," he says. "Your first summoning ritual… This'll be a big milestone for you. I'm proud of you, kiddo." He reaches up to ruffle her hair again, and Charlie giggles.
"All right," she says. "I'll see you tomorrow a little before noon!"
With this, Charlie turns and scampers off to continue with her day.
All throughout the afternoon, she's a little extra energetic as she goes about her work and therapy groups. She sings twice as frequently, prances down the hallways, smiles until her face hurts, and overall emits a glowing aura all through the evening. Nothing brings her down even for a second, and by the time the hotel has officially wrapped up its activities for the day, everyone can tell something's going on with her.
Particularly Vaggi, who knows she has the privilege of inquiring before anybody else.
After the pair have finished wishing their friends goodnight, they take their leave together hand-in-hand and head for the elevator. All the ride up, Charlie is radiating a very obvious air of excitement, and she's humming so many songs at once that they start to overlap. Vaggi chuckles, unable to contain her questions any further.
"Someone's in a good mood this evening."
Charlie sways from side to side as she continues singing softly to herself.
"You bet!"
"Any particular reason?"
"Ooooh, maybe one~"
The elevator pings as it arrives at their floor. Charlie steps out first, bowing down in a lavish gesture to escort Vaggi off behind her. Her smile is infectious, and Vaggi reflects it.
"Can I ask about it, or…?"
"Of course~! But let's get back first! Ooooh, I'm so excited~!" Keeping Vaggi's hand in hers, Charlie takes off skipping down the hallway.
Vaggi hastily bounds along after her, trying to match her pace. Briefly, she worries if she'd forgotten some anniversary of theirs. But she'd committed those dates to memory a long time ago, so she knows for a fact that it can't be anything like that. So long as it wasn't anything she'd neglected to recall, she doesn't really care why her girlfriend is in such a good mood; she's just happy for her, regardless.
The two of them make it back to their room in just a few minutes, at which point Charlie opens the door, leads her through, then closes it before scooping Vaggi up into her arms and twirling her all the way to the bed. Charlie pauses in her giddy humming for just a second to lie her girlfriend down gently, then flops herself down beside her, making Vaggi bounce on the mattress. Charlie rolls over onto her side to hold her hand and hug her, and Vaggi reciprocates with a few kisses.
"All right," she chuckles. "I can't take it anymore, babe. What's got you on cloud nine?"
"Heehee~" Charlie rolls over again, locking her arms around Vaggi's waist to let her rest on top of her chest. "You reeeeally wanna know?"
"Yes! You're killing me, hun."
"Okaaay~!" Charlie leans up to peck her nose. "Weeeell, I was talking to my dad earlier, and it turns out he has this ritual on Earth tomorrow that he doesn't really wanna go to."
"A ritual?" Vaggi says. "Hm. I mean, depending on how intense it is, I could see your dad not wanting to bother with something like that."
"Yeah! He doesn't wanna bother." Charlie gives her a squeeze around the small of her back, eyes glimmering as she gives the big reveal. "Which is whyyyyy I offered to go instead! And he said yes!"
Upon hearing this revelation, Vaggi gives the same response Lucifer had earlier.
She blinks. Once. Twice. Three times.
And then-
"What-?!"
Maybe a bit more intense of a reaction, actually.
All at once, Vaggi breaks their lazy embrace and sits herself up tall and stiff with her jaw hanging slack. She takes both of Charlie's hands and hoists her up too, then grabs her by the shoulders with a firm, panicked grip.
"Charlie, what are you thinking?! A ritual? On Earth? With humans?! You can't do that!"
"Yes I can!" Charlie smiles. "As the Princess of Hell, making my presence known at various summoning rituals would've actually been something I could've started doing dozens of years ago! I was just preoccupied with the Exterminations and the Hotel these past few years, so all of the Princessly duties kind of fell to the wayside, but-"
"Babe, you can't go to Earth!" Vaggi interjects. "It's way too dangerous! You've never been there before! That's where all of the Sinners come from, remember? Some of the worst people in all of existence…?"
But in contrast to Vaggi's exasperation, Charlie is quite calm. Her smile remains, as does her sing-songy tone.
"But the same can be said about Winners, right? Some of the kindest souls in all of existence come from Earth, too!"
"Okay, but do you really think those are the people who are going to be on the other end of a demonic summoning ritual?" Vaggi reasons. "Charlie, those humans could be deranged!"
