Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Something moved in the shadows of her house, Chloe turned expectantly. “Lucifer?” But there was nothing. Just the corners of her eyes playing tricks to her. Those days she couldn’t be in her house for five minutes without having the feeling that she saw him. Every shadow, every black sock on the ground, every remotely dark thing turned into him when she was not looking. Yet when she turned to them, it was not and she was disappointed every single time. If she tried to resist the urge, it became the only thing she could think of. What if it was him this time? What if he’d turn back and not come to see her if she did not looked at him now? Eventually she checked, she always looked out for him.

If she was being honest with herself she really missed him and she pined for his little feline frame and his purring that made her feel warm on the inside. How long has it been since she last saw his weird red eyes? Chloe knew that it hadn’t been that long and yet he used to come so much more. Of course Chloe knew the reason why he didn’t anymore. Marcus. She had drove Lucifer away because of him. And the more time she didn’t see him, the more time she was afraid that she might have drove Lucifer too far for him to come back. 

She would never tell anyone that but sometimes when Marcus showed up at her place at night her first thought was Oh no, that means Lucifer is not coming tonight . How could she have more desire to spend the evening with her cat friend, who happened to have the same name as her … other friend , that with her soon-to-be husband. Chloe accidentally cringed. She couldn’t. She had no right to. And yet if she had been given the choice … Chloe sighted. She could not finish this sentence. Not even in her own head. It felt too dangerous. Lucifer. Marcus. Lucifer or Marcus. She shouldn’t put it that way. She was not choosing one over the other. It was not like that. Their relations were different. Marcus was … Marcus. And Lucifer … Chloe sighted again, deeper. 

A shadow moved by the window. Chloe turned. “Lucifer?” But it was not him. Again. 

oOo

The next morning at the precinct, Chloe looked worried. She had spent the entire night dreaming about Lucifer. Of him with her, purring and settling on her shoulders. Of him at her home when she’d come back from work welcoming her with a tilt of his head. He’d wish her a good day in the morning with the waving of his tail. He’d sleep side by side with her at night. She had woken up feeling so good, warm and at peace. Until she realized that at some point, in her dream, Lucifer had turned into Lucifer , the same that was walking down the stairs right now. She felt herself blush. Hopefully Lucifer wouldn’t notice. He crushed that hope the very first second. 

“Hello Detective … Are you alright?” How could she resist his look of genuine concern? “I’m okay. I just … It’s been a while since I got news from one of my friend and I’m a bit worried. That’s all.”

“Do I know them? Do you want Maze to find them?” “No! No it’s stupid. I mean it’s … it’s a cat. Maybe his owners have moved or …” She felt stupid now. Why had she said that it was a friend. Now Lucifer must think she was ridiculous or he was about to make a joke that she had so little friends that she counted a cat among them.

“Do you really want to see him again? A mean … with everything you’re dealing with at the moment … the engagement and all.”

Lucifer was not mocking her, in fact he looked very serious. Concerned if not a bit defeated by his last words and … hopeful?

“Of course, more than ever. That’s in moments like this that you need your friend the most. Am I right?” Oblivious to the message she was trying to send him, Lucifer just stared at nothing, nodded and walked away. 

oOo

When she got home Chloe had exactly 8 minutes of break before the shadows from the corner of her eyes started moving again. The few words she exchanged with Lucifer made her realized just how much she missed the other Lucifer. As if on cue one of the shadows actually walked toward her for once. The cat moved cautiously as if he didn’t know if he was welcome or not. Chloe chuckled far too relieved to care. Since when was Lucifer self-conscious? 

“Lucifer! Hey I missed you boy! Where have you been?” Of course the cat did not answer but when she bent to took him in her arms he hurriedly helped her. And as soon as he was up there, he tried everything he could to be as close to her as he could. Chloe laughed some more and went sitting on the couch. Lucifer sat too and pressed his whole upper body to her chest, tilting his head up to look at her straight into the eyes. 

Chloe was a bit taken aback when their gazes met and Lucifer started to purr. In his eyes there was something she could only describe as … love? Maybe it was normal for cats to look at people they like that way but it made Chloe’s insides do funny things and the more she looked at him the more her heart beat off rhythm. 

“I love you too, Lucifer” she said before she kissed the tip of his nose. She would never say out loud how great it had felt to say those words. She couldn’t. Maybe because she was with Marcus now. Or maybe because they hurt too much, thinking about them, about what they could mean … Lucifer closed his eyes for just a moment, delighted. And because it was safe, to say those words now, to this cat, for this cat she tried to remember herself, she said them again. “I love you Lucifer” and for good measure she felt compelled to add “You’re a good boy.” 

