AN: Well, this is it for this story. I had really planned to post this BEFORE Lucifer resumed in January, but I didn't get around to typing it up... Then, after that episode's ending... Man, I had a hard time finishing this! So, let's say it's a touch AU... Be kind! Oh, and this is a bit longer than my others. Lovies to all my fans and, even though it's the last chapter, I would still love some reviews! Thanks a bunch!

Chapter 5:

It was early evening, but the overcast skies darkened the city, making it feel so much later than it was. Lucifer stood at the railing of his balcony, listening to the distant rumble of thunder. It echoed the feelings twisting his chest into knots. He took a drink from the crystal bottle in his hand, the tumbler from earlier smashed against the wall of his apartment.

With a groan, he put a cigarette to his lips, but the wind prevented him from lighting it. Another groan. He put the butt away and took another long drink from the bottle in his hand, wincing as it grated the whole way down his throat. His gaze swung to the bottle before he huffed.

"What are you doing here?" he called over his shoulder, putting down the flask on the table. The sound of feet crunching on broken glass alerted him to his visitor's proximity.

"Lucifer, what happened to you today?" Chloe asked as she came to rest beside him, leaning against the railing. He still wouldn't look at her. "Lucifer?"

"Detective, don't ask questions you're not ready to know the answer to." He shoved his hands in his pockets and shrugged. "I already told you; the ride brought back memories of when I still had my wings. However, you don't believe I'm the devil, so I guess that means this conversation is over." He noticed movement beside him as she fished something from her pocket. When she withdrew her hand, she held the small stuffed heart and Lucifer's scowl softened.

"Trixie believes you..." Chloe held it out and Lucifer took it carefully from her hand, avoiding all contact with her. He held the toy and ran his thumb back and forth over the smiling face. "She cried the whole way home. She thinks you're mad at her."

"Just bloody perfect," he moaned and was about to hurl the thing over the railing, but Chloe put her hand on his shoulder to stop him and took the toy back before he could, clutching it to her chest. His gaze swung to her face and she looked close to tears. "Wonderful!" he snarled, letting his hand slap against his thigh. "It's a trifecta: I ruined an absolutely lovely day, I made the spawn cry and now you, too!"

"But why, Lucifer? What happened?"

"I TOLD YOU!" he growled and she blinked and took a small step back.

"Lucifer..." she gasped, her grip on the toy now white-knuckled. "You... your eyes..."

Lucifer ground his teeth and turned back towards the railing, letting out a humorless laugh.

"Well, at least you finally believe me." He reached down and grabbed the bottle up from the table once again, chugging down a mouthful, enjoying the unfamiliar burning sensation. "I apologize that you had to find out like that," he said quietly since she still hadn't moved. He figured he'd shocked her much like he had the doctor, but he refused to look at her.

"You know, I sometimes wonder if the world wouldn't be better off if I did simply go back to hell... back to punishing bad people. Especially since you're here right now," he said and took one more drink, setting it back down again. "After all, when you're near, I get all mortal. All I'd have to do right now is jump the railing and... Voila! Off to hell I pop..." Behind him, he heard her gasp and he let out a huffed chuckle.

"Too right, detective. The mortal effect you have on me probably wouldn't work at such a distance. Perhaps you could head on down and wait for me on the sidewalk? I'd be down in a flash!" he teased and finally turned to look at her. And frowned.

Chloe stood stalk-still, clutching the toy so tightly that it looked about ready to burst at the seams. Her face was streaked with tears and her hand hovered over her mouth.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" he blurted, his jaw set as he tried to hold back tears of his own at the sight of her in so much pain. "Go! Run away! I won't stop you! I..." He swallowed down his disgust. "I promise I won't hurt you," he said softly and pressed his mouth shut, taking a deep breath, ashamed that she might even think such a thing of him.

"I know you won't."

Lucifer froze, his breath caught in his throat, staring at the woman before him. He wondered, for a moment, if he might have imagined it. His gaze narrowed, looking for some sign of... Well, he didn't even know what he was looking for.

"What?"

It may have been inelegant, but it was truly the only reply he could force to his lips. In the years he'd been on earth, he'd revealed his true self a hundred times or so. And, the doctor not withstanding, every time, he'd driven the human to insanity and, sometimes, suicide.

"Please..." she begged and he braced for her to beg for her life, just like everyone did when‑ "Please, don't jump."

Lucifer's chest tightened painfully and he felt as though he couldn't breath. This mortal woman knew he was the devil, was still coherent and didn't want him to kill himself. He reached out to put a hand on the railing to steady himself.

