SOME KIND OF HEAVEN ↝ Mazikeen

↳ THIRTY-EIGHT

The moment felt endless, each second an inch more horrifying than the previous, and the waves of emotion were slowly but surely drowning Izzy. Somewhere, deep inside, she was still holding out hope for something better than this, knowing that Lucifer's demise would paralyze her with grief — and guilt, too. They had more or less made up after she had lashed out on him, but things could have ended so much better than the note she left their relationship on, and the idea of never getting to truly apologize or hear another snarky comment from him was too much to handle. She wasn't sure when she had started crying so shamelessly, but the soft hiccup that she failed to hide startled even herself, wobbling lips tasting the bitterness of her tears.

But once more, it was proven to her that it was never too late, never wrong to have hope, even in an utterly impossible moment. After all, their whole situation should have been impossible, yet she couldn't hold back a shaky exhale in complete relief when Linda's one last attempt finally worked and the shock of the defibrillator brought Lucifer back with a gasp. Subconsciously, the redhead squeezed Mazikeen, who was just as amazed to see Lucifer's eyes fly wide open while his body softly landed from the arch he instinctively lifted into and hauled air into his lungs.

A relieved cry broke free from Izzy's lips, and when she couldn't hug Lucifer, who was unsteadily hopping to both feet and stumbling towards the exit with Benjamin at his heel, her arms wrapped around Maze. Surprisingly, the latter was beyond willing to melt into the embrace, both of them laughing in disbelief and holding one another tighter than ever, pure, raw emotion driving them to each other. Concluding from the way Lucifer was quickly heading out, he had located the professor in the deep depths of Hell, and while that reminded Izzy of Chloe's poor state, she now had unwavering faith that everything was going to be okay. Lucifer had defied death, and if that didn't prove just how determined and strong he was, what would?

Isadora only understood to let go of Maze, when the brunette helped Linda revive Charlotte too, and with her, there was hardly any trouble — the Goddess jumped back to life in a matter of seconds, and as her disoriented gaze wandered around the room, Izzy pursed her lips together and hoped that she saw things in a new perspective now, too. She really didn't want to have enemies, but it was difficult to avoid that when one person embodied things she was against, defied all her beliefs and opinions. However, there was a person who was the opposite of that — a person who truly understood Izzy, and who earned the same respect from her.

"Hey, Benny, you okay?", Mazikeen's voice was the first thing to split the thick tension in the room, and almost flinching at her strong but calm tone, Izzy instantly turned to find the woman reaching out to Benjamin. The sight made her smile, even more so when Benji responded with a smile and let the momentary confidence encourage him to hug Maze — she didn't submit to it without a squirm, but the last pieces of Izzy's heart were successfully put together when she eventually gave up.

"What, no hugs for me?", Izzy eventually intervened with an adorable pout on her lips, and unable to stop a chuckle, Benjamin let go of Maze simply to pull the redhead into a loving hug. "I thought so too", the deputy mumbled into his shoulder while he held her tightly in his strong arms. The two had bonded quickly, even if they hadn't known one another for too long, but their friendship, pure and affectionate, showed that time defined nothing. They had liked each other since they first met, and Benjamin was certain that no matter what, that would never change.

And Izzy felt the same way, her heart soaring for the man in the most platonic way possible, full of love and care for the unexpected friend she had found in him. Perhaps it blinded her, though, unable to read the tight hold Benjamin had on her, not understanding that he was saying something silently — something other than a thank you.