"Decker."
Chloe nestled her phone against her shoulder, continuing to type as she listened. Lucifer and Dan were finishing with a witness, and she wanted to be ready to go if they got any useful information.
"Detective, you've got a visitor. He says -" Samantha hesitated, and Chloe heard a tantalizingly familiar voice saying something encouraging. Samantha continued, laughter in her voice. "He says that Captain Cool is here looking for Amazing Girl."
Chloe nearly dropped the phone. She'd forgotten those childhood nicknames, but suddenly it all came rushing back, including an entire summer spent running around with a towel-turned-cape tied around her neck. Knowing him, he'd probably brought pictures. "You're kidding me. Really?"
"Okay, so that means something to you? Good. And I wouldn't kid you about a guy who was this hot." Samantha spoke quietly, still sounding amused, and Chloe reflected that perhaps Maze hadn't entirely changed her worldview. But then even Chloe could see that Henry had a compelling way about him, when she looked at him objectively. Samantha continued, sounding as if she hoped the answer was no, "Should I send him back there?"
"Yes, thank you." She still couldn't believe it. Henry! She couldn't remember the last time she'd seen him, but it had definitely been before Trixie started school.
Chloe hung up the phone and typed for a moment before saving the file and scrambling to her feet, her eyes shining with anticipation. It had been such a long time. When he came down the hallway, she all but flung herself at the tall man, laughing as he caught her. "Henry! Oh, Henry, what are you doing here?"
Henry set her on her feet, chuckling as a couple of unis hid their smiles. "Well, I finally got back into the country and was planning to spend some time with the folks." Chloe snorted, and Henry agreed, amused, "I know. Dumb, right? Which is why I ducked out and came here to visit you instead. Sorry about the lack of notice."
Chloe leaned back against her desk, grinning like an idiot. "Well, I'm glad your parents were their usual selves, if it means I got to see you sooner. Can you come for dinner tonight? Trixie will be thrilled. She loves getting your letters."
With a grimace, Henry asked, "Will Dan be there? Maybe we could go out instead."
"No," Chloe replied, drawing out the vowel in emphasis. She hesitated, then decided to say it quickly. "Dan and I split up, so you don't have to worry about him. But my roommate will probably try to sleep with you, so that will make for some fun dinnertime conversation."
Henry caught at her left hand, grinning when she pulled it out of his grasp. "Hey, why didn't you tell me?" he asked, his voice gentle.
Chloe shrugged. She'd thought about trying to get in touch with Henry during those awful days, but she hadn't wanted to admit how wrong things had gone with Dan. At least they were better now. "Because it's been so easy to get in touch with you?" she countered, and Henry grinned in rueful acknowledgement.
"Still," he said. "I'm glad you finally kicked that jerk to the curb. Good for you, Chlo. About time. You'd let that go for far too long."
"Hey," Chloe protested, though without heat. "Dan's a good guy, a good father to Trixie."
Henry shook his head, his expression serious. "Not good enough for you, though. I told you that from day one. But it sounds like you're on okay terms, yeah? I'm glad, for the peanut's sake."
Chloe nodded, with a reflective little smile. "Yeah, we're doing fine. We're actually better as friends," she agreed, eyes wide as she added, "I can ask him to come to dinner, if you want. You can see for yourself."
"No," Henry replied, talking over her last sentence, interrupting her the way he always did. Funny, it had annoyed Chloe when they were kids, but now she was so glad to see him that she didn't care. "I will be happy to have dinner with you and the peanut, and… tell me more about this roommate," he urged, easing an arm around Chloe's shoulders and drawing her close. "Are we talking about a female of legal age? Not wanting a long-term commitment? Because you know I'm not here for long."
Chloe sighed in contentment, curling an arm around Henry's waist and hugging him before moving away. She had to maintain some professional decorum, after all, even though it was Henry.
