seaoftroubles | Season four preplay: Lay Me Down

1. Duke gets a call from Nathan to say "Duke get your ass back here Wade's activated." -- Also feat. Lucifer and Octavia

2. Duke, Octavia, and Lucifer arrive in Haven, find out only [wild handwaving because Haven is terrible at timelines] number of days has passed even though it's been months for them. Jennifer says she's settling in okay on the Sanguine Moon and is applying for a job at the Haven Herald. Duke is all "uhhhhh. . . . 'kay, that's a choice that I support I guess". Jennifer is adorkably awkward about being nervous for the interview. Wade arrives at the Gull to grab cleaning products and is cagey about the reasons. "Soda spilled in my car." He claims that he understand the trouble is terrible and isn't going to let it take over. Duke tries to talk him through it, but Wade just shoves him off and promises to head out of town. Duke tries to pretend he believes that this trip might be an easy one. Also there is a day-time drunk sleeping on the bench outside the Gull. FOR PLOT REASONS.

3. Later that day, Dwight comes by the marina to tell Duke that the drunk died mysteriously at the police station. Duke remembers Freddie, the drunk, was into watching bear documentaries at the Gull. Dwight asks about Jordan, wonders aloud if Wade's involved. Duke says no way. -- Lucifer and Octavia are welcome to join in or not

4. Duke dreams about trying to talk to Wade about their trouble and getting attacked when he gets a papercut. Wakes up when dream!Wade slashes him with a knife to discover GIANT KNIFE WOUND ON HIS ARM! Octavia has her own injurious dream. Lucifer freaks out/fusses over them.

5. Lucifer tries to insure Duke and Octavia stay awake. Audrey decides to compare Nathan and Duke's activities the day before since they both got hit by the trouble and survived. They make the connection to the Herald and call Dwight -- too late, he gets shot in a dream. We can also have Nathan fill the OT3 in on the non-dream murders at the same time.

6. Duke takes advantage of Dwight being sedated in the hospital to check what he's looking into, finds info on the murder with the broken knife. Puts two and two together and figures out it's Wade. This can happen off screen. He and Lucifer (and maybe Octavia?) head to the local boat rental he knows Wade used and gets access to the boat he used. He follows the GPS along the coast and finds Wade's dumping grounds, including Jordan's remains.

7. While Audrey and Nathan defuse the trouble, Duke, Lucifer, and Octavia go after Wade, stop him from offing a guy at a local bar. Wade goes all high and mighty, Duke yells at him. Wade tries to pull the "brothers" card to keep from being turned in. "You killed all those people, Wade. That's on me now, too." Wade threatens to expose Lexie's secret so the Guard tries to make Audrey kill Nathan. Lucifer knocks Wade out so they can lock him up on the Sanguine Moon.

8. Octavia guards Wade on the Moon while Lucifer and Duke try to figure out where to stick him and arrange their travel back to Fandom. Wade escapes and he and Octavia fight. Octavia is winning until Wade manages to draw blood and gets the upper hand. Enter Duke and Lucifer. Lucifer goes to Octavia to try to staunch her bleeding while Duke takes on Wade? (Since Duke can't interact with Octavia's blood and all. Maybe Wade managed to open her dream wound and it's worse than just a little cut.) Wade throws himself on Duke's knife and dies. The Crocker trouble dies too.

9. Duke wraps Wade's body in a tarp. When Duke reaches for Octavia's wound, she flinches back. Duke internalizes the SHIT out of that even though it's a natural move if they've been used to trying to keep their blood off him. Lucifer suggests they clear out, Duke agrees, so long as he can bury Wade first. He asks them not to tell anyone about the murder. Luce and Tavi are probably like "whatever, we don't want to talk to any of these people anyway."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Octavia said nothing.

She bundled up the sheets instead, with the stained part carefully in the middle.

Duke sat carefully on the edge of the newly bared mattress, watching Lucifer wrap his arm.

He wanted to apologize for dragging them into this, but the words got caught in his throat. It wasn't as though any of them had had any illusions about how a "quick trip" to Haven was ever going to go, after all.

They didn't.

And so as soon as Lucifer had tied up the bandage and tucked the knot in neatly, he leaned in to press a gentle kiss to Duke's mouth.

While Octavia, with her back turned, slipped out of the room to take the sheets for a soak in cold water.

It wasn't like she could have participated in the kissing, anyway.

Which meant she missed Duke’s attempt to reach back for her. Instead he found himself reaching for empty air.

His return kiss went a little extra melancholy as a result.

"She's just taking care of things for you, darling," Lucifer said softly, and pressed his forehead against Duke's.

“This going to go to her head,” Duke said back. “That we — can’t even touch or something.”

"Do you mean her head, or yours?" Lucifer challenged him quietly.

Duke clenched his hand against the mattress.

“Either way.”

Both ways, in fact.

"Duke," Lucifer said, cupping Duke's cheek to make sure the man was looking him in the eye. "Stop borrowing trouble. We've got enough bloody trouble to worry about in this town without jumping at each other's shadows, all right?"

Duke swallowed and nodded, wishing it were that easy.

“We’ll get out of here soon,” he said. “I promise.”

"Whenever you're finished dealing with what you need to deal with," Lucifer agreed. "And then hopefully we can finally put this whole mess behind us."

He pressed a kiss to Duke's forehead.

Duke shivered, just a little.

“I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

Lucifer's mouth curved into a small smile. "Well, do me a favor and don't forget that the feeling is mutual," he said softly. "Considering."

Duke kissed him in response. A thank you, an apology. A promise to stick around.

An excuse not to have to answer out loud.

And Lucifer-- lingered in it for a moment, brushed his fingers through Duke's hair. Hoped Octavia would come back, wouldn't make it a thing that could set off Duke's terrors again.

He wasn't going to say any of that out loud.

It had taken a moment to figure out what to stuff the sheets in to soak. It had taken an even longer moment for Octavia to make sure her hands were scrubbed clean, beyond any possibility of any blood anywhere.

But once that was done, she came back. Padded quietly back into the room - and to them.

Duke pulled back from Lucifer again, just far enough to try offering her his hand.

"Hey," he said softly. "You okay?"

Maybe a stupid question. But one he still felt he had to ask.

Lucifer looked away from Duke to look her over, too. What a bloody night.

Literally.

Octavia took Duke's hand slowly, but without hesitation. Her fingers brushed along his palm before curling around his hand.

"As okay as anyone in Haven is."

Give or take a few fresh wounds, stinging under their bandages, and the knowledge that she couldn't go back to sleep.

Edited 2022-10-17 18:58 (UTC)

Something unknotted in Duke's chest when she took his hand, and he flicked her a tired, grateful smile.

"Yeah, that's fair." He tugged on her hand, wanting her closer. "So. Guess we're settling in for sleeplessness for a bit."

"I'll run to the shop and pick up those energy drinks in a few minutes," Lucifer said, shifting so he could be close to both of them.

Octavia stepped more into their space, with the tugging.

The little nod was the best she could do.

It was all Duke could ask for.

“I’m really glad you’re here,” he said softly. “Both of you.”

Lucifer's mouth managed the smallest twitch of a smile. "Wouldn't want to be anywhere else in the universe right now, love," he said, and meant it.

Re: 4. Killer dreams

okteiviakom - 2022-10-17 20:44 (UTC) - Expand

betterthanaplan - 2022-10-17 21:09 (UTC) - Expand