Chapter Text
“This is not what I ordered.”
The statement carried through the quiet space, the familiar voice piercing through the early afternoon quiet and pulling Chloe from the computer in front of her.
This was usually Chloe’s favorite time of day.
The shop was fairly empty, only one or two regular customers lingering with lukewarm coffees and tables overflowing with school work that were immersed in what looked like Russian literature, if she had to guess.
The whole shop was bathed in soft light that was peaking through the curtains drawn over open windows, a light breeze from the nearby beach enough to keep the place from feeling stuffy.
She’d been working here since she was a teenager, starting part-time when her dad had insisted that she get a job to ‘stay grounded’ while her mother had pushed her into the ever tumultuous world of acting.
They had come to the shop as a family a lot when she was young, the quaint brick building only a quick walk from their house. This place held a lot of memories, some good, some bad, but all of them mixed together in her mind to create an overwhelming sense of peace within its walls.
Most of the time it had been just her and her dad here- sneaking away from the drama and extravagance of the life that came living with Penelope Decker. She still smiled when she thought about all of the times her father had sat across from her at one of the wooden tables, sharing stories and wisdom hat she still held dearly.
This place had turned into more of a home to her than anywhere else had, their regular patrons and other employees turning into a deep and vast web of support when her dad had died a few years back.
Chloe would never have guessed a coffee and pastry shop could turn into such a sanctuary of peace and belonging.
Well, at least it had been. Until a few weeks ago.
He had come in during the morning rush, charming his way to the front of the line before leaning over the counter towards her and throwing a few very obvious attempts at seduction her way before asking what she suggested he order.
When she had simply leaned away from him and pointed him towards the back of the line, he had looked at her as if she had done something so inconceivably outlandish he couldn’t possibly be hearing her right.
She also remembered the way he had looked at her as he bit the inside of his cheek before nodding and throwing a smirk her way as he walked away. She kept her eyes on him until he took his place at the back of the line and had failed to keep in a laugh of disbelief when he wiggled his fingers at her.
Since then he had been in almost every day, each visit further confirming that he was just as odd as Chloe had thought he would be.
He was always ordering some complicated espresso drink and a fresh pastry. Taking his time to charm whoever was working the register before seeking out her gaze and shooting her a wink before sauntering out.
Very rarely did he stay, but Chloe hated to admit it was endearing when he did. Probably because it was the only time she saw him when he wasn’t talking.
He’d only ever stay if the little table in the back corner was open. It was just big enough for two chairs, though he always sat alone, and was pushed up against a window that was almost always open, giving whoever sat there a perfect view of the ocean.
It was her favorite spot in the shop, too.
The table was old, had been there since she was a little kid. If you looked close enough you could see her initials carved into the wood, something she had done to keep herself from crying while listening to her dad try and talk her through her first real heartbreak.
The whole place was filled with stories like that for her- the building full of memories making themselves known in the small, little things. Secrets between her and the shop.
Shaking her head to clear her mind and turning around slowly, Chloe painted an insincere smile on her face as she took in the man standing on the other side of the counter.
Today he was wearing a deep burgundy suit, different from his normal rotation of black and navy. His tan skin was a perfect contrast to the white button-down shirt and an excellent compliment to the rich color of the suit jacket itself.
He looked good, that much she was willing to admit, but the brief wave of attraction was usually replaced with annoyance the second he opened his mouth.
Meeting his eyes, she couldn’t help her eye-roll at the cheeky smile that was on his face. She knew he liked to push her buttons, he’d been doing so ever since he had made his way to her counter for the second time, and for the life of her she couldn’t figure him out.
“You order the same thing every day,” she started, picking up the cup that he had sat on the counter and glancing at the writing on the side. “How could it possibly be wrong?”
“Paying attention to my order, I see.”
His voice held a hint of amusement layered under the playful accusation, and Chloe narrowed her eyes before continuing.
“Lucifer, I do not have time for this today,” she started, waving a hand his way to make it clear by this she meant him . “Did you actually get the wrong order or are you just making it your life’s mission to get under my skin?”
