MORNING ARRIVED WITH UNEXPECTED PEACE despite the strain and aching in Annika's back, all of it caused by falling asleep on the couch with all her limbs uncomfortably nestled onto the lumpy, old cushions. Nonetheless, when her eyes finally parted and found the living room ceiling, illuminated by streaks of sunlight bleeding in from outside, her lips curled up and there was no denying that Lucifer was the reason behind the insistent smile refusing to fade away. It was an odd combination to consider — happiness and the Devil, but when Annika weighed her options, she could only accept that the previous day hadn't been worth a smile until Lucifer had shown up.

    The thought of the man was finally what got Annika to sit up with a groan. She could remember settling down on the couch with her legs entangled with Lucifer's with their heads on opposite armrests, yet he was now nowhere to be seen. Or, not until she was rising from her slumber and rubbing her eyes just in time to find Lucifer moving around in her kitchen, swaying to imaginary music while preparing what seemed a lot like breakfast. The view earned a chuckle from Annika as she stretched and landed her feet on the chilly floor, making the boards creak and successfully gaining Lucifer's attention on her.

    "Good morning, darling. Correct me if I'm wrong...", he hummed and drew his gaze away from Annika to slowly slide his eggs from the pan to the sandwich he had already prepared and plated. "But I believe this is the second morning we share after our second night of not having sex. Something must be truly wrong with me. Or you, perhaps?" he wondered out loud while handing over the delicious sandwich Annika couldn't wait to dig in, even if she made sure to send him a stern look.

    "Did you have a cooking class in Hell or are you just a natural talent?" she elected not to insist that his claims didn't make it onto her list of flaws, but instead, she munched on the sandwich happily. The presence of food got her cat to make an appearance too, and as Violet seated herself on Annika's lap once the woman made it to the dining table, every part of the morning seemed just about perfect.

    Laughing out loud — which Annika found herself deeply enjoying — Lucifer rounded the table so he could lean over and take in a deep breath while bringing his intent stare to Annie's brown eyes. "Oh, I'm a natural at several things. Care to find out?" the man teased, making it impossible for not Annika to become flustered, which only pleased him further. It seemed that every time she thought herself to have the upper hand, Lucifer pulled a fast one on her, inevitably leaving her subdued by his charms.

    Nevertheless, Annika fought back silently and after finishing her sandwich, she was escaping the tension by carrying the empty plate over to the sink. Once she turned around, however, there Lucifer was again — inches away from her, not too suffocating but not afraid to take risks, either. Danger and temptation shone in his eyes as he stepped closer, and poor Annika, with her breath hitching in her throat, felt weight build on her heart until she thought she was going to pass out. She hadn't expected to find herself so smitten, but she suspected it was an effect Lucifer had on most people, and she failed to be an exception.

    What kept him coming to her, though, she couldn't fathom.

    Once more, Annika snuck from under his arms, dismantling the potential moment as they returned to the reality where Lucifer was a flirty little shit and she was a pure angel who repeatedly denied herself the bliss of giving in. She wasn't exactly bothered by Lucifer's attempts, and she trusted that if she just said the word, he would back off, but she wasn't quite bold enough to stop resisting whatever he was hoping to ignite in her.

    "The Detective called me while you were sleeping", Lucifer changed the subject smoothly, hardly moved by being rejected yet again. "I think you'll be pleased to hear that the murderer has been caught and you can safely return to work on Monday", he delivered the good news, and immediately, Annika was beaming up at him with relaxation and joy. For a moment there, she was utterly at peace, more than happy that whoever had killed the janitor was behind bars — maybe she'd even dare to step into her classroom.

    "Thank you, Lucifer", Annika radiated gratitude, leaving out the specifics but the man picked up on all that she meant, from the good news to the sandwich and the support he had offered. The smile she gave him made him feel almost warm and fuzzy on the inside, which was the last thing he could have expected, but it seemed that whenever she was happy, he was too.

    "Right, I better be on my way, then", Lucifer cleared his throat awkwardly before straightening out his jacket and gesturing at the front door, "plenty of homicides out there to solve, I imagine." Softly, he placed a hand on Annika's shoulder before stepping for the entrance and glancing at her once more, taunting but somehow affectionate, at the same time. "Have a lovely day, Annie."

    With that, he was gone and only traces of his aftershave lingered in the silent air that Annika filled with a careful sigh. "Be still, my heart", she just whispered, and damn right meant it, too.

—————

    THE FEW FOLLOWING DAYS WERE colored with disappointment that Annika hadn't anticipated, mostly because of Lucifer's sheer absence. Only then she realized how she had already accepted him as a part of her life, and now that he had disappeared to live his own, she felt the gap he had left behind. Had she known that him walking out the door would have been for more than a day, she wouldn't have let him go without getting his number, at the very least — though she did know that Maeve wouldn't have to be asked twice for another visit to Lux, but so far, Annika assured herself she wasn't that desperate.

