Chapter Text
Lucifer!
He was wandering aimlessly in the bowels of hell when it happened, taking him completely by surprise. Chloe’s voice resounded in his head, coming from everywhere and nowhere all at once. It set his ears ringing, tearing him from his tormented thoughts. Dread flooded his being. Chloe was in Danger—she had to be. Sensing her distress, he ascended upward without a second thought. Lucifer had to ensure she was alright. He might be stuck in hell for the rest of eternity but at the very least he could ensure she remained unharmed. She deserved that much. Lucifer landed and looked around, distraught and fearing the worst.
He found himself in Chloe’s bedroom and at the foot of her bed.
Oh.
She wasn’t in danger at all. She was dreaming – no, she was plagued with a nightmare, more like. Well that explained the unbridled panic he felt coming from her. Lucifer let a relieved sigh escape out from his lips. She was safe, thank Dad.
He crept closer to the head of her bed.
“Lucifer.” Chloe begged in her sleep, “don’t go. Please...” Her body abruptly turned over kicking the blanket off her pyjama clad body. He could just make out the silhouette of her face, partially illuminated by the moonlight streaming through a gap in her curtains. It ghosted across her cheek, which now he could see was damp with her tears. Tears for him and because of him. Tears that echoed each beat of his own broken heart.
Lucifer’s brows etched together, deep with guilt at seeing her so affected from his departure. He wished more than anything to be able to take the pain away, but he knew it was futile. “Oh detective- Chloe,” he whispered into the semi darkness, “I wish more than anything that things were different. I wish I could throw caution to the wind, but we both know I can’t do that. Hell needs to stay contained for everyone’s sake, including yours. The cost would be too great, no matter how much we both want it otherwise.” He let out a heavy sigh. “Uneasy is the head that wears a crown, but if there was ever a way I could stay, know I would do so in a heartbeat. For you, always.”
Chloe flipped over onto her other side, letting out a quiet sob as her hair loosely splayed out over her damp face. “Lucifer no, come back please... I need you...”
Tears began to prick at his eyes as he watched her in her anguish filled sleep, his heart left in tattered ribbons caged within his ribs. Seeing her in such a state brought him rushing back to their goodbye at Lux. Her nightmare was reminiscent of a hell loop—mirroring of the one he, himself experienced every day he woke up without her by his side.
It was torment like no other.
Lucifer moved ever closer, drinking in the soft skin of her face and golden hair that flowed out like a halo on her pillow. He couldn’t resist. The temptation to touch her was much too great. Standing over her, he bent down and brushed the wayward strands of hair gently off her tear streaked face. Then, feeling especially bold when she didn’t wake, he pressed his lips softly to the apple of her tear stained cheek. Lucifer hovered over her for a few moments, letting himself drink her features in, committing every line and freckle to memory knowing that this may be his last chance to.
The urge to stay grew within him as he looked on. It would be so quite easy to say, ‘fuck it’ and take his place next to her on the bed, pulling her into his arms and surprising her as she woke up next to him. Or perhaps he would wake her with a multitude of tender kisses placed reverently upon her closed eyes, cheeks, and forehead. That way he could observe the remnants of her sleep fall away, changing to joy at finding him beside her. Watching that would no doubt send his heart alight. He knew he could not stay though. This flight of fancy would just have to stay locked away in his mind.
Standing back up from his bent position, he took one last forlorn look before leaving her to her dreams. It seemed her nightmare was no longer vexing her, and she’d settled into a peaceful sleep, her breathing shallow and even. Lucifer gave a small smile and backed away solemnly, knowing he couldn’t stay any longer. The infernal city called to him, pulling him with it’s cloying tendrils. He hated it with every fibre of his being and yet, he couldn’t escape it. It was his duty after all. It broke his heart all over again to leave her side, but the recollection of it would be cherished like no other. At least she was left unawares. That would make things easier and would hurt her far less than if she had knowledge of his unintended visit. He would willingly carry the pain for them both.
Giving a nod, Lucifer fortified his resolve and took flight. With a downward stroke of his magnificent white wings, he took off between worlds in the direction of Hell, leaving not a trace behind.
~i~
Chloe awoke with a start as she felt an unusual gust of wind blow over her and the faint scent of expensive cologne hit her nose. In an instant she bolted upright, frantically searching her room for any trace of the man she loved.
“Lucifer? Lucifer?!” She whisper-yelled out into her room.
Nothing. No dark hair and eyes staring back at her. No charming smile or token suit and meticulously placed pocket square.
Nothing.
Her room was just as she left it, not a thing out of place. Crestfallen, Chloe blew her nose with a tissue and wiped away the remainder of tears that clung to her cheeks. Dammit, she must have been crying in her sleep again. Well, what did she really expect when the dream was of loosing Lucifer all over again. It was very strange though. Unlike every other time she had dreamt of him, this time she could have sworn he had been in her room. Something didn’t add up. She couldn’t have imagined it, but if he had been in her room, why hadn’t he stayed? Why did he leave without a hello? Or even a goodbye? Her eyes pricked with fresh tears at the thought. No. He must have had a reason to leave without letting her know. He wouldn’t do that to her. Not after they’d confessed their feelings to each other.
Getting out of bed, she crept slowly to the bathroom to relieve herself.
In the weeks since his departure Chloe buried herself with work or taking care of Trixie, trying to keep the pain and the heartache at bay. When Trixie was at Dan’s, she chose to hang out with Maze at Lux and drink her sorrows away. Or dance. Or both. It was the only way she knew how to keep thoughts of him from flooding her mind. It seemed to work relatively well too. Except for the nights where Trixie was tucked up tight in her bed downstairs and she was left to her own devices, of course. It was when all was quiet, and she was in bed with nothing better to occupy her time that her mind would drift to thinking of him. She would toss and turn for hours, wondering if he was alright or if he was thinking of her like she was thinking of him. Then, when sleep finally came to her, she dreamt of him – sometimes of them meeting again, but most times it was of their last goodbye. She would relive it over again, each time more painful than the last. It had been a month, but it never seemed to get any easier.
Finishing her business, Chloe stood at the sink, pushing her bangs out of her face, and looking at herself in the mirror. The dark circles and her bloodshot eyes were more pronounced than ever in the incandescent lighting. She felt as haggard as she looked. Hopefully, she could get a few more hours of sleep to remedy that. Chloe turned on the tap and let the water wash over her hands for a minute before scrubbing them with soap and rinsing it off. She then grabbed a washcloth, wet it with cold water and brought it to her face. The cool feeling felt incredibly soothing on her warm skin and puffy eyes. After a few moments she pulled it off feeling a bit less rundown and returned to her bedroom, careful to be quiet as she would hate to wake Trixie at this hour.
Chloe sat on the bed, washcloth still in hand and let out a heavy sigh. Her thoughts began to plague her. If Lucifer had come, what had brought him here? And why in the middle of the night? Did he not want her to know? Did he always keep an eye on her like this or was this just a one-off kind of thing? Too many questions that needed answers. Answers that probably wouldn’t even be able to be answered. Not right now, anyways.
Chloe needed sleep. Now was not the time—she needed to be up in a few short hours anyway. Laying back on her pillow, she placed the washcloth over her eyes and tried to clear her mind. The thoughts were intrusive, and no matter what she did they still pushed their way into the forefront of her mind. Chloe eventually gave up, and let them run rampant until she fell asleep, exhausted.