The Devil's Nest, Tuesday Night

[my_own_advocate]

It was a Tuesday night, and the Devil was in, though you wouldn't know it when you came in. He'd spent much of the weekend brooding on a good get-Duke-to-cheer-up-gift, and he was beginning to run out of ideas.

So now Lucifer found himself laying on his back in one of the booths, staring up at the lights on the ceiling. Glass in hand, of course.

He was trying not to feel like the situation was hopeless, and running out of gift ideas was not helping him redirect any of that worried energy. (Perhaps he needed to do something big...)

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[suitably_heroic]

Somehow, Atton had let the band talk him into taking singing lessons - not because he was bad at it (he'd gotten pretty good), but because Dane wanted 'options', which was another term for 'still wanting to write his own music', and then Jill had bellowed something about we need you to grow another octave, you dick, and somewhere along the line he'd found himself hitting the mainland right after class for a first session.

Now his throat hurt.

So he'd be sitting here, sipping soda, his mind blessedly free of grander concerns for once.

[betterthanaplan]

Speak of the Devil’s boyfriend, Duke actually wandered in, late in the evening. He’d gone for a long walk around the island and decided to stop in for a (virgin) hot toddy.

It was a little depressing, to be honest. But Tiny did his best. Then pointed out Lucifer’s brooding perch for the night.

“Hey now,” Duke greeted with a wry twist of his mouth. “Pretty sure you’re not supposed to be the depressed one this week.”

Or month.

Or . . . season.

[my_own_advocate]

Wouldn't it be terrifying if it had been? Imagine the sheer quantities of medication required.

"I'm not depressed, I'm plotting," Lucifer said, without sitting up.

[betterthanaplan]

Duke nudged Lucifer’s feet aside so he could sit, fully expecting to get those feet in his lap.

“Your next attack on the vampire’s terrible taste in here?”

[my_own_advocate]

They did swiftly wind up in Duke's lap, yes.

"Out of 'small but thoughtful gifts', 'large statement gifts' and 'trips and experiences', which would you describe as the greatest mood-lifter?"

Lucifer, please don't sound so serious about this.

[betterthanaplan]

“Oh god. You’re not buying another island, are you?”

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer sighed. "Well, obviously not if it puts that look on your face."

[betterthanaplan]

Duke sipped his drink, wiggling Lucifer’s foo a little with his other hand.

“Small and thoughtful,” he said. “I think small and thoughtful sounds good.”

[my_own_advocate]

"Hm," Lucifer said, and considered that. "Suppose I shouldn't have thrown out all of the tester bouquets..."

[betterthanaplan]

Duke gave him a perplexed look.

“The hell is a ‘tester bouquet’?”

[my_own_advocate]

"Oh, I had a few options delivered to the club last week when I was still stuck on 'flowers'," Lucifer told him. "None of them were as nice as the Valentine's bouquet I sent you, so I had them tossed."

[betterthanaplan]

"You didn't just . . . use them at the club?" Duke asked. He shook his head, giving Lucifer's foot another squeeze. "You know you don't actually have to buy me anything, right?"

[my_own_advocate]

"Yes, I'm aware," Lucifer said, a wry, affectionate little hint of a smile breaking through the general air of brooding-after-obsessing he'd had. "But you deserve nice things. And pick-me-ups."

[betterthanaplan]

"Okay," Duke said, nodding with his own small hint of a smile. "I promise not to reject any pick-me-ups you want to give me."

Though he couldn't promise any particular levels of cheering up, unfortunately.

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer didn't expect that.

He was just going to keep trying until something improved, that was all. Because he hated watching Duke suffer and this was his entire toolbox, here.

"Thank you," he said, wiggling one of his feet. "...any specific 'no's you can think of regardless?"

[betterthanaplan]

"Uhh." Duke tilted his head back, frowning at the ceiling as he thought. "Like, not that I think you would, but no inviting me to any improv shows?"

[my_own_advocate]

"Why would I do that and risk you metamorphizing into Dan?"

You could hear there were more question marks there, emphasizing.

[betterthanaplan]

"Hey, I said that I didn't think you'd do it," Duke pointed out. "I'll let you know if I think about anything else."

[my_own_advocate]

"All right," Lucifer said. And then, before strange coping mechanisms could get him fully off of the actual goal (looking after Duke) again in search of a tangent, "How was your day?"

[betterthanaplan]

Duke shrugged, sipping his toddy. "Alright. Went for a long walk."

Those were supposed to be good for your mental health, right?

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer raised his eyebrows. "That bad?"

[betterthanaplan]

"I left the boat!" Duke said, a little defensively. "That's pretty good for me right now."

[my_own_advocate]

"It's not an accusation, darling," Lucifer said, tapping Duke's leg with his foot. "I'm merely worried and trying to work out the best way to be of any comfort."

[betterthanaplan]

"Dunno if there is a 'best way'," Duke pointed out. "It's just . . . what it is, I guess."

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer let out a soft sigh, and withdrew his feet, and sat up, and tried to slide an arm around Duke's shoulders.