IT WAS UNCLEAR if Lucifer had found out about Izzy going to see Spencer from Diane or Maze, but the deputy was positive that somehow, he had heard — that was the only fathomable explanation to him keeping his snappy remarks to a minimum and replacing them with compliments masked as teasing jabs while also offering the woman gummy bears. They looked suspiciously like the ones Linda had kept in her office, but with no actual proof that he had been the one to grab the whole jar, Izzy had settled into the leather seat of his speedy Corvette with a mouth full of candy and a heart of gratitude. Lucifer was not a man of many words, but his gestures said a ton, and right now, they were telling Izzy how truly lucky she was to have a friend like him — just a friend.

"So, wait, why exactly are we here?", Izzy prodded when they finally reached the prestigious school, closed for an evening arranged for the parents only, and even just the vehicles saying that only the most wealthy and respected families were to get an invite into such a classy event. An environment like that was bound to stir some tension between the workers, but as Lucifer had insisted that he wasn't there for the case, there was an undeniable shade of bemusement on Isadora's face when she climbed out of the car and directed the man a glance. And it didn't take him long to stick his tongue to the side of his cheek and wonder how much to share, which promptly earned a stern look from Izzy, "I think we're past the glamorizing. If it's personal, I'll back off, but... you know", her clever mind already wondering if this had something to do with the supernatural side of his life.

Concluding from Lucifer's deep sigh that was more exhausted than anything, she had hit the bullseye with her stab at it.

"It's complicated, but there's this dandy little weapon called the Flaming Sword. In order for it to work, I need to gain control of my emotions, and...", Lucifer gestured at himself with both hands, and with a quiet ah and a nod of understanding, Izzy put two and two together. Feelings weren't his expertise, to say the least, but she was sure that if anyone could find the determination and courage for it, it was him. "Apparently, this school excels in helping children harness their feelings for creative things, which, in my case, would be igniting a celestial weapon", he clarified with an earnest smile before linking arms with Izzy and leading her around the parking lot.

"Okay, so, why do you need the Hot Rod?", the Holt tried to query without sounding unjustly curious, but before Lucifer could even begin to work on an answer, the two spotted a woman fussing around one of the many cars — coincidentally, Chloe Decker's car — and his attention was swiftly guided from Izzy to the teacher he recognized from the school.

"Madison! Just who I was looking for!", he announced with blatant directness, and whereas he was blind to the warning signs around them, Izzy certainly noticed the weighty rock the woman was hastily rolling out of her hands. That, mixed with the suspicious looming around Detective Decker's car, was enough for Izzy to cough up an excuse of forgetting something in the Corvette before sneaking away and deciding to approach the situation from a different angle — literally. Even if Lucifer had shown up for his personal reasons, Chloe and Maze were still on the hunt for a killer in the very same place, so it was hard to pass this off as a coincidence, and therefore, Isadora didn't waste time in tiptoeing around the row of cars.

For once, she praised Lucifer for his incomparable talent of talking, more accurately about himself, as he kept the conversation about his needs flowing while Izzy found herself creeping within the small bushes adorning the parking lot. Luckily, Madison seemed rather focused on the man before her, instead of noticing that Izzy had exited the situation, and that gave the deputy an advantage — at least, until the sound of car doors being unlocked echoed in the darkness and she realized that Lucifer had pulled out the illegally duplicated key he had boasted about, and Madison had been granted access to Chloe's belongings. Izzy wasn't sure what she had even been looking for, but she was sure that she had no business snooping around there, and with the Decker inside, trying to pass off as just another mom, her carrying a gun on her was unlikely.

So, as the danger of Madison finding Chloe's weapon inside the vehicle expanded, Izzy thanked her lucky stars when she felt her own handgun against her hip, and as quietly as possible, she dragged it out of the holster while crouching behind the black Mercedes-Benz next to her. As long as Madison wouldn't notice her, she had the possibility to put an end to the situation, which, surely, was only bound to accelerate when Chloe's voice suddenly called out from the other side of the parking lot.

"Lucifer, what are you doing?", the detective was wondering out loud, and cursing at the increasingly bad luck, Izzy tried to gesture at the two from behind the car, only for her silly hand signals to go completely unnoticed by both. At the risk of looking like a complete idiot, she attempted to wave from behind Madison, and as the teacher finally emerged from Chloe's car with a gun in her tight grasp, Lucifer caught the redhead jumping up and down within the bushes. However, instead of trying to keep things as calm as he could, the Devil was already saying something sassy despite the serious look on his face — Isadora could not hear him, but she rolled her eyes nonetheless, knowing that it had been enough.

