House Spouse
Over the past few months, Lucifer had developed somewhat of a routine as a new parent.
The day usually started somewhere around six, six thirty when the Antichrist woke up and loudly demanded breakfast. Seriously, a banshee's wail was nothing compared to her screams, and he could tell.
He mostly fed Aurora during the night because angels required less sleep to function and all that. The early morning was Chloe's turn to feed and change her – and she always tried to convince him to go back to bed.
But the Lieutenant hadn't succeeded yet in that endeavor.
Because if there was one thing Lucifer loved doing, then it was seeing his partner off to work.
Six years ago, he would have laughed himself silly at the mere thought. The Devil waving his partner goodbye each and every morning, like some lovesick fool?
What a bunch of poppycock.
Yet despite strong inclinations and opinions past-him might have had, here he was.
Holding his infant daughter in his arms while giving his not-quite-awake partner lingering kisses across her brow and lips.
"Honey…I…really…need to…go. Trix… will…be late…for school."
Chloe murmured in between kisses, yet made no effort to pull away from him. One hand lingered across his waist, and she smelled faintly of coffee and her perfume.
"Shame," Lucifer breathed, pulling away far enough to meet her eye. "I was really enjoying myself here."
Her eyes sparkled, and the hum she let out gave away that that were her thoughts as well. Turning away from him, she shouted past him,
"Come on, monkey! We're going to be late!"
Trixie appeared from behind a corner in the living room, a pink bag pack slung over one shoulder. "I've been ready for ten minutes, mom. You just don't want to let go of Lucifer."
"I – that's beside the point," Chloe said, flushing a delicious shade of red. "You're going to miss class, and that's never a good thing."
Lucifer stifled a laugh. One of the many reasons why Beatrice held a special place in his heart had to be because of her frankness – something which was only heightened by her friendship with Mazikeen.
The urchin could be quite blunt if she wanted to be.
But she wasn't wrong, though.
Ever since Penelope had graciously taken Rory of their hands for an evening – and since Chloe had broken down in front of him and explained why she'd been so distant – well, let's just say things had flourished physically between them.
Which had taken him by surprise, to be honest. Sure, his partner's body might have changed after the birth, but that had not changed his attraction to her.
Not in the least.
And now since Lucifer had fiercely established that fact to Chloe at the penthouse, he'd watched her blossom with confidence in her appearance very time he looked at her.
So, thank you, Penelope Decker.
"Bye, Lucifer!" Trixie wrapped his arms around him in a brief hug when she passed him in the doorway, a gesture which he could only return half-heartedly since he was holding her sister. "See you tonight!"
Trixie wriggled her fingers at the Antichrist. "Bye, Rory."
Rory giggled and reached her tiny hand to her sister. Then she started to glow.
"Aw, it's happy time," Chloe said, and covered her baby's face with kisses. "Be good to daddy, alright?"
"Say bye, mommy," Lucifer said to Rory. He took her hand in his and waved at Chloe. "Bye."
Chloe rose on her tiptoes to press a final kiss to his lips. "I'll see you tonight."
"Mom, come on. He's not going to war or something."
With a sigh, she stepped away from her partner and closed the door behind her with a lingering glance at him.
"I'm coming, Trix, I'm coming –"
The apartment was quiet with the Lieutenant and Trixie gone, a peaceful calm descending over the place after the hustle and bustle of getting to work on time.
The first thing Lucifer did was placing Rory in her baby box in the living room before getting himself a second cup of coffee.
Humming a tune to himself, he grabbed a mug from the drainboard and the French Press Chloe had gotten him for Christmas.
After three months, Lucifer had settled into his new life.
Care for Rory. Tidy the apartment and shop for groceries. Study for his classes in between when he wasn't exhausted from raising a Nephilim.
Paternity leave was suiting him –
A thought crashed into him, and Lucifer almost dropped the mug he was holding.
Zadkiel had been watching Hell for three months already.
