A/N: I'm sorry, dear readers. I'm sure that most, if not all, have finished season 4. No spoilers here, no worries. Just wanting to give a heads up for why this chapter is the way it is. Let's just say, yours truly has a thing for the aggressive side of Lucifer. From episode one, my hormones and lady bits have been an absolute mess. The Devil's nectar might also play a role in this, but, let's be honest, how could we not be so fucking wound up from that?! Hm? Tell me…. Please.
Oh, also, for all my European friends, a fifth of liquor (standard bottle) is 750 mls. You're welcome ;)
Fridays were always days where Chloe decided if she was going to go into work that day or not. Unless she had a meeting, there wasn't much of a need for it, aside from having a space to work on her lesson plans and such without the distractions of home. She was going to stay home, enjoy a long weekend to herself before the typical meeting Monday morning. Her plans were derailed by a late-night email from the chairman (or to be PC about it, chairwoman) of her department, asking for a meeting regarding her class. She had to go to work that morning; hopefully that left the rest of her Friday and weekend completely free.
Chloe was sure that the Chair had found out about the almost-fight the day before and was going to reprimand her on her lack of control of the class. As a new faculty member, Chloe had unreasonable expectations for what should and shouldn't happen, and she knew that rowdy students meant a weak instructor. She had responded that same night, asking where the meeting was being held. The Chair responded immediately by stating it would be held in her office, since it was bigger. Chloe laughed at that. The chairwoman's office was much bigger than her own.
Bigger was not better, in this sense. More space meant more people. She was sure of it. She tried not to panic, but she really couldn't lose this job. If she didn't do this, and couldn't go back to being a cop, she had no idea what else she could do. Trixie would never forgive her if she went back to working for the LAPD. Sighing, she adjusted her sleek ponytail, straightening the black blazer she paired with medium-wash denim and a white shirt. Sensible, she was going for sensible, responsible, and professional.
She was off in her own world, the drive to campus and the half-mile trek from the parking garage to the Criminal Justice building were a blur. She had convinced herself that there was no way she would be fired over what had happened. No one got hurt, she had handled it. Yes, a student showed up completely fucked up, made a huge scene, pissed someone off, but that's it. Standing in front of Ms. Richard's office brought up feelings of doubt so quickly that she was glad she had skipped breakfast.
She knocked on the door, and upon hearing the muffled response to come in, she opened the doors and walked right it. She was shocked to see that Charlotte Richards was the only person in the room. She hid the instant relief she felt, wanting to appear as aloof to the meeting as she could.
"Good morning, Ms. Decker, thank you for coming without much notice," Charlotte greeted, standing up from her seat and leaning over the desk to shake Chloe's hand.
"Yes, of course," Chloe responded, accepting the curt shake before returning her hands to her sides. "Is there something I could help you with?" she asked, hoping to gauge the woman's reaction.
Charlotte smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes, she motioned for Chloe to sit in the one of the chairs in front of her desk, without saying a word. Chloe nodded and took a seat, waiting for her scolding. "Actually, this is about helping you," the taller woman insinuated, sitting into her plush leather chair, leaning back comfortably.
"Helping me?" Chloe asked, leaning forward in the chair as if getting closer would help her understand the statement.
"Yes, we're just waiting for one more person," Charlotte said, looking at her watch before tapping her pen on her desk. Chloe sat back in the chair once more, her hands pressed together between her thighs to warm them, anxiety setting in and pulling blood from her extremities. She took a calming breath, hardly hearing the office doors opening and closing again.
She opened her eyes carefully as she felt a presence sit in the chair next to her. As her lids revealed the long body sitting casually in the chair, her mouth parted in surprise. She made sure to close her mouth again before turning her attention to Charlotte.
"Thank you for coming in, Mr. Morningstar," Charlotte said plainly, motioning towards the new arrival in the room.
"Of course," he replied, smiling at her before turning in his seat towards Chloe. "Good morning, Professor," he greeted, an innocent grin spreading over his lips. He could see shock of his presence behind her calm features, and he knew he shouldn't feel as good about that as he did.
"Good morning, Lucifer," she greeted back, her right leg starting to bounce ever so slightly. She watched as his gaze went to her leg, his eyebrow barely raising before turning his eyes towards his hands resting on his knees. Chloe forced her leg to calm down, to hide the rush of unease coursing through her body. She had absolutely no idea why he would be here, why the Chair would need to meet with both of them. Unless someone had seen him get in her car; that would be cause for a meeting.
Chloe inwardly cursed herself for being so reckless, but she put on a carefree face as she looked calmly at Charlotte. "Mr. Morningstar, I'm aware that you are just coming in from work, so I'll try to make this quick," Charlotte started, folding her hands over her crossed legs. "As per my email, I asked if you felt you had the ability to add on an additional responsibility to your schedule."
"Yes, I recall," Lucifer said, nodding his head and glancing at Chloe quickly. He was doing his best to hide his eagerness. He was truly curious about her reaction to this. He wondered if she would be angry, or if she would be accepting of this partnership.
"Ms. Decker," she said, getting the other woman's attention before continuing. "As I said moments ago, this meeting is about helping you." She finished, watching as Chloe nodded her head, sitting silently. "So, to help you, I've assigned Mr. Morningstar as your TA for the semester."
"I'm sorry, what?" Chloe blurted out before thinking. Upon seeing Charlotte's taken-aback expression, she cleared her throat and shifted in her seat. "It's just, I didn't know I needed a TA," she stated, stretching her hands before replacing them between her thighs. This time, she could see Lucifer observing her. He really was completely shameless about staring.
"Well, you are a first-year instructor," Charlotte cited, gesturing as she spoke with one of her hands. "It couldn't hurt to have an extra hand or two to help with more menial tasks." She gave Lucifer a short smile before looking back towards Chloe for a response.
"I thought TAs weren't actually in your class," Chloe stated, clearing her throat before swallowing down her confusion. "You know, as a student."
