Chapter 11: Hey, Soul Sister
Chloe's car led the way down the mountain, followed by Dan's sedan right behind it. The rough weather from the previous night had littered the road with small tree branches, fallen rocks and loads of dirt, so they traveled at a prudent speed to avoid any unnecessary trouble.
Inside Chloe's car, Ella began to fiddle with the heat regulator in an attempt to get rid of the humid chill of the gelid mountain and, soon, the temperature inside the cabin became a little more comfortable.
"So, what was that all about earlier?" she asked casually. "You know, with Lucifer."
She had been dying to ask the question ever since they'd gotten in the car, but wasn't quite sure just how to broach the subject. Chloe had been particularly quiet during the half an hour that had gone by since they'd left the abbey, and with another forty minutes to go, Ella figured it was a good time to bring it up.
Chloe sent a furtive glance her way and shrugged. "I'm not sure," she answered. "I'm going to meet him later for dinner. I have no idea if he wants to discuss the case, or something else. With him, you never know."
"You're going on a date with Lucifer?" Ella asked through a smile which couldn't possibly get any wider. "Well, it was about time, girl!"
"It's not a date," Chloe corrected, though her tone sounded a bit too defensive for Ella to believe her refute. "He probably wants to tell me about some wild theory of his. Those things are better tackled after a couple of glasses of wine, believe me."
"Oh, so there will be wine?"
"Well, maybe, I'm not— Stop looking at me like that!" Chloe chortled. "I told you. It's not what you think!"
"Oh, come on! It's obvious you guys dig each other!"
"Ew, no!" Chloe scoffed, not that she could've fooled anyone. "He's my partner and, okay, a good friend. But that's it."
"So, you've never imagined what it would be like to… y'know… with him?" Ella mumbled suggestively. When her only reply came in the form of a dismissive groan, she admitted, "I have!"
"You? Really?" Chloe turned to her for a second, eyes wide.
"Well, yeah!" Ella chuckled. "When we first met at least. Now that we've slipped into the 'friend zone', it makes me feel a little dirty to think about him in that way. And, then there's you, so…"
"Me?" Chloe smirked. "Have you considered the possibility that we, him and I, might have also entered the so called 'friend zone'?"
Ella gave her a 'yeah, right' look that spoke volumes.
From the way Chloe kept shifting on the seat, it was obvious she wanted nothing more than to talk about something else, but when she caught Ella's sardonic smirk from the corner of her eye, she couldn't help but take the bait.
"What?"
"Nuthin'."
But Ella's smile was way too sly, and Chloe's mind way too guarded to let the matter drop.
"It's obviously not 'nothing'," Chloe pressed. "Come on? What is it?"
"It's just that…" Ella tapped her thumb on her thigh while she chose her words with caution. "How can I say this?"
The lab tech narrowed her eyes and blew out a long sigh while she took a moment to gather her thoughts. She was usually much more direct about things, but this issue required some walking on eggshells so, going against her nature, she decided to be as tactful as possible.
"Oh, come on! Spit it out already!" Chloe pressed, her patience slipping.
"Okay." Ella blew out a long sigh. "You kinda talk in your sleep."
The statement shot across the car before Ella had a chance to regret it. She grimaced slightly when she noticed the immediate change in Chloe's demeanor. The tough-as-nails detective had visibly tensed up, cheeks growing hot as the obvious implication began to sink in. When the sound of the road became almost deafening, Ella pressed her lips into a thin line and prayed she hadn't offended her colleague with her bluntness.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything."
Chloe lifted one shoulder trying to look nonchalant, but not quite succeeding. "No. It's okay," she said quietly. Then, when the curiosity got the better of her, she added, "What did I say?"
Ella was fiddling with the hem of her jacket, a convenient distraction that allowed her to focus on something other than the person sitting beside her. "You moaned out his name," she replied just as quietly.
