"ARE YOU SURE you're going to be fine?" Chloe Decker's voice was colored with several tones of concern and agitation, which wasn't quite so typical for the usually calm and collected detective, but right now, there was an edge of hesitation keeping her on her toes as she followed Maze and Izzy fuss around the kitchen.
Quite frankly, that very same question had reared its head in Izzy's thoughts once or twice too, but after Maze had suggested a trip to Canada, she had been mostly excited — not only was she eager to get out of the city for some quality time with her girlfriend, but it had been a while since she had seen her grandparents, or been somewhere colder. As much as she loved Los Angeles, the heat could be a bit much and that mixed with the crimes she had to deal with on a daily basis, could feel somewhat suffocating. Therefore, when Mazikeen had come to her with a proposal to drop everything and travel somewhere a little more secluded by her side, Izzy had immediately requested a few days off of work and celebrated when they had been granted.
It wasn't that she didn't love her work anymore — if anything, each day got more and more exciting and with more time and experience, came more responsibility and career opportunities, which she hadn't hesitated to grab. Mazikeen, on the other hand, was struggling to keep the bounty hunting intriguing enough, as almost every case wound up too easy for the multi-skilled soul torturer, so when Lucifer had suggested going after the toughest challenge possible, she had put thought into action instantly. After some digging at the LAPD, she caught whiff of a specific human that no cop had ever successfully caught and kept locked up, Ben Rivers, and when the last sighting was confirmed to take place in Canada, it was time for the two lovers to pack their bags and head out.
And the sudden exit, despite the solid stage in their relationship, was worrying Chloe — she trusted in her friends' abilities to handle themselves, but there was a lot that could go wrong. Izzy and Maze, however, were unbothered by the possibility of danger. In fact, the latter was almost hoping for it, as long as it wouldn't compromise Izzy's safety, but there was no denying that the demon was longing to get back to her roots and kick some ass, preferably with the woman of her dreams assisting her. For someone who had never dared to dream of a relationship, it certainly had become a recurring daydream for Mazikeen.
"Don't you worry, Chlo", Izzy reassured with a smile as she grabbed her beanie from the nearby table and happily tugged it upon her cropped hair. It had been a while since such warm clothes had come in handy, but she had never had the heart to throw any out, and the pride that came with it was evident in her beaming, nearly making Chloe crack a grin, too. "We're going to be just fine. Honestly, I think we're going to have fun. And, if we happen to stop by that bar I mentioned to you once upon a time, I'll make sure to bring you a souvenir", the redhead teased, but despite the taunting tone that earned a snort from the Decker, she pulled the woman into a tight goodbye hug, made of wishes for luck and demands to stay in touch.
"Yeah, just like Iz said", Maze piped up from behind them, her dotted leather jacket shuffling as she threw an arm over Izzy's shoulder and tugged her closer, "it'll be awesome." Nodding in agreement, Isadora pressed an approving, soft kiss on the brunette's cheek before turning back to Chloe with a convincing smile etched on her face, one that made it hard for her to argue.
In all honesty, they needed and deserved the upcoming trip, not merely for the privacy and alone-time, though it was a perk as well, but because the lives they led could be too much sometimes. It wasn't only bad, but despite the calmer tides after the events at Santa Monica Pier and the whole ordeal with Charlotte Richards in general, things had remained hectic, nonetheless. Linda was still recovering from her near-death experience, as was Isadora, both with their own struggles and victories. Returning to the Holt residence had been a big step, not only for the youngest of the family, but for Diane too — Thor might have been the only one to sleep soundly the first night back in the house, clueless to the very real dangers that felt more present than ever before.
There was still a lot that Izzy hadn't quite handled, and the traumatic experiences that only piled one atop the other had nudged her OCD in a worse direction, but with Maze, her mother, and her loyal friends' help, she was holding it together. As was everyone else — none of them were perfectly pieced together, but they were coping. And while Isadora knew that there was no way to turn her back on all of it with a snap of fingers, she could travel to Canada with her girlfriend and try a different approach to her healing — much like Dan, who was packing his bags for Hawaii to see Benjamin and kick back together.
