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He just wanted to be home.
For the second time that day, Lucifer fell. Not far this time, though. Just a few inches, really. His back hit the ground? with more noise than was strictly necessary for the impact that he'd made.
Oh.
Maybe it was the other two bodies making the same impact beside him.
He stared up at the sky, disoriented for many more reasons than just the fall itself. Oh my Me, indeed.
[[ for the two other people who just got teleported across the country out of nowhere. ]]
For the second time that day, Lucifer fell. Not far this time, though. Just a few inches, really. His back hit the ground? with more noise than was strictly necessary for the impact that he'd made.
Oh.
Maybe it was the other two bodies making the same impact beside him.
He stared up at the sky, disoriented for many more reasons than just the fall itself. Oh my Me, indeed.
[[ for the two other people who just got teleported across the country out of nowhere. ]]
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Date: 22 Aug 2021 09:02 (UTC)She toppled over with a thump, her gaze darting around wildly as she tried to re-orient herself.
It didn't go very well.
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Date: 22 Aug 2021 13:57 (UTC)He hadn’t consciously registered that they were home just yet, but his guard was already dropping away, in a way it hadn’t in a long time.
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Date: 22 Aug 2021 14:04 (UTC)This wasn't the moment yet, though.
His eyes remained locked on the heavens. The image of everyone kneeling felt like it had been burned into them.
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Date: 22 Aug 2021 14:16 (UTC)Crates, bench.
Gunwale.
Porgs.
She gasped like someone had punched her in the gut.
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Date: 22 Aug 2021 14:23 (UTC)“Tavi?” he asked. Then registered what he was seeing. “. . . How. . . ?”
They couldn’t be dead. He hurt too much to be dead.
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Date: 22 Aug 2021 14:26 (UTC)no subject
Date: 22 Aug 2021 14:29 (UTC)"We're home."
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Date: 22 Aug 2021 14:59 (UTC)Then he broke off abruptly, rolling over and scrambling on one hand and his knees toward “Lucifer!”
He was dead. He’d said goodbye and then came back and Duke couldn’t process any of it if he didn’t touch the man right the fuck now.
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Date: 22 Aug 2021 15:07 (UTC)That seemed the easiest way to deal with whatever Duke wanted right now.
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Date: 22 Aug 2021 15:14 (UTC)Still kind of dazed, let the inquisitive porg clamber onto her lap. "Ha yun, strikon."
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Date: 22 Aug 2021 15:17 (UTC)Then laughing again once he could bury his face in Lucifer's shoulder.
He was real. Octavia was talking to a porg.
They were home.
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Date: 22 Aug 2021 15:19 (UTC)Ah, there. He'd figured out how to wrap those arms around Duke.
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Date: 22 Aug 2021 15:24 (UTC)Her eyes were still too wide.
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Date: 22 Aug 2021 15:27 (UTC)no subject
Date: 22 Aug 2021 15:32 (UTC)A very real possibility struck Lucifer in that moment. But like just about anything else about the past half-hour, he had no idea how to deal with. So he hugged Duke a bit tighter. "Small blessings," he mumbled.
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Date: 22 Aug 2021 15:38 (UTC)She finally looked over at them. Meanwhile, the porg tried to reach up to chomp at the ends of her hair, and she didn't even notice.
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Date: 22 Aug 2021 15:50 (UTC)Another strangled noise pushed its way out Duke's throat next to the laughter, and he curled up, trying to shield his arm without actually pulling away from Lucifer.
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Date: 22 Aug 2021 15:52 (UTC)no subject
Date: 22 Aug 2021 15:59 (UTC)"One of your brothers threw a rock at him," she said, a little growlier than before. (Anger, anger was always easy. Simple.) She shifted the bird off her lap so she could move to get up. "He needs to go see a doctor."
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Date: 22 Aug 2021 16:09 (UTC)It really hurt a lot, especially as the shock of the last several minutes started to wear off.
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Date: 22 Aug 2021 16:14 (UTC)Something to do, rather than swim around in his overloaded mind. That might help.
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Date: 22 Aug 2021 16:23 (UTC)She only felt a little bit woozy, getting up.
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Date: 22 Aug 2021 16:26 (UTC)They'd just gotten back to his boat. He didn't want to leave again yet! (Not to mention, he wasn't the biggest fan of being poked and prodded by doctors, thanks.)
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Date: 22 Aug 2021 16:29 (UTC)He leaned back enough to look Duke in the eye. "And then I'll fly you back immediately."
