Paradox

Chapter 6: Friends and Brothers

She'd left the heat turned up way too high -- Chloe groggily thought. She was much too warm. She opened her eyes and it took her a few moments to adjust to her unfamiliar surroundings then she realized she was in Lucifer's bed. He was lying beside her and giving off heat like an oven. She reached over and turned on the lamp. Sweat glistened on his forehead. She got out of bed, grabbed a face cloth soaked it in cold water then laid it across his forehead. His eyes opened.

"You're so hot..." she started to say before he interrupted her.

"Well thank you, you're not so bad yourself," he chirped.

She groaned. "Seriously you have a fever -- how are you feeling?"

He frowned and sat up then closed his eyes momentarily. "Well you are in my bed giving me a sponge bath, Detective - tell me did you rock my world?" his eyes glittered mischievously.

She snorted. "Will you be serious for once?"

"Fine, I'm fine," he responded curtly.

"You don't look fine." She frowned.

A look of annoyance crossed his features. "You don't need to fuss, I just need some air." He got up and went out onto the balcony.

She noticed he was wearing black pajama pants. She scrambled out of bed and reached for his robe by the chair. Putting it on she went out after him.

He stood looking at the full moon. The night air was cold. She could see the tension in his muscles, he was still not relaxed.

"Is it helping," she asked trying to draw him into a conversation.

"Hmm?" he looked at her in surprise.

"The cold air, is it helping cool off ..." she hesitated before adding, "the hellfire?"

His eyes narrowed. "You are still having a hard time with this devil thing."

"It hasn't even been a day yet. Give me a little time to come to terms with it."

He turned away from her staring into the night again. The tension seemed to have amplified.

Her gaze focused on his scars. "Why did you cut them off?"

He took a deep breath. "It was the ultimate flipping off my dad scenario. He gave me them and I rejected them."

"But  you kept them."

"And then I burned them," he spat.

He resented her probing. She could feel his anger swell yet she needed to push him for answers. "I would have liked to have seen them on you," she replied honestly.

His eyes glittered darkly. "Why Detective, would it have made it more believable to you than my words?"

"Because they were beautiful," she said softly puzzled as to why he was so defensive at times. She put her hands on his back being careful to avoid the scars. It didn't matter he flinched nonetheless and stepped away.

"We should get back to sleep," she suggested.

He looked wary.

"Lucifer - what's wrong? You've told me you are the devil -- at this point, you can tell me anything," she offered to feel a little exasperated.

He opened his mouth then closed it again and stared at the sky.

"Do you want me to go?" she asked straight out.

"No no, it's fine. Come on you need your beauty sleep." He smiled hesitantly.

"I just found out life-changing information about you and well pretty much the universe - it's natural I would have questions. Yet as always you are evasive. Why is that."