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Chloe had spent the day after her birthday at home, in front of the tv, because her head was not pleased she’d drank so much alcohol the day before. She wasn’t getting any younger, she reminded herself, annoyed. Lately, Lucifer had been insisting that since they were partners, and his penthouse was ‘far superior’ to her apartment, as there were no pesky ‘demons’ or her offspring to entertain, she could avail herself of the penthouse whenever she wanted. Today, a week to the day later, she thought he might have just had a point.
He’d told her he would be away for the weekend and hoped that she didn’t get too difficult of a case as she’d be without his help for 32 hours. Considering that sometimes his ‘help’ was more of a hinderance, she decided to count her blessings. She’d gotten a case, an open and shut case of a lover’s spat gone wrong. She’d barely started investigating when the man’s partner, a gorgeous blonde called Sally, who’d been wearing some kind of designer jumpsuit in a virulent shade of green, had shown up at the precinct and given a full confession.
Apparently, Harvey, her victim, had roughed up his pretty girlfriend one too many times, and she’d caught him in bed with her cousin when she’d come to the apartment to get her clothes. They’d fought after she’d chased her cousin out - naked - and she’d stabbed him with a kitchen knife in self-defence as he’d been attempting to strangle her. Sally had the hand-shaped bruises on her neck to back up her claim. Chloe had taken her through the facts to get all the details, and then let the lawyers deal with it.
She’d be charged with manslaughter, as she hadn’t intended on killing Harvey and Ella had backed this up by saying Sally had been lucky to hit the victim in just the right spot to cause an internal bleed that had killed him. At the end of a fairly boring day, with Trixie at her friend’s house for a sleepover, she headed for LUX. Arriving in Lucifer’s penthouse, she double-checked that he wasn’t around, then made her way quietly out to the corner of the balcony where the hot tub was. She hadn’t been in one for years because of how self-conscious Hot Tub High School had made her about them. It was probably stupid, but the idea of someone seeing her in a hot tub, especially naked, just unsettled her now.
She stripped, revealing the pretty floral pattern two-piece swimsuit she’d brought a few weeks ago. It wasn’t skimpy - she was too old for that - but it definitely looked good on her. After fiddling with the controls for a moment, she set the alarm on her phone for two hours. She figured she could probably get that long alone without being interrupted or caught. Maze was on a bounty so unlikely to come looking for Lucifer, and she figured she was hidden enough to prevent anyone else from seeing her.
Climbing carefully into the heated water, she let herself relax. The jets were on medium and pummelled her aching back and legs in just the right way, lessening the tension building there. After a while, she lowered the jets and just had a soft rumble of bubbling water to keep her company.
The view from the hot tub was as spectacular as the rest of the balcony. Los Angeles in all of its late-afternoon glory, the sun almost lower enough to start setting. By the time her two hours were up, the sky had started to be streaked with purples, oranges, and pinks.
With a sigh, she realised she hadn’t brought a towel with her, then turned to see a small stack of them nearby. She had to hope her partner wouldn’t notice if she borrowed one. She got out, dried herself off, and, making sure she was still very alone, peeled off her wet swimsuit. Then she dressed and found the laundry hamper.
Thankfully, it had a few things in it already, including a towel, so she carefully sat her towel in the hamper and left. She was more relaxed than she’d been in ages and attributed it to the warm water and the alone time. She loved her daughter dearly, but sometimes all that nine-year-old energy was overwhelming. That night, she slept better than she had in ages, and woke up feeling rested.
A few days after her first sneaky dip in Lucifer’s hot tub, Chloe was dealing with a tension headache. Parent-teacher interviews were coming up, something she always hated even though Trixie was usually well-behaved and a good student, and she’d been called out on a report by the lieutenant. Lucifer had told her that he was ‘zipping over to San Francisco’ for the evening to meet with someone named Roland, and do who knew what. She tried not to take in too many details about his private life, all things considered. She recalled how good she’d felt after using the hot tub last time and wondered if she could fit in a quick dip in her busy schedule that day. If she ordered in instead of cooking dinner - a far easier option if not a necessarily healthy one - she could put off her grocery shopping until tomorrow.
She made her decision. Finishing up her paperwork, she left, not bothering to stick around too long in case it cut into her hot tub time. She’d somewhat guiltily put her own towel in the trunk of her cruiser. She’d told herself it was just in case she needed it on a case, but deep down she knew it was because she intended to go back to the penthouse and use the hot tub and not need to use one of Lucifer’s towels. She really didn’t want him to find out she was sneaking in and using his hot tub, even if he’d practically invited her to do so. She assumed the invitation was for when he was actually home.