The other Lucifer would very likely be delighted to be called a good boy too and then probably made a sex joke about it, or ten. Suddenly her phone buzzed, still caught in the moment Chloe reached for it. Was it him? It was a text. From Marcus. Chloe realized too late that her first emotion had been disappointment. 

‘My place or your?’ said the text. True, they said they would spend the evening together. Chloe had completely forgot. She eyed Lucifer who was still blissfully purring and texted back ‘Sorry Marcus but something came up. Can we do that tomorrow?’ Chloe did not even waited for his answer. Marcus might be a tough boss but when their relation was concerned he was a yes-man. She noticed Lucifer looking toward the phone and she quickly reassured him. “I’m not going anywhere. My night is all yours.” She swore then that Lucifer raised a brow so much like him that she almost heard the sex pun.

Chapter Text

Lucifer woke up when Chloe stirred in her step. They were in her room, at some point last night Chloe had decided that they’d move upstairs. Lucifer had waited on the bed. It was not how he had imagined it to be, her undressing while he waited between her sheets. But he was happy were he was nonetheless. Surprisingly he had averted his eyes as she had gone further than taking off her jacket without even thinking about it. 

She had then laid beside him and for hours she whispered to him, talking about Trixie, Dan, her mother, talking about him (the real and much more handsome him), talking about her job. Lucifer listen attentively to all of it. When she eventually stopped, Lucifer was beaming. Not once had she mentioned Pierce. 

Just before she went to sleep she had breathed out those little words again. They always made his stomach do some flip flop but Lucifer did not understood why. Surely it was something humans often told their domestic animals. “I love you.” Every time, after she said that, Lucifer would stare at her like he wanted to say something in return but he could not, he was a cat. And even if he could … what would he say?

It was something, waking up at the Detective’ side. Hearing her even breathing before even opening his eyes. Feeling the warmth of her body surrounding him. If Lucifer had thought about those things at any other moment he would have found them arousing, but right now they were not. They were just … good, calming and right . Then her eyes opened and she smiled as she saw him and his insides were upside down once more. Weird. 

“Hello there.” She greeted him, her voice still rough with sleep. Oh he could so much get used to hearing that every morning. Lucifer answered by gently bumping his head on her cheek. The Detective chuckled and kissed him on the nose. He was so small that her lips covered the whole appendage and the corner of his eyes. For one blissful second his whole face disappeared under the Detective’s attention. 

“I have to get ready for work but will you come back tonight?” Lucifer started purring when she laid a hand on his back. Of course he’d be back! As long as she’ll want him, and since he was immortal that could be a very long time. She seemed to understand so she gently patted his head and went to the bathroom. Lucifer slithered out of the house while she was away. 

oOo

“Detective! How was your evening?” Lucifer was very cheerful, he knew that but how could he not after the night he just had? 

He had came back to the penthouse and debated for quite some time with himself whether he should take a shower or not. Taking a shower would be the most sensible thing but that would mean wash away the Detective’s scent still lingering on his skin. Not taking a shower would mean risking sharp noses to catch that scent and possibly question him. That would not happen with the Detective of course, no one never smell their own scent, but he won’t be able to walk past Maze or Amenadiel without a comment, maybe even Pierce. It was that last thought that decided Lucifer to skip the washing. 

- Very good. You remember that friend I mentioned yesterday?

- Of course, I do.

- Well, he came by last night.

A small part of Lucifer’s mind knew that he usually would have made a joke about what she did with this friend but he had a far more important question to ask. 

- And you were happy to see him?

- Yeah! Yeah I really missed him.

The Detective was beaming. Lucifer could not help but to reflect her expression. So she had been happy to see him. Genuinely happy. Good. That was good. Because he had been happy too. So maybe he should come more often. Maybe that could become a thing. But of course Pierce had to enter right at this moment to pop his bubble of hope.

“Hello Chloe.” He simply said but in a tone that made it sound like he wanted to take all her clothes off. And of course, the Detective blushed at that but made no comment other than greeting him in return. 

