Chapter 1
Lucifer slumped against the elevator wall as the doors slid shut and the cabin began to rise towards his penthouse. It was over. That was what Detective Decker had told him. She had refused to listen to a word he had to say, cutting him off as soon as he tried to explain himself - as she did so often lately. And then she had informed him coldly that she had had enough, that she just couldn't trust him, and she needed a partner she could trust, who would have her back.
It was at that precise moment that Marcus Pierce showed up. The Detective had turned to him with a smile, and he had wrapped his arms around her as she kissed him, right there in front of Lucifer and several of her colleagues. Some of them had applauded, while the majority - including Dan - just looked uncomfortable or ignored the scene. Lucifer had not missed the smug look on the Lieutenant's face when Detective Decker ended the kiss and pointedly asked the man where he was going to take her for their dinner tonight.
Perhaps he should have seen this coming. After all, lately she had stopped believing anything he said was true. It had started with his abduction. The fact that she hadn't believed him when he told her about it, that she thought he would lie to her at all, never mind about something like that, still hurt. And then, when he finally found the one responsible and got him to confess the truth, there had been no reaction from the Detective. No apology, not even a clear admission that he had been right, and that she had been wrong for assuming him to be a liar.
And of course she had never truly believed him when he told her who he was, telling him in so many words that she didn't really want to know. And when he tried to show her the truth, his attempts had been thwarted by his father's machinations. Lucifer wondered if that was part of his father's plan. He didn't know what nefarious schemes the old bastard was pursuing, but right now he was completely fed up with them.
He could not, would not show the Detective the wings. They were not who and what he truly was. Showing them to her would be a lie. He had never lied to her, no matter what she chose to believe, and he would not do so now.
And if he was completely honest with himself, he also dreaded her reaction. He had seen how even the fake wings at that relic auction - it seemed like an eternity ago instead of barely more than a year - had affected her. Lucifer was certain that the Detective would react similarly to the real ones. She, like Amenadiel and even Linda, would only see the apparent beauty of the wings, and not their ugly reality.
The wings were not a gift from his father. They were a leash, a choke-chain. A means for dear old dad to control his children, to enforce their obedience. Lucifer had freed himself from that control once, and he would do whatever it took to do it again, to stay free.
Enough was enough. He was tired. He had thought that he and the Detective had something good and precious, something worth exploring, and that she felt the same way. But now it was obvious that she did not. She didn't want him, she had made that perfectly clear. Well, never let it be said that the Devil couldn't take a hint if you hit him over the head with it long enough.
The elevator doors slid open, revealing the familiar surroundings of his penthouse. An irritated sigh escaped Lucifer when he saw that the lights were on. Someone was here. Someone who apparently knew how to disable his disco alarm system. That narrowed down the list of suspects.
A quick look around revealed the culprit. Maze was sitting on his couch, drink in hand, apparently so lost in thought she hadn't even noticed his entrance. On the table before her, Lucifer spied a bottle of his best scotch, more than half empty. Another irritated sigh escaped him as he wondered what she wanted now.
The sound made Maze put down her glass and turn towards him, and his irritation was immediately replaced with concern as he saw the state she was in. His demon had obviously been crying. Her eyes were reddened, her normally impeccable makeup was smudged. There were tear tracks across her cheeks which she was just now hastily trying to wipe away.
"Mazikeen? What is it? What happened?"
"Linda. She…" Maze broke off, her breath hitching as fresh tears fell from her eyes.
Alarm shot through Lucifer. "Something happened to the doctor? Is she alright?"
That question elicited a derisive laugh. "Oh, she's alright. They're both fine. I didn't do anything to them."
Relief flooded through the devil at hearing that his mortal friend was alright, but his concern remained. Something had clearly happened to get his demon into such a state. Something involving the doctor, and apparently one other person. A suspicion rose in his mind as to who that other person was.
"Linda and Amenadiel?"
Maze looked up at him and nodded, tears still glistening in her eyes. "I saw them together. Laughing and kissing, and telling each other 'I love you.'"
Lucifer winced in sympathy, the image of the Detective and Pierce rising unbidden in his mind. He sat down next to her and tentatively placed an arm around her shoulders. Maze tensed under his touch and looked up at him in surprise. They remained frozen for a second, and Lucifer half expected her to pull away and reject his clumsy attempt at comforting her. Instead, he suddenly found himself with a lap full of crying demons.
