For a split second, everything seemed to be paused.
Chloe had been standing there staring at him like she was a corpse for about 5 minutes. Before she'd frozen into the state she was in then, when she had almost collapsed, she had whispered,
"It's all true..."
Now, that might have seemed naïve even for a Detective, let alone Chloe Decker IF it hadn't been for the undeniable truth that had presented itself before her.
The Universal truth.
Lucifer Morningstar.
Well, to begin with, he has always been an enigma. He always stood out in a crowd, had really really good looks, always secured the ladies' and gents' attention, had once been a notorious Playboy blah blah blah...But he has always had this general air of Luciferness that had never allowed her to discard him as a rich spoilt brat. She then realized that since the very beginning, he had been special. Quite literally so, too.
He regarded her with his intense red eyes, not knowing what had happened to her. As far as he was concerned, she was probably shocked because he'd killed Pierce.
But then, why would that be a shock? She knew what she was in for. Logically speaking, Pierce's death was to be expected. After all he'd tried to kill both of them.
He hadn't yet moved from where he'd been standing. He slightly cocked his head to one side, and said in a very concerned tone,
"Detective?"
She listened intently to his voice which was, obviously, the same. She just couldn't believe that the person standing right before her was the exact same person in the expensive Prada suit who she solved crimes with, who she went on road drives with, who she played Monopoly with while sipping ridiculously expensive wine, who was a pain in the ass only all day but who always had her back, who she trusted herself with, who she trusted her only child with and who she...who she genuinely cared about.
Now, it all began to make sense.
He hadn't been lying all along. No matter what, he had ALWAYS told her the truth. It was she who wouldn't believe his claims of being the Devil, because she wasn't open-minded enough to even consider the possibility of the existence of Biblical characters. But, who could blame her? Many people didn't believe in that shit.
That was when it really struck her. Wow. It ALL EXISTS. IT ALL IS FUCKING REAL. GOD, HELL, HEAVEN, ANGELS, DEMONS, DEVIL...ALL OF IT EXISTS...
Lucifer is indeed the Devil.
THE ACTUAL MOTHERFUCKING DEVIL.
"It's all true..."
Lucifer just stood there, right before her, blood on his hands and cuts on his coat, but what affected her most of all, naturally, was his face. His Devil face. His skin was charred and burnt to a very deep crimson, and was damaged beyond repair.
He blinked at her in confusion.
"Detective, I'm...I'm confused...You...You've never been one to be horrified by a murder, at least not like this!" He gestured towards her horror filled face with his right hand.
His almost burnt reddish hand.
His eyes widened in horror...or admiration...Chloe couldn't tell which.
Lucifer took a deep breath.
He had become a monster. He wasn't an angel anymore. Why didn't that feel like a good thing?
For one second, he almost smiled at his victory. He had missed his devil form. Then it struck him...
Chloe...
Dad be damned.
Chloe saw him...All of him...She must probably be having a nervous breakdown.
But...Why hasn't she run away? Isn't she horrified by him?
Lucifer wanted to get back to his usual face, but he simply couldn't...
He has turned into a monster...a monster...He was a monster...And now he was about to lose the only way of Hope in his life...Chloe...
He breathed sharply.
"Detective, I'd warned you..."
Chloe stood motionless.
Lucifer collapsed on to the floor, on his knees, his once proud head bent downwards, his posture screaming surrender. His sad whisper sounded forced, and almost inaudible.
"Chloe...I am sorry..."
Sorry? Why was he apologizing to her? It's she who should apologize for not believing him all these years.
Did he really think that this was his fault? How could he? It's who he is...
She finally snapped back from her trance to reality, and slowly advanced towards him.
One step at a time.
Lucifer almost choked on the lump forming inside his throat.
"Ch...Chlo...Chloe...I didn't mean to hurt you..."
Chloe breathed.
One step at a time.
"I AM The Devil...I'm a...a monster!"
One step at a time.
"I'm sorry I couldn't be the man you thought I was..."
One step...
"I'm sorry!!! Chloe, I'm sorry!"
Two more steps.
"I...don't deserve you..."
One more...
He looked up to find Chloe kneeling in front of him, his eyes gleaming with genuine surprise. She slowly let her left hand touch his cheek, and her right hand gently grabbed Lucifer's hand.
She finally gathered the courage to speak.
"Lucifer...", her voice came out as a very weak whisper,
"Don't apologize..."
Hot teardrops dripped from her cheeks onto Lucifer's hand.
And his skin regained that usual almost-human texture and was no longer burnt or charred.
She let out a breath she never thought she held.
Lucifer's brown sparkly eyes seemed to bore intensely into Chloe's sea blue ones.
The world seemed to resume from its immediate moment of pause and revelation.
All was revealed...
And then there was peace...