A/N: Okay, so, finally a new chapter. Hope you guys didn't feel you waited too long. I'm trying to do longer chapters... I feel they will be best for the quality of the story you read. Also, very un-beta'd. Like, I didn't even really go over it. It's late, and I just wanted to finish it for you all. Sorry for the mistakes, they are all my own. Anyways, I hope you like this one! Happy reading. TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of Dominatrix work in the very beginning, just FYI.


Lucifer pulled into a very conveniently opened parking spot right out front of the apartment complex. He hopped out of the car, a ball of nervous energy. He had almost made a move, and she had almost let him. He couldn't contain the excitement he felt with that, the only thing keeping him mellow was the fact that nothing had actually happened. It could still be forgotten and ignored, all due to the saved by the bell interruption. In all honestly, it was probably for the best. He had no idea where he would have tried to take things, the urge to just touch a part of her was so strong.

The ride up in the elevator was quiet, the supposedly relaxing music adding rom-com feel to the whole situation. In far too good a mood to retreat back to his room and scroll through numbers on his phone, he continued down the hall towards Maze's door. Sifting through his keys, he found the one she had given him years ago and barged into her place, like he always did, without knocking or announcing himself. Knowing his multi-faceted friend, the scene before him shouldn't have been a surprise, however, it was definitely jarring to walk in on.

Maze, dressed in a wonderfully skin-tight, black spandex body suit with matching 8-inch stiletto boots, whip in hand, was standing over a bound man on the ground. The man was in nothing but a pair of boxers with an oversized dog collar around his neck and ball-gag in his mouth. Maze had the heel of her boot digging into the man's crotch from knelt position under her. He was groaning in uncomfortable pleasure around the rubber ball in his mouth, his eyes terrified upon seeing Lucifer quickly closing the door.

Maze turned her head, looking over her shoulder and giving him the most annoyed expression he had ever seen. She bent down and looked towards the man on the ground. "Hold out your hands," she commanded, waiting for him to maneuver himself so he could bring his bound wrists forward, holding his palms out to her. "Hold this, and don't move. If you do, you get the whip," she warned, wrapping the whip into a circle and placing it on the platter of his hands.

"Yes, Mistress," he mouthed around the ball, barely audibly. Without any expression, Maze stood up straight and strut towards Lucifer, walking right past him and towards the bottle of tequila sitting on the counter. She got out two shot glasses, pouring them each one before handing it to Lucifer.

"I guess I really do need a sign to put up," she said, swirling the glass before tipping it back into her mouth. "Or you could be a normal person and knock," she glared, not trying to keep her voice down around the company.

"My apologies, Mistress Maze," he mocked, bowing his head before knocking back the shot. He let the burn of the tequila slide down his throat, a different sensation from his typical choice.

"I'm working, Lucifer. What do you want?" she asked, rolling her eyes and crossing her arms over her chest. Her ridiculously tall boots put them almost at the same height, and she walked in them as if she were barefoot. An impressive feat.

He walked around her to go into the small kitchen. He opened her refrigerator and searched the meager contents, bending down to open the drawers. "Can't I just come by to see you?" he inquired, keeping his gaze in the fridge. With a sigh, he pulled out a red apple, closing the door with a thud. "Who the hell keeps apples in the refrigerator?"

She watched him take a bite as he turned to walk towards the small living room. He had almost forgotten about the man and was instantly reminded of his presence when he almost ran into him. Lucifer decided against pretending to ignore the poor soul and returned to the entry way by Maze.

"No, you usually need something," she reminded him, sighing at his awkwardness around her client. He knew he was supposed to pretend there was nothing abnormal about the situation. She had told him to act as if he wasn't there. "I thought you were supposed to be with your Professor." She stated, raising her split eyebrow at him.

"I was with her," he replied around the apple he was chewing in his mouth. He watched her face turn to interest and she thought about what she wanted to say.

"So, you finally fucked her brains out," she insisted, more of a statement than a question having known him and his closure rate.

"No," he responded with a sad sigh, a small grin returning to his lips as he lifted his eyes to meet hers. "But we almost had a moment."

Maze opened her mouth, quizzical expression on her face as she tried to consider what a moment could mean. "Almost a moment?" she repeated, moving her jaw to the side in wonder.

"Yes," he exclaimed, tossing the apple core across the room into the trashcan. "I nearly touched her and then her douche of an Ex called and interrupted the whole thing." He waived his hands in the air in irritation, stepping forward and starting to pace.

Maze wasn't sure how to reply. Lucifer had never been like this. If, by some rare reason, he didn't get the person he was after, he moved right on to the next. She was racking her brain for the right question to ask, but then they heard a small whimper come from the man on the floor. They both turned to see him shaking, his straining hard-on tenting his boxers tightly. "At least let he man relieve himself," Lucifer whined, raising a sympathetic hand towards him on the ground.

"No," she countered assertively, eyeing the slave carefully. "He likes it when I make him wait, don't you?" she finished, tilting her head up and over Lucifer's shoulder, directing her question to the bound man.

"Yes, Mistress," he stuttered around the gag, nodding his head vigorously.