She gave Chloe a moment to assimilate it, wondering whether it had been wise at all to bring it up. Maybe some things are better left unsaid, but Ella was never one to pay much attention to the filter between the brain and the mouth, no matter how many times it had gotten her in social trouble. Eventually, she had just stopped caring about maintaining any kind of decorum.
"At first I thought you were having a nightmare," she continued, figuring the damage had already been done. "I was about to wake you, but then it became clear that wasn't the case, so..."
"Jesus! What else did I say?" Chloe asked, mortified.
"Oh, it wasn't so much what you said. More like the way you kept moa—"
"Okay, never mind!"
Chloe's face had gone from baby pink to deep red in less than ten seconds. Her hands grabbed the steering wheel so tightly her knuckles had turned white. She kept looking determinedly out the windshield, her eyes focused on the road while her mind drifted into forbidden territory. It made the mood inside the car so tense, Ella wasn't sure whether to laugh or apologize.
"Look, forget I mentioned it," she said a little self-consciously. "If it makes you feel any better, I promise to never bring it up again."
"I'd appreciate that," Chloe mumbled checking the rearview mirror to make sure Dan's car was still behind them. "Thank you."
The driving arrangements had been a spur of the moment deal. Nobody was quite sure how Ella had ended up riding with Chloe, while Dan and Lucifer followed in the second cop car, but it might have had a lot to do with the tangible fretfulness on the part of two of them, and a heightened perception by the remaining two.
After forty minutes in the car without so much as a word in exchange, Dan had turned on the radio to break the monotonous hum of the tires over the pavement. When even the radio failed to pick up a single station through the static created by the surrounding mountains, he eventually turned it off with a contrite click of the tongue, and rested the back of his head against the seat, his mind wondering how to start a conversation with a brick wall.
"Well, if anybody ever asks, we can say we experienced monastic life for one night. Not that those mattresses were much different from the ones at my old college dorm room," he said, stealing a brief glance Lucifer's way. When he didn't get either a reaction or a response, he rambled on. "Don't get me wrong. It beat the hell outta driving down the mountain in the pouring rain, but I'll take a room at the Holiday Inn any day."
But Lucifer didn't seem to be listening to a word he was saying. He just kept silent, his eyes fixed on the road ahead. Dan knew instinctively not to insist on engaging him. For one, it would probably be a futile effort and, besides, it wasn't like they were the best of friends. Not even close. Why should he give a shit about making conversation?
And yet…
He gripped the steering wheel a bit tighter and pushed a heavy sigh past his lips.
"Listen, man, if there's ever something you wanna get off your chest." Dan let the words hang in the air. He felt uncomfortable enough as it was. No need to spell out the rest.
Lucifer turned his attention to him, though it took him a moment to snap out of his daze and, for the first time since they left the abbey, he seemed to actually be present.
"What gives you the impression I might want to talk about anything?" he asked a bit conceitedly.
Dan let the subtle arrogance slide and made an effort to reel in his own hostility. "All I'm saying is that I've been there, alright?"
"Been where exactly, Daniel?"
Just the pomposity dripping from Lucifer's tone made it pretty clear how the conversation could potentially go. Dan kept his cool, focused on the car ahead as it wound down the curvy road.
Shit! He really, really, really didn't want to step into the lion's den.
But, being the maverick he was at times, he braved it anyway.
"With Chloe."
Lucifer exhaled a very patronizing 'Oh!' followed by a derisive scoff. "Is that right? You think there's something juicy going on between us, do you?"
"You know what? Forget it!" Dan growled.
There was an extended silence, thick and uncomfortable.
"We haven't slept together if that's what you're driving at," Lucifer said.
"It wasn't, but thanks for oversharing."
"Oh, come now," Lucifer smiled roguishly. "If you are not interested in the salacious details, then what the hell are you interested in?"
"Look, I know Chloe better than anyone," Dan told him. "And I can't figure out how or why, but…"
"But what?!"
Dan's scowl became more pronounced, his back now rigid against the seat.
"She's falling for you, okay?" he gritted through clenched teeth. "So, I swear, if you hurt her in any way, I will make you regret it for the rest of your life."
