#post-3x24

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AFTERMATH: THE CABIN SERIES PART 6 One year later

She disappears shortly after they finish unpacking for the week. Not without saying anything - she doesn’t do that anymore, withdraw into herself and refuse to let him in - so he isn’t worried or offended, instead leans down to accept her kiss on his cheek when she says she’ll be outside.

He leaves her be for awhile, spends some time straightening up a little before he looks outside and sees clouds rolling in, the foreboding precursor of an upcoming rainstorm. So he slips on his shoes and heads out, looking for his hopefully soon-to-be-fiancée.

When he’d pulled up to the cabin just shy of a year ago, he hadn’t known what to expect. All he’d known was that she’d said she’d call and she didn’t.

They spent that first week talking and arguing and sitting in silence, but came out the other side in a better place, having worked through things that had gone unsaid up until then. They really are better when they use their words, he told her at one point. He went to the cabin twice more that summer, and by the end of it, they’d decided to see what they could be. She still had healing to do, they both did, but they worked through what they needed to, standing at each other’s sides the whole way.

And now, a year later, he has a ring in his suitcase, more convinced than ever that he wants to spend the rest of his life with her. He just hopes that she feels the same way.

He spots her on the pier, splayed out on her back, but he can’t tell if her eyes are open or not. She tilts her head in acknowledgment when he approaches, and he lays down next to her, grins when she curls up at his side.

“I can think of a more comfortable place for a nap,” he teases, draping his arm around her shoulders and holding her close.

She chuckles and presses her lips to his flannel-covered chest. “Wasn’t napping,” she murmurs. “Just thinking.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” She props her head on her hand and looks down on him. “I’m really glad my dad called you last summer, invited you up here. God knows I was too stupid to do it myself.”

He reaches up and brushes his finger along her jaw. “Not stupid. Healing.” He brings her head down to him, moans when she deepens the kiss. “I love you,” he whispers when she pulls away.

She brushes her lips against his again. “Love you too. Wanna go inside?”

Summary: An overdue moment shared in the rain between Chloe and Lucifer in the aftermath of his reveal.

Ratings: General Audiences

Words: 666

Warnings: Post-reveal. Post-3x24. Language.

AN: Greetings readers, old and new! Welcome to the latest installment of The Devil's Lucky Number series, in which all my OTPs deserve a moment in the rain—à la Elizabeth and Darcy in Pride & Prejudice (2005) style.

But mostly based on this prompt posted on the exceptional @luciferprompts blog—

Post-reveal: Chloe hasn't spoken to Lucifer for some time, and Maze lets slip Lucifer's leaving for good. Chloe rushes over to the Penthouse but all she finds is a very surprised and disheveled Devil. (He was never leaving.)

Hope everyone's having a good Easter so far!

Title from the Billie Eilish song come out and play.

Also on ff.net | AO3

Other writing

The Devil’s Lucky Number series: I | II | III | IV | V | VI | VII | VIII | IX | X | XI | [ XII ] 

She fucked up.

And the Heavens sought to reiterate this by choosing today—of all days—to unleash a mutinous downpour.

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NIGHTTIME: THE CABIN SERIES PART 4 Post-3x24

It takes him a few moments to figure out what woke him. He’s been sleeping well this week, even without the noisy sounds of the city, in the eery quiet of the woods.

He almost lays back down, but he hears the noise again, what sounds like a quiet whimper.

Kate.

He’s out of bed in an instant, throws on his discarded flannel to ward off the night’s chill.

Her door is shut, so he raps his knuckles against it before opening it and steps inside. The room is pitch black, so he turns on his phone’s flashlight to get his bearings and avoid running into anything. Her bed is on the far wall, and he can just make out her shape under the covers, feels his heart break as she turns over again, obviously a nightmare if her actions are any indication.

He starts to move closer, but when he hears his name fall from her lips, he freezes. Is she dreaming about him? What if it isn’t a nightmare after all, but a different type of dream entirely?

When a pained “no” follows his name, though, he decides he can safely assume it is a nightmare, and he continues his approach.

He kneels next to the bed and sets his phone down, and he presses his palm on her arm. “Kate,” he whispers, trying to wake her up.

She whimpers and shakes her head, her eyes tightly shut, her brows drawn in what he can only describe as panic or despair. “Castle,” she repeats, “Rick, no. Come back.”

He shakes her, then, panic starting to overtake him as he repeats her name, saying it louder every time until she finally jerks awake, sitting up, her chest heaving with shaky breaths. His hand falls to the bed, but he doesn’t move it far.

She turns her head towards him, and even in the shadows cast by his phone’s flashlight, he can see her eyes focus, the recognition when she sees that it’s him. “Rick?” she whispers, her voice cracking. Her hand comes up to his chest, and she grips his flannel, exhales a shaky sigh before throwing her arms around his neck. “I thought-”

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PROGRESS: THE CABIN SERIES PART 5 Post-3x24

The week goes by too fast.

It’s been a hard week, in more ways than one - physically, mentally, emotionally - but they’ve come out the other end of it stronger than before.

At least, he hopes they have.

Dread sits heavy in his chest as he packs his bag, intending to leave first thing in the morning. A sadness has come over the cabin, descending like a wet blanket, slowing her limbs and making them both cranky.

He’s so caught up in his thoughts that he doesn’t realize the cabin is silent until he zips his bag. He doesn’t start to panic until he calls out for her and receives nothing in response; she’s regaining her strength, but she has a tendency to push herself too far, and he’s had to practically order her to sit and rest more times than he can count. The last thing he wants is to find her in an unconscious heap because she’s too stubborn to stop.

