Iris

11. (I'll be) As Sweet as Candy

Dedicated to: @BeckyIsQueen

Lucifer released a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding. His heart and breaths raced to try and synchronize with the other, but each was too sporadic.

A girl. He is going to have a daughter. It was all really happening. Suspicions were confirmed.

Chloe's face lit up as she smiled brightly with Trixie. Happy tears made Chloe's blue eyes glisten, and the sound of disbelieving, excited, yet happy laughs left her mouth. Trixie got up from the table and ran to hug her mom. Chloe bent down as best she could to extend a big hug to her first little girl.

"Darn. Too bad for Team Boy." Ella joked and Chloe laughed along with the rest of the room, well, minus Lucifer. He hadn't moved since the reveal. He just stood frozen in place.

"No it's okay!" Chloe exclaimed, trying to stop her crying. "This is great! I'm gonna have two little girls." She rubbed Trixie's head affectionately. Chloe Decker felt invincible in that moment, like she would never and could never stop smiling.

Trixie put a hand on her mom's stomach and whispered, "Hey little sister! I can't wait to meet you. I've got so many cool things we can do together."

Everyone "awwed" - well, mostly everyone - and the group proceeded to mingle and congratulate the couple on the announcement.

Linda went to retrieve the rest of the cupcakes from the top of the fridge. These were split chocolate and vanilla cake with pink swirling frosting on the top.

"Hey. You okay?" Chloe whispered when she noticed that Lucifer hadn't moved or shown any kind of emotion. He just stared at the table.

She reached out to touch his arm, but he flinched away, faster than she could blink, and mumbled, "I need some air."

Chloe stood alone among the celebrations, watching Lucifer's tense retreating back as he made a hasty escape through the front door. The smile she thought could never leave left.

She flinched when he slammed the door behind him. Whether he had meant to do it or not, she wasn't sure.

She had to take a deep breath to keep her emotions in check. Turning her head toward the kitchen, she decided to let herself be distracted by the festivities and her friends. Lucifer would be fine, eventually. He was coping by acting weird. For him, it was unfortunately normal, and Chloe had to keep hoping that he would come around soon.

***

Lucifer leaned against the railing to the stairs outside Chloe's apartment. He hadn't meant to slam the door so hard; his strength just kind of slipped out of control for a second. He found his pack of cigarettes and a lighter in his pants' pocket. He slipped one white cig into his mouth and lit it with ease.

He took a long drag and let his mind buzz with ideas about what this meant, the high relaxing him as best it could; normally smoking was just something to do with his hands since it normally didn't affect him. So many things changed since Chloe.

A cacophony of scenarios bombarded his mind, igniting the fear and insecurities that had manifested since finding out about Chloe's pregnancy. Most of them were just him doubting himself as a parent and fearing, once again, what traits he passed on to his...daughter. He hated feeling as if all of his life decisions and the consequences that were meant for him would be passed on to an innocent, who hadn't even had the chance to live yet.

His thoughts were interrupted by the shrill ringing of his phone.

Using his left index and middle fingers, he took the lit cigarette out of his mouth, flicking ash to the ground, and he answered the phone with his right hand.