Archive of Our Own

Lucifer woke up screaming.

Still in the throes of the nightmare, he sat up in bed in a panic, looking left and right.  His wings flared out in a defensive posture, tearing the bedsheets in the process. Where was he?  It looked like his bedroom -- and yet the shadows seemed to move this way and that, like the dark creatures in his dream.  When he finally realized that he was at home, his shoulders slumped and he let out a heavy sigh.

Shrugging his wings away, he cradled his head in his hands and took a deep breath.  His heart still pounded as if he had been running a marathon, and sweat poured down his face.  “Bloody hell....”

This was the third nightmare he’d had tonight.  Every time he closed his eyes, he found himself back there, with no escape in sight.  He glanced down at his throbbing arm, bandaged where the bullet had nicked him earlier that day.  Perhaps his bad dreams had been brought on by the argument he’d had with Chloe...?

A murderer had gotten off on a technicality and had started sending the detective death threats.  When they finally found out where the filthy wanker had hidden himself, Lucifer grabbed the information before Chloe could see it, and had taken it upon himself to confront the man.  He should have known that his partner wouldn’t stay in the dark for long, though. Just as he was about to punish the murderer, the detective came and... well... there went his immortality.

He had been lucky -- the bullet only creased his upper arm -- but Chloe had been furious.  She had yelled at him before storming off, leaving him behind at the crime scene. He didn’t understand why she had been so angry, for he’d only done what he had needed to do to protect her... but apparently she didn’t see it that way.

Recalling the argument made Lucifer’s stomach knot up into a ball.  He fell back down onto the bed, exhausted but unable to sleep. If he closed his eyes, he’d find himself back there, and he just couldn’t bring himself to go back.  With a curse, he flung back the blankets and rose to his feet.  He needed peace, and there was only one person who could bring it to him.

Even so, he refused to use those pestering monstrosities on his back. Of course, flying would have been faster, but he needed the time to think. The whole day had been a mess and he couldn’t sleep…again.

Recently his dreams had gotten more and more – screw that, the Devil didn’t get frightened.

Still, since he had the first nightmare with Chloe falling over the rails, it had gotten much worse.

And even Angels needed sleep, apparently. Over the last several days he had gotten more clumsy, his attention span was shorter than normal, and he didn’t even want sex. HIM. Ridiculous.

He didn’t even hear the honk and the screeching of tires as he ran a red light. Normally, he was a good driver - okay, he always drove above the speed limit, that didn’t make him a street rowdy - but right now he didn’t pay much attention to the traffic around him.

It was in the middle of the night, the streets almost empty, so the other drivers should have watched out more.

Peace - he needed peace and some sleep. Just one restful night.

Okay, a part of him also needed reassurance that his detective was alright. Would she even let him in?

Lucifer could already hear her fretting about waking her up in the middle of the night. If she asked him, 1am was hardly the middle of the night. The party at LUX had just started now.

He lit a cigarette to keep him awake, but it didn’t help. After flicking the butt out of the car, he yawned again. Then there was a loud ‘thump’ and a very familiar rustling on his back.

“Bloody hell...”

Great, now he was too tired to even keep those things in. It ruined his style - the Devil had a reputation to maintain and couldn’t look like a Cosplayer in his fine car.

At least he was nearly there; he could already see the familiar apartment building and the disgusting excuse of a car that one of Chloe’s neighbors drove.

Of course the apartment was dark already - even without the Spawn and Maze, Chloe couldn’t have fun. Lucifer ran his finger through his windswept, half-curly hair to tame it. Useless, of course. But what now? Should he knock? Or just let himself in? No, his Detective needed her sleep, so he let himself in, only to trip over one of Trixie’s toys still lying around. In a reflex, his wings spread out to catch him and they sent a vase to the floor with a loud ‘clank’. SHIT!

Grimacing, Lucifer tucked his offending wings away and scrambled to the window as a light from upstairs came on.  He tripped on another of Trixie’s toys and almost went headlong into the couch, but managed to stay on his feet. Cursing, he hid behind the curtains, hoping to remain unseen.  

Clenching his teeth, he held his breath as he heard soft footfalls coming down the stairs.  Thankfully, Maze was on a hunt, so he didn’t have to worry about getting eviscerated. Closing his eyes, he hoped his partner would just go back upstairs and think it was the cat.  Oh wait, she didn’t have a cat. Well, maybe she’d think it was the neighbor.

When the living room lamp flicked on, Lucifer squinted at the light that shone through the heavy material.  Would the detective notice the slightly larger lump on one side of her curtains? He snorted at the thought.  Of course not -- he was a master of disguise!

“I’ve got a gun pointed at you.  Come on out if you don’t want to get shot.”  Chloe’s voice echoed around the room, strong and direct.

His brows furrowed.  How had she known he was there?  He had hidden himself so well....

Almost as if he had spoken aloud, she said, “I can see your feet.  Now come out of there.”

Sighing, the fallen angel pulled back the curtains and walked to the center of her living room with his arms raised.  Clad in practical flannel pajamas, Chloe lowered her gun and gaped at him. “Lucifer?!”

