Chapter Text
“If you ever feel resentful and unhappy about Amenadiel trying to matchmake us, you have to tell me.”
Lucifer cracked an eyelid open to peer at the woman on his chest as they lay on the couch. Chloe felt so good there -- so right. It felt as if a part of his soul that he had never known was missing had been returned. Nuzzling her hair reassuringly, he let his hands wander over her back and draw intricate designs on the flannel material. “It won’t happen.”
Chloe looked up at him and frowned. “But if it does, I want you to promise me that you’ll go find happiness.”
Lucifer’s insides shrank from her suggestion. He would never leave her -- never. “I have happiness right here, love -- right here in my arms. I’m not making any such promise.”
“Lucifer --”
“No.” Reaching over, he tucked a blonde lock of hair behind her ear and smiled. “You’re not getting rid of me that easily.” When Lucifer felt her good hand wrap around his chest, euphoria blossomed within him and he smiled. “Besides, who would cook for you, my dear? You and your little one would die from starvation if you keep eating those dreadful cardboard frozen things from the market.”
She gave a chuckle. “Well, I guess we can’t have that.”
“And you’ll find I’m infinitely useful. I’m a fine protector, I help with your investigations, I bring you food and wine --”
“Oh! Your food!” Without warning, Chloe suddenly pulled away from Lucifer and sat up. As she reached for the paper bag on the coffee table, he frowned and pulled himself to a sitting position. How could she think of food when he was telling her all about all of the fantastic benefits he came with?
“Ooooh, burger and fries -- I’m starving!” She dug into the bag while he scowled.
“Seriously, Detective? I mean, I’m sitting right here, trying to expound my wondrous qualities to you --”
She wasn’t listening. Taking a big bite of the burger, she rolled her eyes in delight. “Oh, this is delicious.” After eating in silence for a few minutes, she glanced at him, her eyes apologetic. “Sorry. I... I haven’t felt like eating in days. This is the first real food I’ve eaten since....” Her gaze fell away as she lowered the burger.
Since he had rejected her. Lucifer’s stomach roiled violently, and he swallowed hard as he tried to get rid of the sudden lump in his throat. No wonder she had looked so wan.... Wrapping his arm around her shoulders, he gave her a little squeeze before picking up the wine bottle. “By all means, eat way, my dear. Let me get you something to drink with that.”
By the time he came back with the open wine bottle, two glasses, and his large bag from the entryway, she had polished off the burger and was digging into the fries. He stood back and watched her eat with gusto, pleased to see her good appetite. He didn’t like the thought of her not eating because of him.
As he sat and poured them both some wine, she nodded at the bag. “What do you have there?”
“Oh, this?” He handed it to her. “It’s a gift that I brought for you.”
A teasing smile touched her lips. “You were that sure I’d let you in the door?”
Lucifer’s gaze drifted to the ceiling. “Well... no, but one can always hope....”
Chuckling, she wiped her hand on a napkin and reached for the present. Her gasp filled him with satisfaction, and he grinned as he sat up a little straighter.
“Oh, Lucifer,” she whispered, as she pulled out the very large white, soft, plushy teddy bear with red devil horns, holding a pitchfork. “Oh, he’s wonderful.”
“Since you and your little one were so kind as to give me a bear, I thought I’d return the favor. Not quite man-sized, but hopefully it will do.” Feeling his cheeks grow hot, he cleared his throat and tried to look sophisticated. He knew it wasn’t the best present, but he wanted to somehow convey how important she was to him. The teddy bear gesture seemed right, since it harkened back to the man-sized teddy bear story she had asked for. He hoped she understood what he was trying to say -- that she was important to him.
Hugging it close to her, Chloe looked at him with eyes bright with unshed tears. “I love him.”
Seeing her hold the teddy bear close and nuzzle it lovingly, he suddenly felt the urge to be that white, fluffy toy. His mind started imagining all sorts of lovely situations with him as a teddy bear -- for surely the detective would take the toy with her to bed? Sleeping snuggled up and all cozy in her arms... he sighed with content. Of course, sex would be nice too, but lately he found himself craving her hugs and sweet kisses. Well, maybe that was because he’d never had sex with her. If he had sex with her, surely he’d be craving that, instead...?
What was he thinking?! The Devil was not a big, fluffy plushy toy! Shaking himself from his daydream, he reached out and stroked Chloe’s hair.
“Thank you for the story you wrote for me. It helped me see past my anger.” He dropped his gaze and looked up at her through his eyelashes, like a shy boy. “Did you... did you mean what you wrote? That I’m your one true love?”
Blushing, she rubbed her cheek against the teddy bear as she hugged it tighter to her. “Yes, but...” Her eyes were sad as they caught his gaze. “I also meant it when I said I want you to be happy. If you can’t be that with me, then I’ll let you go --”
“No.” Lucifer stopped her words with a finger to her lips. “No.” He gathered to her him, teddy bear and all. “Your father was right.”
He felt her jerk with surprise under his hands. “My father?”
“Mm,” he said, nodding. “We’re a match made in Heaven -- although I prefer to think your father had more to do with it than Dad.”
A chuckle escaped her. “Me too.”
She looked up at him then, and Lucifer was struck by the beauty of her face, her soft expression, her golden hair tousled around her.... Her lips, so red and inviting, beckoned him. Would she mind terribly if he kissed her? His stomach flip-flopped as his heart started pounding so loud he was afraid she’d hear it. He felt himself drowning the the depths of her aqua eyes, so dark with desire. He leaned close -- so close that the fur of the white plushy toy she clutched tickled his chin. Her lips parted, and her breath quickened. Did she want this as much as he did? A flush crept up his neck and into his cheeks, scorching him like a sunburn.