"Well, all of the other TAs for the department have been assigned, and Mr. Morningstar here is the only graduate level student in your class," she retorted, pointing towards Lucifer without looking at him. "Although it is not typical, the department and I have found it to be acceptable, as long as Mr. Morningstar does not help grade any of his own work." Charlotte could see the figurative cogs working in Chloe's mind, trying to piece together the prospect of a not-so-usual arrangement. "Ms. Decker, I'm sure you'll find this to be a mutually beneficial partnership."
Chloe could see Lucifer shift in his seat to face her more, a small smirk on his lips as he watched her, waiting for her to say something. "How so? This seems like more work for him." Chloe questioned, keeping her gaze forward and off of the man next to her.
"It will look good on my résumé," Lucifer quipped in an annoyingly pleased manner. "And as Ms. Richards said, you'll have an extra hand or two to assist you in whatever you might need." He tilted his head to the side a little, a pointed expression on his face, but his eyes shone with something else. Hope.
All Chloe could do was sit in the chair, completely dumbfounded. She had not been expecting this when she came in this morning. "Sure, okay," she said, speaking mostly to herself and nodding her head. She wondered why all of the weird shit always happened to her. She also wondered how she was going to make it through class planning sessions with a ridiculously infuriating, but charming, assistant. Especially one that had the ability to crawl under her skin with dangerous fascination.
"Excellent," Charlotte exclaimed, standing from her overly-comfortable office chair. "I appreciate you two coming in. I'm sure this will a rewarding arrangement," she finished, holding her hand out to Chloe to shake. Chloe accepted her hand, giving a firm shake before walking towards the office doors. Lucifer quickly took a few steps to open the doors for her, smiling down at her as she quickly ducked under his arm.
"Mr. Morningstar, a moment?" Charlotte asked, raising her eyebrow as Chloe walked out of the open doors. She watched Lucifer give the other woman a small smile before walking back towards the desk, leaving the door ajar.
"Yes, Ms. Richards," he addressed, hands going in his pockets, his face more serious than it was moments ago.
"I hope you remember my end of the bargain," she told him, bringing a hand up to play with the top button of his shirt. "That you keep your end, as well," she warned him, tugging on the fabric and jarring him a little before smoothing the wrinkles she made.
"My word is my bond," he replied with a slight bow, turning away from her and closing the doors behind him. Charlotte smiled to herself, the rush from bending the rules here was almost as good as it had been in her law firm. Sometimes she missed it, but she hoped her weekly randevu with a young stud could give her enough excitement to keep her on a slightly straighter path.
After closing the doors, Lucifer caught sight of Chloe standing by the stairs, running a hand over the top of her head, looking positively flustered. If he had been any other person, he might have blushed, but this was the desirable effect. Even if she didn't immediately want to jump him, at least he seemed to make her nervous. He could work with that.
He could see the uncertainty on her features, even while she tried to hide it behind a grin. She barely acknowledged his reappearance by her side as she descended down the stairs towards the atrium. They were silent on their way down, taking each step at a languid pace in order to digest the information. She was already have a difficult time keeping things completely professional between them; having to spend even more time with him would make it harder, especially since he seemed to hurdle over boundaries like a damn Olympic athlete.
"So, you work nights?" Chloe's question broke the silence as he opened the building's door for her, letting her walk out before following behind her.
"Yeah, three to four times a week," he replied, unbuttoning the cuffs of his shirt to start rolling the sleeves up his forearms as soon as the southern California sun hit his skin.
"What do you do?" Chloe asked, her strides were short and fast to match his long, slow ones. It was the annoying bit about walking next to tall me, you always had to try to look like you weren't running to keep up.
"I perform at this insanely pretentious club," he replied, a little bit of contempt in his tone.
"Oh," Chloe said shortly, her gaze going straight to the ground, pressing her lips together tightly. She tried to get the picture of him performing out of her head. He gave her a confused glance, seeing that her eyes were a little wide and her head tilted to the side slightly.
"I'm not a stripper," he teased, smirking at her sigh of relief from the awkwardness she apparently felt. He didn't try to stop the chuckle that escaped his chest, shaking his head at her when she gave him an embarrassed smile. "Musical performer."
"Oh, okay," she said with a huff, rolling her eyes at herself. "What do you play?"
"Piano, guitar, I'll sing, from time to time" he answered, tucking his hands into his pockets. "If I'm feeling frisky, a little of all three," he added, leaning in her direction.
"Quite the showman, huh?" she joked, the words out of her mouth before she remembered who she was talking to. She closed her eyes and sighed, waiting for whatever racy response he had for her.
"Oh, you have no idea," he teased, his elbow barely brushing against her upper arm. "I'm definitely more than a one-trick pony," he finished, laughing as her eyes went wide. "I'm sorry, but I've been dying to say that, and you set it up perfectly for me."
"Yep, guess I walked right into that one," she replied sarcastically, playing with her hands in front of her. She stopped at her familiar office door, catching Lucifer by surprise as he almost walked right past her.
Lucifer hadn't even realized that was the direction they were going. It only took a few minutes to get to that wing from the main department building. He put his hands in his pockets, slightly disappointed that their productive stroll was, clearly, finished. "So, since you've had no time to prepare for this, I doubt you have anything for me to help with."
"No, I don't," she agreed with a smile, taking in his suddenly uncomfortable appearance. "I'm about to go through my stuff and see what I can give you, so why don't you go home, get some sleep, and we can meet up later?" she suggested, shrugging her shoulders. "That is, if you don't have class or work later." She watched as his eyes lit up briefly before returning to their normal dark state.
"Nope, I am all yours tonight," he joked, giving her his best smile before placing his hands on his hips. "So, yours or mine?" He raised his eyebrows, waiting for her to respond.
Chloe furrowed her brows in confusion before his question finally hit her. "Neither, Lucifer. We're not meeting at each other's homes. We'll meet here," she finished pointing to her office.