She pulled into the garage at LUX and was relieved to see the Corvette was not in its usual parking spot, and she assumed that meant he’d gone. She certainly hoped so as getting caught would be mortifying. Maze’s motorbike and car were also nowhere to be found, so she breathed a sigh of relief on that front as well.
Deciding that an adult beverage wouldn’t go astray, she crossed to the bar once she entered the penthouse and checked its owner was, indeed, not home. She opened the mini-fridge in the bar and found beer, which didn’t surprise her that much considering she knew Maze drank it. She took a single bottle out and headed out to the balcony, setting her towel in a safe but easy to grab spot.
She turned on the hot tub, and remembered she hadn’t brought a swimsuit with her this time, so after double-checking again, she quickly stripped naked and got in the water. She sipped her beer contemplatively and tried to empty her mind. Which was harder than it should have been, but she just had so much stuff going on in there at the moment.
Deciding not to worry about Trixie’s parent-teacher conference, and mentally telling her lieutenant to go fuck himself, she slowly relaxed, watching the sun set over the city once more. The sky grew darker and she knew she’d have to go home and relieve the babysitter. She’d also have to figure out what to order for dinner, but she’d think about it on her way home. With a sigh, she grabbed her towel and got out of the heated water, turning everything back to the settings it had been on when she’d arrived. She dried, dressed and put the empty bottle in the recycling. She checked to see if there were any signs she’d been there, and satisfied there weren’t, she left.
Sneaking into the penthouse when Lucifer was away or otherwise safely occupied was turning into a bad habit. Chloe worried a little, as it was very much an invasion of his privacy, despite the invitation. An invitation to use his penthouse whenever she liked implied that she should at least inform him of when she was going to be there, not just sneak in whenever she knew he wasn’t at home. She’d done so almost a dozen times now over the course of almost two months. She’d almost gotten caught by Maze once, coming out of the penthouse, but had managed to cover by coming up with a story that she’d been looking for him to help her with some case work. Maze had been uninterested by that particular story and Chloe hoped it stayed that way.
Scolding herself, she determined that this evening was going to be the last time. Still, she was already here and knew Lucifer wouldn’t be. He’d gone somewhere late this afternoon, and he said wouldn’t likely be back until later tonight. She hadn’t really been paying attention to where because she’d been trying to do some research on her suspect and had mostly tuned him out until he said he’d be gone for several hours. Then the part of her brain that enjoyed taking calculated risks - part of her that loved her job - had piped up that the penthouse should be free.
She pulled into the parking garage at LUX, and instead of parking in her usual spot, parked elsewhere. She didn’t want anyone to know she was doing this, and it was really starting to get out of hand. She felt a little guilty about the whole thing and was going to tell Lucifer tomorrow. He’d probably laugh at her, but she felt he deserved to know she’d been basically sneaking into his home like a thief.
Once she stepped into the penthouse, she checked to make sure no one was there - the idea of getting caught was still mortifying to her. Certain she was alone, she carried her towel out to the secluded corner of the balcony and stripped down to her swimsuit. Since it was just her, the swimsuit was a little more revealing, and this time it was red. She hadn’t worn a red bikini since she’d filmed Hot Tub High School, but this one looked damn good on her, if she did say so herself. She made sure her ponytail was still in place, and after adjusting the settings, climbed into the heated water. She let out a relieved sigh and closed her eyes.
Lucifer arrived back at the penthouse earlier than he had thought he would, which was a relief. He’d spent a great amount of his morning and early afternoon dealing with someone who owed him a favour trying to back out of a deal. He noticed lately that when he came home after being away for a while that sometimes things were ever so slightly different in the penthouse.
The first time, there had been a towel missing from the stack near the hot tub and he’d found it the next day in his hot tub. On another occasion he’d noticed an empty beer bottle in his recycling and he couldn’t remember the last time Maze or the Detective - the only two people who drank beer in his penthouse as he didn’t tend to drink it when he could indulge in the finest whiskeys and other top-shelf alcohol available - had drank any since the recycling had last gone out. There were other minor things as well, but he couldn’t always put a finger on it.