What if his time was nearly up?
Anxiety clutched his chest, and Lucifer fought against the rising bile in his throat. Going back to work wasn't the end of the world.
Hell was no longer the prison it had once been for him – the punishment his Father had doomed him to.
He could leave home at nine and pop back to Earth around five, easy as that. But the thought of leaving Rory behind left him with an uneasy feeling.
Calm down, he thought. You're not being rational.
Lucifer put the mug down on the counter, his hand shaking. A crack had appeared in the porcelain from where he'd clutched so hard it had almost shattered.
Reaching into his red-trimmed nightrobe, he pulled out his flask and poured the content in the empty mug. The scent of expert scotch hit him, and he downed the entire thing in one gulp.
Rory cooed in her box, watching her father.
"Don't look at me like that, Antichrist. Your dad needs his morning coffee. Or beverage, in this case."
She giggled in response – even though she hadn't the faintest what he was saying. Yet despite that, Lucifer couldn't help his own smile.
"It is nuts, isn't it? This entire thing about watching Hell and work hours and whatnot. It's enough to get the Devil's tail in a knot."
Lucifer passed a hand over his faced and breathed in deeply, trying to calm his racing pulse. Continually freaking out wasn't going to get him anywhere.
Perhaps he should start by figuring out when his leave actually ended?
That sounded like something Chloe would do, which meant it had to probably be a sane and rational idea.
Hopefully.
Lucifer rounded the kitchen counter and crouched down next to the baby box. "Looks like you and I are going on a trip, princess. After your afternoon nap, of course."
Driving with Rory in the backseat was still a terrifying thing to do.
During the twenty-minute drive from Chloe's apartment to Lux – their apartment – Lucifer had shouted three times at careless drivers and had probably suffered a cardiac arrest or two.
It wasn't his place to say, but some people deserved to go to Hell.
The second he turned of the engine in the underground parking, Lucifer let out a sigh of relief and slumped in the leather seat.
What was it about having children that made the world seem so dangerous?
Lucifer grabbed the baby carrier sling and started tying it around his suit – just like Chloe had showed him to. When he felt confident it was tied securely, he stepped outside and retrieved Rory from the backseat.
The Antichrist wriggled when he was putting her legs through the proper holes, and Lucifer wondered for a moment if she was more eel than angel.
"Stop moving, you little gremlin. I'm trying to help you."
Rory protested again and balled her fists, but once the carrier cloth was in his proper place around her, she relaxed against his chest. Her tiny legs dangled from the cloth, and she nestled her tiny head against him.
Lucifer settled his arms around her and pressed a kiss to her head. Carrying her against him like this felt so intimate - such a parental thing to do.
He could just take his baby girl everywhere with him while also keeping her close to him. Affection surged through him as he stepped into the elevator and pushed the button – he could stay in this moment forever.
Just Rory and him.
His little glowstick.
A 'ping' sounded, and the elevator door slid open to reveal an empty Lux. The overhead lights were on, bathing the place in a bright glow.
The dancefloor and table booths had been polished to perfection by the morning cleaning crew – and Lucifer made a mental note to compliment them on their work.
Good cleaners could be such a drag to find.
Stairs were another thing that gave Lucifer stress whenever he was holding Rory, and he painstakingly calculated each step until he reached the bottom.
Mission accomplished.
"Hey, boss! Long time no see."
Lucifer spun around to see Patrick standing behind the bar polishing cocktail glasses. The barman slung the towel over his shoulder and rested his hands on the counter. "Looks like fatherhood is treating you well, huh?"
"It is. How are you? How has Lux been? I know I haven't been around a lot lately."
Patrick waved a hand. "Nah, we're fine. Bachelorette party last week got a little wild, but nothing we can't handle. I do miss having Maze around, though. Think you can convince her to come back a few nights?"