Should she warn him about Maze? He probably wouldn't believe her. "She's a bounty hunter. Definitely legal age; why would I have a kid as a roommate? And I think her idea of commitment is if you're still in the bed in the morning." Chloe rolled her eyes at Henry's suddenly cheerful expression, and decided not to mention the sex swing. No need to stop the poor man's heart. She was just glad that Trixie would be going to Dan's tonight, and as for Chloe? Well, she had invested in earplugs for a reason.
"Bounty hunter, nice," Henry approved. "Interesting choice for a roommate. Did you meet her here?"
"No, she's a…" How could she describe Maze's relationship with Lucifer? "I met her through my partner," she amended, deciding to keep it simple. Not quite keeping back her smile, she added, "He's a consultant, but he also owns that club, Lux."
Looking a little dubious, Henry replied, "You're partners with some club owner? Or," he added, his expression gone knowing, "Am I misunderstanding? Is he your partner -" This with a vague gesture around the room, then Henry raised his eyebrows, concluding, "Or your partner?"
"What are you, twelve?" Chloe asked, laughing. Mimicking Henry's tone, she added, "Do you like him, or do you like him like him?"
Henry didn't reply, instead regarding Chloe, his expression expectant. She knew that look. She wouldn't hear the end of it until she told him.
Chloe shook her head and then smiled thoughtfully, admitting, "I'm not exactly sure. I mean, definitely the first. We might be going toward the other kind, but it seems like something happens every time we get close. I don't know."
That was an understatement. Between her poisoning and then Lucifer's trip to Vegas, everything had gone off the rails. Even now, Lucifer seemed so hot and cold, like he wasn't sure what he wanted, but it seemed like they might be heading in the right direction. Maybe. Finally. Chloe knew what she wanted, after all. She talked to Linda about it and the therapist, while being careful not to reveal anything from her sessions, had told her to give Lucifer some time.
"Hey, it's a start," Henry approved. "Getting back out there. Why don't you ask him to come to dinner? Wait, Trixie knows him, right?"
Nodding, Chloe reassured, "Trix adores him. She'd love having him, but are you sure? I mean, you're not here for very long, right? I don't remember you being good at sharing," she added, teasing.
With an amiable shrug, Henry replied, "I want to make sure he'll be good to you, and see if I can kick his ass if necessary. Kidding!" he added, seeing Chloe's eyeroll. "I know you're perfectly capable of dishing out an ass-kicking. You could probably kick my ass."
"No probably about it, Mister," Chloe retorted, though not without a fond smile. "But I won't," she added, "because I love you. Look, I need to get back to work, but I'll text you the address for tonight. Be there at six?"
Henry nodded amiably. "Sure thing, Chloe." He leaned in and hugged her once more, smiling when she kissed his cheek. "I'll see you tonight." Henry turned to lope down the hall, chuckling as Chloe went right back to her work. "Excuse me," he added as he brushed past a tall man in a nice suit, not noticing the other man's eyes darken.
Lucifer smiled at the witness as he escorted her into the hall. "Thank you, darling Madison," he purred. "You have been extremely helpful, and I'm certain that we'll catch that rogue."
"I'll be sure to get in touch if I think of anything else." The tall woman smiled up at him in a promising way that he knew all too well. Not long ago he would have taken advantage of the situation, and he couldn't deny that he wasn't thinking about it even now. But even though he still wasn't sure where he wanted things to go with Chloe, he knew she would object to him consorting with a witness, so he contented himself with a charming smile and an agreeable nod.
Dan guided Madison down the hall to get the last few details and Lucifer turned back to the bullpen just in time to see Chloe practically throw herself at a tall fellow in a military uniform. Drawing himself back into the hallway once more, he watched the two, frowning a little over their easy familiarity.
Clearly, they knew each other, but who was this man? An ex-boyfriend? It wasn't anybody from Hot Tub High School; Lucifer would have recognized any of those particular actors, as often as he'd watched that movie.
Lucifer felt something twist somewhere in his chest as the man reached for Chloe's hand, but that feeling eased when she pulled it out of his grasp. A moment later, when the man slipped an arm around Chloe, Lucifer almost started forward.
