#ellucifer

Thank you!! I think I might just keep that title, there's something really nice about it, isn't there?

<3

It was one of those days. The ones when Lucifer wished he had simply stayed home instead of going into the station. The kind when everyone felt the need to run around like headless chickens, and cause idiotic accidents like bumping into him and spilling his fresh, expensive cup of coffee all over his clean white shirt.

He threw his hands up in exasperated frustration and was about to say some rather choice things to the idiot that caused it, but Chloe grabbed his arm and stopped him.

"Lucifer, it's just a cup of coffee."

"It's just - have you seen my shirt, Detective? Look at it! It's ruined."

She rolled her eyes in her signature way. "Fine. Look, I need to head out anyway, so I'll drop by your penthouse and bring you another shirt." She raised her eyebrows at him. "Or you can borrow something from the confiscation unit. I'm sure there'll be something your size. A nice, fluffy pink bra, maybe?"

He closed his mouth and got the message. "No, that's quite alright. I'll wait for you to return. Thank you, Detective."

She smirked, pleased with herself, and left with Dan at her heels, ironically muttering to her about her having him "trained like a dog."

He spent a good twenty minutes sitting at her desk, waiting, until he realized he was merely proving Dan right. He glanced down at his stained shirt again. Thanks to Chloe's prescence, the scalding coffee had, in fact, been scalding and even though he couldn't actually feel it anymore, it still irritated him. Nobody was paying him the slightest bit of attention, all too preoccupied with their duties, but still, it itched at him that one could glance over in his general direction, spot the stained shirt, and assume he hadn't noticed or, worse, that he simply didn't care about his appearance.

No, that would not do.

He ducked into the forensics lab. Ella glanced up at him and flashed her usual bright smile - until he proceeded to strip himself of his jacket and shirt.

"Whoa, whoa!" she exclaimed, holding out her hands as thought to shield her eyes from something utterly disturbing. She peeked through her fingers. "What are you doing?!"

He paused and looked down at himself. "Oh, no. No, don't worry, Miss Lopez, the trousers are staying on, I can assure you of that. Some neanderthal ran right into me and spilled coffee all over my shirt, and since I am a professional, I can't exactly walk around the station looking like an unkept criminal that's spent all night in a cell, now can I?"

She lowered her hands to stare at him. "Yeah, because walking around shirtless is much more professional."

"Well, obviously I'm not going to do that. No, the Detective is away to fetch me a clean shirt, but for now, I will remain in here. That is, if you don't mind, of course."

She looked very much like she wanted to say she did mind and force him to return to the rest of the detectives and officers without even the dignity of the coffee-soiled shirt. But she rolled her eyes and smiled, shaking her head at him in fond exasperation.

"Course not. But don't distract me! I need to get this evidence finished and bagged for Chloe and Dan ASAP, so just" - she waved her hand at him- "sit over there and - close the blinds, at least!"

He proceeded to oblige. "Yes, of course. You're right. And, don't fret, I will be as quiet as a mouse. You won't even know I'm here."

When no response came, he looked over his shoulder to find Ella gazing, wide-eyed at him. More specifically, at his back. For a moment, he had no idea what was so fascinating.

"Sorry," she said, realizing she'd been caught, and looked away sharply, shaking her head as though angry with herself. "Sorry, I shouldn't have... I didn't mean to..."

"No, that's quite alright, Miss Lopez," he says, his lips quirking upwards as he turned fully to face her. "I'm not one to shy away from admiration."

She just kept shaking her head. Finally, he understood when she stopped and quietly said, "Can I... can I ask what happened? You don't have to answer if you don't want to. It's just... those scars. They look really painful."

His smile dropped. How could he have forgotten?