"Perhaps." Lucifer carefully sat down on a barstool, causing Rory to stir. She looked up at him with her big dark eyes, and he stroked her hair. "But you know that ever since she got married she prefers to spend her evenings at home. Or at least, with her wife."
"Yeah, I figured as much. Couldn't hurt to try, though." Patrick scratched the back of his neck. "Speaking of which, I heard rumors you were getting hitched, too. That true?"
"Most certainly," Lucifer smiled. Him getting married might cause a drop in Lux partygoers, but he was beyond caring. "I'm the luckiest man alive."
Patrick grabbed two glasses and a bottle of the top shelf.
"I figured as much," the bartender said, pouring bourbon into the glasses. "Anyone who doesn't notice how much you care for each other clearly isn't paying attention."
Lucifer chuckled. "Including me?"
"At…some point," Patrick said carefully. "But that was long ago." He put Lucifer's glass in front of him and raised his own. "To you and your Detective. May you live happily ever after."
Lucifer slid one arm beneath Rory to support her and lifted his glass with the other. "To me and the Detective."
The bourbon burned its way down with a familiar intensity, and Lucifer felt himself relax. Maybe he'd just needed a change of scenery?
Silence fell in the club as the two men downed their drinks.
Patrick studied his glass. "Not that I'm not happy to see you, boss, but aren't you still on leave? Your kid still looks very tiny to me."
"I am." Lucifer sighed, feeling the anxiety creep back into his mind. "But the date of my…return is still unclear. And I do not like being kept in the dark about those sort of things."
"So, you need another drink, then?"
He scoffed. "What I need –"
"Luci."
The men swiveled their heads around to see a tall man standing at the top of the staircase. His hands were clasped behind his back, and he regarded the pair with a gracious smile.
"Whoa, where did that guy come from?"
Lucifer slid his empty glass over to Patrick and patted the man on the arm. "Thanks for the offer, but no. What I need right now, however boring and contradictory, is some good old-fashioned faith."
"I came as quickly as I could," Amenadiel said as he slid into the booth. "Jophiel and Dorael had gotten into a fight, and neither of them was willing to give up."
Lucifer raised an eyebrow. "Now you come quickly, but when I think my daughter is about to time-travel you just ignore it?"
"That was different, Luci. If something was gravely wrong with Aurora, I would sense it. And I would respond immediately."
"So you know when something is wrong with Rory, but not with your own brother?"
Amenadiel sighed, and now he couldn't look up anymore to ask the Lord to grant him patience. "Yes. Just like Father couldn't see through you or Michael, I cannot see the thoughts of my siblings.
"Huh," Lucifer said, gently rocking a sleeping Rory side to side. "I didn't know that. Doesn't that make your job difficult?"
Amenadiel gave him a look that screamed, Really?
"Right. I guess being God could entail some tricky tasks."
A note of concern crept into the Almighty's voice. "What's wrong, Luci? Why did you call me here?"
Lucifer was momentarily distracted by the utterly adorable sight of the Antichrist asleep. "What? Oh, right. That."
Amenadiel folded his hands on the table and waited patiently. He had enough experience by now to know how to coax a secret out of his brother.
"I've just been thinking – or wondering, is a better word suited for the occasion, when my, uh, my paternity leave ends."
"As long as Zadkiel is watching over Hell, you're free to do as you please, brother."
Lucifer leaned back in the leather booth with a sigh. "Yes, I was aware of that, thank you. But what I want to know is how many free days I have left."
"I see." Amenadiel brow's furrowed. "Seeing as how Zadkiel is doing this for you because he believes he owes you a debt for not seeing through Michael's plans, I think he'll stay as long as you like."
"As long as I like? Well that's not helping me at all."
"I though that's what you wanted, Luci?"
"I did, but…I have to go back to work someday, don't I? Otherwise those poor souls will never get to Heaven."
Amenadiel's gaze softened, and he shrugged. "True. But your daughter is only a couple of months old, Luci. You can stay for a little longer. Maybe even a year, if you want."