"I let her do this to me once," Lucifer started, a fake smile on his lips as he turned towards the other man. "It was all fine and dandy until she hit me on the tip of my cock with that thing," he spat, pointing towards the whip in the man's hands. "Felt like I had shoved it right into an electrical socket."

Maze tried not to laugh as the slave groaned, remembering the one time Lucifer had explored her second job with her. She hadn't even whipped him hard, but it quickly became a hard-no as far as sexual experimentation. She thought back with nostalgia on the earlier days of their friendship, but she appreciated what he was to her now even more.

"Lucifer, you know what this is. He wouldn't be here if he didn't want to be," Maze insisted, getting frustrated at the taller man she considered a close friend. "Plus, he knows his safe word. If it were too much, he'd have told me by now," she added, turning to look at her client with a small smile.

"Ah," Lucifer sighed, peering over Maze's shoulder. "Mine was monkey bottoms. Feel free to take it, if you'd like." It was hard to miss the perturbed expression on her face, and it only made him smirk even more. Maze could tell her client had almost chuckled, but held it in. Good job.

"Ignore him," Maze ordered her client, shoving Lucifer towards her door. "He's not a good boy, like you," she added, shoving him out of her apartment to finish her job.

"Right, well, let me know when you're done stomping on this poor man's balls," Lucifer called from the other side of the door. He laughed to himself, only he and Maze could ever wind up in a situation like that and part ways as if they had just discussed the weather. He walked back to his room to begin his night of looking for something to do, having the next evening to look forward to.


Chloe woke up to the early morning sun rise beaming in through the glass of the back door. She was still on the couch, stuck under her daughter who was lying across her as if she had collapsed that way. Two cardboard containers and spoons were on the ground next to the couch, small amounts of melted ice cream pooling along the bottom. She knew it couldn't be any later than 0600 or 0700 and Trixie would hopefully sleep an hour or two more. Carefully, she sat up, scooping her daughter in her arms and carrying her the short distance to her bed. She tucked her in, the little girl not even moving as Chloe walked back out of her room. She envied the ability to sleep like a rock that all children seemed to have.

She decided against crawling back onto the couch to sleep until Trixie woke and requested breakfast, instead opting for a nice, relaxing shower, free of any time constrains besides the amount of hot water the heater could hold. She climbed the stairs towards her room, slipping out of the stretching pants and loose shirt she had changed into before the ice cream the previous night. Her bathroom was slighter warmer with the sun shining in, making it easier to stand there naked until the shower water warmed up.

Stepping inside, she let the water saturate her hair, running in streams down her body, relaxing tight muscles under her skin. Hot water igniting the nerve endings on her scalp as she started to shampoo her hair, the scent of milk and honey filling the steamy air from the rich lather. She could feel the suds and bubbles roll down her spine as she rinsed her hair, the sensation almost tickling. She almost made it to conditioning her hair before the feeling of water on her skin made her think about dipping her feet in cool water, with a nearly-naked younger man next to her.

Spending the evening with her daughter had forced any thoughts of the night's events from running though her brain. Now, alone in the shower, details were flooding her mind, making her feel conflicted. They almost had a moment. She had almost allowed them to have a moment. He gave her plenty of time to stop his movement, but she didn't. She had just watched as he slowly reached out to her. Thankfully, Dan had called and broken the spell. She couldn't believe how stupid she had been. She was already walking a fine line with him, talking the way they did and letting him drag her to the pool. It wasn't like her to just say yes to everything. He was affecting her.

She finished showering as an argumentative inner discussion kept up in her mind. Even entertaining the thought of anything else happening was wrong. It shouldn't cross her mind at all. Letting him strip in front of her shouldn't have happening, and she should have stormed out of the pool as soon as he started. She should have walked away when he used a key (that he acquired from the boys team [and she really shouldn't think about that]) to get into the pool in the first place. Alas, she didn't, and now she knew what he looked like under those extremely well-fitted clothes.

Even being mad at herself for going along with everything, she couldn't help the subconscious urge to bite her lip and let her head fall back in a silent moan remembering the way he, somehow, ate a fucking grilled cheese sexily, or how he looked soaking wet. He was a walking sin, and she was the avid church-goer doing everything she could to not be tempted. The fruit looked to be so sweet, though. Probably just as sweet as the way his perfect bottom lip would taste between her teeth.

The sound of her gasp brought her out of her thoughts. Water trailing over her face, one hand resting on her stomach with the other tracing her lips with delicate fingers. She quickly turned the water off and got out of the shower, wrapping herself in a towel and taking calming breaths. She would not allow herself to fantasize about him. That could be even more dangerous, and she was sure that he would, somehow, know about it. She could only imagine the satisfaction he'd feel if he got a hint that she had thought about him.

She brushed through her damp hair, throwing on a baggy t-shirt and a pair of comfortable shorts before going back downstairs for much-needed caffeine. Sure enough, as soon as the pot had finished brewing and she had just poured the steaming liquid into a mug, Trixie bounced out of her room, begging for pancakes and bacon. Chloe kissed the top of the girl's head before getting to work on breakfast. She was no chef, but it was hard to mess up boxed pancake mix, and cooking bacon in the oven was way less risky than on the stove.

