All it takes (A charlastor slow burn)

Chapter 10: The ties that bind

In the aftermath of Silas's disastrous birthday party, chaos reigned supreme. The humiliating footage of the brawl had gone viral in Hell within a few hours, replaying incessantly on every television screen, turning Charlie into the subject of relentless mockery once again. The entire demon realm reveled in labeling the event "yet another failed celebration," resurrecting haunting memories of the disastrous open house party.

Charlie roamed the hotel's corridors like a soulless body for days, trying to occupy her mind by doing mundane tasks. At night, she and Vaggie slept on the opposite ends of their bed, the space between them filled with unspoken thoughts. Each demoness grappled with her own fears, contemplating the uncertain fate of their relationship in case the DNA test came back positive. And Caiphus was nowhere to be found, avoiding punishment.

But now, the two girlfriends were standing inside Baxter's lab, surrounded by the stench of chemicals. The air hung heavy with tension, a suffocating silence broken only by the hum of machines and the occasional beep. Charlie stood rigid, her eyes fixed on the floor as if it held the answers to all her troubles. Vaggie, by her side, wore a mask of stoic determination. Alastor, ever the picture of nonchalance, stood by the door, sipping his coffee with exaggerated casualness, stealing occasional glances at Silas nestled in Charlie's arms. Angel, leaning against the wall beside the Radio Demon, typed away updates to Cherri Bomb. Meanwhile, Husk couldn't be bothered to make an appearance, confident he'd hear the news eventually. Niffty, granted access under the strict condition of not attempting to clean anything, buzzed around.

The air in the room was heavy with anticipation.

Baxter sighed. He rarely let anyone into his lab, and now he had six people here, invading his space, one of them a wide-eyed toddler. He really hoped this gathering wouldn't result in irreversible damage to his workplace.

While he was preparing the results, the already tense atmosphere became even heavier as an argument broke out.

Alastor, sipping his hot drink with a smirk that concealed any nervousness responded to a visibly upset Vaggie. "Oh, please. I do admit that we engaged in a brief liaison, but that doesn't mean-"

"Then how do you explain this?!" The moth demoness cut him off sharply, pointing an accusatory finger at Silas, who was tugging at his antlers, clearly unaccustomed to their presence yet.

Vaggie crossed her arms and glared at Alastor, waiting for an answer. Angel smirked, obviously having a good time.

Baxter adjusted his glasses and pressed a few buttons on his computer, setting the printer in motion, the mechanical whirr interrupting the ongoing argument. The scientist scanned the printout to check the results before handing it over to a nervously shifting Charlie. As she began to read, a long silence filled the room, everyone waiting for her to say something.

After a moment that seemed to stretch endlessly, Charlie looked up and let out a heavy sigh reflecting all the weariness she carried from the recent events. She shifted Silas to her other arm and resignedly passed the paper to Alastor, who accepted it with an air of nonchalance.

The Radio Demon, sipping his coffee with deliberate slowness, tried to show no emotion as he scrutinized the results with his eyes narrowed and Niffty perched on his shoulder. Angel, unable to resist the suspense, leaned over Alastor's other shoulder, unapologetically invading the deer demon's personal space.

"You gotta be shitting me," the pink spider chuckled, breaking the silence. "This freak knows how to use his junk, after all."

Alastor let the remark slide without a hint of reaction.

Vaggie turned her eyes to her girlfriend, who was still awkwardly quiet as she absentmindedly ran her fingers through Silas's soft tufts of hair. "Charlie..?"