But what would he do? Ask the man to unhand his partner? It wasn't like he and Chloe had an understanding, and maybe he was the only one who felt that they could be heading in that direction.
And, really, this could be for the best. After all, Lucifer wanted Chloe to make her own choices.
So why, then, did seeing her hugging this other man make him feel like one of Mazikeen's knives had landed in his chest.
What did this man have that Lucifer didn't, that Chloe would fall into his arms and…
Did she tell him she loved him?
Did she just kiss him?
On the cheek, certainly, and not like the kiss she had shared with Lucifer on the beach, the start of that all-too-brief period when he had first thought that they could be real, that something could actually happen between them.
He should have known better. Why would someone like Chloe ever care for someone like himself? No, it was all his father's influence, and Lucifer couldn't have that.
Except sometimes the Detective would smile at him and it would catch him off-guard, and he'd think, Maybe it isn't Dad, after all.
It was hard, and most definitely not in the fun way.
The other man really wasn't good-looking at all, so Lucifer didn't understand why Chloe would even consider any sort of relationship with him. As the man turned toward the hallway, Lucifer suddenly regretted that he didn't follow Maze's policy of being armed at all times. Just a flick of the wrist, and this obstacle could be gone.
The man brushed past Lucifer with a murmur of polite words, and that feeling welled up once more in Lucifer's chest.
Clearly, something was wrong.
Lucifer turned to watch the interloper's departure.
"What did he do, kick your puppy?"
Lucifer turned back to find Madison at his side, her expression pleasingly sympathetic. "I beg your pardon?"
Gesturing after Chloe's apparent beau, Madison replied, "That guy. You looked like you wanted to kill him with your bare hands."
That, Lucifer reflected, was a fairly accurate assessment. He didn't need knives, after all. He moved after the man, but then Madison caught his arm. "Yes?" he queried coolly, his gaze flicking to her hand.
"You're not really going to go after him, are you?" she asked, her voice teasing. "I mean, we're right in the middle of a police station."
"Yes, but he won't be in the police station for long," Lucifer explained, though he smiled as Madison caressed his bicep.
"I can think of something else to do," she suggested.
Well. A distraction.
Lips curving, Lucifer replied, too-innocently, "But we're right in the middle of a police station." Madison echoed his smile, and Lucifer purred, "Naughty."
Why should he bother restraining himself, worrying about what Chloe might think? After all, she had made her choice, picked someone who wasn't him. Lucifer wouldn't have to worry about his father's machinations regarding Chloe, and that was as it should be.
He'd just keep telling himself that.
"Are you okay?" Madison stepped closer, that hand on Lucifer's bicep slipping inside his suit jacket.
"Perfectly fine," Lucifer replied. He stepped closer to Madison and pressed her against the wall, his lips brushing against hers. He suddenly remembered that night on the beach with Chloe, then tried to push the memory out of his head.
Neither of them heard Chloe's soft intake of breath, or the sound of her footsteps as she moved away.
"I'm going to hurt him."
"Maze," Chloe protested, though her voice was faint.
"He hurt you." The demon twirled first one knife and then another, then tucked them away in whatever pocket dimension she used to store them. Chloe never asked, but she couldn't come up with any other explanation for where Maze kept the knives, considering her tight leather pants.
Chloe sighed. "Look, it's Christmas, and Christmas is hard for him, yeah? What with his, uh, family issues. So it's not surprising that he…"
"Acts like a self-destructive jackass?" Maze supplied. "What did he say when you yelled at him?" She sat up from her sprawl on the couch, expression eager. "Did you hit him? Knee him in the balls? He hates that."
"No, I -" Chloe took a deep breath. "I just left, okay? If he wants to suck face with some witness, that's his business."
Looking disappointed, Maze asked, "You didn't even throw anything at him? I mean, just because it's the time of year you humans celebrate his half-brother, that doesn't give him the excuse to act like a dick. Not to you."
Chloe eyed Maze, and the demon continued, scornful, "His brother wasn't even born in winter. But do you want to know the real Christmas miracle?" Taking Chloe's silence as encouragement, she said, "Everybody believing the whole 'Virgin Mary' thing, because that girl?" She smirked knowingly, her eyebrows arching. "Definitely not a virgin."