"So?" the princess shrugs. "Even if they are, it's not like they can hurt me or anything!"
"We don't know that!" In spite of the blazing sense of worry churning in Vaggi's stomach, it's obvious to her that Charlie doesn't share the same concerns - not even a little bit. Vaggi whimpers helplessly. "Babe, please… You don't have to do this. I know you wanna help your dad out, but why don't you guys just skip this ritual for safety's sake?"
Now that Charlie understands that her girlfriend isn't sharing the same excitement, she pushes her giddiness aside and tries to be a little more serious, to make sure she isn't dismissing Vaggi's very real concerns.
"Vaggi, it'll be okay!" Charlie reaches up to remove Vaggi's hands from her shoulders in favor of holding them gently. "I offered to do this, and my dad actually agreed. He's really okay with letting me try this! It'll be my first time ever being involved with a human ritual! It's like a right of passage for the Princess of Hell! Besides, he said this is a really quick one. It should only be like 5 minutes! Super fast!"
"But…" Vaggi falters. With every justification Charlie presents her with, she realizes she has less and less of a leg to stand on in trying to stop her. Ultimately, her only reason for opposing this whole thing boils down to her own feelings. "I'm worried for you, Charlie…"
In seconds, Vaggi's intensity melts into something softer and more sincere. It's so sweet, and so very Vaggi of her that Charlie feels a pang in her chest at the sight of her. The princess whimpers from just how adorable she is.
"Vaggi…" She sighs, smiles, and pulls her girlfriend into a warm hug. "Thank you for worrying about me, as always. But you really don't have to this time. It's going to be super quick, and these humans wouldn't wanna do anything to hurt me! They're specifically trying to summon a demon! If anything, they worship my family! And besides, I really don't think they'd be able to hurt me, even if they tried. Other demons can't even hurt me, remember? What would a couple of humans do?
"Besides, my dad said I'll get to go demon mode on them! Show them a little fire and brimstone, y'know? They'd be way too scared - or humbled - to even try anything! Plus, my dad will be on standby with the portal at the snap of his fingers!" After listing all of these things off, Charlie eases back, looking tenderly down into her gaze. "There's nothing to worry about, Vaggi. Really."
It all makes sense. Vaggi just doesn't like the idea of letting her do something like this. But the longer she thinks about it, the more she realizes she's just being selfish. Who was she to stop Charlie from engaging in events that her family and other demons had been partaking in since the beginning of time? Especially when Charlie is actively looking forward to this, and is clearly already having fun just thinking about it.
So after a moment of her princess squeezing her hands and rubbing her fingers, Vaggi lets out an uneasy little sigh.
"I guess you've got a point. A lot of points…"
"Right?" Charlie leans forward to kiss her cheek. "I'll be totally fine, Vaggi! And I'll be back before you can even finish listing all the residents' names!" She pauses, waiting for her girlfriend to say something. But when Vaggi remains silent, Charlie nuzzles her temple. "All right... If you're really that nervous, I won't do it. I don't want you worrying yourself sick, Vaggi. I can skip it."
"No," Vaggi says quickly. "I'm overreacting, aren't I? You're the Princess of Hell. You'll be fine. You should go, babe."
"Are you sure?" Charlie rubs her thumbs across the backs of Vaggi's hands. Vaggi threads their fingers together and gives her a squeeze.
"I'm sure, Charlie," she says. "But I'm coming with you."
Now it's Charlie's turn to blink several times.
"Huh...?"
"You heard me," Vaggi nods. "Even if it's only for 5 minutes, I'm coming with you. If things get crazy, I'll be there to help you and keep you safe until your dad can portal us back. Sound good?"
Touched by her concern, as unnecessary as it may be, Charlie makes a little whimper in the back of her throat.
"Oh… Vaggi, you don't have to-"
"But I want to." Vaggi finally calms herself down enough to offer a little smile up at her. "And if you don't need me there to keep you safe, then I can at least join in on the fun, right?"
"Really?!" Charlie gasps.
"Really. I actually just thought of an idea that could make this even more entertaining."
"Oh my gosh! Tell me!"
"I'll save it for tomorrow," Vaggi says, giving a quick little wink. "Is that okay? Can I come with you, hun?"
"Of course!" Charlie squeals, diving forward to lock her arms around her. She hoists Vaggi up into her lap and squishes her close, nuzzling all over her neck and collar. "I'd love to have you with me, Vaggi! Ohmygosh, it'll be like a date!"
