The Cape Rouge, Later Friday Afternoon

[okteiviakom]

Octavia had urged Lucifer to fly Duke back to the boat. Something about safety, and security, and a defendable spot that was closed off and sort of separate from the rest of the island --

So in one word: control. Which Octavia was grasping for, had been grasping for from just about the second she'd laid eyes on Mara at Selkie Peak. Something she'd thought she'd had, with the portal idea, only to immediately find out how wrong she'd been.

Making Lucifer get Duke home as soon as possible had been another flaily attempt at it.

Of course, as Octavia had come to realize very soon after, it meant she'd had to let both of them out of her sight. She didn't know if Duke had come to yet. Didn't know anything, except that this was the fastest she'd ever crossed the island, trying to race an angel back to port.

Her heart was thumping like thunder in her ears and her lungs ached when she burst onto, then into the Cape Rouge.

And yet: "Lucifer! Is he still out?"

[ooc: For the two modded with permission! Follows this. Note to squirrels: That Octavia and Lucifer got Duke back to the boat is fine for broadcast, everything else NFB pls and thank you!]

Comments

[okteiviakom]

Octavia...

Should probably also get off the floor, here, sometime soon.

She wasn't doing that yet. She watched Lucifer pick Duke up, watched him carry him.

She thought about the pots outside again, whether she wanted to or not.

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer wasn't sure there was much he could do for Octavia right now. But he'd had a plan, to pick Duke up and put him to sleep, and then see what he little he could do until she came out of this by herself, and then crawl into a corner to wallow in feeling unloved (unlovable) for a while longer.

But Duke had to go and ruin it by speaking.

"I won't," he said, gruff and to the point. He set Duke down on the bed.

He didn't leave to go check on Octavia and do his wallowing, though. He climbed on it, slinging his arm around Duke's waist the moment he could.

[betterthanaplan]

He could go get Octavia. If he told Duke that was what he was doing. Duke wasn't in a place where he could say that, though.

The only thing he could do right now was lie where Lucifer had put him and try not to shake apart.

[okteiviakom]

Octavia couldn't really see them anymore, from the angle of where she was sitting.

Slowly, she got up onto her feet again.

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer kicked at the sheets until they were far enough down that he could actually pull them up over the two of them.

Then he slid his leg between Duke's. Put his head down on the pillow.

At least he didn't feel quite as useless.

[betterthanaplan]

Duke wouldn't understand how Lucifer could feel useless. He was staying. That was everything.

Even as Duke shook. Even as he cried for someone Lucifer hated. Even as he pulled at his hair like hanging onto that would help him hang onto all he various pieces of himself that tried to fall off or float away.

"Thank you," he said, soft and hoarse. And "I'm sorry." And when those felt like they weren't enough: "You're people. You are. You're people."

[okteiviakom]

Octavia stood still for a moment.

Then she moved, towards the bedroom. But not into the bedroom, no. She sat down right by the door, outside, her back against the wall, legs crossed. Like she was sitting guard.

She'd done her part, right? This was all that was left.

[my_own_advocate]

"It's all right," Lucifer found himself saying in turn, and, "I love you," and, "You're not a burden, you are not."

Wanting to call for Octavia, too. Scared to break the moment.

[betterthanaplan]

Slowly, much too slowly, the shaking slowed.

And Duke noticed someone was missing.

"Octavia?" he asked.

[okteiviakom]

"Here," Octavia replied, in that same toneless rasp from before.

A short pause.

"Not coming."

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer swallowed.

He looked over his shoulder.

"What do you need?" he called.

[betterthanaplan]

Duke held still. Less desperately this time. Just . . . listening.

Deliberately not thinking about how Lucifer would ask her, but told him.

[okteiviakom]

"Nothing."

Octavia didn't need anything, didn't want anything. Nothing that could be named and then provided for her, anyway.

Well, maybe she what she needed was for that to be honored with no further questions.

[my_own_advocate]

Because Lucifer trusted Octavia to tell him the truth. And to tell him so without dressing it up in endless layers of assumptions about other people and things they hadn't actually said.

Which was why he fell silent after that.

[betterthanaplan]

They’d have to work on that. A lot.

Later.

“Okay,” he said, voice (finally) dry. “Let us know if that changes.”

[okteiviakom]

Octavia didn't reply.

She just kept watch. Guarded.

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer let out a breath. His grip slackened somewhat, a touch less desperate, but he didn't move away.

He wouldn't know what else to do with himself.

[betterthanaplan]

Duke rolled over to face Lucifer.

Then snuggled in a little closer.

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer hesitated for a moment. Then moved his arms, hugging Duke more firmly against himself.