“Hello, Detective.”  He gave her a wide smile.  “I must say, you look lovely tonight.”

“Goddamn it, Lucifer, what the hell are you doing, barging into my home in the middle of the night?”  She glared at him as she put her gun down onto the coffee table. “I could have shot you!”

Lucifer couldn’t stop grinning. “Again? I’m already heavily wounded. You mustn’t ruin my divine body further. Or do you just want me to strip naked so you can take care of my wound? You can have that without shooting me - you just need to ask, love.”

Chloe just rolled her eyes at him. “Seriously, Lucifer, what are you doing here?” She couldn’t keep her voice from being harsher and colder than she intended.

Lucifer flinched a little; he loved her fire, but he hated it when she was in that mood.

“I…I-“ Damn it, why was this so hard? He sighed again and took a deep breath. “I can’t sleep.”

And that was ridiculous. The Devil shouldn’t have had problems finding a nice slumber. Chloe didn’t react for an instant. Instead of saying something, she pinched the bridge of her nose, her nerves obviously on the edge. Whoever had irritated her that much needed to be punished later, decided Lucifer. That he was the reason came not once to his mind.

“And what does that have to do with you breaking into my home again? What about your flings? None available? Or your alcohol? I won’t read you a good night story, Lucifer.”

“You don’t understand, I can’t sleep. Not tonight, not since our bomb disposing adventure. I just can’t…”

She took a closer look at him. The bags under his eyes were clearly visible without the make-up that he certainly wore during the day. His otherwise proud posture was gone, his shoulders hunched and heavy. Chloe was still pissed, but she also felt sorry for him. Despite their argument, he was still her best friend and partner.

“You can stay, make yourself some tea; that may help while I get a blanket and pillow for you.”

She already could imagine his whine over the annoyingly small couch that tried to eat him - at least that was what he told her every time.

Again there was a rustling and the wings were out again. Lucifer groaned, annoyed, rolled his shoulders, and furled them in again.

“Sorry Detective, those have a little mind of their own when I can’t focus.”

Then he realized what he had said, what had happened, and felt the blood drain from his face.  Was he in a new nightmare where he couldn’t control his wings? He pinched himself. No, he was awake.  Cursing his exhaustion for the blunder, he grimaced. At least this hadn’t happened in the penthouse, and thankfully Chloe’s apartment didn’t have any balconies for her to fall from.  He hoped he hadn’t frightened her senseless.

But it seemed that his partner was far from frightened.  Her mouth tightened as she glared at him. “Seriously, Lucifer?  You brought your cosplay wings with you?”

Taken aback at her disbelief, he gaped at her.  He was tempted to let her think they were fake, but no.  His wings had forced the issue, and now it was time to tell her the truth.  So much for his wish to tell her gently, ease her into the idea of what he was.  Suppressing an urge to shake his fist at the sky, Lucifer plastered a smile on his face.  “Detective, you may want to sit down....”

She made a scoffing noise as she crossed her arms in front of her.  “Lucifer, it’s the middle of the night, and I don’t have time for your shenanigans.  Thank goodness Trixie’s with Dan -- I can just imagine her reaction to them.”

He winced.  “Detective --”

“Now take those things off.  It’s late and I’m tired.” Marching up, she whirled him around and ran her hands over the smooth material of his suit jacket. “What...?  Where did they go? How did you...?”

Biting his lower lip, the fallen angel turned to face her.  “They aren’t cosplay wings.”

Chloe’s hands fell to her sides and her expression grew pale.  “What... what are you trying to tell me?”

Heat rushed into his cheeks.  “The wings -- they’re real.”

“What? Don’t be…”

But no matter how her head tried to explain it to her, she had seen them. Big, majestic, ruffled and in disarray, but still beautiful.

“No…no no NO!” That just couldn’t be. She was definitely awake and she hadn’t imagined them. Chloe reached out for his back as if in a trance, the same way she had done when she had first seen his scars, but this time Lucifer jerked and took a step back.

Chloe couldn’t read his face, but this move snapped her out of the trance she was in and now it was her turn to stumble back. And it was as if, for the first time ever, she really looked at him. There had to be some kind of explanation.

Devil

The Devil

The Devil standing in her living room.

A primal fear suddenly crept over her and she tensed visibly - something Lucifer noticed instantly, even when Chloe tried to hide it. It was like her instincts were telling her not to move too quickly or abruptly, or the predator in front of her would rip her apart.

Instead of approaching her, something inside of him seemed to shatter - she could see it in his eyes. Defeated, his whole posture changed and he looked so… different.

Devil

Don’t let him fool you, he is the father of lies, the root of all evil

“Detective…”

Lucifer took a few steps back; his eyes darted to the gun on the coffee table and he raised his hands.

Chloe followed his look and grabbed her gun. Should she shoot him? Could she? Yeah, she could, but one of her hands touched the necklace he had gotten her for her birthday. It didn’t answer her question though. Should she shoot him?