Chloe sank down next to Maze, exhaling a quiet sigh. "Look, I can't take your weirdness tonight, but I appreciate that you're trying. I know that feelings and emotions aren't really your thing."
Maze studied Chloe for a moment, then suggested, "Wanna get drunk?" She rested a hand lightly on Chloe's leg, adding, "I could take your mind off Lucifer."
Chloe shook her head, despite the warmth of Maze's hand on her leg. "Thanks for the offer, but we've got a guest coming for dinner tonight."
"So if it were some other night…?" Maze leaned in close, her hand sliding a little higher, and Chloe smiled despite that ache that kept threatening to close her throat.
"Probably not, but there is something you can do for me." Chloe gazed up at Maze, who smiled in response.
"Yeah?" the demon replied archly. "What's that?"
Chloe got to her feet. "Help me clean the house. Henry will be here in half an hour."
Maze made a rude noise, clearly not expecting Chloe's response. "Get Trixie to help."
Chloe folded her arms across her chest. Gesturing toward her daughter's partly-closed door, she said, "Trixie is doing her homework. Come on, Maze. Please?"
Maze sighed, but rose to follow Chloe. "Henry, huh? Rebounding from Lucifer already?"
With an exasperated sigh, Chloe replied, "There's nothing to rebound from, Maze. And now… well, I guess there never will be."
"I'll hurt him," Maze repeated, her voice grim. She rested a hand on Chloe's back, then headed into the kitchen and started the water, apparently intending to clean the breakfast dishes.
Chloe peered after Maze in some surprise, then moved to clear the clutter from the coffee table. She could deal with any breakages if it meant Maze was finally tackling dishes.
Behind them, Trixie's door eased shut.
Lucifer stood on his balcony, drink in hand, and gazed over the city. His time with Madison, while pleasant enough, had left him feeling empty, and not in the fun way. He downed his drink in one gulp and groped for his decanter; he couldn't get drunk, but he could certainly have a good try. Frowning as his hand missed the decanter, he glanced down and saw his phone blinking.
The message from TheDetective read come over.
Lucifer exhaled a soft, annoyed sound. As if. Not after she'd kissed that Neanderthal. As he watched, another message appeared:
please
i miss you
Well. She missed him? Maybe she'd realized her mistake. After all, it was only a kiss, and clearly not even a good one. Lucifer put down his glass, tugging at first one cuff and then the other, and got to his feet.
While he had made his way to Chloe and Maze's apartment at a speed that probably should have earned him a ticket, Lucifer hesitated once he reached his destination. Sure, Chloe missed him, but she had still kissed that troglodyte right in the bullpen. Should he really come running as soon as she expressed a little interest? He was Lucifer Morningstar, after all. He had some standards to maintain. Coming to a halt, he peered through the window, taking in the scene inside.
Chloe, Maze, and the man sat around the table, looking convivial in their dining. Lucifer, certain he saw Chloe's hand linger on the other man's as she passed a dish, felt his heart sink a little lower. Why had she asked him here? Why had he bothered to come? He had already seen back at the precinct that Chloe had chosen. And clearly she didn't miss him at all. He leaned lightly against the building, lost in their scene of domestic bliss.
"What are you doing out here?"
Lucifer definitely did not startle at the unexpected voice at his side, but he did draw himself up sharply, pulling away from the window. Frowning down at the speaker, he replied, "I might ask you the same thing, child. Does your mother know you're out here?"
Trixie replied, with a headshake and an engaging grin, "She thinks I'm in the bathroom." Giving Lucifer a speculative look, she asked, "Are you here for dinner? You're late."
"I am not here for dinner," Lucifer replied stiffly. "Your mother texted me. But I was about to leave."
Trixie looked suspiciously smug for just a moment, and then the girl protested. "No, don't leave! Are you hungry? We've got lots, and Maze only chopped the vegetables."
