Lucifer woke up in a unique position, for him. The black bed, the sheets, the pillows were all familiar. Even having company was par for the course, though up until the last few months, company didn't stay the night that often.

Sunrise lit the curves of hips, shoulders and wings. The latter of which sank under the weight of their contents. And both of his wings were currently asleep, which was also new, and less fun. In the night, Chloe tugged the sheet over herself, stealing the whole thing. Cocooned in black satin, she had one arm through the wider wing feathers. Her other hand above the wing reflexively clutched a few shorter fluffy shafts. Soft white feathers poking out around her shadowed face wafted with her breath.

Relaxed in sleep, he could watch her like this forever. Knowing now, but cuddled up against him anyway. Lucifer wasn't holding out hope she'd stay, even still. He doubted she was done processing things humans aren't readily built to. Good job on that one, Dad. 'Worship me, silly makings of mine, but I'll make sure you lose your shit if you see actual divinity.'

Sigh. I wonder if Mum is doing any better in her new home. I hope she made her own new universe, met a nice new God. Having lots of brand new Godling children flapping around.

Producing his own sleep-heat, Dan stretched out in opposition to Chloe's fetal position. Leaner than Lucifer, his physical weight was a draw between feathers versus muscle build, counting pound for pound.

He began to admit to himself Dan made a half-decent choice as a bed partner. A year ago, Dan had proven himself as disposable, gracefully exiting the failing marriage when required. He wasn't needy or clingy. Post-wing deflowering, he proved more resilient than expected. Not to mention being a bit of a pain in the arse. Lucifer planned to hold last night over Dan's head for a long, long time to come. Leverage for basically eternity was a hell of a bargaining chip, should he need it.

Thank Dad she didn't request Cain. Not that Cain wouldn't have his own advantages, but there was no need to delve into that can of worms. He shivered.

What was the human expression? Someone walked over my grave.

Speaking of dead. At some point while sleeping, Chloe and Dan shifted to rest on the wing bones. Their mortal brains possibly interpreted his feathered appendages as pillows. The wing under Chloe's slighter weight might be less dead to the world than Dan's. So now he was lopsided.

Dammit. I'm a Devil, not a bed set.

Well, it's my own damn fault, I suppose.

Rolling his shoulders, he could feel where the numbness started. The pins and needles were going to be an absolute bitch when he finally got up. HashtagOldWorldProblems.

Sigh.

On the bright side, he could almost pretend they were gone again. Either wing ended under their skulls, dead to touch. I wonder if the damn things would lose circulation without the Detective?

Time to make decisions. Empty the bed and confront the imminent blood flow issue head on or put it off as long as possible? Along his upper back, he could feel any number of unaligned shafts, making grooming a priority. Still...

Chloe's face and curled body turned toward him made a lovely sight to wake up to. Unfortunately, the ever-running metabolism of said body meant they'd have to move sooner rather than later. He kissed her forehead. His nose twitched.

Human morning breath. The things he puts up with.

Dan shifted, blinking in the sun streaming through transparent windows and throwing a toned arm over his face. "Why is there light?"

Cat stretching, Lucifer rested his arms behind his head. "Welcome back to the living. I argued the day should have been 28 hours instead of 24. Not my call."

Dan twitched his fingers open, Lucifer's face appearing between them. "Really?" He woke up a little more when he remembered on whose bed he slept. His angelic partner long and naked in the middle of the mattress, all of his visible skin lit up by sunrise, making him practically glow.. Dan swallowed. To top everything off, no pun intended, Lucifer had morning wood.

The Devil propped up one leg, as if he was completely unaware of his outline. "A nine hour sleep cycle would be so much better than eight, don't you think?"

He groaned. "I am not going to get used to this."

"I should hope not. Human slash angel relations aren't exactly common, in the scheme of things."

"Do angels...uhm…?

"What?"

"Have relations…?"

Lucifer raised his eyebrow. "Amenadiel is my older brother, Dan."

"Oh, all the same uh- Parents?"

"You did attend Sunday school, yes?"

"Yeah, they didn't mention your mother. So there's a few gaps."

Chloe half woke, mumbling. "Don't wanna go to church. The kids are mean to me."

"See what you did, Dan?" He patted her head, smoothing down her hair. "New subject. My wings are completely numb, but the rest of me is awake. Anyone up for a morning five o'clock shadow ride?"

Chloe rolled over. "Too early."

Dan tried not to just stare at Lucifer. He really did. "How would that even work?"