"5 minutes on Earth to attend a demonic summoning ritual?" Vaggi says. "Sounds like the best date I could ever think of."
"Right?!" Charlie squeaks. "Ohhhhh, I can't wait! This is going to be so much fun, Vaggiiiiiii~!" She leans herself back and flops down onto the bed with Vaggi in her arms, then rolls over to wrestle her with kisses and cuddles. Vaggi retaliates by tickling her, maneuvering her legs and slipping herself free to flip her princess over again and pin her down. Charlie giggles before lunging up to grab her around the waist and knock her sideways, and they continue doing battle all across the mattress.
Vaggi's initial fears about all of this have already vanished almost entirely. With Charlie so excited and confident, she has no reason to doubt her princess. And it really could be quite interesting to have a little fun together up on Earth for a few minutes. Though she still harbors a few misgivings in the back of her mind, Vaggi can't let that dampen her princess' good mood.
After several more minutes of rolling around in bed together, Charlie eventually pushes herself up and helps Vaggi up with her. They take turns smoothing out each other's hair and exchanging kisses for a moment as they get situated.
"You're really okay with me going tomorrow?" Charlie asks. "And you're okay to come with me?"
"Absolutely," Vaggi affirms. "You're right. It'll be a good experience for you. Sorry if I rained on your parade at all."
"Don't be sorry!" Charlie bumps noses with her. "Thank you for worrying about me, Vaggi. Let's have fun together tomorrow, okay~?" She leaves a sweet little kiss behind on her lips. Vaggi kisses her in return, letting it last a bit longer.
When they part, Vaggi gets up first and helps Charlie off the mattress after her so they can start getting ready for bed.
"What time will all this be happening tomorrow?"
"Around noon!"
"Okay. I'll adjust my schedule a bit."
"Kyaaa, I can't wait~!"
They go about their evening routine of showering and getting dressed and dried before bed, with a lively little dance thrown into the mix as they wait for their hair to dry completely. After taking turns brushing for each other, they head back to bed together and get settled. Charlie loops her arms around Vaggi and pulls her in close beneath the blankets, channeling her enthusiasm by kissing her silly.
"I can't believe iiiit~!" she sings. "We're going on an Earth date tomorrow~!"
Vaggi's heart flutters at all the affection. She returns as much of it as she can by pressing herself as close as possible.
"It'll be interesting, I'm sure. I'm excited, too. But let's try not to be up all night, okay? Even if it's gonna be quick, we'll still have all the rest of our hotel work tomorrow around it."
"Right! You're right! We should sleep." Charlie plants another kiss on Vaggi's forehead, then lets out a big, long, exaggerated sigh. "Okay… time for bed."
"Just do your best, honey."
"Ooooh gosh, I can't wait! Okay, no! Sleep!" Charlie quickly catches herself and tries to focus. She gives Vaggi a warm, dreamy look. "Goodnight. I love you. Let's get some rest~"
"I love you too, baby." Vaggi kisses her softly before closing her eye. "Goodnight."
"Sleep. Yes, sleep!" Charlie continues coaching herself until she eventually lets out a big yawn.
It isn't long before she starts to calm down with Vaggi nestled so warmly up against her. In spite of her excess energy, Charlie gladly puts it aside to save it for tomorrow now that her girlfriend is so relaxed.
Charlie hugs her a little closer and closes her eyes, tucking Vaggi beneath her chin. She lets Vaggi's heartbeat set the pace for her own to match, and eventually their pulses fall into a slow, cozy, synchronized rhythm.
Charlie sighs out one more yawn, then lets her mind go blank for tonight.
Tomorrow will undoubtedly be one of the most thrilling days of her life, especially now knowing that she'll have Vaggi there with her.
A/N: Just when I felt like I was beginning to run out of ideas for these two, Sariel inspired me for a collab and shared their document full of incredible story ideas! We ended up selecting this one, but I won't give too much away just yet! Just know it was weeks and weeks of the two of us having fun together in secrecy from the rest of the fandom as we discussed all the ideas for this story, with me writing the scenes and Sariel drawing them out as we bounced ideas off each other. Such a privilege to work with such a prolific artist~!
We hope you all enjoyed the premise and first chapter, and we can't wait for you to see what else we have in store for our girls!
Go give Sariel ( @54RI3L ) a follow on twitter to see more of their beautiful artworks, and for more art pieces for this story as well!
Please leave comments or kudos!