okteiviakom | To the Cape Rouge, Sunday

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To the Cape Rouge, Sunday

Jennifer had taken off for Baltimore. If anyone had asked Octavia about the why and how, maybe even the when of it, she wouldn't have been able to say. Something in her had shut down at the sight of the island, the knowledge that they were no longer in Haven, and she only had one single shred of focus left, and one single goal to go with it:

Just herding Duke across the island, to the port, to the Rouge, to deliver him to Lucifer.

She hadn't said a word the entire way over.

But when they finally stepped onto the dock, with the ship just up ahead, she was almost running.

[ooc: For the two! Follows this.]

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He'd get at least one of them.

Duke wasn't ordinarily the sort to initiate a hug. And receiving them from others usually took him by surprise.

He'd never be able to fully express how grateful he was that he'd found two people who made him feel like he could do this. Fling himself into someone's arms like this when his lungs felt like they'd never work properly again.

He wrapped himself around Lucifer, buried his face in the other man's neck, and tried to remember how to breath.

Octavia came to a stop a few feet away. At least she'd managed this much. He was home, in Lucifer's arms.

Her ears were ringing.

Lucifer hugged him tight, hand cradling the back of Duke's head. Arm sneaking around his waist. "You're home," he managed. "You're home."

They were home.

Duke's chest shuddered, and he clung. He couldn't quite let go yet, couldn't let the sob that pressed against his throat. Not yet.

He reached back a hand for Octavia.

Octavia missed it entirely, thanks to a sudden and pressing need to sit down. She half-staggered to the nearest bench and sank down.

(When had she last sat down before this?

When had she last eaten?)

Lucifer looked past him, just in time to catch her-- sitting. "Octavia?" he called.

But he didn't let go. Certainly not with Duke like this.

He just-- tightened his grip.

Duke's arm flailed a second, searching, before he finally managed to lift his head and look.

"Tavi," he said, voice soft and spare.

If she wasn't okay -- physically unharmed at least -- he wasn't sure what he'd do.

Octavia didn't really hear either of them. It felt like what had begun as a ringing had just turned into white noise in her ears.

She stared ahead, at nothing. Empty.

"Did something happen to her?" Lucifer asked quietly.

Duke shook his head, not a 'no', an 'I don't know.' He peeled himself reluctantly away from Lucifer and dropped into a crouch in front of Octavia.

"Tavi."

Still soft. Thin and dry as paper.

It wasn't a big shift in her expression, but Octavia looked faintly surprised when he showed up within her field of vision.

He was supposed to be in Lucifer's arms, where he was safe.

Lucifer himself wasn't far behind, his hand landing on Duke's shoulder - still desperate for contact - as he squatted down, as well.

"Darling?" he said. "Are you all right?"

As Octavia's eyes slowly focused on Lucifer (not his eyes, she couldn't look him in the eyes, but his face, somewhere around his chin), her frown grew more pronounced. Less surprised, more determined, even as everything else about her just seemed ragged and worn down to the bone.

"You need to take care of him."

That was the only thing that mattered.

Duke shook his head again, swallowing thickly.

"We need to take care of you, too."

What on Earth had happened this weekend?

"I have space for both of you," Lucifer said, searching her face. "Octavia, please. What's going on?"

Octavia stared at --

Yeah, still his chin. His lips.

"Didn't you hear me?"

"Yeah," Duke said, settling back on his heels. He ran his hand over his face, suddenly exhausted. His voice actually got more hoarse. "We heard you. I'm not going to be okay if you're not. So. . . ."

"Let's just all get inside," Lucifer attempted. "We'll lock the hatch behind us. Everyone will be safe."

Octavia's sudden bark of a dry laugh sounded as hoarse as Duke's voice had, just now.

She swallowed as thickly as he had, too.

"It's not locks, it's you," she said. "Keep him safe." Like she hadn't.

Duke pushed back to his feet, shaking his head.

"It was rough," he told Lucifer. "On both of us. How long were we gone?"

He couldn't pretend either of them were okay. Not if the stitches worked the way he was afraid they did.

He might not be able to pretend anything ever again.

"Just since yesterday."

Still enough to leave Lucifer terrified, but not-- long.

Lucifer stayed where he was. "I'll keep him save, Octavia," he said. "But I need you to be safe with us, as well."

Octavia felt like they'd been gone for a week.

Octavia also felt like she'd woken up an hour and a half ago and had then had everything fall apart on her in very fast succession.

Octavia felt like screaming.

Octavia said, "I want to go to my boat," before she even knew she'd thought it.

Duke let out a tight "don't" before he could stop himself.

He was probably never going to see Nathan again. Jennifer had been dead. Audrey was probably gone, obliterated by her -- her evil twin or whatever. He needed the people he had left near him right now. He needed to be able to see them, at least.

"You don't -- have to cuddle. Or whatever." Though he wanted her to. "Just please don't go right now."

In response to that, Octavia fell quiet.

She couldn't do more damage. And it sounded like what she wanted to do would do that.

"If it's solitude you want, I can put up a bedroll in one of the other rooms," Lucifer said quietly, his eyes darting to Duke to make sure that wasn't-- a terrible suggestion.

"But please stay a part of us."

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