They ate their food at a leisurely pace, the soft and crunchy sounds breaking up the small spaces of silence between their casual conversation. Trixie was explaining the "drama" going on in her class, making Chloe smile at how young and innocent her daughter was. It was almost sad to know that, one day, she would be forced to realize that the world could be a horrible place most of the time. Being a cop had left her to the conclusion that no matter how many bad guys you put away, there three more ready to take his or her place.

Chloe spent most of the morning helping Trixie with some homework, taking a break for a lunch of fried egg and cheese sandwiches. To the disgust of many, she enjoyed dipping her sandwich in ketchup, and she had been told that even Americans shouldn't be that vile. However, she could not deny that ketchup with buttery, toasted bread, eggs, and cheese was an amazing combination. Trixie was very much like her father in that she couldn't stand the thought of doing that.

The afternoon went by slowly, Trixie had watched TV and drawn for a few hours, and Chloe had tried to read a book. She always found it hard to read because her mind would travel to some other thought, or maybe she just never found a book that interested her enough. While dazing out of reality for the umpteenth time, she heard her phone alert to a notification. Grabbing the device from under her thigh in the cushioned chair, she saw that it was already 1600. She had no idea she had been trying to read for more than two hours. Looking at the notification, she tried to not analyze the way her face lit up a little at the name that appeared on the screen.

Lucifer: Good afternoon, Professor. I have not forgotten about your precious office key. I could drop it off shortly, if that works for you.

Chloe: Yes, I'll be home.

Chloe hesitantly typed out her address, wondering if having him know where she lived was the best decision or not. She fought against it, setting her phone down once he replied that he would be heading over soon. She quickly stood up and straightened up the living room, arranging Trixie's things just for her to mess up the order as she drew her President of Mars self-portrait. She ran up the stairs to, at the very least, throw on a bra, deciding it would be best not to give him more fuel to flirt with. She contemplated changing into pants, a tight pang of playfulness in how maybe she could mess with him a little. Again, she shouldn't even think about playing with him, but it was just too tempting to not.

She did straighten her hair before heading back downstairs. She cleaned up the kitchen from the breakfast and lunch dishes she hadn't done yet. She knew it really didn't matter, he would be stopping by to drop off her key and that was it. She was just putting away the last pan when the doorbell rang. A wave of nervousness ran over her as she smoothed down the front of her lounge clothes, wishing she had worn something a little less… bummy. She stepped over her daughter, still on the floor drawing, to answer the door. Instead of a tall, dark, and unfairly attractive man, she was greeted by a woman shorter than she was and a little girl.

"Tammy," Chloe stated, wide-eyed, and her voice flat with the indecision of relief or disappointment.

"Hi, Chloe," the woman greeted, a huge, unsure smile on her face. "We haven't interrupted anything have we?" she asked, taking in Chloe's slightly confused appearance.

"No, no, I just wasn't expecting you," she assured her, forcing a smile on her face to help settle her neighbor.

"Okay, well, Jessie wanted to know if Trixie could sleep over tonight," Tammy started, smiling down at her daughter, who was trying to look past Chloe into the living room.

"Oh, can I, mommy?" Trixie begged, running towards the door to stand next to her mother with the largest set of puppy-dog eyes she'd seen, without the prospect of chocolate cake.

Chloe looked down at her, running her hand along the back of her head to try and smooth down the mess of her hair. "Sure, monkey, just go pack some clothes and PJ's, okay?" she instructed, smiling affectionately as both girls squealed and Trixie ran back towards her room. Chloe looked back up towards Tammy and noticed a figure turning the corner and coming right for the door.

Her mouth opened as she made eye contact with him. Lucifer was mid-stride when he noticed the women and girl standing at Chloe's door. He tried to nonchalantly turn around, but noticed the other woman look over her shoulder in his direction. Not wanting to make it any more awkward, he decided on continuing towards the door, charming grin reaching his eyes.

"Oh, I guess I should have called," Tammy realized, looking between Chloe and Lucifer in fascination and shock. Chloe watched as Tammy, very obviously, eyed him top to bottom, taking in every inch he had to offer. She tried to be discreet about it, but her gaping mouth completely gave her away. It didn't seem to bother Lucifer any, actually, he seemed pleased by it. In all honestly, she couldn't blame the woman. He was dressed in charcoal slacks, white button up, and matching charcoal waistcoat. He looked about ready to have all of that torn off of him.

"Oh, no, no, no," Chloe interjected quickly, holding her hand up in defense. "It's fine. He's my TA, just dropping something off," she finished, pressing her lips together, trying to make herself sound as serious and as professional as possible.

"Yes, I am but a servant," Lucifer admitted, accent rolling off his tongue as he bent down slightly to meet Chloe's eyes. Tammy admired the way his clothes stretched over his body, perhaps a little too much because she was clearly biting her lip.

