Dr. Linda Martin's House, Thursday Morning

[my_own_advocate]

Was Dr. Linda's floor really where Lucifer wanted to wake up this morning? Absolutely not.

But Duke had been in no state to go to the penthouse last night, and Octavia had been in some kind of shock, and it had just seemed easier to stay here. Linda only had one couch, and that seemed better-suited for the drunk, so Lucifer had found himself on a mattress on the floor for the first time in... quite some time.

It was not ideal.

Which was likely why he woke up as early as he did, the floor poking against his shoulder as the air mattress had apparently sprung a leak during the night.

"Ugggh."

[[ for octavia and duke ]]

Comments

[betterthanaplan]

Even for a confused angel?

"Well, good. Not sure what I think of her technique of getting me drunk to grill me last night, but she should still get to drink most of her own wine."

[my_own_advocate]

"I don't think you have to worry about that. She has quite the bar," Lucifer asked. Wondered if he should ask or if he was still in trouble somehow.

[betterthanaplan]

He really didn’t get why Duke was angry, did he.

“How does that not surprise me?” Duke mused. He shook his head and gave Lucifer a look. “Tavi is not okay.”

[my_own_advocate]

Absolutely not a clue.

"I noticed," Lucifer said, sparing a look towards the door. "Do we know why?"

[betterthanaplan]

“Because she broke a nail,” Duke said, rolling his eyes. “She’s not okay for the same reason I’m not okay.”

[my_own_advocate]

"Because I got shot."

[betterthanaplan]

“Yeah. And then you shot yourself.”

[my_own_advocate]

"Yes?" Lucifer said, not comprehending. "I don't understand why you're so hung up on that part."

[betterthanaplan]

“Because you scared the shit out of me. And she won’t admit it but I’m pretty sure you triggered Tavi.”

[my_own_advocate]

"How?"

Well, the confused expression on Lucifer's face was getting more helpless by the second.

[betterthanaplan]

“By shooting a gun?! When she was basically next to you? she fought a war for the last green space in Earth. And lost. After, oh yeah, watching her first love be executed by a shot to the head. . . .”

[my_own_advocate]

"Ah," Lucifer said.

A pause.

"I didn't think about that."

Yeah, people had noticed.

[betterthanaplan]

“You didn’t think about anything!”

[my_own_advocate]

"I was just trying to make sure I knew what happened."

[betterthanaplan]

“Yeah? And what did you find out?”

[my_own_advocate]

"Well, obviously I'm now completely invulnerable around her," Lucifer said. "It wasn't a fluke."

And then she'd run off.

[betterthanaplan]

Duke waited expectantly, clearly waiting for Lucifer to connect the dots.

[my_own_advocate]

What dots?

Lucifer looked back at him, frowning in confusion.

[betterthanaplan]

Duke gave up, throwing his hands in the air. “Tell Dr. Linda about that and see what she says.”

[my_own_advocate]

"Perhaps when she's done sleeping off her hangover," Lucifer said, still frowning. "Why were you just staring at me?"

[betterthanaplan]

“Because you’re acting like —“ Someone who wasn’t human. Someone who didn’t actually know his partners. “— like an idiot!”

[my_own_advocate]

Someone who had cut off his wings many times in a short span of time and still didn't understand why everyone else had been horrified by it even by the time he'd told Duke?

"Look, I didn't mean to set her off or worry you," Lucifer said, "But I'm not the first person to shoot me."

[betterthanaplan]

“What if he’d loaded it wrong?” Duke asked. “What if the first shot was stopped by, oh, I don’t know, your flask, and then you shot yourself in the heart? Do you have any idea what it would do to us if you died?”

[my_own_advocate]

"I didn't aim for my heart, and I likely would have just had to make my way back up from Hell," Lucifer said slowly.

It sounded more like he was processing something, though.

[betterthanaplan]

“It would still hurt,” Duke said, a little softer now that he could tell things were starting to click. “You and us. We hurt when you hurt. Even when you’re hurting yourself.”