Chloe could blame this sudden, possibly rash decision on a number of things.

Her life of failed romance seemed to be a leading factor. After attempting to pursue things with Pierce to no avail she'd forced herself to go on a date with one of the officers at work. And what a miserable evening that had been.

Particularly when the annoying part of her brain kept prodding her with images of what she'd rather have been doing; memories from her previous evening of 'games night' with Lucifer and Trixie.

Ever since their first monopoly match game's night had become a tradition. A tradition that Chloe had become quite fond of. Because …Trixie loved it, of course. And for some reason Lucifer seemed to get something out of it.

And that fact certainly did not help when she was trying to concentrate on the man she'd been on a date with. Most certainly not Lucifer; the man who had made it perfectly clear he did not want anything more with her.

It was officially a problem. Lucifer and their weird… thing was a problem.

So for some insane reason Chloe had taken to asking Maze for advice.

Her housemate had practically preened at the opportunity to tell her how she should lead her love life.

"Well it's obvious isn't it?" Maze smirked darkly, her eyes dark and mischievous. "Just fuck Lucifer. Get rid of all the… mystery, whatever you want to call it. Then maybe you'll finally move on."

Chloe had rolled her eyes at the comment at the time. But… ever since they'd spoken, Maze's words would not stop taunting her. What if she was right? Maybe Chloe had been going about this all wrong. Perhaps her thing with Lucifer would never end until they broke that boundary… and moved past it.

People did that. Casual sex… friends with benefits. She could do it just this once… couldn't she?

"Besides…" Maze's voice crooned in her head once more. "It will be the best sex of your life. And you need to get laid. Let yourself have some fun for once, Decker. And you know Lucifer… his word is his bond. You don't want anyone else to know about it, he'll honour that. Except for me," she had chuckled darkly. "I need to know everything…"

Chloe's cheeks flushed at the thought of this as her mind instantly conjured up an array of thoroughly inappropriate images.

Her eyes flickered up from where she sat at her desk trying to finalise some paperwork while Lucifer sat opposite her doodling on his phone. She frowned instantly; it irritated her that she was even considering Maze's idea.

Just at that moment Lieutenant Marcus Pierce walked by her desk and she looked up briefly. Her eyes went from Pierce, then straight to Lucifer. She watched his dark gaze travel between her and the Lieutenant before he looked back to her.

They held that gaze for a moment, then Lucifer looked away.

Chloe frowned again, tapping her finger against her pen. She couldn't understand the strange relationship Pierce and Lucifer had developed. But, she was also beginning to think Lucifer had conned on to her attempts at romance with the Lieutenant. And she most certainly didn't know why that thought caused a strange feeling in her stomach.

Just then, Lucifer shifted in his chair, his knee brushing hers sending a jolt springing suddenly through her entire body.

She sat up straight, moving her legs away from his quickly and she looked swiftly down at the file in front of her.

She could feel Lucifer's gaze on her again, but she could not look up to meet it so she stared with focus at the same sentence for an entire minute before he looked away.

This exchanging of glances went on for at least half an hour until finally,

"Detective, as fun as this might be… is there something you're looking for in particular?" Lucifer finally asked, a slight smirk pulling at the corner of his lips.

Chloe clenched her jaw. "Nope," she said without looking up, really popping the 'p'.

Lucifer raised an eyebrow. "Well something seems to be bothering you," he commented mildly.

Chloe huffed slightly with unwarranted irritation, but she didn't reply to him.

But, when Lucifer didn't push the issue she frowned and looked up at him. He feigned a look of innocent surprise when their eyes met and Chloe glared.

Lucifer smirked, but Chloe noticed this time there was a tightness to the corner of his eyes. "Let me take a guess," he crooned quietly. "Bad date last night?" he quipped lightly, but Chloe didn't miss the stiffness to the way he said 'date'.

"How did you know about that?" she found herself grousing before she could help it.

Lucifer eyed her again before shrugging and looking back to his phone. "I noticed a few things," he commented mildly. "Am I not supposed to be your consultant for a reason?"

Chloe bit the inside of her cheek, her turn to eye Lucifer again and her gaze lingered too long. He confused her beyond belief when he let off small signs like this. Sometimes she wondered whether she was imagining it… or warping things to see them the way she wanted… yet didn't want to see it.