“Chloe --” he whispered.
Just a little closer, now....
The front door slammed open, causing them to spring away from each other with surprise. Lucifer looked up to see Ella, Maze and Trixie pouring into the apartment. Bloody hell, was the movie over, already?
“Lucifer!” Trixie squealed as she dashed up to him and threw herself into his arms. “Why are you here? Is everything okay with you and Mommy now? Is it? Is it?”
“Ah... right. Yes. All is well.” Distress filled him as he stood and scrambled to get away from the little spawn who had somehow attached herself to his waist, yet again. He shot a helpless, pleading look at Chloe.
Chuckling, she tapped her daughter on her shoulder. “Hey, come on, let Lucifer go.”
Studying her mother and the fallen angel with narrowed eyes and a strangely adult look, Trixie took his hand. “We need to talk. Come with me.”
Panic filled him at the thought of being alone with the child. “What? Why?”
She thrust her lower lip out at him and folded her arms across her chest. “It’s important.” When he didn’t move, she yelled, “Maze!”
Moving faster than the eye could follow, Maze vaulted over the back of the couch and landed beside Chloe, Lucifer and Trixie. Standing with her arms akimbo, she lifted an eyebrow at the Devil. “You don’t really want to fight me, and Trixie wants to talk with you, so let’s go.” She spared a glance at Chloe and her stuffed bear. “A Devil bear?” The demon broke out into loud guffaws as she turned to Lucifer. “You’re so soft, Lucifer!”
Frowning, the fallen angel shot a disgruntled look at Maze and Trixie before squeezing Chloe’s shoulder. “Excuse me for a moment, Detective.”
As he walked to the kitchen with the child and demon, Lucifer passed Ella, who gave him a thumbs up sign before going to sit with Chloe. He wasn’t quite sure why she was giving him the thumbs up, but shrugged it off. He could never quite figure out what Ella was trying to tell him, half the time.
Once in the kitchen, the demon and the child maneuvered him into a corner and crowded around him somewhat threateningly. Lucifer blinked. What was happening? He looked from one to the other, at a complete loss. “What is this?”
Maze’s mouth twitched in amusement. “We’re having a little two-on-one.”
“Are you back together with Mommy?” Trixie asked.
Puzzled and a little thrown by the direct question, he rubbed the back of his neck. “Why do you ask?”
“The little human asked you a question,” Maze said as she slammed her hand against the wall near his head and drummed her fingers. “Don’t make me hurt you, Lucifer. Just answer.”
“As if you could hurt me,” he scoffed, then quickly added, “But yes, we’re back together.”
Trixie broke into a wide grin. “Good! You better not hurt Mommy anymore, okay? Because she was really sad.”
Lucifer’s heart lurched as guilt washed over him. He had hurt Chloe... hurt her deeply. The urge to do himself some harm was very great, for he had been a bloody fool.
Trixie was still talking -- he struggled to concentrate on her words. “So you better be good, or else Maze and I will come after you.”
He gaped at them, stunned. “You... you’ll come after me? Bloody hell, are... are you giving me the shovel talk?!”
Maze smirked. “That’s right, softie. I’m the only one who gets to hurt Chloe, got it? Hurt her again and I’ll bury you.”
“But -- you can’t give me the shovel talk!”
“We just did,” Trixie said as she nodded sagely.
The Devil was at a loss for words. He couldn’t believe that he was being given the shovel talk by a nine year old child and his own demon! “I -- you -- b-but --” He struggled to get his thoughts together. “What about the detective? Are you going to give her the shovel talk? After all, she could hurt me --”
Maze laughed outright at that. “Are you kidding me? She’d never hurt you. You’re stupid to suggest it.” Snickering, she walked away.
“Glad you understand,” Trixie said, patting his arm before she followed the demon.
He stared after them for a long time before a chuckle erupted from him. Well, he deserved that, didn’t he? After all, he had hurt his detective quite badly... something he needed to make amends for. He poked his head around the corner and caught Chloe’s eye. She smiled at him, looking so radiant that he was blinded for a moment. His heart started hammering out a fierce beat and the butterflies in his stomach fluttered about so madly he thought they would burst forth from him. Goodness, he loved her!
Grinning, the Devil headed back into the living room, where his family and heart lay.
________________________________________
Charlotte frowned as she leaned back in the chair in her office. Why did she keep getting thwarted by Lucifer? She couldn’t understand it. Her last plan hadn’t gone well at all, although hiring that idiot human to kill Chloe, but first shoot at Lucifer as a red herring, seemed like such a good idea at the time. She would have never done such a thing if she had known being around the pesky miracle child made her son vulnerable. Unfortunately, the gunman had actually injured her son, and that was unacceptable. She’d had to kill him -- something in which she’d taken great pleasure doing. It had been quite satisfying, throwing the fool over the side of the building. No one hurt her son. No one.
She had thought that Lucifer would come to heel once he had found out about Chloe’s birth, but when she spied on him today, she saw him go into the detective’s apartment -- and not come out. She wanted to rip out her hair when she saw that. Why did he keep going back to the human creature? Why?! What was it about Chloe that fascinated Lucifer so?
Well, no matter. She had a new plan, now that she knew about Chloe’s birth. One that couldn’t possibly fail to get Lucifer to fight his father for her. Implementing it would be the tricky part, but all it would take would be a few more stories on AO3 as ImChloeD and some manipulation of Amenadiel. Then she’d be back in Heaven and have the father of her boys right where she wanted him....