A/N: So, here we are. The first of two parts forming the epilogue of this story and this first bit it is a BIG one. I tried to shorten it, but after this madness that our beloved characters went through, I thought giving them this longer chapter was the best way to do them (and you, my dear readers) justice.
Have yourself some cookies and your preferred beverage, enjoy the music and enjoy the read! :)
Recommended Songs:
[Matthew Frederick - Morning Smile]
[Graham Colton - Ring Around Your Heart]
[Fearless Soul - Don't Worry, Good Times Will Come]
[Joe Jury - If Heaven Had A Face]
[Alina Baraz & Galimatias - Unfold]
Chapter 27 – Rest
Lucifer stood in his bathroom, dressed in only his boxers, and stared quietly into the mirror. A pile of unbound bandages, drenched with dried blood, laid in the trash bin next to the sink. The stab wounds across his torso had healed over the last couple of hours, but the itchy bandages hadn't been what kept him from sleeping any longer.
A cacophony of thoughts swirled through his mind— jarring, raucous, overwhelming, and he was unable to stop them.
Questions. Doubts. Worries.
Why exactly did I change? Did I let hate consume me— change me? Or have I turned into a monster again because of feeling guilty? Because I couldn't control myself enough to protect them? To protect her?
He swallowed thickly, his head turning away from his reflection, ears perking up, listening for Chloe's soft snoring in the bedroom.
She saw me… She must have. She saw what I did to Alastor, to Glover's throat…
With a sigh he turned around and looked at himself once again, this time staring over his shoulder.
The horrid-looking patches of skin between his shoulder blades were still there. The wounds had healed up as best as possible since Maze had cauterised them, but it gutted him to not see smooth skin, an indicator for his wings having regrown like they had done so before.
There was also no weight on the Plane of Light waiting to be released, waiting to sprout from his back. No tingling that he used to feel from his wings desiring to unfold on their own when Chloe was with him. It was an instinct reaction almost as if he was a paradise bird. But rather than impressing the woman of his dreams, his magnificent plumage would burst free against his will from sheer prematurity and anticipation.
But now… now he felt nothing but emptiness when he reached out onto the Plane of Light.
And with his wings not having returned, another thought crossed his mind. A thought that immediately made his heart race with wonder.
Lea… Did Dad accept my deal? Is that why they haven't grown back? Did she make it?
He needed to check on her. Needed to make sure she made it, if his Father truly had accepted his offer.
[Matthew Frederick - Morning Smile]
Stepping away from the mirror, he walked back into the bedroom with silent steps, and looked at his sleeping beauty. Her hair was a lovely mess, splattered across the pillow and strands of it curtaining her face. He could tell that she was sleeping peacefully, despite her snoring. Her breathing was deep and her face relaxed.
He loved seeing her like this. Asleep. Peaceful. Comfortable. He could watch her for hours, everyday. He knew she'd be embarrassed but also flustered if she'd catch him staring at her. She was always so surprised when he showed her how much he cherished her, how much he was captivated by her very being. He swore to himself to keep showing her his endless love, complimenting her for her beauty, inside and out, and bathing her in devotion and care.
Glancing to the bedside clock, he frowned.
It was just past 3am.
She should sleep for several more hours. She's been through so much, too… Hopefully she will wake recuperated and with lots of her radiating energy replenished.
Deciding not to wake her, he stepped into his adjacent walk-in closet and got dressed. After putting on a three-piece navy blue suit with indigo dress shirt, he did a quick fix on his tousled hair and slipped into his shoes. Still quiet, he headed to his desk, found himself a thick piece of paper and his most precious fountain pen, and began to write. Once done, he folded his note and placed it on the nightstand next to Chloe so she couldn't miss it.
Smiling at seeing how she still slept so deeply, he grabbed his phone and headed into the elevator.
[Graham Colton - Ring Around Your Heart]
The sun shone warm upon Chloe's face and tickled her good morning in the most pleasant way as the rays illuminated the penthouse's bedroom. Her body still relaxed and sluggish, she stretched out her arms over her head and yawned. Turning onto her side, she smiled and let her right hand drop to the other side of the king-size mattress feeling the smooth fabric of the satin sheets instead of Lucifer.
Blinking, she opened her eyes and confirmed with them what her hand had already felt. Lucifer wasn't there. Wiggling herself into an upright position, she looked across his side of the bed. She could still smell the fragrance of his cologne, a heady mix like sandalwood, cherry, musk and leather. It always stirred something deep inside her core.
She wondered where he was. There was no sound coming from the bathroom, no shower running, so she figured he might be in the living room, or perhaps on the balcony.
Smiling, she thought back to the previous evening.
They both had been utterly exhausted. Usually after a long and straining case, Lucifer would pull her close, hold her, secure her, give her his chest to lean and fall asleep on. But this time it had been the other way around and she had been more than okay with it. He had slipped down on the bed, his head resting on her chest, listening to her heartbeat, his hand resting lightly on her stomach. He had hummed, eyes closed, as she combed her fingers through his hair and played thoughtlessly with the short curls at the nape of his neck. He had fallen asleep within minutes with her following soon after.
With a soft, contented sigh over the memories, she turned and swung her legs off her bedside, spotting immediately the folded white card. Taking and opening it, she saw a note, beautifully handwritten in ink.
My beloved Chloe, my Detective,
You were sleeping so peacefully I could not bring myself to wake you from your slumber. After all this emaciating chaos you deserve all the rest you need to replenish your strength. Please do not worry. I'm heading to the hospital to check on Lea's condition, perhaps I'll stay there for a few hours. I just need to make sure she's alright… I know you understand.
As always, my love, make yourself at home.
Forever yours,
— Lucifer
Smiling and feeling a tiny bit teary-eyed, she put the note down. He was so thoughtful of her and others, even though he had every right to just focus on himself and his own well-being after everything that had happened. He deserved rest and love. She wanted to shower him in it, make him see and feel just how wonderful and beautiful he was, inside and out.
Keeping an idea in the back of her mind for later, she got up and headed into the bathroom. Within a quick thirty minute morning-routine, she showered, got dressed in a fresh outfit from her stack of clothes in Lucifer's wardrobe, grabbed her service weapon and badge, and headed out.
Today was going to be another long day. As much as she was happy they had finally caught Glover and had gotten rid of Alastor, it was now time to take statements, go through old and new evidence and write reports. And she was aware that this would just fill the first half of her day. At least she hoped it wouldn't take too long, because what she had in mind for afterwards would likely take another few hours of her day and she hoped that, with all the things she had planned, she would manage to organise everything in time.
The arrival at the precinct was not really how she had expected it to be. Usually her colleagues were busy as hell, buried in piles of papers, interviewing suspects and witnesses, arguing with lawyers, following painstakingly mind-numbing leads or analysing evidence.
But today things were different.
As soon as she stepped down the stairs into the bullpen of her department, her colleagues gathered around her and started to applaud.
Baffled and feeling awkwardly honoured, she stepped further along until Dan and Ella emerged from the crowd of officers and detectives, coming in to hug her.
"Guys, what… what's going on?" she asked with a light laugh, but also a curious frown when she gave them a squeeze.
"A little tribute and congratulations for you, and in extension us, for catching the Butcher," Dan explained with a sparkling smile and a light chuckle. "You thought nobody was aware how much we worked our asses off to catch that bastard?"
"Trust me, they knew this case was big the moment they noticed I got an assistant in my lab," Ella whistled through her lips and curiously looked a bit past her, up along the stairway. "Where's Lucifer? Dan told me all about the encounter and that he got hurt?"
Smiling again at the other colleagues, she thanked them and waited a second to see them returning to their duties, before she replied to Ella. "He's alright. You know," lowering her voice, she gave her a pointed look, "angelic healing and all. He's at the hospital now, checking on Lea's condition."