Lucifer couldn't help but smile at the child's disclaimer. "I think your mother is happy with the table as it is, or she will be once you have returned. Scurry off, now."
The child did not scurry, but instead regarded Lucifer in a curious way that he tried not to find disconcerting. "What does 'sucking face' mean? And don't say to ask Mommy," she warned. "She'll just tell me to ask Daddy."
"Sucking face?" Lucifer echoed. With a sly grin, he replied, "That's just another way of saying osculation." Trixie wrinkled her nose at him, and he continued, "Snogging, smooching, making out, tonsil hockey, getting to first base, canoodling…" Unable to keep back a laugh at Trixie's increasingly perplexed expression, he finally concluded, "It just means kissing, child."
"'Tonsil hockey' sounds gross," Trixie opined.
"Well, it's not like 'sucking face' creates the most elegant mental image," Lucifer replied, though not without a nod of agreement.
Trixie leaned against the side of the building, arms folded over her chest. "So whose face did you suck?"
Lucifer pursed his lips, then shrugged. "Quite a lot of people. Maybe if you gave me a more specific time frame, I could narrow it down a little more."
"Today, I guess," Trixie replied. "Mommy told Maze that you sucked somebody's face." Her hands slid down to rest on her hips: an accusation. "She was sad, Lucifer."
"But she kissed him first," Lucifer protested. "Right in the bullpen!"
Trixie frowned. "Is that another way of saying a grownup thing? Because you don't have to talk like that. I can handle grown-up things." She paused, then added, eyes wide, "Wait, my mommy kissed somebody?"
Exasperated, Lucifer replied, "It's a place in the precinct, not a euphemism for deviance. And, yes, she kissed that chap right in there." He gestured toward the window, a short, annoyed motion.
Trixie peered inside. "You mean Henry?"
"Is that his name?" Lucifer shook his head. "How unoriginal. And there are lot of chaps named Henry in Hell, let me tell you."
"So Mommy kissed Henry, and you sucked somebody's face?" Trixie grinned suddenly and grabbed Lucifer's hand. "Come on." She hauled Lucifer after herself, and he took two hesitant steps before digging in his heels. "Come on, Lucifer," she coaxed. "Come meet Henry."
Lucifer shook his head. "I most certainly will not. Now unhand me, child."
"Hey." Chloe's voice came from the apartment's entrance, and Lucifer realized that the girl had pulled him in front of the window, where he'd been visible to the diners. "Trixie, why are you outside? And Lucifer, what are you doing here?"
Lucifer could see the way she wouldn't quite meet his gaze, and the slight puffiness around her eyes, as if she had been crying. "Detective," he began.
"He came for dinner," Trixie interrupted, looking like butter wouldn't melt in her mouth. "There's plenty, right?" Seeing her mother's dangerously raised eyebrows, she grinned unrepentantly, but still hurried back into the apartment.
"I didn't come for dinner," Lucifer said, his voice abrupt. "You clearly have enough people at your table already."
Chloe hugged her arms to her chest, and Lucifer wondered if the movement was a conscious one.
"So why are you here?" Chloe demanded. Lucifer didn't answer, and Chloe made a quiet, exasperated noise. "What's your deal?" she asked, sounding frustrated and maybe a little bit hurt. "I mean, I thought we were going somewhere, and then you stuck your tongue down some witness's throat this afternoon."
"Ooh, tongue down the throat, missed that one," Lucifer mused, though he wilted a little under the force of Chloe's glare. His voice hesitant, he said, "Your offspring told me you were sad about the, ah, tongue down the throat incident."
"I wasn't," Chloe retorted, her jaw jutting despite the hurt look that flickered across her face. "You can kiss whoever you want. It's not like we're… anything. Just don't do it in the precinct. I mean, kissing a witness is unprofessional and reflects poorly on me as your partner." She hugged herself a little more tightly, her voice flat as she added, "I know you're going to do whatever you want; you always do. But could you at least go out of the building first."
"Well, I'll keep that in mind for the future," Lucifer snapped. He fumbled in his jacket for his lighter and cigarettes.