And, accordingly, Madison squealed at the power she held at her hand while firing the gun into the air, loud bangs piercing through the silent night and making all three of them automatically flinch back. Izzy, however, wasn't in danger, as the woman was yet to see her, so she prepared herself for the worst case scenario and steadied her hands before pointing her own gun at Madison. She unquestionably hoped that she wouldn't have to pull the trigger, but it was what she had been trained for, after all — and if it was to come down to it, she would try her best at taking her down without a deathly shot.

As people began to flow from the building in reaction to the gunshots that had surely reached the ears of most indoors, Izzy made sure to step back to avoid her hiding spot being blown, and Chloe tried to calm Madison down by insisting that everyone had secrets — even the seemingly perfect people they had spent all night surrounded by. Luckily, while she was yet to put the gun down, the guilt in the teacher's heart was encouraging her to explain what happened, how she had cheated on her husband and had a son outside the marriage, only for the case's murder victim to find out and use it against her. By now, it was clear that Madison had committed the murder, but Izzy doubted she was the kind of person to go on a bloodthirsty rampage beyond that, giving her the hope that Chloe would get through to her.

"Maybe you remember Trixie, my daughter? The—the little girl, who was sad because her mom had such a scary job? That's me, that's my daughter", the detective pleaded, knowing that explaining the situation from a child's point of view would inevitably tug on Madison's heartstrings and push her to give up. Izzy hadn't known that the day had been emotional for them as well, but she appreciated the advantage as she kept the teacher at gunpoint only for her to lower the weapon in her own hand. The sight of Madison breaking into the tears and dropping the gun was one of the heartbreaking sorts, for sure, but it also earned a sigh of relief from Izzy who still maintained her stare trained on the woman, just in case.

Much to Lucifer's dismay, Madison proceeded to explain how she had been unable to control her anger — all this talk of guiding one's emotions had left the man so inspired, only for utter disappointment to now erupt on his shocked features. "We can't control our emotions", she cried out, "we just have to keep—", but the opportunity to finish never came, as suddenly a certain soul torturer was blasting from the side, tackling Madison to the ground in such a painful manner Izzy couldn't help but grimace while Chloe visibly jumped back at the unexpected attack.

Needless to say, it was enough to keep Madison down, and as Mazikeen hopped back up, hair flipping and her lipstick not even smudged, Izzy was stepping forward with her gun back in the holster and her handcuffs taking the turn to shine. "Listening to feelings... it's not my thing", Maze simply shrugged, and as Izzy crouched down to arrest the unconscious teacher, she couldn't help but shake her head and try hiding the inappropriate smile — it wasn't so much the violent takedown, but more so the fire she, quite frankly, loved about Mazikeen.

Just like that, it all came back to her, the purpose of her search for Maze tonight. She hadn't expected to take down a murderer with the woman — who proposed a fist bump, one that Izzy couldn't resist in honor of their teamwork — but whenever something like that did present itself, everything personal tended to leave Isadora's head entirely, all the space sucked out and left only for the matter at hand. Of course, sometimes her anxious thoughts made that difficult, but she had entirely forgotten about the whole concept of girlfriends, right until Madison was being walked away and Isadora found herself standing next to Maze in a silence that was yet to turn awkward.

After back-up had made an arrival and Izzy had given an official statement about what had happened and how she had acted, she was finally granted the freedom to trail back to Mazikeen, who had patiently waited through the whole night, her strong arms crossed and stretching the white leather jacket she looked downright flawless in. Once Chloe had cleared the Holt to go home, the detective had also explained what they had been up to tonight, and the story she had been lucky enough to hear, caused a taunting smile on Isadora's lips as she approached Maze. "So... you pretended to be Chloe's wife, huh?", the officer took both of the brunette's hands, though only to snake them around her own waist and in the process, pull her close enough to pin their hips together.

It was a level of comfort she had reached once more — they had been there before, but at last, Izzy was coming to terms with it all, from the struggle of a commitment to the worry of being with a demon. She was overcoming her fears, and therefore, she no longer saw the need in stepping on the brakes or stopping herself from giving Maze the affection she longed for. Much like Lucifer, the demon was a creature of action, not words, and Isadora was well-aware of how much she had been holding back — justifiably so, but that also meant that Mazikeen didn't hesitate to yank her into a loving embrace.

Barking out a laugh, Maze shrugged. "Yeah, well, for what it's worth...", she inhaled, eyes casting downwards while both of her thumbs softly touched upon Izzy's lower back. "Uh, I know I'm not good at this stuff, but you deserve to hear it, so... Pretending just made me realize that the only person I want to be with... is you", she muttered with a controlled smile, voice gentle with something that she considered awkward, whereas Izzy only found it endearing. And instantly, her words managed to make the redhead break into an ecstatic smile, eyes twinkling with innocent affection and lips parting to let the adoring sigh out.