Lucifer chuckled at that. "Well, coming from a mortal, I'd say that would take a whole new degree of dedication."
"I'm serious, man! You dare do anything—"
"And you'll do what, Dan?" Lucifer shot back defiantly. "Run me over with your Douchemobile? Put me on donut delivery duty for the rest of the year? Force me to take inventory of the department's wobbly headed doll supply down in the basement? Believe me, if anybody can think of a thousand different types of ridiculous punishments, that would be me."
"You can make all the jokes you want," Dan warned him, unamused. "But if you refuse to see how susceptible Chloe is right now, then you don't deserve to be with her."
His words didn't seem to tame Lucifer's sardonic manner in any way. "Is that a fact?"
"Look, I don't want to pick up the pieces of what you might leave behind, alright?" Dan lowered his voice. "I've already done enough damage myself."
"So, I'm bound to pay for your sins, is that it?"
"No. But you know as well as I do that she deserves better."
"I know," Lucifer sighed, the irony in his voice faltering for a second. "But as much as the truth might hurt, I'm not one to believe in white lies."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
There was a brief pause, a moment of hesitation that was completely out of character in the self-assured and annoyingly overconfident business owner.
"It means there's something I should've done a long time ago," Lucifer said, his voice low. "I just hope…"
When it became clear he wasn't going to finish the thought out loud, Dan decided not to push the subject further. There were obvious issues he and Chloe needed to work through, and Dan was smart enough to know when he was overstepping his boundaries. He had made his concerns known, and was sure Lucifer had gotten the message loud and clear. And though he couldn't help fear his ex-wife might be walking into an even bigger mess than their marriage had become, there was something about Lucifer's attitude that had put him a little bit more at ease. He seemed to really care deeply for Chloe, and that had stung and surprised Dan in equal measure.
"The forensics report arrived this morning from the central lab," Dan said, his focus changing not only out of courtesy, but out of necessity. "Let's hope it sheds some light onto the carvings on the victims' chests. We need a solid lead on this case. I don't buy the accidental death argument, either. There's something tying all these incidents together, and so far all we have to go on is the abbey and those creepy inscriptions."
"You interviewed the procession of nuns after the priest's death," Lucifer said. "Did they mention anything particularly interesting about him?"
"Like what?"
"Oh, I don't know. Any side passions? Weird hobbies, perhaps?"
"Actually, yes," Dan answered, intrigued by the precision of the question. "He liked to collect religious artifacts and relics. According to the witnesses I interviewed, he was heavily into pre-genesis mythology. They call it 'heavenly genealogy'. I asked them what they meant by that, and not all of them could give me a coherent answer, but from what I gathered, he was a little obsessed with the whole angels, archangels and that kind of crazy, cockamamie folklore." Dan's face twisted into a regretful semi-wince. "Oh, sorry, man. I forgot who I was talking to."
"Did you confiscate any of these artifacts?" Lucifer asked, disregarding both the assessment and the apology.
"We didn't have any reason to," Dan shrugged. "What possible connection could they have to the case?"
Lucifer nodded, deep in thought for a moment. "Something Father Reed said this morning struck me as odd."
"Wait, you spoke to the exorcist guy this morning?" Dan chuckled. "Dear Lord! Should we turn around to deal with forensics now, or wait until the abbey gives us a call? I mean, they must have our number on speed dial by now."
"Funny, Douche!" Lucifer jibed. "He was actually surprisingly cordial considering the fact he spent almost half an hour chatting up a storm with the Devil."
"Yeah, well, something tells me he didn't quite buy into your charade," Dan smirked.
"That's beside the point," Lucifer said, mildly annoyed by the derisiveness in Dan's tone. "But he brought up a good point. Places such as that abbey tend to attract the occasional vortex of divinity. It happened in Europe throughout the Dark Ages. An interesting time period, by the way. We had such an influx of damned souls down in hell, I had to forge an army of demons just to keep up with the demand. Most of the so called 'divine enforcers' of the Holy Inquisition ended up on my turf. Ironically, a bunch of witches ended up at dear old Dad's doorstep."