Chloe shook her head. "Don't smoke out here."
"Oh, what, would you prefer that I take it outside the precinct?" Lucifer queried, not liking the edge his voice had taken, but not really able to control it. He flicked his lighter in defiance of Chloe's order, but the damned thing wouldn't light; it was all he could do not to fling it to the ground like a petulant child.
Chloe inhaled a deep breath and then let it out slowly. "I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't smoke around Trixie," she said, clearly striving for patience and nearly succeeding. Lucifer inclined his head and tucked away both lighter and cigarettes, and Chloe continued, her voice even but that hurt look appearing once more, "What happened today? I mean, I thought… I don't know what I thought."
"I could ask you the same thing," Lucifer replied, matching her tone but studying the ground, his fantastic Italian leather shoes, anything but the detective's face.
Thus he was startled into looking at her by Chloe's incredulous tone as she demanded, "What are you talking about?"
Gesturing back at the apartment, Lucifer protested, "You kissed him first!"
Chloe looked toward the apartment, then back to Lucifer. "Who?"
"That… Henry!" Lucifer's tone made the name an insult.
Mazikeen's drawl sounded from inside the apartment. "Would you guys just bone already?" She paused, perhaps listening to someone, then added, a little more quietly, "Ask your father. And be sure I'm around when you do. I want to watch him squirm."
Lucifer, glancing through the window, saw his demon smirk and then bump fists with Henry after the man offered his knuckles in salute. Oh, the betrayal. He gave Chloe a speculative glance, then, seeing her cheeks reddening, smiled. "It'd relieve that holiday stress," he offered, his eyebrows lifting suggestively.
"No," Chloe replied, though not as fervently as she could have. She grabbed his hand, though the gesture was worlds apart from when Trixie had done the same. "Come on," she said brusquely, pulling Lucifer into the apartment. "Henry, this is Lucifer, my partner. Lucifer, meet my cousin Henry."
"Cousin?" Lucifer echoed, his heart somehow both sinking and taking flight. Chloe released his hand and he felt somehow bereft.
Henry got to his feet. "Cousin," he agreed, giving Lucifer a long look before extending his hand. "Interesting name you've got there."
Lucifer shook Henry's hand, though it was to Chloe that he spoke. "I… may have overreacted back at the precinct. Well, unless you're that kind of cousin."
"Overreacted? You think?" Maze muttered, though she all but radiated innocence when both Lucifer and Chloe rounded on her. "What?"
"No," Chloe said firmly. Her gaze slid to Henry, and she shuddered. "Definitely not that kind of cousin. Ew."
"No," Henry agreed. "But that ew wasn't necessary, Chlo. I mean, come on."
Chloe, after giving Lucifer a brief, intense look, headed into the living room, perhaps wanting the semblance of privacy. He trailed behind her, though she kept her back to him as she said, "Look, I get it. You've got this lifestyle, and I know that it involves lots of women."
"Lots of men, too, if that helps at all," Lucifer offered, his hand reaching for her almost of its own accord, then pulling away just before his fingers touched her back.
Chloe made a sound that would have been a laugh, if not for the way it cracked at the end. "Not really, but thanks." She took a deep breath, then continued, "But I hated to see you and that witness. It made me…"
"Sad?" Lucifer suggested, not sure what he was hoping to hear.
Chloe finally turned to face him. "A little," she admitted, with a wan smile. "But mostly I wanted to rip her hair out."
"Oh!" Lucifer tried to modulate his initial delight into something more appropriate. "Oh. I see."
"And I'm guessing you felt the same way when you saw Henry and me." The very corners of Chloe's mouth turned up, as if she was trying not to smile.
Lucifer considered his reply, then admitted, "I was thinking less hair-pulling, more grievous bodily harm."
Chloe shrugged. "Well, since Henry doesn't have much hair, I guess I can accept that. What I don't understand is why you didn't just come talk to me?"
Lucifer exhaled a soft breath, easing to a seat on the couch and then stretching out his legs before him. "Because I'm so good at talking about my feelings?"
