It was late in the afternoon and rays of golden sunlight were flooding the balcony of Lucifer's penthouse. Having just returned from getting some food, Lucifer let his eyes gaze over the table he had set up and grinned to himself. It was simple, but it looked quite well. Glasses filled with beery red wine were glistering in the evening light and the burgers and fries, which had long ago become his and the detective's standard dish at dates, was offering it's usual scent: a very unique mixture of bread, salt and ketchup.
A soft pling announced, what he assumed to be his date's arrival, and indeed, when he turned around, he found Chloe heading in his direction. A small smile erupted on her face, when their eyes met. "Hi," she said, almost nervously, when she finally reached him.
"Hey," he said and greeted her with a quick peck on the lips, before he let his eyes take her in properly. She was wearing a white blouse and her lightbrown hair was loosely falling over her shoulders. Her blue eyes were sparkling in the sunlight and she looked, well, heaven-sent. "You look beautiful. As always, of course."
"Thank you." Knowing that it was a genuine compliment, she chuckled and looked down at her feet, trying to hide her pinkish cheeks. "You know, I could have been here much earlier, if you had helped me with the paperwork." Softly poking him in the chest, she looked at him almost expectantly, even though she knew that it was no use. Lucifer didn't really have the patience nor the will to do paperwork and honestly, she couldn't even blame him. It was probably the most boring and exhausting part of her, well, their, job.
"Nah, detective, but I needed to prepare for our date," he replied with a smug grin on his lips, as it was only a flimsy excuse.
"So is that why you still have your wings out?" she asked in a hushed voice, when her eyes fell on his white, angelic wings that were protruding proudly from his back.
"Ouh, sorry, I totally forgot about them," he said and was already about to tuck them away, when Chloe grabbed his arm. "Stop." It was barely a whisper, nearly swallowed up by the sounds of a busy early evening in L.A., but he heard it - and stopped dead in his tracks. Lucifer looked down at her, confusion written all over his face, as she reached out to touch his wings, "Can I?" she asked, almost shyly.
"Ahh," he stammered, swallowing the lump in his throat, "Sure." He watched as Chloe's hand moved closer, until finally, her cold fingertips came in touch with his angel wings, barely grazing them. But it was enough to send a chilly shiver down his spine. Even though most humans probably wouldn't guess it, considering the wings were always a sign of divinity, he felt every touch on his wings just as deeply as anywhere else on his body. "Chloe," he pressed out, because the tender way with which she caressed his wings was almost too much for him.
"They're beautiful, Lucifer." she said, as she stared in awe at the place her fingers were touching the radiant white feathers. It was not the first time she was seeing them, but it was the first time she was touching them and she couldn't remember ever having felt something so soft under her fingertips.
For a few seconds she dared to take her eyes of his wings and when their eyes met, she saw him. Lucifer. Or Samael. The devil. Or the lightbringer. A little boy that simply wanted to be loved for who he was. A teenager that had been thrown out of his own home and forced to do a job he never wanted to do. A man that, for most of his life, had perceived himself as evil because of that job, when in reality he was anything but evil. And his wings were the perfect representation of that. White, pure, strong. And incredibly soft; as soft as silk. He was an angel, the lightbringer, a force of good in the world, nay, the universe.
And they were also a sign of him feeling less guilty, of him finally succeeding in forgiving himself. Offering him the hint of a smile, her eyes returned to the extremely robust, bright feathers, when suddenly, her finger stumbled upon a slight crack that was shaped like a small scar. He flinched and she immediately pulled her hand back. "Sorry," she whispered and locked her eyes with his again, "What happened there?"
He exhaled deeply, as if it pained him to think about it. "The day you found out..Cain and his men tried to kill me..and you, remember? After you had passed out, I..well, I used my wings as a shield," he explained slowly.
"To protect me?" she asked, as if, after everything they had been through, she still couldn't believe how much he actually cared for her.
"Of course. Anything to protect you, detective."
It was so raw, so honest, that she felt herself melt at his words. Cupping her face with his hands, he gently forced her to look him in the eyes. "Don't you know that, detective?" he asked then, choosing the same words he had used about a year and a half prior, when he had jumped in front of her to protect her and nearly ended up with an axe in his chest.
He had not only said those words before, but he had also proven that he meant them. More times than once. And as she had come to realize only a few weeks prior, that was just as meaningful as an actual confession of his love. "Yeah," she breathed, when a soft smile erupted on her face. Letting her finger graze over his seven-day stubble she literally felt the smile form on his face too, when their lips met for a kiss. It was a fleeting kiss, a brief collision of their lips, a tender meeting of two loving souls.
Not quite ready to let go of him again when their lips parted, Chloe then twined her arms around his neck and unconsciously started playing with the hair at the nape of his neck, as she buried her face in his shirt. Breathing in his familiar scent she felt herself relax against him, when he, almost automatically, wrapped his arms and wings around her like a soft blanket that kept them in their own world. A world were they were happy. At least for the time being.
Their bodies deeply entangled, they stood on the sun-flooded balcony, enjoying the momentary bliss. Both of them were smiling softly, but they weren't the only ones. Many, many kilometres above their heads, a certain someone was watching them, also with the hint of a smile on the face. Lucifer and Chloe had come so far. From Chloe wanting to send him back to hell to her caressing his wings in a way that left Lucifer tingling - not that he really wanted to see more of the latter though. But he couldn't help the feeling of pride in his chest, knowing that it was his doing. And he liked it. He had done well.
AN: Honestly, it wasn't even my plan to bring in God at the end, but I kind off liked it, so here we are. Also, I know this oneshot is a tad sappy, but I hope you liked it nevertheless. Have a great day, wherever you might be on this planet! And don't forget to wash your hands and wear your mask! Stay safe & healthy!