Lucifer smiled and nodded, holding his hands up in defeat. "As you wish. What time shall we cram ourselves into your tiny office then?" He jutted his chin out slightly, knowing exactly what he had just done. He could see her mind realizing that her office would put them in close proximity, very private, close proximity. He was fine with that.
Chloe pressed her lips together, the thought of her office being small had completely left her when she made the suggestion, but she was not going to his apartment, and he was definitely not coming to her house. Nope. Not when her neighbors would be wondering when she became a cougar with a Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome. "I'm not sure yet," she winced out, scrunching up her face and tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "Maybe I can just email you or something later, I don't know, I don't have your number so," she started trailing off when she looked up at him smiling in amusement.
Without saying a word, Lucifer fished a pen out of his pocket, popping the cap off between his teeth, he held the small piece of plastic there as he grabbed her wrist, gently pushing the sleeve of her blazer up a few inches, the pen balancing between his pointer and middle fingers. He looked in her eyes, seeing surprise and interest swimming in them before averting his gaze towards the delicate joint in his hand. His thumb brushed over her pulse as he brought the tip of the pen down to the inside of her forearm, neatly scribbling a number. He swallowed down the sigh that wanted to escape at the feel of her warm skin under his fingers. He could smell the dissipating scent of her perfume from her wrist; warm vanilla, crisp pear, and wild rose.
"There," he said, gently releasing her wrist and pulling the cap out from between his teeth before returning the pen to his pocket. He tried to discreetly adjust himself after getting half-hard from the feel of her skin and the scent of her perfume. "Now you have my number, on a safe place. I couldn't begin to count the times I've lost a number written on my palm."
"Ah, I see," Chloe said, scrunching her nose, slightly perturbed with herself for finding that as charming as she did. She was glad that no one was walking around outside, but she was sure he wouldn't have done anything that bold with an audience. Well, maybe he wouldn't have done that with an audience. "Okay, so I guess I'll text you later on a time." Her eyes were wide as she reached up and placed a hand on the door to her office.
Lucifer took the hint, dipping his head just slightly before taking a single step backwards. "Sounds great," he said, smiling and turning to walk back towards the parking garage Maze dropped him off in earlier. "Have fun gathering a bunch of work for me," he joked, taking slow, languid steps.
"I promise it won't be too much," Chloe called out to him, getting her keys out of her bag to unlock her office. She didn't notice him turn his head in her direction as she turned the key in the lock.
"No worries, Professor. I'll take whatever load you give me," he yelled out over his shoulder. There were a few passersby who gave him a weird look, but he paid them no mind. He didn't look back to see her, but he knew she would have looked completely horrified by his response. He continued the decently long walk back to his car, groaning to himself when he realized he had forgotten to ask about his flask. He could get it later.
Chloe was, in fact, horrified. She gave the faculty members who conveniently walked by as Lucifer yelled back to her a huge smile, laughing it off. They two people gave her a confused and bothered look before talking amongst themselves again. Chloe rolled her eyes at their pompousness once their backs were towards her before throwing herself into her office. She was going to kill him. She laughed lightly, wanting to kill his just as much as she wanted to play along with the flirting and shove him in the arm. Sighing, she shook her head, getting frustrated that she actually did want to play along.
She walked around her desk and sat down, pulling out her lap top from her bag opening it. Looking at the course schedule, syllabus, and lesson plans for anything that she could possibly give Lucifer to do. In all actuality, she really didn't need the help, however, if this was actually beneficial for him, as he said it was, then she wouldn't tell Charlotte Richards she didn't need him. If she were completely honest with herself, she wasn't disappointed with getting more time with him. He genuinely made her smile, and very few people were able to do that. There was that connection she felt the night he defended her. She still remembered the way she clutched to his hands, pressing them harder into her face, seeking out the warmth and security he was emanating.
Maybe that's what she was looking for. Maybe she just wanted to be around him because he made her feel safe. It wouldn't be that surprising, and it would make total sense. No one knew about all the details from her attack many months ago, the one that hospitalized her for a while. The weight of carrying around a secret like that had crumbled her, and she knew that Lucifer was carrying a weight of his own. Perhaps it was just kindred spirits seeking comfort without even knowing it.
Chloe shook herself from her thoughts, not wanting to go even deeper than she had. Going through the course information, she figured the class was ready for a quiz, or some method of testing their knowledge. She wasn't a huge fan of paper tests, not when it came to investigation. However, they would need to learn how handle all of the paperwork if any of them actually went into law enforcement. Lucifer could, probably, provide some feedback on what would be a good way of testing the class. He was, probably, the smartest one in the class, and not just because he was older. He seemed to have an intelligence and experience of someone far surpassing him in years. An old soul.
She felt herself bite her lip subconsciously and she instantly released the flesh from her teeth. Taking a calming breath, she lifted her hip and grabbed her phone from her back pocket. She opened up a new message screen, shaking her sleeve back to reveal his number. She had to give it to him, he wrote impeccably well for a man. Neat, small, and sharp. She placed his number into the recipient box, creating the new contact. She was conflicted for what to put for the name, just Lucifer or Lucifer Morningstar. She went with the latter and moved on to the message space. It was time to fight how to introduce herself. She contemplated just going with her name, starting with professor or not. Professor Chloe Decker, Professor Decker? Finally, she just went with professor Decker, since he just called her Professor all the time anyways. She would never admit it, but she liked how he said her title; the way the bland word was given new life rolling off his accented tongue.
Chloe: Lucifer, this is Professor Decker. Would 5:00 pm this evening work for you?
She typed the message quickly, reading it over a few times to make sure she didn't type anything incorrectly. Autocorrect was not her friend. She looked at the time on her phone; it was only 10:00 am, so she hoped that would be plenty of time for him to sleep and get himself ready. She didn't have Trixie that night, so it would be fine to meet later, if needed. Less than a minute later, she felt her phone vibrate in her hand, the little blue light flashing signaling a new message.
Lucifer: Perfect. I'll see you later, Professor.