The shock threatened to paralyze him, but he instinctively wrapped his arms around Maze and began stroking her back gently, murmuring meaningless phrases in an effort to soothe her. Never before had he seen his fierce, strong demon reduced to such a state. And there had been only two occasions where she had come close. He didn't want to think about either of them right now.
Anger filled him at the thought that his brother should have done this to her.
It took a little while for Maze to calm down and regain control over herself. As soon as she did, she tried to pull away, no doubt embarrassed over her display of emotions. Lucifer briefly tightened his hold on her. While he would never admit it out loud, he didn't want her to pull away from him.
He fully expected her to do so, though. But to his surprise, Maze stopped the moment she felt his hold tighten, and sank back against him with a sigh. Yet another sign that she was far from alright.
Lucifer gave a sigh, too. "Oh my darling Maze, I had no idea you cared that much about my idiot brother. "
"I don't!" Maze protested indignantly. She lifted her head and glared at him. He raised a politely disbelieving eyebrow, prompting her to continue.
"That ass could go around proclaiming his love for every single member of my back catalogue, and I wouldn't give a damn. This isn't about him. It's about Linda."
Her breath hitched, and for a second it looked as if she might cry again. But then she visibly pulled herself together.
"She's my best friend, and she lied to me. Friends don't do that."
This surprised Lucifer. He knew that his demon and his therapist had become close friends. Linda surely knew how important honesty was for Maze.
"What exactly did she do?"
"Remember when I came back from Cleveland and found them together, all chummy? And you told me to think about what I truly desired?"
Lucifer nodded, the corners of his mouth twitching in a hint of a grimace. He remembered that incident very clearly. In fact, it was one that regularly rose up in his mind. He had not handled the situation well, too caught up in his own problems to give Maze the attention she deserved, and he regretted that fact. Maze deserved better.
His demon was giving him a sharp look, clearly aware that there was something on his mind. Lucifer shook his head minutely and gestured for her to go on.
"I realized that I just wanted her to understand, so I went back to her office and told her how seeing her with Amenadiel had made me feel. And that I'd really prefer it if they didn't get together. And she said that I didn't have to worry about that. She promised me that there was nothing going on between them."
"You're sure she was lying? Perhaps at that time there really wasn't anything going on between them, and that only changed recently?" Personally, Lucifer doubted that, but for his demon's sake, he hoped he was wrong.
Maze shook her head decisively. "No. They wouldn't go around saying 'I love you' if this was something that new. At least Linda wouldn't. And even if this was new-", she glared up at him once again, "- which I am certain it is not - she still would have broken her promise."
A sigh escaped the devil. "You're right."
Disappointment filled him. He had expected better from his doctor. Perhaps he shouldn't have, though. She was human, after all, and humans seemed to have an infinite capacity for unintentionally hurting others as soon as their feelings got involved. Especially when the feeling in question was love.
They sat there in silence for a little while, Maze still in his lap, her head resting against his shoulder. Lucifer continued to stroke her back lightly, the action somehow comforting him as much as he hoped it was comforting her.
"I just don't get why she didn't tell me the truth. I mean, I wouldn't have been happy about it, but…", Maze trailed off and fell silent again.
"But an unpleasant truth would have been less painful than the lie." Lucifer finished for her after a moment. He felt his demon nod. "I don't know why she did it either, Maze. I suppose, in her own mind, she thought she was trying not to hurt you."
Maze scoffed. "Great. Worked out really well. Stupid human emotions."
This typical remark drew a short laugh from the devil. Stupid human emotions indeed. Life would be so much easier if they could just stop having them.
"You know the worst part? I didn't even make her pay for it. I just couldn't." She gave a short, bitter laugh. "I'm a demon. I should rejoice at the idea of making her suffer, of tearing them both limb from limb. But I don't. I still care-", she spat the word, "-too much about her to want to hurt her. I can't even go after that asshole brother of yours, because that would hurt her, too."
"You love her." The realization surprised Lucifer, and yet he immediately wondered how he could have missed this extremely obvious fact for so long.
"No I don't!"
The denial was immediate, sharp and indignant, and only managed to evoke a disbelieving look from him.
Maze glared back defiantly. "I don't love Linda. Not the way you think. I'm not hurt because she's saying 'I love you' to Amenadiel, and not to me. I don't want all that couple stuff. It's just-", she paused for a moment, trying to sort out her thoughts, looking for the right words. "She's my best friend. I want to be with her, just to hang out. I don't even want to have sex with her."
