The ride back to the penthouse was quiet; and it was as much a comfortable silence as it was a heavy one. Everything that had happened in the last few hours, but also in the last few days, was hanging above them like a dark cloud and the brewing storm was inevitable. But at the same time, the silence was oddly comforting. Chloe's muscles were aching and even Lucifer, who healed supernaturally fast, was feeling pretty tired. And since the events of the past few hours (and days) could barely be put into words, they both needed to process it all on their own time.
Chloe briefly called Trixie, because after dying and coming back to life, she felt the need to hear her daughter's voice and get reassurance that her little girl was holding up okay, considering the circumstances. Her daughter was strong, she always had been, but her voice was thick with sadness and it broke Chloe's heart to hear that, because at the end of the day, she related to the pain her daughter was feeling right now: a deep loss that would never really go away again. Feelings the, albeit short, reunion with her father in heaven had only stirred up again.
And to top it all off, Dan wasn't even in heaven – a fact that might have brought her some comfort – but he was in hell, being tortured for all eternity. A tiny tear escaped her eye, which she immediately brushed away.
Back in the penthouse, they showered together, trying to wash away a little bit of the trauma that was going to haunt them for a long time. Lucifer gently whisked the blood off of Chloe's stomach, and as much as he wanted to be strong for her, silent tears were soon mixing with the hot water coming out of the shower. He still saw her getting killed and bleeding out in his arms and from all the horrific things he had seen over the millennia's – which were a lot, considering that he used to rule hell – this particular memory was the most gut-wrenching, heartbreaking one.
"I am okay. We are okay." Chloe whispered and cupped his face with her hands, forcing him to look her in the eyes, before resting her forehead against his. It was a small gesture of comfort, but ultimately one they both needed right about now.
After they had washed themselves and each other clean, they slipped into fresh and no longer bloody clothes. And throughout the whole process, they held onto the other one in some way or another, because they had almost lost each other twice today and it felt like the other one could disappear right in front of their eyes the second they would let go.
Lucifer then quietly offered her his hand, which she took without hesitation, and followed him to the bed. She relaxed into his embrace and the feeling of his warm body pressed against her own got her to sigh deeply. He had become her sanctuary, her safe place, and this time was no exception. She carefully intertwined her hands with his in front of her stomach, as she was feeling the desperate urge to touch him with every square of her body – and not in a sexy way, but in a comforting way. And so he simply held her.
Chloe slowly closed her eyes, hoping that maybe she could get some rest, but it all came rushing back in that moment. Dan's death. The celestial war. Her own death. Heaven. Her dad. Lucifer's death. Being resurrected. Lucifer becoming God. Had someone told her that this was gonna happen a few months ago, she would have laughed at the vivid imagination, because it was the stuff of crazy movies. But it was all very real. And it was her life.
With her fingertips she traced along that part of her stomach, where Zadkiel's stab had bored a hole into her just mere hours ago. But there wasn't even so much as a scratch to be felt under her fingertips. It was almost like it had never happened in the first place and she had no idea if that was a good or a bad thing. After all she had basically just died and been brought back to life, but aside from the soreness of her muscles, she didn't feel any different at all. And yet, everything was different.
A quiet sob escaped her mouth and Lucifer began to softly draw little circles on the back of her palm in a soothing motion. And as much as Chloe liked to be the strong, responsible one, right now she didn't feel strong at all. Lucifer scooted even closer, as far as that was even still possible, in an effort to assure her that he was right there and that right now, she didn't need to be the strong one.
And with that realization, the dam seemed to break. Chloe wordlessly turned in his arms and buried her face in his bare chest, as thick, salty tears began to stream down her face. It were tears of sadness, as she was stricken with grief over the death of Dan and what it was doing to her daughter, and tears of anger, because she hated that Dan was currently being tortured in hell. But at the same time, she was feeling a weird sense of relief. Relief, because Michael, who had brought so much pain to everyone, had finally been put in his place and she and Lucifer were both here right now. His warm breath against her neck was the constant reminder that they were indeed alive.
A few weeks back, when her ex Jed had been a part of their murder investigation, she had joked that "no one would go as far as killing someone just to be near her" and while there had definitely been irony in her voice, a part of her had meant it. In a less harmful version, it was the issue that had always come up when it came to her love life. Dan's focus had always been work and Pierce, well, she was trying really hard to forget about that debacle.