"Yeah, okay," Tammy agreed, but Chloe could see that the woman didn't really believe that. She understood, a guy walking up to your door looking like that couldn't possibly be just a TA. Any sensible woman would be all over that.

"Oh, you must be Beatrice," Lucifer quipped, looking down past the women towards the little girl that had approached silently. Chloe hadn't even felt her come to stand next to her, small back pack filled with toys and, hopefully, clothes. "I'm Lucifer."

Trixie smiled, looking between he mom and the much taller man behind her friend and her mother. "People only call me Beatrice when I'm in trouble," she informed him, standing as tall as she could. "How do you know my mom?"

"She's sort of my boss," he replied softly, bending down enough so she could hear him. He gave her a huge smile, his eyes quickly shooting up to meet Chloe's before returning to Trixie.

"Really?!" Trixie exclaimed, looking up at her mother in wonder. Chloe couldn't believe the way that look made her feel as proud as it did. As a mother, you want your child to be proud of you, and in that moment, she felt it.

"You know how your teacher has a helper sometimes?" she asked the little girl, smiling sweetly at her and waiting for her to nod. "Well, Lucifer is my helper." She took her gaze away from the girl towards Lucifer. He gave her a quick, knowing, wink before returning his attention to the other people.

"You better listen to her," Trixie warned him, so sincere and so innocent. "Mommy can get very mean when you don't." Chloe scoffed, lightly nudging her on the arm as the girl giggled.

"I will try my best, Beatrice," he stated, watching the way the girl rolled her eyes when he said her full name. "But sometimes in really hard for me to be good." He looked at Chloe with one of his smug bastard expressions. It took everything out of her not to completely face-palm when she saw Tammy's jaw nearly fall to the ground.

"She prefers Trixie," she told him, noticing the way Tammy was observing their banter with confusion and, somewhat, judgmentally. She really needed to keep this brief; she didn't need to have the entire neighborhood wondering who the hunky guy visiting Chloe Decker was.

"Well, I can't, in good conscious, call your daughter Trixie, Professor," he stated, a smirk on his lips. "I've known a number of Trixies in my time, and your offspring should not be lumped in with that crowd." Yep, one of the parties needed to leave, immediately. He, apparently, had no off switch, even in a situation where a twenty-seven year-old should know when it was okay to be coy and when it wasn't.

"Yes, thank you, Lucifer," she responded snappily, her voice raising in a warning for him to stop talking. He raised his eyebrows, looking all the part of a child unsure of what they had done. She could only close her eyes, sighing deeply, wondering if Tammy would ever bring her daughter over to their house again. She turned her gaze to Trixie, who had been talking with Jessie quietly. "Okay, monkey, have a good time. Call me if you need anything," she added, more to Tammy than to her daughter. The woman nodded knowingly, giving Lucifer one long, last look before motioning for the girls to follow her. They could hear them talking about pizza toppings as they walked out of ear shot.

Chloe looked at Lucifer, her eyes full of annoyance as he simply smiled back at her, tucking his hands behind his back. "Well, good evening, Professor," he greeted her, finally. He knew he had been slightly out of line with the other woman around, but he just couldn't help playing with her, making her a little uncomfortable. He could see, although she was irritated, she was a little amused with him.

"Just get inside before anyone else sees you," she ordered, gesturing for him to enter the threshold. She turned her back, knowing he wouldn't have to be told twice about entering her home. She walked into the living room, bending down to pick up the paper and crayons Trixie had left on the ground.

Lucifer tentatively walked inside and closed the door behind him. When he looked back up, he was met with Chloe's long, lean legs exposed nearly all the way up as she was bent down and picking up things off of the floor. He fought the instinctive urge to pull at his collar as he imagined running his hands up her thighs, fingertips brushing the junction where her legs met her hips. He stopped himself from thinking any further in order to not have to try and hide a massive erection in his slacks.

"I hadn't realized I was such an embarrassment," he admitted softly, half joking and half sincere. No one had ever tried to hide his presence, even the married women and men he'd been with. He wondered how he could affect so many people one way and affect Chloe in the complete opposite direction.

"It's not that," she responded with a sigh, placing all of the coloring tools on the coffee table. She plopped down on the couch, patting an open space, a good distance from her, for him to sit down. "People like to talk here, and I just don't want any rumors spreading."

"Oh, I know. How dare you have male company," he joked, feigning admonishment. He only smiled once he saw the corners of her mouth turn up as she rolled her eyes. He paused in front of her couch, contemplating whether he would sit or not, and deciding to take the proffered seat one cushion away from he. He let himself sink back into the couch, noticing how it was comfortably firm and supportive. He adjusted himself, noticing how it seemed to be a sturdy piece of furniture. He tried not to think about how Chloe would look bent over it.

"Wouldn't want people to get the wrong idea," she added, her voice almost a whisper as she watched the way his waistcoat gaped at his chest, the buttons straining against his flat stomach in this position. Everything he wore fit him like a glove, and she wouldn't have believed it got better once his clothes were off, but she knew now, it did.

