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So far, everything is going as planned.
Lucifer isn’t much of a planner; he usually follows his instinct, never truly stopping to think twice about the consequences of his action, but this time he has to. This weekend has to be special.
It took a lot of convincing on his part to persuade Chloe to take a few days off work so they could relax and enjoy some much needed alone time—or at least that’s what he told her. Truthfully, this weekend, they’ll only be by themselves for one night before their friends and close family join them to help him with the proposal.
Lucifer, the Devil, tying the knot. Who would have thought that possible? Certainly not him. And yet, here is his, with a shiny new ring waiting to be put on her finger currently inside the inner pocket of his jacket for when the right moment comes.
Years ago the sole idea would have seemed ludicrous to him, but now he can’t think of anything that makes more sense than becoming Chloe’s husband. He already belongs to her in every possible way, so why not make it official?
Beatrice and their six-month-old little miracle, Aurora, are with grandma Penelope tonight, giving Lucifer the ability to organize a small date for Chloe and him, in the comfort of their home. She ate every course he cooked for her with gusto, they shared laughs and a bottle of her favorite red wine, and after he gave her a neck massage she inevitably fell asleep on the couch, her head resting on his shoulder.
He truly can’t blame her. Chloe always has her hands full, whether with their two beautiful girls or with her job at the LAPD—and dealing with him, of course—so it’s only natural that she’s exhausted.
She’s a lieutenant now, which obviously made her work days even longer and more stressful, but she’s doing an amazing job and has gained all the more respect at the precinct. But to him, even with a new office, a polished desk, and a nameplate reading Lt. Decker, she’ll always be his Detective. Lucifer still calls her that, mostly to annoy her and watch her scrunch her nose as she rolls her eyes at him in that adorable way, but he knows she secretly likes it.
While he watches her sleep, long lashes grazing the apples of her cheeks, her chest rising and falling with slow breaths, Lucifer goes over the plan for tomorrow.
As soon as their closest friends arrive, a series of events will be set into motion that will lead to the moment he’ll go down on one knee in front of her. He’ll give a recounting of their love story, highlighting all their greatest hits, from their first case to every other significant moment in their relationship, until he’ll finally be ready to pop the question.
That’s where his doubts start. He’s got a speech written down, one that took him months to craft choosing each word carefully, but he’s afraid he might forget some parts, or be too nervous and mess it up, which would be absolutely terrible. Everything has to be perfect for the moment he’ll ask the love of his life to marry him.
Suddenly, it hits him that this might be the perfect time to rehearse his proposal. Chloe is fast asleep, after all, and she really isn’t a light sleeper, so he’s quite convinced she won’t wake up anytime soon. This might be his only chance to practice.
Carefully, trying not to move her too much, Lucifer stands up from the couch, standing in front of her for a few moments as he takes long calming breaths.
If he’s this nervous now, what is going to happen the moment he’ll have to do it in front of a conscious Detective and a whole crowd of people they care about? He has to power through if it’s the last thing he does.
Inhaling deeply, trying to slow down the thrumming beat of his heart, Lucifer finally goes down on one knee in front of her. He stops to look at her, fast asleep and beautiful like no other creature he’s ever laid eyes on, only finding more confirmation that he’s doing the right thing in the way his stomach does a little somersault.
He loves her so much it almost hurts.
He extracts the folded piece of paper on which his speech is written from the back pocket of his trousers. Unfolding it, his eyes skim over the first line as a subtle smile spreads across his lips.
“Chloe, my love…”
Lucifer stops, a frown slowly forming on his face.
It doesn’t feel right. The more he reads what he wrote, the less he likes it. It’s too formal, too scripted, as if he’s reciting parts of a screenplay written by someone else. It seems impersonal, and she deserves much more than a few romantic words strung together.
He shakes his head, crumpling up the piece of paper with one hand. “No,” he mutters, “this won’t do at all.”
But what is he supposed to say? He’s never been good at expressing his feelings in so many words. It took him years to even realize he was in love, for crying out loud, how is he supposed to know how to ask her hand in marriage?
Chloe mumbles something in her sleep, stirring on the couch, but her eyes remain closed. He can’t help but smile.
“You know, I…” he begins, almost more as a stream of consciousness than anything else, “I loved you since the moment you walked into Lux that very first night.”
It’s the first time he’s admitting it aloud, both to himself and her. Lucifer has known for a while, of course, but he’s never said it. It’s surprisingly cathartic.
“At that time I had no clue, obviously. I didn’t even know I could love at all, so clearly I told myself this instant connection I felt was something else. Intrigue at first, this constant desire to solve you like a stubborn mystery who didn’t want to be cracked.” He chuckles to himself, shaking his head. “I thought it was lust, that need to touch you, to claim you. Sometimes it was so powerful I could hardly think straight. I really was an arse back then, wasn’t I?” he asks, not expecting to receive an answer. “Always propositioning you, trying to get you to sleep with me. I’m glad we waited now. I wasn’t ready for you back then, my love.”