His message was short and simple. She wasn't sure what she had been expecting, but it was definitely racier than what she received. She thought about replying, but decided against it, thinking that leaving it at that would be for the best. She collected her devices and left her office, locking the door and walking towards the parking garage. She had plenty of time to go back home for it to be worth the traffic-filled drive. She wasn't sure what she would do once home, maybe take a nap, maybe clean like she really needed to do. Whatever she ended up doing, it would help keep her mind off of spending time with her student-now-assistant.
He had been just walking into his apartment when he received her message. He laughed at how professional she was, but he had expected nothing less. He closed the door behind him with his foot as he typed out his reply, leaving it tame on purpose. He knew his remark as he walked away from her had not just been heard by her, and he knew that she was probably embarrassed by it. He plugged his phone into the charger once he realized she wasn't going to send him another message.
Lucifer went about the normal activities of drinking a bottle of water, chasing that down with two fingers of whiskey and toast. As he undressed, he grabbed the wad of twenties out of his pocket and placed it on the nightstand. One of the perks of working in an upscale club was that the tips were upscale, as well. He saw the hundred dollar bill mixed with the twenties, remembering the middle-aged Tech CEO that had given it to him to sing some cheesy ballad for the man's twenty-something date.
He showered quickly, considered jerking off, but realized that he couldn't be bothered at this point. After quickly pulling on a pair of briefs, he slipped into bed, remembering to set an alarm on his phone to give himself plenty of time to get to his meeting with Chloe. He liked hearing that in his head. He liked knowing he would be seeing her more often, even if he had to manipulate it slightly. Like with everything else in his mind, he pushed those thoughts aside and let himself go numb to fall asleep.
Lucifer woke up half an hour before his alarm was to go off. He decided to use the extra time to pick up something to eat, something to share with the Professor, on his was to campus. He knew exactly what he would get, figuring she was someone that would appreciate the simplicity of his choice. Well, he would make two stops on his way, but the second stop wouldn't take long. He got up and dressed in black slacks and black button-up, sleeves rolled up to just below his elbows. He left his hair untouched and grabbed his glasses, smokes, and keys off of the kitchen counter before leaving his apartment, ignoring the small skip in his step as he walked down the stairs towards his car.
Chloe straightened her clothes and hair before heading towards her door. She had made no progress in cleaning her house, but she did manage to watch TV and take a nap. Just as she was grabbing her belongings, her phone made the quiet bing sound. She looked down and saw his name on the screen, a small message left.
Lucifer: Have you eaten?
Chloe: No.
She looked down at the screen confused, only just realizing that she should have probably thought about eating during her down time. Her phone went off again, pulling her out of her thoughts.
Lucifer: Excellent. Don't.
Lucifer: You're not lactose intolerant or anything are you?
She laughed as the second message came almost immediately after the first. Who knew someone as reckless as him could be that thoughtful? She thought that, but, at the same time, she absolutely no idea what to expect from him.
Chloe: No, I'm not.
Lucifer: Okay, I'll see you soon.
With that, she left her house, figuring she had plenty of time to get back to her office before he made it. After all, there was over an hour before they were supposed to meet. The drive up was quiet, traffic being heavier than usual. She really hoped that she would get there in time. It would look horrible to be late to a meeting that she arranged.
Chloe made it back to campus with very few minutes to spare. There had been an accident on the interstate, a pretty bad one, and she had stopped to talk to one of the officers she recognized on-scene. She walked as quickly as she could from the parking garage without looking like one of those ridiculous power-walkers in the mall. As she rounded the corner, she could see the unmistakable form leaning against the wall by her office door. He was a length of all black, casually bracing himself on the wall, one hand holding up a lit cigarette to his mouth, the other by his side holding two bags. She noticed he had his glasses on again. He was one of those people that looked just as good with glasses on as they did with them off. Damn.
As she walked closer, he turned his head towards her direction. He pushed himself off of the wall, flicking the cigarette away and giving her his best smile. She gave him an annoyed look, reaching out towards the door with keys in hand. "You're not supposed to smoke this close to a building," she warned, twisting until she felt the click of the lock.
"Oh, are you going to arrest me?" he mocked, bending down towards her level. Chloe scoffed, walking into the small room without looking back at him. "Please? It's been a while since a woman has bent me over and cuffed me," he added with a smirk, walking in behind her and closing the door.
"Ew, gross," she whispered, pretending to shudder as she turned around at the sound of the door closing. She thought about telling him to open it, but she didn't. The door should be open, she thought. Right? This wasn't like in high school; they were both adults, both adults expected to not engage in any inappropriate activities. She could do that. She caught him watching her as she stared at the door, so she averted her gaze towards the bags he placed on her desk. "So, what's in the bags?"
He found her gross comment to be endearing; it was better than looking at him in disgust. He just wanted to make her wonder. He watched as she sat down, eyeing the bags in front of her, tilting her head to try and take a peak. "Well, I'm absolutely famished, and one of my favorite things about living in America is the never-ending supply of greasy food," he began, reaching in and pulling out four paper-wrapped squares with oil stains. He reached in again and pulled out a large, overflowing carton of fries. "Grilled cheese and chips, or fries, as you call them," he said, using an American accent to describe the fried potatoes.
Chloe opened her mouth and looked at the feast before her. She was so surprised he had brought this, not only was it one of her favorite meals, but it came from the same diner she always get hers from. "They don't have grilled cheese in England?" she asked, smiling at him. She watched as he placed a large quantity of napkins on the desk before sitting down, the smaller bag still sitting on the surface.
"They do, but not like this," he replied, grabbing one of the sandwiches and handing it to her. She gladly accepted it, taking in the sheer weight of carbs and fat. Oh, yes. "This, is pure indulgence," he finished, hastily unwrapping the sandwich and taking a large bite. He closed his eyes and groaned, chewing slowly as he savored the bite. Chloe tried not to think about the way that sound sent a shiver down her spine, making certain places twitch with interest.
