Lucifer's Mansion, Friday Evening

[okteiviakom]

A lot could happen in a week. Like Octavia doing a 180 on what she considered an appropriate venue for her and Duke's inaugural date night. Not that they hadn't had date nights before (although ones Octavia had probably refused to call that, with her own internal rules about language), but there were date nights, and there were date nights.

There were random events, and there were the beginnings of traditions.

(Hopeful ones, anyway.)

So there Octavia was, already at the house. She'd thought about cooking something herself, maybe paella like Lucifer had taught her to make once, but had ultimately decided against it. This all felt new enough as it was, without adding the unknown factor of her cooking into it.

The trusty Thai she'd ordered had arrived a moment or two ago, and was now sitting on the coffee table in the living room.

Now all she needed was her date.

[ooc: For that guy. No, not that one, the other one.]

Comments

[okteiviakom]

Octavia raised her eyebrows some. "Wow, you... really didn't need to. But thank you."

Also she was not going to be touching any flowers on the bouquet directly, if at all. Sure, they were cut flowers, and she was fine touching fruit, so it should probably work the same... But she was taking no chances.

Hence why she reached out to take the bottle and the pineapple off Duke's hands, instead. "I don't know where Lucifer keeps the vases." Yes, shocking that Octavia would never really have given him reason to show her.

[betterthanaplan]

"I bet I can find one," Duke said. He leaned in to pop a kiss on her cheek. "Be right back!"

[okteiviakom]

He was getting some kind of kiss back once he was no longer holding the flowers. But not yet.

"Chof," Octavia replied. "I'll get the food out?"

[betterthanaplan]

"Perfect," Duke said. He let his free hand trail along her arm as he pulled away, then turned to hunt down a vase.

[okteiviakom]

What an easy way to make Octavia feel glad she hadn't worn something with sleeves!

She set the pineapple and the cider down on the coffee table, and got to unpacking the containers of moddable because I'm tired mains and sides from the bag they'd been delivered in. She'd also had the forethought to grab some plates, silverware and two glasses from the kitchen, earlier.

[betterthanaplan]

Duke returned with the flowers arranged in a very classy vase. He set it on the coffee table and then came around to sit, inhaling with a soft sigh.

"I love the smell of Thai," he said. "It just . . . smells like home, you know?"

[okteiviakom]

"But you're... not from Thailand?" Octavia said, as she finally sat back down next to him.

She probably should've been able to tell what he was saying, huh.

[betterthanaplan]

"That is very true," Duke said with a soft laugh. "But where I am from hasn't exactly been comforting."

[okteiviakom]

"Then why does this feel like that?" Octavia wondered, gently, as she offered him one of the containers.

[betterthanaplan]

"Because we have it all the time," Duke said, giving her a little head tilt. "It smells like you."

[okteiviakom]

Octavia didn't say 'oh', but she looked like she should have.

"I didn't know that."

The second part. She knew the first part, obviously: it was why it had been her safe bet.

[betterthanaplan]

Duke reached over to run his fingers down her arm again.

“Now you do. Fruit-sweet and full of heat. Ai gona.”

[okteiviakom]

Octavia leaned into it, just a little. Just making it easier for him, as if he was far enough away to need any help.

"Yu gona," she agreed softly. Laying claim had become... kind of a theme, in the last week.

[betterthanaplan]

Duke let his hand rest on her forearm for several moments, looking at her with a soft smile, then broke the moment with a little laugh.

"At some point I promise to stop talking about how much I missed this."

[okteiviakom]

It drew a laugh from Octavia, too, but even smaller, faintly strangled.

"I don't know if I can fault you," she said.

[betterthanaplan]

"I'm just really glad we're doing it now," Duke said, moving his arm to slide it around her waist instead. "I'll do my best not to disappear on you again. Physically or mentally."

[okteiviakom]

Octavia scooted closer and leaned against his side, helpless to resist.

She wasn't going to point out to him how little say either of them had had on the physical side in particular. They both knew, anyway.

"I'm happy just to have some time with you, sometimes."

... Did that sound like she would be content with very little? Maybe she was. There had been even less.

[betterthanaplan]

Haven would definitely make a liar of Duke eventually.

"You deserve more," he said. "You always have."

[okteiviakom]

"Maybe," Octavia replied, sliding her own arm around him, "but I'll take what I can get."

She always had.

[betterthanaplan]

And rather than trying to talk about it further, Duke leaned his head against hers and gave her a squeeze.

[okteiviakom]

Too bad about Octavia, then.

"You're always worth it," she murmured. She just had to get that out there.

(She'd find another topic soon, probably.)

[betterthanaplan]

He was still pretty sure if he talked too much he'd screw it up again.

"I'm not so sure," he admitted. "But I'm glad you're sticking with me anyway."

[okteiviakom]

"You've never been sure," Octavia retorted in a murmur. "And that's fine."

Her hand rubbed his side.

"Yu laik ai snogon."

[betterthanaplan]

He really hadn't. And she forgave him anyway.

Just part of what he found so incredible about her.

He hummed softly, breathing her in, then slowly sat upright again.

"Food's going to get cold."

[okteiviakom]

"And?" Octavia asked.

Maybe it wasn't at the top of her priorities right now. Weirdly.