"You know, Lucifer, sometimes I find it really hard to take you seriously."
"My point is," Lucifer continued through a tired sigh, "the object used to carve the three sixes on the victims' chest might have found its way into that abbey."
"Let's pretend for a moment your logic is not plagued with flaws," Dan said, unsure as to why he was even contemplating such a preposterous theory. "Who would have even wielded it? The Holy Spirit?"
"Don't be ridiculous!" Lucifer scoffed. "That one's a total pacifist! Wouldn't find Him anywhere near a weapon or anything remotely sharp! Well, wrought iron nails notwithstanding."
"Oh, I'm the one being ridiculous!"
"Okay, Daniel, let's make a wager right now. If the lab results come back with a conclusive answer as to the makeup of the object used to carve the inscription on these people's chests, then I promise to be your personal servant for a day."
Dan broke into quiet, uncomfortable laughter. "Okay, I'll bite," he said. "Let's say for the sake of argument that they come back with inconclusive results. What then?"
Lucifer's lips turned into an impish smile. "In that case, I reserve my right to call in a favor from you at a later date."
The deal sounded like a no-brainer. In the sixteen years Dan had been with the force, there hadn't been one time the forensic experts at the federal lab hadn't been able to determine the composition of a piece of evidence, no matter how rare its origin. Still, he couldn't shake that uneasy feeling in the off chance that they might fail to do so this time.
For some odd reason, he heard himself saying: "Okay, you're on!"
Maze had been leaning against the hood of her car for over half an hour in the school parking lot waiting for Chloe to arrive. Apparently, the principal wanted to speak to one of Trixie's legal guardians. As if her parents didn't have anything better to do than to come and discuss frivolous matters with the fashion police at the school. Heck! As if she, herself, didn't have a miscreant who delved in racketeering to track down and capture before the competition got to him!
She huffed out an impatient sigh and checked the clock on her cell phone once again. Her morning had started on a strange note, and the day seemed to have gone down a bizarre path ever since. She was still struggling with what Amenadiel had told her earlier. How arrogant of her to think he'd come to apologize for being a first class prick! On the other hand, what he'd said to her had been in total confidence, and that demonstrated a level of trust that was hard to ignore. Plus, she was certain there had been a moment between them, fleeting and ethereal, but as real as the hell she'd called home for millennia. Still, it would take more than just 'a moment' to get to Maze's heart of steel. If he really wanted to set things right between them, he should work his angelic ass off to impress her.
Just when Maze was about to give up on any further waiting, she saw Chloe's car pull up to the school's parking lot. After what she had learned that morning, Maze felt a little pang of something unrecognizable deep inside her chest the moment she saw her, something she hoped to come to terms with eventually. And then there was Lucifer. Who knew how he might react once he found out? Amenadiel had made her promise not to say anything until he talked to his brother himself. Although, considering the circumstances, she understood why the angel might need a demon's support. So she would keep her word. Not so much for Amenadiel, but for Lucifer.
For the moment, she decided to put the unexpected news in the backburner and focus on the issue at hand. Maze pushed away from the car, and began walking over to Chloe with a firm stride.
"I can't believe they called you," she complained when she was still a few long steps away. "I could've handled this."
"It's okay," Chloe said. She didn't sound half as pissed as Maze expected her to be, considering the situation. "I'm on my lunch break anyway."
They made their way inside the building in relative silence.
"I don't know why they're making such a big deal out of this," Maze sneered. "It's just makeup for crying out loud!"
Chloe mumbled something unintelligible in reply as they passed a couple of older students along the hallway. They walked past several doors, and finally stopped before one marked "Principal's Office". Chloe let out a deep sigh and a barely audible "here we go", and braced herself before knocking.