Lucifer couldn't suppress an incredulous snort at that ridiculous claim.
"Okay, yes I do. Linda is hot. And you told me how great she is in the sack. Of course I want to have sex with her. But she isn't interested, and that's okay. With her, the sex isn't what's important."
Lucifer wasn't sure if he had made some sound, or if his demon simply knew what he was thinking, but she once again gave him a hard look. "And yes, I know exactly how ridiculous that sounds from me."
She paused for a second, shrugged, and looked away again. "It's true, though. I'm happy just spending time with her, talking. And not just me talking to her, and having her explain things. I mean, she's great at that. She really listens, and she can always make sense of all these weird things humans say and do. Well, as much as there is any sense in that, at least. But when she explains it, I really get it, you know?"
"Yes, I know. She's very good at that." Lucifer smiled fondly as he thought of the countless times when his doctor had helped him understand the incomprehensible actions of humans. His smile faded as he wondered how someone who understood so much about emotions could then have hurt Maze the way Linda had. Perhaps this was what the humans meant when they said love makes you blind.
Before he could dwell further on that thought, Maze went on: "But I like listening to her, too. She tells me stories, not about her patients of course, but about other stuff. Funny stuff, mostly, or stuff that's annoyed her. I've offered to take care of the annoying stuff for her, but she won't let me." Maze pouted. "Says she doesn't want to cause any bloodshed. I told her I can deal with problems without shedding any blood, but she just gave me that look, you know, where she's not actually rolling her eyes, but you know she wants to, and she's serious, but also a bit amused, and she knows exactly what I'm thinking."
The smile was back on Lucifer's face. Yes, he knew that look. He'd seen it directed at his demon once or twice, and also occasionally at himself.
"She did let me come with her to the store that time her phone broke, though." The satisfied smile on Maze's face told Lucifer that there were some extremely terrified customer service people out there now. Come to think of it, he had noticed that the doctor had switched phones and gotten the latest deluxe model with all the extras a little while ago. Now he knew why.
Silence reigned for a few moments as Maze fondly remembered the incident. Then she returned to her topic. "And you know how talking about emotions, or listening while someone else talks about them, is really not my thing. But with Linda, it's different. I don't mind it with her. And I like doing stuff with her. Like going out for drinks, or watching movies. Even if she always chooses those ridiculous, mushy, romantic ones."
The devil and the demon both grimaced.
"But I'll watch them with her anyway, because they make her happy. I want her to be happy when she's with me."
"You love her." Lucifer smiled soothingly when Maze once again glared at him. "I understand what you're saying, Maze. I'm not talking about settling down, getting married, having a bunch of offspring kind of love. I mean you love her as a friend, someone you care about, someone who means a lot to you."
His demon hesitated briefly, then nodded. "I guess I do. And now…"
Wordlessly, Lucifer tightened his hold on her and leaned forward to press a soft kiss to her forehead. Once more, they sat there in silence.
After a little while, Maze gave a quiet scoff. "I should have taken Rivers up on his offer."
Lucifer tilted his head and frowned at her. "What offer?"
"After we'd taken down psycho bitch and her goons, while Dan was dealing with the police, Rivers asked me to come with him. The two of us, running together, hitting a new city every week. Having fun. No roots to hold us back." There was a soft smile on her face as she thought of this. It made something deep within the devil's chest ache. "I turned him down. Told him that he may not have roots, but I did, and I missed them. And now…" A short, bitter laugh escaped her. "The only one who'd miss me is the little human."
"I would miss you, too, Maze." Lucifer protested, alarmed that she would believe otherwise.
His demon looked at him, and he held his breath, hoping she would see the sincerity in his eyes. After a moment, Maze averted her gaze and twitched her shoulders in a halfhearted shrug. "Maybe you would, for a bit. But you'd soon get over it, with your detective occupying all your time."
Lucifer flinched at this painful reminder, causing his demon to look at him suspiciously. He smiled sadly at her.
"You're wrong, Mazikeen. I would miss you very much, no matter what or who occupied my time. And I am sorry that my behavior towards you has given you reason to doubt that."
His lips twitched as he saw Maze's eyes widening in surprise. What did it say about them, about him, that this most basic and more than deserved apology from him could astonish her? In the privacy of his own mind, Lucifer made a solemn vow that from now on, he would treat her better. She had been his loyal companion, his friend, for millennia. It was way past time that this friendship went both ways. Starting with some honesty and openness on his part.
