Deck of the Cape Rouge, Sunday Afternoon

[my_own_advocate]

This certainly had been an emotionally eventful week, hadn't it? For the first time since Duke... exploded... Lucifer found himself in a decent mood, sleeping in to just about noon before cooking himself up a ridiculous breakfast.

Then there was coffee, and a still-somewhat-asleep Devil wandering onto the deck with a large mug that read 'Nail Satan' and a blanket slung over his shoulder. He sat down, facing the boardwalk, and stretched his legs out.

Sigh. A content one, for once. Not entirely without underlying strain, still, but close enough.

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[my_own_advocate]

"You heard it," Lucifer pointed out.

He twisted the mug around in his hands. Looked at it.

"I didn't mean to endanger your safe space."

[okteiviakom]

"This our home," Octavia replied.

She didn't put any stress on the 'our'. But there was an implication of it all the same.

[my_own_advocate]

"Yes," Lucifer agreed.

He sipped his coffee. Thinking.

[okteiviakom]

"So if you're gonna have a screaming match, you might as well have it here," Octavia concluded, on a little sigh, oblivious to whatever he was thinking.

She raised her own cup for another sip. There weren't many left.

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer let out a soft sigh.

"Octavia," he said. "I made you feel unsafe by 'having a screaming match' in our home. And I am deeply sorry."

[okteiviakom]

"I've probably done worse in our home," Octavia murmured.

She'd been looking at his knee this entire time. Now, she slid her free hand onto his leg.

Palm up, an offer.

[my_own_advocate]

And Lucifer took it without hesitation, settling his hand on hers. "Doesn't matter," he murmured. "I want our home to continue feeling like our home."

[okteiviakom]

"Well, you two patching shit up should help," Octavia replied, her thumb rubbing his hand as soon as it settled. "That's all I really want."

Inside their home, anyway.

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer gripped her hand tightly. And then raised it, pressing a kiss to the back of hers.

"We are fixing it," he promised.

[okteiviakom]

Octavia watched him do it.

And her voice sounded just a little more shaky, as she said, "Good."

[my_own_advocate]

"But I do want to make sure we don't neglect you, either," Lucifer said softly. "So I plan to pamper you tonight, if you'll let me."

[okteiviakom]

There was a brief, odd pause.

And then.

"... It's Sunday."

[my_own_advocate]

"Yes."

[okteiviakom]

Good luck trying to read whatever this look was that Octavia had on her face when she finally looked at him properly again.

Soft, but apprehensive, but lost.

Searching.

[my_own_advocate]

And predictably, Lucifer didn't know how to read it.

"Octavia?" he tried.

[okteiviakom]

Maybe there was something sad in there, too. Conflicted?

Helpless.

It was a mess and she looked like she might cry, was what it was.

"I --"

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer reached up to cup her cheek, reflexively.

"... Only if you want to, of course."

[okteiviakom]

Well, Octavia didn't pull away from it, so that was probably a good sign.

She inhaled. Even with that, her voice sounded as strained as it was quiet: "You want to have date night?"

Why the fuck would he not want to, Tavi?

[my_own_advocate]

... Yes, that was not the response Lucifer had anticipated. Not in any universe.

"Of course I do," he said, appalled at the very idea of not wanting to. "Always."

[okteiviakom]

"Oh," Octavia said, very small, like there was something to be surprised about in his reaction, when there wasn't. Give her five to ten minutes to process, and she was going to see what an embarrassingly needless question and a worry that had been.

"I just --" she tried. "You and him --"

Maybe it was already starting to seep in.

[my_own_advocate]

"Are having our own date nights now, because we should have had them all along," Lucifer said. He brushed his thumb along her cheekbone. "You and I don't have the same cracks he and I do because we work hard to maintain what we have. I'm merely rectifying the mistake of not extending that to Duke, as well."

His expression softened.

"But I will always want our nights as well, Σελήνη."

[okteiviakom]

Using that name was just unfair - or the most right thing he could possibly have done. Depending on your point of view.

Could he tell Octavia had been putting herself under a lot of pressure lately? Because her breath caught, and then there were just tears.

[my_own_advocate]

"Oh," Lucifer said quietly.

And then tugged her into his arms.

[okteiviakom]

The mostly empty cup got shoved haphazardly aside.

Octavia didn't fight the tugging. She went into it like a ragdoll, if anything. (Sobbing, despite her best efforts.)

[my_own_advocate]

"It's all right," Lucifer whispered, hoping she wouldn't hear the hint of helplessness in his voice. He held her close, sliding his hand up her back. "It's all right."