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Date: 22 Aug 2021 16:32 (UTC)"And I'll check the boat while you're gone."
For... anything the island had broken during their time away? She didn't know, she just needed to make herself useful.
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Date: 22 Aug 2021 16:36 (UTC)He nodded to Lucifer and slowly started to pull himself upright without the use of his dominant hand.
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Date: 22 Aug 2021 16:57 (UTC)He unfurled his wings and took off, without delay. Maybe he'd feel a bit more settled after this. If he was lucky.
The visit took longer than he'd hoped, but shorter than he'd feared. The same went, more or less, for the extent of the damage in Duke's arm: enough to be splinted now, not bad enough to need any kind of surgery.
"Here we are," he said, as he descended towards the Rouge. "The ship's still in one piece."
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Date: 22 Aug 2021 17:06 (UTC)She'd started tearing up somewhere in the middle of it, for no discernible reason.
(The shock -- the shocks were starting to wear off.)
It had not improved her mood.
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Date: 22 Aug 2021 17:11 (UTC)He wriggled out of Lucifer's arms the moment it was safe, letting out a faintly disgruntled noise, his arm tucked into an ugly beige sling.
"Think I need a drink this time."
Not on those painkillers he didn't.
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Date: 22 Aug 2021 17:14 (UTC)What they all needed was a lie down. Preferably with all the doors locked for the next 24 hours.
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Date: 22 Aug 2021 17:26 (UTC)And that meant this still felt like the first time she'd been entirely alone since... she wasn't even sure when. And everything was just coming back to her in disjointed flashes, from Jophiel throwing that rock, to the roar of battle, to Lucifer's I love you --
She leaned heavily on her hands against the edge of the counter, and tried not to shake.
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Date: 22 Aug 2021 17:29 (UTC)"Fine. Bed works too, I guess."
He paused when he saw Octavia.
"Shit. Are you okay? Did something else happen?"
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Date: 22 Aug 2021 17:35 (UTC)Unlike the two of them, he hadn't let anything sink in yet.
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Date: 22 Aug 2021 17:41 (UTC)But instead her brain was now looping around one particular moment.
That was never part of the plan.
That was never part of the plan.
That was never part of the plan.
And she stood there, gripping the edge of the counter in silence, shoulders hunched and tense.
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Date: 22 Aug 2021 17:59 (UTC)Duke shoved his own mood aside and hurried over to her, carefully reaching out to set his good hand on her back.
"Tavi. Hey. It's okay, we're home."
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Date: 22 Aug 2021 18:02 (UTC)About everything, really.
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Date: 22 Aug 2021 18:06 (UTC)To stare at Lucifer, and to wail, like she had no control over the words coming out of her mouth, "You didn't tell us the whole plan!"
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Date: 22 Aug 2021 18:13 (UTC)Fuck. In all the -- everything -- he'd forgotten that part.
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Date: 22 Aug 2021 18:15 (UTC)He trailed off.
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Date: 22 Aug 2021 18:24 (UTC)Exploded.
"Why didn't you?" she demanded. "I get that you two are --" She grasped for a word for a second, for what they were, then gave up. "-- but you put her at risk, and exactly the way it turned out! We could've had her back but you left us out!"
Her hands were tight fists at her sides.
"And for what?"
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Date: 22 Aug 2021 18:28 (UTC)no subject
Date: 22 Aug 2021 18:33 (UTC)Once Chloe Decker got an idea in her head, there never was. It was something she had in common with the rest of the people he... cared about most.
He wondered if that said anything.
"But she didn't want to tell you, and I wasn't about to put either of you in the same bloody situation."
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Date: 22 Aug 2021 18:44 (UTC)Because it wasn't just about endangering Chloe. Not really.
The welling in Octavia's eyes finally turned into a tear or two, but she didn't seem to notice. It didn't lessen her fury any; her voice just turned into more cutting gravel.
"I trusted you."
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Date: 22 Aug 2021 18:52 (UTC)no subject
Date: 22 Aug 2021 18:55 (UTC)"Yes, I'm terribly sorry I didn't want you dead," he snapped. "What exactly do you think you would've accomplished out there, hm? Clearly you two decided to fight in the end, and Duke fractured his bloody arm."
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Date: 22 Aug 2021 19:07 (UTC)So apparently Octavia had no intention of getting any less loud right now. Had you missed this, porgs?