"Aww, that's so sweet of him. But, man… I really wanted to give him a hug after all of this," Ella sighed, mildly disappointed, before pulling out a small note from her jean's pocket. "And I wanted to give him this."
Taking the piece of paper, she unfolded it, read the list and arched a brow in wonder.
"It's just a couple of suggestions to choose from," she said quickly, giving her a casual shrug. "We made a deal."
"Oh… Okay. Sure. I'll give it to him." Tucking the note away, she bit her lip, thinking about her plan and about how things would work even better. "Hey, erm… I… I was thinking. Would you both be okay in helping me organise something for tomorrow? I'd like for it to be a bit of a surprise for Lucifer and… well… honestly I could use all the help I can get. That is… of course, if you don't mind—"
Dan's head dipped, his brows rising up to his hairline. "Are you kidding?" Exchanging a short glance with Ella, the two of them shook their heads. "Of course we don't mind. What do you need help with?"
Waving them along to get into the quiet confines of Ella's lab, she explained her plan, hoping that her friends wouldn't frown at her, but also that they'd still be game to help her along. When she was done, she impatiently waited, hands flexing against each other. "So?" she asked carefully. "What do you think? Is this a good idea?"
Ella couldn't hold her emotions at bay at all, her smile was shining from her like she was the sun. "Chloe, this is amazing. It's so thoughtful of you and I'm sure Lucifer will love it! It'll be so beautiful. I mean… still sad, obviously, but, ya know, beautifully sad."
"Yeah, I agree," Dan nodded, smiling less radiant than Ella, but with just as much affection. "It's a great idea. I'm sure he'll appreciate it a lot."
Relieved about their reactions, Chloe let out the breath she'd been holding. "Thanks guys. This means so much to me."
"No problem. I mean, he's your Devil, but he's kinda our Devil, too," Ella quipped happily.
Feeling a huge weight lifted off her shoulders and her heart swelling with love and gratefulness for her friends, she blushed and nodded. "Yeah. He's your Devil, too," she agreed and let out a chuckle. She was beyond thankful for this bit of normalcy, for the lightheartedness and carefreeness of this moment, so much needed for her own regeneration.
After another moment of calm, she swirled her finger over Ella's table that was covered in sheets of analysis and evidence bags. "So, I'm sure you've got a lot to tell us on what additional evidence you found, am I correct?" she asked with a warm smirk, knowing her forensic friend backwards.
"You, Miss Heart-of-gold, are correct," Ella drawled in a sing-song and with that she went on an energetic summary of all the new evidence she had found and analysed.
After a good hour of going through the new evidence from the church crime scene of where they had found Lea as well as the collected evidence from the slaughterhouse that Dan had overseen, the group was fully updated and Chloe braced herself for what would come next. Statements and a whole lot of paperwork.
Dan had mercy on her and joined her in the interrogations, starting first with Nora, the last victim from the previous evening.
Back on her feet and overall healthy after a thorough checkup from the medics, Nora explained to them what she remembered, which wasn't all too much and in a sense Chloe figured that this was probably for the best. She had been kept unconscious from the moment of her kidnapping right outside the ballet studio and had stayed unconscious until the medics arrived and helped. She had no information on Glover, but she could very clearly recall the precious seconds before the Zolpidem was shot into her system and she could distinctly recall Glover's car. Not necessarily a sufficient proof, but given all the other evidence, an additional helpful nail in the definitive coffin that was Glover's prison time.
Once Nora's statement was taken and they sent her back home, it was time to thoroughly talk to Glover.
They let him be transferred from the holding cell to the interrogation room and sat down, several thick files placed on the table in front of Chloe.
This, she knew, would take a while.
She made sure she went through literally everything with him. Starting with him calling Gregor Ivanov, offering him money, hiring his handyman Zack Boone to help kidnap Lucifer and to kill him off in the warehouse, once he was done with him. Glover explained how he had waited in the back of the van, hidden in the shadows. Zack had first overwhelmed Flora and then lured out Lucifer. Drugging both of them in the van, they had brought Flora and Lucifer to the attached slaughterhouse of Glover's father's old butcher shop. Keeping Flora under sedation and in a waiting position, he had placed Lucifer on the tilting table and forced his wings out with a cattle prod.
Although any information about wings had to be left out or altered to make sense for their report, Glover still explained to them in detail, what instruments he had used and how he had kept Lucifer on an IV to make sure he'd stay immobilised. Regarding the 'disposal' of Lucifer at the warehouse, Glover told them how he had waited in his own car close by, while Zack had been tasked to kill Lucifer.
Chloe looked through the notes on Lucifer's wounds once again and saw the pictures Ella had taken at the crime scene. She gritted her teeth. The scratch marks on his hands and knees had been fresh. They had only been possible because Glover had been just a few metres away while Lucifer had fought for his life. Glover had left after a few minutes waiting, believing that Zack was already busy chopping Lucifer to pieces. This was likely the only reason why Lucifer could make it. Why, after everything that had been done to him, he didn't die of blood loss.
She swallowed thickly. The time between Glover's departure from the warehouse and her own arrival with Maze might have just been enough time for his body to hang on. She thought of just how lucky she was to still have him in her life. He could've died. He had been so close.
Shaking the dark thoughts away as best as she could, she went on with the next step in Glover's butchering timeline, where he was making his grotesque version of a human angel by putting Lucifer's wings onto Flora. Again the details were sickening and she was somewhat glad when she made it through to the point of him leaving Flora hanging in the church.
They went on with his next victim, Tamiel. Glover explained how he had made Lucifer talk about his fallen siblings with the help of some liquid ecstasy, GHB. Tamiel was who Lucifer had said he felt most connected with due to her speciality being astronomy. When Lucifer had disclosed to him that Tamiel had a passion for watching the stars with the telescopes humanity had built, an idea had sparked in him—whether it was his own idea or Alastor's, Glover couldn't tell. Either way, he had lured Tamiel to LA by telling her he was having a surprise for her from Lucifer and that it had something to do with the stars. She had come without any suspicion.
For Glover, and in consequence also for Alastor, this had seemed like the perfect continuation after butchering Lucifer. Following up by cutting the wings of the fallen sibling he felt closest to and dumping her body at a fitting place.
After Tamiel's murder, Dan took over in leading the interrogation for the most part, asking about Lea and Glover's proceedings with her. He told them how she had seemed like a perfect fit with her beautiful, green-dyed hair and innocent look. More and more Chloe and Dan realised how Alastor had put continuous pressure on Glover, coaxing him into getting the next chosen one as soon as possible to please God. But it was also clear to them that Glover had still been in control and had still done these horrible things with his own hands.
When they wrapped up the happenings around Lea's kidnapping and mutilation on her back with Tamiel's wings, they proceeded with Glover's last kidnapping victim, Nora, and the events at the slaughterhouse the previous night.
Glover explained how after preparing Lea in the church, he had been physically and mentally exhausted. The wish to rest had been sharply scorned by Alastor. The demon had demanded from him to continue with the next human victim and Glover explained how somehow he had felt the influence of his body's otherworldly inhabitant then. He became more focused, less tired. It was questionable if Alastor had actually given Glover more energy or if in truth Alastor had actually taken control over Glover without him realising it.
"Is she really in Heaven now?" Glover asked into the silence that had spread in the room after his statement and while Dan and Chloe wrote down some notes for the report.
Both of them stopped writing and exchanged a short look with each other, before Chloe responded calmly, "I believe so, yes." She couldn't say she had seen it happen with her own eyes, nor could Dan. But both Lucifer and Amenadiel had told them that they had seen Samantha's soul disappearing in divine light and that there was no doubt that she had ascended to Heaven at last.
Eyes watering, Glover's lips pressed together in a tight smile. He nodded and swallowed thickly, a million thoughts obviously running through his mind, clearly visible in the distant and tormented gaze of his eyes. "That's good," he breathed quietly, nodding on. "That's good… It's where she deserves to be."