"Thank you," she said softly, swallowing her first bite down. "I love these, they're the best." She could see his expression soften at her words. She figured someone like him would be praised for all sorts of things, but the way he sincerely seemed happy that she enjoyed what he bought was heartwarming. He was an enigma and she was interested to learn more about him.
"What's not to love about a warm, gooey center?" he asked with a smirk, all softness smoothing away as he took another bite directly from the center where cheese was oozing out between the bread.
"Does everything you say have to be an innuendo?" she asked incredulously, watching as he licked his thumb in a tantalizing way.
"I was just talking about a sandwich, Professor," he gasped, feigning offense. "Get your mind out of the gutter." He chuckled at little before popping the rest of the sandwich into his mouth. He reached out and grabbed a few fries from the communal pile, tossing them all in at the same time.
"Yeah, okay," she laughed, wishing she could kick him through the desk. "So, what's in that one?" she inquired, pointing her pinky towards the brown bag as she took another generous bite.
"I'm glad you asked," he jeered, lifting himself slightly to grab the bottle out of the bag. Chloe stopped mid-chew as he placed the glass back onto her desk, tossing the paper bag on the ground with the other. "Just something to wash down all the fatty goodness." He sat back in his chair, folding his hands in his lap, waiting for her response.
"What kind of person drinks whisky with their grilled cheese?" she exclaimed, tilting her head in his direction, astonished. That really wasn't the question here, but she was just flabbergasted with his food and beverage combinations.
"What kind of person doesn't?" he demanded, scrunching his face in playful confusion as he went for another grilled cheese. He used his pointer finger to press his glasses back up his nose as gracefully as someone would tuck hair behind their ear. She made a mental note to scratch her thought earlier: he might just look even better with glasses on.
"Everyone else!" she nearly yelled, trying to not let the grease from the cheese get all over her mouth as she smiled at him. She couldn't believe he was actually serious. He may have been flirty, but she could tell he really did intend to drink whiskey with their meal.
"Well, I guess not is as good a time as any for you to learn this now. I'm not like everyone else," he stated matter-of-factly. He makes a show of grabbing the bottle, unscrewing the lid and bringing it up to his lips. Holding her gaze, he lightly tips the bottle and lets the liquid glug twice before replacing the cap and licking away the drops of amber liquid from his lips.
"Okay, fair enough," she conceded, watching him unwrap his second sandwich with practiced precision. If she really thought about it, conversation came easy with him. They would fall into rhythms of talking and silence fluidly. There were not awkward moments, no time waiting for the other to speak. Just comfortable interaction.
"Try it," he suggested, nodding his head towards the bottle on the desk. He chewed with a small smirk on his lips, almost as if he were daring her to do it.
"I'm at work, we're supposed to be working, not drinking," she reminded him, grabbing a few fries for herself before Lucifer managed to eat all of them. She appreciated a man that could eat a lot, it always gave her the ability to eat as much as she wanted without feeling weird about it.
Lucifer took another small bite, half-way through the grilled cheese before setting it down on the desk. He narrowed his eyes before pushing the bottle slightly towards her. "Technically, these aren't your working hours, this is just a casual meeting," he remarked, moving forward in the chair so he could rest his forearms on the desk. His new position put them in closer proximity, and he could almost feel tension stringing between them. "I promise, I don't mind, Professor," he added, tilting his face down so she was met with his puppy-dog eyes.
She sighed, finishing her sandwich and balling up the paper. "I don't have a cup," she admitted quietly, doing whatever she could to get out of his request.
"I've had all my shots," he assured her, glancing at the bottle before returning his dark brown eyes to hers. "Come on, be a little rebellious.
Chloe studied him for a moment before licking her lips. She shook her head, leaning forward and grabbed the bottle off of the desk. She unscrewed the lid, bringing it up to her lips before lowering it slightly. "I'm doing this just because I'm curious to see if it actually goes well with grilled cheese," she explained, taking a small sip from the bottle. The familiar warmth burned down her throat, but it wasn't unpleasant. Strangely, the smokiness of the whiskey paired well with the cheese, almost tasting like the delicious burnt cheese edges on the sandwich. "Okay, you might be on to something there," she admitted softly, trying to wipe the grin from her lips.
Lucifer laughed, leaning forward to grab the bottle from her hand. His fingertips just barely brushed over her knuckles, but it was enough to send a jolt of electricity through his arm. He took a deep breath before placing the rim of the bottle against his lips. He let his tongue rest along the glass, swearing he could taste her lips as swallowed the liquor down. "I don't lie, Professor," he reminded, taking another sip before placing the bottle down.
She let them sit in their comfortable silence as she ate the remainder of the fries. Lucifer finished the last grilled cheese, gathering all of the greasy paper into one of the bags. Both he and Chloe had taken a few more swigs from the bottle, Chloe being very conscious of how much she sipped. He found it cute that she took the smallest sip, but he enjoyed that she was comfortable enough around him to let loose. The hour and a half they had been eating and "drinking" had gone by quickly, and no mention of class had happened.
Suddenly, as if his thoughts about it set an alarm off in her head, she quickly shuffled around and grabbed her laptop. "Okay, so, I was trying to go through and find something to give you, and I just couldn't really think of anything yet," she told him, her fingers dancing over the mouse pad. "However, I did want your input on how I could test the class on what we've already covered." She had hoped the transition into actual work-talk would have been smoother, but, she was never one to be smooth.
"Well, so far we've covered basic protocol and procedure, as well as hierarchy," he listed, fingers playing along the neck of the bottle. "So, you could present a scenario and have the class write up how they would go about the scene."
"Like have them write down the proper order of procedure, starting at securing the scene," Chloe stated, thinking of what could be a good scenario to start with.
"Exactly," Lucifer quipped, slumping down in his seat slightly. "You could even just go around, randomly picking some poor soul and asking them what the next step is." His suggestion wasn't bad. They hadn't gone over much, and a quick back-and-forth would provide Chloe some insight into the listening skills of the students. Including Lucifer. Regardless of his new position, he would need to be tested, as well. "Think of it as oral participation points."