Lucifer….the Devil…he couldn’t even look at her - his eyes were closed, he stood there with hands still raised and just waited for her to pull the trigger. Like he would expect her to kill him, maybe even welcome it. Why did he looked so defeated? So broken? He was the Devil, for god’s… no she wouldn’t go there…yet. He was an almighty being and he just stood there. Not even the betrayal in his eyes with the preacher case, or their argument after the Sinnerman, came close to this now.

Chloe bit her lower lip; she just didn’t know what she should do now.

Do I scare you?

He had asked that of her once... and she had said no -- for how could she be scared of something she didn’t believe in?  And yet here he was, the Devil, staring her in the face. He was real. Everything was real. Heaven, Hell, God, angels... and him.

“Well?  Get on with it,” Lucifer said.  “Don’t leave me in agony. Just do it -- send me back to Hell.  Kill me.”

His words ricocheted around her head, over and over, until she thought she would go insane.  He was the Devil -- why was he telling her to kill him? It didn’t make any sense. How could he be waiting so calmly for death?  He should have been knocking the gun out of her hand and attacking her, right? Or trying to steal her soul, because he was the Devil.  But instead he just stood there, looking pathetic and heartbroken, like a kicked puppy waiting for the next blow.  

Her heart shriveled up at the sight.  Why did she feel shame in fearing him?  She shouldn’t have. He was Evil Incarnate, Satan, the Prince of Lies --

I have never lied to you... and I will never lie to you.

His words from so long ago came back to her.  They had been sitting in a stakeout after the container with his wings -- oh god, his wings -- had been stolen.  Lucifer didn’t lie -- he never lied.  He had always been very upfront about who he was -- the Devil.  And if that was the case, was it possible that all the other rumors about him might also be false?

He had told her that he wasn’t evil, that he punished evildoers, and everything she knew about him showed that to be the case.  If he was wicked, wouldn’t he have been freeing criminals instead of catching them? Her brows furrowed. Lucifer certainly took pleasure in apprehending them.  He was unorthodox, childish, and incredibly self-centered, but he wasn’t evil. He was just... Lucifer.

Closing her eyes, she slowly lowered the gun.  “I’m not going to shoot you.”

“Why not? You should.”

Chloe couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She put the safety back on her weapon and just let it drop to the floor.

“No.”

He looked up, still pained and destroyed with watery eyes. She had never seen him so vulnerable and got closer to him.

Lucifer jerked away till he stood with his back against the wall and that hurt Chloe even more to see it. She knew this kind of behavior. She had seen it in animals and in abused children she had encountered before she became a detective.

They backed away because they expected to get hurt and wanted to avoid the pain.

And so did Lucifer. What had everyone done to him? Was this the real Lucifer? Without his cocky mask and his arrogance? Her heart shattered at this sight.

Lucifer averted his gaze and it looked like he was pressing against the wall. Chloe put her hand on his cheek.

“Lucifer, we are friends and partners. Yes, this is scary. I’m not going to lie, not that I could lie to you anyway, but it doesn’t matter. Because friends are there for each other, and I’m here for you.” She could feel the tremble running through his body and how he caught his breath. She could also feel how he leaned into her touch, just slightly, but enough to feel it.

“It’s okay, Lucifer, come on, look at me. I promise I will not shoot you…again. Even if you drive me insane sometimes.”

Chloe needed to lighten up the situation a little, before her own panic rose again. This was first and foremost her hurt friend and he needed her. Lucifer had come to her because he had nowhere else to go, and that meant she couldn’t break his trust.

With slow, deliberate movements, she reached over and took his hand.  “Come on, come with me.”

Tugging him gently toward the couch, she sat down and patted the cushion beside her.  “Sit down. You can do it.”

Worrying his lower lip between his teeth, Lucifer looked like he was ready to bolt as he avoided her gaze.  When he finally perched on the edge of the couch, she released her pent-up breath. “There, that wasn’t so hard, was it?”

He shook his head -- just a slight motion, but she caught it.  

Chloe picked up his hand again and squeezed.  “Now tell me why you can’t sleep.”

He took a shuddering breath.  “Must I?”

“You can do it.  I’m right here.”

“I... I dream.  I can’t stop dreaming.  The first dream... well, I showed you my wings, and it... it didn’t end well.”  His shoulders slumped as he covered his eyes with his free hand. “After that, the dreams started getting more sinister.  Now whenever I close my eyes, I’m back there, with the shadow creatures.  They have you, they tear you apart in front of me every time, and I can’t -- I can’t --”  His voice broke.

The blood drained from Chloe’s face as she pulled Lucifer into a fierce hug.  He had been experiencing that, every time he dreamed?  She couldn’t imagine a worse torture.  “Hey, it’s okay. I’m right here.”

When he buried his face in the crook of her neck, she felt his hot tears against her skin.  For a long time she rocked him, much like she did when Trixie had a nightmare, before he finally took harsh, gulping breaths and pulled away.

Wiping his eyes with the back of his hand, he gave a watery laugh.  “Sorry, Detective. Bad form.”