"You ready, babe?", Maze questioned after tossing her bag of whips and knives over her shoulder — the very same that Trixie had tried to sneak on — and as a charming smirk matched the wild enthusiasm shining in the abyss of her eyes, the demon offered her other arm for Izzy. With a deep inhale to take in the last breath of something familiar, the redhead nodded, and cautious of the bumpy scar that had begun to form on the old place of her stitches, she looped her arm with Maze's before waving goodbye to Chloe.
Even if the Decker was worried for the two women who were so bravely heading off, Izzy didn't feel the same anxiety — she had done her fair share of checking and lists and packing, and now, there was nothing else left to do except making their first trip as a couple.
—————
WITH ELLA'S SNACKS and Lucifer's playlist, Izzy had been kept occupied during the handful of hours their flight took, whereas Mazikeen had opted for going over her game plan over and over again until she had fallen asleep. Many things did not intimidate the woman, but Isadora's heart had swelled when she had understood that being on an airplane for the first time was rooting some well-justified anxiety in the demon, but once her hand had been grabbed by her girlfriend, who didn't hesitate to offer words of comfort, the nerves had calmed down a notch. Izzy, on the other hand, wasn't scared of flying — she wasn't all that experienced, and she certainly preferred road trips, but somehow, the dangers of planes failed to shake her down. Perhaps she was just choosing to ignore all the downsides to stop them from gaining control over her, but either way, she had been rational and calm from take-off, until the eventual landing.
Instead of bothering Izzy's grandparents with their violent intentions, or finding a sleek hotel a little way's down, the lovebirds were headed to a ski lodge, where they presumed Ben Rivers could be found. Before jumping into action, though, the two had to check into a room without raising any suspicions or drawing any extra attention to them, and with that in mind, Isadora was taking the lead as she shoved the entrance of the lodge open and pretended to have a hard time with the bag she was dragging behind. Maze was curiously eyeing the redhead, though she didn't argue with the plan Izzy had concocted — anyone who knew Maze, knew that playing it polite and innocent was not her strong suit, though desperate times could drive her to desperate measures, too. But, now that she had a partner-in-fighting-crime, she didn't have to suffer through the fake smiles, when she could simply leave the sweet-talking to the Holt.
"Oh, hi!", Izzy beamed at the man seated between a fireplace and the front desk, "I have a room reservation, under the name Smith? Oh, and let me just say, I love your sweater", the kindness coming naturally off of her, as did the inviting, charming smile she didn't hesitate to flash while dropping the heavy bag at her feet. Though she was, admittedly, putting in an extra effort to seem like another eager tourist, rather than a cop working with her bounty hunter girlfriend to bring down one of the most notorious criminals known in the country. And so far, it seemed to work.
"Oh, you're far too kind", the meek man nearly blushed as he dismissed Izzy's praise with a wave of his hand, yet it was effective enough to get him typing the name into the computer to find their reservation. "Honeymoon?", he queried with a warm smile as he peeked up from the screen and at Izzy, who felt an arm crawl over her shoulders and pull her closer with something that seemed an awful lot like pride and smugness.
Nodding, Maze lifted an eyebrow while staring the man down with an arrogant smirk on her painted lips. "Oh, yeah, you bet. The wife and I always dreamed of coming down here when we got married. I'm used to warmer places but what can I say?", the demon huffed while giving Isadora a wicked gaze, "I'd do just about anything for her." Although Izzy returned the expression with a hint of mischief in her hazel eyes, she most definitely didn't handle the situation as smoothly as Maze — she only thanked her lucky stars that she wasn't able to read thoughts or hear her heartbeat, because either one would have demolished the confidence she tried to radiate. Though, to be fair, perhaps the pure love on her face spoke for itself.