There was a few seconds of silence before Lucifer burst out in quiet laughter. Chloe rolled her eyes at him, scoffing as she typed the idea down into her notes. "You just can't help yourself, can you?" she asked, huffing out a short chuckle.
Lucifer leaned forward, scooting even closer to her desk so that his elbows were pressing into the wood. He shifted his body up so that he could peer over her screen, placing a single finger on the top of the device. "You can go ahead and give me an A for that," he said lowly, making eye contact with her. "If I recall, you witnessed some of my oral participation already."
Chloe's mouth fell open at his words. Of course she remembered what he was referring to. How could she not? One of the first times she had even seen him and she watched him go down on some girl in the classroom. That scene alone forced an insane dream into her head, one she had trouble fighting often. "Yeah, nice try," she smirked, watching as he leaned back into his chair, very pleased with himself for that. "You're not getting off that easy."
"Oh, I never do," he joked back, laughing as she covered her face with her hands before sighing. She was a lot of fun to joke around with. She didn't take him too seriously, so it never got to the point of too uncomfortable. Just enough to keep them both on edge.
"Anyways," she interjected loudly, closing her lap top, running her hands along the smooth surface. "Now that we've spent all of five minutes on work stuff. I have nothing else," she admitted, placing her computer back in her bag.
A wave of anxiety washed over him. He didn't want to go back to his apartment. He didn't want to have to go out and look for company to keep him occupied. He had thoroughly been enjoying himself just sitting here and talking with Chloe. He wasn't having to perform or do any strenuous activity to earn the attention of others. He was simply sitting and talking, and he had her full attention. He shifted in his chair, the faint sound of keys jingling in his pocket gave him an idea.
"Do you have anywhere you have to be right now?" He inquired hopefully. He watched her eyebrows twitch slightly, as if in thought. She shook her head, scrunching he nose in wonder. "Good, because I don't know about you, but I really don't want to go home just yet."
Chloe opened her mouth to speak but quickly closed it. She wanted to tell him that their work was done, but she couldn't. Not with that hopeful gleam in his eyes. She should have said she needed to go home, but she didn't. Maybe it was the whiskey, although she hadn't really had that much to drink. Maybe it was just making her stop fighting herself. Truth be told, she didn't want to go home to her empty house either. Without Trixie around, it was too quiet, and it left her inner thoughts ringing in her ears as she tried to entertain herself until she fell asleep.
"What did you have in mind?" she questioned with a sigh, just hoping he would reply with something that didn't involve sexual activity.
Lucifer grinned ear to ear, feeling as if he won something. "It's a secret," he stated, standing up from the chair, smoothing down his slacks. "Come on, follow me," he ordered, motioning with his hands for her to follow.
"It better not be anything illegal," she warned, grabbing her bag and walking out of the office after he opened the door for her.
"No law-breaking, I promise," he insisted, closing her door and listening for the click of the lock. He walked next to her, occasional pressing his hand at her elbow to get her to turn or shift directions when needed. It was such a light touch, but he could feel her tense every time he did it. He hoped that it was good tension, and not stiffness brought on by discomfort. It wasn't too long of a walk, and luckily all the evening classes were still in, so the campus was relatively empty, only the occasional passerby who paid them no mind. Where he was taking he was a bold move, but he figured go big or go home, literally.
"Lucifer, I'm pretty sure breaking into the campus pool is actually against the law," she whispered, watching as he fiddled with the lock on the doors to the aquatics athletic center. When she had agreed to follow him, she had no idea where he was taking her. For all she knew, he was taking her somewhere secluded to kill her. Showing up at the door to the pool had not even been in her thoughts.
Lucifer turned the lock, enjoying the satisfying click as he watched Chloe's face return to her annoyed expression. "Technically, it's only breaking the law if you don't have a key," he chimed, holding up the small golden key as he opened the door for her. She narrowed her eyes, looking him over suspiciously before moving inside.
"Right, so who on the girl's swim team did you have to convince to give that to you?" Chloe asked, huffing out a small chuckle as she took in the quiet atmosphere of the place. Dim lights provided enough visibility to see everything easily. She could feel his presence behind her, standing close, almost too close, the smell of him effortlessly permeating her senses.
"Who said it was the girl's team, Professor?" Lucifer asked, winking before walking past her towards the pool entrance. Chloe stood still, her mouth slightly ajar as she watched him walk down the hall. His slacks and shirt hugged perfectly, leaving little to the imagination, but at the same time making her want to know exactly what was underneath. As she followed him, she wondered if he was serious about the boy's team comment. She had assumed, from what she saw and heard, he slept with girls, women, but she hadn't really sensed that he slept with men, too. Not that it bothered her. It was 2019, after all, sexual fluidity was more accepted now than it ever had been. She guessed she was more taken aback by his comment; by his willingness to admit that. She respected that.
"Okay, I get it. We're being bad," she mocked, holding her hands up in the air before slapping them down onto the sides of her thighs. "Lucifer, what are we doing here?" Once they were behind the doors, the smell of chlorine was prominent. It had been a while since she had been to an indoor pool, and she remembered why. It was stuffy, the chemical smell definitely not helping.
"Well, isn't it obvious, Professor?" he asked, walking a few feet away from her, standing closer to the edge of the pool, the lights under the water shining up and reflecting along his jawline. "We're going for a swim." He watched as her brain registered his words before her features took on a look of total shock. He suppressed a chuckle as he lifted his hands and started to work on the buttons of his shirt.
"You can't be serious?!" she exclaimed, watching as he unbuttoned his shirt with expert precision, inhaling sharply and fighting the urge to bite her bottom lip as he shrugged out of the fabric, kicking out of his shoes. She should have turned around, but she didn't. She didn't want to.