“It’s okay.”  Reaching out to stroke his back, she hesitated.  She remembered how sensitive he was about his scars.  Did he still have them, now that he had his... his...?  She pushed away her thoughts as she took his hand once again, instead -- she’d think about it later.  Lucifer, her partner, needed her. “Look, why don’t you come to bed with me? That way I’ll be right next to you, and we can chase those nightmares away.”  She gave him a teasing smile and added, “But no funny business.”

“Detective.” Lucifer looked up, his eyes still watery and his eyeliner smudged.

 Chloe smiled – she knew women who would kill for his eyeliner skill - as she pulled him up from the couch and didn’t let go of his hand.

She was a little worried that he hadn’t make an inappropriate remark yet. Either he was still too shocked or too tired.

“My, my, Detective. I hoped to see you sleeping in some nice lingerie. Not that you also look ravishing in flannel PJs.”

Aaaaand he was back and the answer he got was an eyeroll, but she was happy that he still had his Luciferness.

“It’s none of your business how my sleepwear looks, Lucifer. I’ll just go to the bathroom and refresh a little, while you get comfortable. And I swear, if you try anything, I’ll beat your sorry ass.”

“Hmmm sounds kinky, Lucifer likes.”

Suddenly there was the hint of his usual glee back on his face. That was good, Chloe guessed. She knew Lucifer danced right on the line, but never crossed it. Not with her, not with Dan or anyone else. He knew exactly where to stop.

She left him alone and took her time in the bathroom to think about everything - brushing her teeth again, because she needed to keep her hands busy. This task suddenly seemed so trivial. Her nerves were still on the edge, but her anxiety eased a little. It didn’t mean she wouldn’t freak out, but maybe a few minor outbreaks instead of one big freak out?

She had a last look in the mirror and went back into her bedroom.

“LUCIFER?!”

The Devil turned around to meet her tomato red, embarrassed face. Chloe pressed her eyes closed. No…NOOOOO she didn’t need to see that.

“What? You said I should get comfortable.”

“With comfortable I mean at least underwear, Mister.” She turned around.

“But I always sleep naked. It’s the most comfortable and natural way, you know? And why should I hide THIS?”

Lucifer gestured at his body, but Chloe couldn’t see that.

“I don’t care! Put on some underwear or I’ll get you one of Dan’s old sweatpants.”

“But Detective!”  His voice was filled with horror.  “How can you ask me to cover up my naked splendor with something Daniel wore?  The mere thought is obscene!”

“Your nakedness is obscene!”  She sneaked a peek at him, then whirled around again when she saw he was still stark naked.  Rolling her eyes, she tried to recall where she had stored her ex-husband’s sweatpants, so that she could throw them at Lucifer’s head.

“But Daniel’s clothes are so pedestrian, they probably itch!” he whined.  “And my baby-soft skin is very sensitive --”

She pinched the bridge of her nose.  “Look, I don’t want to hear about your baby-soft behind --”

“I didn’t say ‘behind.’”  She heard the smile in his voice.  “But you are welcome to touch my baby-soft behind, if you so desire --”

“Oh for crying out loud, just put your boxers back on!”

“Very well,” he grumbled.  After a few seconds, he said, “I hope you’re satisfied.  I still can’t believe that you had me cover up the perfection that is my wedding tackle.  Why, the very idea!”

Turning, she saw that he had donned his silk boxers and stood, pouting, with his arms akimbo.  She let out a sigh of relief. Pulling back the bedcovers, she slipped between the sheets. “Stop complaining, and get in.”

A big grin split his face.  “With pleasure!”

Heat rushed into her cheeks as she watched him climb in beside her.  Who would have guessed that one day she would be in the same bed as Lucifer?  She had dreamed about him, but that had been before he ran off to Las Vegas and got himself a wife.  Cringing at the memory and feeling her body stiffen with awkwardness, she turned off the lamp beside her and plunged the room into darkness.

But sleep didn’t come easily this time.

Lucifer was trying to get comfortable, of course not without huffing and silently muttering in a language she had never heard before.

“Lucifer, stay still.”

“But Detective, the sheets are itchy. I really should get you some Egyptian cotton sheets and the pillows are not fluffy enough,” he whined, but stayed still. She could smell his familiar scent - the mixture of high quality booze, a hint of nicotine and just him - and she could also feel the heat he was radiating through his bedsheet. Chloe knew that he ran hot, but for the first time ever she asked herself if this was a Lucifer thing or a hell thing.

The Devil next to her whined again.

Chloe knew that behavior already. When Trixie was overtired, she was whiny and she couldn’t fall asleep in an instant. Apparently, the same applied to the celestial man-child next to her.

“You can still sleep on the couch, you know?”

That silenced him and he huffed again. She could feel him turning to her, his breath tickling the hair just slightly over her neck. Could Lucifer see her? Did he have some kind of celestial night vision?

“Detective…”

His voice sounded so insecure again.

“Don’t worry Lucifer, I’m here.” And she would protect him, she swore to herself. The Devil nodded. She could feel herself drifting back to sleep after Lucifer stayed still and his breathing evened out.

