Work Text:
Maze didn't understand it at first. Honestly, she's not even sure she understands it now. But watching Lucifer, of all beings, pause in a doorframe and brace against it before charging out into the hospital hallway it, at least, clicks that this isn't a game for him.
And that's a lot to unravel, and really this epiphany had started in that God-forsaken bar with his God-forsaken mother and her own brief desire to shatter his illusion into a thousand pieces. But it sinks in further, here and now, after he's literally died and been brought back. All for this one human; this one human who means something to him despite what's recently come to light about her.
Maybe it was something about the way he took no care in his appearance -- hair tousled, shirt still unbuttoned, and a desperate look in his dark eyes. Or, maybe, it was the tremor in the hand that that lingered against the door frame for a fleeting moment. Maze's spent millennia studying his tells and ticks. Lucifer Morningstar is many, many things and, in all the time they've spent at each other's sides, Maze thinks she could count the number of times she's spotted that tremor on one hand.
Unlike Linda, she doesn't wait for the Goddess of All Creation. She follows Lucifer. At a distance, but she follows. She always does.
She doesn't approach him until later. Later, after Amenadiel's taken his leave, Dan's arrived with the ingredients for this antidote, Decker wheeled up to CT, antidote administered. It all happened so fast, and Lucifer's left standing there. Waiting, alone, in the aftermath.
"You look like Hell," is all Maze says, mirroring his position against the wall.
"Feel like it, too."
She's not sure what he needs, isn't sure how to address this selfless, stupid act he's committed and this newfound thing, or if she even should. Maze chews her lip for a moment. "Need a drink?
"Several."
Maze nods. "Yeah." She finally looks at him, considers the hands in his pockets and how he stares at the floor in front of his feet. He's at least gotten his shirt buttoned back up, but he looks a far cry from put together.
"Lucifer!"
"For the love of -- hello, child." That, at least, sounds more like the Lucifer she knows. He tenses as all sixty pounds of Trixie Espinoza barrels into him and wraps around his front.
"Did you hear? Mommy's going to be okay!"
"Yeah," Dan chimes in, joining them. "They're keeping her sedated for now, but the antidote's working."
Maze watches Lucifer for his reaction. "That's.. good to hear." His smile's tight, but she sees the relief in his eyes.
Trixie's moved on, has gone to the door of Chloe's room and reaches for the handle."Hang on, Monkey," Dan tells her. He's quiet for a second before he continues. "Whatever you did, man -- thank you." He slaps Lucifer on the shoulder before disappearing into Chloe's room behind Trixie.
It's only after they're left alone again, the hallway quiet save for the activity at the nurse's station. "How about that drink?" he asks.
"You don't wanna --" stay? Maze can't bring herself to say it, so she nods towards the door instead.
"Flask's empty, which I suppose I have you to thank for. And I'd much rather shower." She doesn't miss the way he rubs his chest, looks uncomfortable as he fishes his keys from his pocket and pushes away from the wall. She takes that as code for 'I'd much rather heal,' get away from Decker and this physical vulnerability and let his immortal powers do their thing. Maze can't argue with that, sworn as she is to protect him. He can (and will, she assumes) come back later.
Maze snatches the keys from his hand. It's more of a surprise that he lets her. She can't do much, but she can drive them home. There's only one thing she wants in return. "Promise me something?" Walking shoulder-to-shoulder, he prompts her to continue with the raise of a single brow. "That we'll never do that again?"
"I can promise you that if there's a next time, you needn't be involved."
They both know she won't accept that; if he's doing something this stupid then Maze is most definitely, always going to be involved. She appreciates the option, though. "Good enough for me."