Just Breathe

1

Notes:

Just saw this request in my Tumblr inbox from an anonymous user.

xxxx

He doesn't notice it at first when he lands back on Earth, having been forced by Michael's sudden appearance. He's almost forgotten what it feels like to be back topside, even for a short amount of time and he already dreads just thinking about his eventual return to Hell.

Things don't go as planned like always because his bastard twin just had to tell the Detective about her being a gift as if impersonating him wasn't trouble enough.

It has only been a few hours since his arrival, but things started to take their turn for the worse. The sun, in all its blazing glory, is attacking his senses that the headache it's causing is impeding his ability to assist with the case. He's not sure what's happening, but he couldn't breathe properly, too. Of course, he doesn't let Chloe know because she's already overwhelmed, and Lucifer wants to be the least of her worries.

Yet Chloe has not failed to notice. She wouldn't admit it openly, but she's extra attentive to Lucifer despite the earlier revelation. Because when it all comes down to it, she misses him more than he'll know.

"What's wrong?"

"Just a little headache is all," He winces and then quickly covers his mouth when he feels the need to cough (which he does, rather violently). Lucifer thinks that he's caught these minor unpleasantness due to his proximity to the Detective.

"That doesn't look little to me at all, Lucifer. You look terrible," She finally voices out her concerns after another bout of incessant coughing brings Lucifer to his knees. Chloe noticed it earlier at the precinct. Even though he's dressed to the nines like always, he was a little pale and a little cold to the touch.

"That's ridiculous, Detective," But there's no conviction in it, and he outright faints.

xxxx

Chloe listens intently to the doctor treating Lucifer. She'd focus on Dr. Austin rather than looking at how helpless her partner is, all hooked to those machines that are keeping him alive at the moment.

She catches on a few terms — copious amounts of soot in his lungs — but then tunes him out altogether. She couldn't really really answer the doctor's questions like "Was he involved in a fire accident"? (because then she'd answer with, 'No, he can walk through fire, no problem') or "Do you have any idea where he could have gotten this?" (which she'll answer with 'Probably in Hell but I can't know for sure'), so she simply shakes her head.

Lucifer would have enjoyed this much attention if he was aware.

Until she remembers that she makes him vulnerable.

So Chloe decided to leave and had asked Dan to watch her partner for a couple of hours.

She calls back every half hour, and Dan would tell her that there's no improvement. Chloe doesn't understand this. He's supposed to get back on his feet the instant she's away.

So she calls Maze.

Maze keeps saying she doesn't care at all, but her demeanor says otherwise. The demon dreads it, but she puts her palms together in prayer, and Amenadiel appears before them discreetly.

"That's why he's taking so long," He says as he crosses his arms. The angel isn't sure of what was happening, but he recommended that Lucifer be taken back to the penthouse with all the equipment.

xxxx

"Why don't you try and take him back to Hell?" Maze suggests, all while insisting she's not concerned.

"What would that accomplish?"

"Well, Chloe said he looked wrong when he came back. Maybe there's something in Hell that's causing this. But he can't be seen like that. Avoid the corridors at all cost and take him straight to the throne room."

Amenadiel hesitates, but the shrill of the machines startles him to action as Lucifer's vitals crash. A few millennia before, he would have happily dragged his brother back to that fiery pit, but now, he's doing it because it was the only option.

xxxx

Taking Lucifer to Hell worked as intended. Lucifer regains consciousness the minute both angels enter the domain.

The Devil surmises he must've self-actualized because Hell is figuratively suffocating him. Once he realizes his mistake, he goes back topside, leaving Amenadiel again to watch the Underworld temporarily.

Lucifer apologizes to the Detective, takes care of the Michael problem, and then goes back to Chloe to say his final goodbyes.

But just like everything else, it doesn't go as expected, so he extends his stay. And when he determines that prolonging his vacation wouldn't change anything, he prepares to leave. That is until Amenadiel comes back and tells his brother that Hell no longer needs a warden.

Frustrating as it was, having to fulfill his duties, as it were, diligently.

Lucifer finds this a good thing. At least he'll have more time to fix what Michael broke (and maybe kick his twin's ass more, in the process), and maybe things will go back to the way they were before.

Though it's more like wishful thinking.