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This is the third time today Lute has tried to talk to Adam. Don't get her wrong, Lute knows Adam can handle himself in almost every situation. Almost. The only weakness that Adam had was his stubborn pride, and that led to a multitude of.. other.. issues. Mainly, an issue with the giant angels painfully small bladder. "I can't just ask to go piss, Lute. That's embarrassing. I'll go when I get a minute!" Adam would snap off with, Every. Single. Time. The issue with that, Adam never seemed to get that minute. Each time ending in the same way, Adam crying while Lute covered for why the leader of the angelic army was curled up in his wings. On the floor, in alleyways, shops, restaurants, meeting rooms, and more often than not his own office. Lute, luckily, always had the perfect explanation.
Lutes sword directly pointed to the witnesses eyes. "You saw nothing, and if I find out you say a word about it I will snap your wings off and cut both your eyes out just like the traitor. Clear?" And wouldn't you know it, Adam never had an issue with gossip. Who would've guessed? Unfortunately, Adams pride never did give way for him to listen to Lute. Not in exterminations, not in meetings, and especially not about his bladder issue. He was the first man, THE MAN! He didn't need some woman telling him when to use the bathroom like some first gen angel.
"Sir you've got three meetings back to back are you certain you don't want to—" Lute asked whispered urgently, her wing up to muffle sound for any others around them.
"Lute, for the last time I don't need your fuckin' help! I know how to take care of myself." Adam huffed out, his voice loud and confident. Adam grabbed the drink from the barista in front of them immediately taking a swig of the cool liquid. His wings fluttering slightly.
Lute groaned softly, running her hand through her hair with a slight tug of irritation. Maybe Adam was right, he could take care of himself.— No, no. Lute has been by Adam's side for 10,000 years, he can absolutely NOT take care of himself. Based on the flutter of his wings and the little whine that left his throat after that first sip.. he's got an hour in him, max. Lute sighed, paying for the drink before running out to catch back up to Adam. "Sir!" she called out, her wings extending for what seemed like only a moment before she was gone into the sky leaving behind only a cloud of dust and disturbed rubble in her wake.
"Chill Lute, fuck. I know what I'm doin, alright?" Adam's voice was still confident, but Lute knew better. Lute knew Adam's wings twitched when he needed to go, Lute knew Adam's voice cracked when he lied, and most of all, Lute knew Adam was going to push himself too hard, again. Maybe it was his pride, maybe it was embarrassment, maybe it was a mix of both. Though, based on how often Adam seemed to put himself into those kind of situations.. Lute couldn't help but wonder if they were always real "accidents" anymore. The first few, sure. But now.. she wasn't so sure. Before Lute could get another word in edge wise, Adam had landed and was already walking into the meeting room.
"Great.. can't say I didn't warn him. Hardheaded prick." Lute mumbled under her breath before walking in and sitting down next to Adam. Adam had this shit eating grin all over his face, one that read entirely of "I'm better than you and know what I'm doing hah!" That confidence began to crumble just 10 minutes in. Every few minutes, Adam seemed to shift around in his seat accompanied by the quietest whine. Lute groaned internally, tapping her nails on the table. Another 10 came and went, Adam's squirming getting more consistent and his whines getting higher and higher.
"Sir—" Lute whispered whilst the other attendees argued across the table.
"For the love of GOD Lute please shut UP." Adam snipped back, a slight crimson creeping up his neck. His wings fluttered again, unnoticeable to all but Lute.
"Sir you look unwell, please just ask—" Adam's wing brushed against Lute's arm for a split second, long enough for her to feel the full tremors wracking through seemingly every feather. Before she could say another word, Adam placed his hand onto her thigh and squeezed. Anything to keep him grounded, anything else to focus on. Time seemed to slow more and more by the second, the meeting information blending into the background of Lute's mind. Adam's face got redder and redder, his wings no longer fluttering, replaced by full twitching. Lute glanced at the clock, this meeting had at least 45 minutes to go. Based on Adam's twitching and labored breathing.. 45 minutes would be pushing it right to the very brink of his control. Lute knew it, and she was certain Adam knew it too.
Time kept moving even though Adam would swear it had stopped completely. His breathing grew labored, his face burning crimson. Adam tried to cover with his free hand. Lute watched him like if she blinked, he'd be gone. No longer answering questions about the exterminations, no clarifications, nothing. Adam tried to answer with his usual bravado, his voice trying to sound loud and confident. Though, under it was the broken cracking Lute knew all too well. The same cracks that told her without words when Adam was at his absolute limit — the same cracks that made Lute, without thinking, raise her wings around him. The others around the table maybe glanced, maybe even asked a question, but Lute heard nothing but Adam's labored breathing. Over 10,000 years, most every soul in heaven and hell
knew Lute would lay down everything to cover Adam. Though, no one ever seemed to know why. Those who did know? Not even the speaker herself would be able to get that information from any witness.
