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Chloe woke up with a start, screaming out loud his name.
While her own voice slowly faded in the darkness, she realized to be in her room.
She slid her bare legs out of the bed, letting her feet on the cold marble floor.
That contact gave her relief: she was covered in sweat, thirsty and with a pounding headache.
Her stomach contracted, and nausea filled her throat: she pressed her right hand closed to her mouth and tried to breathe deeply, to slow down her hear rate.
Now she started to remember what had happened that morning and why she felt so bad.
Chloe had reached the court to testify against a killer, condemned at the end of the day, also for her words.
Furious and angry, he has threatened the witnesses one by one.
In Chloe’s case, he had sworn to kill in cold blood all her family in front of her eyes before killing herself too.
“Come back to the precinct, Detective. He is just a poor, desperate human being” Lucifer had whispered to her ear, reassuring and calming, his left arm surrounding her shoulders protectively.
Chloe had nodded, but the fear for Trixie had been too much to hide and her face had betrayed her real feelings.
Lucky her, she had been too focused on her daughter to catch the liquid fire burning in her partner’s eyes when he had realized it and the fact he would not have been in Hell to take care personally of that piece of garbage.
“If you prefer, we can catch the little urchin at school, taking her with us. Or I can ask Amenadiel to spend the afternoon with her” her had offered, opening the door for her.
Chloe had smiled: “I can take the afternoon off and stay with Trixie. It had been a long time since we had a mother-daughter day with pizza, ice cream and Disney movies”
“Are you sure? I mean, I can arrange something al Lux. Just to offer real fun to the little one”
She had looked at him: how much had he changed in those years working together? From barely bearing her daughter to protecting her.
And letting him take care of Trixie had been the best way to assure Lucifer she had finally come to a term with all the supernatural stuff.
“Let’s Trixie decide, ok?” She had placed her hand on his chest, where his heart was supposed to be, before getting into the Corvette.
“Right” he had replied, quickly moving away from her to mask the confusion her touch had caused.
Chloe had fought hard with herself not to laugh at his reaction, feeling a little bit guilty for her behavior: the immortal Lord of Hell with eons of experience and tons of lovers tamed by a tiny blonde human being.
Of course, Trixie had chosen the mother/daughter day. After the mess with Pierce and Charlotte’s death, she had never skipped the chance to stay with her parents.
Lucifer had helped them to bring home a huge amount of junk food, not dissimulating his disgust and disapproval
“You should eat properly. Seriously. Both of you”
Trixie had grabbed his arm, pulling him down to her: “We can arrange a sleepover next Saturday, and you can cook for us, right?”
Lucifer had tried to look horrified, but the glimpse in his eyes had spoken for him and Chloe had seen it
Trixie had pouted out: “Please, please Lucifer. We can play Monopoly again. You love it”
Lucifer had raised his hands in front of him: “Right. Now we have a deal, child” he had replied looking down at her, not able to fully hide a sincere smile, before waving goodbye at her and her mother.
After 2 movies, 3 slides of pepperoni pizza and a bottle of coke, Chloe had needed to stretch her legs.
Collected plates and glasses, she had put them in the sink for the morning after, taken a short break in her restroom and then moved back to the living room to find Trixie looking out of the window.
Chloe’s heart had skipped a bit
“Monkey, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing mom. I’m just checking if Lucifer is outside”
“Why would Lucifer be outside?”
“Because he wants us to be safe. And as we are not at Lux with him he could be with us. But he knows we want a night for us. So maybe he has decided to stay in his car”
Her daughter was too smart for her age.
“Are you afraid of Lucifer being outside? She had asked cautiously
“I’m not afraid of Lucifer, mom. He is ok. I like him. I’m afraid for him.”
“Afraid for him? Why monkey?”
“Remember when Malcolm shot him? Or when he was stubbed while you were protecting that singer? Or when he rescued me when I was kidnapped? Or when he shielded me with his body during that assault in the precinct the day I was there?” Trixie’s voice had sounded so worried that Chloe had had to hug her.
“Yes, I remember, monkey. He was very brave”.
“I don’t want to be the reason why he dies, mom. I don’t want to be the reason why you would lose someone you love”
Someone she loved. And someone she could cause the death of. Someone who could be murdered in cold blood in front of her.
She was the reason. Not Trixie
“You will never be the reason of pain and sorrows for anyone, monkey. You bring only joy and happiness, ok?” she had kissed the top of her daughter’s head.
Trixie had nodded silently, and the rest of their evening had gone quite normally till she had fallen asleep on the couch and Chloe had put her in her bed.
“Good night monkey. Nothing to be worried about, mom promise”.
