okteiviakom | Lucifer's Mansion, Wednesday Morning

Duke had been more than happy to let her have the middle spot last night, and had been clever enough to not make a big deal about it.

He'd gone to sleep as wrapped up around the two of them as he could get, but overnight had uncurled a bit to sprawl out on his back instead, though his arm and leg were still tangled up with hers.

He let out a faint, unintelligible mumble in his sleep, and started to gently snore.

It wouldn't be a surprise to her that she was the first one to wake, surely? Lucifer's arms hadn't moved much overnight, though he'd relaxed a bit back into the mattress.

His eyes were closed.

It was not a surprise, no.

And Octavia spent a long moment perfectly still save for her breathing, just listening to Duke's quiet snore, and drawing patterns between freckles in her head.

Though eventually she moved just enough to do the same with the light touch of a single, very slowly moving fingertip.

He felt that. Somewhere in the depths of his subconsciousness.

Lucifer let out a soft sigh. Not quite waking yet, but closer.

Octavia's touch didn't change any.

She drew a star.

Slowly, Lucifer's eyes drifted open. They looked a bit fuzzy.

Octavia wasn't really looking up at his face, so she didn't know he'd opened his eyes.

She traced a slow spiral. And shifted a little, her leg moving against Duke's as she did.

Duke let out another faint mumble and shifted, pressing his leg firmer against hers.

And did not wake.

"'Tavia?" Lucifer murmured softly, sleepy.

"Hey," Octavia replied just as softly, looking up. "Ha yun, skaifaya."

"Mm," Lucifer hummed softly, tightening his arm around her.

And apparently part of Duke's arm in the process. "Morning."

So apparently being held tight didn't feel any less good this morning than it had last night. Good to know.

Octavia shifted just enough to kiss him. A proper greeting, and all.

Very proper. Lucifer fell into it gently, kissing her back slow and sweet.

Shifting, so he was pressed up against her more, his leg winding up in tangle with at least three other, similar limbs.

There were a lot of limbs in this bed. And a lot of space going unused, even if Duke's sprawl was trying to make up for that.

Octavia's fingers pushed through Lucifer's hair. The kiss was languid and soft, but she clearly intended to linger for a moment.

Lucifer let out a low, pleased hum at the feeling of her fingers, her mouth under his.

His hand shifted, running along her side, her back, brushing against Duke's skin in the process.

The kiss grew maybe a bit less gentle.

A bit was enough for Octavia to notice.

It was also enough for Octavia to respond in kind, even if some of the slow of it all still remained.

There was a low hum in the back of her throat, too.

Duke was well and capable of sleeping through a lot, but active makeouts in bed next to him did eventually penetrate his sleeping brain.

His snores died down, and he blearily opened his eyes to see his partners sleepily enjoying each other. He shifted, slow and careful, trying not to disturb them, so he could more comfortably watch.

Was there anyone in this relationship who didn't like watching?

... Probably a good thing.

Lucifer's hand slid back down over her hip, and then quite behind said hip, getting a firm grip on her. He sucked slowly on her bottom lip.

Mm.

Much worse ways to wake up.

Octavia made a pleased noise that was a little louder than her hum fromm before. Not loud, but definitely a little less faint.

She'd felt the mattress dip behind her. And had noticed there was no more snoring.

Her nails, blunt though they were, scratched down the back of Lucifer's neck. Another sharper point of contact.

Duke made himself comfortable and settled in, biting his lower lip. There was nothing pressing going on right now, and they all deserved a nice, leisurely morning.

In a little while, maybe he'd invite himself to join as well, but for now, he was content right where he was.

There was definitely some pressing going on. Certainly after Octavia's nails dragged down Lucifer's back. His hips, to be exact, pressing up against hers.

He glanced briefly over her shoulder to see if Duke was still asleep. Noticed he wasn't, and then dove right back into the kiss.