    Still, the weekend went by tediously, even when Maeve had shown up to share explicit details of her latest hook-up, and Annika couldn't wait for Monday.

    When the day finally arrived, she woke up early, got ready, fed Violet and happily got in her car to drive over to the elementary school. Anything she could do to draw her thoughts away from Lucifer and that damned smirk of his, she would — and there was nothing better than her dream job to do the trick. She had always dreamed of being a teacher, especially one for languages, which had only been confirmed the one time she had covered for Maeve and caused a minor explosion in the science lab. From English to German, French, Spanish and Swedish, Annika knew what she was doing, but it wasn't just the languages that made her job worthwhile. It was the chance to shape young minds, support the children, whether it meant hugs or a chance to call her by her first name.

    Simply put, she was determined to help each and every kid that crossed paths with her, no matter what.

    As the day got started and Annika stepped into the classroom that had been vigorously cleaned to the point where the air was thick with chemicals, her confidence undeniably faltered. The new janitor had attempted to wash the room of bad memories, but even as the children flowed in and filled the space with smiles and joy, Annika couldn't deny that it felt strange, almost wrong. But, if nothing else, it did take her thoughts off of Lucifer.

    When the bell rang for the final time that day and the kids practically sprinted outside, Annika called after them with goodbyes, and in response, she got a choir of thanks for yet another nice day. The fulfilling feeling left Annika with an indestructible smile as she began to pack her own things, but as soon as silence landed in the room, it turned out she wasn't all by herself, after all.

    "Annika?" a careful voice spoke from across her desk suddenly, and surprised to find out someone had stayed behind, Annika sat up from her chair to find Trixie Decker smiling up at her with innocence. "My dad is going to pick me up soon. Can I wipe the board while I wait?" she added while clutching on her large backpack, and always delighted to receive help and company, Annika gave Trixie an encouraging nod as permission.

    While the girl cleaned the board of the notes Annika had written down, the teacher went through her plan for the next day, both of them in comfortable silence until Trixie's curiosity got the best of her. "Are you and Lucifer dating?" she wondered, and instantly, Annika's eyes were flying open and the pen she had been tapping against her lip dropped onto the desk. She had long ago learned that kids were straightforward with their thoughts and opinions, and more often than not, her students asked her questions she didn't have an answer to, but this one was possibly the most awkward of them all.

    "No, we're not", Annika corrected with her cheeks heating up at the mere idea, and surprisingly, Trixie reacted with a dismayed frown. "Uh, did he say that we are?" the Hayden asked carefully, unable to stop herself from prying, and it most certainly didn't go unnoticed by Trixie.

    "No, I just think you would be cute together", she shrugged casually and then returned to the board, as if nothing had happened, until she came up with more interesting ideas to present. "Do you like him?" she asked when Annika had already turned back to her desk, and this time, the brunette couldn't hide a smile when she faced the girl again.

    "Aren't you a curious one, little Miss Decker. He's my friend, I think. So yes, I like him. But that's all I'm going to say about it, alright?" Annika determined with a soft poke against Trixie's nose, making the child giggle and settle for the answers she had gotten. Once the interrogation was over, Annika sighed quietly — it was no exaggeration to say that Trixie had plenty of her parents in her, from the courage and the ability to make someone break a sweat with a few right questions. Frankly, she wouldn't be surprised if, in some years, there would be another Detective Decker.

    The peace in the room was disrupted by a light knock on the door, and quickly looking up from her pile of papers, Annika located none other than Dan Espinoza standing at the doorway with a gentle wave. Happily shouting for her dad, Trixie parted from the board and greeted Dan with a tight hug, while the man met her with equal enthusiasm. Once he looked over to Annika, though, his face twisted with guilt and an apologetic look crossed his eyes.

    "Sorry, I'm late, I got stuck at work. I hope she wasn't a bother", Dan explained with a teasing nudge given to Trixie, but he had barely gotten the words out when Annika was dismissing his worries with a wave of her hand. She understood how being a detective couldn't always be easy, especially as of late.

    "Never. Great to see you, Dan", she promised with clasped hands, and after sharing smiles, Dan was taking a step back to the hallway. Before he could leave, however, Trixie was pulling back with a desperate attempt at a wink directed at Annika, making the woman laugh.

    "You really should talk to Lucifer. I think he likes you too", Trixie pointed out matter-of-factly, and although Annika failed to deliver more than a weak nod, she feared that she would have to stay true to her promise. Perhaps she wasn't going to talk to Lucifer about whatever it was Trixie was not-so-sneakily hinting at, but the man had been in her thoughts for far too long for her to ignore any longer, and she couldn't come up with a better way to fix it than stopping by his club.

    And here Annika had lived in the belief that she would never go to that place, let alone for the second time, and willingly.

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Update 09/04/2020: This book has now been rewritten, so the face claim for Annika is no longer Scarlett, and Myra's name is now Maeve! Most of the changes are minor but if you're suddenly confused about the subtle differences, that's why! x