With utmost care, hoping not to wake her up, Lucifer reaches forward and takes one of her hands into both of his. He listens for any change in her breathing that might indicate she’s waking up, resuming his speech only when he thinks it’s safe.
“I knew I cared about you, of course. I think the first time I realized I could care about someone was when Jimmy Barnes shot you, and all I could think about was, ‘Not her. Dad, please, take anyone but her.’ Even then I would have much rather died myself than see you go. But I thought that was the most I could feel for you. You proved me wrong so many times,” he whispers, tipping his head to bush his lips over the back of her hand.
A few creases form between Chloe’s eyebrows, but Lucifer thinks nothing of it.
His mind is elsewhere, to all the things they’ve overcome together, every hardship that only drove them closer, solidifying a bond that was already unbreakable in so many ways.
A small smile curves his lips. “Each time I thought I couldn’t care about you more than I did, something happened that would make my feelings for you grow. It’s probably not even the right word. They wouldn’t simply grow—they’d multiply by tenfold, until it was evident even to me that it wasn’t simply affection. It was love. And when I realized that, I thought that surely that must be it, I couldn’t love you any more than that, but I was sorely mistaken.”
He stops for a second, feeling the surge of emotion make his throat uncomfortably dry. He tries to swallow, but all it does is make his eyes water.
“When you told me you were pregnant, I panicked a bit,” he admits through a soft scoff. Lucifer almost can’t believe he was so freaked out that day, now that their daughter is with them and she’s the most important thing in his life alongside Chloe and Trixie. “You could see it. You always read me like an open book, darling, and told me exactly what I needed to hear. I couldn’t imagine myself as a dad—I mean, me, the Devil, a father?—but you saw right through me and knew how much my heart secretly desired that chance. And you gave it to me. You took my hand and guided me so that I could be the best father to our beautiful Aurora, and that only made me love you all the more.”
“I am who I am today because of you, Chloe,” he whispers, tears brimming inside his eyes and threatening to fall. “You made me a better man, a good friend, hopefully a good father as well, and I am so lucky to have you by my side. It truly is an honour to work with you, to raise these two amazing girls with you, and I can only hope you feel the same way.”
A lone tear slips from the corner of his eye and travels down the side of his face. Quickly, Lucifer wipes it away with the back of his hand.
“I hope you’ll allow me to spend the rest of eternity proving to you that I am worthy of the strong, caring, loving woman that you are. You’ve been many things through the years to me. My partner. My friend. My girlfriend. A confidant. A lover. The mother of my child. I’d just like to add one more thing to the list, if you’ll accept. Be my wife, Chloe. Give me the honor and privilege of calling you my wife, and to be called your husband. It’s everything I could possibly ask for.”
The frown on Chloe’s face deepens, and her chin begins to tremble seconds before her eyelids flutter open. Taken aback, Lucifer almost loses his balance, risking falling backwards on his ass, but she’s there to ground him, as she always does.
“Oh, darling, I thought you were—”
He doesn’t get a chance to finish when Chloe interrupts him. “I know,” she simply replies through a sob.
“How much of that have you heard?”
“All of it,” she confesses. “I woke up when you were getting off the couch. Sorry if I didn’t say anything, but I didn’t think you would…” she trails off, sniffling loudly.
Lucifer grimaces. “This is not what I planned. I just wanted to rehearse my speech—”
“It doesn’t matter,” Chloe says, interrupting him once more. “This is perfect, Lucifer. I don’t need big proposals or diamond rings to marry you. I’m already yours. You know that, right?”
He simply nods, and she cups his face with both hands before kissing him with so much tenderness it makes his heart ache.
When they part, he places his forehead against hers. “So, I guess you don’t want this?” he asks, fishing out a small, velvety box from inside his jacket.
As soon as he pops the lid open, the small diamond embedded into a slim silver band comes into view, shining in the dim light of their house, creating little rainbows.
“Oh, baby,” she whispers as more tears fall down her cheeks. “It’s beautiful.”
A smile tugs at the corners of his lips. “I’m still waiting for an answer, you know,” he humorously prompts her.
Chloe rolls her eyes at him, in that way that she only reserves for him, that speaks volumes about how much she truly loves him. “Yes. Of course I’ll marry you,” she replies, placing another small kiss on his lips.
Taking the ring out of the box, he carefully slips it on her finger. They simply stare into each other’s eyes for a long beat before something occurs to Lucifer.
“Bloody hell,” he mutters under his breath. “Miss Lopez will want to kill me when she realizes I didn’t wait for her.”
Chloe can’t help but laugh at his frightened expression. “I’m sure she’ll forgive you,” she reassures him, “eventually.” She caresses his stubbled cheek with the tips of her fingers. “I love you, Lucifer. I can’t wait to marry you,” she tells him, and he knows there’s nothing but sincerity and adoration in her words.
“I love you too, future Mrs. Morningstar,” he whispers back.
She chuckles lightly. “It has a nice ring to it,” she says, and Lucifer knows he’ll love her more and more every day for the rest of eternity.