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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[okteiviakom]

It soothed Octavia much more than she could have said, the way she felt the rise and fall of their chests syncing up. Helped her find a slow rhythm, too. And to ease some of the desperation out of her clinging.

Her shoulders had stopped shaking, and the sobs had ceased.

[my_own_advocate]

Good. Good. Something unclenched in Lucifer's chest, too, though he was too afraid to break the silence to voice that.

He just... kept. Going. Waiting. Listening to her breathe, to her settling.

[okteiviakom]

Octavia kept just focusing on her breathing for a long moment more. But the calmer her body got, the more her thoughts all came back to her. Some clearer than before, though that made some of them kind of painful.

Her cheeks felt too warm.

"I'm sorry I thought you didn't want to," she told him, very, very quietly. Her voice sounded like... Well, like she'd been crying her eyes out. No surprise there. "That was stupid."

And it wasn't even the only thing.

[my_own_advocate]

"It's all right," Lucifer murmured.

His hand finally slid up, into her hair. "I'm glad I could at least disabuse you of that thought."

[okteiviakom]

"I..." Octavia started, then hesitated.

But she was already feeling embarrassed, so what was one more thing?

"I almost dropped by the house yesterday," she muttered. "Thought I'd take a bath, maybe. But I -- I couldn't make myself go in. Into the house."

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer-- well, he wasn't sure how to react to that.

"Why not?" he asked. "You know you're always more than welcome to."

[okteiviakom]

Just like she knew he would always want date nights with her?

"Didn't feel... mine. My place."

More in the figurative sense, but it was hard for her to put into words. What with the shame now that some of her thoughts had cleared.

[my_own_advocate]

"But it is."

Duke and Octavia were going to give him a complex, with how odd they were about his house, honestly.

"It's ours."

[okteiviakom]

Hey now, Octavia had been fully aware of her rights with the house for years, and had taken occasional advantage of that. This had just been... a bad blip.

Hence:

"I know. But I felt like, with the date nights..."

She didn't actually want to finish that thought out loud, so she hoped he could infer enough from her trailing off.

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer's hands found their way to her face eventually, cupping both her cheeks as he pressed his forehead against hers.

"You will always be just as important as Duke," he said. "And just as welcome."

Was it too much? She seemed less caught up in the thought than she'd been a few minutes ago, but...

[okteiviakom]

"It's not a competition," Octavia objected, obviously not to argue with him but to say she knew that. "I just.. thought maybe I got replaced, I know, it's stupid and I don't know why."

She said the back half of that very fast, with her voice getting a little strained towards the end.

Like she was sorry.

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer nodded slowly.

His fingers kept moving through her hair.

"I understand," he said. "... What happened, I mean. Why is a mystery to me, as well."

[okteiviakom]

Octavia did not offer up any of her theories out loud.

She just squeezed her eyes shut and drew in another big breath.

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer waited a moment longer.

Then, when no theories were forthcoming: "I'll take that as a 'yes' to date night tonight."

[okteiviakom]

"Yeah," Octavia breathed. "I think I need it."

And was still in an emotionally fragile enough of a headspace to admit it.

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer filed away the 'I showed Duke the frame room' discussion for a less-fraught moment, close as it was to his mind.

"Anything, darling," he said softly.

[okteiviakom]

Another breath.

"Right now," Octavia said, "I think I need to... cool down for a while."

Clean up her face, probably, too.

[my_own_advocate]

"Cool down how?" Lucifer asked. "Unless you mean a shower."

[okteiviakom]

"Emotionally," Octavia said, and managed the slightest hint of something wry.

[my_own_advocate]

"Ah," Lucifer said. Definitely wry. "I'd suggest a walk, but you've already had one."

[okteiviakom]

Octavia shrugged. Let her head rest against his shoulder again, not intending to linger.

"Maybe I'll read for a bit or something," she said. "You're still at breakfast. There's time before... date night."

[my_own_advocate]

"There is," Lucifer said.

He turned his head and pressed a kiss against her temple. "Take as much time as you need."

[okteiviakom]

"Chof," Octavia murmured. She lingered, just for a few more breaths, then began to pull away. "Right, I'll go."

Her eyes were still kind of red, her face a little puffy. That was going to be the first order of business.

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer nodded. Though he didn't let her run off without kissing her forehead at least once.

Then he dropped his hands.

[okteiviakom]

Octavia let her hand brush along his side as she pulled back. She picked up her cup, then got up.

Then gave him one last look.

"Keep the dinner simple?"