She felt his eyes follow her hand as she pushed a strand of loose hair that had fallen from her braid behind her ear, and tried to fight the heat that started to spread up her neck and cheeks under the intensity of his scrutiny of her.
She would not let him know his attention had any impact on her.
Ever.
“I can think of many things about you that I’d like to make my life’s mission,” he spoke softly, like this was a secret meant just for her, and she could feel his eyes cataloging her features. His gaze softened, his head ducking down closer to hers, and he paused.
Chloe could swear she heard his breath hitch, like he wasn’t expecting the tension that was growing thick and replacing the previously playful moment.
They’d had a few moments like this before, lingering glances and innocent touches that made her cheeks burn and for the life of her she couldn’t understand why.
He was constantly making passes at almost every single patron of the store, and from her usual vantage point at the counter she could tell they were all entranced immediately by the dark, playful, yet mysterious man’s attention.
He took her in for a moment longer before standing up straight, adjusting his suit jacket and shaking off whatever feeling he had just surprised himself with, clearing his throat before continuing.
“Technically it is the correct order, but it really is quite warm today and I just asked for it to be iced, if that’s not too much to ask.”
Chloe hadn’t been outside since she had opened the shop hours earlier, but she could tell it had warmed up by the breeze that teased her arms every now and then.
Iced coffee was really a fair request, and an easy enough fix. Without speaking, Chloe gathered a cup and filled it to the brim with ice before coming to stand in front of Lucifer again. Keeping her eyes locked on his, she made a show of dumping his steaming coffee into the new cup, fitting it with a lid before sliding it across the counter towards him.
He smiled at her then, his wide grin filling his face with genuine joy that seemed disproportionate to the small coffee he was now holding.
“Anything else?” she asked, keeping her voice steady and trying to banish any hint of amusement from her features.
Someone smiling at you like that for something so simple shouldn’t be allowed, she thought to herself.
“That’ll be all for now,” he beamed at her, watching her shake her head at his dramatic show of gratitude.
She always seemed too serious, like she had the weight of something more than just the fate of a coffee shop on her shoulders.
She was interesting, that much Lucifer knew, though he couldn’t pin down quite what drew him to her.
She was also beautiful, that was plain to anyone that could see, lighting up the room more than the streaks of afternoon sun could ever hope to, but that wasn’t it.
She was different, and not just because she seemed immune to the charms that had gotten him far in life.
Different in the way her eyes seemed to fill with a shine of pride when watching her employees interact with new customers. Or the way she seemed to release the tension out of her rigid shoulders every time a regular customer filled her in on the going ons of their lives.
Maybe the difference was that he even noticed in the first place.
Cold drink now in hand, he realized he had been standing at the counter for longer than was probably acceptable. He lifted his cup at her in thanks and surprised himself by walking towards the small table that had quickly become his spot, grabbing a book from the community bookshelf on the way.
Time passed, the early afternoon slipping into something softer and cooler while customers floated in and out of the store.
Whenever Chloe glanced his way, Lucifer pretended to read the book in front of him, though he hadn’t even bothered to look at the title, only grabbing it so that he had a believable reason to sit in the shop a while longer.
It was the middle of the week, so it was just Chloe and a feisty brunette he had come to know as Ella working. She had more energy than he had ever known could fit in someone so small, and on more than one occasion she had rounded the counter and enveloped him in a hug of gratitude at his compliment to her baking.
The first time he had been attacked with affection had also been the first time he had heard Chloe genuinely laugh- a sound so rich and smooth that he could have sworn it couldn’t have possibly been real.
But it had been, and her smile when he caught her eyes had made his already frantic heart beat just a little faster.
Watching her now, he smiled at the way she took time to make sure every customer felt seen and welcomed.
His coffee had long since disappeared, and when the late-afternoon rush cleared out and he was the only one left, he found himself walking back towards the counter, knowing there was only about half an hour until she would start cleaning up for the day.
The shop closed earlier during the week than on the weekends he had come to learn, and usually only Chloe would stay until close, always letting whoever else was working head home a little bit early.
“You’re still here,” she said as he approached, the tone of her voice not as unaffected as she had hoped it would be.
“Got lost in a good book, lost track of time,” he answered quickly.
