The Samsara, Port of Fandom, Wednesday Afternoon

[my_own_advocate]

Right, so he'd clearly failed some kind of understanding test on Octavia's mystifying thing about tiny Duke. Lucifer had spent some time last night attempting to wrap his mind around it and failing.

But, well. Octavia stalking out of the Nest in a disappointed huff was not exactly how he wanted to go into this Duke-and-Octavia-free long weekend. And clearly he'd made a mistake. So.

There he was, standing on the boardwalk just outside of Samsara, holding a fruit basket. (It had lychees in it, besides the usual suspects. And dragonfruit. An apology basket had to be properly extravagant, right? It had worked for Miss Smith, at any rate.)

"Octavia?" he called.

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[okteiviakom]

Which was exactly where Octavia stayed, in a boneless heap after stretching her arms a little, and turning her head just a bit to get more comfortable. Not that comfort was still a very high priority.

The side of her neck felt like it was throbbing in time with her heartbeat.

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer slid to her side and watched her for a moment or so.

He didn't say anything.

But he did reach for her again, to pull her into his arms. Gently, still.

[okteiviakom]

Octavia moved willingly.

Though when she opened her eyes as she did so, the tears that had welled up finally rolled freely down onto her cheeks.

[my_own_advocate]

"Hello there," Lucifer said quietly. He ran his fingers over her hair, petting her softly.

It matched the softness in his eyes.

[okteiviakom]

Octavia shifted until she could press her forehead to his again.

Something in her expression was a little... crumbled. And she couldn't explain why.

[my_own_advocate]

There were a lot of contexts were Lucifer would've been utterly befuddled by her tears. Millennia of sleeping with humans made this not one of them.

He shut his eyes and kept his hand moving, hugging her close. "It's all right."

[okteiviakom]

Octavia was a little confused about it. Or at least she would be, once she was no longer in it.

As it stood, she was just curling up against him and swallowing harshly with a little sniff.

[my_own_advocate]

"It's all right," Lucifer repeated. "You're safe."

His fingers stroked down, drawing gentle patterns on her back.

[okteiviakom]

"I don't think I'm not," Octavia objected in a murmur. Her voice sounded a little stuffy from the tears.

And just... ignore the way she shifted again, so she could burrow against his chest instead, tucking her head under his chin.

Like she did with Duke all the time.

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer made a soft noise of fond amusement at the argument. "Sometimes it's still a good thing to affirm," he said quietly.

[okteiviakom]

"I just feel..." Octavia began, trailing off in search of the right word. Then frowning lightly when it seemed like she'd found it. "Relieved?"

That didn't seem like it should be right.

[my_own_advocate]

"Hm," Lucifer said, running his fingers back up into her hair. "You were having something of a moment."

[okteiviakom]

"A moment of what," Octavia murmured, nuzzling the top of his chest. It was solid and warm and just what she needed.

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer's hand kept petting her hair as he thought about it.

"Needing to give up control," he said finally, discarding a version of this explanation that referred to 'people' in general. "But wanting to fight for it. I could speculate why, but... well. That never ends well."

[okteiviakom]

Octavia had an inkling, anyway.

"But I feel good now," she murmured.

She'd be processing this for days, probably. Her own feelings and the confusing layers in them.

[my_own_advocate]

"I'm glad," Lucifer said softly. "If... not entirely surprised."

[okteiviakom]

"Why not?"

She was still sounding just a little... dazed. Open. A little lighter than her usual drawl, somehow.

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer's hand slid forward so he could run his fingers along her cheek.

"Because that seemed like a release."

[okteiviakom]

The tears had stopped rolling, but her cheek was still wet.

"Oh." Small sound. Hesitation. "Felt like it." Like there wasn't a weight on her that was usually there, so ever-present that she didn't even know she carried it with her all the time.

[my_own_advocate]

"Good," Lucifer said, wiping absently at the trail of moisture he felt there.

[okteiviakom]

Octavia closed her eyes.

"I don't --" she started, then trailed off again. Wasn't a complete thought, she'd opened her mouth too soon.

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer slid his arm back fully around her, his hand settling on her back. "It's all right," he said again, brushing a kiss against the top of her head as well he could.

[okteiviakom]

Octavia shifted a little, wrapping her own arm around him. She was quiet for a while.

Then she muttered, "My neck's gonna bruise. I can feel it." The throbbing had subsided, but she could still feel it like it was warmer than the rest of her skin.

[my_own_advocate]

"Sorry," Lucifer said quietly. "I fear I got a bit into the heat of the moment."

[okteiviakom]

"Don't apologize."

For... reasons.