He heaved a deep sigh. "But as a matter of fact, you needn't worry about the detective occupying all my time any longer. That is over."
"What?"
"Yes. She told me so today, in no uncertain terms. She no longer trusts me, or wants to have anything to do with me. My services as a police consultant are no longer required."
Maze stared at him incredulously. "You're kidding." When he silently shook his head, her expression softened to something dangerously close to sympathy. "I'm sure she'll change her mind. This is just one of her usual tantrums. She gets them, you know? Like when I throw away dirty dishes, or that time I taught her offspring how to throw knives and we broke that hideous statuette of hers. She'll come around again. After all, I know she's got the hots for you."
Lucifer hadn't been able to suppress a faint smile at his demon's attempt to comfort him, but now he became serious again. "I'm afraid that is a thing of the past, too. She and the Lieutenant are together now. They both made that abundantly clear at the precinct earlier."
"The lieutenant? Pierce? She seriously chose that supercilious ass?"
The shock and outrage on Maze's face warmed his heart.
"I'm afraid so. They gave a rather revolting PDA to prove it."
"You want me to kick her ass?" Maze looked at him hopefully. "See if I can beat some sense into that idiot head of hers?"
Lucifer chuckled. "I thought you and the detective were friends, Maze."
His demon shrugged. "Doesn't mean I'll just stand by and watch when she hurts you. You're my friend, too."
Warmth spread through him at her words, and Lucifer realized with a start that he had expected a different reaction. He frowned mentally. What exactly had he thought Maze would do?
Take the detective's side. Tell him she was right to reject him, that it was his own fault. That he didn't deserve any better, didn't deserve to be trusted and loved.
He should have known Mazikeen would never do that.
Lucifer smiled fondly at his demon. "Thank you for the offer, my darling, but no."
Maze looked at him searchingly for a moment, and then nodded. No words were necessary for her to understand. After all, she was in the same position. Neither of them could bear the thought of the one they loved being hurt.
Another sigh escaped him. "Maybe it's better this way."
When his demon stared at him in surprise and confusion, he shrugged. "At least if she chooses to live happily ever after with the Lieutenant, I no longer have to worry that dear old dad's manipulations have taken away her free will."
Once again, a look of understanding passed between them, and silence fell.
Lucifer found himself contemplating the woman sitting in his lap. His demon. She had changed, and even though he liked some of the changes and didn't mind the rest, it was a disquieting thought. Mazikeen had been a part of his life for millennia, longer than anybody else, even the members of his own family. They had all shunned him, breaking off all contact after his fall. Well, except for his sister Azrael, but then, her rare visits had been part of her job as angel of death.
Maze had been his companion, his one constant. And at some point in their long friendship, he had started taking that for granted. It had become something like a fixed fact, a law of nature, that she would always be there, supporting him in whatever he chose to do. Protecting him. Caring for him.
Now he had realized that this was not a permanent, unalterable fact. She had changed, here on Earth, just as much as he had. Perhaps, in part at least, because he had. And as a consequence, he had come close to losing her. And he hadn't even known until just a few moments ago how close. If she had decided to take Rivers up on his offer…
He could see the appeal of it, though. The idea of just going away, of leaving behind all the pain and heartbreak, was very tempting. They could travel the world, have fun, forget all about rejections and betrayals.
"We could do it, if you want to."
Maze gave him a confused look, and Lucifer realized belatedly that he had spoken aloud. He gave her a wry smile and a little shrug. "Go away together. Leave LA and find some other interesting city, stay there a bit and have some fun, then move on when the mood takes us."
Seeing the spark of interest in her eyes, his smile brightened and he began to sing softly.
"Steal away, let's steal away.
No reason left to stay,
For me and you.
Let's start anew,
And darling steal away."
Maze smiled at the words, but then shook her head. "No."
Lucifer barely suppressed a flinch at that simple but devastating word. It was too late, then. Maze didn't want to be with him anymore. He'd managed to drive her away.
An exasperated sigh from his demon pulled him out of his thoughts. She was once again glaring at him, a knowing expression on her face.
"Stop being an idiot. I'm not saying no to you." A smirk twisted her lips when he sagged in relief. "Your offer is tempting. Very tempting. But I can't go. I still have one root left here."
He frowned in confusion for a moment before realization dawned. "The small human."
