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]

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."

[okteiviakom]

Maybe helplessness was just natural.

It wasn't supposed to be like this. Octavia was supposed to be stable, solid, able to just take things, whatever came her way. Be osleya again. Wasn't that what was needed of her?

But she was crying helplessly against Lucifer's shoulder instead, her arms winding their way around him to cling.

[my_own_advocate]

No. No, it wasn't needed of her.

They just needed Octavia. Lucifer just needed Octavia.

And this felt more like her than she had in weeks. So he held her. Murmured, maybe, a soft, "Ai Okteivia," into her ear.

[okteiviakom]

Definitely didn't make the clinging lessen any.

And somewhere in between the sobbing Octavia managed a gasp of, "Skaifaya."

Because this was probably the most Octavia she'd been in weeks.

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer's fingers slid soothingly up and down along her spine, over the fabric of her shirt.

"I'm here."

[okteiviakom]

Octavia tried to take a few deeper breaths, to calm her body down a little, and was mostly successful.

Even if that meant that some clarity regarding the situation was beginning to seep in.

She shuddered.

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer's arms tightened around her in response. "That's it," he said softly. "Breathe."

He'd ask questions later.