"No!" she shrieked, surging forward to grab at his free hand, dropping the toy in the process. His gaze wandered down to her death grip on his arm before returning to her horror-stricken wet eyes.

"I... I thought you... that you were gonna..."

Lucifer's eyes softened with wonder as he glanced back to her tight hold for a moment. He swallowed around the lump in his throat.

"You..." he said, but no sound came out. "You're not scared? Of me?"

"A little..." she said, but she reached out and cupped his face anyway. "I've seen so many weird things I can't explain that... that I'm... totally freaking out, and yet... I'm not surprised." He leaned into her hand for a second before his gaze narrowed in on her face.

"But... you looked positively petrified just now."

"Well, duh! You just said you wanted to kill yourself, you idiot!" she burst in anger. Her brows knit together as she stared at him and her eyes filled with tears once more as the sky opened up. Droplets splashed on the ground around them for several moments, but soon, the sky opened. "Why?" she breathed. "Why would you want to?"

"Never said anything about wanting to, detective. I said the world might be better off if I did."

"No, it wouldn't!" she shrieked and he watched her shoulders bouncing with sobs. Their clothing was soaked through, but neither really noticed. "My world wouldn't..." she added, pressing her lips together. "I can't imagine not having you in my life."

"Detective, you still don't get it, do you?" he asked, staring at her like she'd lost her mind. "Do you want to see what I truly am?" he prodded, taking her by the shoulders. "Do you want to see the devil in the flesh?"

Chloe took a deep breath and bobbed her head up and down a couple of times and Lucifer's eyebrows rose to his hairline. He released her and took a deep breath, taking several steps back from her, putting distance between them. Then, without a word, he looked up to the skies and let his face morph into the mangled red mess of exposed muscle and scar tissue that was his natural appearance. He heard her gasp, but couldn't bring himself to look her in the eyes. Opening them just a crack, he was beyond surprised to see she had moved closer to him.

"Does it hurt?" she asked softly and reached out to place her hands on his chest, tilting her head as she looked at his face, stared deep into his black flaming eyes and bit her lip to hold back tears, but to no avail. Even through the rain, he could differentiate her crying from the downpour. "Is... is this hurting you?" she asked, her gaze flicking down to her hands on his chest. He shook his head. She sighed with a little chuckle. "This is going to take some getting used to."

"Getting used to?" he mouthed in dumb shock.

"Well, yeah... I mean... even when you look like 'Lucifer Morningstar', I know this is what you really look like and... well, what I said: this is going to take some getting used to."

"Detective," he whispered and his eyes slipped closed once more. "You don't have to get used to anything. I fully expect to never hear from you again now that you've made your point: that you're not afraid of the big, bad devil." He sighed and his shoulders slumped down in defeat. "Go ahead and leave; I won't hold it against you," he offered, swinging his gaze away from hers.

"Lucifer, I'm not going anywhere," she said and, biting her lip, she lifted her hand towards his face. He looked down and flinched as he saw her coming nearer his face. "Will I... hurt you? If I touch you? Like this?" she asked and his eyes widened.

"I... I don't know... No one's ever tried before."

With a deep breath, Chloe reached out and cupped her hand against his cheek and watched as Lucifer's eyes slipped closed. She was about to ask if she'd hurt him when he brought his equally red hand up to wrap over hers. He nuzzled into her touch and felt as if his chest might burst.

"Thank you," he whispered, a tear slipping from his eye to streak his cheek. Then, he sighed and released her hand, the sudden loss of his letting hers fall to her side. "Thank you," he whispered again and replaced his human appearance. "I appreciate your‑"

But Chloe's lips against his cut off anything else he was preparing to say. Lucifer's lips didn't move for a full ten seconds as hers pressed tenderly into his. He broke the kiss and lifted his head from hers, staring down at her, his face a twist of confusion and worry, but she smiled and brought her other hand to his face, both of them cupping his cheeks.

"You're still the same Lucifer," she mumbled, her thumbs sweeping against his face. "Oh, wow!" she gasped and lifted her head from him. "You really did have wings, didn't you?" she asked and the suddenness of the question had him laughing in surprise.

"Just catching up, are we, detective?" he laughed and felt himself relax. Gently, he rested his hands on her hips and his forehead against hers. "Yes, detective, I had wings... Maze really did cut them off."