Where Octavia took her chance to nibble on his lip a little. Not too harsh, not quite gentle. Her leg slid over his hip as she tried to wrap herself further around him.

Maybe this was a thank you for last night, for the complete lack of questions or expectations about whatever she should share about how everything had gone.

For the middle spot.

Duke continued to watch, the hand not tucked under Octavia's pillow dipping under the covers to handle some of the somewhat . . . pressing parts of his own anatomy as they moved together.

Lucifer let out a soft sigh against her mouth. Squeezed a bit, teasing, as he rubbed himself more firmly up against her.

Then his hand slid down her thigh.

None of them were in any hurry. He could give in to the desire to just... touch her.

Like Octavia was doing with him, running her fingers up into his hair, then back down to his neck again.

There was just one thing missing, though. And that had her using the leg she had hooked over his hip to try and encourage him to roll with her. Put her on her back with him on top of her.

Lucifer managed a soft sound, something halfway amused, before he rolled over her, cushioning himself on his elbows.

He cast the quickest glance towards what Duke was doing-- then returned his attention to her. "Is there an idea forming in that gorgeous head of yours?" he murmured, before leaning in to kiss her again.

That made it hard to reply immediately. But there was no rush, anyway. Octavia could get a little lost in kissing him, and then answer.

"Just making sure he can see," she murmured, "whatever I decide you should do to me."

Not that it was just that. For her to be able to look over and see Duke was important too.

"Oh," Lucifer said, his smirk especially pleased. "Whatever you decide, hm?"

"Mm-hm," Octavia hummed, and nipped at his lip again.

Awfully casual for someone fighting not to amend that into 'whatever I request', right now.

"Well," Lucifer said, smirking still. "Consider me waiting with bated breath for your decision."

Another quick kiss, this time from him.

Octavia made it less quick, looping her arm around his neck. Hey, it helped her think! Granted, a lot of that thinking was about how pleased Duke probably continued to look, but, still.

She pulled back with a sigh, after a long moment. "It's a slow morning," she said in a raspy, low murmur. "I think... An hour might be too much, but how 'bout we see how we feel at the half-hour mark, hmm?"

He got what she was talking about, right? She hoped he did.

Lucifer laughed softly, delighted. "Mm, sounds like a worthy cause," he said.

And just in case that didn't tell her he knew what she was getting at, he was already slipping down, pressing a kiss between her breasts.

"Endurance test," Octavia rasped, towards the ceiling, with a little sigh. "Well, for me." A beat. "And maybe for Duke."

What, like he was going to find it easy to hold off on interfering with a half-hour-or-more long edging session?

Another beat.

"For you, it's just a lengthy early breakfast."

"With perhaps some sausage at the end," Lucifer agreed, because how could he not?

He shot Duke an impish look, longer and more lingering than his brief glances before.

And then slid down Octavia's body to... get to work. For a while.

Half an hour really was just a lengthy early breakfast.

It was a bit of an endurance test for Duke, too, though he was up to the challenge. And resisting the urge to applaud when they were all spent at the end.

"Think, uh," he said, as he sprawled across the sheets again. "Think maybe it's my turn to make the more traditional breakfast."

Octavia snorted faintly, curling against his side. There was an air of ease to her that hadn't been there for... honestly, a while.

It wouldn't last. But for now, it was here. In her expression as she tilted her head to look at him. In the quiet teasing note of her voice.

"You saying that doesn't have potential to be tradition?"

"Why not make it a regular two-fer?" Lucifer asked, stretching a bit. His jaw had started to feel a bit sore, but it was entirely worth it. "Clams and sausages, followed by bacon and eggs."

Duke laughed for longer than the pun was worth. "Vegetarian sausage and bacon, of course," he said, flicking Octavia a lazy smile. "Yeah, I think I could get used to that."

Octavia had been slowly making kind of a face, so that was a good addition. You know, like listening to his laugh hadn't already been enough.

(She hadn't heard that nearly enough, lately. That alone made everything about this more than okay.)