Like when she wore the necklace he gave her for her birthday and he would smile slightly every time he noticed; his mood always brightening on those days. Or when he spent his spare time with her and her daughter doing 'domestic' things that he pretended to find boring and yet… he kept doing them. Or now… when she was certain she could sense his attempt at hiding jealousy over the fact that she'd been on a date.

"Hm," Chloe mused finally. "Well, yes…" she relented. "It was a poor waste of time."

Lucifer smiled slightly and Chloe noticed. "Or a poor choice in company…"

Chloe raised her eyebrows. "That so? And who would you suggest I choose for company?" she asked dryly.

Lucifer's smile vanished as quickly as it had come and he simply gave a non-committal shrug, his attention back to his phone once more.

Chloe sighed quietly, Maze's advice swimming through her head again and she tried to stop thinking about it, looking back to her files and attempting to focus on her work instead.

But, as the day wore on Chloe found Lucifer seemed to be constantly getting into her personal space. Whether it was standing too close, brushing arms, bumping in to her… She was noticing it more and more. And thus the more she found herself thinking on Maze's idea.

"Detective," Lucifer's amused voice sounded when they bumped into each other on the way into the lift in the precinct. "Not that I'm complaining, but you seem to have terrible special awareness today."

Chloe turned to glare at him. "Excuse me?" she spluttered. "You're the one who keeps bumping into me!"

Lucifer raised his eyebrows appraisingly. "Really?" he sounded condescending.

Chloe gave him a long, hard glare. But, as he mind went back over the day… she knew he was right. She didn't know what had gotten into her. Whether it was her subconscious or not she wasn't sure… but she knew she needed to do something about this.

So then,

"I have an idea," she said abruptly before she could think better of it.

Lucifer looked intrigued and the elevator doors dinged open. "Do tell, Detective," he smiled, following her out of the lift.

Chloe took a breath, unable to look at him.

Then,

"I think we should have sex."

Silence.

She looked up, noting that Lucifer had stopped walking three steps back, quite a frown growing on his forehead.

"Uh…" he began, that frown pointed at her. "Sorry, Detective… could you repeat that?"

Chloe huffed, moving back over to him. "It's just… an idea. I think it could help. Just… once. Casual and meaningless; you're specialty," she said far too quickly. "Then… we can both just move on from our… weird… thing."

Lucifer stared. Chloe held his gaze. He opened his mouth to say something, but no words came out and he ended up gaping at her like a fish.

Chloe raised her eyebrows at him impatiently and he finally found his words.

"Have you been drinking?" he frowned.

Chloe rolled her eyes to the ceiling. "No Lucifer."

"Smoked anything?"

"No."

"Taken anything? Something Maze had lying around perhaps?"

"Lucifer-"

"Seen a fat, blonde angel with a bow and arrow?"

"Lucifer! I am not drunk or on drugs and no cupid hasn't shot me with an arrow!" Chloe reeled in frustration. "Can you stop making such a big deal out of this?"

Lucifer leant down abruptly, sniffing near Chloe's face.

"What the hell are you doing?" she spluttered, leaning away from him.

"I don't believe you," he frowned simply, clearly trying to smell alcohol on her breath. "Is it a prank? Will I get punked if I say yes?"

Chloe sighed heavily. "Yes or no, Lucifer."

Lucifer hesitated, eyeing her intensely. "Why?"

"I told you," Chloe explained in exasperation. "We do this, once, casually and… that's it. We can move past that and continue with our partnership."

Lucifer didn't respond, simply staring at Chloe with that same dark gaze.

Chloe exhaled roughly. "Look… do you want to give me the 'best night of my life' or not?" she asked bluntly.

Lucifer narrowed his eyes. "Trick question."

"No, Lucifer. It's just a yes or no question."

"Well you know the answer," Lucifer said back impassively.

"Tell me," Chloe insisted.

Lucifer paused, eyes dark. Then, "Yes, Chloe… as you well know," he relented lowly.

Chloe's heart skipped a beat when he used her name, but she ignored it. "Great. So tonight? Your place?"

Lucifer was frowning again. "Detective-"

"Just… yes or no, Lucifer," Chloe cut in rather rudely.