"Oh, come on," he teased, tossing his shirt to the side, far enough away from the edge of the pool to not get wet, working his belt undone. He removed his glasses and carefully threw them on top of the shirt. "I know it's nothing you haven't done before." With that, he dropped his slacks, bending down to pick them up from around his ankles and peeling off his socks, all while keeping his eyes on hers. Chloe took deep, even breaths as she strained to keep her eyes on his, not letting them roam the length of his body like she wanted to. She could see out of her peripheral the hard lines and curved edges of his long frame, taking in the toned arms and legs as he moved.
He tossed his pants to the side, as well, the belt buckle clicking against the cement. He stood tall and proud in front of her in only his very form-fitting boxer briefs. She knew he saw her eyes look down for a fraction of a second, but he said nothing, only smirked. "Lucifer, that was a movie," she said, her eyes wide, crossing her arms over her chest. "From sixteen years ago." She tried not to let it bother her that the man standing in only his underwear had been a young boy sixteen years ago.
"From what I can tell," his voice came out an octave lower, tongue running along his bottom lip as he raised an eyebrow, obviously eyeing her from head to toe. "You've still got it." His accent made him pop the sound of the last t, and that sent a shiver down her spine. He really could get away with a lot with that voice of his.
"That's not the issue here," she scolded, looking around when her voice came out louder than she anticipated. He chuckled at that, enjoying how hard it was for her to do something even the least bit rebellious. "It's us, me and you, together, here!" she yelled in a whisper, pointing her hand frantically between the two of them. "And you like that!" she exclaimed again, moving her arms to motion both hands towards him.
He wore a full-on smirk as he slowly backed towards the pool. "So, I'm guessing both of us being like this is off the table?" he mocked, watching her roll her eyes, trying to hide the grin on her lips. "Suit yourself," he said, turning his back and taking the last few steps to jump into the cool water.
She was stunned when he turned, taken completely off guard by what she saw. He looked so perfect from the front, nothing out of place, but when he turned, and she saw his back for a few seconds, her mouth fell open. Long lines, both jagged and neat, crossed over the plane of his back, some dark and raised while others were lighter in color and more superficial. Those marks had to be scars, they looked too healed to be anything recent.
She heard a second splash signaling his resurfacing from under water. The edge of the pool was almost at the water-line, making it easy to see him from her short distance away. Hair clung to his forehead as he shook excess water from his locks. He rested with his arms crossed over the edge, his smile fading from his lips once he caught her expression.
He wasn't surprised. It's not like he tried to hide it by walking backwards like an idiot. The scars were a part him, part of the man he was now, and he wasn't ashamed of them. They told a story, one that he never shared with anyone other than Maze. He left it up to people to decide what they were. More than half the time, no one seemed to notice them, and if they did, they didn't care enough to ask.
"We all have a past, Professor," he stated, breaking the silence. She could tell by his tone that he wasn't wanting to talk about it, but he was insinuating that everyone had secrets that people didn't know about. He spoke as if he knew what had happened to her, as if something similarly traumatic had happened to him. She didn't know how he knew that, but she was sure he was aware of something.
"Yeah, I guess we do," she replied softly, taking a step closer. She wasn't sure why she took another step, but she was beginning to feel awkward just standing there. She toed out of her boots, bending down to take her socks off and stuff them into her shoes. She looked up to see Lucifer watching her in awe. "Don't tell me you have a thing for feet," she groaned, her hands resting on the hem of her jeans.
"No more than the next man," he answered, watching as she started to peel the denim up over her shins. "Knees on the other hand," he sighed, trailing off his words with a moan. The horrified expression on her face made him laugh, water sloshing around him. "I'm kidding."
"Sure you are," she huffed out, cautiously eyeing him as she walked to the edge and sat down in a dry spot. She dipped her feet in, enjoying the refreshing sensation after having her boots on for a while. "So why here?" she probed, kicking her feet lightly in the water. "You had to know that I wouldn't strip down and get in."
"I like coming here when it's empty," he replied, moving closer to her, his arms still resting on the edge. "Being in the water makes you feel weightless, as if you leave all your worries with your clothes before jumping in." He motioned with his hand as if his digits were a small person jumping into the water. The action, along with his wet hair, made him look younger, far less experienced in life than he actually was.
Chloe studied him as he spoke. She hadn't expected an explanation like that. She had expected him to say something about the joys of pool sex, but not something so profound. "Yeah, I get that." She agreed, her hands on either sides of her thighs, holding on to the edge.
"Seemed like you could kind of use that, too," he expressed sincerely, a small smile forming on the corner of his lips. He had moved as close to her as he could without pressing himself against her. Occasionally, he could feel her ankle brush his ribs when she mindlessly swung her feet. Every time he felt that soft brush, his heart would skip a beat. He was in way over his head with this one. He had to forcibly will himself to keep his cock at bay. He was frustrated with himself for being like a virgin again, getting excited by minimal amounts of skin and touch.
"Hey," she called, shifting her hand over a few inches to bump against his arm. His gaze went from her hand, up her arm, to finally land on her face. The way the lights from under the water lit up her blue eyes made them look like moving pools. "Thank you." She was sincere, even with just her feet in the water, she felt more relaxed than she had felt in months.
"You're welcome, Professor," he replied in a whisper, his lips barely moving as his gaze shot back down to where her hand was still pressed against his upper arm. Tentatively, he shifted in the water, turning to his side so one arm dipped under the surface. He took a shaky breath as he slowly reached his hand forward towards her ankle.
He moved so slowly, she wasn't sure if he was even still moving. Her eyes darted from his hand to his face multiple times, her breaths coming in shallow. She watched as he slowly licked his lips before lifting his eyes up to hers. She watched his lips barely part as his thumb lightly made contact with the top of her ankle. Her breath hitched, eyes going wide, and the moment was instantly broken by the deafening tone of her phone ringing from her bag. She jumped, breathing quickly as she regained some composure. She could hear Lucifer exhale loudly as he moved his hand down towards his side under the water.