"It is," Chloe agreed calmly, feeling a momentarily parental love kick in, thinking about her own daughter and how much she would want for her soul to go to Heaven whenever her time would come. The wish of every parent. She thought of Michelle, of how remorseful she had been about leaving Samantha behind when she escaped Glover's aggressive behaviour and his mania over Samantha's surgeries. Both parents of the little girl were clearly troubled in their own way, both undoubtedly filled with guilt and both rightly so.
She wondered if either of them would be able to truly free themselves of their guilt one day. But at least now Chloe was sure that each carried the responsibility of their own actions and it was not an innocent girl that suffered from the wrongdoings of her parents. It was the right way, she was absolutely sure of that.
Dan then closed his file and scooped back his chair, explaining to Glover how this would be all for now and that he would be taken back into the station's cell until he received a court session.
Upon leaving the interrogation room, both sat down to write their final report. It took Chloe another hour, but at last, she was done and so was Dan. With all files ready, she made her way to Lieutenant Fletcher's office.
"Come in," it sounded after she knocked.
Entering the office, Chloe halted when she saw her boss smirk at her, fingers pressing close the cap of his pen. "What?" she asked curiously, unsure if she had missed something with all the stress she had been through.
But Lt. Fletcher tilted his head and let his smirk ease into a warm smile. "Great job, Detective. Your success of catching the Butcher made the rounds real quick. Heard about it even before I entered the building this morning."
Thankful for his praise and appreciation of her efforts, she smiled back softly. "Thank you, sir, but it wouldn't have been possible without my team and without your help with the hospital's personnel files."
Huffing out a warm laugh, he put his pen aside, stood up from his chair and walked around his desk to lean back against the front of it. Although he was a lieutenant, it was clear he didn't enjoy being bound to the desk and doing paperwork everyday, all day long. "No need to thank me. It's my job to help my folks as best as possible," he explained humbly and nudged his chin at the thick folder she held pressed against her. "Is that the full report?"
"Yeah, just managed to finish it." Stepping up to him she handed him the file, feeling immediately a massive weight lifted off her shoulders. This was quite literally her case being officially done.
Opening the file, Fletcher skimmed through the report and browsed through some additional material being attached like the evidence lists and statements. Chloe watched him quietly for a few seconds before using the moment of quiet to bring up her request. "Sir, with the case wrapped up and after everything that has happened, It'd be great if perhaps…"
But while she was beginning to state her request, Fletcher reached around to his desk, grabbing the piece of paper he had apparently sat over when she had entered his office, and held it to her face. "Three weeks," he stated out of nowhere and glanced up from the file to look at her. "Effective immediately, detective", he added with a warm tone and a tiny smirk tugging at his lips.
Chloe stood dumbfounded, taking the sheet of paper from him and looking at it. He had prepared and signed a permission for leave for her, before she had even voiced her request. "W- Wow, I- That's- That's really kind of you, sir. Thank you."
Waving a hand and shaking his head once, he kindly objected. "You're welcome. I've seen your overtime hours and what I want is to have my best detective stay my best detective and in order for that to happen you need some time to relax from this job and particularly this case. I'm aware how much this one has kept you on the go. Not just you, but also your partner. I hope he gets some rest now as well after what happened."
Nodding, she took a deep, long breath. He had no clue just how brutal exactly things had been for Lucifer, but the sentiment was appreciated nonetheless. Thanking him again, she said her goodbye, happy that this meeting had gone much smoother and faster than she had expected.
At last she was able to head back to the penthouse to work on what other preparations she had in mind. There was a lot more still that needed to be taken care of, so for the next parts of her idea, she called in for the help of Maze, Amenadiel and Linda. Everyone was on board without hesitation and went to work immediately.
She was beyond thankful for everybody's help and could hardly believe that she managed to finish the majority of preparations by 4pm.
Putting the bag of her last errand on the counter, she checked her phone and realised that Lucifer had not called or messaged her yet. Starting to feel a bit concerned if everything was alright, she texted him and decided to keep going with her idea for tonight. It didn't matter if he would be back soon or late.
She'd be here, happy to hold him in her arms again.
Finding out where Lea's room was wasn't really difficult. With his charm it was as easy as asking the direction to the nearest Italian restaurant. But hearing that she was in the intensive care unit, lying in a coma, was devastating.
Fraught, Lucifer rushed through the hospital and was just as easily allowed into the ICU section. Upon reaching her room, he opened the door, mindful in case he would somehow startle her, and stepped inside.
The smell of disinfectant stung his nose and lungs, and he let out a low grunt, hands clenching involuntarily at his side. He hated the smell. Hated how it had burned itself into his memory. He reminded himself that this was a logical place for this kind of smell to be in —a hospital. It indicated that the staff cared about keeping things clean and secure for the vulnerable patients and their visitors.
This was normal.
Another topic he was sure needed to be addressed with his dear Doctor Linda. It hit him then, that he hadn't seen her in the past few days and how many things had accumulated that he felt the need to talk about. Things he wanted her professional opinion on.
But now he wanted to not think about all of that. He didn't want to think about himself. He wanted to know how Lea was doing.
Closing the door behind him, he took a quick glance through the room, realising it was actually a single-bed-room. The window blinds were half-closed and the lights were dimmed to a soft glow, enough to still clearly see, creating a calm atmosphere.
Stepping up the bed, he cringed. Monitors of all kinds were positioned around her, beeping and hissing at a regular pace. Various cables went to her body, one bringing oxygen to her nose, others connecting to her hand and chest, disappearing under the blanket. She was still so pale. Her eyelids were closed softly. Beneath them, her eyes moved left and right. Someone seemed to have taken some care of her hair, opening the braiding and untangling it from its scrunchies.
Perhaps after the surgery one of the nurses helped to give her more comfort, he thought.
Pulling closer one of the two chairs that had been lined up against the wall, he sat down next to her bed and leaned forward, elbows resting on his thighs. For a while he stayed like this, thoughts still swirling in his head, a wild, turbulent crescendo, until the words bled from his tongue, the pressure of everything too much.
"I can't believe that this is how You're fulfilling Your end of the deal, Dad… This is— You let her survive, but have her lie in a coma? Really?" he hissed below his breath, fingers fumbling, knuckles turning white. "They say I'm the one bluffing and being evil, yet, look at You." Releasing a bitter laugh, he shook his head. "You and Your bloody mysterious ways. You didn't help Samantha either. You would've just let her rot in her Hell-loop like everybody else… Just… leave them all to their own suffering, even if they don't deserve it. Your system is brutally flawed and it's very telling that You just keep it as it is."
The anger directed at his Father made room for his sympathy for Lea, and his tone softened as he looked at her. "I'm glad you made it, Lea, I truly am. But I want for you to keep fighting and come fully back. You've got a whole life still ahead of you and I won't accept that you let this bastard just take it away from you. So I need for you to come back and have that life. You deserve all the joy and healing and goodness that's still ahead of you."
Reaching up, he gently squeezed her arm. "But be assured, the man who did this to you is caught and will pay for it. I'm quite certain that prison will just be one part of his punishment actually. There's a whole other kind of punishment awaiting him where I bet he'll go once he leaves the Earthly Plane."
He leaned back with a long exhale. "I'll be here for a while, Lea. Just know that I'm watching over you. Nothing will happen to you here. I won't let any more harm come to you."
Falling silent again, he watched her, waiting, hoping.
Hours passed by, the sun was setting, and every once in a while a nurse came by, checking on her vitals. He learned that apparently Lea had had several short seizures after surgery which was also a reason why they kept her on close watch and with the extent of the injuries she sustained, they deemed it best to have her recover in the comforts of her own room.
"Have the parents not shown up at all yet?" he asked the nurse when she came in for the fourth time.
"I'm afraid not," she said with a sad, sorry smile. "But you never know what held them up. She's all over the news. I'm sure they'll come by eventually when they notice. Excuse me, I'll be right back."
