Lucifer's Mansion, Sunday Night

[my_own_advocate]

There were plans to open the club - finally - and plans to go to Austria for a few days to see an opera - exciting - and Octavia had been doing better recently, so... Lucifer was in a good mood, actually, when Sunday came around.

So yes, the candles were out again tonight. And a rather imposing spread of seafood, picked up from the mainland. With mango rice, of course.

It was Octavia. Couldn't do without the mango rice.

"How do you feel about the snapper?"

[[ for her ]]

Comments

[okteiviakom]

"This feels more complicated than that." Didn't that sound familiar? "A lot of me wants to go much further."

[my_own_advocate]

"So you're... conflicted," Lucifer said carefully.

[okteiviakom]

"Always."

Well, maybe not always, but she was trying to bring something wry back into this. Something even faintly lighter.

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer snorted softly. "Most of the time," he amended.

[okteiviakom]

"Yeah," Octavia sighed, her head tilting further against his shoulder. "So I don't know how this works."

[my_own_advocate]

"One step at a time, and occasionally two steps back if need be?" Lucifer said. He kissed her cheek. "Though you seem... even."

[okteiviakom]

It was all the crying. Clearly it booted most of the... uneven out of the body.

Octavia sighed again. "I feel like I need a shower, and like I kind of want you to come with me." A pause. "But it also kind of feels like you shouldn't."

[my_own_advocate]

"We can go halfway," Lucifer offered. "I'll follow you to the bathroom, you'll take a shower, and if you decide that you do want me there after all, call on me."

[okteiviakom]

Octavia shook her head. "Yeah, I... don't like the sound of that," she admitted. "Feels like a one-way ticket to making it a stressful shower."

[my_own_advocate]

"Then I... will stay here, and you can always call on me, but I won't expect it?" Lucifer tried.

[okteiviakom]

"No," Octavia said, soft but... final. She was quiet for a thoughtful pause. A little moment of contemplation, until she found her way to --

"You go take a shower. And I'll figure out if I want to join you."

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer nodded. Slowly.

And then nodded again.

"Yes," he said softly, and rose from the bed. Walked to the bathroom. Getting naked in front of her felt... contrary to the point.

[okteiviakom]

Kind of would have been, yes.

Octavia watched him go, as she... weighed her feelings about all of this.

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer closed the door behind him, and then efficiently stripped out of his clothes.

A few moments later, he turned on the shower, and got under the spray. Trying not to worry.

[okteiviakom]

Octavia felt a little more settled, at least. This way, if she went for it... She wouldn't have to make a show if it. Could just do it.

If she'd do it.

Right now, she was still sitting on the bed. Listening to the faint noise of the water.

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer took his time - but then he always did in the shower. Putting shampoo in his hair, soaping it up.

Just. Trying. Not to think about the woman in the next room. Or what they'd done.

[okteiviakom]

Octavia had counted on him taking his time. It meant she could also take hers.

She closed her eyes for a moment. Really listened to herself. And then she got up. Pulled off the sweater, pushed down the pants. Unhooked the bra and got rid of the panties.

(Spent a very brief moment peering back and down at what the damage to her ass was like. Got a glimpse of red.)

And finally, slowly, padded towards the bathroom.

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer heard her, but for whatever reason, he didn't dare to actually look towards the door. (Like perhaps that would spook her.)

He tilted his head into the spray, instead. Let the water run down his body.

[okteiviakom]

It was better not to look towards the door. Even when it opened, and then closed, after Octavia had stepped in.

She didn't leave him a lot of time for looking, anyway, before she stepped up behind him under the spray. Something compelled her to be embracing him from behind for a moment here, so that was what she was doing.

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer let out a sigh. He relaxed into her grasp almost instantly. "Hello, there."

[okteiviakom]

"Ha yun," Octavia replied, brushing a kiss against his back before resting her head against it.

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer's hands slid down over hers. "I can pass you the soap, if you'd like," he murmured.

It was a joke.

[okteiviakom]

Octavia missed it.

"I don't think I need anything," she murmured. "Just this." The water, and him.

[my_own_advocate]

Her voice made his own go hushed. "All right," Lucifer said.

He sounded as if he did think that, just that, those words out of her mouth, made everything all right.

(Suddenly the last half hour or so felt like a sham, when it was this easy for her to mold him any way she liked.)

[okteiviakom]

It was starting to feel like maybe, maybe Octavia was moving on from walking a tightrope towards trying to build a bridge.

Because this felt... fine. This, her skin pressed against his skin felt so natural she hadn't even paused to think about how long it had been since the last time.

She sighed, and then -- then she tried to sync her breathing to his.