"Yes. She's my friend. I'm not going to abandon her. Especially if her idiot mother is seriously hooking up with that ass Pierce."
"You don't think her offspring will like him?"
Maze scoffed. "I know the kid can't stand him."
"They've met?" This was news to Lucifer. As for the spawn's feelings towards her mother's new partner, he wholeheartedly agreed, of course.
"Last week. Decker came by to pick up some files she'd left at our place, and he was with her. She introduced him to her kid." A rather smug grin spread across the demon's face. "He was a patronizing ass towards her. It was hate at first sight."
The smirk faded. "She'll be upset when she finds out he's gearing up to be her step-daddy. Especially since she's been hoping to get you for that role."
"Really?" Lucifer wasn't sure he liked that idea. He supposed it would have been an inevitable side effect of a relationship with the detective, and he had to admit that the little parasite was much more tolerable than most of her kind. But that didn't mean he liked the idea of assuming a father role for her.
"No need to make such a face. She's a good kid. And she likes you." Maze was scowling at him, clearly offended on her friend's behalf.
"I'm not saying she isn't a good little human. She's certainly vastly preferable to most other human offspring. And I know she likes me. But still…", he trailed off, and saw a somewhat exasperated look of understanding dawn on his demon's face.
"Ah. Daddy issues."
Now it was Lucifer's turn to glare, though the expression remained halfhearted. Maze was right, after all, even if he did not appreciate her flippant tone.
"Do you seriously think I should be a father figure for anyone? You know what my family is like."
"So? It'd be hard for you to do a worse job than your dad."
When he gave her an incredulous look, Maze shrugged. "What are you asking me? You know what my family is like."
That earned her a short laugh. "True." He smiled fondly at her. "We're quite a pair, aren't we?"
"You mean we're both seriously messed up? Speak for yourself. I'm a demon. There's nothing wrong with how I am."
Lucifer arched an eyebrow. "A demon who has a serious friendship with a human child."
Maze scowled, but didn't refute the point. "So I'm messed up, too. I don't care."
"I don't care either, my darling. There's nothing wrong with you. I like you the way you are."
That earned him another look from her. "Yeah well, we've just established that you are seriously messed up. So you liking me is not exactly a ringing endorsement."
Lucifer sighed. He really liked his demon, but she could be rather exasperating. "Maze-"
Abruptly, she pulled away from him and stood up. "I'd better go. I'm not in the mood for fighting with you tonight."
With that, she started walking away from him, towards the elevator. Lucifer stared after her for a second.
"Maze?"
No reaction.
"Mazikeen, wait!"
But his demon just kept on walking away from him. By now she had almost reached the elevator.
"I'm sorry."
That made her stop. When she turned to look at him, her expression of astonishment mixed with suspicion broke his heart. Had he really fucked up their relationship so badly that she would be shocked at him apologizing to her, and automatically suspect ulterior motives? Apparently, he had.
Lucifer stood up and carefully made his way towards her.
"I don't want to fight with you, either. And I didn't mean to insult you. I apologize. Stay?"
Immediately, the suspicion in her eyes became more pronounced. "Why?"
"Because I don't want to be alone tonight, and I don't think you want to be alone, either."
Maze scoffed. "So go down to your club, there's plenty of people there to keep you company."
"I'm not in the mood for partying with strangers, Maze. But I would like to spend time with a friend, who knows and understands. And I think you could do with the company of a friend right now, too."
Seeing the way her lips pressed together into a thin line at his words made Lucifer wince.
"You've always been a good friend to me, Mazikeen. And I know that I've not appreciated that fact properly in the past, and that I've been a less than ideal friend to you."
A derisive snort came from his demon at this, loud in the otherwise silent penthouse. Lucifer flinched and then sighed.
"Oh, bloody Hell, let's not mince words. I was a self-centered, neglectful, callous, ignorant, uncaring and completely egotistical bastard towards you. I always expected you to be there for me, but I was never there for you." He paused and looked straight at her, and didn't know whether to laugh or cry at seeing her frozen in complete shock.
"I am deeply sorry for how I treated you in the past, Mazikeen. And I solemnly swear to you that I will try as hard as I can to do better from now on, and be a good friend to you. And when I mess up, I want you to kick my ass until I see sense and apologize to you."
A tremulous smile appeared on his demon's face.
"Can I get that last part in writing?"
"If you wish." The corners of Lucifer's mouth turned up in an answering smile. "Will normal ink suffice, or do you want me to write it in my own blood?"