Lucifer's head shot up. "Really?"
"Really." Amenadiel gave him a God-like smile. "You don't have to feel guilty about it. You've suffered and sacrificed enough for us. Don't worry so much about Hell. It's time to start enjoying your life with the ones you love most."
Rory stirred on her sleep and nestled closer to him, and Lucifer carefully cradled her in both his arms. His perfect little princess.
"They won't be around forever. At least not on Earth," Amena-God continued. "So cherish this precious time with Chloe and Trixie. Zadkiel is doing his best taking care of the souls downstairs."
Amenadiel reached out and put a hand on his arm. "Let it go, Luci. Plan your wedding, raise your daughter. But let it go."
Lucifer swallowed, fighting against the stinging sensation at the corners of his eyes. It felt like a huge weight had fallen of his chest.
How long had he spent worrying about going back to work and missing precious time with Rory?
How often had he painstakingly calculated each second he would spend in Hell and not in LA?
How much had woken up bathing in sweat out of fear for losing his little glowstick?
"Thank you, brother," Lucifer said quietly, meeting Amenadiel's peaceful gaze. "I – I needed to hear that."
"It had been on your mind for a while, hadn't it?"
"…Maybe."
Amenadiel chuckled, looking away. "Yeah, you still haven't changed when I was gone."
"That's a good thing?"
"That's a wonderful thing, Luci."
Lucifer scoffed and raised his eyes towards the ceiling. "Now you're getting cheesy."
"Perhaps." Amenadiel cast a glance at the stack of papers next to their empty glasses. "Was there another reason why you needed me here today?"
Lucifer grinned. "There is." He slowly sat up in his seat, careful not to disturb Rory. He leafed through the pages. "Since you technically own half of Lux, I figured we could go over the bookkeeping together. You know, as responsible owners."
Amenadiel winced almost imperceptibly. "Is that really necessary? I'm all-knowing, and that applies to whatever goes on at Lux as well."
"Well, all-knowing or not, you are my business partner, which means you have to deal with boring paperwork as much as I do. And there are no take-backs."
"Fine," Amenadiel sighed after a while, giving in to his brother. He grabbed a pen from the table. "Where do we start?"
The short walk from the precinct parking lot to the Lieutenant's office proved to be more difficult than Lucifer had expected.
For one, old colleagues kept running into him and asking him how his new job was going and if he was really taking an psychology course at the UCLA.
Then they got distracted by Rory – who was strapped to his chest in her carrier sling and was taking the new environment in with wide eyes.
When he'd finally managed to extract himself from well-wishers and old acquantances, he bumped into Miss Lopez.
Ella's entire face lit the second she recognized. "Oh my god, hi!"
She wrapped him in one of her trademark hugs, but was careful not to squish Rory too hard. "What are you doing? Not that I'm not happy to see you, because I totally – totally am. Are going to help with a case or something?"
Lucifer smiled. "I'm happy to see you too, Miss Lopez. I fear I'm only here to pay the Lieutenant a surprise visit. Though I'm not sure if it will be much of a surprise anymore."
Various patrol officers were whispering excitedly and pointing in his direction. The rumor mill was currently working at full speed, and it wouldn't be long before other departments than Homicide knew of his visit.
"Do you miss it?" Ella asked, a clutching a folder with DNA results in one hand. "It hasn't been the same since you guys left, or when Chloe got promoted. It's kind of strange, to be honest."
She glanced at the desk next to the staircase - the one which had once belonged to Daniel. "Some things still remind me of the ones we lost. This place can be full of ghosts sometimes."
"It is unfortunately," Lucifer said, giving her a sorrowful smile. Sometimes he wondered how Chloe could keep working in a place so filled with memories. "But speaking of ghosts, my sister hasn't paid you any visits, did she?"
"What, Rae-Rae? No, I haven't seen her since that one case a couple of years ago. I think she's lying low or something. Probably has better things to do, anyway." Ella fiddled with a loose strand from her ponytail. "Do you think you could ask her to come by sometime? If she has time?"
