I had this idea for days. The ending of 2x17 had me ranting and throwing things right and left because my interpretation on how it would affect Lucifer was well heartbreaking so as I couldn't have a second Aurio (my previous one-shot placed at the end of 2x16) I went with a different route. I hope you will like it. I just felt that Lucifer needed this scene.
This one-shot was not meant to be perfect. I just wanted to get out this pain I was left with by 2x17 and make myself move on and actually do some real work instead of using this idea in order to procrastinate even more. So you have been warned!
The Sense of Completition
Taking one last drag from his cigarette he checked his watch again. Leaning on his car he stretched and with a relieved sigh he noted that it was now exactly three hours since the Detective's bedroom lights had been switched off. Taking out his phone he threw his cig butt on the asphalt and stomped on it once out of habit.
"It's me, I need..." The words were unexpectedly choked in his throat. Scratching his grown stumble he noticed some considerable wetness on his throat. Tracing the streams upwards he found his cheeks also damp. Cursing he raised his sleeve and cleaned the best he could his tear stained face.
"Lucifer?" Maze whined sleepily from the other side of the line.
"Front door in two." He ordered her like he had done countless of times before and checking the street he crossed the road towards her building complex.
Lucifer knew better than to knock and waited patiently for the door to open. His keen senses picked up the light steps of his old companion on the hardware door before she unlocked the front door. Leaning on the half-way opened door she roamed her eyes over his appearance.
"This is getting worse and worse." She commented and he shrugged.
"May I?" He asked already stepping in the apartment earning an eye roll from Maze.
"I don't know should you?" She questioned him thankful that this time he didn't reek of alcohol. They had this thing going behind her roommate's back for way too long now.
"Probably not but..." He admitted taking off his jacket and kicking his shoes off.
"It helps. I know. You have a quarter, better make it count." She warned him playfully and gave him a meaningful look to get to her bedroom already. Every second counted.
"Right!" He said with a wicked grin, in which Maze found more relief than depravity, over how she was allowing him to use her.
Climbing the stairs with ease he found his way blindly in the dark opening her bedroom's door and he quickly settled waiting for his night's outlet to begin.
"Baaaad Lucifer." The woman's slurred voice greeted him making him softly chuckle.
"As bad as the Kracken?" He asked with great interest relaxing back to the ugly floral armchair.
"Baaaaaaaaaaaad Kracken!" She cried low in agreement hiding her face in her pillow.
"Did you have a good day beautiful?" He whispered watching her hauntingly beautiful face reappearing from the pillow graced with a small smile.
"Aha.." She sighed gathering her pillow closer to her.
"Mine was bad." He admitted playing with his left cufflink.
"Oooh?" Came her muffled reply.
"I'm not the favourite son apparently," Lucifer revealed to her brushing some hair out of her face, hoping to prolong the little time they had before she fell back into a deep slumber.
"My favouuuurite." She exclaimed with a heart-wrenching reassurance to him, making him blink in amazement on how it soothed his aching soul.
"Bad Lucifer." He reminded her putting his elbows to rest on his legs and clasping his hands tightly together.
"Bad Marlaaaa." She groaned kicking her sheets.
"Yes, how could ever I forget..." Lucifer shook his head taking out his phone and searching for the right station.
"Jack or KLOS FM for tonight sweetheart?" He asked her waiting for her reply while he lowered considerably the volume.
"Zaaaaac!" She mumbled slightly shivering from the loss of her covers.
Getting the station to play at a low volume on her bedside table, Lucifer carefully tucked around her again the freshly washed cotton sheets. The rock a sweet 90s jams she loved so much had her slowly humming along as he sat back watching her in contentment.
It had been months ago when he had discovered how she talked in her sleep. It was that night she had broken up with Douche and had turned to him for comfort. Instead of that leading to a carnally illuminating experience for her, it had been a soulfully illuminating one for him. She would talk to him with her guard down and he would never probe for more answers than she would be willing to give him while wide awake.
Entangling his fingers on his stomach he hummed with her a series of cheesy songs always keeping an eye on how much time they had left. He had never felt the need to use his knowledge over her sleep talking until he had come back from Las Vegas. The night Candy had left he appeared in Maze's threshold pleading her for the first time in his long existence.
For the first couple of times, she had stayed with him making sure he knew where Chloe's limits were. After trial and a lot of errors, he had reluctantly left in more than one sex dreams and in several sobbing occurrences. That was before he realised how he could soothe her not only by his sole presence but also by putting some 90s radio station playing before her brows frowned and a lone tear made her way down her cheek.
