Isla San Pedro, Chile, Wednesday Afternoon

[okteiviakom]

Summer's voicemail about the painting had come in yesterday. It was the first message from Fandom since they'd taken off before the holidays. And it felt a little like they were being called back. Like it was time to re-join real life again.

But not yet. Not just yet.

For now, Octavia had a picked a stretch of beach - not a particular one, just a nice one - to wade out into the water from. She was feeling the sun on her skin, some very gentle waves against her legs.

And just breathed.

[ooc: NFB for distance, obvs, but open.]

Comments

[betterthanaplan]

“Adventurous,” Duke said. “I haven’t used one of those in ages.”

[my_own_advocate]

"You're welcome to give this one a try," Lucifer said, grinning. "I bet it would be pretty."

[betterthanaplan]

“Of course it would,” Duke boasted. “I’m always pretty. I bet between the three of us we could make it spectacular.”

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer chuckled. "You just want Octavia to break out the big one," he teased.

He kissed Duke again. "...admittedly, so do I."

Mmm, Octavia and her fondness for toys.

[betterthanaplan]

“. . . Now I’m picturing Octavia having her way in full control of both of us,” Duke said.

In the past, that would have made him shy away. Reminded him too much of the side of her he was still leery of. Now, though. . . .

“. . . I like it.”

[my_own_advocate]

"... oh, really?"

Lucifer gave him a thoughtful look, if such a thing was possible from this angle.

"She is quite good at it."

[betterthanaplan]

“Well I’m not saying I won’t wanna take it slow,” Duke said. “But yeah. Both of us together? That’s fucking hot.”

[my_own_advocate]

"We are both fucking hot," Lucifer allowed. His hand drifted down Duke's shoulder. "So what's in your mind's eye?"

[betterthanaplan]

Duke shook his head with a low chuckle. "I don't even know, man. A big blur of nakedness and strappy black and Octavia watching and ordering us to do things to each other."

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer chuckled softly. "I did smuggle back a few of her strappy things," he said. "I haven't even told her yet."

[betterthanaplan]

Duke rolled onto his side, resting his head on Lucifer's thigh. "Oh yeah? Got a surprise planned for her?"

[my_own_advocate]

"Just a small one," Lucifer said. His fingers slid into Duke's hair by pure compulsion; he did love seeing it loose and smelling a bit of the ocean. "We've skipped a date night or two, so I was hoping to tempt her to go full-on at the next one."

[betterthanaplan]

"You should," Duke said. "I'm a little jealous of your date nights, you know. Or . . . I guess the fact that you have them and have managed to stick to them. I'm not that good at keep up with a routine."

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer let out a soft huff. "I think she and I need them," he said. "And she needs the structure."

His thumb slid along Duke's cheek. "You need other things, and you and I are able to be far more spontaneous together."

[betterthanaplan]

Duke nodded, thinking about that for a moment. (And enjoying the feel of Lucifer's thumb against his cheek.)

"I guess . . . I wish I was better at being what she needs."

[my_own_advocate]

"You are what she needs enough of the time," Lucifer said. His fingers settled into a rhythm, running along Duke's cheek, up into his hair, and back again. "That's the joy of this arrangement, love. We all need-- quite a bit. More than we can ask of a single person. You're there to pick up the slack when I stick my foot in it with her, and vice versa."

[betterthanaplan]

Duke closed his eyes, leaning into the touch.

"Yeah," he said softly. "I try to remind myself of that." He smiled. "And when I can't . . . you do it for me."

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer smiled. "You can go camping with her without her feeling like something she loves is being tolerated, at best," he murmured. "Just to name one thing."

[betterthanaplan]

"True. And I can go clubbing with you without you feeling the same way."

[my_own_advocate]

"Exactly," Lucifer said. "She's very particular about everything. I just upset her merely by mentioning I was looking forward to the day we were past recovery and into whatever comes next."

He kissed the top of Duke's head.

"This is a large part of why I've been trying to drag you out more, darling," he said, softer. "We don't need Sunday date nights. We need those days where we just want to take to the city and see what happens together."

[betterthanaplan]

"And it has nothing to do with the fact that I'm turning into a human hermit crab?"

Those would be actual hermits, Duke.

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer chuckled. "I might do it more often when you're being a hermit," he allowed. "But that's not why I do it."

[betterthanaplan]

"Well. Whatever the reason, I'm glad you do it. I get too stuck in my own head sometimes. It's nice to have someone to pull me back out."

[my_own_advocate]

"Always," Lucifer said. His smile was stupidly fond. "I love you dearly, Duke Crocker. And you're very needed, and wanted, by both of us."

Look, even Lucifer had managed to grasp his partner's neuroses after the past few years of-- everything.

[betterthanaplan]

Duke pushed up on his elbow so he could hook his hand around the back of Lucifer's neck and pull him into a kiss.

It was the only possible response to that kind of statement.