The nurse left but came back a few minutes later, a male doctor in tow. The man stopped in his tracks when he saw Lucifer and threw the nurse a look, who in turn motioned for Lucifer towards the door.
"We need you to leave the room now, sir, please," she instructed while adjusting something on one of the machines.
"What? Why?" he asked, feeling nervousness rise at the thought of leaving Lea's side.
"We will wake her up from the her medically-induced coma now," the doctor explained brusquely and let out an impatient sigh.
Stepping away from the bed, Lucifer positioned himself a few feet away, giving them enough space to move around without disturbance. "I won't be in your way, I promise, but I will not leave this room. She's been through far too much and I will not draw away when she needs help."
The nurse took a breath to insist. "You really cannot be here, sir. There's far too much risk that she might stress out over your presence—"
His voice strong and his eyes holding hers and that of the doctors in turns and, with unbending will, he stayed adamant. "I will do everything to make her feel comfortable, including leaving the room, if my presence truly upsets her, which I doubt, but until I see such a response from her, I will stay."
For a few seconds the nurse and the doctor exchanged looks and seemed to silently debate whether or not to call the security. At last the doctor was the one to make the call. "Fine. Just stay back," he grumbled and stepped to the side of the bed.
The nurse went on to adjust something on one of the machines again. A minute or two nothing seemed to happen, until suddenly the beeping became faster and a lump formed in Lucifer's throat. He couldn't help the urge to have some idea of what was going on. "What is happening to her?" he asked, his heart now painfully slamming in his rib cage. "Is she alright? What's wrong?"
"It's alright. She's waking up," the nurse said, adjusting the drip rate from the infusion bag. "When patients wake up from a coma, there's often a need to adjust their pain medication."
He watched as the nurse continued to do various things on the monitors, writing things down on a clipboard and exchanging words with the doctor. The horrendous sounding machines slowed down with their onslaught of beeps and hisses, the pain medication seeming to work and calming Lea down.
Another minute passed before the doctor —Dr. Emerson, his name tag read— , stepped up a bit closer and leaned in to Lea. "Lea, can you hear me?"
Weakly, tiredly, Lea's eyes fluttered open.
"That's it, open your eyes. It's alright. Take your time," he spoke softly, flashing a tiny light over Lea's eyes and seeming satisfied with the reaction.
Lea blinked and looked confused at the doctor. Her mouth opened, but as she tried to speak, she coughed drily and a pained whine sounded from her.
Lucifer flinched at her reaction and stepped a bit closer to the other side of the bed.
"Don't overwhelm her, please," the nurse pressed from the side and motioned for him to stop a few feet away and he obliged as patiently as possible.
The doctor continued to speak with Lea. "Welcome back, Lea. My name's Dr. Emerson. Everything is okay. You're in the hospital after a difficult surgery on your back. You might feel a bit confused for a while, but that is a normal reaction. It will go away with time. For now, I just need you to relax, okay?"
Frowning, Lea slowly nodded and looked down at herself. "Okay," she mouthed, her voice light, but still weak.
Dr. Emerson continued with a few simple questions to which the nurse wrote down some notes on Lea's answers. "That's good. Really good, Lea. You're a strong young lady."
Blinking tiredly still, Lea licked her lips and swallowed. Then her gaze lifted and, for the first time since her awakening, she looked past the doctor and nurse, noticing Lucifer. Immediately she froze.
"Hello, Lea," he greeted cautiously, watching her reaction closely.
"Y-You," she rasped, eyes filling with tears.
The nurse instantly shifted with alarm at her reaction. "If you want him to leave, just say the word and we'll—"
"No!" Lea cut her off quickly, shaking her head at the nurse and the doctor. "No. H-He… He saved me." Looking back at Lucifer, she snivelled. "You did…"
Touched, feeling a light pinch in his chest, he offered her a small smile. "It's mostly due to my brother's quick transportation method… I suppose you could call it a team effort."
"Alright Lea, we'll leave you be for now. The nurse will come back about every fifteen minutes to check on your vitals. If you need any help in between, just use the bell switch to your left, and I will see you again tomorrow morning, okay?" Dr. Emerson explained to Lea attentively.
"Okay… Thank you," Lea responded with a small, insecure smile.
Dr. Emerson then turned to Lucifer. "Do not stress her out," he spoke quietly. "You get half an hour to talk. Tops. Things can be very tiring for her right now. Give her the time she needs to recover."
"Whatever is best for her," Lucifer said, nodding. Receiving a small acknowledging nod from the doctor in return, Dr Emerson and the nurse headed back out onto the corridor, leaving Lucifer and Lea alone.
[Fearless Soul - Don't Worry, Good Times Will Come]
With the silence spreading and all the hustle gone, Lucifer tilted his head, seeing Lea's face getting a slightly more healthy shade of pink. "Glad you fought your way back."
"Thank you," Lea whispered.
Hesitantly, he stepped back to the chair and sat down. "We caught the man that's responsible," he said, careful to not go into any details.
Lea's eyes watered once more and a few drops trailed down her cheeks as she nodded in response.
He wasn't sure what to say. He didn't know if whatever he would say would upset her somehow. Thinking back to his own horrifying experience with the Butcher and the events that followed at the warehouse, he remembered how overwhelmed he had been. Shocked. Confused. Utterly terrified. Him. An archangel. The Devil. It was hard to fathom what it had been like for a young, human woman —a girl, really— to have gone through such insane things.
"Look… I'm… I'm not sure how to best help you right now, what to say or do," he spoke up after a while. "I just know that… when he was hurting me, I was terrified to the core."
"H-He… He did this to you, too?" she asked shyly.
"Not… Not what he did to you. For me… I… It was…" He trailed off, thinking about how best to put this. "He put something onto you… but with me, well, he took something away."
She blinked, processing what he had said, and obviously trying to grasp what he meant with something. Fumbling with her blanket, she probed, "Can you get it back? What he took from you, I mean."
Swallowing the sudden lump in his throat, he looked down at his hands. "Honestly, I don't know. I… I'm thinking that I probably won't." Putting on a smile that didn't reach his eyes he looked back at her. "But that's alright. I apparently did get something good in return and I can live with that."
"You did?" she asked, surprised and sceptical.
"Well, yes. You, obviously," he elaborated matter-of-factly. "You made it. That's what really matters."
She blushed with a bit of a sad smile on her lips.
"I've had— still have, some difficulties because of what he did to me so I suppose it's safe to assume that you will most likely have things on your mind as well that trouble you," he went on carefully, noticing the slight increase of the monitor's beeping rate. "I'm not alone. I have help. From my friends, my brother and my partner. And I want you to know that you're also not alone. If you ever want to talk… I… I'm happy to offer an ear."
But despite what he hoped were some encouraging and calming words, Lea swallowed and looked down, the beeping becoming slightly faster yet again. "I… I'm not sure if— I don't think I'll be making much sense," she murmured timidly. "I think I… I might be losing my mind…"
Lucifer paused, watching her with increasing worry. "Why do you think that?"
More tears welled in her eyes. "Because this… this can't be real, right? The… the things that he—" Pointing over her shoulder with her thumb, she indicated her back. "W-what he put on my—"
His jaw tensed as he realised what she meant.
Of course… She's aware. She's seen it all. She was conscious just like I had been. He made her watch and she saw them…
"The wings," he breathed, knowing how difficult it was for her to say something that was so far away from her world's reality. When she nodded, frowning and pleading with her eyes to give her the salvation she yearned for by telling her it was all fake and a lie, his shoulders sunk. "I'm sorry, Lea. I won't lie to you. You know they were real. You saw them in the flesh. And I'm sure you remember the feeling they emitted."
Trembling from sobs rocking through her, she shook her head at him. "B-But… h-how is that possible?! That's… That's not…"
His smile turned softer but also more sad. "It simply is. The wings were… They were from my sister. Tamiel. She had fallen victim to that bastard shortly before he got you."
