The Cape Rouge, Saturday Morning

[my_own_advocate]

Haven was even worse than all the stories. And so, after the absolute disaster that had been yesterday and its ensuing revelations and fights, Lucifer had - over Duke's initial protests and then quiet acceptance - thrown everyone into the Rolls Royce and driven them home through a bloody portal.

He'd been keeping it together quite well, all in all, he felt. Compared to both of his partners. He was good at that, occasionally, being the one who didn't fall apart at the sight of personal trauma.

So why couldn't he sleep?

He'd given up the fight at some un-Himly hour. Found himself pottering around, lurking on deck, lurking in other places, drinking. Now he was back in the galley, contemplating the last of their scotch, and the inevitability of their eventual return to Haven.

He almost missed the noise outside.

[[ for the cape rouge dwellers plus one ]]

Comments

[okteiviakom]

Something in Octavia's shoulders relaxed a little.

Like there'd been a test, and they'd passed it.

[swisflapa]

Rory looked from Duke to Octavia to--

She gave Lucifer's arm a little whack. "Are you just going to sit there looking like a deer in headlights forever, dad?"

Lucifer cleared his throat and propped himself up a bit more firmly in his seat. "I am not," he said, "A deer in headlights."

He was still stuck on 'this is physically impossible' and would be for some time.

[betterthanaplan]

"You are absolutely a deer in the headlights," Duke said, glad to have the focus on someone else not handling things for a hot second. "You'll have to forgive him, kid, unlike your mom and I, this is his first time having someone show up and start calling him 'Dad' for a weekend."

[okteiviakom]

If Lucifer was a deer in headlights, then Octavia was probably a creature lurking in the dark woods by the road.

Or at least she was trying to be.

Even though she finally turned around now, having exhausted the things she could do at the counter that would give her an excuse to stay with her back to them.

[my_own_advocate]

"Look, I'm sorry, but you are just completely and utterly impossible," Lucifer said, finally looking at Rory. "Not in a philosophical or aggravating way, but plain biology."

"You're a celestial, Dad," Rory pointed out dryly. "Didn't you and uncle Amenadiel figure out like a million years ago that basically everything about you is mental Play-Doh?"

[betterthanaplan]

. . . Well, there was a mental image.

"Maybe at some point, part of you will . . . want a kid with us."

Yep, okay, that was definitely weird.

[okteiviakom]

"Like she said," Octavia put in, something careful about her tone, like she didn't want to be drawing attention to herself but also couldn't help it, "Amenadiel's already done it."

[my_own_advocate]

"Oh g-- oh m-- oh, for."

Lucifer slumped forward and stared at the table. "Please tell me I haven't impregnated anyone else over the years."

(His brain was probably latching onto this terrible possibility because it was less-terrible than everything else going on around here.)

[betterthanaplan]

"Since you've been in this town as long as I have and this is your first alternate universe kid, I'm guessing no."

[okteiviakom]

Octavia felt slightly uncomfortable in a wholly new way. Maybe she should even have been grateful? It was a distraction from everything else.

She made a low hum of agreement.

[my_own_advocate]

"Should I try canvassing LA just to be sure?" Lucifer asked.

No. No, that would not be a sane thing to do, Lucifer.

[betterthanaplan]

“No,” Duke said simply.

Look, it wasn’t like he hadn’t considered the possibility of his own little brood out in the world somewhere.

[okteiviakom]

"No," Octavia agreed.

Maybe for different reasons.

[my_own_advocate]

"But if I have other children out there, I should..."

Lucifer made a helpless gesture.

"...At least make sure they're financially stable?"

Eventually he'd realize absolutely none of his responses to Rory involved actual terror at having a child as a practical reality. And then he might even realize he didn't mind having her here.

Eventually.