"Of course not," he insisted, turning slightly to look at her better. He leaned slightly towards her, remaining on his side of the couch and not approaching her space at all. "I mean, what else could we be doing?" His words were full of hidden innuendo as he smirked at her, raising an eyebrow before licking his lips seductively. Chloe swallowed thickly, not wanting to give away that his words might have affected her, in the slightest. "To get business out of the way," he inserted after a brief period of silence, slipping his hand down into his left pocket. He pulled out the small golden key and held it out between his thumb and index finger for her.

She took the key, noting the warmth of the metal from his body heat before placing it down on the coffee table for safe keeping until she put it back on her key ring. She tucked her legs up under her, leaning into the side of the couch casually. She saw Lucifer watch her legs disappear underneath her, and she swore she saw his eye twitch at her actions.

"So, it seems you are a free woman tonight," he insinuated, making a point of looking around to show that the house was empty other than them.

"Yeah, I guess so," she agreed, running a hand through her hair, thinking of what she could watch on TV, or what ridiculously spicy food she could order without fearing her daughter might accidentally eat it.

"Go get dressed," he ordered, very casually, as if nothing was strange with his request.

"Excuse me?" he questioned, her face scrunching up at the sheer audacity of his words. She was beginning to regret inviting him inside.

"You're coming to work with me," he answered, still casual and collected. He was simply looking at her as if he couldn't comprehend what she wasn't understanding.

"No," she said blatantly, shaking her head and turning her face away from him. "I'm not going out to some super fancy place with you." She crossed her arms over her stomach, changing her position so that she was sitting cross-legged in her corner of the couch.

"You won't technically be with me, I'll be working," he added, doing his best air piano work, earning a small chuckle from her.

"So I'm just supposed to go sit there by myself?" she asked, raising her eyebrows as he looked at her like she had just grown another head.

"Is that not what you'd be doing here?" he retorted, waiving his had about, signaling the now childless house. "Sitting alone there will be far less depressing than sitting alone here." He meant it as a joke, she could tell, he wasn't naïve to think solitude was unwelcome. "Besides, the alcohol is far superior to whatever swill you have here."

Chloe scoffed at him for insulting her taste in alcohol. He wasn't wrong, though. She was never one to go for taste, more looking for the cheapest bottle of whatever she could find. If it could get her feeling it, then it was working. No need to spend a ton of money when $5 worked just as well.

"I would put money down that you have a box of pinot grigio here," he added, challenging her as she clearly tried to hide the fact that she actually did. Lucifer made a move to stand to go searching for said box, but Chloe jumped up and placed a hand to his chest to stop him. He looked down at her delicate hand, fighting the urge to place his on top of it.

"Okay, fine!" she exclaimed, pulling her hand off of him after a few seconds had gone by. "I'll go."

"Excellent!" he chimed, wearing a huge grin in the face of his victory. He hadn't minded her hand on him, not one bit, but she seemed rather surprised by her actions. He felt the loss of heat when she had snapped her hand away, a cooling sensation in a perfect pattern of her small hand.

"But I'm driving myself," she interjected, holding up her hand in front of his face. He went to protest but he closed his mouth, taking it as a compromise to her going out. He couldn't hide his smug grin as she looked obviously conflicted at her new plans, but he did see the smallest glint of interest in her eyes when he had offered.

"Fine, I get it, must keep up appearances of not having any fun," he groaned, slightly unnerved by her fear of judgment. He really did understand; he grew up in a family where outward appearance was everything, and how others saw you determined your worth. He just couldn't imagine a creature as beautiful as she would need to worry about that.

"So, where do you work?" she questioned, taking a step towards the staircase leading to her bedroom. To her surprise, Lucifer did not try to follow her, he simply stepped back to sit on the couch again.

"The Silver City," he recited, with all the sophistication he could muster. "Although, come to think of it, there isn't much silver in the place." He looked out at nothing, clearly contemplating the color scheme of his workplace in his head.

Chloe laughed at that, wondering how much he actually observed of his workplace, not including the patrons. "Oh, I've heard of it, but never been. I'm more the cop bar type." She brought a finger to her lips, thinking on her days at The Paddock with Dan and her other colleagues, back when she was still part of them. Not one person still wondered about her, aside from Ella and Dan, or course.

"It's had a more peaceful atmosphere than your dive bar," he said, weighing the pros and cons of the different establishments. "However, it truly is a den of iniquity," he added, his voice dropping a few octaves and giving her a knowing look. His slacks grew tighter as her finger toyed with her bottom lip, and he was grateful for already being in a seated position.

"Oh, so you fit right in, don't you?" she joked, narrowing her eyes at the man sitting, somehow gracefully, on her couch. He made the piece look small, but he sat with expert precision, probably pretty used to making accommodations for his height.

"Would you like to find out?" he countered, licking his bottom lip as seductively as he could. He lowered his gaze so he was looking through his lashes, eyes shining with all the heady desire he felt for her in those small shorts. Her tanned thighs were just begging to have his hands wrap around them as he nipped at her skin with his teeth.

"Yep, I walked right into that one," she huffed under her breath, reaching for the banister on the stairs. "So, what should I wear?" She was actually surprised when he stopped flirting and actually thought about her question.