She propped her head up on one arm. "No objections from me."

"Mm, good," Lucifer said. He craved a cigarette. "Though I'm torn between Octavia and I staying in bed and watching you do rumpled cooking," he said, looking at Duke.

Look, that laugh was nice for everyone here.

"See, this is the trouble with these giant houses. If your kitchen was right by your bedroom, you could potentially do both."

"There's always video calls," Octavia offered, but it didn't sound like a genuine suggestion. "I want to watch you live, though."

"At this point he's just convincing me we should order breakfast in, instead," Lucifer mused lazily. "He'd have to get dressed if he's going to cook, and I prefer him naked and sticky like nature intended."

"Good plan. But . . . who's going to go get the breakfast when it arrives?"

"Not me," Octavia said, managing to be both immediate and lazy in her response. "Not sure my legs even work yet."

There'd been a lot of tension! And trembling.

Lucifer sighed loudly. "I will, I suppose," he said, "It's a sacrifice I'm willing to make this once."

Because they were both pretty naked.

He reached lazily for his phone on the nightstand.

"Mmm, best boyfriend," Duke said, reaching over Octavia to give Lucifer a loving pat. "No, but seriously, that celestial endurance is impressive."

"Everything about him is impressive," Octavia said, faintly amused, but also faintly distracted.

She was watching Duke's face.

This was... if not the first, then definitely one of the first times she'd actually heard him call Lucifer that.

"She's right," Lucifer agreed, grinning. "I was going to go for an hour, but she thought that'd be long."

He surfed idly to the site of a local food restaurant, then looked away again to just... admire the two of them. "Either way, watching either of you put on clothes right now would be an absolute crime," he said, "And I won't stand for it."

"We could do togas?" Duke said, nudging a discarded sheet with his foot. "Also, I would absolutely like to reserve seats for when he really does try for an hour."

Octavia snorted, softly. "Hour's not really up to just his endurance."

"Or you could just stay naked," Lucifer said sagely. "She won't let me try for an hour."

"You're right," Duke said, rolling over and wrapping his arm over Octavia while he pressed a kiss to her shoulder. "You were also very impressive. I don't think I could go for nearly as long. Definitely not a whole hour."

Octavia's arm settled over his, her fingers rubbing idly at the inside of his arm near his elbow.

"We'll have to test that sometime, jaka, if you'd like," she replied, faintly amused. Then cast a look over at Lucifer. "Also, I have never stopped you from trying for an hour."

"You said it was too much," Lucifer pointed out. "Or... something like that."

“Right. Next time, an hour.” Duke peered up at Lucifer from his spot on Octavia’s shoulder. “What are we getting for breakfast?”

There'd been a specific reasoning behind that at the time! Not that Octavia seemed inclined at all right now to get into that. Especially with what Duke had just said.

Both things, actually.

"Actual food, presumably."

Ha ha.

"Considering the options, I was thinking Thai," Lucifer mused, "Though I could go fancy and get a breakfast place on the mainland, but we'd be waiting longer."

"I don't mind waiting," Duke said. "I also don't mind Thai, but waiting means all three of us get to lie around here naked a bit longer."

"Either's fine," Octavia said.

She was drawing another star against Duke's arm.

"French toast with fruit from the mainland it is, then," Lucifer said, tapping a few more options on his phone.

He put it aside and stretched out over the two of them, trying to steal a kiss from Duke. Hadn't had one this morning yet, and that clearly couldn't stand.

Clearly! Duke popped his head up off Octavia's shoulder to return that kiss, then smiled down at the shapes she was drawing on his arm.

"Feeling the urge to doodle, are we?"

Octavia had looked up to watch them kiss, but now her eyes returned to her own hand again.

Triangle. Circle.

"Guess so."

"Edible body paint," Lucifer mused. "Now there's an idea for another day."

He decided he quite liked being sort of draped over both of them, so he lingered there for a bit.