"It's not about accomplishing something, it's about not being blindsided by what my side does. It's about you letting her decide that no one else needed to know." Her nails were really starting to dig into her palms now. "So you don't care that we could have helped, fine. But we also could have fucked it up because we didn't know."
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Date: 22 Aug 2021 19:13 (UTC)Well, maybe a headache would distract from the arm pain at least.
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Date: 22 Aug 2021 19:16 (UTC)He half-turned to glance at Duke and opted not to finish that thought. "...Didn't the doctor say you weren't supposed to be drinking?"
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Date: 22 Aug 2021 19:20 (UTC)Sorry, coupled with the feelings of betrayal she'd worked herself up into, that last snap was just...
Well, a slap. No matter how unintentional.
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Date: 22 Aug 2021 19:23 (UTC)". . . Fuck. But the pills aren't even working yet!"
He'd taken them like ten minutes ago.
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Date: 22 Aug 2021 19:25 (UTC)no subject
Date: 22 Aug 2021 19:34 (UTC)But when she wrenched her (hurt, betrayed, still angry) gaze away from Lucifer, she stalked over to Duke, with the intention of grabbing the glass out of his hand.
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Date: 22 Aug 2021 19:35 (UTC)"Hey, careful," Duke said. "That's some limited edition rum there."
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Date: 22 Aug 2021 19:37 (UTC)He desperately wanted to have that lie down with Duke, actually.
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Date: 22 Aug 2021 19:49 (UTC)Well, more like half of it.
But still.
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Date: 22 Aug 2021 19:50 (UTC)She wasn't even enjoying it.
"Fine. Lying down. All of us, please. Without the shouting?"
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Date: 22 Aug 2021 19:52 (UTC)no subject
Date: 22 Aug 2021 19:56 (UTC)And then gulping down the other half.
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Date: 22 Aug 2021 19:58 (UTC)He went to cross his arms over his chest automatically, then winced and choked faintly when the movement sent a twinge up the one in the sling.
"Sooner would be nicer than later."
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Date: 22 Aug 2021 20:02 (UTC)no subject
Date: 22 Aug 2021 20:04 (UTC)no subject
Date: 22 Aug 2021 20:11 (UTC)"You know what, maybe I will go lie down alone." At this rate, his arm would be healed by the time they stopped trying to stare each other down, wouldn't it.
He wasn't nearly as hurt by Lucifer not letting them in on that part of the plan as Octavia was, though he did see why she was hurt by it.
"When you two get around to remembering that no one's dead who wasn't before we all went into that battle, you get to come join me."
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Date: 22 Aug 2021 20:14 (UTC)Lucifer wished he'd beaten Octavia to the expensive booze. "I'm happy to let things lie," he said.
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Date: 22 Aug 2021 20:17 (UTC)She wasn't just hurt, she was angry still, too.
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Date: 22 Aug 2021 20:21 (UTC)With that he headed into the bedroom, shut the door behind him, and face-planted on his bed.
His bed. His wonderful, amazing, comfortable bed with excellent sheets and room for three and . . . fuck, it smelled kinda musty in here.
He let out a long, frustrated groan and tried not to listen to whatever was going to happen in the next room. He was injured, and they were home, so he got to take a time out on trying to manage his two hotheads, dammit.
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Date: 22 Aug 2021 20:23 (UTC)no subject
Date: 22 Aug 2021 20:26 (UTC)"Oh, it's my fault," she rasped. "Sure."
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Date: 22 Aug 2021 20:30 (UTC)no subject
Date: 22 Aug 2021 20:31 (UTC)(Nope.)
"Irrational?" she growled.
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Date: 22 Aug 2021 20:38 (UTC)no subject
Date: 22 Aug 2021 20:42 (UTC)no subject
Date: 22 Aug 2021 20:43 (UTC)no subject
Date: 22 Aug 2021 21:00 (UTC)Sorry about how the yelling only seemed to have gotten worse, Duke.
"I lost you, Lucifer! I lost you!" Oh, there were the angry tears again. "I had to watch you two pull your stupid secret plan, and then I lost you to it going fucking sideways!"
His return didn't erase that hurt for her when the memory wasn't even an hour old yet.
"And then I had to try and stop him from destroying himself the second you were gone!"
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Date: 22 Aug 2021 21:05 (UTC)Lucifer turned around, leaning back against the counter. (The whole morning was still a rush of adrenaline and a thing of impossible hugeness he couldn't process.)