Maze laughed. It was a beautiful sound, and it warmed the devil's heart to know he had caused it.
"Tempting, but I think normal ink will do. For now at least. I can always go for blood if I have to remind you of your promise too often."
The threat was clear in her voice and expression, and it made Lucifer happy. Maze was taking his promise to be a better friend seriously.
"So, will you stay here tonight?" He looked at her hopefully.
"Okay." His demon shrugged and avoided his gaze. "Not like I have any other plans now."
Not after finding out about Linda and Amenadiel. The unspoken words echoed through the room and made Lucifer's heart ache for her.
"So, what do you want to do?" Now it was Maze's turn to look at him hopefully.
Lucifer shrugged. "I don't know." He smiled self-deprecatingly. "I don't actually have any plans, I just know that I want you here with me."
He drifted over to his piano, lifted the cover of the keys, and idly played a few notes.
"No." Maze stepped up beside him and firmly closed the lid again, barely giving him enough time to pull back his hand. "I'm not spending the evening here listening to your melancholic noodling. I want a distraction, something that takes my mind off depressing things."
"I do not noodle!"
His outraged cry got him nothing but a scoff and an eyebrow raised in challenge. Lucifer scowled. "And we've already established that neither of us is in the mood for fighting, and I am also not in the mood for sex. That rules out your usual distractions."
"I wasn't thinking about sex. I have no interest in a pity fuck, and I certainly don't want to be a substitute or consolation prize for you." Maze replied, giving him a venomous look.
Anger was replaced with shock, and a certain amount of hurt. Did she really believe he would use her that way, or that he could ever pity her? Looking at his demon, Lucifer could see the damage his mistreatment of her had done. Yes, she did believe it. She was also only seconds away from changing her mind and leaving.
"Mazikeen, I'm sorry."
Once again, his apology made her pause.
"You could never be a substitute or a consolation prize. Sex with you is always a pleasure, something precious which I value very much." He looked at her intently, willing her with every fiber of his being to believe him. Her expression remained cold, closed off, but he fancied that he could detect a flicker of something softer in her eyes. "And I could never pity you, my darling. You are the strongest being I have ever known."
Maze looked away at that, shaking her head in silent disagreement.
"Yes, you are. What happened earlier was not weakness." Seeing her incredulous look, Lucifer smiled gently. "Do you think I am weak, because of how I acted after Uriel?"
"What? No!"
"Then you aren't weak, either." He said it with complete conviction, giving the words an air of finality.
She shrugged, but didn't dispute his statement.
"I'm sorry, too. I shouldn't have said that about your playing."
"You were not entirely wrong, though." A wry smile twisted his lips. The comment had rankled precisely because, deep down, Lucifer had to admit that there was a grain of truth in it.
"Still shouldn't have said it. Not like that, at least." She looked up at him, her expression earnest and sincere. "You know I like it when you play your piano, and when you sing. Right?"
He laughed softly. "Want me to do a bit of noodling after all? I promise I'll keep it strictly non-melancholic."
Maze grinned and shook her head. "No. I've got a better idea. I just need to check if you have everything we'll need here. Why don't you get yourself a drink? And bring the bottle over to the table." Looking at the glass and half-empty bottle she had left there, she amended, "Best make that a few bottles."
"So your idea involves lots of alcohol? I approve."
All he got in reply was a brief smirk, then Maze disappeared down the corridor towards the kitchen and the guest bedrooms. Lucifer looked after her for a moment, wondering what she was up to. Oh well, he would find out soon enough. Turning to his bar, he surveyed the bottles arranged there, looking for something to catch his fancy. He lingered over the selection, finally choosing another fine single malt scotch. Remembering Maze's order to bring more than one bottle, he added her favorite vodka and an excellent cognac. Picking up a couple of suitable glasses, he carried all of it over to the couch table and set it down carefully.
Just as Lucifer finished pouring himself his first drink, Maze reappeared. He turned towards her, and raised a surprised eyebrow. His demon was carrying an armful of blankets. Not the comforters from the guest bedrooms, but an assortment of soft, fuzzy blankets and quilts, which were usually kept in the big linen closet in the laundry room.
She had also taken the time to clean up her face and change her clothes. Most of her makeup was gone, leaving her features bare. To Lucifer, she looked even more beautiful this way. He let his gaze wander from her face to her body, and his mouth went dry when he realized what she was wearing.