"How lovely. Well, I hope you enjoy your stay, and if you need anything, don't be afraid to ask", the man sighed adoringly at the evident infatuation between the two women, only then reminding them that they weren't alone — however, it didn't take long for Izzy to snap out of it and chuckle awkwardly while grabbing the room keys being handed to them over the front desk with a delicate thank you. Maze was quite the opposite though, as her eyes lingered on Isadora and struggled to glance away, thoughts of Ben having to share the space with thoughts of her girlfriend as she blindly followed after the determined deputy, headed for the stairs.
As Maze caught up with Izzy, it gave the latter the opportunity to lift a curious eyebrow with a hint of a smirk on her lips. "The wife, huh?", she recalled the passed moment, and already shining with the most innocent of darknesses, Mazikeen licked her lips and nudged her with a gentle elbow, forcing Izzy to mimic the amused yet sincere look on her face.
"Couldn't resist", she shrugged, "I guess you're just that charming. For a human", her words earning an incredulous laugh from Izzy, who returned to nudge with a little more force — though never enough to cross any lines. If anything, with Maze, sometimes taking things a little rough was exactly what was expected. And needless to say, doing so right now didn't go unnoticed either but rather sparked something fiery in the torturer as she trailed after Isadora with keen attention.
The crackle of the fireplace and the comfortable buzz of people was left behind as they strode to their room with the bags of clothes, weapons and other necessities, but as soon as they were out of the quiet hallways and retreated into the quaint, excessive room, Maze was leaping towards the woman. Izzy had barely had time to drop their luggage on the hardwood floors, when the brunette was in her arms, both hands holding her face while Isadora had no option but to do the same, leaving her fingers tangled with the woman's dark curls. The taste of candy and alcohol and Mazikeen wasn't half-bad though, and as the initial surprise faded away, Izzy let her hands curl around her neck and wander down to her lower back so she could pin their hips together — though as soon as she pressed the demon closer to herself, she broke the kiss with a heavy exhale and tilted her head back.
"Didn't we come here to catch a bad guy?", Izzy reminded, though she had to admit, when she glanced back down and found Maze biting down on her deep red lip, one hundred percent seductive as she let her fingertips trail from the Holt's cheekbones to the skin of her neck, resisting her wasn't even remotely easy.
"And to have fun, were your exact words. Come on, who says we can't enjoy this big room we have for ourselves? Break in the bed...", Maze suggested in a rare sing-song tone, "or just break the bed", the look in her eyes darkening as she wrapped a finger around Izzy's untamed hair and shrugged at the surroundings.
With one look at their room, Isadora had to admit that it was quite grand and worthy of appreciation — there was a large fireplace attached to the huge living room that led to a balcony with a killer view, and a set wooden stairs led to half a floor with a bigger bed than Lucifer's, and behind Maze stood a door that would surely lead to the fanciest bathroom Izzy would ever set eyes on. Reveling in all that, with the woman of her dreams, was quite the irresistible idea, and yet, she ended up with hesitance when she turned back to Mazikeen.
"Okay, let's make a deal—", she began, only for the bounty hunter to look at her disapprovingly, as if to silently point out that deals were Lucifer's thing, not hers, but it didn't discourage Izzy. "If we go out now and get at least one lead on Rivers, we can come back and order a ton of food and wine and check out the bathtub and the bed and I'm pretty sure there's also a hot tub outside. You're right, we're here to have fun too, but I know you love your job, too", the woman continued boldly, already knowing it was too sweet of an agreement for Maze to pass. And although the latter tried to give her a reluctant stare, she was quickly sold on the idea, and with a shrug, Mazikeen stepped away — but not before grabbing Izzy's arm and placing a soft kiss on her wrist, right at the edge of her jagged scar.