"You hop your nice, firm ass in the shower, come back and I lather you with my tongue. You yourself of course, feeling free to do whatever you want to myself. Ideally, Chloe provides an assist, but we can manage." He rocked his hips, proving he was well acquainted with his 'alert' state.

"My...ass?"

Chloe half turned back over, then pulled the sheet over her head to make a complete cocoon.

Dan's face went blank at he processed the description. "I don't know if that's even-" His instincts pinged at him, drawing his attention. He sat up quickly, looking out the bedroom door.

Hissing, Lucifer jerked, good mood dampening. "Easy on the merchandise, Detective Douche!"

He moved to get up, chastised and avoiding pulling anything else. "Sorry, I thought I heard something."

The elevator must have pinged, as Maze appeared in the doorway, smirking. "Guess I was wrong about Decker." Her eyes came to a rest on Dan still wearing boxer briefs. "Or not."

Lucifer grumbled. "What are you doing up here at this wretched hour? Other than spoiling morning sex?"

The demon gestured behind her. "The sitter left, Dan wasn't answering his phone, and my roomie bitched for a week the last time I left her kid alone at home, so-"

Dan scrambled off the end of the bed. "You brought Trixie here?"

"Duh."

He pulled a crumpled sheet off the floor and threw it at Lucifer. "Trix! Stay wherever you are, okay?"

Maze looked back over her shoulder.

Dan found the shelf he stashed his clothes on. "Hang on! Don't move! Lucifer, put up your wiiii-things!"

Chloe started to get up, pulling back her sheet, her hair in massive disarray. "Hum?" A couple of strands caught on feather barbs, making a spider-web effect against the sunlight.

Hopping into his jeans, Dan shoved past Maze and careened into the living room.

Trixie was nowhere in sight.

Maze burst out laughing, holding her side. "You're all too precious."

Dan scowled. "Where's Trixie?"

"Downstairs. Chloe owes me for getting her breakfast and watching her this morning. I guessed at least one of you would be up here."

Chloe unwrapped herself before remembering she was topless.

Maze grinned. "All kinds of eye candy up here today. And why aren't you moving, Lucifer?"

Chloe threw on one of her longer t-shirts she kept in Lucifer's closet. At Maze's comment, she looked back. "Babe?"

Lucifer groaned, throwing the sheet off. The fabric had unhelpfully fallen across his face and nothing else. "It's Sunday. I'm never up before noon if it can be helped."

Dan came back in, ducking under Maze's elbow with a glare and grabbing his shirt from last night with one hand. "C'mon, let's get the lead out."

Lucifer pulled the sheet back over his head. "How about I just lie here until blood flow returns."

"Do you want me to put pants on you? One of us needs to go get Trixie, who was left alone in a club. Before she gets impatient and just rides up herself."

The Devil sighed dramatically and held up a wrist.

Dan wrapped his hand around Lucifer's forearm and leaned back, pulling him up at the waist.

Pain lanced down his arms and wing joints like fire. He hissed with the motion.

Pale eyes looked over him with concern. "You okay man?"

"Pins and needles in limbs longer than my arms is not my preferred way to start the morning. For some obscene Dad-forsaken reason my triceps hurt." He yanked his arm away from Dan and stretched with a flinch. He ignored his pants on the floor.

Lucifer rolled his shoulders and nothing happened. "Hell."

"What's up?"

"I can't put my wings away."

Chloe ruefully approached. "Can I, uhm, rub them? Would that help?"

Lucifer sighed, but stepped out, sitting on a bar stool, back out and wings twitching. The tips drooped miserably.

Dan threw his pajamas at him. Lucifer winced and missed catching them. "This is ridiculous."

Maze doubled over, cackling. "I had no idea Chloe made you that vulnerable."

Lucifer glared at all of them. "The mortality thing doesn't weaken me, but it apparently does make me susceptible to sore muscles from holding myself up, along with loss of blood circulation."

Chloe's neck tendon spasmed. She picked a wing and started massaging a top set of muscles. He groaned in response, dipping his shoulders for her.

The Demoness looked hopefully up at the ceiling over the bed. "You did what?"

Dan and Chloe chorused as one. "Nothing."

"Okay." Maze stole a beer from the fridge, removing the cap with her teeth. "You seem to be a lot less conflicted this morning, roomie."