"Oh hell yeah. Maybe we can improvise with fruit or chocolate sauce when the french toast gets here."

Octavia snorted.

The shapes were getting a little more abstract.

Lucifer laughed softly. "Now, I'm not sure playing with our food is the best choice with these sheets," he mused, glancing briefly at Octavia.

Look, there was a reason he'd gone to paint, not to food. He remembered her reaction from last time.

Duke caught that glance, and while he wasn't remembering that event, he was perfectly happy to go along with what Lucifer was clearly hinting.

"Well. Far be it for me to suggest ruining your sheets."

Octavia was grateful, in her very quiet, non-obvious way.

Just drawing more random spirals up and down Duke's arm.

Lucifer was fairly sure Duke hadn't been around for it, anyway, the first time he'd floated involving actual food with sex around Octavia.

"Perhaps she's just plotting out your next tattoo," he mused.

"Hmmm, maybe. Something kinda spinny." Duke picked up his hand just enough to start drawing shapes in return on Octavia. "I don't know, what do you guys think I should get next?"

"More animals?" Octavia offered.

Or maybe that was just where she was trending, herself.

"The two of you are the tattoo experts," Lucifer pointed out, faintly amused, running his fingers up Duke's thigh.

Yeah, but Duke was kind of thinking like he should get a Lucifer themed one, and wanted his input.

Not that he was going to tell the guy that. That way probably lay another bout of panic.

"Animals are good," he said. "I've got my shark and the caterpillars, and of course the butterflies. What's something that says . . . strong and stubborn?"

Octavia's face scrunched up, faintly.

"... A bear?"

She only had limited knowledge of what animals were associated with what traits, so. That was something of a stab in the dark.

"Bulls, oxes," Lucifer mused, "None of which really scream 'pretty tattoo'."

Duke was chuckling. "Yeah, all that sounds like I'm trying to get into some scene somewhere. As lovely as bears are in general."

Octavia shrugged. As best as she could, under the circumstances.

"You asked."

Lucifer grinned. "You did," he said. "Either way, as you well know, I'm not into bears, so I'm all in favor of you not inking one on your body."

He ran his fingers over Duke's stomach.

Duke gave a languid stretch, not coincidentally offering up more skin for idle touches. “Hmmm, maybe something less . . . figurative. More abstract.”

Octavia looked up at his face. Asked, softly, "Something like mine?"

Well, the pieces on her upper arms and shoulder, anyway. Nothing abstract about the snake.

"Those do often come out rather gorgeous," Lucifer said, "As long as you avoid a tramp stamp."

He was taking full advantage of all the skin Duke was offering up.

(Half the fun of these recent lazy post-coital mornings was just getting to touch a bit without a goal in mind.)

"So . . . not the lower back. Gotcha." Duke nodded. He pressed another kiss to Octavia's shoulder. "If I got something like yours, where should I put it?" he asked her. "Admittedly, my arms are kind of filling up."

Octavia's hand shifted slowly as she thought it over. It ended up patting his chest. "Maybe here?" she said. "Or... Upper back."

She was absolutely thinking in terms of Grounder tattoos.

"Those are good choices," Lucifer mused. "Or you could pick a leg if you want to stick to limbs. Octavia's turned out rather attractive, I must say."

Complicated snake metaphor and all.

"Yeah, it did," Duke said, picking his head up to try and spot the snake tattoo again. "Of course, it's hard to screw up such nice canvases as ours."

Octavia obliged his attempt to see it by lifting her leg. It was something of a dorky move, but effective.

Her legs hadn't exactly been getting a lot of sun lately, so the precise lines of ink looked particularly dark on her skin.

"I like it too," she said, softer than either of them.

Lucifer let out a soft huff.

His hand stopped moving, somewhere on Duke's chest.

His mouth pressed a kiss to Duke's abdomen.

Hush. He wasn't feeling some kind of rush of deep l- fondness for both of them. He was just... really gently letting his mouth linger against Duke's skin.