Without speaking, she quickly stood up, careful to not splash water onto the pool deck. She half-ran to her bag, pulling out her phone and answering it once she read the caller ID. "Hey, Dan, what's up?" she asked, sheepishly turning to watch as she heard Lucifer push himself out of the pool. She listened to Dan explain the situation, a case popped up and the Lieutenant requested he work it. Since Trixie was with him that night, he wanted to know if she would be able to come get her. She could see Lucifer walking towards the wall by one of the locker rooms, grabbing a towel from the large basket by the door. He quickly scrubbed at his hair before wiping at his entire body. She turned as she saw him reach for the band of his briefs, his eyes meeting hers from over his shoulder.
"Yeah, I'll come get her. Give me about an hour, okay? Great. See you then," she ended the call, shoving her phone back into her bag, still not wanting to turn around. She didn't hear him as he came back into her view, bending down to grab his clothes, sliding his glasses back onto his face before straightening back up. She could see the towel hanging dangerously low on his hips, so low she could tell he no longer wore anything underneath it.
He watched as her eyes scanned down the front of his body before landing in the general vicinity of his hips. She stared for a couple of seconds before shutting her eyes and turning to face her back towards him. "Everything okay?" he asked, sliding into his slacks and fastening his belt. "Your eyes are safe from seeing anything frightening," he mocked from behind her.
Chloe turned slowly, keeping her eyes up towards the ceiling before slowly lowering them. She watched as he shrugged back into his shirt, buttoning it slowly with a half-hearted smirk on his face. "Um, yeah, it was just my Ex," she answered, crossing her arms over her chest. "He has to go to work, so I need to go pick up my kid."
Lucifer nodded, bending down to put on his socks. He tossed her the towel he had used so she could dry off her feet. She took the fabric, feeling the warmth of his body still on it and dried the water off her legs. She slid back into her socks while he toed on his shoes. He walked towards her, picking the sodden towel off of the ground and throwing it towards the nearest locker room.
Chloe briefly thought about where his underwear had gone, but she quickly pushed that thought aside, following him as he made his way towards the door. Once there, he turned to face her, a small smile on his lips. "Give me your key."
"What?" she questioned, her expression full of confusion as he held out his hand.
"The key to your office. I'll go clean up so you can go," he offered, raising his eyebrows as if expecting her to have handed it over by now. "I'll give it back tomorrow," he added, his voice lilting in a joking manner.
"I'll still have my daughter tomorrow," she answered, reaching into her bag for her keys anyway. She fumbled through the multiple keys, some of which she had no idea what they went to, until she found the small office key.
"I work tomorrow night. I can drop it by your place on my way," he presented, holding out his hand again as she slid the key off of the ring. She carefully placed it into his large palm, watching as he closed his hand before putting it in his pocket.
"Okay, um, thank you," she expressed, giving him a sad smile as they walked through the pool doors out towards the main exit. Once outside, she felt like she could breathe again, his scent wasn't as strong out here as it was in the pool area. Whatever moment they were about to have, she had never been more grateful for her Ex than she had in that instance. She had almost pushed a boundary she wasn't ready to cross.
"Of course," he said, smiling back at her timidly. "I'll get your address tomorrow," he added, stepping closer to her but keeping his hands down by his sides.
"Okay, sounds good," she replied, pressing her lips together just to give herself something to do. She went to speak, but he stopped her, holding out a hand in her direction as he started to walk towards the direction they came.
"Have a good night, Professor," he said soundly, giving her one last look-over before turning to head back for the school. She would have to walk in the opposite direction, being closer to the parking garage than her office was. She sighed deeply before turning and walking away, trying to forget how badly she wanted to feel the warmth of his hand on her skin. How much that slight brush of his thumb had sent chills down her spine.
The drive to Dan's went smoothly, traffic unnaturally light, but she was never one to look a gift horse in the mouth. She wouldn't dare even wonder why it was so light, for fear of jinxing her drive back home. Dan and Trixie were walking out of the door when she pulled into the driveway. He greeted her quickly, kissing their daughter on the top of her head before hopping in his car and driving off.
Chloe hugged her daughter before getting back in the car. She drove them home, listening to her daughter talk to her about the drama going on in her class. When they walked through the doors to their home, Chloe quickly dropped all of her stuff, Trixie doing the same, leaving a large pile of bags by the door. They grabbed two pints of ice cream and two spoons before plopping onto the plush couch, watching TV until they had their fill of dessert and fell asleep cuddled under a warm blanket.
Lucifer cleaned up all of their food wrappers from her office, tossing everything into the large trash can on the other side of the corridor. He straightened up any papers he saw, leaving the bottle of whiskey on her desk. Before leaving, he decided to fill up his flask before driving home. Depending on traffic, he might need it. As he rubbed down along his pockets, he remembered one tiny detail. He had completely forgotten to ask Chloe for his flask. Damn it. He hit his fist lightly against the desk before unscrewing the cap on the bottle and taking a generous gulp. As he had said the day before, hopefully, he would be able to get it back the next day.
He smiled to himself, palming the office key in his pocket once he had left and locked up. He walked quickly towards the parking garage as he thought about going to her house the next night. The opportunity had, quite literally, fallen into his hand, and after the almost-moment they had, he was anticipative for what would come of their partnership. The most thrilling part of the night hadn't been when he just barely touched her. It had been when she watched him, having plenty of time to either stop him or move, and she hadn't. She was going to let him do it. With that thought, he drove off, to head back to his place to properly relieve himself from the tension he built up.
A/N: Oh boy... that was a ride, huh? haha. I hope you didn't mind the length of this one ;) I just couldn't stop and didn't want to separate it into two different chapters. Very un-edited. As always. Let me know what you think... I was in two completely different mindsets writing this chapter. The first half happened pre-season 4, the second half happened after I finished it... and I guess I just needed something light after the emotional brutality we all suffered. And did we see that... almost a moment... hmmm.
Quick question. Although I'm American, I use 24:00 time in my every-day life. I know the European readers would appreciate it, but I was wondering if the American readers (if there are any) would understand 24:00 time. Let me know. It really does make explaining time easier. Until next time, dark ones... :p