Chapter Text
"Gabe," Beelzebub called, crossing the kitchen, "do you want a hot chocolate?"
"Did you even have to ask?" Gabriel grinned, looking up from his magazine.
Beelzebub strode back to the kitchen island, adding a second cup of milk to the pan, boots tapping against the tiled floor.
They poured it in slowly, and touched the black, metal of the induction hob, drawing the temperature up, before turning on their heel, and crossing over to the cupboards.
They pulled out one of the pre-mixed packets of hot chocolate powder, and the remainder of half a bar of Cadbury's too, measuring out far more chocolate powder than they needed, before the poured the rest of the powder into the milk.
The scent of creamy, rich chocolate soon filled the room, and Beelzebub's stomach rumbled. They grabbed a cookie from the plate on the counter, and hoicked themselves up onto the marble top of the kitchen counter, keeping one hand on the wooden spoon.
They began humming along to the music in the background as they worked— and yes, they were playing Buddy Holly's song again, though that wasn't the only song they listened too.
As much as Beelzebub hated to admit it, they they were sort of getting a little bored.
Of everything, really.
It wasn't that life on Alpha Centauri was really lacking in anything. The entire planet was scorching under the heat of it's dual suns, yet it was alive in a way Beelzebub hadn't expected. To the east, there was a rainforest, one that whenever Beelzebub stepped into, they were more convinced aliens were real than ever before. To the north, the planet was most just a desert, and the dust clouds that rose up made Beelzebub fairly sure it was completely uninhabitable.
They pushed themselves off the counter as the milk started to bubble, quickly turning the hob off, and pouring the drinks into mugs.
Beelzebub carried them through, settling down on the sleek, pale sofa opposite Gabriel.
They stretched out, kicking their boots off and bringing their legs up, perching cross-legged on the edge of the cushion, eyeing up their husband.
"Babes, wanna go somewhere tomorrow?" They asked, taking a sip of the drink.
Gabriel looked up, putting the magazine down and picking up the mug Beez had given him.
"Where do you have in mind?" Gabriel asked, smiling a little, "I'd go just about anywhere, to be honest. Maybe not the Dusty Dunes, mind."
Beelzebub smirked, pulling up the phone, and squinting at the map of the planet. They hadn't gotten too far with exploring the planet yet— despite the fact Crowley's car had shown up, somehow, a few months ago, there were still huge areas they had no clue what was there.
There was still so much to explore, and that was usually what Beelzebub did when they felt bored. The model planet they'd designed was still mostly empty, still waiting for the details to be filled in.
"I don't know," they shrugged, taking another sip of the hot chocolate.
It wasn't that exploring sounded terrible. It just didn't seem like that was what they wanted to do, either.
They wanted to see someone, they realised. It wasn't like they'd had friends in Hell, not when everyone was out to get them, desperate for the position they held, but they had never really been alone, either, not beyond the few hours of the evening they could steal for themselves.
And there was something peaceful about it finally just being them and Gabriel. There was no need for the constant mask, the constant pretending, looking over their shoulder, always on edge, dreading the moment Satan would decide they hadn't done their job properly and take all his pent-up aggression out on them.
Those first few years had been just that— that final crash, the chance to rest, after centuries of constant abuse and never-ending fear. The trauma from having their corporation literally destroyed so badly they'd needed to get a new one had impacted them far more than they liked to admit…
Beelzebub shook their head, trying to get rid of the thoughts.
"What about Greece?" They asked, "look, I know we said we'd live up here. And I know it's safer, but if we're on Earth, we could be careful. I don't think Satan would find us, and the angel's certainly wouldn't."
Gabriel's eyes widened, and Beelzebub grinned, knowing Gabriel wouldn't have expected that at all. But it really didn't seem that foolish, and it would be so fun…
"Sure," Gabriel replied, "any reason? I mean… I'm not opposed to it, I just didn't think you'd want to go back there."
Beelzebub shrugged.
"They have some good things," they replied. "Plus… don't you think it's kinda getting a bit samey up here? I mean, I know we have the whole planet to ourselves, and this house has literally everything, but we're very isolated."
"Hmm," Gabriel shrugged, looking as if he hadn't even considered it. "Uh, well. Heaven was a little different. The Metatron didn't like socialisation— so it wasn't uncommon for it just to be a few meetings with Michael and Uriel and not a whole lot else for a whilst. I mean, even the other Archangels, I haven't seen some of them for centuries."
One look and you're hypnotised, the radio blared, and Beelzebub looked over to the speakers, implanted into the walls, always looping music whenever they desired.
They couldn't imagine what it must be like to have survived in Heaven after the Fall. The Heaven they had remembered had always been clean, marble halls, leading out into spacious gardens, with water structures and fountains everywhere. It hadn't been the clinical, sterile, empty, not in the way Gabriel described it now.
Beelzebub looked up as the song instructed, staring into Gabriel's angel eyes, still the same dark violet they'd always been.
"I'm so sorry," they whispered, reaching out with their true form, seeking Gabriel out, brushing against him in the metaphysical way that truly comforted him down far more than physical touch would.
"It's okay," Gabriel replied, smiling softly, "I understand, my darling. When do you want to head down there?"
"Well," Beelzebub shrugged, "I mean, you know I'd normally say go immediately, but maybe we should take some stuff, just in case? Or at least, figure out what we're going to do should we get attacked."
Gabriel nodded, and Beelzebub stretched out their legs, trying to remember what supplies they actually had. Gabriel had a small jar of Hellfire in his closet, and Beelzebub knew they had some Holy Water locked in a safe, but they weren't well prepared for an attack on Earth. The house was different— Beelzebub had saved no expensive in making it as secure as possible.