Lea's eyes widened and her breathing turned rapid. "Y-Your… Your sister? So you're telling me that… that she—"
"Was an angel," he finished for her again, quietly. "Yes." The beeping increased further with an alarming rate and he was quite certain that if it would increase any further it would make the nearest nurse jump up and storm into the room. "Please, Lea…" He reached out and lightly squeezed her arm. "It's okay… I promise… I know it's a lot and it's confusing and perhaps terrifying, but I promise, you have nothing to be afraid of or to be concerned about in that regard."
She became quiet, looked down at his hand and looked back at him. For seconds that felt like an eternity she didn't respond and he was horrified that perhaps this truth had broken her sanity. Other people in a healthier condition than hers had done so. But suddenly he noticed the beeping slowing down, reaching what seemed to be a normal, relaxed rate.
"I'm sorry…" she suddenly whispered, frowning in sadness.
"No need to apologise. I'm aware that learning about the celestial world can be… well… quite overwhelming."
But Lea shook her head, "No… I… I meant I'm sorry about your sister."
Blinking at her, surprised about her compassion and sympathy given her own horrible condition, he felt deeply moved. "Oh… Thank you…"
Lea fell silent again, but this time, he could see it had more to do with her feeling tired. The stress, the pain, the surgery and for sure the talking and divine revelation, had all accumulated and were taking their toll. She'd heard his revelation about his sister, but apparently she hadn't yet been able to make the mental connection of him being an angel as well. A wingless one at that.
The door opened and drew both their heads around. The nurse —Sharon, Lucifer read on her name tag, entered with a warm smile on her face. "Hey again. Just checking on your vitals again and I have some good news for you, too," she announced as she went straight to the machines. "Your parents called. They are on their way and said they'll be here in about an hour." Taking a quick note of the vitals, she heads out again as quick as she came.
Lea's tired eyes sparkled, but she didn't say anything and Lucifer wondered, if perhaps she didn't even know what to say or know how she felt about coming here, seeing her, learning about her injuries, learning about what had been done to her. In any case though, it was important for them to come and be there for her, to have the parents support their child and he felt a pull to leave and let Lea have this alone-time and privacy with her family.
"I guess, I'll be going then," he said, pushing himself up on the chair's armrests.
"W-wait!" Lea called out, reaching out to a hand to motion him to stop.
He stilled, halfway out of his seat.
"Can you stay a bit longer? Just for a few more minutes?" she pleaded and he was reminded of the Detective's spawn when she had woken from a nightmare and was afraid of being alone.
"Of course." Settling back down, he leaned back in the chair.
Resting back into the pillow, Lea visibly relaxed. "Thank you."
He kept quiet but it was a comfortable silence that spread between them as Lea became too tired to say anything either. It took just another fifteen minutes before Lea's eyes were tightly shut and she drifted off into a deep slumber. Right on schedule, nurse Sharon entered again to check the vitals, this time, quieting down her steps as soon as she saw Lea had fallen asleep. When Sharon clicked her ballpen and tucked it back into her shirt's pocket, Lucifer got up and stepped into her way. "Excuse me, could I borrow your pen and have one of those empty sheets for a quick note?" he asked in a whisper, pointing at the stack of sheets on her clipboard.
Picking out an empty sheet of paper from the bottom of her stack, she handed him the utensils with a little smile.
"Thanks." As neatly as he could, he wrote his second note of the day with the atrocity that was her low-quality ballpen.
If you need anything, and I mean anything, please let me know. Below you find my number and that of my therapist, Dr. Linda Martin. Trust me when I say that she knows. She will be able to help you, just like she helped me, I'm sure of it. Like I said, you're not alone.
— Lucifer
He paused after writing his signature, realising that Lea hadn't once used his name in their conversation. He couldn't recall for certain that she had actually picked up his name in the church. It was more likely that she had been far too overwhelmed with pain and exhaustion and horror from what had been done to her, to notice his name being used in all the chaos.
He hoped she would not worry but take the leap and call him or Linda. All things considered, he was positive though that she would come around. She was alive, perhaps with a little intervention from Dear Old Dad, and she had a family that would support her. The culprit who had hurt her was found and was soon put in front of a judge, presumably going to prison for the rest of his life.
Yes. She would be alright.
Folding the piece of paper, he handed Sharon back her ballpen and placed his note right next to Lea's bed on the table, facing her.
Silently he left the room with the nurse.
When he started to head towards the main corridor, she called after him. "Don't you want to stay a bit longer until her parents arrive? I'm sure they'd be more than thrilled to speak with the person who saved their daughter."
"I'm sure they'd love to meet me, because who wouldn't? But I'd rather not be there for the family sobs," he quipped back with a scrunched nose. "I feel like I've had enough emotional outpour for at least another millennium, so perhaps in another lifetime."
Leaving the nurse with an amused expression and shake of her head, he headed out of the hospital. It was already 5pm. He had been watching over Lea all day long. Checking his phone he saw a notification from his Detective and his whole body warmed up in response.
(4:12pm) The Detective:
I hope everything is fine. I know you would've called if it weren't, but I can't help it… Let me know when you're on your way back. I have a surprise for you. I love you.
Smiling, he texted her back.
(5:04pm) Me:
Everything is fine, luv. Lea made it. I'll tell you about everything later. I'm on my way back home now. Looking forward to your surprise... I love you, too. Can't wait to kiss you again.
Spotting how she immediately saw his message and typed her reply, his heart beat a tad faster in his chest.
(5:05pm) The Detective:
I can't wait either... See you soon.
Feeling warm and fuzzy, he pocketed his phone and headed back to his car with wide strides. This was what he needed: Spending time with his girlfriend— without anyone else around, preferably. It felt like a lifetime ago since they could really just be with each other and he hoped that perhaps at least for an evening they would get the quiet and peace he longed for both of them.
[Joe Jury - If Heaven Had A Face]
His jacket held by a finger and swung over his shoulder, Lucifer leaned against the side of the elevator's cabin, waiting for it to bring him to his penthouse.
He was excited, his mind pondering over what Chloe might have as a surprise for him.
I hope she didn't spend too much money and effort on whatever it is… I could just as well sit in front of the fireplace with her, holding her close, dreaming while I smell her hair…
The thought of burying his nose in her hair and kissing the top of her head as he wrapped his arms tightly around her made him smile like a schoolboy swooning over his cheerleader crush. He had never thought that he'd experience such love, never thought he'd deserve receiving it. He'd seen what other people did for those they loved, but never had it truly, fully resonated within him that this could really apply to him.
Chloe had become an ever-glowing light in his life, vibrant, beautiful, thoughtful, good. And for a reason he still couldn't quite grasp, she had found that same light in him as well. She was willing to stand at his side through the worst of his times, supported him, guided and accepted him. She knew him, better than he knew himself and he loved her for it with every fibre of his immortal being.
The soft rumbling of the opening elevator doors pulled him out of his thoughts. Stepping inside, he lifted his eyes and found that his penthouse was dimly lit. The root-lamp, his bar, the fireplace in the back and about a dozen candles that were placed in small groups at different spots in the penthouse, bathed the living room in warm tones of ocker.
Discarding his jacket at the bar counter, he made his way further inside, stopping in his tracks when he saw the neatly arranged area at the coffee table and couch. The table was laid for two with a bottle of wine and a candle placed in between the sets.
"Hey," Chloe's voice rang softly as she appeared at the arch of the bedroom and stepped down the short flight of stairs into the living room.
Eyes snapping to her, his heart skipped a beat. His mouth opened but a natural response got stuck in his throat and every coherent thought disappeared at the sight of her. She wore a light-cream pullover, fluffy and woolly, on burgundy, flowy slacks, accentuated by a pair of black kitten heels. Her hair was put into a loose bun with a few clips and some strands hung loosely along her rosy cheeks.
"Stunning," he mouthed at last, the word leaving his lips on its own.
