The deck of the Cape Rouge, Port of Fandom, Sunday evening

[betterthanaplan]

Whelp, another Parents Weekend had gone by, and for once, Duke hadn't had any guests arrive, surprise- or no. And for all that talking to Octavia about the disappointment of that had been meant to help him push past that feeling -- that was how this was supposed to work, right? -- he still found himself staring moodily out at the water by Sunday evening, watching the light of the sunset scatter across the swells and waves.

It was beautiful. Even after all his talk today with Linda about emotions and how little control people actually had over them, he was kind of annoyed at himself that he wasn't more in the mood to appreciate that fact, right now.

[expecting one!]

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[my_own_advocate]

"You're ridiculous," Lucifer told him, pulling back just far enough to kiss him.

[betterthanaplan]

"That's what you really love," Duke said. "All our ridiculous bits."

[my_own_advocate]

"Hush," said Lucifer, which meant 'yes'.

He cupped Duke's cheek.

"I am full of landmines, allegedly," he said gravely. At least, Linda had more or less told him as much. "You're just preternaturally good at stepping around them."

[betterthanaplan]

"That doesn't sound much like me," Duke said. "But I guess I had to get lucky somewhere."

[my_own_advocate]

"Oh, you'll get lucky after the serious conversation," Lucifer informed him, smirking.

[betterthanaplan]

Duke grinned. "I'd better. I believe in positive reinforcement."

[my_own_advocate]

"So do I. Especially blow jobs."

He kissed Duke again.

"You and Octavia just have a few last pre-existing snarls to entangle in this," he said. "That's all it sounds like."

[betterthanaplan]

Duke let out a little groan. “I really hope that’s all it is.”

[my_own_advocate]

"It sounds like you did a poor job of explaining the difference between 'someone my extremely polyamorous backside has feelings for' and 'someone I will happily go sleep with and I won't even wait until your back is turned'," Lucifer pointed out. "You can rectify that now."

[betterthanaplan]

"She won't even listen to me talk about it," Duke said. I tried."

He had not tried terribly gracefully.

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer squinted at him.

"It's Octavia," he said. "How did you try?"

[betterthanaplan]

"I told her that, yeah, okay, maybe there could have been something between me and Audrey once. But she's with Nathan, and I'm with you guys, and that's -- I'm good with that."

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer opened his mouth. He closed his mouth. Thought about it.

"You know 'You can trust that I'm not going to jump Audrey because she's dating someone else' is not really the greatest argument you've ever dreamed up."

[betterthanaplan]

Duke sighed. "Yeah, she pointed that out, too." He swallowed. "I'm happy with you two. I'd pick you guys every time. But -- that doesn't mean I don't love and want her, too. And Nathan. They don't want me, though. And I chose you two."

[my_own_advocate]

"But if they did, would you?" Lucifer asked, raising an eyebrow. "Because that's the question you raise here, intentionally or not, that actually matters."

[betterthanaplan]

"I wouldn't trade you two for anything," Duke said. "I told her that, too."

[my_own_advocate]

"Then for-- whoever's sake, stick with that next time," Lucifer said. "I mean, how would you have reacted if you'd asked me that question just now and I'd said 'of course I picked you, the Detective's dating a-- DJ'?"

[betterthanaplan]

Duke sighed. "Yeah, alright. Point."

[my_own_advocate]

And now Lucifer had to sigh, too.

He reached up to brush that lock of hair out of Duke's face. "I know you're trying," he said. "And Octavia's... Octavia."

[betterthanaplan]

"She didn't storm out," Duke said, one side of his mouth quirking up faintly. "So, you know, that's progress."

[my_own_advocate]

"That's practically a full-on win," Lucifer teased.

[betterthanaplan]

Duke let out a soft laugh.

"We're growing as people."

[my_own_advocate]

"We all are," Lucifer agreed.

He pressed a soft kiss against Duke's mouth.

"Somehow."

[betterthanaplan]

Duke hung onto him, leaning into the kiss, even as he acknowledged in the back of his head that, yeah. Alright.

Maybe there was a point to therapy after all.

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer pulled away after letting that get away from him for entirely too long.

"Come on, love," he said, smiling. "I believe I promised you a blow job."