The Pier on Cat Island, Monday Morning

[my_own_advocate]

Well, nothing had gone catastrophically wrong since Duke left yesterday. Octavia and Lucifer had taken their portal, and found themselves standing immediately in the sunshine. Whatever burdens had laid on Lucifer's shoulders, many of them sloughed off at the sight of the sand and the surf.

Sometimes he missed Los Angeles, still. The beach helped. And while the temperatures could have been higher, they were comfortable, much more so than Fandom. So he had stretched, and set up the Fin and Tonic for inhabitation for the next few weeks, and that had been all.

And now he was here. Sitting on the edge of their pier, a pina colada in one hand, wearing a swimsuit that didn't quite aspire to the heights (or lows) of Eric's small speedos, his legs kicking idly over the water. There was a peace here he was desperate to embrace. He could only hope Octavia could find a fraction of it, as well.

(And Duke, out there on his boat, processing his demons.)

[[ open for phone calls and she who is here ]]

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[my_own_advocate]

"I do love this view," Lucifer murmured. "Lets me drift away from all my troubles."

[okteiviakom]

This time, Octavia's vague hum was at least somewhat merited.

She popped some of the fruit salad into her mouth.

[my_own_advocate]

"Penny for your thoughts?" Lucifer hazarded.

[okteiviakom]

Octavia sighed. Softly, sort of.

Then she looked over at him again. "I'm not sure I even know what they are," she admitted.

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer let out a soft huff. "It has been a few weeks, hasn't it?" he murmured. He shook his head. "I tried to talk to Duke the other day. And... I can see why you were concerned."

[okteiviakom]

Octavia's expression turned into one of a tired question.

He could pick which one it was.

[my_own_advocate]

"Well, we're not doing the thing I suggested we try, that's for sure," Lucifer said. He looked at Octavia. "He agreed. He's too... up in his own head right now to handle it."

[okteiviakom]

Octavia couldn't even tell whether she felt disappointment, or an odd sense of relief.

(It was both.)

"Right," she murmured.

[my_own_advocate]

"He seems... very focused on being heard, specifically," Lucifer added, "But you noticed that already."

[okteiviakom]

"I noticed his ears seem to barely work," Octavia muttered, looking down at her fruit salad only to pick up the drink instead.

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer sighed. "He wants me to ask you for permission to tell him more about our sex life," he said. "I tried to tell him that if he just approached you slightly differently, you would tell him yourself, but..."

[okteiviakom]

Octavia had been about to take a sip.

Her hand stopped. Her expression wobbled.

Her voice sounded hollow and forced. "He asked you?"

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer sighed. "Yes," he said. "I-- you're right. He's not really listening to anything very well right now."

[okteiviakom]

Octavia stared at the water.

Words would come. Just not... not immediately.

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer let out another sigh.

His hand reached out gingerly to touch her... leg?

Well. That was what was available.

[okteiviakom]

Still staring out over the water, Octavia fumbled the bottle out of her hand so that she could grab his hand. Grip it, really, as tight as she could.

And then she squeezed her eyes shut, and she screamed, as loud as she could. All fury and frustration, one of those banshee cries she hadn't felt the need to let out in a long while.

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer winced. But only a little.

"Understandable," he said.

[okteiviakom]

Once the scream died out, with all the air pushed out of Octavia's lungs, she gasped a big breath back in.

Mercifully, she did not scream again. Just... did her best to breathe.

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer's turn to shift his hand, so he could grip hers in return.

And squeeze.

[okteiviakom]

Octavia squeezed back.

She was slow to open her eyes. Almost said something, swallowed it at the last second.

Were words ever actually going to come?

[my_own_advocate]

"Are you all right?" Lucifer asked. Carefully.

[okteiviakom]

"No."

Well, hey, that was a word! And the frustration wasn't even aimed at him.

Wasn't really aimed at anyone.

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer blinked.

"I'm sorry."

[okteiviakom]

"Why is he asking you," erupted out of her, "and why now?"

[my_own_advocate]

"Because he doesn't think you want to tell him," Lucifer said, "and he seems uninterested in anyone telling him anything he isn't already thinking?"