But her slumber didn’t last long. In fact, she wasn’t even fully asleep when Lucifer got a little restless, came near her and snuggled into her side. He also did an octopus impression by putting a leg and an arm over her and holding her in place.

Personal space was something Lucifer didn’t know, even in his sleep. Chloe’s stomach fluttered as she enjoyed this, but no. She couldn’t go there again, and besides, the hellish oven next to her was too much to sleep comfortably next to. She tried to pull away from him. It worked, but only for Lucifer to grab her blanket and hog it - it was lost to her now.

Chloe sat up and glared at him in the darkness.  She couldn’t believe he had stolen her blanket! Reaching over, she tried to tug it away from him, but he had an incredibly firm grip on it.  A part of her wanted to laugh -- the Devil had stolen her blanket! The other part wanted her covers back. She gave another tug, only to have him edge away from her, mumbling in his sleep.  

Throwing herself back onto the bed, she crossed her arms over her chest and let out an angry huff.  Well, fine! She’d make do without her blanket for a night. She didn’t really need it anyway, since Lucifer was giving off enough heat to act like a giant furnace, but she did like the weight on top of her.  Oh, well. Rolling toward him, she tried to get comfortable, when suddenly something exploded out of his back and shoved her off the bed. She landed in a heap on the floor.

Her head spinning, she wondered what had happened.  As she pulled herself to her feet, she looked down at the bed and saw them -- big, white wings, giving off a soft glow, spread out over her side of the bed.  Her eyes grew wide and she leaned closer to study them. They were beautiful. Her fingers twitched, wanting to stroke the white feathers, but as she reached out for them, unable to stop herself, they suddenly retracted into his back and were gone.

Chloe froze, her hand hovering over the bed.  What the hell was she doing?! She gave herself a hard shake.  This was Lucifer, and she was not some perv! True, he’d probably enjoy the attention, but no.  She was not going there.  With a wary glance at him, she climbed back into bed.

Concentrate Chloe, concentrate. She tried to calm down and get comfortable again. Something poked her in her butt though; she grabbed the annoying thing and pulled out a softly glowing, down feather. It was pretty big and she knew where it belonged. She gave the little thing a gentle squeeze and looked again at the man next to her snoring…Yes! He had the nerve to call out her snoring and what did he do? She grabbed her phone and recorded this scene. She even turned on the little flashlight app, for his face looked so peaceful and young. Hopefully this was a good sign. And his snoring was kind of adorable. She would totally use this - blackmail material of the finest quality.

Again her house-Devil mumbled something. Chloe put the little down feather into her bedstand drawer and had a look again at his back. It was just too fascinating. In the bright flashlight his muscles looked even more defined, and she could see groups of muscles no human would have. They were certainly there to move those big and fluffy things. But where did the wings vanish to? Not even a trace of his scars was left, or any other proof of his wings.

Urgh, she should sleep. Her partner may not need to work, but she did, and she had already wasted enough time on putting the Devil to bed. Putting her phone back on the bedstand, she brushed against Lucifer’s back and suddenly they were there again.

Chloe was buried under a ton of feathers - damn those were heavier than they looked. Flufy, but heavy. First she tried to just get comfortable under them. It worked for a while, but together with the heat Lucifer radiated, they became a Sauna. The well-trained Detective couldn’t get free from the mass of feathers and muscle.

“Lucifer…come ooooon.” She tried to push them away, but without success. In the process of untangling herself,  she accidentally pulled on one of the primaries.

Lucifer yelped, startled awake, and his wings thrashed against her bedroom walls, scratching them because his feathers had turned into their blade form.

“Who is attacking?!” He blinked a few times, then calmed down. Should she be concerned that his first thought of waking up like that was an attack?

“Detective? Why did you do this? I was perfectly asleep for the first time in weeks.”

She gave him the evil eye.  “Seriously, Lucifer? For crying out loud, you stole all my covers, you shoved me out of bed, and then you tried to smother me with your wings!”

“Please, I would never do any of those things.”  He gave an indignant sniff as he sat up and rolled his shoulders.  She watched, fascinated, as the wings once again disappeared from view.  He glanced down at the blankets clutched in his arms, then sheepishly handed them back to her.  “Well... perhaps I did borrow your blankets.”

The corner of Chloe’s mouth quirked up as she took them.  “You also snore.”

His eyes widened as he gasped.  “I beg your pardon! I do not snore -- the Devil does not snore!”

A giggle escaped her.  “Uh-huh. Right. You were snoring so loud, I’m surprised the neighbors aren’t complaining.”

Gaping, he looked away, then back at her again, before snapping his mouth shut.  Huffing, he lay down and crossed his arms over his chest. “If I did snore -- and I’m not saying I did -- it would only be because I’m exhausted.”

Chloe’s amusement drained away at his words.  She shouldn’t have been teasing him -- that had been unkind.  Putting on her no-nonsense face, she spread the blankets over them both.  Her voice came out more brusque than she intended. “Well, go back to sleep.”

She could feel his eyes on her as she rolled away from him.