"Your scars..." she breathed. She craned her neck as if she could see them through his shirt while his back was turned away and bit her lip. "Do you think... when you're ready!" she added quickly. "Could I see them?" she asked and he took a deep breath. He stepped out of her arms and began to unbutton the transparent white shirt and she put her hand on his. "You don't have to right now. When you're ready," she whispered and he smiled.

"I am." With that, he undid the last fastenings and slid it down his arms. Swallowing hard, he turned slowly and showed her his back.

"Do they still hurt?" she asked softly. He shrugged and she watched the marred flesh move as his shoulders bounced. "Does it hurt if something touches them? Like leaning against a wall or... or being touched?"

"I don't let anyone touch them," he murmured and she heard him force his breath to even out. "But... I trust you, detective. I know you won't hurt me," he said and bent his head down. Lucifer shivered as her hands brushed over his shoulders and down along his sides, pressing gently against the base of his back. He held his breath and waited. And waited... and she didn't make any move to actually touch the scars. Then, he sucked in a breath at the feel of her warm lips pressing a kiss dead center between the two marks.

"Chloe!" he gasped and she lifted her face from him instantly.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you!" she mumbled quickly and even withdrew her hands from his back. He turned around and took her hands in his as she continued to apologize.

"No... no, darling, I'm fine. You didn't hurt me, I promise," he murmured. "Far from it..." he whispered. "No one's ever really... cared about them before. I mean, many people have seen them..." he said, and she tried not to roll her eyes at his reference to his numerous sexual partners. "But... your kiss... just now... I barely know how to describe it."

"If it made you uncomfortable..." she offered, but he pressed his finger to her lips.

"It felt like you kissed the pain away and, for one brief moment, it felt like when I still had them." He let his hand cup her cheek, his thumb brushing over the apples of her cheeks. "I felt complete."

Chloe smiled, her eyes wide with pride and happiness. Slowly, she put her hands to his arms and turned him back around to face his scars. He sighed at the feel of her lips this time and relaxed into her touch as her fingers skimmed the unmarred area around the two oval patches. She kept her kisses along his spine and, when she reached the top of his back, she pressed a soft one right at the edge of one scar, listening for any hiss or gasp of pain. Instead, his head fell backwards and he mumbled incoherently.

"Lucifer," she whispered against his back and pressed a kiss, for the first time, right in the middle of one scar. He gasped, but not in pain. In pleasure. Her touch was pure and innocent and, for a moment, he wondered if her kisses were strong enough to regrow his wings, but he shook his head. "Something wrong?" Lucifer turned and looked at her with a wide smile.

"Well, yes, actually," he mumbled and she removed her hands from him, but he wrapped his around her in reply. "While that does feel absolutely incredible... I can think of somewhere I'd much prefer to feel your lips," he said, leaning in even as he spoke. "Chloe," he murmured and she smile.

"So can I." With that, she reached her hands around his neck and pulled him in the last several inches to seal their lips. Her arms circled his neck and played in the short tendrils of hair at the nape while his interlaced at the base of her spine, drawing little shapes with his thumbs. She giggled into his kiss, but when his hand found the hem of her shirt and he touched the bare skin of her waist, she sighed.

A lack of oxygen forced them apart and Chloe rested her forehead against his, humming in contentment of the feel of him in her arms. She let her eyes open a sliver to look up at his face, but her attention was distracted by something behind him. It took several moments of inactivity for Lucifer to realized her focus was elsewhere. When he opened his own eyes, he saw her staring just beyond his shoulder. He turned his head a couple inches to look behind himself and froze.

Massive white wings stretched several feet to either side of him, glowing and powerful and majestic and delicate all at once. He let one hand leave Chloe's waist to reach out and run the back of his index knuckle against the concave curve of the inside of his wing. The softness, the bristle... it really was them. He swung his gaze back to Chloe who was still staring at them. Finally, she took a breath.

"They're gorgeous," she whispered, tearing her gaze, at last, from the wings to look into his face, although her eyes bounced back to the wings every now and then. "Lucifer?"

"I... I don't know, detective... I... Maze cut them off and I had them in that shipping container until they were stolen. Then... when I found them again... I burned them!" he mumbled, looking back at them then back at her. "Chloe... did... did you do this?" he asked and her eyes widened.

"I doubt it!" she blurted. "I mean... I mean, I'm human. I don't have powers!" she babbled, but he was smiling.

"The woman who makes me mortal? The woman who makes me feel things I've never felt in my entire lifetime? The woman who saw past the devil to care for the man? I beg to differ, darling." He looked behind him and spread them as wide as he could, the corner of his mouth lifted in a smile. "I can't believe it," he murmured, giving them a flap. Chloe let out a chuckle at the gust of wind they generated. "Sorry," he whispered.

