The Deck of the Cape Rouge, Wednesday Afternoon

[okteiviakom]

Octavia was starting to feel like she was on a slightly more even keel, post-Haven. Things with Duke were still... maybe a little off, but, they were working on that, bit by bit. And while she hadn't really managed to unpack everything with her therapist yet, she'd at least opened up about some of it.

Things were moving forward.

And this afternoon, Octavia herself was moving. Specifically, on her yoga mat rolled out on the deck of the Rouge. It wasn't super warm out, but that was fine.

It felt like she could breathe.

[ooc: Open! ETA: NFB on all the sex talk, pls and thank you!]

Comments

[betterthanaplan]

“Ah yes. My weeklong meltdown when I tried to break up with Octavia.”

[my_own_advocate]

"I remember," Lucifer said, a little firmer, "having to talk you out of staying just because you felt you should be staying because-- what, you thought you'd be inconveniencing people?"

[betterthanaplan]

“Fuck ifI know,” Duke said. “Maybe I just thought I should be able to handle it.”

He still thought he should be better at handling all of this. Like he should be absolutely unflappable.

[my_own_advocate]

"That's a place where the line is," Lucifer said. "Or... well, a dot, I suppose. To connect to other dots."

[betterthanaplan]

“I felt like I was going to shake apart.”

Hadn’t he used a similar description to Linda not long ago?

[my_own_advocate]

"And you were trying to push yourself to do what you thought everyone expected of you instead."

[betterthanaplan]

“Yeah,” Duke said. “And when I don’t. . . .”

People told him to knock it off.

[my_own_advocate]

"And when you don't what?" Lucifer asked.

[betterthanaplan]

“Someone’s always around, telling me I should.”

[my_own_advocate]

"Even here?" Lucifer said, frowning.

[betterthanaplan]

That just got Lucifer a Look.

He'd just told him he shouldn't wander off, and then followed him in here when he went to take a nap.

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer's eyes went wide.

"...I'm sorry," he said. "I just thought-- that you'd feel worse if you were alone."

[betterthanaplan]

"I know," Duke said. "And I appreciate it, I do. But you still tell me what to do. And -- I still pretty much always do it."

[my_own_advocate]

"Well," Lucifer said, and cleared his throat. "I can leave, if you'd like me to."

[betterthanaplan]

Duke sighed, and reached out his hand.

"No. You're right. It's probably better this way."

[my_own_advocate]

"I just want to do whatever makes you and Octavia happy, Duke," Lucifer said, and took Duke's hand. "And when the two of you are like this, I don't know whether the best choice is to stop you from locking yourself in the other room or to just leave you be to do whatever you feel you need to. I don't know where that line is."

[betterthanaplan]

"I don't know," Duke said. "I wish I did."

[my_own_advocate]

"Next time, just say, 'I really need to do this'," Lucifer said quietly. "I'll lay off if you say that. Like... a conversational safeword."

[betterthanaplan]

Subbiest sub

Duke swallowed and nodded. "Okay. I will."

[my_own_advocate]

Promise me, Lucifer wanted to say. But that was making Duke do something, wasn't it?

"I love you," he said, nodding shallowly. "All right? That's more important to me than you doing things the way I want them done."

[betterthanaplan]

"I know," Duke said. "I love you too." He tried for a little smile. "Now, uh. I really do kind of want to nap here. You can stay, if you want."

[my_own_advocate]

"If you're sure," Lucifer said, studying Duke's face. "I can go-- spend some time in the sauna, if you'd rather nap alone."

[betterthanaplan]

Duke shook his head. "I don't think that would help me. And I really don't think it would help you."

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer tried very hard not to let the relief show on his face, but some of it snuck into his eyes in spite of it. "All right," he said, setting his alcohol aside, and tucked himself under the blankets without letting go of Duke's hand.

[betterthanaplan]

Duke shifted a little closer to him and closed his eyes.

"If, you know, I do . . . need to follow someone's directions. I'd rather it be you."