Standing completely enthralled, he watched as Chloe stepped up to him, her cheeks blushing a lovely deeper shade, her eyes cast down, flustered.
"Thank you," she responded softly, lips tugging up into a warm smile.
Making a last step towards her, he closed the distance between them and reached up with his hand, carefully brushing one of the loose strands behind her ear. Slowly leaning down, he looked at her face, eyes shifting between her eyes and lips back and forth. Tenderly, he let his hand slip from her cheek to her chin, guiding her face to tilt up to meet him without pressure.
He held his breath, too excited and desperate to feel her, until finally his lips collided with hers and he could see the firmament of his stars explode in front of his closed eyes. Sighing in relief, he kissed her, chaste and slow, drinking from the warmth and softness and love that was all her.
She responded just as delicately to his kiss, melting against him, breathing him in with a quiet, approving hum. Her hands reached up, fingers lightly brushing over his stubbly cheeks, and his skin shivered from goosebumps.
Reluctantly parting from her lips, he kept his forehead leaning against hers. "That's a wonderful surprise," he whispered, eyes sparkling as he looked into hers, noticing how she had them slightly accentuated with mascara and eyeliner.
Stifling a light laugh, Chloe nudged her nose against his. "That obviously wasn't all. Come." Drawing away from him, she slipped her hand in his and he felt his heart flutter again. "Sit. Please," she said, pointing at the faux furs and pillows she had put down at either side of the table.
He followed her along and eased down on one of the faux furs of the sitting arrangement. The plates in front of him were empty, but the bottle of wine was opened to breathe. He smiled inwardly, knowing she usually didn't think on this detail, even though she enjoyed red wine above most other alcoholic beverages. He knew she did it for him though, knew that she knew that he might've made a remark about the taste that hadn't had a chance to fully unfold because of the wine not acclimatising and airing.
Hearing her heels on the marble floor, he turned and saw her walk behind the bar. She leaned down then, grabbed something and walked backwards, revealing a little trolley-table with two stainless steel cloches on top. Positioning the trolley next to the coffee table, Chloe smiled at him lovingly.
"I've got us something from Hy's," she announced and lifted the cloches to reveal two plates with steaming meals beneath. "Garlic steaks. I hope that's good."
He stared at her yet again, baffled. He knew that today must've been extremely exhausting for her. She had told him the night before of what things still remained on her to-do list on the case, including taking the full statement of Glover. He had no doubt this had been difficult for her, and he was amazed at how she had still found the time and thought to do this.
"If… If you don't like it, then—"
Blinking, he frowned, realising that his silence and wondrous stare might have appeared as if he was somehow disapproving. "Wha— Oh! No, no! I love it. Chloe, it's… it's perfect. This is so kind of you," he assured her quickly, his shoulders falling from a heavy breath. "I'm sorry, I was just— I don't even know how you could arrange all of this with your full schedule…"
Placing the plates onto those on the table, she sat down opposite of him, comfortably folding her legs, looking relieved about his reaction. "I… had quite a bit to organise, that's true, but I was getting help from everyone on the team, which reminds me…" Reaching into her right pocket she retrieved a folded piece of paper and handed it to him. "That's from Ella. Something about suggestions to choose from because of a deal."
He let out a soft chuckle. His favourite forensic really didn't forget about the five favours she managed to strike as a deal from him. "Right… Let's see what her price is for accidentally borrowing her car…" Curiously flipping open the note, he looked at a list and read it out loud.
Five Awesome Favours From The Devil - Ella's Bucket List
• San Diego Comic Con (VIP pass, meet and greets with everyone, the whole package)
• At Comic Con: Let's do Cosplay! LOTR: You go as Aragorn and I go as Frodo (This counts as TWO favours, so take it into consideration!)
• Upcoming Mecum Kissimmee auction (Make it so that I can take a few of those bad boys for a ride!)
• Help me get to the touch pool at night for some private fun (You don't join in on the action, obviously. You have to act as a security guard.)
• Arrange me a tour to see the Big Five in Africa
• Sing with me at church to St. Michael
"Sing a song to Michael?!" he burst out, nearly knocking over the bottle of wine on the table. "This is preposterous! I know humans portray him as the patron saint of policemen, paramedics and the military, but that's utter nonsense! Above anything, he's a massive dick, it's what he is!"
Eyes wide, Chloe bit her lip, holding back a chuckle.
"Oh this woman is… is… scurvy!" he cursed and paused as he counted the other suggestions. "Bloody hell… This means, I have to go to this ridiculous nerd event and dress up like a fictional character? Does she know how humiliating this is? I mean, look at me! I'm an archangel. I'm billions of years old for crying out loud…" Sighing, he took in Chloe's reddening face. "Oh, you love this, don't you?"
"Of course she knows, Lucifer," she diverted, taking a deep, calming breath to not burst out laughing. "But I suppose this is what you do for a friend. Plus, she really does love her car, so she really has all the right to state humiliating demands as payback."
Putting the piece of paper aside, he let out a defeated breath. "I suppose you're right… Anyhow… I'm a Devil of my word, so I will of course stick to my promise. Can't let anyone think I'm chickening out of a deal because of singing to my blasted brother… It doesn't say anything about hitting the notes right, so I'm just gonna slide in some painfully jarring notes here and there."
Chuckling softly to his childish idea, she shook her head. "Well, if you do this, then I'm happy to come along and listen, because Lt. Fletcher surprised me today."
Reaching for the bottle of wine, he took it upon himself to fill their glasses, eyes flicking up at her curiously, the matter of Ella's favours and his dickhead-brother already leaving his mind to focus back on her. "Oh? How so?"
"Mm-hmm… I'm officially on vacation for the next three weeks. Actually, so are you. With kind regards from Fletcher," she told him with a wide smirk, picked up her glass and clinked it with his. "To three weeks of relaxation and peace."
He pursed his lips, fond of her toast, and added his own, affectionately. "To us."
She paused shortly, her eyes shimmering in the flickering lights of the candles. A sea of emotions swirling in pools of blue. With rapid blinking, she took a deep breath, clearly touched by his addition, and nodded. "To us," she agreed softly.
Taking a generous sip from his glass, he looked at the richly filled plates and his mouth watered. Not eating anything certainly didn't hurt his immortal body, but that didn't mean he had no cravings for good food. "Right then… I can't wait to taste this. This smells divine."
Both dug into their steak hungrily and their stress of the day began to ease. Chloe asked him about his visit at the hospital, and was relieved when he told her how strong Lea was and how she also knew the truth now about the celestial existence, albeit she was surely still in some sort of shock.
Lucifer went on and asked Chloe about her day, listening intently as she told him about the warm welcoming from her colleagues, about the collected evidence and the statements. He was glad to hear the last victim, Nora, had basically emerged from the kidnapping unscathed and that she had little to no recollection of anything that had happened around her while being unconscious. When Chloe told him about the thorough statement Glover had given, he felt his body tense up, but was relaxing a little as Chloe covered his hand with hers, running her thumb over it in soothing circles.
"He asked about Samantha," she said, looking thoughtfully at their joined hands. "Has she really gone to Heaven?"
The image of Samantha's soul leaving her borrowed body and ascending into divine light emerged in his mind's eye and his throat closed with a heavy lump. Nodding, he took a deep breath. "She did. Amenadiel and I could see it. Her soul disappeared in divine light. I could feel it was Heaven that pulled at her."
Her head tilted in reverence. "I envy you. I wish I could've seen it. That must've been quite the sight."
"It was," he mouthed. "A first for me. A first in human existence, I believe."
Chloe stared at him, shocked. "This has never happened before?"
He brushed a finger along the rim of his glass and arched a brow at her. "A doomed soul that has been suffering in Hell that let go of its guilt and went to Heaven? No, not that I'm aware of."