"Lucifer has taught you too well", Maze sighed dramatically as she twirled around, but when she faced Izzy again, there was no hiding that quirk of her lips. "It's hot, though. Come on then, Deputy Holt", she offered her arm for Isadora, and gladly, the cop stalked over to her lover and ducked down to press a firm kiss on her defined cheek before yanking open the door of their room and giving Maze the space to step out first. She wasn't sure if she was only with the thought, but she couldn't deny, the situation vividly reminded her of their first team-up months ago — when Mazikeen had begged for her help in questioning Amenadiel about Charlotte, and the drunken deputy had tried her very best at assisting.
A lot of things had changed then, but their laughter and — this time sober — stumbling hadn't.
After hopping down the stairs, Izzy let go of Maze enough to adjust the beanie that their heated kisses had knocked too much to one side, while the brunette eyed the outdoors through the windows with disgust. She hadn't lied to the clerk when she had mentioned preferring warmer places, but Izzy was nothing but excited as she pushed the doors open and rushed outside, her feet happily kicking the snow and her cheeks already pinched by the freezing weather. The fresh air felt amazing as she breathed it in, and the comfort of her coat was far more superior here than in L.A, all aspects of the nature around her making her grin as she threw her arms out.
"I've missed this!", she exclaimed joyously, frost already forming on the ends of her hairs as she grabbed the light snow from the ground and let it fall from the knitted rainbow-colored mittens she had dug out of her pocket. But when she made a spin around to find Maze still standing by the entrance, it was easy to conclude that she was alone in the enthusiasm — the poor woman was shivering and grimacing and no doubt already wishing they could go back inside. Nevertheless, she had never been a quitter nor one to admit to weaknesses, so she put on a brave face and swallowed the incoming complaints, the visible courage only widening Izzy's smile.
Out of nowhere, a teenage boy ran from inside the lodge and not only pushed Maze, but slammed the door with too much force, and already, Isadora could foresee what was to come — there was no time to warn her girlfriend, however, when the blocks of snow had already come trickling down from the rooftop, the heavy and the cold thudding down on Mazikeen's bare shoulders and leaving her under attack. Although it was quite enough to spark a surge of sympathy in Izzy, she couldn't stop herself from snorting at the sight, and while that was still acceptable, the boy's mocking laughter was positively a mistake.
"For what it's worth, you look beautiful with snowflakes in your hair", Izzy informed Maze with an amused yet admiring smile, unable to deny how endearing the sight was, even if the demon was growling and shaking from the cold; and from anger. That was, eventually, what encouraged Isadora to make a twirl and give the teenager a sarcastic purse of her lips, "I'd run if I were you." The advice was a tad too late, though, because Maze was already one step ahead, wiping the layers of snow off of her before sprinting after the young man in frustration, surely intending to get vengeance.
And somehow, Izzy couldn't even bring herself to stopping her from tossing the boy into a thick pile of snow, head-first — maybe it was because it was much less violent than could have been expected, or maybe it was the happiness raging in her soul in fulfilling little bursts. She hadn't even realized how much she had missed the country and the weather that L.A, despite its greatness, could never offer, or perhaps it just felt a lot more special now that she was there with her biggest dreams achieved: a badge in her pocket and a girlfriend beyond her fantasies kicking the ass of some punk in tight leather. It wasn't exactly what she had expected, given the scars and bruises that marked her and the horrors she had seen and felt and experienced, but when did the future ever work out precisely as planned?
For someone who was just another human between Heaven and Hell, surrounded by demons and angels and powers far greater than she could ever harness, Izzy Holt was doing pretty good.
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I'VE BEEN AVOIDING PUBLISHING THIS BECAUSE I'M NOT READY TO SAY GOODBYEEEE ): i know i say this after every book i write but she really is one of my favorite ocs, and i'm gonna miss writing her so much! though i will probably find ways to bring her back, but still.
anyway, i just want to end on a huge thank you to everyone who stuck by this story, whether you've been on board since the beginning or found this lil story a little later, just thank you tons. all your support means the world to me, really (': AND, i believe this is one of the first maze fics on this site so i'm a bit proud of that, but i definitely hope to see more soon!
thank you for reading, thank you for all your sweet comments ❤️❤️❤️ i hope you enjoyed!