She glanced at Maze. Her hands touching his skin, his feathers. "Part of me realizes Lucifer meant it this whole time, that I've 'known' this whole time. The other part hasn't quite meshed it all together. But I'm trying. Don't get me wrong, there's a denial aspect going on in my brain too. So much for Atheism." She sighed. "Thanks for taking care of Trixie, I should have texted you last night. My brain wasn't capable of multi-tasking. Still isn't."

Maze looked pointedly over Lucifer's nudity. Chloe blushed. "I tend to focus on what's in front of me."

Dan fished around in the fridge next.

Lucifer looked even more irritable. "I wasn't aware my kitchen was a public buffet."

Chloe switched wings. "Is that feeling any better?"

He tried to fluff them. They shivered. "Starting to. If either of these things start cramping, I'm taking it out of your hides. In any case, whoever deals with the child, the other needs to stay here and help me groom these infernal things."

The wing Chloe started working on twitched into a half-fold and then went out again with a jerk. "Sure, sorry."

Dan set out plates and grabbed a loaf of bread. He wiped his hands, then abandoned working on breakfast to join Chloe on wing maintenance.

Maze sat at the end of the bar, crossing her arms. "Don't worry, I'll add it to my baby-sitting fee. Or you can knock it off my rent."

Chloe nodded, "Yeah, sure. Just let me know how much."

She picked at the label on the beer. "As long as you're okay sharing your living space with a demon. After all, I don't have big pretty wings."

Dan and Chloe both tried not to stare at her.

Drinking her beer, Maze rolled her eyes. "And considering I eat souls for breakfast."

Lucifer leaned further over the counter, stretching his arms and letting his hands drop off the far side. "You do not."

"Souls and booze. Preferably in that order." She dragged her eyes up and down Dan. "And sometimes, on good mornings, dick."

Dan hid behind the far side of a wing.

Lucifer glared at his demon. "She doesn't have the power to destroy souls."

She tipped her bottle with a slow lick of her full lips. "I gnaw on them a little bit. Especially in hell. Tasty."

"Maze."

"Yeah, boss? Or would you prefer 'King of Hell'?"

He turned on her, nearly sweeping Chloe off her feet. "I left hell!"

She looked him in the eyes. "For now."

A small voice exited the elevator. "Mom?"

Dan swept up Lucifer's pajamas and shoved them in his lap.

Chloe ran across the room. "Monkey? Don't come-"

She peeked out.

Lucifer's wings furled slightly, but rebelled against his will and fluffed out yet again. Dan took a quick step to block a view of the Devil's naked ass.

Panicked, Chloe dashed across the room, scooping up her daughter, swinging her around to face away from the commotion. She wrapped her arms around her girl and caught her daughters dark eyes. "Everything's fine, baby, look at my face, okay?"

Lucifer's eye flashed ruby, but he stepped into pj's and drew them up. He took a breath, relaxing his wings. He gathered them in to the point they were less visible.

Trixie squirmed in her arms like a possessed monkey with its tail on fire. "I wanna see!" She was a blur of hot pink t-shirt, dark leggings and a glitter tutu skirt. Chloe was silently grateful one of the two had the presence of mind to dress her before coming over.

Lucifer scrambled up on the bar. He huffed. "You might as well. I'm not going to be able to get them back in for another five or ten minutes, judging by the tingling pain levels. The first person who asks if I'm sure will be my personal servant for the rest of the day."

Dan opened his mouth then clamped shut again.

Chloe lowered Trixie to the ground, and cupped her face with both hands. "Hey, kiddo. Look at me, okay? Behave, or you're going straight back downstairs and home. You got me?"

Trixie held her face still, her feet shifting. Her hands clenched into fists, resolute. "Okay!" Her eyes were bright and shining. Chloe prayed it wasn't with mania.

"Lucifer has something on him, but do NOT pull on him, okay? This is really important. More important than all the chocolate cake in the world. You can't tell anyone, okay?"

Trixie nodded solemnly, crossing her heart with small fingers and then her lips. Her tiny body vibrating in place. Chloe made a mental note to ask Maze what they had for breakfast.

Taking a very deep, steadying breath, Chloe let go.

Trixie tore across the living room, faster than a spooked rabbit. Lucifer pulled his legs up on the bar counter, sitting cross-legged to get out of her immediate reach. "LUCIFER!"

"Trixie! Inside voice!"

"…lucifer…?"

"…Yes, child?"

She started to climb up on a stool. Dan scooped her up and held her. "Hey, monkey, don't scare him."

Trixie pouted but settled down, a little. "He's not scared."

Chloe and Dan exchanged a look. "Are you okay, sweetie?"