"That's a lucky coincidence", Izzy cleared her throat, convinced that now or never was the right time to explain what she had said to Spencer in the fit of frustration — maybe Mazikeen would be scared off, and maybe Izzy would be unable to deal with any more rejection today, but if the bounty hunter's own sentiment meant anything, then hopefully, it was the same as Izzy's. "I kinda called you my girlfriend today", she scrunched her nose up while looking down at Maze and observing the realization that broke out on her face slowly, but surely.

For a second there, it was enough to sink Izzy's heart, but as quickly as the worry had welcomed itself, it disappeared into the kiss that Maze charged ahead with. It was filled to the brim with tension and something fierce, yet at the same time, it was slow and a channel for all the unspoken things they didn't know how to share. As Izzy's hand cupped both of Mazikeen's cheeks and her eyes fluttered closed, she drew in a deep inhale and ended up rocking side to side in the demon's arms, pure bliss driving them around as they smiled against one another's lips. Perhaps today had been one of aching and goodbyes, but as Isadora stood there, body to body with the woman of her dreams, the bittersweet became only the sweet, and the pain faded away. Maybe she had sealed away one relationship, but the closure finally allowed her to start an entirely new one.

After what felt like an everlasting infinity of happiness squeezed into a couple of seconds only, the women finally parted, but only enough to keep the air between them flowing. Gently, Izzy's hand slid down Maze's smooth cheek to her exposed neck, and from there, entangled in the soft material of her sweater while the demon looked up to the slightly taller woman and quirked a sympathetic smile. "What happened with your dad?", she wondered carefully, and although Izzy had expected to hear that question numerous times, she neglected to mask the surprise on her face, caused solely by the thoughtfulness Maze eyed her with.

"I thought human emotions made you sick", Izzy teased with a lifted eyebrow, talentedly dodging the question as she did, and while that usually passed with flying colors when it came to most people — well, Maze wasn't most people.

"Yeah, until my girl is upset. That's when I wanna hear all about it", she retorted, sass underlining her silky voice despite the concern shining through the abyss of her eyes. Izzy wasn't quite sure if it was the term my girl or the general care Mazikeen was exuding, but as she dropped her hands from the latter's sweater and offered a shrug, she lost a battle to the flattered smile that matched the pink on her cheeks.

"I don't think I'm going to see my dad again. At least not as much as I've been trying to. He won't accept me, so... I'm just gonna surround myself with people who do", the cop sighed, but before the heartache could burst the happy bubble she was content in, she was clearing her throat and glancing back at Maze with a widening smile. "But can I tell you about it tomorrow? I'd rather not dwell on it tonight", Izzy suggested, and while Mazikeen was already nodding her head, she let her fingers graze the woman's arm beyond seductively — maybe, somewhere deep down, it had been her intention but she certainly hadn't prepared for the wild, alert gaze Maze met her eyes with.

A whole new level of tension enveloped them together, pushing them closer to each other while Mazikeen cleared her throat and glanced around before leaning in, not quite enough to kiss Izzy, but just the right amount to make her hot breath touch the Holt's parted lips. "Tomorrow it is. In the meanwhile... we could make the girlfriend thing official, you know. Decker's got a long night of paperwork and the tiny human is with Dan, so...", Maze never said the exact words out loud, but the context was there, and it was enough to drive Izzy wild. The offer stood, not with the intention to push Isadora into something she didn't want, but she wasn't imagining the flirtatious bat of eyelashes nor the wicked smirk tugging on the corner of Mazikeen's mouth.

The offer stood, and Izzy wanted to cash it in.

Within seconds, the two were rushing over to Maze's car, no one paying any extra attention as they strode away hand in hand, no one suspecting anything as they seated themselves inside and tried to keep calm. But as Maze drove through the void of the night, her knuckles losing color from the clench on the wheel and her heart beating erratically in her chest, Izzy knew that things were going to change for good. Not in a bad way necessarily, but undoubtedly, it wasn't going to be the most casual step to take.

Was she nervous about sleeping with a demon? Well, yes — it was causing a ton of questions to poke around her mind, but it was what she wanted, regardless of Maze's lack of a soul. Was she nervous about sleeping with Mazikeen in particular? Oh, hell yes. She knew the woman had experience, from an inhuman span of time, with men and women alike, and that probably raised the brunette's expectations through the roof. Izzy wasn't quite sure how she could compare, even if she had a few neat tricks and a record of praise in her ledger.

Despite the butterflies wreaking havoc in her stomach though, this was something that Izzy — and Maze — wanted. Deep down, Isadora knew that she had imagined this night before, sometimes in more innocent ways and other times... not. Rushing over to Maze's place after an evening with her homophobic father and tackling a murderer hardly struck Izzy as the most romantic scenario, but when had they ever fit the rom-com mold, anyway? They played by their own rules, and with a demon, sometimes none applied. In the end, it was occasionally important to follow one's heart, and right now, the Holt's was begging for action.

