Title: A look behind his shell
Fandom: Lucifer
Characters: Chloe Decker, Lucifer Morningstar
Rating: PG13
Length: 857 words
Written for Amnesty 237 - Challenge solitary
Summary: When Chloe visits the LUX one Friday night she gets surprised


She had been in the LUX so often before that in the meantime the nightclub was so familiar to her like her own home. But when she went down the stairs tonight, she stopped dead. At a Friday evening, the place usually was full of people, chatting, laughing, dancing and flirting; decadence and erotic was simmering in the air.

The LUX was the most famous in-club in New York, and to see this place so dark and silent and empty was more than scaring. As a police detective, she had been in much worse situations, and she could deal with it, but the cold crawling over her back now made her shiver wildly. The LUX looked... abandoned, almost dead.

No lights were glimmering over the dancefloor, no videos on the screens, the place behind the bar was empty. Maze' place. The exotic, young woman, always perfectly styled, always a seducing smile on her lips but with hidden sparkles in her dark eyes, which always reminded Chloe, not to underestimate her, was a part of the nightclub; without her, the bar was not complete.

And Lucifer?! The mysterious guy in his elegant suits, his brown eyes always a bit sad, even when he smiled and flirted like mad. Never alone, always in the center of everyone's interest; no one who didn't fall for his charm. No one but her; at least she tried hard to convince herself of this.

But today Luzifer didn't seem to be around, a fact which made her feel uneasy more than anything else. What had happened? The LUX was his life, his home. He had almost lost it once, and Chloe had felt his desperation, even if he had put on his usual mask to hide it. No one knew where he did come from and how exactly he had earned the money to build a place like the LUX, but for sure now he was rich enough, to own ten places like this, at the most exclusive areas of the world. But he didn't want another one. All he wanted was the LUX.

When the piano music echoed through the lonely hall, she startled out of her reverie. Now she noticed it: she was not alone. He was here, of course, he was, where else could he be? But despite his usual behavior he didn't seem to take any notice of his surrounding, of her.

Lost in thoughts he was sitting in front of his piano, she noticed the whiskey in one hand, not a glass, an almost empty bottle, while the fingers of the other one slowly glided over the keyboard of the instrument. First only single tones, then he started to play a sad and slow melody.

Chloe swallowed and didn't dare to move. She had heard him playing the piano before, and he was good with it like he seemed to be good with just everything he did. Tonight, though, it was different, as if he finally had put off his mask and let loose.

She had always known that he did hide something, but she hadn't be prepared for so much loneliness and sadness. For a short moment, she felt the urge to go over and to pull him into her arms, to let him know that he was not alone. Then a hint of bad conscious hit her when she realized that she actually wasn't supposed to be here. Whatever was going on, it was something very private, and for sure he didn't want to share this moment of weakness with anyone else.

But before she could make the decision the leave the LUX he suddenly seemed to sense her presence. The music stopped, he put the bottle of whiskey down and looked up, right into her direction.

„Detective!“
His voice calm as ever, he stood up and came upstairs with quick, elegant steps.
„That's a surprise.“

Chloe was thankful for the dim light because she knew that she had blushed like Trixie did when she caught her sneaking into the kitchen after bedtime for another piece of her beloved chocolate cake.

„Lucifer,“ she said and hoped that he would not notice the uneasiness in her voice.
„I'm sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you.“

His dark eyes sparkled, he looked as ever; perfectly styled, charming, a smile on his lips „You are always welcome,“ he reassured her. „What is it this time? Do we have a new interesting murder? Or did you change your mind to spend an unforgettable night together with me?“

He stepped closer, touched her shoulder playfully, the lights in the LUX got turned on, the music started to play, some sexy dressed girls were flickering over the video screens. People were chatting, laughing, dancing. Maze was standing behind the bar, mixing cocktails, while her eyes were resting on Chloe.

She huffed inwardly, confused but relieved. Everything was like it was supposed to be. Her imagination had only pulled a trick on her. The only reasonable explanation. "Two young girls," she said. "Pulled out of the river only an hour ago. They did wear a wristband of the LUX."