“Detective....”  His voice was hesitant.  “Have I done something to offend you?”

“Huh?”  Turning back to him, she could just make out his worried expression in the darkness.  Her heart lurched at the sight. “Oh no, Lucifer. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have been giving you a hard time when you’re so tired.  Just close your eyes and go to sleep, okay? I’m right here.”

“But what if you aren’t?” Maybe he was still asleep and this was one of his nightmares? “Maybe you will be gone as soon as I close my eyes.”

Chloe could hear the pain in his voice and the fear of losing her. To reassure him, she grabbed his arm and pulled it over her waist. Normally she would never do something like that, but Lucifer was disturbed and scared. He needed this right now.

“See? I’m right here and I won’t go anywhere - now sleep.”

Chloe’s fingers wandered over his arm in light patterns and she could feel him nod.

After a few minutes his breath evened out again. Lucifer could be more exhausting than Trixie when she had had a nightmare. Her mind wandered back; she imagined him as little angel with his wild curls and those beautiful dark eyes. And at the same time her heart ached even more, because of this right now - maybe this was the first time in his entire existence that someone took care of him without expecting a reward or a favor.

Chloe got distracted from her thoughts when she got warm again. Couldn’t he turn down his inner heat? Although it sure was practical in winter. Suddenly Lucifer’s arm grabbed her more fiercely and pressed his body against hers; she could feel all of him and her face grew hot again.

“Lucifer, let me go.” She tried to move away from him, but he didn’t seem to hear her. Chloe turned her head as much as possible to look at him; his face was warped into fear and terror. His eyes were moving fast behind his lids and again there was that weird language he was mumbling - she could clearly hear her name over and over again and it sounded pained.

“Lucifer, come on, wake up! It’s just a dream.”

The Detective could feel his body tensing. Oh no…not the wings again, her room was already damaged and she needed her blankets. But they stayed out of sight, at least for now.

She tried to pull out of his arms again, but he had a firm grip on her.  Wrapping one of her arms around him as best as she could, she rubbed his back.  “Lucifer, Lucifer,” she crooned. “You’re dreaming. It’s all a dream. You can wake up, I know you can.”

He whined in his sleep, his eyes still moving rapidly back and forth.  In the moonlight, she could just make out the glimmer of tears in his closed eyes.  Oh no! She could only imagine what he was dreaming to make him cry...! Pursing her lips, Chloe racked her brains as she tried to think of some way she could get through to him, because words weren’t working.

She began to hum, randomly at first, before it slowly coalesced into the tune that her father used to sing to her when she was little.  Rocking him as best as she could, she started to sing quietly in his ear.

“You are my sunshine, my only sunshine...
You make me happy when skies are gray....
You’ll never know, dear, how much I love you.
Please don’t take my sunshine away....”

She repeated the chorus over and over, hoping his subconscious could hear her.  Gradually Lucifer’s grip on her eased. His breathing evened out, and the tension left his body.  Breathing a sigh of relief, she relaxed. Crisis averted! He seemed to be sleeping much easier now.  She stroked his back once more, then lifted her trembling hand to caress his cheek.

“You are my sunshine, Lucifer,” she whispered very softly.  He didn’t stir. With a smile, she closed her eyes and slept.  

Unfortunately, she couldn’t sleep for long. Lucifer was restless again and Chloe groaned, a little annoyed, but she also felt so sorry for him. When he mimicked a tentacle beast, her blanket was gone again, but she was covered in white once more. The wing twitched while he was dreaming. It was adorable, but only for so long, because without warning the wing moved more than expected and she had her mouth full of feathers. Why did she have to suffer so much?

“Are you doing this because I’m there for your son? It’s your job, you know?” She muttered irritatedly at the ceiling.

No, this wouldn’t do at all, not when she wanted to catch at least a little sleep tonight. This time she could get out of his grip with ease, but he clutched her pillow instead and pressed his face in it, inhaling her scent.

Could she…? Yes she could - she snapped a picture of this adorable scene.

Since Lucifer was hogging her side of the bed, Chloe's plan was easy to fulfill. She carefully folded the wing on top of the mattress a little - now she could slip between the two limbs behind him. Desperate times called for desperate measures.

Chloe snuggled directly against his back, spooning him, stroking the base of his wings where they met his back to soothe him, and hummed again silently.

The Devil as little spoon - it wasn’t the most comfortable position for her, but she enjoyed it. It was something rare and she would treasure this forever.

It also helped; the fallen angel calmed down again, his wings trembling with pleasure and slowly relaxing. Maybe they would vanish again during the night, but at least they couldn’t hit her in this position, and Lucifer couldn’t squeeze the stuffing out of her.

Chloe buried her face in the crook of his neck and smiled. “Good night, my sunshine. Please let me sleep now, okay?”

________________________________________

Sunlight poured right across Lucifer’s eyes, waking him up.  Squeezing his eyes tightly together, he willed the light to go away, but it didn’t.  It was the first time in many nights that he’d actually had a decent sleep -- why did the sun have to rise?  Why couldn’t it let him sleep more?

