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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[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?"

[okteiviakom]

The screaming urge felt very close to the surface, again.

Her jaw clenched, instead.

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer heaved a big breath. "I think we just have to wait this one out," he said. "Unfortunately. He seems to be, ah. Going through something."

[okteiviakom]

"I know," Octavia pushed through gritted teeth.

She would hopefully manage a breath here soon that would ease some of the more extreme of her tensions.

[my_own_advocate]

"Right."

Beat.

"Would you like to punch something?"

[okteiviakom]

Octavia exhaled a long breath through her nose.

"Probably."

It also felt exactly as futile as anything else.

[my_own_advocate]

"Because there's a quiet patch of land behind the diner and I could probably find something to hold for you," Lucifer said slowly.

[okteiviakom]

And there was a sigh, rough and somehow sounding a little forced. "What's the point?"

A beat.

(This wasn't his fault, and she didn't want him to think she thought so.)

"But thanks."

[my_own_advocate]

"The point is that you're clearly having feelings you're struggling to release?" Lucifer offered. "And I am always willing to help with that."

Hem.

[okteiviakom]

"I know," Octavia muttered. "But I don't know if I feel like it."

[my_own_advocate]

"Hm," Lucifer hummed in understanding. "Well. I suppose we'll just sit here, then."

He sipped his drink.

[okteiviakom]

Octavia gave that a vague, stilted nod. And then spent a long moment just breathing in an out. Trying to will the worst of the tension out of her shoulders.

She was halfway successful.

"I hope you'll have an okay vacation," she muttered. "Regardless."

[my_own_advocate]

"I would prefer it if we all did," Lucifer said.

Honestly.

[okteiviakom]

"Well, I was talking about you," Octavia retorted, but it was... a little softer, at least.

[my_own_advocate]

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I am the one I'm least worried about in all this," Lucifer said. He looked at her, then.

[okteiviakom]

"Good, then I guess I don't have to worry about you."

She was probably going to do it anyway, in the background.

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer let out a soft, almost amused huff of a breath. "We just... give him some space," he said. "And hopefully he'll untie the knot in his very pretty brain and start asking us about how we see things again."

[okteiviakom]

"Mmh," was the best that Octavia could do in response.

She gave his hand another squeeze.

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer sighed. "Right, right," he said. "I should stop with the advice. And the suggestions. And the ideas."

[okteiviakom]

"I'm not saying that," Octavia murmured. "I'm just... really, really tired."

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer removed his hand from her leg. Instead, he slid that arm around her shoulders.

Tried to pull her in.

[okteiviakom]

Octavia didn't have as much of an iron grip on him anymore, but it still took her a moment to let him move.

But she did.

And she allowed him to tug her in, too, slumping a little against his side.

[my_own_advocate]

"I'm so sorry, darling," Lucifer murmured, pressing his face into her hair.

[okteiviakom]

Octavia made a frustrated noise and tried to nuzzle at his neck.

"It's like --" she started, only to cut herself off, and made another grumbly noise.