The Cape Rouge, Port of Fandom, Monday morning

[betterthanaplan]

Duke hadn't had a lot of time for his yoga practice over the last week/month. Between that, the physical trauma of aging 70 years in two days, coming about as close as someone could come to dying without actually dying, and then unaging again over the course of a few hours, he was about as stiff and un-bendy as he could ever remember being.

But he was home. On his ship, in the bright, warm sunshine of Maryland in August instead of Maine in May, so he was on the deck, sprawled out on his bench enjoying a morning coffee, and occasionally hopping up for some spontaneous poses as he tried to work the kinks out of his back. His very, very bruised back. He had dark lines evenly spaced up and down his whole spine from where Nathan had tried to keep his heart beating on stairs.

Now he knew why Gloria had shoved a bottle of vicodin into his hands before letting him leave the hospital yesterday.

[SO VERY open!]

Comments

[my_own_advocate]

The brunch guys showed up before the Devil who hired them did: two large men carrying several baskets and a fold-out table.

"This the 'big boat with the broody yoga pirate and the gorgeous grunty one who can break your neck by looking at you'?" one of them bellowed, sounding like he had just read that off of a note.

[betterthanaplan]

Duke looked around. His was still the biggest boat in port. Out of all two boats in port.

"Looks like," he said. "What's all that?"

[my_own_advocate]

"Brunch delivery," the guy intoned, sounding bored. His buddy was already heading up onto the boat.

[betterthanaplan]

"Ah." Duke nodded. "There's no point in me saying I didn't order a brunch delivery, is there."

[my_own_advocate]

"We have specific instructions from Mr. Morningstar to 'roll our eyes at you and make some kind of wisecrack about his facial hair' if you do, sir," the man replied, and followed his buddy up.

"Sorry I'm late with the booze delivery," Lucifer called, from a little further down the boardwalk. He happily waved a bottle of champagne in Duke's general direction.

[betterthanaplan]

"I should have guessed," Duke said, shaking his head. "Hey, Luce. Heard I was back, huh?"

[my_own_advocate]

"I promised a certain someone champagne for moving her stuff out once you came back," Lucifer said, wandering up to the boat while the big guys started setting up the table and the brunch spread and the-- look, there was a lot of it.

Lucifer lifted the other bag. "And a stopgap bottle of bourbon until she finds time to buy a new one to replace the one she broke over my head."

[betterthanaplan]

Duke smiled at that. "She broke a bottle over your head?" Then frowned. "Wait, moved out of where?"

[my_own_advocate]

Oops.

"Something for you to discuss with her over champagne later," Lucifer said smoothly, heading on up. "Yes, she broke one of your nicer bottles in a fit of pique because I wasn't letting her stumble drunkenly up, and then presumably subsequently fall down, my stairs."

[thatwaslucky]

Since the text she'd gotten last night, Rey had kind of had to force herself not to come over earlier, since she was sure waking him up wouldn't have been appreciated. That was pretty much the only reason.

But when she made her way to the boat, she greeted him with a full-on smile and a, "I knew you'd be back."

That'd been Important.

[betterthanaplan]

"That's good. I didn't." Duke shrugged, then smiled back. "Did you miss me?"

[thatwaslucky]

"Of course I did," she said, and checked. "Are you okay for a hug?"

It'd seemed like he needed it by the texts?

[betterthanaplan]

"Sure." Duke winced and stretched gingerly. ". . . Maybe around the neck or something. I'm kind of -- bruised."

[thatwaslucky]

Rey nodded and went over to wrap her arms around his neck, keeping her touch light, just in case.

"What happened?"

[betterthanaplan]

"Long story," Duke said with a sigh, wrapping his arms quite firmly around her in return. "Never give anyone CPR on stairs."

[thatwaslucky]

"Why was there CPR on stairs?"

She'd let him decide when he wanted to let go.

[betterthanaplan]

He leaned his head against hers for a moment, his eyes closed, for a few long, measured breaths, then pulled back.

"Because I nearly died fathering a kid I can never see again."

You know, typical trip-home stuff.

[okteiviakom]

Octavia had gone out for Shunsui's class, just for a little bit of at least pretending things were closer to normal now that Duke had returned. She didn't waste too much time getting back afterwards, giving into the voice in the back of her head that needed to keep an eye on Duke for at least the next 24 hours.

But not only was Duke still there when she came back...

"I see brunch has arrived," she drawled, amused despite herself, as she boarded the ship.

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer glanced over his shoulder with a big grin on his face. He'd had a mimosa so far, but he'd been trying to politely... only eat a few of the finger sandwiches.

So sue him. Poor impulse control.

"Why, if it isn't miss Octavia, come to join us fashionably late."

[betterthanaplan]

Duke sipped his mimosa and reached a hand for her without getting up. "C'mere and sit. Lucifer apparently decided we needed enough food for an entire orchestra."

[okteiviakom]

Octavia snorted as she came up to the little table.

"I told him not to make it a big deal," she rasped, taking Duke's hand and giving it a little squeeze before taking a seat next to him, and casting a little glance Lucifer's way. Something fond hiding right behind the dry. "Unsurprisingly, he did not listen."

[my_own_advocate]

"Please, this is hardly a big deal," Lucifer said, rolling his eyes. "It's not like I arranged a party or hired a band or anything."

[betterthanaplan]

"No, you just had two dudes show up with their own table," Duke said. "We should have some music, though. I could get my ukulele?"

He expected a full rant on that from Lucifer, yes.

[okteiviakom]

Which meant Octavia said nothing to that, and instead used her free hand to reach out for one of the finger sandwiches.

She hadn't eaten much before she'd left for the class, no.

[my_own_advocate]

"Why do you have a ukelele?" Lucifer demanded. "You know that brief YouTube craze ended in 2010, right? Learn a proper instrument!"