Duke, already looking down towards Octavia's leg, watched Lucifer now instead, the way his face softened as he went in for the kiss. Very much the same way it had when he kissed Octavia.

He bit his lip to keep from saying something just then that would ruin the moment, and instead just watched and felt and enjoyed the small moment of peace between the three of them.

Octavia lowered her leg quietly back onto the bed. She glanced up at Duke, at Duke's face, then back down again.

Her hand left Duke's chest. And moved to where she could brush the backs of her fingers against Lucifer's temple. Idle, gentle.

Lucifer expelled a soft sigh, and let his head drop on Duke's skin, leaning a little into Octavia's touch at the same time.

His eyes slid shut. Something like peace passed over his features.

Duke, following Octavia’s example, ran his fingers lightly up and down the back of Lucifer’s neck.

“You take such good care of us,” he said, voice barely loud enough to hear.

Octavia gave a quiet hum. A soft agreement.

Her hand kept moving, slow and soothing.

Lucifer barely caught that. Almost snorted instinctively, but... somehow, he didn't.

"I'm just glad you're here," he said, almost as quietly.

Duke flattened his hand against Lucifer’s neck and gave it a gentle squeeze, then went back to stroking it.

All the words that came to Octavia seemed like they would be pushing something. She swallowed all of them.

She let this moment be.

It was good. It deserved to be left alone.

It even got to linger for a while, before the doorbell abruptly pulled Lucifer out of it. He blinked, pulling away, and sat up. "Well," he said, "So much for 'it'll be a while'."

Duke tugged on the back of Lucifer's neck, trying to pull him up into a kiss.

"Be quick."

Octavia... watched.

What?

Lucifer kissed him back, not lingering nearly as long as he'd like.

He pulled away, and pressed a kiss against Octavia's mouth that was so fleeting he was already halfway out the door while tying his robe a moment later.

Duke let out a soft sigh watching him go, then turned back to Octavia.

"We got pretty lucky, huh."

Octavia was still looking at the empty doorway. "Yeah," she murmured, before turning to try and give Duke a quick kiss of her own.

Then she pulled away, moving for the edge of the bed.

Duke kissed back, then let her go. He sprawled on his side, perpendicular across the bed, and propped his head on his hand while he watched her move.

He wanted to ask her what had prompted her need for the middle spot last night, but also didn't want to make a big deal about it and maybe prevent her from asking if she needed it in the future.

Instead, he went with "so, tattoo to represent Lucifer: too much, or a sweet gesture?"

Octavia stopped right as she'd gotten her feet on the floor. She looked back at him over her shoulder, with barely raised eyebrows.

"Might be too much if you tell him."

Duke huffed though his nose. "I've figured that much out, yes," he said with a small smile. "I don't have any grand plans or anything. It just . . . thought about it just now. You know, strong and stubborn."

"So that's what that was about, hm?" Octavia replied, softer again, as she stood up. Maybe with a touch of wry. "I'm not sure those are the first words I'd reach for."

True though they were.

"Yeah? What'd you go for, then?"

Octavia was quiet as she crossed the room to where her jeans were. She picked them up, still looking thoughtful.

"I don't know," she admitted. "But it's just that... Yeah, he's strong, and yeah, he can be stubborn to the point of being infuriating about it --" Pot, kettle. "-- but that's, those aren't the first things I think about when I think about him."

She stuck her hand in one of the pockets.

"I think... tailored suits, and how he grins. How that makes me feel."

Duke nodded. "Sure. . . . But it's a lot harder to subtly ask about animals that fit those traits. Suppose I could get like, a cravat or something."

Octavia shrugged, pulling a little metallic thing from the pocket, then set the jeans back down.

"You're gonna have to find something that works for you," she said, mildly.

"Yeah," Duke said. He let out a dramatic sigh and rolled onto his stomach. "Whatcha got there?"

