- 𝑯𝒆 𝑶𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝑾𝒂𝒔 𝑴𝒊𝒏𝒆. (Hazbin Hotel)

v.

   Zerachiel seemed ashamed of the words that escaped her own lips, even more so when she heard your reply. Every single syllable tasted bitter on her tongue, a trail of bitterness also lurking around her mind. She knew the weight of her brother's actions, she knew Lucifer hurt you immensely. She just... didn't want to see you so sad, not again.

   “What...?” The way your expression immediately fell made her furrow her eyebrows and turn away. She found it ironic, honestly. How Charlotte, Lucifer's own blood and flesh, her own blood and flesh, might have reminded you of memories you never wanted to come out to light. Which were also because of Lucifer. 

   Letting out a small breath, Zerachiel faced you once more. “Deciding is not mandatory. I will simply inform them that you did no—”

   “Does Lucifer know?”

   Your voice cut her off, her eyes widening and shoulders tensing. The way your tone was so far from hers, she could practically hear the cracks. The mere nervousness that conflicted your eagerness to know, it was something she remembered seeing all too well. You knew yourself, you were hurting because of him, and yet you could never bring yourself to forget that once fragment of your heart that shaped who you were today.

   Silence fell upon the two of you as she didn't give an immediate answer to your question, the walls of tenseness thickening, almost as if they were closing in on the two of you under the weight of overwhelming emotions.

   You could feel every single cell in your body heating up, boiling beneath your skin as you waited for an answer. You didn't really expect her to give you a definite one, purely expecting her to give vague answers, just as she always did.

   “...No.” She whispered as if the echoes of her tone would crush you. “He does not know.”

   Were you expecting her to say a different answer? Why were you disappointed? Why was this affecting you? Perhaps it was the thought that Charlotte was the only one who wanted you and Lucifer to meet again, not him.

   What would he even do when you both meet again?

Would he even remember you?

   He spent eons, happy in the arms of Lilith, their love blooming into Hell's Princess. You wouldn't be surprised if the thought of you was nothing but a distant one, located at the very back of his mind, forgotten.

   Abandoned.

   That shook through your soul, your core. Right, you were abandoned. Forced to accept the fate that he unknowingly planned for you. He laid out his dream in front of you, but you laid yourself in front for him. In the end, you found yourself all alone, secluded from the world.

   The time you spent with him, you've learnt to associate him with your heart. And when he fell, so did your heart.

   Zerachiel's stomach churned as she watched you, observing how your demeanor shifted negatively. Guilt pooled in her, creeping up like second skin.

   The longer you suspended a reply, the more tense the atmosphere has become. Zerachiel could not look at you, forcing herself to set her gaze elsewhere.

   “I— I need to think about this...” You trailed off, feeling yourself shake in your own hold as you wrapped your arms around your frame. “I need time.”

   You took your time to speak, though pressure was sinking into you. You were grateful that they did not force an answer upon you, but that didn't make the decision any less hard.

   Zerachiel kept quiet as you kept to yourself before she broke the silence that was creeping back. “I will inform them immediately.”

   With a small thank you, you watched as she excused herself and made her way out. Not after she gave you a reassuring pat on your shoulder. As the door finally closed, you realized that you were once again alone to drown in your misery.

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   “Trust me, Vaggie!” The Princess of Hell mused, her lover's hands tucked in her hold as she smiled brightly at her. “I'm sure she's connected to my dad...” She trailed off, glancing briefly at the rubber duck that Lucifer had left after one of his daily visits.

   “In one way or another, at least.” She continued, waiting patiently for the portal to heaven to open. She was the one who had asked Zerachiel to relay a meesage to you for her. She met the Archangel when you and Vaggie were talking in your office, back when you first met.

   It was weird that Zerachiel seemed baffled by her and her girlfriend's presence in the hospital, but she treated them with hospitality nonetheless. And she was ecstatic when she was able to reach out to the Archangel again after the meeting with the court.

   Charlie was sure that you were the lady that her father used to draw, that was one of the reasons why she wanted you to meet her dad again. Maybe you were close friends, but since her father fell, maybe heaven banned you from seeing each other again? Is that why her father missed you?

   But when she saw how her father broke down after she and Vaggie got back from heaven, she glanced at the portal one last time, only to see your silhouette. It finally clicked in the correct places, she was right.

   You were close with her father.

   That further fueled her determination, wanting you both to meet again. She thought she'd be doing good, so she asked Zerachiel that she wanted to arrange a meeting for you with her father. Though, she could never miss the conflict that painted the Archangel's face after her words.

   But before her mind could run further, the portal finally came to light. Charlie excitedly stood up and waited for a figure to come out, Vaggie standing close beside her. Most of the hotel's residents were out today, so only the two of them and Husk were there. Nifty was busy cleaning so she's out of the picture.

   The seconds that passed felt like hours, until Zerachiel finally exited the portal, with her tall stature and glowing halo. The Princess of Hell's eyebrows scrunched up in confusion when the Archangel's face didn't indicate any emotion. Was it good news? or bad news?

   Before anyone could speak, another voice spoke from the hotel's front door.

   “...Zeché?”

   Zerachiel froze in her place, eyes slightly widening in surprise as she turned around. The atmosphere falling into a thick, overwhelming tenseness.

   “Brother.” Charlotte could never ignore the venom that laced her tone as she referred to her dad as her brother. They were siblings? Well, she was an Archangel, and so was her father.

   “You know each other, da—?” Before the Princess could finish her statement, he interrupted her, his eyes glued on the angel in front of him.

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   “What are you doing here?”