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

[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.

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer's hand fell to his shoulder. He smiled into the kiss, feeling another wave of deeply stupid affection.

[betterthanaplan]

Duke loved his stupid affection. The stupider the better. He hadn’t gotten enough stupid affection in his life.

Eventually, after thoroughly exploring Lucifer’s mouth with his own, Duke pulled away.

“Think you’ll come in the water with us?”

[my_own_advocate]

"Is that an invitation?" Lucifer asked, half-teasing. "It sounds a bit tentative."

[betterthanaplan]

“An invitation that is entirely expectation-free,” Duke said. “In case you want to keep watching instead.”

[my_own_advocate]

"Duke," Lucifer said fondly, "Please just say 'Lucifer, will you come frolic in the ocean with me?'"

[betterthanaplan]

Duke looked up at him, expression utterly serious.

“Lucifer. Babe. Will you please do me the honor of frolicking in the ocean with me?”

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer laughed. "I thought you'd never bloody ask," he said. "Lead on, merman."

[betterthanaplan]

Duke let out a delighted laugh in return and scrambled up, leading the way into the water.

[my_own_advocate]

And Lucifer dashed after him, snagging him around the waist moments after they'd fully entered the water.

[betterthanaplan]

Duke turned, bending his legs and leaning back to pull Lucifer with him, deeper into the water. Letting their natural buoyancy hold them up.

"I think you might be wearing too many clothes."

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer chuckled. "By all means, unthong me."

[betterthanaplan]

"If you insist."

Duke hooked his thumbs under Lucifer's waist band and slid it downward, nice and slow.

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer kicked his feet helpfully for the last bit of the way, grinning like a fool. "Why, thank you."