With a grunt, he lifted his head from the pillow he was clutching, and squinted in the light.  The room was unfamiliar -- where was he? He sometimes slept over at a human’s house after a night of debauchery, only he hadn’t had sex in a while.  Blinking the sleep out of his eyes, he wiped the drool from his chin with the back of his hand and started to get up.

Only... he couldn’t get up.  There was something pinning him down.  He froze when he realized his wings were out, and that someone was lying on them!  His mind raced as he struggled to push away the cobwebs of exhaustion still clouding his mind.  He’d had the usual nightmare -- that much he remembered -- and had gone to Chloe’s house. So... was that where he was?

His heart started thumping like a jackhammer.  Was he in her bed? Had they slept together? He cursed his hazy memory.  Bloody hell, this would be exactly the type of joke dear old Dad would play on him: give Lucifer his heart’s desire and have him not remember.  He wanted to yell and throw something.

But he couldn’t do that, not while Chloe was lying on him.  A memory flashed in his mind. She had been scared at first when she had seen his wings, but then she had been warm and gentle.  A small smile touched his lips as his face softened. His heart felt like bursting as he thought of her. Any other human would have rejected him, shot him, but no... not his partner.  She was strong.

Lucifer relaxed a little and, since he was trapped anyway, sank his head back onto the pillow - Just to rise again in disgust at the wetness and the smell. He had drooled on the bloody pillow. The Devil didn’t drool. The offending piece of evidence was thrown out of bed. Great…now he didn’t have a pillow, which was uncomfortable. But to feel the Detective’s light breathing on his neck, which sent a nice shiver through his body, he would endure hell.

His wings rustled in pleasure and he sighed happily. She hadn’t run away, she was still there, she was cuddling with him. He would never admit that he actually liked this position and that he  felt safe this way, a feeling he last had in the Silver City with his siblings. Sure, the wing she was lying on was numb and would kill him, but at the moment he couldn’t care less.

Chloe woke up when she felt the light rusting of his wings, but she stayed still, just enjoying Lucifer’s relaxed breathing. It was beautiful, calming, and she wished she could wake up like this every day. True, the night could have been more pleasant, but waking up was…well, heavenly. But no, he had made it clear that she was just a friend. Still, she was happy he could find sleep. As the wing under her started to twitch,she couldn’t resist and buried her hands into the soft feathers, grabbing the limb beneath them, and stroking it, like she had done in the night to soothe him again. The Devil stilled, and held his breath.

“Good morning, Lucifer. Do you know that the Devil looks really adorable with bed hair?”

And did he purr? She could swear she had heard it. Of course, Lucifer tried to hide and suppress the pleasant feeling, but Chloe wasn’t buying it. The almighty angel was still afraid to show any kind of weakness, and she was sure he was now wearing his pouting face, even if she couldn’t see it.

She ruffled his hair, then scooted backwards off of his wing, being careful not to pull any of the feathers out by accident.  Sitting up on the bed, she glanced over to see Lucifer lying still. Expecting to see him rise, she grew concerned when he just continued to lie there, unmoving.

“Hey, are you okay?”

“No,” he said.  “My wing is numb.  I can’t move it.”

Heat suffused her face as she realized that she was the cause of the loss of circulation in his wing.  “Oh my god, Lucifer, I’m sorry --”

“Don’t bring that wanker into it.  I’m sure he’s laughing his bloody head off right now.”  With his face smashed against the arm he was lying on, she could barely understand his muffled words.

Chloe rushed to the other side of the bed and bent down next to him.  “I’m so sorry. What can I do?”

The one eye she could see rolled to look at her, and crinkled at the end, as if he was smiling.  “Massage?”

At any other time she would have laughed at his hopeful voice, but now all she could think of was how to relieve his suffering.  Giving him a short nod, she hurried back to the other side and climbed onto the mattress, carefully lifting the wing so that she could rest it on her lap.  The huge limb was heavy, giving her a workout as she maneuvered it into position, but she managed it. Gently kneading the wing, she was soon rewarded by little sharp jerks in the limb.  

“Bloody hell!” Lucifer howled as the wing twitched even more.  He looked over his shoulder, his face a mask of pain.

Panicked, Chloe’s eyes shot to his, and she lifted her hands away from him.  “I’m sorry --”

“No need to apologize.”  He sucked in his breath through his gritted teeth.  “Just a little pins and needles.”

“So the Devil can get those too, hmm?” She smiled at him and continued the massage. To be honest, she enjoyed the twitching and the pleasured sounds Lucifer made, after the needles seemed to be gone.

Chloe explored the heavy limb on her lap; the muscles felt amazing and as hard as steel. At the same time the whole thing felt fragile, even though she could imagine how strong they could be. Surely the Devil looked beautiful flying with them. Did he miss it?

The twitching increased and the wings spread out in pleasure, the one on her lap pressing against her hand.

“Hmmm…” came from the owner - he really seemed to enjoy it. Did angels massage each other? If yes, then how cruel it was to banish him to hell, alone. Some of his feathers were ruffled so she aligned them again.

