The Cape Rouge, Sunday Afternoon

[my_own_advocate]

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. ]]

Comments

[okteiviakom]

Octavia gave him a wide berth.

"Oh, it's my fault," she rasped. "Sure."

[my_own_advocate]

"You're the one who's being irrational," Lucifer said, opening the doors of the cabinet to collect some of the lesser whiskey.

[okteiviakom]

Well. There was something Octavia was for sure going to be completely rational about!

(Nope.)

"Irrational?" she growled.

[my_own_advocate]

"You heard me," Lucifer said, grabbing a glass as well. "All I've been trying to do this entire time is keep you and Duke from getting hurt."

[okteiviakom]

"And you failed," Octavia snapped. "And he --" She stabbed a finger in the direction of the bedroom. "-- doesn't get the full scope of it because he hasn't been to war before, but I have."

[my_own_advocate]

"And if all three of you had stayed home like I asked you to, none of this would have happened in the first place," Lucifer snapped back. "We can both play this game into perpetuity, trust me."

[okteiviakom]

"It's not a game!"

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!"

[my_own_advocate]

Well.

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.

[okteiviakom]

Octavia was still glaring daggers at him, her eyes big and wet and furious.

"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."

[my_own_advocate]

"I," Lucifer said, and looked down at his glass. "... I'm sorry."

For hurting her, at least. He wasn't sure what else to say.

[okteiviakom]

At least Octavia stopped yelling at him. Because really, that, that right there was all she'd really wanted him to say much, much earlier in this loud conversation.

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.

[my_own_advocate]

She'd been yelling at him a second ago. And now her face was doing... that. "Octavia?" Lucifer asked, frowning.

[okteiviakom]

Octavia found herself needing to swallow before she talked again. "That's all you needed to say."

Kind of stung that it took so much yelling, though.

(That part was probably irrational and rum-soaked.)

"That's... all. Everything."

[my_own_advocate]

They were both entirely too keyed up to behave like rational beings, to begin with. It wasn't exactly conducive to having a productive conversation about anything.

Lucifer sighed.

"Will you come here, then?" he said, and held out his arms.

[okteiviakom]

Octavia took a step closer and --

Okay, the rum had definitely done something. She didn't usually sway this much.

[my_own_advocate]

So Lucifer pushed away from the counter and met her halfway, wrapping his arms around her.

[okteiviakom]

Octavia clung to him almost immediately, leaning heavily against him.

Her expression was full-on crumbling again, but it was getting buried against his chest anyway.

[my_own_advocate]

"Octavia," Lucifer said softly, holding her as close as he damned well could. "I'm here, I-- I love you."

[okteiviakom]

Well fuck you, too, Lucifer. Which was to say Octavia was now just fully sobbing, immediately following that.

It didn't sound like 'goodbye' wrapped in prettier clothes, this time.

It just sounded like exactly what it was.

[my_own_advocate]

Well. Talking just made her cry harder. So Lucifer... stopped. Just stayed there, his arms wrapped around her, his hand moving over her back with soothing motions.

[okteiviakom]

Sometimes crying harder was good. The yelling had been a release of pressure. Maybe this was the rest of it breaking free.

Whichever it was, she was trembling in his arms, and getting the front of his shirt all damp.

[my_own_advocate]

She could get his shirt damp any day. Lucifer held on, and eventually, started talking again. Mostly soothing noises. Just... letting her know he was there, that he was alive. (Eager to climb in bed with her and Duke and forget about the day for as long as he could...)

[okteiviakom]

Eventually, Octavia managed a deeper inhale. It wasn't much steadier, but it was a start, as the sobs shaking her shoulders seemed to ease away.

"Tell me again?" she asked, her voice quiet and thick.

She wouldn't have, without the rum.

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer blew out a long breath. It was funny, how the words had always gotten stuck in his throat before. Something had dislodged them today, and now he didn't know why this used to be so hard.

"I love you," he said softly, "Miss Octavia."

[okteiviakom]

So guess that still caused a little sob-like sound. But Octavia also nuzzled at his chest.

Or maybe she was just shaking her head at her own reaction.

"Ai hod yu in seintaim," she croaked, "skaifaya."