"I, for one, would love to keep you in those little shorts, but that would be frowned upon there," he quipped, his flirting already back. As if she couldn't feel even more exposed in front of him. She had to admit to herself, however, it did make her feel nice to know he appreciated her legs. "Maybe if I had a look at what you have…" he trailed off, raising his eyebrows in doomed hope.

"Yeah, I think I got it," she stated, holding her hand up and shaking her head at him. He slumped back into the couch in defeat, a very suit yourself expression on his face. "I won't be long," she told him before hopping up the first few steps. "Don't go snooping around!" she yelled down, knowing he had probably already started to look through the living area. With her super-hearing she got after becoming a mother, she heard him curse under his breath before the thud of him sitting back on the couch. She smiled at his childishness, somewhat envying it.

As she looked through her closet, she realized she didn't have very many items to choose from. She had plenty of business casual attire, both appropriate for being a Detective, and now, Professor. She thumbed through the hangers, finally landing on a dark, burgundy dress with a square neckline. It was form fitting, and could best be described as sophisticated, the hem landing just above the knee. When she took it off the velvet hanger, tag hanging sadly under the short sleeve, she remembered when and why she had bought it. It was supposed to be a date-night dress for her to wear with Dan, years ago. They never went on that date, and she never got the chance to wear the dress.

She sighed, thinking it a good as time as any to finally break in the dress she paid more than she normally did for. She fished the pair of black suede pumps out of the bottom of her closet, the chunky heel making them easier to walk in. Never one to take too long to get ready, she quickly applied a smoky brown shadow all over her lids, darkening the outer corner and bottom lash line. A touch of mascara and her signature pinky-brown lip, she was complete. She slid into the dress, the material stretching nicely around her curves and slipped into the shoes, feeling the stiffness from lack of wear.

A final look-over in the bathroom mirror had her shaking her head and huffing. This was ridiculous. Why was she following him to his workplace? Just because Trixie was away, didn't mean she had to go out. She knew the ridiculousness of the situation, yet, she was excited about it. She hadn't been out this frequently in almost a year. She convinced herself that it was good for her. She wasn't technically breaking any rules. She was meeting him there, not for a date, just a night out. He would be working, so not with her anyways. No harm, no foul.

She gathered the courage to go back downstairs, carefully in the heels, expecting to find Lucifer up and about, considering her complete lack of homemaker qualities. When she rounded the corner of the landing, she could see his legs at the couch, so he had stayed in place. He was scrolling through his phone, but looked up the second she came into view. His expression immediately caused a flush on her cheeks, tinting the skin a rosy hue. It was a look he gave her often, but more amplified, as if she continuously surprised him with her appearance.

"Is this okay?" she asked quietly, nervously running her hands along the front of the dress as if chasing away lint. She bit at her bottom lip, tucking in a stray loop of hair that had tried to escape the messy bun she still wore. She looked up at him as he huffed out a small chuckle, slowly rising from his seated position to walk towards her.

"It's perfect," he responded in pure adulation, his eyes unable to stay on hers, roaming along her body from her lips down, noting how the square neckline accentuated her feminine décolletage. His gaze made it down to her heels and he fought the urge to groan, imagining her standing in front of him in only those pumps. His eyes slowly made their way back up her body, landing on hers through his lashes as he inhaled deeply. Chloe swore she could see a hint of primal need in the way he was looking at her; his lip parted, tongue resting along his bottom teeth, the heat of a thousand suns in his dark brown irises burning into her form. He almost looked dangerous, the best way someone could look dangerous, in a way where her morals and rationale were at risk.

"Okay, good," she sighed in relief, trying to hide the way his stare was affecting her, making her want to give in to whatever was going on. "Okay, so I'm ready when you are." She smiled at him, clearly intending to step away but was held frozen by his presence in front of her. He made no move to let her walk by, instead, he continued to look her over.

"Not quite ready," he insisted, stepping closer to her and looking down at her lips. She watched him slowly raise his hand and reach around towards the back of her head, holding her gaze. He took the claw-like clip out of her hair, letting the blonde waves cascade over her shoulder and down her back like a golden ocean. His lips twitched up in a smile at the sight as he lightly adjusted a few errant strands with his thumbs and pointer fingers. "There, now you're ready."

She was constantly surprised by him. One second, he was flirting uncontrollably, the next he was making her feel like the most exceptional person in the world. Making her feel like a woman again; one that is attractive and worth any effort, not someone to be used. She looked down at her toes, smiling, unable to make eye contact with him. She knew he was probably smirking as he stepped back, allowing her to move if she wished. She took the opportunity to walk towards the chair she had been in earlier, grabbing her phone before heading towards the door. She heard him behind her, taking careful steps as she grabbed her bag, sliding her phone inside.

"So, um, I guess I'll see you there," she blurted, almost a question, and she dug for her keys in her bag. "I know where it is," she assured him before he had time to persuade her into riding with him.