“How do you feel? Did the sleep help?”

Her own night had been short, but she was a mother - it was in the job description, even with celestial children.

“Actually, I slept the best in weeks. Thank you, Chloe.” His whole body was shivering, but not because it was cold - more because he really enjoyed the petting and grooming.

“Good, I hope you will make breakfast.”

Lucifer lifted his head, shifting a little so that his wings raised. He folded them against his back, not quite ready yet to put them away – maybe the Detective could continue this, whatever she was doing to him – and smiled.

“Oh, of course, anything for you.”

Chloe just snorted. “The Devil not only snores, apparently he also gets pillow creases on his face and drools in his sleep.”

“Pillow creases?!”  Lucifer gawked at her.  “The Devil does not get pillow creases.”

She snickered.  “Take a look in the mirror.”

In a flash, he hopped out of bed and raced to the bathroom.  Chloe chuckled when he yelled, “Bloody hell!”

Getting out of bed herself, she ambled over to see what he was doing.  The Devil was vigorously rubbing his cheek to erase the mark on his face, but the pillow crease was stubborn.  After five minutes of scrubbing, it was still there.

“You have to let it go away on its own,” she said helpfully.

He turned a baleful eye on her.  “I can’t walk around like this, Detective!  Why, it’s appalling -- I have an image to maintain!”  He let out a gusty sigh. “What else could possibly go wrong?!”

Chloe tried to keep a straight face.  “Fluffy hair?”

Lucifer’s head whipped back to the mirror.  With a horrified cry, he started combing his hair with his fingers.  “No, no, no.... This can’t be possible! The Devil does not have fluffy hair!!”

At his comment, Chloe began to laugh uncontrollably. She couldn’t help it -- he looked so adorable in his distress.  When she was finally able to catch her breath, she found her partner glaring at her.

“This is hardly funny, Detective.”

Her eyes twinkled at him.  “You know, you’re going to also have to wear a wrinkled suit.  You didn’t exactly hang it up last night.” The scream he let out as he ran past her sent her back into gales of laughter.  When she finally looked at him, he had put on his trousers with a forlorn expression on his face. Taking pity on him, she walked up and gave him a hug.  “It’s okay. You always look good to me.”

His face softened as he stared down at her.  “Detective....”

Heat rushed into her cheeks at his expression.  He looked so loving... but she was not going there again.  She gave him a teasing shove.  “Now go make me breakfast. I’m hungry.”

“But I can’t show myself to the world like this, woman. I need to get ready first.”

The Detective rolled her eyes. “That will take forever and I’m starved, Lucifer. You can be vain later, nobody is going to see you except for me, and I already saw the curly hair, the creases and the drool….ooooh and don’t forget the smudged eyeliner.”

She loved teasing him. It just felt right, maybe it shouldn’t have, for the fluffy appendages on his back were a reminder of his divine origins, but at the moment Chloe couldn’t care less. She was relieved that her partner felt better. The bags under his eyes had mostly vanished and he just seemed to be more energetic.

“And just to be clear, Lucifer, with breakfast I mean stuff without alcohol.”

Lucifer pouted.

“What a bummer.” With a roll of his shoulders, he made his wings disappear. Chloe decided that at some point she would ask him where they vanished to. For her, it was a shame that they were gone, since they made him look even more adorable and cute…no, she was still not going there again. She needed to distract her mind.

It wasn’t easy though, when he looked so stupidly dorky as he picked up his wrinkled shirt in disgust with two fingers like it was poisonous.

“You know, I think I also have one of Dan’s old shirts somewhere.”

If possible the Devil looked even more disgusted.

“No Detective, don’t worry…I’m fine.” And he threw on the shirt, but he refused to button up just yet. For him it was perfectly acceptable morning wear. Normally he would have preferred his robe or his nude self - oh, the sacrifices he made for his Detective. Yes, she was his. And now that she knew the truth about him, he would try everything to win her back. He didn’t care about his father’s role in this anymore. He had tried to stay away and he couldn’t, so he would just give in.

There was still so much to tell, so much to talk about, but not now. Now it was just a breakfast between friends he would prepare.

“Take a shower, Detective, and by the time you are finished, a 5 star meal will await you. Well, 5 star worthy with whatever is in your fridge.”

He would never eat those weird ‘cakes’ again that she just needed to put into the toaster.

Lucifer smiled at her and brushed her arm when he walked past her to get to the kitchen.

Neither of them would forget the prickling in their bodies when they touched.

________________________________________

If you would have asked him a week later, he would have said he was almost sad that the nightmares didn’t return. Chloe of course offered to come back on bad nights, but since he didn’t lie and everything was fine, sleep wise anyway, he had no reason to take the offer. Lucifer, ex-lord of hell and giant dork, would need to find another way into the Detective’s bed. For the first time in his existence, he wasn’t annoyed by the lack of sex. Just sleeping next to her made him happier than all the orgies in the world.

And he definitely wanted this again…and her hands in his feathers, not that he would admit it.

Maybe someday...