“Right.” Her playful eyes told him she saw right through him, and he was thankful that she didn’t press the matter further.
He had been in Los Angeles for a while now, gotten used to the fast-paced life of partying and glamor. Lux would always be a place that was home to him, but in all his time exploring the city he had never known a place where he could just be quite like this little coffee shop at the beach.
It might also have something to do with the woman behind the counter, but that wasn’t something he was willing to explore just yet.
“Do you want to order something else?” She asked, dropping the rag she had been using onto the counter before wiping her hands on the linen apron she was wearing. “There’s not much left, but I think we have a few pastries left if you want one.”
“I’ll have one of whatever you recommend,” he answered quickly, pulling out a few bills and watching as she leaned towards the basket that looked to be filled with the last few lemon bars.
“These are my favorite,” she said with a small smile, grabbing one and walking towards the register.
“Then I’ll take two,” Lucifer amended, grinning at her mischievously as she turned around to grab another.
He handed her the bills in his hand, tossing the change into the tip jar that sat at the front of the counter. He stopped her before she slid the lemon bars into a brown paper bag, enjoying the confused look on her face as he held out his hand for his pastries.
“Well since they are your favorite, it only makes sense for us to enjoy them together.”
She squinted at him for a moment, trying to figure out what he was getting at, and before she could open her mouth to protest he continued.
“Oh come on, no funny business. I swear. There’s only a few minutes until you close, come enjoy an afternoon treat.”
His voice sounded more nervous than he had hoped for, the words bordering on pleading and desperate as he tried to convince her. He watched her consider his words and found himself doubting his invitation, searching himself for the words to regain the upper hand.
“And by treat I mean my company, but there will also be a lemon bar if that further entices you.”
She laughed then and reached to untie the strings that held her apron on, throwing it over a hook on the back wall before coming out from behind the counter.
“Fine,” she said pointedly, grabbing the wrapped treats from his hand and heading towards the table he had been sitting at, “but only because I want to sit down and there is a lemon bar involved.”
He felt his shoulder relax as he followed behind her, and found himself staring as she pulled the elastic that held her braid together out of her hair, combing a hand through the messy locks in an attempt to work through some of the tangles.
His fingers twitched with the urge to reach out and smooth them out himself.
He had come to love the solace of the table in the corner, but seeing her fill the previously empty seat was something he could also come to love.
Unwrapping the plastic wrap that kept her lemon bar fresh, she looked at him with amusement.
“So, what’s your deal?” she asked around a bite, bringing a few fingers up to cover her mouth as she spoke.
“My deal?” he asked, a blend of amusement and confusion coloring his voice at her question.
“Yes, your deal. You blew in here a few weeks ago out of nowhere and haven’t stopped showing up since, and don’t think I haven’t seen the way you try and charm your way into the pants of literally every adult that walks in,” she responds, getting up to grab a napkin from the nearby cart before returning to sit down.
“Ah, jealous are we? Would you like me to continue to try and charm my way into your pants,” he says through a smirk, “because I would happily do so.”
“I’m serious. Who even are you?”
“Lucifer Morningstar, nice to meet you,” he stated, holding out his hand across the table to shake hers.
He was met with a thrown napkin instead, accompanied by an annoyed groan from the blonde. She just stared at him then, not letting him off the hook that easily.
“I own a nightclub downtown, Lux, if you’ve ever heard of it. I enjoy good coffee, and love this beach, which explains to you how I ended up in your shop.”
He spoke slowly, like it was foreign that anyone would be interested in these mundane things about him, and when she nodded he spoke again.
“I’m not sure what else to say.” He had never been at a loss for words before, especially not when it came to talking about himself, but he found that he wanted to make a genuine and good impression on the woman across from him.
“You are a strange man,” she laughed out after a few moments of silence, smiling at the way his fingers were absentmindedly tracing the grooves on the table in front of him.
She pulled back the curtain that hung over the window open a little wider, giving them a better view of the wooden walkway that led down towards the beach.
“I love this beach, too. My dad and I used to spend hours walking around down there” she started, “He’s always bring me in here for a treat before we headed back home. My mom was a health freak and never kept anything good in the house, so that was always our little secret.”
