Work Text:
Even before they’d officially become a couple, Chloe knew Lucifer loved being on his phone.
Sending emoji-riddled texts, stupid memes or puns to her or their friend’s group chat – half of them either Bible or sex related.
And then Ella or Maze replied instantly and they’d go back and forth, and she would have seventy-five missed messages the next time she opened her phone.
The Devil is in the details – or in the WhatsApp group, in her case.
With a sigh, Chloe flipped open her next case file and started typing in the contents on her computer. They were currently in between cases, so Lucifer was just handling business at Lux.
Chloe took a sip from her lukewarm coffee. It was odd not having Lucifer around – her boyfriend now.
His absence caused a flare-up in her anxiety sometimes, like he was back in Hell or Michael had gotten to him.
Or to her.
It took her a few deep breaths to calm herself down. Remind herself that everything was okay, that she was more than capable of defending herself.
Yet he still managed to kidnap you from your own home.
Chloe’s heartbeat picked up, and she swallowed thickly.
She was fine – everything was fine. Lucifer was here, and –
Her phone buzzed on the desk beside a heap of manilla folders.
A message from The Most Handsome, Sexiest Man Alive ;)
Looks like he’d changed his name in her contacts again. How did he manage to do that without her noticing?
A chuckle found its way past her dry lips, and the knot in her chest loosened slightly. Opening the phone, Chloe saw he’d sent her a text message with a picture and a caption attached.
‘This could be us tonight? I’m the big one :)’
Chloe fondly rolled her eyes.
What kind of Kama Sutra suggestion did he send her now? Hadn’t her rants about a precinct-issued phone gotten through to him by now?
Torn between mild irritation and familiar amusement, she sighed – he was lucky she loved him so much.
Looking left and right to ensure the coast was clear, Chloe clicked her phone open. With a sigh, she tapped open the picture and –
That wasn’t what she’d expected.
It was a picture of a mother otter with her baby, drifting in the sea. The mom was lying on her back in the water, cuddling her child which was snuggled up on her belly.
Alright, this was adorable.
Chloe stared at the picture for a good couple of seconds, letting the cute picture wash away her worries for a while.
Is this stupid? Lucifer sent when she didn’t reply after a while.
Of course it is. My apologies, Detective.
[Deleted message]
I just noticed you were a bit down lately and I thought…
[Deleted message]
[Deleted message]
I didn’t mean to distract you from work. Just forget I said anything.
It broke her heart a little that Lucifer thought she’d find his heart-felt attempt at cheering her up annoying.
Why would he think that?
Why would he think that, when he was her greatest source of joy lately?
Chloe knew he had never been in an intimate relationship before – knew he was figuring out daily how to open up to her.
Lucifer had been trying harder than ever before to make this work between them.
Fingers flying across her screen, she rapidly fired off a dozen text messages before Lucifer could sink further into a spiral of self-loathing.
Hey, I think it’s a great idea, actually.
I’m just finishing up and then I’ll come over to your place.
I love you.
Three dots appeared and disappeared as Lucifer backspaced his various messages. Chloe waited patiently, a smile on her face.
Eventually he just sent about a dozen red hearts, along with emojis surrounded by hearts. She didn’t believe Lucifer was incapable of love – just that he was figuring out things in his own odd, often unpredictable way.
And God and Michael’s presence certainly didn’t add to that. If she had the power, she’d send them both home in a heartbeat.
Chloe turned her phone off and eyed the towering pile of case files she’d yet to write reports for. Surely that could wait until tomorrow, right?
There weren’t any incoming homicides (that she was aware of) and was it unethical to wish that people didn’t kill each other tonight?
Maybe, but Chloe felt like she’d earned herself a break.
And she wasn’t wasting anymore opportunities to be with the person she loved most. Every day, she still couldn’t believe Lucifer was actually back from Hell.
That her tear-stained love confession on the balcony wasn’t the last moment they’d shared.
That he didn’t need to be a warden anymore in that Godforsaken place – that they could be together.
“Screw this,” Chloe muttered to herself, closing the file in front of her. She turned her computer off and grabbed her coat off the desk chair.
Dan had already left – he had Trixie this week – and the lab was dark, no sign of Ella to be seen. Even Maze had finished up her tasks for the day.
Time for her to go home as well.
The ride to the penthouse lasted longer than usual.
Chloe fiddled with one of the buttons on her blouse, then caught herself. Why was she nervous?
Because Lucifer had panicked at the thought that she might not have liked his idea? Or because they hadn’t had some alone time in a while?
It’s just some leftover stress from work, nothing more.
The doors dinged open, and Chloe was met with soft golden light and the smell of scented candles.
“Lucifer? I’m here. Where are you, honey?”
The pet name still felt a little weird on her tongue, but in a good way. It was something she could very much get used to calling him, along with ‘babe’ and ‘sweetie’.
