Author's note: Hello hello!

I'm back.

This chapter's shorter than the others but I did feel like the story needed a breather after all the intense scenes happening back to back. I could have written more but I really didn't want to hold off updating this story any longer.

Thank you for your sweet sweet comments, I'm super thrilled that people are enjoying this fic so far.
Oh and would you look at that, season 4 is coming out tomorrow!

Title credits goes to Death Cab For Cutie.
Enjoy :)

The room was quiet.

The last rays of light shone through the hospital curtains and highlighted the specks of dust scattered about. Lucifer spectated the streets from the window close by, still seated on the bed. The few stars that managed to shine brighter than the Los Angeles lights dotted the sky. It was nearly nightfall.

It had been just about twenty four hours since everything had gone to Hell.

Lucifer grimaced, every line in his body pulled tight as he clutched the bottle of alcohol that had somehow found its way to his hands. He must be looking pathetic.

He had to leave.

He couldn't stand being there for even one more second.

Bitterness jabbed at him from the back of his mind. Just an hour ago he held the Detective in his embrace, clinging to her and letting his emotions run free. He had sat there for long, his tired form shaking from the sheer intensity of sadness before he finally let go of Chloe.

He thought he'd feel better if he told her about Uriel's death.

Now, he just felt empty inside.

Vulnerable, even. Like delicate china in Chloe's hands and one uncalculated move was enough for his soul to break into bits like porcelain hitting cold floor.

He wondered if he had made the right decision telling her what had happened, the sentiment making him uneasy and anxious. The thought of making everything worse between him and Chloe made a dull ache pound in his chest.

Lucifer grunted, bringing the bottle to his lips to take a swig of the bitter drink to sooth his nerves.

The room was empty except for him, Chloe's absence making him more anxious by every passing moment. She had only excused herself to get food, but even then Lucifer felt on edge. Worry swarmed his mind for what was to come between them.

He hoped that she would get back sooner, before his inevitable cycle of self-loathing started.

He drank from the bottle again before shoving it under the pillow, not really wanting to get an earful from the Detective. He vaguely remembered a nurse coming in after Chloe's departure. She had started explaining what had happened to him and what procedures he had gone through, but he wasn't exactly paying attention to her. Instead Lucifer had asked the nurse to bring him something to drink and of course, she couldn't resist his charms.

Lucifer's hands absently went to his robes, raising the garment up and exposing his toned chest. He carefully removed the bandages that were wrapped around his form.

Beneath them sutures held his skin together where the dagger had struck, forming a jagged line on his left pectoral.

Lucifer's eyes narrowed at the sight. Something about it struck him odd; the blade was most definitely strong enough to sap life out of any living being. Then why on Earth had he not succumbed to his wound?

He shivered at the thought. The memory of Chloe's terror-struck face appeared in his mind, her strained voice screaming his name when he fell to the floor with a thud. Guilt started to creep up to him again.

He couldn't entertain the idea any further as he heard steps at the door. He let go of the robes, his hands falling to his sides in a swift move.

There was a knock on the door, then it swung open and warmth flooded the room with Chloe's presence.

She put a genuine smile on his face.

"Ah, Detective!" Lucifer's voice boomed with energy it lacked just moments before, "I was starting to get bored in this place. Come on in now." He steeled his spine and sat upright on the edge of bed as she approached and took the empty chair next to him.

Her hair was tied up into a neat bun once more and she no longer sported the blood soaked shirt and pants. With tired eyes she looked at him and Lucifer beamed back at her, peering at her eyes that sparkled with ever-present kindness.

His smile fell.

Behind the twinkle of warmth, he saw something else.

"You have questions." He spoke softly though anxiety spiked in his chest. "I can tell."

Chloe's eyebrows knitted together. "How did you…?"

"The eyes are windows to the soul, Detective."

Chloe gazed at the floor for a second before leaning back in the chair.

He waited in anticipation. When she didn't immediately continue, he encouraged her with a gentle yet curious nod.

Chloe licked her lips before she spoke. "The things you said yesterday… did you mean them?"

Lucifer's shoulders tensed at her question and he saw a tinge of panic set into her eyes. His chest suddenly felt constricted.

He remembered seeing her on the stairs at the club.

"How much… did you hear me speak?" He asked.