Once the secretary gave them permission to enter, they found Trixie sitting on one of the chairs in the small waiting area looking a little contrite. The moment she saw them walking in, the girl offered them a gloomy greeting.
"Hi, mommy. Hi, Maze."
Chloe's eyes widened at the sight of her daughter, her disapproval obvious by the expression she wore when she turned to face Maze. "Oh, God!"
"What?" Maze shrugged. "I think she looks cute!"
"She looks like a two dollar whore!"
Chloe had spoken so quietly even Maze had trouble hearing the words.
"Ms. Decker," a stern woman in her fifties called from the door that led to the main office. She wore a tobacco brown swing dress that might have been in style about three decades ago, old fashioned wayfarer glasses, and her hair up in a bun. "We need to talk about the school's dress code."
Maze couldn't help but wince with displeasure. Had Chloe not requested that she stayed out in the waiting area with Trixie, she would've given that lady a piece of her mind. As it was, all she could do was sit next to the girl and pout right along with her.
She figured that must be what souls felt like down in hell before their final sentencing.
As the elevator ascended to the penthouse of the Lux building, Chloe had to keep reminding herself that just because she had agreed to have dinner with Lucifer, didn't mean it could be labeled a date. He said he wanted to talk. Well, specifically he'd said he wanted to show her something. It sounded pretty serious, so she was almost certain she wouldn't be walking in on him naked like that one time.
Come on, Chloe! When was the last time he came on to you so strongly?
An interesting question. It seemed like his initial relentless pursuit had tamed into a subtle innuendo here and there, and always respecting the boundaries she had set from the get go. Most importantly, he had stopped objectifying her several months ago, shortly after a particularly heart wrenching case. She could almost pinpoint the exact moment in which their dynamic had switched.
I thought you could use a friend.
Sure, he had made mildly lewd comments since that night, but they were mostly in jest and always respecting said boundaries.
In fact, as much as she had fought tooth and nail against it, Ella was right. She had also started feeling something deeper for him at some point. What she couldn't really determine was the moment it had happened.
Had it been after he had proven to be a gentleman by not sleeping with her the night she had shown up at his place drunk and bereft of inhibitions? Had it been after the bizarre nightmare Malcom had put them through at the hangar? Had it been when her heart had ached with impotence in her attempt to comfort him during the sniper case? Had it been the way his embrace had soothed her after D.W. Smith was arrested? Or, ultimately, was it realizing time and time again that he would be there for her no matter what?
So wrapped up was Chloe in her internal conversation, she flinched at the sound of the elevator ding announcing the arrival to the penthouse. She wasn't one to dress up to the nines, so even the simple turtle neck knit sweater dress and matching grey pumps felt like she might have overdone it, even if she wore barely any makeup.
"Good evening, Detective," Lucifer greeted from behind the bar.
He looked his smart, elegant self as he filled two goblets with expensive red wine. Even though she was far from a connoisseur, Chloe remembered how good the wine had tasted last time she had stayed for dinner. She had found comfort in that place after the heartbreaking verdict that had set her dad's killer free.
A whip of pain shot across her chest at the thought.
At the same time, that night her relationship with Lucifer had escalated to a whole new level of intimacy. In fact, had it not been for an untimely interruption, things could've have heated up really quickly. Just like in the abbey last night. Perhaps the third time was a charm.
Wait, did she want the third time to be a charm? This wasn't even a real date!
"You seem distracted," Lucifer said. He had come up to her with a wineglass in each hand. "Is everything okay?"
She nodded, hoping not to appear too nervous as she took the goblet from him and took a small sip.
"I was just thinking about the last time I was here," she smiled.
He regarded her warily for a second, then lowered his gaze to his own glass, suddenly fascinated by the burgundy liquid inside it. His lack of response made Chloe notice the soft music playing in the background. She recognized the smooth melody of U2's With or Without You almost immediately.
"Oh, I love this song!" she said, if nothing else, to divert their conversation from her previous comment.
So, it was official. Definitely not a date.