"Ah," he said.
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Date: 22 Aug 2021 21:12 (UTC)"But go ahead and tell me again how how you didn't want us there, and how that means I don't need to know all the details," she said, pulling back from all the yelling a little, not it kept her from sounding bitter and hurt. "Tell me I should just suck it up and deal, Lucifer."
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Date: 22 Aug 2021 21:15 (UTC)For hurting her, at least. He wasn't sure what else to say.
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Date: 22 Aug 2021 21:19 (UTC)Her eyes were welling up worse again, though, as the expression on her face began to slowly crackle from anger to... something else.
Something weaker and smaller.
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Date: 22 Aug 2021 21:21 (UTC)no subject
Date: 22 Aug 2021 21:25 (UTC)Kind of stung that it took so much yelling, though.
(That part was probably irrational and rum-soaked.)
"That's... all. Everything."
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Date: 22 Aug 2021 21:31 (UTC)Lucifer sighed.
"Will you come here, then?" he said, and held out his arms.
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Date: 22 Aug 2021 21:33 (UTC)Okay, the rum had definitely done something. She didn't usually sway this much.
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Date: 22 Aug 2021 21:35 (UTC)no subject
Date: 22 Aug 2021 21:37 (UTC)Her expression was full-on crumbling again, but it was getting buried against his chest anyway.
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Date: 22 Aug 2021 21:39 (UTC)no subject
Date: 22 Aug 2021 21:41 (UTC)It didn't sound like 'goodbye' wrapped in prettier clothes, this time.
It just sounded like exactly what it was.
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Date: 22 Aug 2021 21:43 (UTC)no subject
Date: 22 Aug 2021 21:46 (UTC)Whichever it was, she was trembling in his arms, and getting the front of his shirt all damp.
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Date: 22 Aug 2021 21:49 (UTC)no subject
Date: 22 Aug 2021 21:55 (UTC)"Tell me again?" she asked, her voice quiet and thick.
She wouldn't have, without the rum.
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Date: 22 Aug 2021 21:58 (UTC)"I love you," he said softly, "Miss Octavia."
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Date: 22 Aug 2021 22:01 (UTC)Or maybe she was just shaking her head at her own reaction.
"Ai hod yu in seintaim," she croaked, "skaifaya."
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Date: 22 Aug 2021 22:03 (UTC)He leaned down just enough to brush a kiss against the top of her head.
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Date: 22 Aug 2021 22:05 (UTC)"Do you think he'll let us in yet?"
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Date: 22 Aug 2021 22:06 (UTC)no subject
Date: 22 Aug 2021 22:10 (UTC)"No."
Mostly she just felt exhausted, and maybe a little woozy.
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Date: 22 Aug 2021 22:11 (UTC)He knocked once. "We come in peace."
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Date: 22 Aug 2021 22:13 (UTC)And when they stopped at the door, she tried to wipe her face with her free hand. It did nothing about how puffy and red her eyes were.
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Date: 22 Aug 2021 22:16 (UTC)no subject
Date: 22 Aug 2021 22:20 (UTC)Still, Octavia took it with some gratitude. Worked much better than her hand for cleaning up some of the tears and, okay, snot.
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Date: 22 Aug 2021 23:58 (UTC)“Thank god. I was a little worried you’d killed each other.”
It had just gone quiet so fast!
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Date: 23 Aug 2021 01:41 (UTC)He definitely did not want that handkerchief back, no. But he was too relieved to be here to say so; he tugged Octavia towards the bed and sat down immediately.
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Date: 23 Aug 2021 05:47 (UTC)Which was an action that was extremely attractive and also not at all loud.
She looked at Duke once she had finished, expression full of regret. "I'm sorry, Duke."
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Date: 23 Aug 2021 14:02 (UTC)“You were upset,” he said, tilting his head at her. “I get it.”
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Date: 23 Aug 2021 14:10 (UTC)Look, these past few minutes had been messy, and he didn't want to accidentally inspire another bout of that.
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Date: 23 Aug 2021 14:25 (UTC)Looked down.
Realized she was still in full armor. The weapons were gone, left in LA, but this was all still here, and her uncoordinated hands went for the first buckle they found.
She couldn't go to bed wearing this. Not this bed.
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Date: 23 Aug 2021 14:43 (UTC)no subject
Date: 23 Aug 2021 14:52 (UTC)no subject
Date: 23 Aug 2021 15:06 (UTC)Remarkably fast for someone having a little bit of trouble standing straight.
