From the Cape Rouge to the Bahamas, Monday Morning

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer had woken up in an empty bed in his empty mansion, surrounded by empty bottles. Later, he'd be grateful he hadn't slept with anyone. For now, though, the emptiness was a perfectly horrifying accompaniment to the desolation of his weekend self, and he'd gotten up in a panic, barely stopping to put on a suit out the door.

Now, barely ten minutes later, he was rushing up onto the Rouge.

"Octavia? Duke? Are you here?!"

[[ for them ]]

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[betterthanaplan]

Duke had been at the hotel, and was a little ways behind Lucifer getting to the port.

“Luce,” he called. “Hey, you okay?”

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer spun around and let out a sigh of relief. "Oh, there you are," he said.

Sorry, Duke, but he was across the distance between you in moments and dragging you into a hug whether you liked it or not.

[betterthanaplan]

He got no objections from Duke.

“Here I am,” he said. “Actually me, and not that sad little daddy’s boy detective anymore.”

[my_own_advocate]

"Who cared more about solving a mystery than having sex with-- other me," Lucifer managed. The joke fell flat on him, so he kissed Duke instead.

It was a little bit desperate.

(He'd been alone again--)

[betterthanaplan]

That kiss prevented more invectives about Detective Crocker, which was probably for the best.

Duke clung to Lucifer, poorly masking a neediness of his own.

[my_own_advocate]

At some point the kiss broke, and Lucifer was back to just... clinging on to him, willing away that reminder of a distant and yet-too-close past away.

"'m gonna get 'Tavia and get us on the first portal to the Bahamas," he mumbled.

[betterthanaplan]

"Fuck, yes please," Duke said. And then didn't let go. "In a minute. I still feel dirty."

He'd been a cop. Yeeeeeuch.

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer laughed. It sounded a bit wetter than he wanted it to. He hugged Duke even tighter. "I do not want to go back to being that person again," he muttered.

[betterthanaplan]

"I won't let you," Duke assured him, one hand coming up to card through the hair at the nape of his neck. "As long as I'm me, I'll remind you to be you."

[my_own_advocate]

"Thank you," Lucifer said quietly.

And stayed there for a moment. Or two. Or three.

"Think she's on her boat?"

[okteiviakom]

Not anymore, she wasn't.

But yes, the Samsara was where Octavia had woken up. Much to her relief, Vanessa had decided to keep an eye on the smaller boat and, once she'd felt confident it wasn't currently in active use, had broken in.

Which meant that Octavia had some repairs in her future, yes.

But not right now, because right now she was hurrying down the dock over to the Rouge, still half in the process of pulling her hoodie on as she made it over the gangplank.

"Everyone okay?"

[betterthanaplan]

Duke had to chuckle at her timing, even as he pulled away from Lucifer just enough to loop one arm around his waist.

"Recovering. You?"

[my_own_advocate]

"Come here," Lucifer said, gesturing for her with his newly-freed arm. It clearly needed an Octavia in it.

[okteiviakom]

Octavia just about managed to squeeze in a vague shrug at Duke's question, before Lucifer was beckoning her close.

She wasted no time before accepting that invitation.

[betterthanaplan]

"Luce is going to book us a portal," Duke told her. "Then we'll go enjoy ourselves being us again."

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer pulled her into their circle, so all three of them were pressed up against each other in a hug. "We should pack."

After the hug.

[okteiviakom]

Octavia said nothing, just slid her arms around the both of them, and gave them both a little squeeze, tilting her head against Duke's shoulder.

[betterthanaplan]

Duke turned his head to kiss her hair, shutting his eyes.

Detective Crocker hadn't known what he was missing. It was clearly better to be a vagabond than a cop.

"You had wings," he said, after a moment, because someone had to. "I hope you were able to enjoy them?"

[my_own_advocate]

"Well, wings..."

Lucifer, this was not the time to sound vaguely judgmental.

[okteiviakom]

No, it wasn't.

Octavia thought about the breeze against her face (her face that wasn't actually her face at all, all sharper angles and freckles) and how little she'd actually been able to feel on the rest of her body (her body that wasn't actually her body at all, half a metal shell to conceal all the squishy bits inside).

The wings had been a weird thing, like a body part that responded to her every thought but that she'd barely been able to feel.

"It was fine," she rasped.

[betterthanaplan]

Duke hadn't entirely realized that that metal exoskeleton had been her actual body. Detective Crocker, of course, had simply assumed it was very well made armor.

"Maybe we'll go parasailing in the Bahamas," he said, giving her an extra little squeeze. "After we go swimming."

He was going to get to go swimming.

[my_own_advocate]

"Might be fun to look into," Lucifer said.

Grudgingly, he pulled away from them to get his phone. "I should order that portal."

[okteiviakom]

Octavia waited for the length of one slow exhale before also pulling away from Duke.

"I should pack."

[betterthanaplan]

"I should. . . ." Not try to cling too hard to his partners right now. "Yeah, those things. Put some food together?"

[my_own_advocate]

Don't worry, Duke. Lucifer wasn't intending to stay away from you for longer than the duration of this portal-booking.

In fact, he was moving a big fast, paging through that app and pressing buttons.