"Lucifer, that… that is amazing," she breathed, eyes sparkling with wonder and joy. "That means that there is hope for everyone. You managed to let go of all that guilt and self-hatred you carried… and now we saw that these lost souls in Hell can find redemption, too. We have proof that there is always hope for peace."
He paused. It was true, was it not? A lost soul had been able to find its redemption and went to Heaven, so this meant that this could apply to any soul in Hell, right? A truly amazing thing, if it were true.
His thoughts carried him back to this morning when he stood in front of his bathroom mirror, where he wondered about his change into his Devil form the previous day. Was she right then? Had he really managed to let go of all the guilt and self-hatred he had felt and carried for all these millennia? Had he forgiven himself for all the horrors humanity as a whole had done and blamed upon him— that he had blamed on himself? Because, apparently, human souls were truly able to find redemption. Did this mean that he could, too?
"What's wrong?" Chloe's voice rang softly.
Looking back at her, he watched as she crawled around the table and to his side, one hand tenderly reaching for his while her other went up to the nape of his neck, lightly scratching the short strands of his hair. Worried eyes looked deeply into his, searching for an answer to the sudden shift in his mood. "I… I changed…" he began hesitantly. "The other day… with Alastor, I… I changed into that body again."
A few seconds passed as Chloe seemed to process what he was saying until her hand squeezed his. "Lucifer… I know why you changed. You didn't do it out of hatred, self-loathing or self-blaming. You did it to save us. To save me. Just like you did at the Mayan's. You were fighting Alastor with all the power that you've got."
His heart ached at her tender, encouraging words and doubt once again filled him. This time though over his own assumptions. "You really think so?"
Nodding at him, her hand lowered from his neck to his cheek, lightly caressing him. "I do. I know it from the bottom of my heart. Lucifer, I know you would move Heaven and Hell for the ones you love. In fact, you would do it for everyone. You did for Samantha and you showed compassion for Michelle and even Glover after everything he did to you. You have so much goodness in you. Don't you see?"
Tears burning in his eyes, he blinked and looked down, half conflicted and half nonplussed.
"Well, I see it, Lucifer," she went on, delicate fingers brushing along his jawline until she held his chin lightly between her thumb and index finger, making him look back at her. "I see it very, very clearly, and I'll make sure to tell and show you how wonderful you are every day until you can see it for yourself."
Leaning into her touch, he swallowed thickly, not sure if he could tell her just how amazing she was without his voice breaking and his tears escaping. So instead he rested his forehead against hers, arms slipping around her waist and pulling her closer. Guiding her leg, over his waist, he made her sit on his lap, feeling besotted. "I love you," he managed to breathe against her lips without his voice betraying him.
"I love you, too," she replied just as reverently, closing the gap between them and pecking his lips ever so gently.
[Alina Baraz & Galimatias - Unfold]
He sighed against her, inhaling her scent, and gently padded her lips with his tongue. She obliged with a sweet whimper, her fingers brushing up into his hair, turning the styled craft into a wild mess. Tasting her, he mapped her mouth with hungry strokes, feeling something more than just a carnal desire sparked alive inside of him. It was deeper, more meaningful, stronger.
Pulling his legs in, he kept holding her right against him, and pushed himself up to stand. He continued kissing her, enjoying how she seemed just as eager to taste him when she sucked and nipped at his lower lip making him dizzy. Growling in approval of her voraciousness for him, he walked them over to the bedroom where he let her body glide down to stand.
Deftly her fingers worked open the buttons of his vest and pushed it over his shoulders when he leaned down to attack her neck with hot kisses and light sucks, leaving her skin red and sensitive. With his vest tossed aside, he took the opportunity to grab the hem of her pullover, swiftly pulling the fabric over her head and revealing a dark, burgundy lace bra. He marvelled for a second, unabashedly taking in the sight of her breasts, and leaned down, kissing the soft hills so beautifully presented to him. "A work of art," he complimented her with a dreamy smile and helped her open the buttons of his shirt.
Discarding the shirt, he crouched down slowly, his lips seeking her tender skin, moving from her chest to her navel and leaving hot, wet kisses in his wake. Her breath trembled from his ministrations and he yearned to hear and see more of what his praising of her body could do to her. Leaning further down, he helped her out of her heels, taking his time to massage her feet for a while. She moaned softly and his loins stirred with a burning desire. Next he took care of her slacks, letting them pool on the ground to reveal her lean legs and a fitting burgundy lace thong. "After your delicious dinner this is quite a tempting surprise for dessert," he all but growled.
Chloe urged him back on his feet, lips crushing back against his as her fingers undid his dress pants. Removing his footwear, both were left in just their underwear at last. Impatiently, Lucifer guided her backwards against the bed, devouring her with his eyes as she lowered down onto the sheets, seductively luring him with a come-hither motion of her finger.
To think he was said to be the epitome of temptation by humanity was an odd misconception of reality, he thought. To him, it was Chloe who was able to strip him bare, physically but also emotionally, dart into his soul like an arrow and explode inside it, flooding him with her life-altering light.
With a slightly bemused and wolfish look, he followed her flirtatious calling and crawled onto the bed and on top her, caging her between his arm and knees. Hovering his head above hers, he shared his heated breath with her. "You're bewitching me, Detective."
"And you me, Lucifer," she responded, brushing her hands yearningly over his chest and down his abs until her fingertips reached the waistband of his boxers, ever so gently teasing his skin at the seam of them.
He whimpered against her lips, his body shivering with need and anticipation. She kept her eyes locked with his, tilting her head back temptingly and he felt her hands peel down his boxers, before she delighted him with two sensations at once when one set of fingers dug into his butt cheek and the other wrapped voluptuously around his sex. Groaning as her hand squeezed and stroked his length, his head dipped down to her exposed throat, kissing, licking and biting along the delicate skin. Her body arched up in thrill, her breasts pressing against his chest and he could not wait any longer.
Pulling back, he rid himself of his boxers. Chloe seemed to want to use the brief pause as well to strip out of her remaining lingerie, reaching to the thin sides of her thong, but Lucifer was quick enough to stop her. "Don't," he pressed, his voice thick with lust. "Keep it on. It looks so good on you."
Chloe bit her lower lip at his wish, cheeks blushing a lovely shade of red. Keeping the thin layer of fabric where it was, she leaned back again, knees tilting apart. Smiling and not waiting for a second, wordless invitation, he moved back on top of her, balancing his weight on one arm next to her head while he reached down with his other, digits brushing over the soaked lace between her legs. Pushing the blasphemously sexy stripe of fabric aside, he pressed against her heat, easing into her.
Their mouths fell open, gasping, moaning, eyes staying locked, and Lucifer could have sworn that her soul touched and embraced his own. He set into a slow pace, hips buckling in sensual waves, deep and with an urgent hunger. The drag and squeeze of her warm, slick walls made him delirious, her shameless moans were ringing in his head like a prayer and her sight made him want to consume her and have her become one with him.
Breathing heatedly against her lips, he reached up and combed his fingers into her hair, framing her head, keeping her just where she was. "I want to make you cum again and again, luv," he mouthed, groaning as her walls made a particular powerful clench around him.
Chloe's eyes stayed on him, listening to him, captivated, while her body arched more against him, tilting her pelvis so he was hitting her just a tad deeper and right where it would cause stars to burst in front of her vision.
"I want to make you cry out my name in ecstasy," he panted ardently through a slightly harder thrust that caused Chloe to release a short, high-pitched groan. "I want to make you beg me not to stop but to keep going, to hold you tighter, to take you harder, faster... deeper." He let out a groan of his own, accentuating each word with a snappy thrust. "I want our souls to dance and make love with each other. And then I want to make you fall apart, body and soul, and I want you to make me fall apart along with you."
She gazed back at him, sweet pants and moans escaping her. Her fingers came to brush into his hair again, gripping, tugging, pulling his face down that last inch, before she attacked his mouth, tongue seeking the firm wet stroked of his like she were starving. When she broke the kiss for air, rasping as his thrusts still aimed perfectly, she had tears in her eyes. "You offer sending me to Heaven, Lucifer… and I'll bring Heaven right back to you."
