Lucifer's Mansion, Wednesday Afternoon

[my_own_advocate]

That whole awkward mess yesterday had ended in Lucifer inviting Octavia over because, well. Because he felt horrifically guilty, and having long emotional chats wasn't really something he was good at when he wasn't in the middle of his own (Eric's) bloody club.

Also, generally, spending time with people went down more smoothly when there were hot tubs involved.

Either way, he was awake and upright. Hadn't bothered to pull on a suit jacket or anything else over his crisp black shirt because, well, this wasn't exactly a formal occasion.

... which hadn't stopped him from getting snacks delivered and breaking out the brandy, mind you. Either way. He was home.

[[ for her ]]

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[my_own_advocate]

"Then pick a story from Fandom that makes you happy," Lucifer said, smiling a bit. "Not asking for your darkest secrets here, dear."

[okteiviakom]

Octavia's drawl was dry again. "Not my fault I have more of those than I do happy stories."

She was trying to think, though.

[my_own_advocate]

"Hardly blaming you," Lucifer said easily, "I mean, I'd ask for one of those, if you wanted to tell them, but that seems a bit unfair."

[okteiviakom]

"I end up telling those enough as it is."

Because so many things just circled back to darkness.

[my_own_advocate]

"So pick something good," Lucifer said, "I beg you."

[okteiviakom]

"Don't rush me and I will," Octavia retorted, and went so far as to actually 'shhh' him.

Just a little.

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer laughed, and splashed a little water at her before he settled in to wait as ordered.

[okteiviakom]

Hot.

Octavia rolled her eyes at him. Then her features smoothed out again as she thought it over.

A happy story. Right.

Took a while, but eventually, she asked, "Duke or Magnus?"

Look at her, she'd come up with options.

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer tilted his head. "Duke," he said after a moment.

Magnus was a bit like a child, so.

[okteiviakom]

Octavia had also been more or less avoiding Magnus since she'd gotten back, so maybe not going for him was the best.

She sighed quietly as she leaned back, her eyes on the view as she began to talk. "This happened at your club, although I don't think it was your club yet," she said. "I can't remember why I came by, but I know I stayed because of the axe range, 'cause it was a new thing."

And she would always be drawn to throwing sharp things.

"And I was probably having a soda or something because I wasn't old enough to get booze yet --" Which she still considered a dumb rule, but whatever. "-- when this guy came up to me. Tall. Floppy hair, brown eyes. Smiling."

[my_own_advocate]

"Pirate-y, as well, I imagine," Lucifer said, smiling at her.

[okteiviakom]

Octavia snorted. "Probably." She hadn't had as good a handle on what that was supposed to look like, back then. "And the ocean was the first thing he asked about when I told him where I came from. I remember he was relieved it was still there."

And now it wasn't, anymore. Might've had something to do with her little pause, the little sad shift in her expression, no matter how brief.

She breathed in. "He told me what it was like to sail, to be on the water. I'd never been, and it sounded - amazing. But also weirdly... familiar. Because I remember him talking about how he couldn't sleep without the rocking of the boat, and I grew up with the hum of a space ship, and it was just..." She trailed off for a second, frowning into the middle distance, trying to find her words. "It felt like he understood something I'd never thought I needed anyone to understand."

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer reached for his glass again, but he hadn't taken his eyes off of her face as he did.

"Made your seemingly jaded heart thump a little faster?" he said lightly. He was still smiling.

[okteiviakom]

Octavia glanced over with a wry look. "I'd been mourning Lincoln for the about two years I'd been here." And boy, did that carry a different weight, now. "I didn't really think of it like that right away."

[my_own_advocate]

"But you felt it," Lucifer said, taking a sip of his wine.

[okteiviakom]

"I felt... like I wanted to see him again."

Which had been a big thing in itself.

"Also I tried to leave early, to sorta -- quit while I was ahead, I guess." Because she'd been amazed at her own ability to keep a nice conversation going. "But then he said something like 'if you're sure', and turned out I wasn't."

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer laughed softly. "He can be smooth," he said, "Sometimes by accident."

[okteiviakom]

Octavia snorted. "That wasn't on purpose," she said, with a subtle fondness. "I think it was just a... odd time to be leaving."

Because her social skills had been arguably even worse, back then.

[my_own_advocate]

"Ah, he could tell you were running away."

[okteiviakom]

"I wasn't running away." But she kind of had been? "Point is, I stayed."

Point was, it had taken all of one question from him too keep her from leaving.

[my_own_advocate]

"You two are adorable," Lucifer said. "Sometimes nauseating."

[okteiviakom]

Octavia snorted again.

Her drawl had some hints of warmth to it, though, as she shook her head just a little. "His staff at the diner used to hate us."

[my_own_advocate]

"And what was that for?"

[okteiviakom]

"Kissing where they had to see it."

Making out, was probably a more accurate term. But that had exited her vocabulary a long time ago.

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer snorted. "Boring little lives they have to lead, if that sets them off."