As soon as Maze had parked by the apartment building's parking lot, they were skipping towards the front door. In reality, they were both walking as calmly as possible, but there was no hiding that little eager bounce that united them in each and every step until Maze was finally unlocking the door. It felt like a now-or-never moment, and for once, Izzy tried not to overthink — as soon as Mazikeen had stepped through the threshold and barely flicked the lights on, Isadora had leaped after her, arms tossing over her shoulders and lips finding Maze's in a sloppy, desperate kiss.

It was like a lightning bolt — quick but strong, somehow hypnotizingly beautiful if ever-changing. Maze's hands were on Izzy's hips within a blink of an eye, and as they swayed and stumbled towards the brunette's room, the thirsty kisses deepened and slowed down enough to remind them of how special the moment was. Even with all the heat, there was a deeper understanding, and even with Maze being something of promiscuous, she could feel the heavy void in the pit of her stomach, yet to coil into something else entirely.

It was somewhat strange that they were only now doing this, fingers digging into skin and scrambling to reveal more, lips attached between hot breaths and soft mumbles, eyes closed and bodies so indescribably connected. This very moment had crossed Izzy's mind many times — not the kissing, but the motive behind it. And this time, it wasn't just kissing, it was going to lead to more and as much was obvious as Maze's hand swiped the belt from her waist, the buckle clinging against the wooden floors as she tossed it.

And the demon, despite her personality, had resisted too — admittedly, mostly for Izzy, but for herself too. She wasn't an expert in love or emotions in general, but for and with and from Isadora, she had learned, and she knew that this was more than just sex. It always had been. And even if she had certainly pictured it, dreamed it, she had never felt the need to push any further. They had taken their sweet time, and maybe that made this all the more euphoric for that very reason.

The moment resembled a rollercoaster ride, it was exciting yet it all happened so hastily, with barely any moments to slow down and realize what was happening. And Izzy needed that control, so she did something people rarely could with Maze — partly because of the demon's natural dominance, partly because of the allure to just give in and enjoy the ride — and twirled around, hands finding her thighs so she could lift the slightly shorter woman and wrap her legs around her hips. It made the stumbling into Maze's room a little more complicated, and they nearly sacrificed one of Chloe's framed photos in the process, but eventually, they managed to find the bedroom and while they continued to share relentless kisses, Mazikeen's fingers entwined with Izzy's fiery red hair.

"Hey", Maze breathed out eventually, head tilting back and eyes closing while she clung onto Izzy, whose tall figure had no trouble in holding the woman — the weak whisper that broke the silence managed to draw her away, though, in the fear that she had crossed a line. But, instead, a coy grin appeared on Mazikeen's lips. "You got the handcuffs, right?", she teased, and choking out a laugh, Izzy gently stepped forward to set Maze on the bed, before following her with a careful crawl, finding a slot between her long legs. Instead of replying though, she merely stared into the depth of her dark eyes and smiled, fingertips caressing Mazikeen's sharp jawline while the demon licked her lips and trailed a hand down Izzy's exposed stomach — somehow, she had already had the chance to undress her from her coat and unbutton her shirt.

Silence fell between them, a healthy mixture of content and awkward as they gazed into one another's eyes, hot skin on skin and their heavy breaths filling the air. But it wasn't like either of them was having second thoughts, if anything, Maze was more than ready and Izzy was just trying to cherish it all, remember this moment as it was. Maybe the details of Mazikeen's shiny lipgloss or the usual tip of her eyebrow would fade with time, as would the shivers caused by the weight of her ginger touches, but the unconditional warmth in Izzy's heart nor the absolute trust between them wouldn't. No matter how their story was to end, she wouldn't forget the safety she felt with her, the happiness their interlocked fingers carried in, the excitement every glance and kiss and caress sparked.

"I've had a lot of sex. Like, a lot", Maze blurted out unexpectedly, and while it caught Izzy by surprise, it was nothing compared to the way the brunette then pulled the woman on top of her lower so she could captivate her bottom lip between her teeth. "But I want you to know, I've never been... this intimate with anyone", she continued, and with her eyes falling shut, Izzy gave into the waves of satisfaction, just let the current take her with. And Maze, naturally, took advantage of that, flipping them over and straddling Izzy's hips while smiling down at her and shuffling her own shirt off.

Grinning right back at her, Isadora nodded, appreciative of the reassurance. Somehow, a simple sentence like that skimmed off at least half of the nervousness building up in her, and she wanted to return the favor. So, as she pushed herself up to her elbows so she could connect their lips easier, she spoke the last coherent sentence of the night with unwavering confidence.

"Me neither."

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GIRLFRIENDS™️

i'm already sad about having to end this book at some point, but it might not be the last of izzy!! i also have some one shots planned out, as there were a ton of stand-alone episodes in season 3 and throwing izzy into those scenarios is something i've already begun working on (:

thank you for reading! ❤️