The wide grin on Lucifer’s face when she called him that made it absolutely worth it.
“I’m changing, I’ll be out in a second! Just make yourself comfortable.”
Chloe walked over to the bar and dropped her purse and coat on a stool. A glass of her favorite Cabernet Sauvignon was already poured out for her, and she released a content sigh.
She could really get used to this.
Walking over to the Italian leather couch, Chloe toed off her heeled boots before sinking down on the cushions.
She took a sip of her wine – ripe cherries with dark chocolate and a hint of oak – when she noticed a book lying on the coffee table.
From Cactus To Flower: How To Open Up In Intimate Relationships by dr. Garrett Newman. The side of the book was covered in post-its of all sizes and colors, some with things scrawled on them.
Was this where Lucifer had gotten his ideas from? Did Linda recommend this to him?
A smile touched her lips as Chloe started to flip through the book. It meant so much to her that Lucifer was willing to use all resources to make their relationship work – even if he didn’t always knew what he was doing.
Nobody had ever tried so hard for her – not even Dan.
Did Lucifer even realize that it was the fact that he kept trying despite making mistakes that made her so precious to him?
Unable to help her own curiosity, Chloe focused on a particular page in the book.
One of the passages in the book had been highlighted and underlined multiple times in Chapter 5: Creating A Safe Space.
Often referred to as the ‘cuddle-hormone’ or the ‘feel-good hormone’, oxytocin is produced by the hypothalamus and released by the pituitary gland when we’re physically affectionate with our loved ones.
This causes feelings of connection, bonding and trust. The more oxytocin you release, the more you want to hug, touch or hold hands.
Because of this, oxytocin provides many health benefits – including lowered blood pressure, lessening stress and even boosting the immune system.
When released by physical touch, oxytocin can lay the foundation for strengthening emotional bonds.
Lucifer had circled ‘emotional bonds’ at least ten times in pen, added a note that read, ‘Good for the Detective??? Make her feel safe??’
Chloe traced her fingers over the elegant cursive handwriting on the page, feeling tears sting the corner of her eye.
Oh, Lucifer.
A flash of movement caught her attention, and she closed the book seconds before Lucifer appeared at the top of the stairs to the bedroom.
His hair was a bit ruffled, like he’d just gone flying, and he was wearing his black robe. A bright smile overtook his features when he caught sight of her.
“Detective! I’m so happy you could make it.”
Chloe got to her feet in an instant, placing her wine glass on the coffee table. She padded over to her partner and looped her arms around in his neck to pull him in for a long kiss.
Lucifer made a pleased noise in the back of his throat before winding his arms around her waist. “Mmm, hello to you, too.”
Bumping noses, Chloe let out a pleased sigh. “I missed you today.”
“I missed you, too.” Lucifer searched her gaze, dark eyes inquisitive. “Do you – do you still want to do the…?”
“Yeah,” Chloe replied instantly, grazing her fingertips over his jaw. “I really do.”
Light sparked in Lucifer’s eyes. He took her by her upper arms and gently guided her towards the couch.
“Alright, just close your eyes until I say so. I’ll be right back.”
Chloe hummed and stood perfectly still. She heard footsteps fading into the bedroom, then coming back a few seconds later.
There was a rustle of clothing – he wasn’t getting naked, was he? – and then the sound of the leather of the couch creaking.
A hand carefully circled her wrist and tugged her in the direction of the couch. Chloe heard Lucifer swallow, then be quiet a moment before he spoke again.
“You can open your eyes now, honey.”
Chloe did, and was met with a sight she hadn’t expected.
Lucifer was lying on his back on the couch, extra candles alight on all nearby surfaces. There were extra throw pillows everywhere, but that wasn’t what caught Chloe’s attention.
It was the fact that Lucifer was wearing a gigantic beige, fluffy blanket with a hood. And were those teddy bear ears on the hood?
The Devil himself is wearing a hooded blanket – for me.
And they called her a miracle.
Chloe’s instant smile made Lucifer relax against the pillows, and he extended one arm so the blanket was raised.
“Do you want to be the little otter?”
“I thought you’d never ask.” Chloe carefully placed one knee on the edge of the couch, then slowly laid herself down on Lucifer’s chest.
He smelled nice, like sandalwood and spice and something inherently him.
Lucifer’s arms immediately came up around her, wrapping her in the super soft blanket. It took the lingering chill from the precinct air condition away.
Brushing a strand of hair from her face, Lucifer asked, “Are you comfortable, honey? I can lie down even flatter, if you’d like.”
Chloe swung an arm around his torso, molding entirely against him. She could fall asleep right now if she wasn’t careful.
Instead, she lifted her head so she could see her partner. She kissed the tip of his nose, then his cheek before pressing a chaste kiss against his lips.