"Yes," he replied with a curt nod, opening the front door to her house to let them both out. They stepped out into the dying heat, thankful for the dry air of the west-coast in keeping her hair at bay. "I do have a question," he stammered, quickly walking ahead of her to open her car door for her after the beep signaled it unlocked. She shook her head at his gesture, but watched him and waited for him to continue. "Do you happen to have my flask with you?"

She stood still in confusion, unsure of what he was asking about before the memory came back to her. She had taken it a while back when she had given him a ride home. She opened her mouth with a pop, digging around in her bag before pulling out the metallic container. She laughed at his sigh of relief, wondering if he had nearly died without it. He held out his hand and she went to give it to him but quickly pulled it back against her chest.

"I'll give this back, but no drinking and driving," she ordered, slanting her eyes at him as she shook the flash, letting him know there was still liquid inside.

"I will not drink on my way to work," he insisted, keeping his hand held out for it. "I promise," he added, raising his eyebrows and sighing in defeat. That seemed to please her enough and she handed him his beloved possession. He opened it as soon as it was in his hands and downed the remainder of the whiskey left, tasting a bit stale, but still burning nicely. Chloe's jaw nearly touched the ground in astonishment, gasping at his bold act. "See, there's nothing for me to drink while driving," he quipped, holding the empty flash upside-down to prove its emptiness. He made his way towards his car on the street, smiling back at her before getting in.

She watched him peel out of his parked position, tires screeching as he passed her house. She rolled her eyes and shook her head, she would definitely have words with that smug bastard when she got to the bar. She entered the oven of her car, starting the engine and turning the AC on full blast. She let the air start to cool the cabin before she tried to drive away, taking the time to inform Tammy that she wouldn't be home for a bit, and to call her if she needed anything.

Chloe backed out of her driveway, still in disbelief of herself for agreeing to meet him at this very prestigious bar. She didn't belong there; in fact, she wasn't sure if she knew anyone who belonged there. She knew about it from her work as a Detective, and she knew that most of the people who frequented that place had more money than knew what to do with, and also had many less-than-legal ways of obtaining their fortune, as well. She wasn't a cop anymore, however, so she had no authority to judge anyone anymore.


Right before she turned on to the street the bar was on, Lucifer had texted her. She quickly read the message at a red light, huffing out air at his statement. He told her to park with the valet, that he had told them about her and she didn't have to worry about it, it was taken care of. Normally, something like that would have bothered her, but street parking was never guaranteed, and she did not want to end up walking a block back to her car later.

She drove up to the valet, giving her name and stepping out of her car to let him in. He took her name right away, handing her a small ticket with a number on it that she put into her bag. The Silver City didn't have a huge sign that could be seen from the street. It didn't need it. The eloquent sign hanging above the entrance, written in a silvery cursive print, gave the destination a country-club type feel. It was a place people knew about rather than finding as they walked down the street. As she remembered, there were no bouncers, as younger people didn't seem to be drawn to calmer atmosphere.

The lighting was rather dim, sconces lining the walls, chandeliers hanging from the vaulted ceiling, as well as the lights behind the bar are all what provided light to the large, open room. There was a stronger light shining over the black grand piano in the center of the room. She was half expecting to see Lucifer there, but the bench was empty. She scanned the large room, already decently filled with the quiet murmurs of a small crowd. She could smell the hint of smoke from cigars and cigarettes, this being one of the few locations that still allowed smoking indoors. Lucifer had said it was a sin bin.

"You can't help but follow all of the speed limits, can you?" a low, sultry voice whispered into her ear from behind her. Even though she recognized the accent, she still startled, her shoulders slightly raised closer to her ears.

She heard his chuckle from right behind her, feeling his body heat radiate onto her back as he stood only a few inches from her. She could see that he had reached out to hold on to her arm, but kept his hand out to the side, clearly having thought against it. "You just drive like a maniac," she countered, turning around to face him. He looked as if he had been there for a bit of time, a drink coming up to his lips as he smiled down at her.

"Come on," he gestured, placing his hand lightly against the small of her back, leading her further in towards the bar. "I want you to meet someone." Chloe let him guide her through the massive room, the barely-there lights making it a little difficult to make out the exact shapes of other people below their chests. She figured the dimness was something you got used to the longer you were in there. When they reached the bar, Lucifer hit his hand against the polished wood, trying to get the attention of the woman facing the other direction, going through the expensive bottles on the shelves in front of her.

"Oh my god, what?" she groaned, speaking as if she knew who was making a racket trying to get her attention. When Lucifer continued to smack the bar, she finally turned with a huff, immediately averting her gaze towards Chloe. "Holy shit, this is your teacher?"

It took Chloe a second to recognize the darker-skinned woman, about the same age as Lucifer, with shoulder-length, dark hair. Her makeup was sharp and intimidating, as it always was when she saw her at the station. "Mazikeen Smith?" she asked, although she already knew the answer. Mazikeen was well-known at the precinct as the most skilled bounty hunter they had worked with.

Lucifer stared at the two women in amazement, his mind clearly working in horribly filthy ways. "You two know each other?" he questioned, his eyes darting back and forth between them. The shocked smile on his face was left unnoticed by both of them.