Deciding not to worry too much - Maze came and went as she pleased and used whatever she wished - he headed into his bedroom, peeling off his suit as he went. He decided a quick dip in the hot tub was just what he needed after hours of negotiations with someone as dull as dish-water. He slipped on a robe, as he’d been trying for a modicum of modesty lately considering the Detective often came over unannounced and wasn’t always pleased to find him in all of his rather spectacular glory when she did.
Moving to the bar first to get himself a drink, he hummed to himself, then paused. He cocked his head slightly and listened carefully. Frowning, he moved away from the bar and closer to the bedroom. He could hear it clearly now - the hot tub was definitely running, and he knew it hadn’t been when he’d left. He also knew that Maze was off doing something he hadn’t been particularly interested in, so it couldn’t have been her. He very much doubted it would be Amenadiel as his brother wouldn’t know how to relax if the opportunity bit him on his feathered arse.
Curious as to whom his mysterious hot tubber was, he moved silently out of his bedroom and took the long way around, slipping out the balcony doors and walking around the corner. He was most surprised to find the Detective sitting in his hot tub, her head tipped back, resting against the side, with her eyes closed. She made quite the appealing picture, but he wasn’t sure why she was here, exactly. Or rather, why she hadn’t simply told him she wanted to use the hot tub. He wondered if she’d been the person who’d been here the other times that something had been a little strange about his penthouse when he’d returned lately.
Moving away quietly, he headed back into his bedroom and fished out a pair of swimming trunks. He rarely used them, since he rarely used his hot tub alone, and even when he did, it was in his own home. But he doubted the Detective would appreciate him hopping in naked while she was in there. Donning the appropriate attire, he headed to the bar and got both himself and the Detective a drink. She had looked tired earlier that day, and he knew just how relaxing the jets combined with heated water could be when you needed them.
Carefully, so as not to frighten her awake, he walked out to the balcony once more. Setting the drinks down carefully, he got into the water to find she was practically boiling herself, which honestly surprised him a little. Then he saw her hand had landed near the controls and thought she must have bumped up the temperature a little too high. He dialled it back down a little, then sat opposite to her and waited.
After nearly half an hour, her eyes opened with a soft moan and she tipped her head forward. The look of sheer surprise on her face quickly changed to one of guilt. She blushed to the point where even the tips of her ears turned pink, and she gaped like a fish for a moment. Then recovered enough to speak. “I-I can explain.”
“There’s no need, Detective.” He gestured with his glass, offering her the other. “It’s quiet and relaxing here. You did look rather tired earlier, but I didn’t say anything as I prefer it when you don’t hit me with the stapler.”
“That was one time.”
“Still.” He waved a hand in front of him. “I assume this isn’t your private first dip in the hot tub?”
“No.” She looked down at the water. “I’ve come here a few times. When you haven’t been here.”
“Okay.” He smiled gently, taking pity on her. He knew how private a person she was.
“It’s just… I haven’t been comfortable in a hot tub since Hot Tub High School, and since yours is so private, and no one was here, so I wouldn’t be gawked at. I just needed some time alone to relax and destress. I love my job, but sometimes it’s very stressful.”
“I’m aware. But, Detective, you only had to ask. I would have ensured no one, including myself, interrupted you. There’s no need to sneak up here like some kind of ninja, as your offspring might say. I can even ensure you’re supplied with adult beverages should you so choose to indulge.”
“I was going to tell you tomorrow that I had been sneaking up here like some kind of weirdo to use your hot tub.” She sipped from the glass he’d given her. “How long were you sitting there watching me?”
“I wasn’t watching you. I was waiting for you to wake up.” When she rolled her eyes at him, he continued. “Almost thirty minutes.”
“Oh. My. God. You perve.”
“Hey! You were the one who snuck into my home to use my hot tub when I wasn’t here and fell asleep. Just be grateful I chose to put swimming trunks on.”
“Thank you.” She sighed and sat back. “Sorry I called you a perve.”
“No, you’re not. But I think I understand your reluctance for an audience while you’re trying to relax.”
“I should have just asked you. I’m sorry for invading your privacy.”
“Hardly. Next time though, just tell me. I’ll make sure to be out of your hair.”
“Thanks.” She shifted. “I should probably be heading home.”
“Do you have your offspring?”
“No, she’s with Dan.”
“Then stay a little longer, Detective. There’s plenty of room.”
She hesitated, and he could see the cogs working in her brain. Then she sat back once more, and tipped her glass to him. “Okay. I’ll stay a little longer.”