"I'll put Amenadiel to the task. He can grab Gabriel by her feathers and ask her to deliver the message."
Ella did a little skip, then hugged him again. "Thanks, buddy! And look at this little girl here, huh? Did you miss your godmother?"
Rory cooed when she saw Ella, giving her a little smile. Something which caused Miss Lopez to sprout heart-eyes.
"God, she's way too adorable. I could just cuddle her all day." Then Ella looked at him with a pensive expression. "You know, you look a lot more relaxed than last time, Lucifer. Being a dad is your thing, I think."
Lucifer chuckled. "You're the second person to tell me that today."
Was it so noticeable that a huge weight had fallen off his shoulders? At least it hadn't manifested as bat wings or a Devil face this time.
Ella shrugged. "Then I guess it must be true." She gave him a friendly punch on the arm. "But now go to see your partner, man. I bet Chloe will be really happy to see you."
"I'll be seeing you around, Miss Lopez. Presumably when Chloe goes to buy her wedding dress or when Mazikeen can finally convince her to join another one of your Tribe nights. Whichever comes first."
"Amaze-balls." Ella gave him a big thumbs-up, her eyes positively sparkling. "I'm really happy you're still with us, buddy, instead of being stuck in Hell or something. I don't want to lose another friend."
Lucifer put his hand on her shoulder and gave her a squeeze. He'd never thought he would end up valuing their friendship so much as he did now.
Azrael was many things – including a sugar addict – but she did know what traits he valued in a person.
Last summer, he'd come close to losing the love of his life and his two girls. A horrifying ordeal which still caused him nightmares on occasion – and probably would for the foreseeable future.
But he'd also been on the cusp of forfeiting every meaningful friendship he'd crafted during the years he'd spent in Los Angeles.
Every bond he'd forged with the people he'd come to regard as his own.
As his family.
"As do I, Miss Lopez. As do I."
Chloe was hunched over the desk when he entered the office. She was frowning at something on her laptop, taking a sip from her mug without taking her eyes off the screen.
Her French braid was fraying at the bottom, and her lips were bitten almost to the point of bleeding. Looks like that morning meeting had been more stressful than she'd anticipated.
"Hernandez, I don't have the court order for the Dylan case yet –"
"Neither do I."
Chloe's eyes snapped upward, and a smile overtook her face when she realized who was standing in her doorway.
"Hi! What are you doing here, honey? I thought you had some bookkeeping to do at Lux this afternoon?"
Lucifer closed the door behind him and sat down in one of the chairs across her desk. "I had some unexpected help. Besides, I know how nervous you were for your meeting this morning, so I brought some portable happiness."
As if on cue, Rory cooed the moment she spotted her mother. She started to wriggle against his chest in the carrier sling, making grabby hands at Chloe.
And then she started to glow.
"Hi, baby," Chloe replied, wriggling her fingers at her daughter. "Did you go on a trip with daddy? Was it fun?"
Lucifer deftly extracted the Antichrist from the sling and handed her over. Chloe cradled her against her chest, all her worries momentarily forgotten. Rory had grabbed her finger and was gazing up at her with pure adoration.
"She slept through most of the spreadsheets Amenadiel and I went over, so I think it's safe to say she had the best afternoon out of the three of us. Paperwork is always such a bore."
Chloe's head shot up. "Amenadiel was there? Is there something wrong in Heaven? Or Hell?"
The panic in her voice was familiar to Lucifer. He still had the same reaction any time his brother the Almighty showed up unexpectedly.
According to the good Doctor, it could still be a while before their anxious response to any mention of the divine faded.
"No, it's fine. I actually asked for him to come," Lucifer replied, crossing one leg over the other. He yanked on a cufflink. "It was about my paternity leave."