Maze had found a pair of soft black sweatpants somewhere in the depths of his closet. They were too long for her of course, the fabric pooling around her ankles, almost hiding her bare feet. She didn't seem to be bothered by that, though. And she had combined them with one of Lucifer's favorite shirts, a deep purple silk one. It looked stunning on her. The devil swallowed hard. Damn the minx, she knew what seeing her wear his shirts did to him.
The smirk on her lips as she brushed past him to deposit the blankets on the couch left no doubt that Maze knew exactly what effect her current outfit had on him.
"You should go change, too. Put on something a bit more comfortable than a suit."
"You really want me to stay clothed?"
Maze rolled her eyes. "If you want to sit here naked, be my guest."
Lucifer pouted, which only earned him a severe look.
"We're not having sex tonight, Lucifer. I have other plans. Now go get changed, and let me finish the preparations here."
Muttering under his breath that these plans had better be worth it, he headed for his bedroom, unbuttoning his suit jacket, vest and shirt as he went. Stripping down to his underwear and throwing his clothes into the usual hamper, he hesitated over what to put on instead. The contrary part of him wanted to choose another suit, just to annoy Maze.
After a brief consideration, he dismissed the thought. His demon was still on edge, her temper just frayed enough that she might take such an action in exactly the wrong way, and decide to leave after all. That was not a risk he was willing to take. A quick look through his drawers got him another pair of black sweatpants and a charcoal cable knit sweater. Perfect. Barefoot and dressed casually, he returned to the living room.
In his absence, Maze had arranged the blankets into a sort of nest on the couch. The television was on, but it showed only a screen saver. The remote control lay on the table beside their drinks. The room was otherwise empty, no trace of his demon anywhere. Before he could wonder where she had gone, Lucifer sensed movement behind him and turned around. Maze was coming towards him, carrying two rather large bowls with a long-handled spoon sticking out of each one. She grinned at him.
"Tada!"
One quick look confirmed Lucifer's suspicion. "Cuddles and ice cream?!"
Maze frowned. "What, you don't like it?"
"No, no, I approve! It sounds exactly what we need right now."
His demon relaxed, mollified.
"Anyway, it's not just cuddles and ice cream. This is cuddles, ice cream, booze, and action movies full of fun, mindless violence."
"Even better! The recipe for a perfect evening."
He smiled at her and took the bowl she held out to him. His smile widened when he saw that the ice cream was covered with chocolate and caramel sauce, chocolate flakes, and chopped caramelized nuts. It seemed that Maze had gone all out with their cold, sugary treats.
They settled down next to each other in the nest of blankets, wrapping them around their legs and shoulders. Lucifer leaned back with a contented sigh and scooped up his first spoonful of ice cream while Maze pressed a button on the remote control. Immediately, the screen saver on the TV vanished and the opening credits of the first Body Bags movie lit up the screen.
A wide grin spread across the devil's face. Maze looked over to see his reaction to her movie choice, and grinned in return. Then she leaned against him and started digging into her own bowl of ice cream.
Lucifer absently watched the movie as he continued eating, but his mind kept wandering away from the action on the screen. He was still surprised by his demon's choice of distraction. This wasn't really her style. He knew of course that she had changed, but even so it was unusual.
It made him wonder where she'd even gotten the idea. Perhaps this was something she'd done with Linda? But in that case, he was certain she wouldn't have suggested it now. Still, it was an excellent choice. Just the right kind of distracting, and also comforting. It reminded him a bit of his first evening with Candy.
That thought gave him pause. This was quite a lot like his first evening with Candy, actually. And Maze had been to Las Vegas on a bounty hunt some weeks ago, and it had taken her a few days to get her quarry. Unusual for her. And when she came back, she had made some smugly cryptic remarks about enjoying herself there. He cast a suspicious look over at her.
"Maze? Where did you get the idea for this?" He made a vague gesture with his spoon.
She frowned at him, and he hastened to stop her from entertaining any suspicions of her own.
"It's just that this isn't usually your thing. I'm not criticizing, or judging you. Just curious."
"Oh, I got it from some movie Trixie made me watch. Can't remember the name of it. Anyway, there was one scene where they did this, and the small human explained it all to me." She shrugged. "Seems it's something you do in situations like ours, so I thought we could give it a try."
Lucifer relaxed as his suspicions were wiped away. His reaction was a bit too obvious, though, earning him a raised eyebrow.