"Yeah, I know her from the station," Chloe stated, shaking her head and looking at Maze. She couldn't believe it, never would she have guessed her and Lucifer knew the same person. "She's one hell of a bounty hunter," she praised, resting both hands on the bar.

"Well, thanks, Decker," Maze responded, putting a hand on her hip with pride. "I stopped seeing you around the station, and they told me you were teaching, but I would have never guessed you would be this idiot's teacher!" she exclaimed, throwing a hand towards Lucifer and smacking him on the arm.

"That's just great," Lucifer whined, downing the rest of his drink and sitting the glass down on the bar. Like clockwork, Maze started refilling as soon as the glass was sitting on the surface. "Now I'll have two people talking shit on me in here," he joked, pretending to roll his eyes in annoyance.

"That's right, so go do your job so we can get to it," Maze ordered, pointing a long, thin finger down towards the piano. She put both hands on her hips like a mother would when waiting on their child to listen. Lucifer grabbed his glass, holding his arms up in defeat as he started to back away. He looked at Chloe and only continued after she gave him a short nod that she was okay.

"Any requests, Professor?" he asked before stepping away further.

"Surprise me," Chloe requested, smiling at him as he seemed to think about it for a second before turning and walking towards the instrument. She watched his natural strut, finding herself seeing flashes of him without his clothes, now that she was privy to that knowledge. She turned back to face Maze, who was watching her with a smirk on her lips.

"Wow," Maze mouthed, grabbing a glass and beginning to mix a drink for Chloe. She finished the cocktail, adding a wedge of lime to the rim before setting it in front of Chloe. "Here, a gin and tonic. Nice and light," she stated, giving he a wink.

"Thanks," she responded, marveling at the speed of which the other woman managed to make the drink. "So, how did you and Lucifer meet?"

Maze stopped organizing the multiple carafes of garnishes for a moment, considering Chloe's question before continuing. "We met right after he came here," she said, thinking back to the time she ran into him, literally, at the airport when she was chasing a bounty. "We hit it off, and have been friends ever since," she concluded quickly, giving the professor a small smile before taking the drink order of a man close by.

"Oh," Chloe breathed, sipping her immaculate cocktail gingerly. Damn, Maze was one hell of a bartender. She didn't hear Maze return to her space in front of her, having made the man's drink already.

"It's just a long story, and not really all mine to tell," she admitted, nodding her head in the direction of Lucifer at the piano. Chloe looked over her shoulder to find him finally sitting down, placing his hands on the keys and beginning to play. It took her a moment to recognize the tune, but when she did, she couldn't help but roll her eyes in exasperation. Although the song was not intended to be covered on a piano, she could clearly hear the undeniable tone of Hot for Teacher playing through the keys.

She could see the extent of his smirk from her distance, just grateful that he decided not to sing the too-close-to-home lyrics and just play the recognizable riff. She saw him wink at her, clearly getting back at her for being so bold as to request to be surprised. She ground her teeth at him, trying to appear seething, although she found his performance quite entertaining. She turned back to her drink, taking two large gulps before setting it back down. She looked up to find Maze shaking her head in Lucifer's direction before her gaze landed on her.

"Hey, just be careful with him," Maze warned, lowering her voice even though Lucifer was far enough away to not hear her. "He's not exactly the most stable person, emotionally or mentally," she added, pulling away from Chloe to make eye contact.

"Oh, it's not like that," Chloe defended, absorbing Maze's words and trying to understand them. She hoped she wasn't reading too much into his choice of song. "He's just my TA," she reminded with a small, fake smile. She could tell just by the way her facial expression did chance that Maze didn't believe her. Fair enough.

"Yeah, okay," she said, pressing her lips together before releasing them with a pop. She watched as two couples approached the bar on the other side, giving Chloe a small nod before walking over to tend to them.

Chloe turned on the stool she was perched on to face the center of the room. The soft music coming from the piano filled the ambient space in the air, mingling with muffled conversation and the clinking of glass. She watched as Lucifer sat on the bench, hands moving along the keys expertly, a smoking cigarette sitting in an ashtray next to his drink on top of the instrument. Here was this beautiful man surrounded by people that wanted him for everything he could do for them, yet there was a darkness in his eyes that she could see from where she was sitting. A pain he tried to cover with flirtation and risky behavior. Now, more than ever, as he started to play a soothing tune on the instrument, she wanted to understand what could cause that hurt to seep through such a confident shell. It had her wondering, as well, if her own pain showed through her eyes as if they really were the windows to her soul. Windows Lucifer was able to peer into with ease.


A/N: Ah, yes, a bit of a cliffhanger, but not a suspenseful one. We'll get right back to this interesting evening in the next installment. I am sorry for any mistakes, I finished this pretty late and just wanted to get something out for you guys. I hope you like the longer chapters. I know it'll make updating less frequent, but I think it'll be better for the storytelling processing, and for your reading pleasure. Let me know what you thought. A bit of an uneventful chapter, but I'm sure the next will have some shit go down ;) Until next time dark ones…

PS: Be on the look-out for a new, super smutty installment of Crimson Stare soon!