Lucifer's Mansion, Wednesday Morning

[okteiviakom]

Regardless of which bed it was, usually the middle spot was Duke's. But not last night. Lucifer was a devil of his word: he'd wrapped her up in his arms as soon as they made it to bed.

And he'd put her in the middle.

That was where she still was as she woke up this morning. She opened her eyes and saw nothing but the constellations of freckles on Lucifer's chest.

There were no words for how much better that was than staring at the ceiling on her boat would have been.

[ooc: For the two. eta: Somewhat NSFW for a bit there!]

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[okteiviakom]

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."

[betterthanaplan]

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."

[okteiviakom]

"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.

[betterthanaplan]

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

[okteiviakom]

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."

[betterthanaplan]

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."

[okteiviakom]

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.

[betterthanaplan]

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

[okteiviakom]

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.

[betterthanaplan]

"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."

[okteiviakom]

"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.

[betterthanaplan]

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.

[okteiviakom]

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

"This is just survival."

Like always.

[betterthanaplan]

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."

[okteiviakom]

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

"I know," she said, softly.

[betterthanaplan]

"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."

[okteiviakom]

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.

[betterthanaplan]

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

[okteiviakom]

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

[my_own_advocate]

"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.

[betterthanaplan]

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

[okteiviakom]

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

[my_own_advocate]

"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.

[betterthanaplan]

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

[okteiviakom]

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.