Somewhere in Los Angeles, Tuesday Night

[my_own_advocate]

He'd started walking again. Just like Monday, when Father had shown up for the first time.

Lucifer just walked, leaving Linda's house far behind him. He kept walking blindly, thoughts racing, barely even aware of Duke and Octavia following behind.

He kept walking until his thoughts were calmer.

Until they found themselves at a fountain in a park, somewhere, he only barely knew where.

He sat down by the fountain's edge and crossed his arms, staring into nothing.

[[ for those who are here. ]]

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[my_own_advocate]

Octavia had at least figured it out, Lucifer reflected.

"I don't deserve this," he told Duke, who clearly hadn't.

[betterthanaplan]

Duke knew that feeling.

"I don't give a shit if you deserve it or not. You're getting it."

He tucked his phone away again.

"Carlos will be here in a red Honda Civic in six minutes."

[okteiviakom]

"Deserve's got nothing to do with it," Octavia murmured.

Not for the first time.

[my_own_advocate]

"A Civic," Lucifer muttered.

Yeah, he was going to judge the car choice because otherwise he'd have to engage with what they were saying.

[betterthanaplan]

What? Carlos was the closest one who wasn't picking up multiple people at once!

"Deal with it, babe," Duke said gently, and moved to kiss Lucifer on the hair.

[okteiviakom]

Octavia didn't know what else to say. Maybe one of these days she would learn Duke's strategy of going for the touching, even in a public place like this, but she wasn't there yet.

She just wanted them to get home.

(Except that wasn't where they were going.)

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer sighed, knowing he should really move away from Duke and not let him continue to indulge this-- fool's errand. He really should.

(It was also the one thing holding him together right now.)

So he stood there, muttered something about the indignity of the car, and then fell silent. Waiting.

[betterthanaplan]

Duke was going to hang onto him as long as Lucifer would let him. After a few moments of them all standing around in silence, he started humming.

Sorry, Luce, but Jimmy Buffet had long since become his go-to quiet soothing song, and you were just going to have to deal with it.

(Or maybe get distracted by ranting about it. Duke would be happy with either reaction.)

[okteiviakom]

It didn't take Octavia long to figure out what it was.

The small, soft snort was reflexive.

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer groaned. At least in that respect, he was still utterly predictable. If a bit sluggish about the reaction, which took a bit longer than it otherwise would have.

"Jimmy bloody Buffet, Duke?" he said. "I want to say your timing needs work, but there's never a reasonable time for Buffet."

[betterthanaplan]

"Shhh," Duke said, hiding a smile in Lucifer's hair. When all else failed, he could always rely on being obnoxious. "It's soothing."

[okteiviakom]

"Careful, Lucifer," Octavia said, managing a low rasp that was meant to have some lightness to it. Didn't quite hit it. "It's my favorite."

She was looking down the street, as if she knew what a Honda Civic looked like.

[my_own_advocate]

It was ugly, was what it was.

"Yes, well, I don't go to either of you for your musical suggestions," Lucifer muttered.

Well, fine. He and Duke had shared a few moments, here and there.

[betterthanaplan]

"Could go with Iggy Pop instead?" Duke asked, chuckling. "Or Lou Reed? The Cure?"

[okteiviakom]

Octavia fell quiet again. Duke was better at trying to engage Lucifer with chatty nonsense, anyway.

Come on, Carlos.

[my_own_advocate]

“Any of the above.”

Ah, there was the tiredness again.

[betterthanaplan]

That was the trouble with the obnoxious distraction: it was never meant to last long.

Fortunately, a red Honda Civic was indeed pulling up.

"Carlos!" Duke greeted. "I don't suppose you could put on some nice classic New Wave for us, could you?"

Carlos shrugged. "You gimme five stars, sure."

[okteiviakom]

"Can we just go?"

That came out far more exasperated than Octavia had meant it to, but, no taking it back now.

She'd just climb in the back seat and hope she'd feel like she was able to breathe again once they made it to the penthouse.

[my_own_advocate]

"Agreed," Lucifer said, tired and quiet, as he slid into the back of the car.

[betterthanaplan]

Well. Duke would keep the energy up for all of them, sitting up front and bantering with Carlos and making a show of selecting upbeat songs for the ride to Lux.

What Carlos must have made of the three of them they'd never know. But he probably came to some kind of unflattering conclusions about Duke as a third wheel.

[okteiviakom]

But at least there was obvious life in him.

The most Octavia did all ride long was slide her hand over, trying to take Lucifer's in hers.

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer let her. He knew he shouldn't, except he felt lost, and the solid touch of her hand was as grounding as the chatter of Duke's voice was.

(If he hadn't been so lost in the past few hours, in how they meant that he was defective, he might have realized how much he loved them now.)

He gave her hand a light squeeze and stared out the window, letting Duke's voice wash over him.

[betterthanaplan]

Duke kept it up as they arrived at Lux, making himself as big and distracting as possible to keep any paparazzi or hangers-on out on the street from making note of Lucifer's subdued state. His arms went everywhere as he announced to anyone who would listen what a fantastic Uber driver Carlos was, and how he was going to get rave reviews.

It was entirely likely at least some of the folks in the crowd thought Carlos had given him drugs. Sorry, Carlos.

[okteiviakom]

Octavia had rarely been as grateful for how loud (and not just noisewise) Duke could get when need be as she was right now. He could draw attention, and she could tug Lucifer along through the crowd.

By the hand, because she hadn't let go.

Wouldn't let go.

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer followed right behind, powerless to do otherwise now that they hadn't let him leave like he'd tried to.

(That was selfish, he knew that.)

His back thunked against the elevator wall as soon as they were in. He took a deep breath.