She smiled wistfully as she recalled the memory, filling in the rest of the image in her head. They had sat at this table so many times together, eating the same lemon bar she was snacking on now, looking out this same window and making up stories for the people that passed by.
She’d give anything to have just one more afternoon with her dad, and she felt Lucifer shift in his seat as he watched her get lost in her mind.
“He sounds lovely,” he responded quietly, and the slight resentment and catch in his voice told her that he didn’t have quite the same fondness towards his own father.
“He really was,” Chloe took a breath and smile as pictures of her dad floated through her head, “He was a police officer and died a few years back.”
“I’m sorry, “ Lucifer said, not knowing what else there was to say. He’d never been one to offer comfort for nothing in return, but he found himself fighting the overwhelming urge to reach across the table and cover her fidgeting hands with his own.
Swiping quickly at her eyes, Chloe shook her head in an attempt to reign in the feelings that were flowing through her.
“Gosh, I don’t know why I am even telling you this. Kind of a lot for a stranger to dump on you,” she tripped over her words, feeling self conscious at the way she’d let her guard down, and confused as to why she even did in the first place.
It was rare that she talked about her dad, the memories too painful and heavy to ever really enjoy. Today was one of the first times she had ever felt happy to share about him, and it baffled her that the man in front of her had drawn it out.
“It’s quite alright.” His response was firm and resolute, paired with a smile softer than any she had seen out of him before, and Chloe had no choice but to believe that he really meant it.
She felt a grin pull at her mouth, and for once with him found herself not wanting to fight it.
The silence was filled easily after that, both of them recalling a few very interesting customers that had come in while Lucifer had been “reading”.
Looking at the clock that hung on the wall behind Lucifer’s head, Chloe realized that they had technically closed a few minutes ago. Lucifer’s eyes followed her gaze and reached into his pocket to check his phone and she stood up. Chloe wiped her crumbs into the used wrapper and grabbing Lucifer’s trash as well before moving towards the trash can.
“Well as much as I’m sure you are enjoying my company, I really must be getting back to Lux,” he said as he slipped his phone back into the inside of his jacket. “There’s a few bachelorette parties tonight and they simply cannot happen without me.”
Chloe rolled her eyes then, moving to push her chair back in towards the table as Lucifer did the same.
“Sure you don’t want to stay and help clean up? It’s the least you can do after holding me hostage for the last hour,” she tosses toward him, her tone playful and lighter than it usually was when she teased him.
“It will drive you mad trying to convince yourself you don’t enjoy my company, Chloe,” he shot back at her as he made his way towards the front door with a glint in his eye and a smile on his face, “and I can’t have my favorite place shutting down because you’ve lost your mind.”
Even though his back was to her, she rolled her eyes at him, following him towards the door so she could lock it behind him. He slowed when he felt her behind him, realizing now that she was ushering him out the door and wanting to prolong their little game of tease a little longer.
She wasn’t going to lose this round, and placed a hand on his back to push him across the threshold, but she didn’t miss the tiny jolt of surprise and panic that came when her hand had landed on his back.
He peered at her through the glass on the door, smiling as he looked down and the deadbolts that she had slid into place.
“I could pick that lock if I wanted to,” he said cheekily, and honestly Chloe was sure that he probably could.
“Goodbye, Lucifer,” she sing-songed through the glass, pulling at the string that was holding the blinds open and obscuring Lucifer’s face from hers.
She could hear him huff in disbelief from outside, and as she moved back towards the counter to start closing up, she heard him speak in a voice that seemed to lack any of the persona and bravado he usually carried around like armor.
“I had a lovely afternoon, I’ll see you tomorrow, Chloe.”
It made her heart skip a beat. She hadn’t wanted to be the first to admit it, but she had also enjoyed their time together, their banter flowing more naturally than she had ever experienced with someone she barely knew.
Walking back towards the door, she stuck her fingers in between a few blinds to peek out, not surprised to find Lucifer still standing there, though he looked surprised to see her again, maybe surprised she had heard him in the first place.
“See you tomorrow, Lucifer.”