"You really are demanding, aren't you?" Lucifer had the nerve to smirk this time. Chloe just looked at him, waiting. He sighed, his brow still pinched with concerned confusion. "Right…" he muttered lowly. "Well… I suppose I'll see you tonight then."

There was a moment where Chloe had to register what that sentence meant.

She blinked, her stomach flipping. "Right," she said quickly, nodding her head; this was all very formal. "Ok…" She tried to ignore the way Lucifer was looking at her; like he was trying to read inside her soul. She backed away rather abruptly. "See you tonight," she agreed with a small awkward wave before hurrying into the parking lot without another look back.

That evening the journey up to Lucifer's penthouse had never seemed to take so long. Nerves fluttered in Chloe's stomach while every woe possible poked and prodded at her mind. Part of her could not believe she was doing this. But, she held fast. She'd decided. This would help them move forward.

And… as much as she might deny it; she needed this.

That did not stop her stomach from jolting the moment those doors slid open.

She wasn't sure what she was expecting… but somehow it wasn't this.

He sat at his piano, careless and natural. His jacket was slung over his couch while his sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, his dark purple vest a nice contrast to his light blue shirt.

Soft notes of a song she had never heard lulled through his apartment and on the lid of his grand sat a tumbler of honey coloured scotch.

She stepped out of the lift and he stilled, only just hearing her and she paused, feeling unsure.

But then, he turned slowly, his eyes guarded but his expression curious. "Hello, Detective…" he greeted her quietly.

Chloe swallowed, feeling suddenly very out of depth. "You uhm… seem surprised," she stumbled finally.

Lucifer inclined his head, reaching back to his piano and picking up his whiskey before taking a long sip. "Hmm…" he agreed mildly, offering nothing else.

Chloe fidgeted nervously. "You know I… half expected to find you already naked when I got here."

Lucifer raised his eyebrows, cracking a small smile. "Is that what you want?"

Chloe choked on a slightly strangled laugh, looking down to her feet and seriously questioning her sanity. "No, I mean… I…" she broke off, shaking her head; what the hell was she doing?

Lucifer simply kept observing her. "Well I was expecting you to have come to your senses by now…" he told her seriously when she couldn't find her words.

Chloe looked back up quite suddenly, her light blue eyes piercing. "I suppose we both proved each other wrong then…"

They held each other's gazes for a long moment until Lucifer finally smiled graciously. "Well are you going to just stand there all evening or are you going to come in?" he asked charmingly. "Would you like a drink?" he added, finally standing up from his piano and heading to the bar to top up his scotch.

Chloe breathed out a sigh of relief now that Lucifer had finally relaxed ever so slightly and she moved toward him at the bar, her eyes lingering on the way his hair curled at the back of his neck to the few freckles that dotted his exposed forearm.

Lucifer turned back round when she didn't say anything, jolting slightly when he found Chloe directly behind him and she smiled at his surprise.

She watched him swallow, his Adam's apple shifting while his eyes darted over her face. "Did you…" he sounded nervous this time and Chloe found that merely made her heart skip a few beats. She ignored this immediately. This was meaningless. That was the whole point. "Here…" Lucifer finally finished, handing her a second tumbler with scotch.

Chloe's skin tingled from the light brush of Lucifer's fingers on hers as he passed her the glass and she took her turn to swallow quickly. Her eyes flickered up to his, but she found his gaze was far too intense and his eyes bored into hers as though he were searching her very soul for answers to a question he would never pose.

She looked down to her glass, taking a drink quickly as the very air around them seemed to be prickling with tense electricity.

"Detective… are you sure this is what you want?" Lucifer's voice was quiet, soft; there was no pressure to his question. If anything he sounded… apprehensive.

"Yes," Chloe said quickly, nodding at her glass before daring to look at him once more. "I think… it will be good for us," she continued firmly. "Finally… move part this… part of our relationship that neither of us can deny is there. And… you can, you know… cross me off your list at last seeing as all that… 'allure' or whatever will be gone."

Lucifer's brow contracted and Chloe practically felt the air still around him. "Is that truly how you think I see you?" he asked darkly and there was anger present in his voice this time.

Chloe stared at him, holding that impenetrable gaze. "I… don't know…" she murmured finally; and that was the truth. A half-truth. She knew she meant more to him than that… she just didn't understand what exactly that was.

"You're not a prize to be won, a mission to tick off my bucket list… I…" Lucifer paused, clenching his jaw.