Adam’s grip on Lute’s thigh tightened, nails digging into her skin hard enough to turn his knuckles white. A soft sound fell from his lips, a mix between a whimper and a sob. Lute met Adam's gaze, and for a split second she could see the glassy sheen hazing over his eyes. She glanced at the clock, her face calm despite the anxiety coursing through her own wings. "Five minutes. Just five more minutes," Lute whispered to Adam between her wings. Her smile soft and reassuring, the smile reserved only for Adam. With a soft nod, Lute placed her hand over Adam's on her thigh. Rubbing gentle circles onto the back of his hand with her thumb, her wings pulling them closer while shielding Adam from the rest of the room.
Adam didn't say anything, he couldn't. No way he would even open his mouth with the risk of another strangled sob falling past lips. Minutes felt like centuries, each tick of the clock echoing off the walls like gunshots. "You can do it, you're okay." Lute quietly reassured, accompanied by a gentle squeeze to the back of his hand. The moment the five minutes had ended, Lute stood so fast her chair toppled over and crashed to the ground. She didn't say a word to anyone, just grabbed Adam's hand properly and ran down the hallway with him curled into her wing. Somehow, Adam always seemed smaller curled into Lute's wings like this. With trembling legs and uncoordinated steps, Lute managed to get to Adam's office down the hall. She shoved Adam forward with her wing, following right behind before slamming the door with finality and locking it in one swift motion.
Adam's wings twitched and trembled, his hands pressed tightly between his thighs as he tried to balance against his desk. Adam let out a shuddering cry, his knees buckling as he fell to the ground. Despite Lute having seen this happen hundreds of times, Adam still puffed his wings out to their full span. A soft chuckle fell from Lute's lips as she walked up, moving his wings out of the way. She didn't even need to look down. The sound of hissing and splattering hitting the tile, his robes growing heavier, and Adam's hands still pressed into his thighs as if he could stop it now. All of that paired with Adam's shuddering cries told her everything. She did not care about the puddle forming around them both spreading across the tile in every direction, she never did mind it. Lute bent down, reaching out to Adam and wiping the tears cascading down his cheeks with her thumbs. Adams wings finally fell, his body sinking down into itself as if he could disappear from it all.
"I can't!— I couldn't—" Adam choked out between sobs, his eyes locked to the ground.
"Shh, it's alright." Lute cooed gently, lifting Adam's gaze to meet her own. "Don't worry about it now, what's done is done. Just.. relax. I'll go grab a towel or two." Lute smiled at him, brushing the tears from his cheeks while never breaking eye contact for even a moment. Adam nodded softly, pulling his hands from his thighs and resting them on the floor behind him. With a deep breath, he sat down completely and stopped fighting against himself.
"Aahn..—" Adam closed his eyes, his mouth hanging open slightly. "Nngh.. f-fuckin this is.." The puddle under him grew bigger, the sounds deafening in the otherwise silent office space. After a humiliating three minutes, Adam finally stopped. His eyes felt heavier than anything else, his vision blurring slightly as he blinked away the haze. As the haze cleared, Adam's eyes locked onto Lute's form sitting on the edge of his desk. "What are you starin at—" Lute cut him off with a gentle laugh.
"Come on." Lute said with the finality that made even Adam nervous. Lute extended her hand, pulling him up in one smooth motion. "Let's get you cleaned up, yeah?" She phrased it like a question, but Adam
knew it was very much so a demand. Not a question. Without another word, he followed Lute's gentle guide to the bathroom in his office. The silence stretched on for what seemed like forever, only broken by Lute's shuffling of items or the flutter of Adam's own wings. Finally, Lute broke the silence again.
"Sit up there, on the edge of the toilet for me. Take your robes off first though." Lute's voice wasn't ever sweet, per say, but her gentle commands.. only Adam would get that 'sweetness'.
Adam nodded quietly, slipping the robes off with a shudder. He always hated having to take the robes off after this, it felt so.. humiliating. He was the first man and he couldn't even hold his bladder for more than two hours? It was ridiculous!—
"Hey." Lute snapped quietly. "Don't think about all that, seriously"
"I didn't say a word, Lute what are you—"
"You think I didn't already know?" Lute walked over dropping down to her knees in front of him, slowly spreading his thighs apart. "I know how you think, Adam. I know you're upset about this, but it does not matter. Don’t start blaming yourself. It’s fine.”
“It’s not,” Adam choked out. “I’m supposed to be— I’m—”
“I know who you are,” Lute cut in. “And nothing about this changes that.” Adam averted his gaze, staring off into nothing as Lute spread his legs apart fully. She quietly worked, not pressing him any further. Lute wiped the towel from his legs, up his thighs, and finally settled once she was sure everything was cleaned off. "You know.." she started, "If you had just listened to me when I told you to go.." a small smirk creeping across her lips. "Maybe we could've avoided this particular incident, hm?" Adam huffed quietly, his face crimson with embarrassment. He fluffed his wings out, smacking Lute ever so slightly with them.
If him not listening got her here, like this? Quietly scolding him while also smiling at him like that? He'd never listen to her.