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Date: 23 Aug 2021 15:10 (UTC)But made no move to assist in said process. He was starting to feel those painkillers a bit and that combined with finally being able to relax was making him very sleepy.
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Date: 23 Aug 2021 15:26 (UTC)no subject
Date: 23 Aug 2021 15:33 (UTC)Then made a very small, sad sound at realizing she was on the injured side. But curled up there anyway, just... A safe distance away.
Her body was starting to feel heavy. Her head in particular.
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Date: 23 Aug 2021 16:12 (UTC)"Why're you way over there?"
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Date: 23 Aug 2021 16:21 (UTC)no subject
Date: 23 Aug 2021 16:27 (UTC)no subject
Date: 23 Aug 2021 16:30 (UTC)"It's all wrapped up," he said. He brought the arm in question up over his head and rested it gingerly against the headboard, giving her a whole nice expanse of side to lie against. "We can work around it."
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Date: 23 Aug 2021 16:37 (UTC)no subject
Date: 23 Aug 2021 16:49 (UTC)Then she gave in to the siren call of his side, wiggling her way closer until she could curl up against him, although she made sure to get nowhere near his shoulder.
"I love you so much," she mumbled.
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Date: 23 Aug 2021 16:59 (UTC)no subject
Date: 23 Aug 2021 17:01 (UTC)Saying that felt like a superpower he could lose at any moment. He needed to use it while he could.
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Date: 23 Aug 2021 17:08 (UTC)Her arm slid around Duke, too, and her hand settled on Lucifer's arm.
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Date: 23 Aug 2021 17:12 (UTC)no subject
Date: 23 Aug 2021 17:15 (UTC)He kissed the corner of Duke's grin.
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Date: 23 Aug 2021 17:19 (UTC)And the warmth of Duke's skin, and the feel of the mattress dipping under the weight of them.
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Date: 23 Aug 2021 17:31 (UTC)no subject
Date: 23 Aug 2021 17:35 (UTC)no subject
Date: 23 Aug 2021 17:38 (UTC)Yet.
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Date: 23 Aug 2021 17:58 (UTC)Duke wrapped his good arm around Lucifer's neck as best he could without disturbing her or his other arm, and tucked his face into Lucifer's hair.
"I am so proud of you," he said, soft and faintly choked.
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Date: 23 Aug 2021 18:00 (UTC)no subject
Date: 23 Aug 2021 18:08 (UTC)He was bracketed by people who loved him. Who'd say it out loud, even when things were fine, even when there was nothing in particular they wanted from him. People who worried about him and made him take care of himself, and listened to him even when what he had to say wasn't something they wanted to or even could properly hear, just then.
He let a couple of tears fall, still burrowed into Lucifer's hair, and let himself relax as much as he could while still making sure not to shift his injured arm too much.
"You're here," he said. "That's all I really need."
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Date: 23 Aug 2021 18:11 (UTC)no subject
Date: 23 Aug 2021 18:14 (UTC)"I love you, too." He let his head land on its own pillow and ran his good hand through Lucifer's hair a few times before dropping it on Lucifer's shoulder. "Now go to sleep, babe."
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Date: 23 Aug 2021 18:21 (UTC)His voice sounded heavier already, though. It had... definitely been a day.
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Date: 23 Aug 2021 18:36 (UTC)no subject
Date: 23 Aug 2021 18:41 (UTC)And there went the last of his supply of awake.
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Date: 23 Aug 2021 18:51 (UTC)He stayed that way for a good while, just lying there, eyes closed, listening to the two of them breathe. Trying not to think about anything at all, and as a result thinking about everything.
About God and the Goddess. About Amenadiel and Linda and Charlie. Chloe and poor Trixie. Dan. That poor dead angel, whose name he couldn't remember off the top of his head. The funerals and the arguments and the smashed glasses. Dinners and barbecues and late night sandwiches while waiting to see if Lucifer would come home.
Hospitals. Panic attacks.
The full, honest-to-God-who-might-just-art-in-his-bed-right-now battle.
Lucifer saying goodbye.
It all swam in and out, blurring together in his head, and after a while he gave in and just let it, silent tears running down his face from time to time. Linda might've been proud, but honestly he was just too tired to try not to feel any of it right now. To try to push any of it away.
Eventually the tears ran out. And then so did the thoughts.
And slowly, without ever entirely noticing, Duke drifted off to sleep himself.