❝ WHERE'S THE DREAMS THAT I'VE BEEN AFTER? ❞
In which Mariah Rose, an undercover legend, returns to the LAPD and faces her number one fan.
[LUCIFER SEASON 4]
BOOK FOUR IN THE ❝ CHILDREN OF DARKNESS ❞ SERIES
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THE CONCEPT OF home was one that Mariah had, for the longest time, refused to alter. Home always made her think back to New York, Kai, her adoptive fathers — anything but L.A and the suffocating warmth she couldn't stand. She missed the nippy winters and people minding their business, and even the worst parts about the city were superior to the worst parts about her current living arrangements. Los Angeles was not home, it was a temporary solution, and if it wasn't for Kai and Mateo, she would have had absolutely nothing to remind her of better days.
The latter of the two was, however, exactly who had made it his mission to help the woman adjust. Even after all the time she had spent in the city, her apartment had stayed the same — a bleary, undecorated place for sleep. To Mateo, there was nothing more outrageous than letting a perfectly fine home, or even the substitute of one, go to waste.
That was why, on Mariah's day-off, the man was striding to her place with boxes of trinkets, plants, posters and decorative pillows.
"You miss New York, I get that. Sometimes, I miss New Mexico, but moving here was the best decision of my life. After coming out, of course", Mateo rambled while shoving Mariah's couch against the wall and admiring his work for a beat. "If you still want to move back when your case is closed, then you go right on ahead. But until then, you can at least feel comfortable in your own apartment, don't you think?"
Frowning from the dining table with her feet dangling over the edge, Mariah supposed he had a point. In truth, she was scared that by the time she'd be able to go back home, she would no longer want to — she wasn't ready to adjust to Los Angeles, but she feared that she would; that her old life was but a memory and would never become anything more again.
"Oh, hey, did the whole Lux thing work out? Sorry for getting a little out of control. That's what I get for not having Curly Fry to look after me", Mateo contemplated out loud before shooting a grin at Mariah, "I really do love having him around." At that, the Rose finally smiled, delighted that two of her dearest friends had grown so accustomed to one another. It had been a great risk to take, but one that proved sometimes they were worth it.
"No, we scrapped that plan", Mariah cleared her throat, unable to stop wondering whether or not Ella kept going to Lux on her own. Nevertheless, she had begun to look into other ways of finding her man of the hour — between Izzy keeping watch over the hotline and Mariah starting interrogations with the people they had arrested, something was bound to work out.
"Aw, not even Benji found anything?" Mateo sighed while slumping onto the couch and giving Mariah an apologetic look.
In return, he got a confused one. "You're friends with him, too?" she snorted, unsure why she was so surprised that Mateo would find a companion in someone so... chaotic.