Sit on her bed, Chloe heard her daughter’s words in her mind:” I don’t want to be the reason why Lucifer dies”
She was the reason. Not Trixie. It was only her fault if Lucifer had risked his life so many times that she had lost the right number.
And what if the next time would be the last one? No Linda, Amenadiel and Maze to help them? She unable to run away enough to allow him to recover?
She had just dreamt of him dying in her arms. A chance she had to figure out. A chance they had to figure out. With the only solution to stay away from each other. With the only solution both would never accept.
Her throat went dry: she needed some water.
She left her room and moved downstairs, in the reassuring silence of her home.
But when she was close to the couch, she spotted Trixie sleeping over there.
“Monkey” she gently touched her left shoulder, not to scare her.
Trixie yawned
“Monkey”
Trixie did not open her eyes, but at least spoke: “Mom”
“Why are you sleeping on the couch?”
Trixie yawned again “The bed is not big enough”
“What does it mean the bed is not big enough?” but Trixie had already turned on her stomach and felt asleep again.
Chloe walked to her daughter’s room: for sure Trixie had filled the bed with all her stuffed animals and now she was not able to sleep in her too populated space.
But when Chloe looked inside the room, she had to contain her surprise.
Spread over the too small piece of furniture, Lucifer was sleeping, a soft sound coming from his throat.
Chloe stepped closer to find him on the edge of the bed, back to the door, the legs almost on the floor and his arm stretched on the small nightstand.
His normally immaculate suit looked like trash: his waistcoat tossed on the chair, his purple shirt a mess not to mention his trousers.
Chloe bent on him and a warm wave of tenderness invaded her: he had a panda bear painted on his exposed check and some eyeliner on his eyelid.
In the end, Trixie was right: he had come to check they were fine, entertaining a worried little girl and letting her mother having rest.
Chloe sit down on the bed, her back against his hip and let her fingers playing with his tousled hair for a while, while observing his perfect face now totally relaxed in the comfort of her house. It was something she could have spent her life doing it, she was sure.
Lucifer moved slightly under her touch and his shirt raised a little bit, revealing his well-defined torso.
Chloe couldn’t stop herself to move her hand from his head to his lower abdomen, blushing to herself in that goofy act.
Lucifer groaned: “Don’t tickle me, child. Or you will suffer the consequences”
Child: he was thinking of Trixie still playing with him.
A tear of joy left her eyes while she laid down close to his back, her head where the wings were supposed to pop out, her arm along his side
But when he grabbed her hand, she had the distinct feeling he was perfectly aware it was not Trixie’s.
The morning after she opened her eyes, in her bedroom, alone.
But when the scent of fresh coffee and omelets reached her from the kitchen, she realized she was not alone at all.
“I’m coming” she shouted while she was getting dressed.
Lucifer had set the breakfast table and Trixie was demolishing her second French toast when Chloe joined them.
“Lucifer was so disturbed we ate pizza that he came early to cook for us” Was her daughter smiling smartly at them? Definitely, she was growing up.
“Morning Detective, slept well?” he asked, casually, turning to her.
A memory of his half naked six-pack crossed Chloe’s mind and she almost choked.
Lucifer let her coffee mug in front of her and sit down with his coffee.
And then Chloe noted his left bloodstained cuff.
“Lucifer” she reached his hand out: a deep cut crossed his palm.
“Your knifes are really sharp. Are you sure Maze is keeping hers away from you and the spawn?” he laughed a little.
“Lucifer was doing the dishes when you shouted. He got distracted and he cut himself”
Of course. He got hurt. For her presence.
Chloe’s expression revealed her feelings so clearly that Lucifer had to turn his eyes away, landing them on Trixie.
“Need a lift to the school, child?”
“Awesome” Trixie jumped from her chair. “I have just to finish my book before leaving” and she disappeared. Winking at him? “Smart child, really smart child” Lucifer commented, before turning his gaze to Chloe.
She was still holding his hand
“Lucifer. We can’t “
“We can’t what?” he sounded relaxed. At ease. At home
“This. Us. You throwing here and there to protect us, with me making you vulnerable. With me potentially kill you. And what if your enemies realize that? What if they use me against you?”
“They have already done it, do you remember? And I’m still annoying you. After all, vulnerable is just a simple ten -letter word”
“Lucifer, seriously”
He looked at her and his eyes darkened
“Chloe. You make me vulnerable. In your presence, I can be killed. I can die. But you seem have missed the most important point”
“Is there any most important point than I’m causing your vulnerability?”
Lucifer raised his hand and cupped her face, coming closer till he could brush her lips with his.
“Yes, there is. With you, I can be killed. But without you, I’m already, permanently, hopelessly dead”
And saying that, he left a soft, long kiss on her mouth, pulling her closer.
Closing her door again, Trixie decided that arriving late at school that morning was absolutely the best way to start the day.