While Lucifer surely had his issues too, he loved her selflessly and if she was honest with herself, she had been blind not to see it. Not only had he gone to hell twice to save her life, but he had also gone to heaven to bring her back, very willingly sacrificing his own life in the process. So, that they were both here, after they had almost lost each other twice today, was a small miracle.
The feeling of Lucifer leaving little kisses on her hair and forehead in an attempt to comfort her, brought her back to reality. He hadn't said a single word, but he had simply held her, which was everything she needed right now. Laying in his strong arms with her face buried in his bare chest and his scent in her now slightly runny nose, she believed it to be the safest place on earth, nay, in the universe.
Chloe sobbed. "I am sorry," she mumbled and momentarily loosened her hold on him to grab a tissue and wipe her nose.
"You have absolutely nothing to apologize for," he whispered softly, while she placed his strong hands on her back again, already missing the comforting feeling of his touch. "If anybody should apologize, it's me."
"No, no, Lucifer. I already told you. I made my choice. And I am at peace with it. But that doesn't mean it's not a lot to deal with." Chloe replied. Her still teary eyes met his. "That was the craziest family reunion I have ever been a part of. I will give that to you."
"Fair enough." He chuckled. "But, for what it's worth, I really liked having you there by my side."
"I know. I heard you." she said and a soft smile tugged at her lips, when she remembered her last moment in heaven. The moment, where he had finally said those three little words, which she had believed to also be his last words. "But you know, it wouldn't hurt to hear it again."
"Oh?" he asked and teasingly brushed his nose against hers, before meeting her lips for a gentle kiss.
It was as innocent as their first kiss and yet as intimate as every kiss they had shared after. Even after their lips parted, their faces stayed only a few inches apart. With his chocolate brown eyes he studied her face. A small smile was gracing her features, as she looked at him with her ocean blue eyes full of hope, and wonder… and love. Love for him.
"I love you, Chloe. I thought I was incapable of love, but I couldn't have been more wrong. I have loved you for a long time. And I am sorry it took me so long to realize it."
His heartfelt confession caused that familiar flutter in her stomach; like a thousand butterflies were snapping their wings at the same time. "I love you too, Lucifer." she whispered then, as another tear escaped her eye. But this time, it was a happy tear.
He immediately wiped it away with his thumb, before their foreheads came to rest against each other's, both with their eyes closed. And for a while, they just laid there like that, appreciating the calm after the (first) storm and more importantly, the fact that they were both here and very much alive.
"What happens now?" she asked after a while, because as much as the question scared her, right now she felt pretty invincible.
"Well, it appears that I am the new God. And you are the new Goddess. If you want to be, that is."
"Of course I want to be, Lucifer." she whispered and she meant it. If she didn't, she never would have chosen to fight – and risk her own life – in the first place. "But what exactly does that mean?"
"Well, you are getting the once in a lifetime offer to continue working beside me," Lucifer quipped, a shit-eating grin on his face.
She rolled her eyes, but was only semi-successful when it came to hiding her smile. "No… I mean, I guess I am just…" she trailed off and stared with newfound fascination at the white dress shirt of his that she was wearing, while nervously wringing her hands together behind his neck. "Forget it."
"Come now, detective. I am not omniscient yet. You can't lead with that and then leave me in the unknown." he stated, clearly intrigued by the detective's sudden tentativeness.
"I guess I was just wondering if you putting your ring… on my ring finger… had any deeper meaning." she explained, not daring to look him in the eyes. Even if Lucifer had quite literally just made her the ultimate love confession by sacrificing his own life for hers, she still got nervous around him. It was silly really, but she couldn't help it.
"Well, in that moment, I thought that it would be the last time we would see each other, so I didn't think-"
"Yeah, you know, it's fine. You don't need to explain. I shouldn't have brought it up." Chloe interrupted him, not wanting to make the situation worse than it already was. But the sinking feeling in her stomach was soon replaced by confusion, when Lucifer started grinning like a cheshire cat. "What?" she asked and smacked him against the shoulder with her hand.
"You are cute when you are nervous," he replied, still wearing that smug grin, before his features visibly softened. "Detective, you didn't let me finish before. Yes, in that moment, I thought I was going to die. But I didn't." With his thumb he caressed her soft cheek. "I chose you, Chloe. And I am going to keep choosing you. So why not make it official… Mrs. G?"
A small smile formed on her face. "Okay," she whispered.
"Okay." he replied, before their lips met for another kiss. And in that moment, both of them knew that no matter what life would throw at them in the future, they would face it together.