A Spot in the Preserve, Sunday Evening

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer and Octavia had their Sunday rituals down to a T. And that-- well, that made Lucifer a bit contrarian, at times. There was nothing wrong with their tradition, healing as it was, but doing the same thing over and over again wasn't always that exciting.

And, all right. Perhaps he was still processing his own healing breakdown a week after the fact.

So he'd promised Octavia a surprise. Shown up with some take out bags and a smile.

She'd probably figured out where they were going well before the first trees came into view. It was a bit chilly, that couldn't be helped, but still: Lucifer thought the ambiance would help. "Almost there."

[[ for her ]]

Comments

[okteiviakom]

So he got to watch her carefully finishing up her last slice. Nothing wasted.

She glanced over again, once she had. Gave him an amused little look as she was lifting her drink again. "What?"

[my_own_advocate]

"What?" Lucifer asked, a laugh in his voice. "Can't I enjoy watching you be happy?"

[okteiviakom]

Snort. "I was eating."

Those two things were not actually at all mutually exclusive, Tavi.

[my_own_advocate]

"And happy," Lucifer said, undaunted.

[okteiviakom]

"Uh huh," Octavia replied, still with that faintly amused tone.

But she looked something like happy as she finished drink, too.

Light.

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer smiled. "All done?"

[okteiviakom]

"Unless you're hiding something to spring on me, yes."

[my_own_advocate]

"Nothing that isn't already sprung," Lucifer promised, and rose to his feet.

He held out a hand.

[okteiviakom]

"Then yes," Octavia replied, like that hadn't already been covered.

She took his hand, letting him help her get to her feet.

[my_own_advocate]

"Then on we shall go," Lucifer said.

With a soft rush of air, his wings unfurled.

[okteiviakom]

Sorry about the way Octavia seemed to physically pause right then, just to watch the wings for a moment.

"I don't know if I'm ever getting used to this."

She wasn't sure she even wanted to.

[my_own_advocate]

"You'll have ample opportunity to try," Lucifer said.

He let go of her hand, but only to hold up his arms. So she could hop into them, obviously.

[okteiviakom]

Octavia sort of... blinked at them.

Look, the urge to hop anywhere didn't come quickly to her, just give her a second.

[my_own_advocate]

"What?" Lucifer said, a gentle laugh in his voice. "Would you rather crawl on my back?"

[okteiviakom]

Now this pause was Octavia thinking on that.

"No," she decided.

So, hopping into his arms, it was. Or something close enough, anyway.

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer chuckled, making sure she was cradled firmly in his arms. "Comfortable?"

[okteiviakom]

"Yeah."

Enough, anyway, with her arm slung around his neck for extra support.

(She had some complicated feelings about being held like this, sometimes.)

[my_own_advocate]

"Then let's go."

He gave her another moment or two to adjust to that idea.

And then, with a loud clap of his wings, he took to the sky with her.

[okteiviakom]

Time to adjust or not, it was weird, and Octavia couldn't help her little gasp.

Air rushed past her, against her skin, in a way that wasn't unfamiliar - except for the direction.

[my_own_advocate]

It didn't take much from those wide, strong wings to lift them several dozen feet above the woods. There, Lucifer paused, keeping them aloft in place.

"All right?"

[okteiviakom]

"Yeah," Octavia said again, but this time sounding distracted.

Because now she was looking down at the trees.

[my_own_advocate]

"Okay," Lucifer said softly.

Beat his wings again, going higher.

[okteiviakom]

Octavia said nothing, just... watched, as the trees drew that little bit further away.

Got smaller, even if just by a little.

[my_own_advocate]

He didn't want to go too far up. Not yet. So with one more clap, Lucifer stopped. Held still again.

"We can do a loop, in a moment."

[okteiviakom]

It was weirder, somehow, to be suspended in the air like this than it was to be in movement. Octavia didn't realize she seemed to be trying to push herself a little tighter against him.

"Like... around the preserve?"

Over. Whichever.