❝ 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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MARIAH ALWAYS KNEW what to say. That was what Kai had told everyone at the LAPD or even in line at the grocery story whenever he had something on his mind — if only Mariah was there, she always knew just how to comfort him. Needless to say, now that his friends had actually met the reserved, grumpy woman, they certainly weren't taking his words as gospel, but Kai still had the utmost faith in his old partner. Maybe there wasn't an abundance of words, but it was always enough to remind him what was the right path to take.
"I need dating advice", Kai was blurting out without anything more than that as he sunk onto the corner of Mariah's desk, despair written all over his face, whereas the woman looked up at him with a sardonic smile.
"Color me shocked", she deadpanned, but urged him to go on, regardless.
Completely ignoring the wry tone, Kai glanced around the precinct as if he was preparing to dish out grave secrets — no doubt, that was exactly how he felt about it, personally. "Chloe was... away for some time but now that she's back, I want to take her out on a real date. I mean, we've never had one, so it feels like it's time", he rambled, only to be met with the kind of silence that allowed him to proceed. "The thing is, nothing feels right. I don't want it to be forced or awkward", he hummed thoughtfully, clearly haunted by his past dates which Mariah had heard all about.
That meant, she also knew exactly what the problem was. "That's because you associate dates with something big and dramatic. You don't have to spend all your money on it, you just need to do something that fits you and Decker. I don't know, stargazing from the back of your car, touring all the best diners in town, arrange a treasure hunt for her or something", she interjected with a casual shrug, leaving Kai wide-eyed at how quick she had been to think of something so good. He was usually the creative one, but there was no denying planning wasn't one of his strengths.
"All this potential and you still don't have anyone, how's that?" Kai taunted, earning a snort from Mariah who made a lavish gesture of flipping her hair from her shoulder.
"I have the charm, I just choose not to weaponize it", she noted with such coolness, Kai couldn't help but laugh.
They didn't get to exchange any more jabs at one another when the tall officer Mariah had met — Izzy — was striding to her desk with an urgent gleam in her eyes and a colorful post-it note in her hand. "Hey, Detective Rose?" she was stepping in with a glance between Kai and Mariah, who was instantly snapping out of their bubble and meeting Izzy with a solemn look rather than a goofy grin.
"Oh, please, just Mariah is fine", Kai huffed while tearing open a bag of sour gummies, and although his words earned a look from the woman, she ended up turning back to Izzy with a confirming nod. She didn't much care what others thought of her, but she had to admit that maybe treating the people around her with a little more acceptance would prove beneficial.