"No, Lucifer... No, don't be sorry. They're magnificent," she said softly and took a step towards them. "Could... could I?" she asked, biting her lower lip and he growled. She shrank back quickly. "Sorry, you're right‑"

"No, Chloe, it's not that. Just... just don't do that; my thoughts become far from angelic when you bite your lip like that, darling," he breathed and she laughed. "Go ahead," he whispered and he curved one white wing towards her, watching, holding his breath as she stepped forward and ran her fingers along the top edge. He sighed.

"Do you know I can feel that?" he whispered and she withdrew her hand as if he'd burned her. "I can feel the delicate way you're touching them... as if you're afraid to hurt them... or me." His head tilted to the side, studying her for several moments, smiling. "Chloe, you are amazing and I..." Lucifer's breath caught in his throat as he stared into her expectant eyes and he felt the tug at his heart once more. His eyes narrowed a little and he stared at her. "I don't understand this feeling and... and yet I do... perfectly and clearly."

"What do you feel?" she asked, her voice a little breathless. He took a step nearer to her.

"I feel... wonderful and... and safe... and scared. I feel as though my chest could burst wide open. I feel like my only purpose is to keep you safe and make you happy. And when you smile at me, I feel completely invincible." He swallowed hard and licked at his suddenly dry lips. "Chloe, darling..." he whispered and lifted his hand to cup her cheek. She had tears hanging from her lashes. "You're crying!" he gasped, but she smiled and rested her hand on the warm skin of his bare chest.

"It's alright... I'm crying because I'm happy!" she said and he let his mouth curve into a smile.

"You humans are truly fascinating," he murmured and brought up his other hand, taking her face between them. "Chloe... I'm fairly certain these feelings... they mean I'm in love with you." The tears that had been swimming in her eyes escaped and streaked down her cheeks, where his thumbs brushed them away.

"If that's what they mean, then I guess I'm in love with you, too," she whispered back and smiled.

Lucifer leaned in slowly and pressed his lips ever so softly against hers, both of them humming at the sensation. Her hands glided up his wet chest to curl behind his neck while his tangled in her hair. Still, they kept the kiss short, parting after only a few brief seconds, resting their foreheads against one another.

"Are you cold?" he asked suddenly, plucking at the shoulder of her drenched top and watching with fascination as it reclung to her skin at his release. She chuckled and shook her head. "Are you sure?"

"You might have your wings back, Lucifer, but the heat coming off of you is pure hell fire," she teased, biting her lower lip again, but only when he was looking at her, grinning at the low growl. Still, he released her for a moment and disappeared into his apartment without a word, leaving her alone on the damp balcony, the rain having just ended. "Lucifer?"

Seconds later, he reappeared with a towel, blanket and one of his black shirts. He slung the blanket over his shoulder, his body dry now, and motioned for her to remove her shirt. Chloe's eyes widened and she stared up at him.

"Trust me," he whispered with his trademark devilish grin and she felt herself give in. She stripped out of the wet t-shirt and watched with a inward grin as he swallowed hard. But, rather than try anything, he simply handed her the towel, letting her dry her hair and skin before passing her his shirt. She put her arms through the way too large sleeves and fought to button it with the cuffs constantly falling down over her hands. Taking a moment to roll them up, she finished the shirt up and reached under the hem to shuck off her wet jeans, leaving them in a heap on the floor.

Lucifer's jaw was tight with control, but the shirt was more than long enough to be modest. It covered more than any clubbing dress his Lux patrons wore. Tossing the towel onto the chair behind them, he took the massive blanket and wrapped it around her, then picked her up in his arms like a child, much to her surprise.

"Lucifer!" she gasped, but he just chuckled as she threw her arms around his neck. She looked at him and his smile faded.

"You do trust me, don't you?" he said softly and she nodded, her lips pressed together. "Chloe Decker, will you share my first flight with me?" He watched as she smiled and nodded her head slowly, resting her head on his shoulder.

Gently, Lucifer stretched his wings once more and flapped them several test times before kicking off the balcony and soaring up into the air. Her clutch around his neck tightened briefly as she looked down, noticing just how high up they were, but his grip around her back and knees tightened in response and she looked back up at him, relaxing as the wind breezed over them. He wove in and out of the clouds and around the odd bird flying by and soon, they were by the water, flying low along the shoreline of the beach.

