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]

"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.

[my_own_advocate]

"Consider that apology retracted, then," Lucifer said lightly.

[okteiviakom]

Octavia's hand was lightly, absently stroking a spot on his back. She drew in a slow, deep breath. Then sighed it out just as slowly.

"Now it's a souvenir." A reminder.

(Something she would have to explain to Duke, but she hadn't thought about that yet.)

[my_own_advocate]

"Suppose so," Lucifer said, closing his eyes for a moment.

[okteiviakom]

Octavia hummed a vague noise, and quieted down again.

Still halfway dizzy, really.

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer relaxed a fraction more against the bed. It wasn't terribly comfortable, but it was also less uncomfortable than he'd thought it would be back when they'd bought it.

He was happy to lay here in silence with her for a little while.

[okteiviakom]

Good, because Octavia was going to need it.

So, she curled up just a little further against him, and then just... Stayed there. This'd be good for a while.