“Thank you. For taking care of me.”
Lucifer smiled, and it was an intimate thing. Not the disdainful, sarcastic slash of white he’d given everyone in their early partnership.
No, this was only reserved for her.
“I thought you could use a quiet moment.” His fingertips drifted up and down in her spine in soothing motions. “I know you’ve been through a lot – with Michael and my Father and everything in between.”
It was true – more than Chloe liked to admit to herself. Especially her kidnapping had shaken her to her core, even though she pretended it didn’t.
Pretended that life just went on, and so did she.
But Lucifer was more perceptive than everyone gave him credit for.
Especially when it came to her.
“Thank you,” Chloe said touching her forehead against his. “For being you.”
Lucifer chuckled softly but didn’t move. They stayed like that for a while, Chloe curled up on his chest beneath a fluffy blanket.
A silent understanding spread between them. Sometimes, words weren’t necessary.
A fuzzy warmth started to spread throughout her body, and some of the tension seeped from her shoulders. Dusk had fallen outside, deep reds and purples streaking across the sky.
“I saw you were reading a book,” Chloe said after a while, flattening her palm above his heart. It skipped a beat at her touch. “Is that – is that were you got the idea?”
Lucifer’s fingers faltered for a second before resuming their soft strokes. “Yes, I took the Doctor’s advice on this one. She recommended it to me.”
“Does it mention otters?”
She felt more than saw his smile. “No, that would be Miss Lopez, actually. She always spams me with cute animal pictures and well, this time it was actually something useful.”
“I like the blanket.” Chloe tugged the hood on Lucifer’s head a little bit back. Some of his curls sprang free. “But I like you even better.”
Lucifer’s eyes danced, and his hands tightened lightly on her waist. “My, my, Detective. Are you admitting that you have a crush on me?”
Chloe raised an eyebrow. “Maybe. Are you admitting that you have a crush on me?”
“I think that’s my worst-kept secret.” The playfulness in Lucifer’s eyes turned into something tender. Something deeper. “I’d shout it from the buildings if I knew you wouldn’t stop me.”
“How do I know you haven’t already?”
He gave her a shit-eating grin. “That’s for me to know and for you to find out, honey.”
“I know from Maze that you loudly announced I was your girlfriend at Lux a couple of weeks ago. Did you really climb on top of the bar?”
“…Maybe.”
Chloe snorted and tucked her head back beneath his chin. She smoothed her hand up and down his side.
There was something incredibly adorable about Lucifer telling everyone he encountered that she was his girlfriend.
Even complete strangers
A couple of moments passed in silence, Chloe listening to Lucifer’s steady heartbeat. She was starting to grow more and more drowsy with the second, but she wanted to get something off her chest before she inevitably fell asleep.
“I may have peeked into the book you were reading,” Chloe admitted with wince. “When you were changing.”
“Oh? Well, I don’t mind. I mean, it can only help us both, right?”
“Yeah, I guess,” Chloe replied, her head still on his chest. “I didn’t mean to pry but… it means a lot, why you’re doing this. No one’s ever done that for me before.”
Lucifer shifted beneath her to sit up more straight. Chloe held herself up on her forearms, careful to distribute her weight so she didn’t hurt him.
“I know a lot of things have happened lately,” Lucifer admitted quietly, eyes drifting to the scar on her palm. “And I know from experience that it takes a while to work through those things. But I just want you to feel safe in the meantime.”
Chloe’s heart surged in her chest, and she cupped his face between her hands. “I always feel safe with you, Lucifer. Nothing will ever change that.”
With a kiss to his brow she added, “You’re my significant otter.”
Lucifer chuckled, his expression a mix between amusement and tenderness. “Did you just crack a joke, Detective?”
Chloe tugged on one of the teddy bear ears on the hood. “Why, is it too much for you to bear?”
“I’m so proud of you right now, you have no idea.”
With a snort and a final kiss, Chloe settled back down on his chest. Lucifer always radiated a ridiculous amount of body heat, but it didn’t bother her tonight.
Nothing could.
Lucifer wrapped her up in the blanket and rested his head against hers with a content sigh. “We’re producing so much oxytocin right now.”
“Probably even better than drugs,” Chloe mumbled, feeling warm and safe and held. “Go, oxytocin.”
"Go, oxytocin," Lucifer agreed.
Night had fallen completely now, the last streaks of twilight disappearing behind the clouds. Warm, golden light radiated from the candles and lighting in the penthouse, and Chloe felt perfectly at ease.
Her muscles started to relax, her mind drifting between thoughts about her day and her partner.
She was balancing on the fine line between waking and unconsciousness, her body already sleeping.
Just when Chloe was about to tip over into sleep did she hear –
“You’re my significant otter, too,” Lucifer murmured as he pressed a kiss to her head. “More than you’ll ever know.”