Octavia returned to the bed. She took a seat on the edge, but sideways, so she was facing him more. Then she flicked the thing over in her hand to show him.

Blister strip.

"Anti-crazy pills," she said, with a rasp that wasn't as wry as she'd wanted it to be. "Getting into the habit of taking them at breakfast."

And also carrying them around in her pocket like a talisman.

"That's a good habit," Duke decided. He sat up and reached over to brush the hair out of her face. "How's that going so far? I've heard the side effects of starting them up can be, uh, a bit much."

"Only started yesterday," Octavia pointed out quietly. "And I met with Dr. Baker yesterday, too, so..."

So, it was difficult to say how much of how hard Tuesday had been was because of therapy and how much the medication.

Duke nodded. That explained the need for a snuggle. "I meant what I said before," he said quietly. "I'm so proud of you."

He'd always known she was braver than he was. This was just another example of how.

Octavia shrugged. Flicked the meds back and forth between her fingers.

"This is just survival."

Like always.

Duke reached for her hand now, trying to draw her attention up.

"There's nothing 'just' about you surviving," he said. "Personally, I have a lot riding on that."

Octavia let him. First by giving his hand a squeeze, then by actually looking up at him again.

"I know," she said, softly.

"Good." Duke nodded, squeezing her hand back, then sat upright again, tone going light. "So . . . should we be figuring out how to fit all three of us onto the Samsara for a night? We've all slept everywhere else now."

Octavia was a little slower too get to anything light, so mild it was.

"Well, considering how little of this bed we really tend to use..." she said, and trailed off.

"We do kind of tend to puppy-pile, don't we," Duke said cheerfully.

"I didn't know that was a term for it," Octavia replied, managing a faint snort, "but I guess."

"Food's here!" Lucifer called from the stairs, walking up and through the doorway with a large box in his arms. "Someone mind getting the plates out of that cabinet?"

Of course he had plates in his bedroom.

Duke laughed. “On it!” he called back. Then piled Octavia. “C’mon, let’s give him a pretty picture to come back to.”

Octavia gave a tiny snort, but went with it. Snuggled in for a kiss and everything.

"Well, someone's been enjoying themselves," Lucifer said as he stepped inside, and quickly dropped the box on the coffee table so he could take a look.

"Just passing the time," Duke said, once he broke from the kiss again. "I'll go get the plates."

Octavia pressed a quick kiss against his neck as he was talking, then pulled back and patted his leg.

"You do that."

She was still clutching the strip of pills in her other hand.

Lucifer pulled the top off of the box, revealing their French toast and many, many vegetarian sides.

He looked up at Octavia and smiled.

Duke darted off to grab three plates from the cabinet. "Beverages," he said. "Ah . . . fruit juice?"

He was going to skip a morning cocktail, since Octavia had expressed concern over his drinking.

"I'll take one of those," Octavia told Duke, flicking some faint little quirk of her lips Lucifer's way as she pushed off the bed for a better look at the box. "Need it, anyway."

"Fruit juice for all," Lucifer agreed, half-turning to watch her go. "I think there might be some OJ in there already."

"Sounds good to me. I'll grab it. You two get settled."

Octavia was still peering at the offerings of the box.

"Looks good."

"Well, there'd be little point to me getting you food you hate, would there?" Lucifer asked.

Duke returned with three tall glasses and handed them around before sitting crosslegged on the bed again. "Well, let's see. Dish it out!"

Octavia did exactly that, prepping each of them a plate and handing theirs to them before taking her seat on the bed.

And then she set her plate down next to her, because she needed both hands for holding the glass and popping one of the pills out of the strip.

(It didn't quite yet look like a ritual, but it would.)

The French toast certainly looked acceptable, even if Lucifer did find himself topping it with a bit more fruit just to satisfy the Insta-itch in the back of his mind.

He glanced up at Octavia. "Ah, I see your medication has arrived."

Lucifer's Mansion, Wednesday Morning

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