Lucifer's (et al) mansion, Wednesday night

[betterthanaplan]

The post-resurrection high Duke had apparently been riding since they'd gotten back from Haven had faded, though he still felt physically better than he had in a long time. Possibly ever.

He was doing his best to maintain that physical wellbeing, even if his emotional wellbeing was slightly rockier again, and as such, very nearly ended up late to his planned date night with Lucifer, having spent longer swimming easy laps in the pool than he'd intended.

He was pretty sure Lucifer wasn't going to knock him too much for still being damp from a post-swim shower as he set the table and carefully plated the Egyptian-style fish sandwiches he'd put together for them for dinner.

The fact that he was wearing one of his favorite worn-soft old flannel shirts open over his bare chest might help, too. ;D

[for him!]

Comments

[betterthanaplan]

Duke snorted. "I should damn well hope so."

Oh, that stretch was nice. Lucifer really should stretch more.

"And, uh. In general? Not to drag the mood down or anything, but . . . well, I've got my head out of my ass enough to know you haven't had the easiest time since we got back."

[my_own_advocate]

"Ah."

The part Lucifer had been trying to dance around, then? Pity. He'd hoped Duke wouldn't notice.

"Well," he said. "I still haven't had my brother kicking down the door to make a nuisance of himself, so that has been a bit of a relief..."

[betterthanaplan]

Duke nodded.

"Amenadiel has his place, and it is not in Fandom," he agreed.

[my_own_advocate]

"And," Lucifer said, reaching for the corkscrew, "If he's not here, then that means he hasn't... sensed... anything. Perhaps nothing's changed."

[betterthanaplan]

Duke nodded slowly. "Have any of your brothers ever, uh. Brought anyone back before?"

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer finished filling up his glass, first. "...Yes," he said, something like relief visible in his shoulders. "Amenadiel brought back a particularly annoying cop to frustrate me with. Malcolm."

[betterthanaplan]

“So it’s not unheard of,” Duke said. “Okay, that’s really good to know. You don’t need full god powers to do it.”

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer nodded slowly.

"Perhaps I am just manifestic angelic powers I've never used," he said, optimistically. "... Yes. Yes, that must be it."

[betterthanaplan]

"Makes sense to me!"

Mmmm, denial.

"It was a lot, what happened. And we all freaked out a bit. Totally understandable."

Duke's glimpse of Hell at large still haunted him, for one. The ash, the stones, that tall, tall throne. . . .

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer nodded.

"At least I stopped your Hell loop quickly enough," he added. "Malcolm went a touch mad."

Time to top up Duke's glass!

[betterthanaplan]

Duke shuddered. "Yeah. I can see where that would happen."

The time he'd spent down there . . . well. It wasn't not sticking to him.

"Though . . . I mean, it was bad down there, for sure. But I was probably lucky my Hell loop wasn't what Croatoan forced me to do."

Because Hell was about regrets. And while that was awful, Duke didn't consider it his fault. It was all trauma, no self-flagellation.

[my_own_advocate]

"He was very sadistic," Lucifer agreed. "Drink your wine."

[betterthanaplan]

Duke drank.

"It's fucked up," he admitted. "Knowing I can be used like that." He shook himself. "That I could be."

He was just going to lean into the idea that without the aether in him, he didn't have that vulnerability anymore. Mind controlling reindeer need not apply.

[my_own_advocate]

"Not anymore."

There was a kind of grim finality to that statement.

Then Lucifer drank his own wine.

[betterthanaplan]

And Duke had been trying not to bring the mood down.

"We're okay," he declared, trying to bring some of the good vibes back again. He held up his glass towards Lucifer in a toast. "You and me and Tavi, we're all going to be okay."

[my_own_advocate]

"With no threats hovering above our heads? Absolutely," Lucifer said, holding up his glass in turn. "To nothing but lavish vacations and extremely vigorous sex for the next ten years."

[betterthanaplan]

“Fuck, yes,” Duke said. “Is it too soon for another vacation, do you think?”

[my_own_advocate]

"Please. I feel like we've all lived a lifetime in the past month," Lucifer said. He sipped his wine. "But Ocavia may prefer the stability of... here."

[betterthanaplan]

"She usually does, yeah," Duke agreed. "And we did just go to Haven. It wasn't a vacation, but we did, you know. Leave."

And now all three of them were freshly traumatized!

[my_own_advocate]

"We did," Lucifer agreed. "So perhaps we... give her a few weeks before we float the idea."

[betterthanaplan]

"Probably a good plan," Duke agreed. "I just might basically live in the pool downstairs, in the meantime."

[my_own_advocate]

"I certainly wouldn't mind that," Lucifer said. "A good excuse for me to spend more time in that hot tub."

[betterthanaplan]

"It's a very nice hot tub," Duke said. "And those lounge chairs are great for napping in."

[my_own_advocate]

"Mm. I was thinking they could use more padding," Lucifer mused. "Some more pillows..."

[betterthanaplan]

“You and your pillows,” Duke teased. “Sometimes it’s nice to nap on something firm.”