"Yes, well, I made a note of your music library," he grinned, lifting the glass towards one of the main speakers. "I believe these would fall under 'dreamy melodies', perhaps?"
She cocked an eyebrow at him. "Are you mocking my taste in music?"
Lucifer placed a hand over his heart pretending to be wounded by her accusation. "I would never!" he said, his tone clearly sardonic. Then, through a smile bursting with charm, he added, "But I am mocking your cataloguing style."
She had to chuckle at that, her eyes drifting away from his to survey the sophisticated space that surrounded them. There were sparsely lit candles throughout the lounge area, enough to build the right ambiance, but not so many as to make it look like a funeral service.
So, it might be a date after all? Chloe pondered looking out into the terrace.
Realizing she was making herself a nervous wreck, she tried to keep her mind grounded. Okay, stop obsessing over it!
The setting sun could be discerned past the window panels during the short minutes before it faded behind the nearby mountains. As to the dinner table, it was impeccably set near the lit fireplace, down to the minutest detail. Had Lucifer set it himself, or did his staff take care of such tasks?
Another mystery for another time, she supposed.
One ballad faded into another one, and Wind of Change by Scorpions began seeping through the speakers, its whistling intro adding to the overall atmosphere.
"I must say, it's easy to unwind in a place like this," she said.
"Hard day at the office?" he asked, motioning for her to take a seat on the couch.
"Just hours and hours of going over truckloads of evidence," she sighed tiredly. "You sure know when to make yourself scarce."
Lucifer chuckled at that as he sat beside her. "An old devil's trick, I'm afraid."
"At least we had a chance to go over the official lab results." The thought of pages and pages of technical jargon was bringing about the headache she had been fighting since her meeting at the school earlier that afternoon.
"Far be it for me to question modern science, but I'm guessing the forensics report wasn't of that much help after all."
Chloe's brows drew together in wonder. "The lab found the skin sample from the affected area contained traces of an unidentifiable substance. So, yes, their findings came back inconclusive. How did you—?"
"Oh, just a hunch," he said, though the smug smile didn't quite reach his eyes. "Well, that settles that wager, I guess."
"What wager?"
"Let's just say Detective Douche is lucky to be in my good graces as of late," he shrugged, making Chloe look at him suspiciously. "How about the blood found on the note? The one with your name on it. Anything?"
"Apparently it belonged to the first victim," Chloe was a bit surprised he had remembered the forgotten note. "Ella found a small cut near the neck, not deep enough to puncture the carotid, or even cause significant hemorrhaging, but whoever used it to write the note must have done so while the body was still warm."
Lucifer nodded, dropped his gaze to his glass of wine and was pensive for a long moment.
"Detective, I know you might not want to hear it," he began, his voice quiet, "but I truly believe this case might be putting your life in grave danger."
"You think the note was a warning?" Her eyes studied his features in an attempt to read him. He looked genuinely concerned, though it was clear he was holding something back. After their last discussion on the matter, she couldn't really blame him. "Look, whatever it is you think is going on here, I will try to keep an open mind. And, yes, I know I got a little defensive last time."
"Oh, just a bit," he winced, drawing a chuckle out of her.
"But in my defense, you got a little intense too."
"Fair enough."
When he felt silent again, she reached out to touch his knee in hopes she could get him to open up to her. "Hey," she said softly. "We're partners. I'd really like you to share your thoughts with me."
His hand came to rest on top of hers, but he still refused to meet her gaze. Just when she thought he wasn't going to say anything, Lucifer began to speak.
"Their message has been clear," he said, his thumb grazing hers in a feathered caress. "They want me to go back. I just don't know what their motive could be. It's not like they have a stake in the matter anyway. I'm beginning to suspect there's someone else behind all this, someone using the shadows as a conduit."
"I don't understand. Who is this 'someone'? What 'shadows'? Where is it that 'they' expect you to go?"
Chloe was making a genuine effort to follow his train of thought, but what he was saying made no sense whatsoever. Still, she refused to react like she had last time, so she tried to keep an open mind and be there for him this time around, no matter how far down the rabbit hole his delusion went.