"Especially when there's another option," Chloe agreed wryly. "One with legs for days and boobs out to there." Still, she sat down next to Lucifer.
With a small shrug, Lucifer replied, "They probably would have got in the way. The boobs, I mean. Her legs would have… ah, never mind." When Chloe stared at him, he added, "We didn't have sex, if that's what you were thinking."
Chloe stared at him. "Why not?"
"Oh, do you want me to?" Lucifer teased. "I could call down to the precinct, get her number." Chloe didn't reply, instead giving him a searching look. He glanced down for a moment to recover a little from the intensity of her expression, then looked up to meet her gaze and said, his manner tentative and a little awkward. "It didn't feel right."
Chloe took a deep breath. "Okay." She pulled out the elastic that was keeping her hair in its ponytail. Lucifer tried not to be too obvious about watching her shake out her hair, but he saw her small smile as she noticed his gaze. "So what should we do about this?"
"About what?" Lucifer asked, still distracted by her hair. He caught the edge of her exasperation, and added defensively, "'This' could refer to any of a number of things, Detective."
"You were jealous when you saw me with Henry," Chloe said, sounding like she was trying for patience. "And your first instinct was to kiss somebody else. If you'd just asked me, Lucifer…"
Lucifer frowned at his shoes once more, for once at a loss for what to say. He had been jealous, after all, though of course Henry was no match for himself. He took a deep breath, trying to come up with something, anything to say, when Maze's voice sounded from the kitchen.
"He doesn't want to tell you he still loves you." As if she could feel the force of Lucifer's glare, the demon added, "What, did you think we weren't sitting here listening?"
Chloe stared at Lucifer for a moment, then closed her eyes. "Henry, could you please take Trixie and Maze out for ice cream?"
"Aw, Mom," Trixie protested.
Henry, sounding amused, said, "Come on, peanut. I'll get you two scoops."
The trio made their way out of the apartment, with Maze giving Lucifer a look that clearly suggested that she wanted the details later. After the door closed behind them, Chloe turned back to Lucifer, her expression expectant.
"Yes," he admitted. "I was jealous."
Chloe inclined her head, her expression unreadable. It was her Cop Face, Lucifer realized. "But if you were jealous, then it must mean that you wanted to be where Henry was."
"Well, I certainly don't want to be your cousin," Lucifer quipped.
"So what do you want?" Chloe asked, her gaze direct.
Lucifer did not look away. "I… Chloe, this is complicated."
"No, it isn't," Chloe insisted. "Either you're interested or you're not. And I'm sick of this hot and cold thing that you've been doing." Lucifer didn't reply, and Chloe said, "Look, I know I'm not imagining what happened on the beach. There was something, and then… you were married to somebody else, and now? I honestly don't know. But you need to decide what you want, because I can't handle these mixed signals."
If Lucifer were being honest with himself, he couldn't handle the mixed signals, either. But worse than that would be letting Chloe go. "I… Detective, I was telling the truth when I said it was complicated."
Chloe looked away, a flicker of disappointment crossing her face. "This isn't a Facebook status; this is us." She turned her gaze back on Lucifer, then, her manner determined. "Was Maze right? Do you love me?"
Lucifer found that he couldn't look away. "I do," he replied softly, the words escaping before he could prevent them.
Chloe smiled, the expression lighting her eyes, and Lucifer couldn't bring himself to regret his honesty. "I'm still not happy that you kissed that witness in the precinct," she said, though her tone was anything but stern.
"Well," Lucifer replied, one hand moving to rest atop Chloe's, "I will endeavor to make sure any further osculation is done elsewhere."
Chloe nodded as if considering his words. "Good. See that you do." She smiled. "We're not in the precinct now," she suggested.
Lucifer smiled. "Why, Detective," he said, lowering his head, "I do believe you're right."
He knew that it wasn't really this simple, and that there were still several much-needed serious conversations to be had. But for now, for this one small moment, feeling Chloe's lips on his, Lucifer found that he didn't really care.