Several times through the day, Lucifer found himself touching his nose. At first he was bewildered. Why couldn’t he keep himself from going that? He had never done that before, well except that one time where the Detective’s vicinity had allowed a mosquito to bite him right on the tip of the nose. But then he remembered. That was were she had kissed him this morning. Strangely after he figured that out, he didn’t fought the gesture so much.

oOo

That night, when he entered the Detective’s house, he was welcomed with the same warmth as the day before. She was cooking so he sat on the counter next to her and watch. He did the same thing in his human form, though at the end he always managed to snatch something for himself. 

How he could find himself enjoying so much her mere presence was a mystery still unknown to him. And did he have the same effect on her? Probably not in his human form since she was engaged with Pierce, but as a cat she always seemed so … happy to see him it was sometime hard to believe. 

Suddenly there was a knock at the door. Lucifer’s first reflex would have been to run and hide but the Detective put her hand on his back and gently said “Could you stay? There is someone I’d like you to meet.” And who was he to deny her anything. Lucifer could feel that is was neither Maze nor Amenadiel so things should go just fine. 

He regretted his thought as soon as Marcus Pierce entered. He softly kissed the Detective and Lucifer adverted his gaze. He did not wanted to see that. The good thing was, if there was one in having him here, Cain did not known that Lucifer was a shape-shifter. Still he would have to be careful around the Immortal. 

“Lucifer, this is Marcus. Marcus, this is Lucifer … Trixie chose the name.” Chloe added after she made the presentation. Despite himself, Lucifer noticed that she had first introduced Marcus to him and not the other way around. One look at Pierce was enough for Lucifer to know that no amount of his cat’s charms would work on the guy. 

Pierce scrutinized him from ears to tail and back. For a moment Lucifer thought that he had seen though him because Cain was looking at him the exact same way he looked at him when they were in the precinct. 

“I did not known you had a cat.” He remarked instead. “Well … Lucifer is not really my cat. He is just a … furry friend that come by once in a while.” The Detective did not looked very much at ease with her answer but she addressed him a loving smile nonetheless. 

“A furry friend I see …” He started but as soon as the Detective moved further away he leaned closer and whispered to him in what was surely meant to be a threatening way “Listen Lucifer I deal with the Devil every day so if you think I’m gonna let a … cat get in my way, you are terribly mistaken.”

When the Detective came back, Cain gave him a false smile and tried to pet him but Lucifer used all the flexibility of his cat body to avoid the hand and trotted back towards their host. She smiled awkwardly as she rubbed Lucifer’s back “Don’t take it personally, he has some personality, hence the name.” Cain looked like he would have rather murdered him than caressed him but apparently the Detective saw none of that. 

As they sat for diner, Lucifer settled on her lap. He knew the look she was giving him but since she made no move to actually make him go, he staid. During the whole meal, he let his purring be heard loud and clear. That reassured the Detective, who thought that meant he was relaxed even in the presence of Pierce and the sound irritated Cain to no end. A win-win for him then. 

As they were putting away the dishes, the Detective excused herself and went to the bathroom. Lucifer trotted to Cain’s helmet and generously peed all over it. The man saw him just as he finished, pure rage flashed on his face. There he was, the First Murderer. Cain’s hand closed into gigantic fists and as he walked towards him, his intentions were clear. If he laid a hand on him, he would hurt him. 

Lucifer knew the Detective’s place by heart now. He easily zigzagged between chairs’ feet, jumped over one or two furniture to place himself behind Cain and attacked his back, deeply scratching the base of his neck. Cain hissed and managed to catch Lucifer’s leg. He threw him furiously across the room with such a strength that he would have dislocated a normal cat’s hip bone and probably knocked him out cold on the opposite wall. The First Murderer was not playing. 

Hopefully Lucifer was not a normal cat. He caught himself on the wall and bounced back to land on the couch. If Cain wanted war, so he would have. Lucifer felt Hellfire creeping up to his eyes and the itching need to turn into something bigger, stronger to tear his enemy apart, limb after limb.

The Detective reentered the room. Cain and Lucifer stood there, frozen for a second. “Are you okay?” She asked, feeling that something was wrong. Her detective’ senses were maybe catching on the murderous vibes that thickened the atmosphere. 

Lucifer walked to her, rubbing himself on her leg and as if on instinct the Detective bent to take him in her arms. From where he was, Lucifer could still hear the raging heartbeat of his opponent. “Yeah, everything is fine. I just got a call. I have to go. Sorry.”

Without getting any closer to her he turned around and left. So he preferred to let himself be humiliated rather than compromising his plan, that was good to know.

“Wait Marcus, you forgot your helmet!” But he was already gone.