Lucifer appeared calm, but there was hidden disquiet laced in his tone when he spoke. "You'll never understand, Detective," he said hoarsely. "Not unless I show you."
Chloe had never seen him so hollow. It was as if he wanted to become a shell, a shadow of his normal self. She tried to grasp the meaning behind his words, but the more she pondered on them, the less she understood.
"Then show me," she whispered. "I want to understand."
He swallowed dryly a couple of times. Whatever was bothering him seemed to be deeply rooted. The tension was becoming palpable, to the point his anxiousness began rubbing off on her.
"You're scaring me, Lucifer," she said. "What is it? Please tell me."
He finally lifted his head to look at her, his expression unreadable, but making Chloe's stomach clench for some strange reason. He opened his mouth to say something, but no words came out as the words to one of Foreigner's most popular songs floated around them, wrapping them in its melody.
There's meltdown in the sky
Feels like the world upon my shoulders
Through the clouds I see them shine
It keeps me warm as life grows colder…
He set his barely touched glass of wine on the coffee table and stood up, extending a hand over to her.
"Dance with me first," he requested out of the blue.
He was obviously trying to summon up the courage he lacked, but his invitation took Chloe completely by surprise. She was paralyzed for a long moment, looking up at him with wide eyes before she could command her shaky legs to finally stand up. As she did, he brought her to him with a gentle tug, and she fell easily into his arms.
"Don't be so tense, Detective. I don't bite," he whispered into the crook of her neck. And, even though Chloe couldn't see his face, she had heard the smile in his voice.
"I'm actually more concerned about stepping on your toes," she said timidly. "Dancing is not really my thing."
His proximity was intoxicating, and she was suddenly very aware of the way his chest felt against her body, the faint scent of his cologne, the warmth of his breath on the skin of her neck every time he spoke.
"Just relax against me and I'll do the rest."
And so the music descended upon them.
I wanna know what love is
I want you to show me.
I wanna feel what love is
I know you can show me…
Their bodies swayed to the soft tune. Chloe held onto his shoulders, followed his movements effortlessly. She felt the soft fabric of his shirt against her cheek, his warm hands on her hips guiding her gently, the steady rise and fall of his chest.
The world around them gradually faded into a second plane. Nothing mattered outside of that moment.
"Why are you shaking?" he whispered.
Chloe lifted one shoulder in a mild shrug. "I don't know," she answered honestly. "I guess I'm a little scared."
Lucifer tensed almost imperceptibly. "Of me?"
"No," she said without hesitation. She felt her chest constrict with the intensity of her emotions. "Of what I'm beginning to feel for you."
She lifted her chin to look at him and those emotions began to overflow. They say the eyes are the windows to the soul, and she could see hers reflected in the dark depths of his.
I'm gonna take a little time, a little time to look around me,
I've got nowhere else to hide, and looks like love has finally found me…
Their lips gravitated towards each other's, meeting half way, barely touching in chaste kiss that made Chloe's entire world spin. It wasn't passionate, nor heated. It bared no resemblance to the one in her dream, was nothing like she had imagined it to be in the countless times she'd fantasized about that very moment. Its tenderness obliterated the barriers she had spent so many years erecting around herself.
Can't stop now, I've travelled so far to change this lonely life…
It was as if the ground had suddenly disappeared from under them and she was freefalling into a bottomless abyss, her stomach dropping with the sensation of a million butterflies fluttering inside it. But she wasn't afraid. She was suspended above time and space—with him.
And, at that very moment, she knew.
I wanna know what love is
I want you to show me.
I wanna feel what love is
I know you can show me…
They pulled apart slowly, almost reluctantly, just a brush away from each other, their hearts beating in tandem. Still in a daze, Chloe mouthed his name in a silent prayer.
When her eyes finally drifted open, her breath hitched deep within her throat.
[ ~ To Be Continued ~ ]