"Enough."

Lucifer bit on his lips, chewing on a sliver of skin. "I may have said some things that do not reflect reality."

"Lucifer." The stern tone of her voice did not slip by him. "Did you mean them?"

"I…" He trailed off, unsure of what to say. "Perhaps. I'm not entirely sure. Not with you going through all this trouble for me."

She shook her head softly. "I'm here for you, Lucifer."

"And I you, Detective."

Chloe smiled before clearing her throat to speak.

"When my dad died, I didn't cry at his funeral."

Lucifer gazed at her curiously, waiting to see where she went with her words.

Chloe went on, "I didn't allow myself to mourn him for the longest time. It felt so wrong to me. Looking back on it now, I think I was just looking for a way to keep feeling guilty. It felt like I had let him down with my acting career and I could never make it up to him anymore." She paused to swallow the lump in her throat.

"What did you do?" Lucifer asked, prompting her to keep going.

"Drowned myself in work to follow in my dad's footsteps. I kept avoiding thinking about him for the longest time and I created a toxic bubble of negative emotions around me. I ended up breaking down at some point and crying to my mom about it." She took a deep breath. "All I'm trying to say is, I couldn't move on until I allowed myself to process his death properly. I know your brother's passing is hard on you. But you need to stop being so harsh on yourself." She leaned in from her seat. "Promise me one more thing."

"And that is?"

"Please get help. We can get you admitted to a mental hospital." Her voice shook with uncertainty.

"Oh no, no, no no no." Lucifer brought his hands up and waved them about. "Not a slightest chance I'm staying at a loony bin. I can't even stand to wear robes like this for another moment."

Chloe looked at him with wide eyes.

"It's not a "loony bin", I just- I'm worried for you." Her voice tremored once more and Lucifer felt his heart get impaled by guilt, though somehow this felt more painful than a dagger to the chest.

She continued, "At least promise me you'll go see Linda. I can't keep you here against your will, but can you do this for me?"

The look of hurt on her face made ice run through Lucifer's veins.

Don't be a selfish bastard, he reminded himself.

Carefully, he leaned closer to her from the edge of the bed. He took her hands in his and smiled weakly when she didn't flinch or move away. The physical contact was enough to brush away his worries, sparks of happiness flying around in his guts.

It was amazing how she had that effect on him.

"I'll do whatever it takes to keep you happy, Detective. You make every day worth living."

Lucifer caught glimpse of the faintest blush on her cheeks, her eyes reflecting all the surprise in the world. It made his heart sing stronger than any orchestra. Giddiness pounded in his chest, sweet and saccharine like honey. It was warm enough to make his insides melt. He wanted to relive it again and again.

"Thank you."

They sat there for a minute before either of them spoke. Lucifer stroked circular patterns on the back of Chloe's hands. She gave him a reassuring squeeze in return.

He gazed at her soft features and how they contrasted against the sharp angle of her jawline. She looked as beautiful as ever, but the bags underneath her puffy eyes made him frown.

"You should go home, Detective." Chloe opened her mouth to protest but Lucifer cut her off gently. "No, I mean it. Get some rest. I'm sure the Spawn misses you too. I've put you through a lot today."

"Lucifer, I'll be fine."

The muscles in his jaw pulled tight. She was probably scared he would hurt himself again and next time she wouldn't be there to stop it.

Lucifer put on a confident smile to reassure her. "I can take care of myself. Don't you trust me?"

Chloe's posture softened at his words. "Of course I do."

"Then go on, be on your merry way."

She nodded understandingly. Lucifer was disappointed as the warmth of her hands left his. She gathered her belongings and walked to the door.

She looked back at him before leaving. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow it is." He flashed her a smile. The door clicked shut behind her as she exited the room.

The place instantly felt drained of any spirit, to Lucifer's dismay.

He took a deep breath. He had to get out of the place and get some proper clothes. He had promised Chloe that he wouldn't do anything, but that didn't mean he would let himself rot away in some stupid hospital where doctors tried to make sense of his angelic biology.

Lucifer pulled the IV drips out of his arms with a hiss. Pain shot through his abdomen and sides as he stood up, the wound on his chest still fresh and hurting.

He had a lot to think about. And with that, he needed a lot of whiskey.

To Lux it was.