"Do you have to go back already?" The Lieutenant's gaze darkened with emotions, but she blinked it away quickly. "I mean, I know it's just from nine to five, but still. It's nice knowing you're here."
"Oh, I'm not going back anytime soon."
Chloe blinked. "I – really? How?"
"Well, as my dear brother was kind enough to remind me, when you asked Zadkiel to watch Hell after Rory was born, he agreed to do it. But back then, he didn't specify a time period. I figured he would just give me a heads-up later on."
Chloe nodded, a thoughtful expression crossing her face. "Yeah, that would make sense, I think."
"I know. But when have my siblings ever acted according to logic?" Lucifer chuckled when Rory sneezed. She reminded of a puppy sometimes. "Bless you, darling. Turns out that – according to Amenadiel, I can take as much leave as I want."
"Are you serious? Lucifer, that's – that's amazing."
Rory cooed, paying close attention to her mother's ring. The white stone in the middle was especially fascinating to her.
The Lieutenant leaned back in her chair, processing the good news. "But when did they decide that? When I talked to Zadkiel, he never mentioned that."
"He never mentioned a time limit, either. Amenadiel says it's a sign of goodwill. You know, my sibling's way of making things up after, well, everything." Lucifer shrugged. "And I won't say no to that."
"Does that mean you're going to pop by the community center downtown?" Chloe asked, shifting the Antichrist to her other arm.
"Uh, no." Lucifer held up a hand. "That's maybe a bit too much all at once. Perhaps somewhere in the future."
Chloe hummed and looked at her daughter. "I'm happy you're going to stay for a little longer. I don't want to send her to daycare yet – and not just because of the glowing thing."
"No, me neither. So, do you know what that means?"
A smile curled at the corner of her mouth. "Do tell me."
Lucifer grinned widely and leaned forward in his seat. "That means that I am going to be a house wife. Or house spouse, to make it less sexist."
"My house spouse the Devil," the Lieutenant mused. "Raising a baby and getting a psychology degree. Who would have thought? But do you know what that means?"
"Pray tell, my love."
Chloe's eyes danced. "Technically speaking, you can only be my house spouse after we get married. Which means we need to set a date."
"I know. Everyone's been bugging me about it – including your mother. We'd agreed on the summer, right?"
"Yeah," she nodded. "Then Rory's a little older and Trix won't have to go to school. And we have the best guarantee for good weather."
Lucifer rapped his fingers on his knee and a thought hit him. Yes, that would be absolutely perfect. "I have an idea."
"What?"
"August 4th."
Getting married on the day his life with Chloe would have supposedly ended was a kind of poetic twist that made his heart sing.
Take that, universe.
Chloe's face lit up, and she blinked away some tears. "Yes, that's – that's perfect. Let's do it."
"And then I'll officially be your house spouse." Lucifer leaned over the desk to capture her lips with his, uncaring if someone walked in on them. "In this life, and the next."
"You're already my house spouse," Chloe murmured softly when he pulled away. "Just like you already are my partner. I don't need marriage for that."
Lucifer hummed in agreement. "I am always –"
Someone knocked at the door. "Lieutenant Decker? I have some papers you need to sign, ma'am. It's about the drug bust near Echo Park."
"Just a second." Chloe sighed and leaned back in her desk chair. She handed Rory back to him, who protested loudly. "Duty calls, apparently. I'll see you at home?"
"Of course." Lucifer cradled the Antichrist in his arms, shushing her cries. "And we'll go pick up your sister, won't we? It'll be a fun surprise for her to see you there."
Chloe's gaze softened. "I love you."
"I love you, too, Detective. Or Lieutenant."
The man knocked again, and Lucifer rolled his eyes. "Ma'am?"
"Both are good. Now, if you don't mind, I have to handle some stuff. I'll see you in a couple of hours, honey."
With a final glance at his partner, Lucifer walked out of the office and past a mildly confused detective holding a stack of files.
Holding his daughter close, he felt lighter than he had in days.