"Duh."

"Trixie!"

"I'm fine, mom." She made huge doe eyes up at Lucifer. "Can I see, please?"

"I am not a zoo."

She bit her lip, much the way her mom did when she thought hard about something. "Please?You're much prettier than a whole zoo! Than all the zoos!"

Lucifer shifted his seat to prop up his knees in front in front of him, resting his wrists over in a loose finger clasp. He watched from his perch warily, resembling an agitated parrot. His feathers fluffed in all directions.

Maze' face streamed with hot tears of laughter, one hand cupped over her mouth to keep herself quiet. She kept Trixie from noticing her for a full five seconds.

The girl's laser focus turned on the Demon. "You made Lucifer upset!" She struggled against her dad.

Maze wiped her face. "Me?"

"Yes! You made him upset and now he won't come down!"

"Hmmpf. Lucifer made me upset first." Maze crossed her arms over a leather-clad bodice.

"You shouldn't yell at each other."

"Why not?"

Trixie rolled her eyes. "Because! Then you can't get not upset! It's impossible to get not upset when you yell."

Maze cocked her head, ponytail dipping. "What if I like being upset?"

Trixie pursed her lips. "Then you need a time-out until you're done being upset."

Lucifer smirked. His wings de-fluffed a little.

Trixie turned and pointed at Lucifer. "And you should come down. That's not where your feet go."

The Devil slid forward on his ass, came down, wings twitching. He started to close them up.

She turned the doe eyes back on. "Can I see your wings? Please?"

He sighed.

Maze went to the elevator. "I'm putting myself in a time-out at the downstairs bar."

Trixie nodded. "Good."

Chloe remembered something. "Did you get your bounty?"

"Not yet, she's a slippery fucker."

Trixie gasped. "Double time-out!"

"You got it, kid."

The elevator shut, and everyone breathed out.

Trixie immediately scampered to Lucifer.

Chloe tugged at her shirt, backing into the bedroom for pants.

Dan sat on the side couch. "Where's the best place to, uhm, clean those?"

"Usually, I get the shower up to steaming and let the pores open. It usually does a passable job at getting the back."

Coincidentally, Trixie touched the same outer feather Chloe sliced her hand on the previous night. She didn't yank it. "Can I help?"

—-

Half an hour, coffee, juice, cupcakes and toast later, the four of them assembled on the balcony in the mid-morning sun. A cooler of hot steamed towels sat nearby.

Trixie was only allowed to watch or risk banishment, for the moment.

Lucifer stretched his wings before settling down, unhappily casting his gaze over them.

The remaining adults started with a towel each. Lucifer had them work down the broad bottom row of feathers, compressing them between folded over towels and straightening them one by one on opposite sides.

Dry sweat and dirt came off with steady, one-way strokes. Chloe didn't know how long he'd had them back, but she suddenly felt bad with the certainty he had no one to do this for him. Particles of dead skin and shedding fluff too small to discern individually flaked off in the sun. It reminded Chloe unfortunately of the last time she brushed out a dog on a porch.

Practically, things that need regular maintenance to stay in shape made reality more manageable. Having something she could help with, fix and make better gave her focus. Even if it was immortality-adjacent. The wings were physical, touchable.

Chloe shot a look over at Dan. He appeared to be talking to himself under his breath. Anyone else bearing under the repetitive task would be complaining about the monotony. Dan recited movie lines to keep his mind from wandering. It was a background focus technique.

She swapped out new towels since she sat closer to the insulated cooler than Dan. He traded out the first set, nodding over them like they were washing a car. He moved up to the second row, back to the outer edge.

Chloe paused to stretch. "This is going to kill my arms."

Lucifer looked back at her. "Trade you."

"Seriously, these are so pretty."

"Can we not right now?"

"Sure, sorry."

Trixie fidgeted. "Are there kid angels?"

Lucifer had closed his eyes, enjoying the feeling of feathers falling back in place. The warm cloths relaxed his shaft roots, making it easier to realign them. He hadn't had them out in sunlight in a long time. It was nice.

"Not anymore."

Trixie looked between him and the wings. "Can you give mommy a baby angel?"

Chloe, Dan and Lucifer froze as a unit.

Lucifer cleared his throat first. "No, not normally." He shrugged, resettling his wings. "But it's a lot of fun to try."

Chloe plinked his side with her fingers.

"What? Am I wrong?"

Lucifer regarded Trixie. "Why aren't you scared of me?

"'Cause you aren't scary."