Lucifer

"I think I heard him pull into the driveway," Genesis said.

"I don't hear shit," I muttered as my nerves began running wild. I hadn't seen Syn in weeks, so this would be horrible.

"Well, I have super-hearing," she mocked. "Trust me and go open the front door." She tied her hair into a ponytail and I sighed as I walked out of the room. I rushed down the stairs to the front door, but the other vampire in the house seemed to reach him before I could.

James pulled the door open and practically jumped into Syn's arms. A bittersweet smile made its way onto my face and I let out a breath as I walked towards them.

"Hey," Syn laughed as he hugged him. "When the hell did you get so tall?" James laughed and when Syn looked up at me, I practically saw the happiness leave his face. Damn.

"Son," I spoke.

"Lucifer," he said dryly.

"Come in." I stepped aside for him to come inside, and shut the door behind him as James led him into the living room. I stayed quiet as they got involved in a random conversation about a cartoon that I couldn't keep up with, and I sat on the couch across from them.

After ten or so minutes, they began to notice I was just sitting there, and the air became tense. Thankfully, Gen chose that moment to come downstairs and the attention was directed off of me. She smiled when she saw Syn and he nodded in her direction.

She sat beside me on the couch and took my hand and I watched as Syn's eyes fell onto our intertwined hands. "The two of you are back together?"

"James," I said. "Can you excuse us for a few minutes?"

"Sure," he said cautiously before getting up from the couch. He rushed up the stairs, and when I heard his room door close, I turned to Syn. "Yes, we're back together."

"It's nice to see that the shared disappointment you've caused to your son has allowed the both of you to rekindle your love," he muttered.

"Syn, I'm so-"

"Stop apologizing," I said to Gen. "You've done it more than enough and now he's just being a baby."

"What have I done to you that's evoked such a strong dislike of me?" Syn asked. "It's like you're not even happy that I'm back."

"Okay, both of you," Gen said. "This isn't what we're here for, alright? Syn, we're your parents and we love you more than anything. I'm sorry I haven't been showing it as I should have, but it's the truth."

"Let's talk about James," he said as he leaned forward onto his seat.

"Right, I muttered. I turned to Gen who gave me a sad smile as she squeezed my hand and I sighed. I didn't know James's decision was going to be this hard for me to follow through with. With one more assuring look from Gen, I picked up the adoption papers and handed them over to Syn. "Here, you need to sign these."

I saw a hesitant smile appear on his face and I pushed down my emotions. I passed him a pen as he took out the papers, and when he read them, I could see the anger flaring in his eyes. "You signed them?!"

"I did," I said calmly.

"Are you fucking serious?" He snapped.

"I am," I said. "I need you to sign over your rights, Syn. We can go to court and do this, or you can comply with me."

"Then we'll go to court," he argued.

"You and I both know that's a waste of time. What do you think will happen? Do you think they'll give it to a man that's becoming the king of Hell and practically fled the police? Or will they allow James to stay with the man who's raised him in a stable home for the past few years?"

"That's hardly fair!" He sneered.

"Life isn't fair."

"I died," he said. "Not even died, I was killed! Do you think I wanted to not be here for him for the past years? You think I wanted to miss all of these moments?"

"No—"

"Then why are you taking away my opportunity to make up for lost time?!"

"I will still allow you to see him," I said.

"Oh! You'll allow me to see my son?"

"He's not your son," I said lowly.

"What?"

"Syn, I've spent six times the amount of time you've spent with him. You hardly know him! All you know is that he likes a damn cartoon. You don't know his dreams, or aspirations or—"

"I just fucking came back!" He yelled. "Maybe I'd know a little something if you didn't fucking keep him away from you, you bastard!"

"Both of you calm down!" Gen commanded.

"Oh, I don't want to hear a damn thing from you," Syn snapped at her as he stood up. I stood up in her defense and she sidestepped me to stand in front of Syn. "You are just sitting here and doing nothing, mom!"

"Syn—"

"I don't want to fucking hear it!" He yelled. "I am your SON, mom. But all my life, you've chosen every single option other than me! When Julius was abusing me, you chose the kingdom and Lucifer."

"Syn do-"

"I'm not done!" He silenced her. "When I needed you to be there, you chose Lucifer AGAIN! After I died, you choose a boy that's not even your son over me. A boy that locked you in a fucking attic when I would've died for you if I had to. You do it again and again and now you're choosing HIM over me again."

I closed my eyes as sadness washed over me and Syn's eyes watered as he ranted. Gen sobbed in front of me at his cruel words and I ran a hand down my face. Granted, Gen and I weren't the best parents, but we did try. We just never knew what to do since Syn never shared his feelings.

"When will it be my turn to be number one priority in the heart of Genesis SinClaire?" he asked grandly with a bitter laugh.

Gen was beginning to cry harder and my chest ached at her pain. I didn't want to say this since I knew it would break Syn more than the papers already were, but I had no choice. For Gen's sake, I'd have to reveal a fact that would irrevocably damage ALL of our relationships with Syn.

"James chose me," I admitted.

He stopped yelling and a tear rolled down his face as he turned to me. "What?" I would've been fine with me hating me even if it hurt. That's why I didn't want to tell him that James in fact, was the one who had finalized the decision.

"I asked James who he wanted to stay with."

"And he chose you?" He asked in a broken voice.

"He did."

Syn staggered backward slightly as if he had been kicked in the chest, and he slowly sat down on the couch. He sniffled as he picked up the stack of papers on the table, and his tears stained them. I watched as he picked up the pen on the table with shaky hands, and scribbled across the dotted line.

When he was done, he set the papers down and stood back up. He didn't look back at us and stared into space as he faced us and I held Gen against me.

"As a mother and father, you're naturally supposed to have the instinct to sacrifice your happiness for the sake of your children if need be," he said as his eyes glistened with tears. "...Was I so horrible that this instinct never applied to me?"

Before either of us could answer, he dropped the pen onto the table and walked out of the front door. And maybe perhaps out of our lives for good.

With his departure, everything I was holding in came out. I wrapped my arms around Gen as I let my tears fall, and my heart ached with every breath I took. I only stopped crying when I saw James slowly walk out of the corridor with tears streaming down his face.

"Does he hate me now?"

꧁꧂

Author's Note

No comment I'm sobbing😭
Lmk your thoughts ✨