He relaxes when he looks out the front window and spots the back of her head, and he grabs his jacket and goes out to join her.

A tilt of her head is the only indication she gives that she hears him, and he drops himself in the chair next to her, scoots closer to her.

“I don’t want you to go,” she whispers, almost inaudible even in the still environment.

He glances at her, surprised to see her gaze locked on him, gold and green and gorgeous. “I’ll be back in a few weeks,” he reminds her, referencing the schedule he and Jim have planned. “Barely enough time to miss me.”

She offers him a small smile. “I’ll miss you,” she admits.

“I’ve been waiting years to hear you say that,” he teases. He looks down at her hand, her palm facing up, and he takes a chance and takes her hand with his. When she doesn’t pull away or protest, he lifts their joined hands and brushes his lips across her knuckles.

“We’re okay?” she murmurs, her cheeks flushing.

(author note: I realize it doesn't *quite* fit the prompt, but I couldn't get the idea out of my head)

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ARRIVAL: THE CABIN SERIES PART 1 Post-3x24

He didn't know what to expect when he arrived at the cabin, but it wasn't her sitting in a rocking chair with a blanket draped over her lap. He knew she wouldn't be running marathons - not that she ever has, to his knowledge, but that's not the point - but her skin is still pale, deep circles under her eyes, and when she stands to greet him, he can see how skinny she is, how much weight she's lost in the six weeks since she was shot.

She spent a month at home, he knows, having kept in touch with her dad despite the complete lack of contact from her. He doesn't know why she came up here, almost in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by trees and animals and not much of anything else.

He did pass a few other cabins on the long dirt road, but he couldn't tell if they were occupied. So, when her dad runs into town - or returns to the city for a few days, like he's done this week - she's alone.

As he pulls to a stop in the flat gravel and gazes up at the modest cabin, he takes a deep, steadying breath before shutting off the ignition and opening the door.

As Jim had predicted, she doesn't appear, but when he wanders up onto the wrap-around porch and makes his way toward the back, he spots her.

She'd obviously heard him, moves to stand when he comes into view, a small, timid smile appearing on her lips.

"Hi, Castle," she whispers, barely audible, but music to his ears.

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APOLOGY: THE CABIN SERIES PART 3 Post-3x24

As promised, he stays out of her way. He has edits to work on anyway - changing the ending of a book will do that - so he takes his laptop to the couch, out of the way but still accessible if she needs help.

He can’t concentrate, though, not when he sees Kate cross the hallways with a towel in her hand, or when he hears the shower turn on, or when she emerges several minutes later wearing a robe, her damp hair loose around her shoulders. He hears her bedroom door click shut behind her, and he turns his attention back to his work.

He doesn’t intend to fall asleep, but when he obviously does, because he opens his eyes to see her fully dressed and standing in front of him, a mug in each hand.

“Come with me?” she asks, holding out one of the mugs.

He sighs and scrapes his hand down his face as he thinks. Either she’s going to snap at him again, tell him to leave her alone, or apologize, and he’s not sure he’s up for hearing that he isn’t wanted. But he sets his laptop down and stands anyway, slips his shoes on as he follows her outside.

"I’m sorry,” she breathes, sinking to a bench just outside of the front door.

He sits next to her, not sure what to say. She doesn’t apologize often - doesn’t have many reasons to - and when she does, it’s usually with actions, like taking him to Remy’s or a movie. So to say the words...

“I didn’t mean to suggest that you weren’t welcome here,” she continues. “You are. I just hate being so dependent on others.”

“I know.” He nudges her knee with his. “So maybe I’m just visiting, and willing to offer my manly strength whenever you might need it. And maybe yell at you when you push yourself too far.”

ACROSS THE UNIVERSE SEASON 3/4 AU (POST-SHOOTING)

Rick sighs and shuts the book he’s barely reading, throws it next to him on the couch. He’d picked up the book of poetry on a whim; he prefers prose and complete sentences, but he knows that Kate reads it on occasion, and he’d been drawn to this book, felt Kate’s presence in every page.

But this one...this one hits hard.

She’s been gone for six weeks now, completely radio silent, shutting herself off even from Lanie, Ryan, and Espo after she’d ungracefully dismissed him from the hospital. He’s been undeterred, though, investigating her shooting even after the new captain kicked him out, finishing his book in record time.

He runs frustrated fingers through his hair and stands, paces the familiar route through his living room as he tries to purge her from his mind.

It’s pointless.

Before he can stop himself, he retrieves the book, flips open to the last page he read, and snaps a picture of the five sentences that froze him in his tracks.

Another moment of indecision, and he pulls up their message thread, ignores the lack of responses from her - he hasn’t tried in five weeks, when it becomes apparent that she wasn’t going to answer - attaches the picture, and hits send.

Maybe she’ll reply, maybe she won’t.

He’s just about to lose hope when the dots appear, and his heart soars when four words appear.

Summary: In which Lucifer tries to convince himself that in the aftermath of his reveal, he is better off without the detective.

Ratings: Teens and up

Words: 666

Warnings: Post-3x24. Post-reveal. Swearing. Angst.

AN:  Title from the song of the same name by Billie Eilish. Give it a listen while you read, if you like.

Also on: ff.net | AO3

Other writing

The Devil’s Lucky Number series: I | II | [ III ] | IV | V | VI

He was fine.