Lucifer's Mansion, Very Early Saturday Morning

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer came back from his shift at the bar - and subsequent trip to the hotel - in decidedly less grand spirits than that he'd started it. Morose Duke was never good, and morose Duke over-- whatever that incredible mess was...

It had Lucifer wishing Seivarden had been around for some distraction. He hadn't exactly been in the mood to pick up somebody new, especially not after Duke had told him everything.

At least sleep would probably do him good. He let out a sigh and turned the last corner towards his house, keys already in hand.

Wait. Was there someone sitting on the steps?

[[ for someone; CW for mentions of self-harm and suicidal ideation ]]

Comments

[okteiviakom]

"That was different," Octavia muttered.

If only because she had actually had a decent grasp on who she was, back then. Even if it hadn't always felt like that at the time.

[my_own_advocate]

"Seems like a better place to start than 'assassin' or 'champion' or 'queen'," Lucifer said.

[okteiviakom]

"I had to be all those things."

Which, yes, was the problem now. Nothing was forcing her anymore.

(Except the mess of guilt and rage she carried around with her.)

[my_own_advocate]

"And now you don't."

[okteiviakom]

Octavia let her head drop against her hands. Yes, even though it hurt one of them. At least the painkillers had kicked in, dulling everything a little bit.

"But I still am." She'd still been Blodreina kom Wonkru less than a month ago. "Tonight's proof."

[my_own_advocate]

"Tonight's proof of nothing but that you're currently a suicidal idiot fueled by guilt," Lucifer said dryly.

[okteiviakom]

Octavia rubbed her temple. Sounded tired. A little helpless, and yet still managing a faint drawl. "I worried he was going to end up hating me the same as everyone else."

This was one way to solve that, sure.

[my_own_advocate]

"You know that's not something you should be proactive about," Lucifer said, eyeing her.

[okteiviakom]

"Better now than after he finds out who I became without him?"

She didn't really think that. She just had to -- try and grasp comfort where she could, no matter how twisted.

[my_own_advocate]

"You're at least saving yourself a year's worth of 'no, baby, I love you for whoever you are now'," Lucifer said, mimicking Duke's accent with surprising accuracy.

[okteiviakom]

Octavia's response to that was immediate and sharp.

"Don't."

[my_own_advocate]

"Touchy," Lucifer sighed. "But honestly, the line between affirmation and denial is quite thin. Especially with people like Duke."

And Chloe.

[okteiviakom]

It wasn't even that. Octavia just did not take very kindly to anything that sounded like it was mocking Duke.

Her voice was back to a glum mumble. "It's not denial if they don't know what they're talking about."

[my_own_advocate]

"No, that's definitely denial," Lucifer said, and now he wished he'd brought his drink with him. "Pointedly ignoring all hints to the contrary."

[okteiviakom]

Octavia had arguments to counter that with, but... She drew in a deep breath, then let it go as a sigh. "I don't want to talk about this now."

Felt theoretical, anyway. She'd ruined things, they didn't have to go over whether Duke should have seen it coming or not.

[my_own_advocate]

"Fine, I suppose," Lucifer said. He took a breath and eyed her. "If I leave you here for the night, will you be all right?"

[okteiviakom]

"Define 'all right'," Octavia rasped.

[my_own_advocate]

"Will you try to sleep and not do anything stupid?" Lucifer amended. "Because I will stay here if it looks like you're going to do something particularly stupid."

Not exactly how he'd been hoping to share a bed with Octavia again, but whatever.

[okteiviakom]

Octavia was back to those snorts that didn't really live up to the name. Also it was thoroughly joyless. "I can't promise sleep."

She couldn't promise much else, either.

[my_own_advocate]

Did Lucifer care enough to give up his own night's sleep to make sure she didn't bang her head off a wall all night?

No. No, he did not. No, he wanted-- deserved his beauty rest after all this. "Right," he said, getting up. "I'm going to get my drink."

[okteiviakom]

"Good," Octavia said. Dry, flat.

And without looking up.

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer slipped out of the room.

He did, in fact, go collect his drink, but he paused by it, struck by indecision.

[okteiviakom]

Octavia stayed exactly where she was. Glanced up at the room and wondered whether she should just give up and get under the covers, even though she hadn't had a full night's sleep all week, and had just added a whole new array of nightmare fodder into her brain.

Didn't manage to actually move to make that decision.

But she was alone again, and that was probably what she deserved.

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer rubbed his eyebrow with his thumb. Made an intensely frustrated noise.

He was just not going to get any amount of decent sleep tonight.

He slammed back his drink, filled it with another two measures of scotch, and then marched back across the hallway, back into the guest room. "You know beds are for laying down in," he said, sitting down on the other end. "You have a concussion, you need to get some bloody rest."

[okteiviakom]

"Likely concussion," Octavia drawled, but as far as attempts at being an ass went, it was pretty mild.

You know, because he'd come back.

She rubbed the bridge of her nose. Okay. Okay. One step at a time. She would probably have to get up, first.