"aaaack or gooooood..." She sang in her pillow as the song came to an end.
"Well if the celestial being community doesn't cock this up you have my word." He promised her counting down his last five minutes in reverence of her presence near his wounded existence.
'Maybe it's intuition but some things you just don't question'
"Our most honest conversations are done at 4 AM and while you are sleeping, Darling." Lucifer mused and she nodded in agreement making him shake his head, for a little while forgetting he was supposed to stay away from her. For a little while forgetting what it was like to be cast away, be lied to and then be disregarded and vilified for eternity.
"Aaaame... Sing!" She demanded her eyebrows frowning before he placed his thumb between them and over the brink of her nose. Her face relaxed instantly sighing a warm breath on his wrist.
"Okay...There's just no rhyme or reason, only the sense of completion... Happy?" He murmured over her closed eyelashes smiling.
"Huh..." She replied with a low grumble which turned to an escaped little snore, signifying that their time together had come to a close.
"Chloe?" Lucifer mouthed inaudibly turning off carefully his phone. With a hushed warm breath, he bid her goodbye mouthing a barely audible "I knew I loved you before I met you."
Taking one last look at the peacefully sleeping form, he walked out of her door and closed it behind him gently. At the other side, Mazikeen was waiting for him as always leaning on the doorframe of her bedroom's door.
"Thank you." He gave her a rough smile and she shook her head at his pitiful appearance. Not waiting for any other word she closed her door never bothering walking him out of the apartment.
Walking heavily down the stairs he felt lighter than he had hours ago. There was still a crippling burden on his shoulders, which threatened his knees to buckle at any moment, yet it now seemed manageable for the course of action he had to take. From the bottom of the stairs, he squinted his eyes to adjust them to the dark and spot his shoes and jacket. Blindingly he searched for his jacket on the couch's back and with a fluid move, he wore it. Searching for his shoes with his feet, he had finally found them when a crunching sound made him sharply turn to the direction of the open kitchen.
Clearing his throat he approached the counter and knocked lightly on the smooth surface.
"Busted?" A small voice inquired making his lips form a lopsided grin.
"Very much I'm afraid." He laughed at the little human appearing meekly in the darkness from behind the counter.
"Chocolate?" She asked hopefully, offering him the open plastic bag full of chocolates wrapped individually in colourful paper according to flavour.
"Why would that work pray tell me?" Lucifer wondered of the child's reasoning.
"Because you are busted too?" She told him offhandedly, jiggling the bag with the chocolates.
"Touché!" He sighed and took a handful of her offered confectionaries. With his eyes now adjusted to the dim light from outside the window, he spotted his shoes near the apartment's entrance.
"Wait!" The spawn called him stuffing some chocolates in her pyjamas and putting the bag back in the lower cupboard.
"I thought we had a deal." Lucifer warned her that all bets could be easily off if she crossed the line again.
"We do!" She told him and raised her arms.
"We agreed on five times." Narrowing his eyes at her posture.
"With a possibility for an extension." The child told him a bit too gleefully.
"Maze and I will have a talk over your late brilliant little loopholes Beatrice." He scolded picking her up in his arms and climbing up the stairs again.
With her cheek on his shoulder, he felt her whole body exhale and relax in his arms whilst rubbing slowly her back over her thin clothing material. He had just reached her room when he felt her breathing ease and mumbled her usual request.
"Yes, child... you have the same dreadful taste as your mother. Maybe it's intuition but some things you just don't question..." He sang softly as he rocked Trixie to sleep and laid her limp small body on her bed before tucking her in.
"-ve u.." She signed and snuggled deeper under her covers.
"The sentiment is returned, little darling." Lucifer hummed for the first time to the child.s
Feeling the last painful realisations melt off his thoughts and soul he breathed easier at the sight of the now sleeping child. Perhaps it was a Decker thing after all. He knew the torment would be back in the morning but as he made his way to his car he finally felt free. He finally felt at home with a sense of completion that no one could rob away from him.
And in your eyes, I see
The missing pieces I'm searching for
I think I've found my way home
The End
Songs Used for this Entry:
I Knew I Loved You - Savage Garden
Back for Good - Take That (Yes, I used that one again...)
End Notes:
So this is it... No, I have not edited it as well as I should. I know, I know... Just kill me later, okay? I started writing a quick 500-word drabble and I ended up with this.
The meaning of this one-shot? "Lucifer you are loved *deeply* by the ones who actually matter!"
Oh and Trixie's addition in this one-shot? Well, I was as surprised as Lucifer when she appeared munching behind the counter...