"Ok then," Chloe said quickly, trying to calm this tense vibe swiftly. "So this is just… two good friends who are attracted to each other and… that is causing some issues so this… this will work that out."

Lucifer breathed for a long moment, his face impassive. "Is that so?" he murmured finally, his tone as dark as his eyes.

Chloe swallowed, "Look, Lucifer… I don't want to make you do this if you don't want to…" she muttered quickly. "And I can't believe I'm the one saying that when it's been you trying to get in my pants for like two years, but-"

"I want to, Detective…" Lucifer's voice was low and almost husky sending an instant shiver down Chloe's spine and he was quite suddenly much closer to her than he had been before. "You already know that."

Chloe breathed in quickly, finding there was this sudden heat emanating from Lucifer's body and it was beginning to seep through her clothes to her skin. "Well you're doing an odd job of showing it…" she said back, her voice very quiet.

If Chloe could ever have the gift to read minds she wished she had it in this moment when Lucifer spoke once more. "Perhaps I simply value our partnership and… our friendship more than you think, Detective," he told her in that dangerously soft voice. "That I am not going to rip your clothes off the very first moment you permit me to do so."

Chloe's heart was beginning to pound beneath her ribs; every hair on her body seemed to be alight with the buzz from the atmosphere around them. "Well this isn't the first moment anymore," she said back, feeling as though she could drown within those endless dark irises staring down at her. "I've given you many now. I'm still here; I've made up my mind. It's up to you now."

Chloe felt the shift in Lucifer's body before she saw it. She heard the sole of his shoe brush lightly across his polished floor before she realised he'd stepped closer. She heard the fabric of his shirt rustle softly as he moved his arm before she felt his fingers softly take her chin between them, tilting her face toward him with incredible tenderness.

"One night?" he murmured so quietly she nearly missed his words. "For… our partnership?"

Chloe's every sense was tingling beneath her skin and she nodded just slightly in his soft hold. "Meaningless, best night of my life sort of sex," she cracked a tiny smile, hoping to finally see one in return.

Meaningless.

The word echoed through Lucifer's mind like a taunt. Again and again.

Meaningless.

That's all this was. And that was his thing, wasn't it? That's what he did… casual, meaningless sex that just so happened to be the best sex anyone could ever have.

One breath. Then another. Their bodies were so close they shared the same air; air that seemed to vibrate around them.

Then,

"Ok…" the word was barely a breath on Lucifer's lips, but it was enough to set Chloe's heart alight in her chest. And all in the one simultaneous moment, his fingers left her chin, cupping her face while his other hand joined and before either of them could breathe once more his lips were on hers and the world lit up around them.

Chloe's eyes fluttered closed without conscious thought, her mind wiped blank of any distractions as she'd never felt anything like this. His lips were familiar, in a long, lost way while also so wholly new and pure. And they were soft, tender and so very warm, but they held no urgency or push for more. Their delicacy had her heart soaring in her chest and vaguely she wondered if this was how he kissed everyone; though deep down she knew it was not.

Lucifer knew within moments that this was not meaningless. Not for him. Chloe's very essence was in every sense of this kiss. The sweet scent of her hair, the soft touch of her skin and the new, tantalising taste of her lips… they engulfed him. Surrounded him. And he was lost. Feelings swam from his heart, dancing over his skin, taking over his soul and he wished with the deepest of yearning that he could have this forever.

And Chloe felt this in his hold. She felt the tremor beneath his chest, she felt his hand shake on her cheek and… she felt the abrupt cold air on her face the moment he suddenly pulled back.

His eyes snapped open, dark brown meeting light blue with a jolt in his heart. Hers looked almost dazed, while his shone with a suspiciously wet gleam. "I can't…" his voice was rough and quiet, his hands shaking as he took them from her as though he'd been burned.

Chloe blinked, feeling as though she'd been doused with icy water. "Wh-what?" she whispered the word, her eyes swimming with questions as they searched his.

But, he did not hold her gaze. "I can't do this," his next words were stronger, and there was pain he could not hide behind his tone.

And before Chloe could breathe or dare murmur another word he'd crossed the room, grabbed his jacket and was in the elevator without another look back.

A/N Interested in the second part? I know it's a pretty unrealistic scenario. But, still fun!