"See that spot there?" he whispered to her and she looked down. "That's where I cut off the first ones," he said and she turned to face him, releasing his neck with one arm to run her hand over his face, her fingertips brushing his lips. He kissed them. "Hold on," he said, and took off over the water about a kilometer or two from the shore.

The sight was exquisite: thousands of stars glowed without the interference of light pollution and the still dark waters reflected them like a mirror. It felt like they were in the middle of the outer space, surrounded by stars and there wasn't a sound. It was complete stillness.

"Now, I understand why you missed it," she murmured and he smiled.

"Yes..." he hummed, his eyes focusing on nothing in particular. He seemed to be deep in thought for a moment before a little grin quirked up the corner of his mouth. "Would you like to try something, darling?" She looked at him and her head turned a little in apprehension.

"That depends; what do you have in mind?" she asked carefully and he chuckled.

"Darling, believe me, I always have that on my mind... as you'll discover once we get back to Lux," he promised and she shivered at his words. "But for now, I was thinking... would you like to see what it feels like?"

"What?" she asked, her eyes blinking in bewilderment.

"You said you trust me... and you know I'm more than strong enough to hold you... Would you like to have an idea of what flying feels like?" he asked again and she took a deep breath before nodding. He smiled. "Alright... use my foot as a kind of step and turn around. I'll hold you by the waist."

Chloe felt a little unsure and it showed, but she did as Lucifer said and turned in his arms to stand with her feet on the top of his, her back pressed against him. He pulled the blanket out of their way and let it fall into the water. She tried to protest, but he waved her off.

"It's just a blanket, darling." He placed his hands just on the front of her waist, holding her rump against his thighs. "Alright, are you ready?" he asked and she nodded quickly. "Relax... I promise you, Chloe, I won't let anything happen to you." She took a deep breath and nodded again, more slowly and deliberately. "Alright... here we go," he whispered into her ear and soared upwards until they were about thirty feet above the water. Then, he leaned forward and wrapped his feet around her ankles and they were flying.

"Oh!" she squeaked when his feet disappeared from beneath hers, but the sight was so beautiful that it took her breath away. As they began to soar, Lucifer gently lowered her until the only things holding her up were his hands at arms' length and his feet. The air whipped past her face and she eventually spread her arms wide and let herself sigh in pleasure. "Wow!" she breathed.

They flew over the water for another several minutes before slowly making their way back towards Lux, sailing through the air. When they passed through a patch of fluffy clouds, she reached out to it and Lucifer guided them over so she could run her hand through it. She giggled at the cold, wet feeling.

"Well?" he asked as they landed on his balcony, setting her down and looking at her, stowing his wings away.

"Lucifer, that was incredible!" she breathed out, pressing her hand to her chest. "Wow!"

"You're incredible," he whispered and pulled her in for a deep kiss that had her mewling in his arms. Her arms found their way instantly around his neck and she held him close, moaning when the tip of his tongue traced the seam of her lips. It poked in and the kiss deepened. Her hands clutched at his neck and she whimpered beneath him as his hands pulled up the hem of the shirt to massage the skin of her thighs. "It seems to me," he panted when they finally parted, though he never stopped peppering kisses over her face, "that I made a promise about once we got back to Lux," he said, catching her earlobe briefly between his teeth. She sank against him.

Hours later, wrapped in his arms and black satin sheets, she reached for him and motioned for him to turn his back to her. When he did, the scars were gone, but she knew exactly where they had been and pressed her lips to the same spots, listening with a smile as he hummed his pleasure.

"I can't believe they grew back," he said in wonder before flipping onto his back and taking her into his arms. "You know... I think I might need to thank young Beatrice on a very large scale," he said, running his hand up and down her back. She swung her gaze up and rested her chin on his bare chest.

"What do you mean?" she asked, tilting her head. He chuckled.

"Well, to think, darling... all these wonderful developments came about because the little minx tried to trick me into coming to the travelling rides with you."

"Tried? Lucifer, she has you wrapped around her little finger!" Chloe laughed and Lucifer frowned before he pulled her on top of him to straddle his hips once more. She smiled and, when she held his gaze, pulled her bottom lip between her teeth, making him growl low.

"That would appear to be a Decker family trait," he teased and she gasped as he rolled his hips beneath her. "That being said," he murmured before flipping her onto her back and spreading his wings above her, "pencil me in for the rides again next year..."

AN: Thank you, thank you, thank you! This had been my first non-one-shot in a long time!

Please reviews, all my lovelies! Thank you! xx