He ground to an abrupt halt, taken aback feeling her words —her promise— touch and move every fibre of his being. Staring at her, eyes wide open and welling with tears, he didn't know what to say.
She smiled at him, warmly, her breathing calming down a bit, and nuzzled his pointy nose with hers. "It's okay," she whispered, blinking back her own tears as she nodded. "You don't have to say anything. I know." Reaching out to her side she took one of his hands into hers, waited for him to balance his weight on his other arm, and guided the palm to lay on her chest right above her heart. "You do the same to me."
His eyes followed the movement of their hands, mesmerised. He felt the fast and strong beat, full of life, beauty and love, and when he heard that all of this, all of what she was doing to him, was exactly how she felt what he was doing to her, his body moved again on its own.
Hips rolling and snapping, he sunk into her, capturing her lips with his own as she was halfway through to cry out his name, and swallowed it in a shared moan. His hand on her chest cupped and squeezed her left breast, feeling her fit so perfectly, and rolled the sensitive bundle of nerves between his fingers.
She cried out for him from his adept treatments again and again, her orgasm building with striking intensity, and soon after, her body trembled. Fingers buried in his hair, holding him close so that their foreheads stayed resting against each other, she whimpered and moaned in an ongoing symphony of pleasure. "Oh, please, Lucifer… Please don't stop!" she begged him fervidly, the heels of her feet pressing into his cheeks, putting him into a tighter cage at their connected loins.
He obliged to her wish with a growl, affirmed in his own desire and therefore further aroused— She wanted him, and only him. And she couldn't get enough of him as he was driving her mad with pleasure. Not stopping his thrusts, he changed his angle, pulled back to rest on his knees, where he could grip onto her hips and pull her against him, adding more force and sharpness to his movements. He watched in burning heat and satisfaction as her body convulsed in blissful tremors for the first time this night, her walls clenching down on him hard, hands gripping the sheets, eyes rolling into her head from the overwhelming pleasure of her orgasm.
He didn't give her time to come down from her high and she didn't ask for it either. He took her again, on all fours next time, cherishing her neck and back with kisses, licks and bites, and giving her bum an occasional slap that would sting pleasantly and just at the verge of being actually painful. She urged him on and added to the pleasure with her hands cupping him from between her legs, opening herself more for him, begging vaguely to feel him more. She took him in deeper, adjusting to him as he still seemed to grow and harden inside her, and again he had her shaking within minutes.
Her second orgasm was more intense than her first with her nerves, pulse and serotonin on fire. He had some mercy on her then, letting her ride out her climax on her own terms as she pushed back against him, humming and moaning and sighing in pure satisfaction. Caressing her skin covered in a light film of sweat, he let her rest for a while. After a few minutes, he helped remove her lace underwear and continued to worship her, feasting on her well until she cried out his name like a mantra as he made her topple over the edge.
Hours passed by as he stayed true to his promise—as always—making her come undone time and time again. He did his best to hold his own pleasure just at the brink of release, a torture in its own way, but it really didn't feel much like one, considering what ultimate goal he had in mind.
Midnight had just passed. Chloe laid beneath him with her golden hair a tangled and sweaty mess. He had her legs slung over his shoulders, her body folded in as he kept a deep and sharp, but brutally slow pace, each of his thrusts like the bang of a gunshot. He grunted and panted with his own efforts of staying in control over his body, but Chloe had lost any and all control, beautifully swaying in a delirium of climaxes that were like a pleasurable overdose of happiness.
She was close again. He could feel it and he could see it. He had become more observant and noticed now the tiny waves of trembles starting in her legs that indicated the rapid built-up towards her release.
Despite her being utterly spent, delirious and hoarse, she tried speaking to him. "I c-can't… L-Lucif-fer-r… You… n-ngh… More… M-more… Need… Closer…"
Her incoherent string of words didn't make much sense, but when her hands urged him closer and the softest of sobs escaped her lips, he immediately understood. Letting her legs down and slip around his waist, he slung his arms around her, pulling their bodies flush against each other. He continued to grind his hips into hers, slowly and sensually, and leaned to her ear, his breathing fast and laboured. "I'm here, Chloe… I know… Just let go… I'll hold you… Let me bring you to Heaven, luv."
She tried to contain her lusty moan by biting her lip but it was to no avail. She was far too exhausted physically and her mind was losing its battle just like her body was unable to hold back on another orgasm washing over her. Fingers digging into his shoulders, her body arched against him, hips trembling and rolling, needing him more. Her inner walls clenched around him in powerful jolts, as she wailed and moaned and sobbed in a sea of pleasure.
This time it was different. He could hear it, see it, feel it. She clawed at him, desperately, pulling him against herself with all her remaining strength from her orgasm and he watched in awe as she came undone crying his name. He pushed them up, held her in his lap and rocked her against himself as he pressed his lips against her jugular. The intensity of her clenching sanctuary became more and more and at last he felt the reins of his control slipping from his body.
Eyes closing, stars exploded in his vision, bright and warm and consuming, and every cell in his body felt vibrating in an overload of pure ecstasy. His fingers gripped onto her hip with almost feral intensity, and his lungs burned with the long cry of her name as he came along with her. His cry eventually turned into a sob of relief and joy without him able to think of it. His hold loosened and turned from a passionate, ardent grip to a loving, tender hold.
"I love you," he murmured against her skin, kissing it. "I love you," he repeated quietly, his breath still laboured. Putting another kiss to her jaw, he repeated his declaration. Another kiss to her chin and another declaration. Brushing his lips to hers, he weakly opened his eyes, taking in her flushed expression, her glowing skin, the radiant happiness of her being and the absolute, heaven-sent beauty she was. "I love you," he whispered once more, louder now and with more emphasis.
Chloe looked back at him quietly, lifting one hand from his shoulder to wipe away her tears of joy, before her fingers affectionately brushed away the remaining wetness from his. "I love you, too," she breathed lightly, her voice still hoarse. With all the love shining in her eyes, she nuzzled his nose with hers and slowly, tiredly, kissed his lips.
He kept holding her in his arms, his heart feeling as if it was about to burst from happiness—a stark contrast to his emotions from the previous, gruelling days filled with horror, anger and guilt. He had been absolutely miserable, butchered and beaten, and right at the verge of death. He had been suffering from brutal flashbacks, had lost his ability to differentiate between dream and reality, had reacted with wrath, impatience and vindictiveness. He had been having breakdowns and panic attacks, and had frozen up by something as simple as a flash of light.
And throughout all this time there had always had one constant at his side. "Thank you," he spoke into the comfortable sound of quiet hums and sighs between them. Looking at her, taking in all that was her, his tears emerged anew, this time too fast to be held at bay or to be brushed away. "Thank you, Chloe."
She held his gaze, watching him calm and tenderly, and she seemed to understand what exactly he was thanking her for because her eyes watered anew as well. Head tilting, she leaned in, breathed into their shared space, her right hand slipping to his chest, feeling his heartbeat. "Always, Lucifer. I will always be there for you."
His heart made a sudden jolt at her touch and words. Mimicking her touch with his own right hand to her chest, placing it right above her heart, he let his warmth and love seep into her. "As I will be there for you, my love. Always."
A/N: Yep, I ended that first part right there, because let's face it, they deserved some personal time. I hope you found their day after the showdown satisfying to read. I had thought about brushing over it very superficially, but figured that it wouldn't do them justice. I wanted to have this day be the prelude of sorts to what comes in the second and final epilogue chapter.
I hope this made you smile, maybe brought along a tiny tear and maybe left you needing a cold shower towards the end :D And perhaps you're now all the more eager to read the last chapter.
As always, I appreciate your feedback, reactions, thoughts, ideas, criticism, etc, and I'll see you in the next & final chapter of this story!
-Luni