Deck of the Cape Rouge, Friday Morning

[my_own_advocate]

Life appeared to have settled some on the Rouge - and in the mansion, where a great deal of conversations had taken place over the last few weeks. Lucifer, for his part, rather enjoyed the calm-- the heavy burden of foreboding and tension had lifted entirely from his shoulders.

It had been, he had to admit, quite a while since the last time he felt that way.

And so he found himself out on the deck surprisingly early, wrapped in an incredibly thick and clearly expensive blanket, sipping from a mug of hot chocolate, feeling all right with the world.

In fact, he might have even been humming one of the classics under his breath.

[[ expecting one, but open! ]]

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[okteiviakom]

"No," Octavia agreed. "I know he meant well, but..."

[my_own_advocate]

"It's Duke," Lucifer said wryly. "He always runs several steps too far ahead."

He pressed another kiss into her hair.

"I'm not saying there's a rush to come up with something, darling," he said. "Just to consider not throwing the baby out with the bathwater."

[okteiviakom]

"Am I hurting you if I do?"

[my_own_advocate]

"I think you hurt you if you do."

[okteiviakom]

"That ship has sailed," Octavia replied without missing a beat. "I'm asking about you."

[my_own_advocate]

There was... a long, somewhat pregnant, pause on Lucifer's part.

Then: "I think it would be a loss," he said, "For me."

[okteiviakom]

Octavia nodded. Vaguely, since her head was still resting against his shoulder.

"Which part?" she asked, evenly. "Specifically."

[my_own_advocate]

"It means something to me that you would take a word, imbue it with such passion and feeling, and give it to me," Lucifer said, voice quiet. "It's a connection. It could be-- any word, any name, but that you, who cares so much for such things, cared to give it to me makes me feel--"

What?

"Loved."

Oh.

[okteiviakom]

"It's just one name," Octavia replied, although her voice was quieter - and a little softer, now.

[my_own_advocate]

"It's a name that matters," Lucifer said quietly. "It's a way you included me in our little family."

[okteiviakom]

"But it's not the thing tying our family together," Octavia said, even if there was a little off note about her voice, just there. No big deal, he'd just... hit the nail on the head again about part of why she was so upset with Duke's rejection. (What felt like rejection. He hadn't meant it like that.) "If it was, we'd be fucked."

[my_own_advocate]

"No, it's not what's tying us together," Lucifer murmured. "But it is a thing that ties us together. And I would prefer not to lose my moon goddess just because Duke is going through something right now."

[okteiviakom]

All of this felt suddenly very unfair. In every direction, somehow.

Octavia pressed tighter against his side.

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer turned his head, and pressed a kiss to her temple. "Sorry," he murmured.

[okteiviakom]

"You don't have anything to be sorry about," Octavia murmured. Hesitated, then continued, with only a shred of context: "And -- you don't have to."

[my_own_advocate]

A context that flew right past him. "Mm?"

[okteiviakom]

Octavia's voice got extra quiet.

"Lose her."

[my_own_advocate]

"Oh," Lucifer said quietly.

He kissed her temple again, and murmured, "Natshana."

[okteiviakom]

It still kind of hurt.

But maybe Octavia didn't want to pay that hurt forward. Or at least was willing to consider not making her loss a shared one. (Duke had said something about that, sometimes having to take care of other people even when she was hurting.)

She rubbed gently at his thigh. Took a breath that was a little shuddery.

[my_own_advocate]

"I'm sorry," Lucifer said again.

Not for something he did, this time. "And you get to call me whatever you like."

[okteiviakom]

Octavia turned a little more towards him, finally.

And tried, awkwardly, to slide her own arms around him.

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer shifted a touch to let her.

He was happy to hug her back.

[okteiviakom]

Octavia was happy to cling a little.

"I love you," got muttered into the front of his shoulder, or somewhere around there.

[my_own_advocate]

"I love you too, darling," Lucifer whispered, nuzzling her cheek.

[okteiviakom]

"If you ever stop calling me 'darling', I might burst."

It was a joke, but her voice sounded as strained as it was quiet.