"Why? What did you think where I'd gotten it?"
He smiled sheepishly. "Well, I was wondering if you and Candy-"
"What?!"
Seeing the incredulity on her face made him realize how ridiculous his suspicion had been.
"It's just that when I first met her, she and I sort of did this. And you were in Las Vegas not so long ago."
Maze laughed, and Lucifer noted with relief that it was amused laughter.
"I know. It sounds rather ridiculous now that I'm saying it out loud."
"Yeah."
Just as he relaxed, relieved that there had been an innocent explanation and that he hadn't managed to offend his friend again, a smirk spread across Maze's features.
"Candy and I had much more interesting things to do."
The way she licked her lips left absolutely no doubt about the nature of their activities.
Lucifer gaped at her. "You had sex with my ex-wife? Maze!"
"What? I was curious. I knew there was more than her than the brainless bimbo act she put on, especially after you ran off to rescue her, and I had to listen to Chl-", she broke off and gave him a slightly chagrined look, "to a certain someone bitching about it."
She paused for a moment, and then went on more thoughtfully. "I like Candy. She's impressive. Had me fooled with her act at first, when you brought her here as your wife. But I knew something was up when you refused to tell me the truth about you and her."
That made him wince. "I'm sorry about that, Maze. I should have trusted you."
"Let's not rehash bygones."
A tense, uncomfortable silence spread between them, broken only by the sounds of the movie. Maze made a point of staring fixedly at the screen, but Lucifer would bet money that she wasn't paying any more attention to it than he did. He cursed himself for ruining their lovely moment. Once again, he'd just had to remind her what an ass he'd been to her. A thought occurred to him, and he turned towards his demon, hoping he could salvage their evening.
"Want to kick my ass for being an idiot?"
Maze startled and shot him a look. "Do you want me to?"
Lucifer twitched his shoulders and smiled wryly. "Not really, no. But I think I'd deserve it."
The corners of Maze's mouth curved upwards. "Yeah well, if I went around giving everybody what they deserve …"
They smiled at each other, the tension draining away. Lucifer put away his mostly empty bowl, and then cautiously wrapped his arm around Maze's shoulders. Immediately, she leaned into the embrace, resting her head on his shoulder with a contented hum. He tilted his head and brushed his face against her hair.
"Thank you, Mazikeen , for being the awesome friend you are."
"You're welcome. Now shut up, I want to watch the movie."
"As you wish, my darling."
Laughing softly even as a sharp elbow jabbed him in the ribs, Lucifer did as he was told.
A broad grin spread across his face when the next fight scene started and Maze began commenting on it, voicing enthusiastic approval at some particularly vicious moves, then giving harsh criticism at what she saw as amateurish mistakes. Soon, Lucifer joined in with a few observations of his own, and they spent the rest of the movie keeping up a running commentary, liberally sprinkled with innuendo, private jokes, and fond reminiscences.
Maze fell asleep about halfway through Body Bags 4.
When the credits began to roll, Lucifer wondered if he should wake her. He quickly decided against it, and also dismissed the idea of carrying her over to his bed. There was no need for that. Their nest of blankets was quite cozy and more than comfortable enough to sleep in.
He glanced at the sleeping figure nestled against his side. This day had brought both of them heartbreak, but the painful events had given him the necessary push to reconnect with his demon. She had been his faithful companion, confidante, and right hand for millennia. His oldest and truest friend. And hopefully, she would now be all of those things again, and more.
With a flick of the remote control, Lucifer turned off the television, plunging the room into semi-darkness broken only by the low city lights coming in through the windows. He placed the device on the table and then carefully tucked the blankets more firmly around them. Sighing contentedly, he leaned his cheek against the top of Maze's head, closed his eyes, and drifted off to sleep.
Chapter 2
Chloe started regretting sending Lucifer away about 10 minutes after she did it. "So, did you finally get rid of the idiot", Pierce said. "Yeah, I did". "Great, then I'll have the ring back then". At this, Chloe laughed, thinking it a joke. But when she looked at her fiance, there was no light in his eyes. Dan then snorted, saying that it looks like Lucifer was right about him, and how Chloe was a bitch. Chloe asked why he would do this now, and Pierce said "I got what I wanted, so why would I keep you and your brat around?"
When he said that, she realized that Marcus had never liked Trixie, and tried to hit her once.
Thinking of this, she just handed over her ring without a word.
7 hours later