"I know this place is pretty impenetrable," Gabriel said, "but what about when we're on earth— we won't hae the protection of the wards. Could we make it a pocket dimension too, like the manor is?"
"The… whole hotel?" Beelzebub asked, raising an eyebrow, "um. I don't think so, actually. I'm not sure how that would work…"
"Damn," Gabriel deflated a little. "My love, I don't want Satan to find us."
"He won't," Beelzebub growled, unsure if that was even true. They didn't want Satan finding them either… even the thought of it was making their stomach churn. But it had been several years, and there'd been no sign of it, and Beelzebub knew they couldn't wait forever.
Gabriel nodded, still looking a little concerned.
"It's my risk," Beelzebub said, eventually. "You know that. And I'm… willing to take it."
"I know," Gabriel replied, "I know. I just— I don't want to see you hurt again, darling. You don't deserve that."
"No," Beelzebub shrugged, "it's life, though. It ain't fair. And sometimes, we just gotta make do with what we 'ave, no matter how shite it all is."
Beelzebub slumped back on the seat, staring around the room.
It really was everything they had ever dreamed of.
The house… It was the sort of place they'd never hoped could truly be theirs. Three storeys high, and perched near the base of the mountain, which offered them enough shadow that it wasn't immediately obvious something was there from a mile off. Directly in front of the mountains, there was a rocky, vast plain, full of low shrubbery and strange looking plants— part of which Gabriel had begun to develop into his own rockery.
And the interior— Beelzebub had drawn on every experience they had, everything they knew, pulling up magazine after magazine and dropping it on Gabriel's lap. The walls were lilac and green, for the most part, the furnishings sleek, and modern, and they'd filled the mansion with everything from an indoor gymnasium to a swimming pool.
But it really did lack people.
It was a little lonely up here, Beelzebub thought, chewing their lip.
Definitely time to get back to earth.
XX
Beelzebub slumped back in the passenger seat of the Bentley, a blanket pulled over their shoulders.
"Wanna go to London first?" Beelzebub asked, "I think if we aim to land somewhere near the entrance to Heaven and Hell, then no one will notice."
"Right," Gabriel nodded, grinning. "Sure thing, love. Wanna put the music on?"
Beelzebub nodded, turning the radio up, and sticking their feet on the dashboard.
Beelzebub kept their eyes on the stars as they flew through space. It wan' as simple as just snapping their fingers and appearing somewhere, as much as they wished it was, not if they wanted to avoid being seen. That sort of miracle, travelling interplanetary, that was far higher than they could
"I wonder why the Bentley came to us," Beelzebub hummed under their breath, patting the car. "Crowley loved this thing. More than he liked Hell, actually."
"A lot of my earth agents got like that," Gabriel nodded, hands on the steering wheel, "they didn't always acclimatise too well to earth, or get along with the humans. so half of them ended up getting too attached to material possessions."
Beelzebub kept their face blank, as they thought back to the cabinets of things Gabriel collected, like his rapidly growing display of multicoloured rocks and crystals.
Compared to their planet, space seemed very empty. They had gotten used to the deep hues of the planet, where everything seemed somehow more colourful than earth, even, and space was anything but that.
Beelzebub gently cast a miracle over the car as they flew down into Earth's orbit, gradually reducing the speed from travelling as fast as that stupid ship in Star Wars— one of the better films humans had made, in Beelzebub's opinion— until they were merely cruising at a gentle pace. The miracle settled over the car, not fully turning it invisible, just making sure no one would perceive it.
They wound down the windows, cool air rushing into the Bentley.
They bumped down outside St Pancras right on the road running between that and King's Cross, and Beelzebub gripped tightly onto the edge of their seat as Gabriel smashed down onto the pavement.
"I bet we looked just like that scene from that film," Gabriel said, reversing the car into a parking space clearly labelled as for taxi's only.
"Can't park there, mate!" Someone called out, and Gabriel glared at them.
"Does he want he to park it on the roof," he hissed at Beelzebub.
"Can't park there, mate!" Beelzebub mocked, a grin spreading across their face at the look Gabriel shot them.
They pushed open the door, stepping out onto the pavement, and looking around.
Oh, London was exactly as they'd remembered it.
"Come on," they grumbled, grabbing Gabriel's hand, as they locked the Bentley's doors.
"We landed too far away," Gabriel grimaced, and Beelzebub nodded. "Like, by a good kilometre."
"I'm sure it's fine," Beez hastened to reassure him. If Hell was coming, the only thing they could really do was leave. "They probably just think it's the traitors again."
As Beelzebub walked through the city, they couldn't help but feel like something was a little off.
They'd always gotten the feeling they were being watched on Earth— and no where moreso than in London. The city made them feel like even the ducks had ears. Yet… it didn't feel like that anymore.
"Gabriel," Beelzebub said quietly, "is it me, or does something feel… off."
Gabriel nodded, pursing his lips, and looking around.
"Do you think we ought to check in with head offices?" They asked, unsure, "I mean… I could find a generic demon pretty quickly, terrify them into telling me what's up…"
Gabriel assented, and the two set off, back towards where their head offices were.
Beelzebub's hackles were raised, goosebumps prickling their skin.
Something was definitely off.
XXX
"Gabriel," Beelzebub said, staring at the place where the elevators had been, stomach churning, "Where… where are the entrances…"
Their voice echoed around the hall of the station.
Gabriel shook his head, staring at the shopping mall.
"Beez," he choked out, turning to face them with wide, horrified eyes. "Beez.."
Gabriel didn't seem to be able to say anything else.
Beelzebub couldn't think of a response.
Everything was tunnelling around them, white static pounding behind their eyes.
"The traitors," Beelzebub choked out. "They must have…"