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

[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.

[betterthanaplan]

"And nothing," Duke said easily. "That's what microwaves are for."

[okteiviakom]

"Briyon hef," Octavia teased with one of her tiny smiles, leaning her chin against his shoulder.

[betterthanaplan]

“Sometimes,” Duke said. 0with the help of ai briyon gona.”

[okteiviakom]

Octavia gave a tiny huff. She shook her head an equally small amount, a little wry,.

She gave him a little squeeze, and said, "Can I ask you a question?"

[betterthanaplan]

Duke tilted his head curiously. "Yeah. Of course."

[okteiviakom]

Octavia shifted a little. Not quite using his shoulder to hide from him, but some of the vibe was there. "Not that it's any of my business," she said. "But your... date nights, with Lucifer? They've been good?"

Now that the whole topic no longer made her feel weird and evasive, she was apparently back to craving reassurance.

(And was maybe curious, too. Now that there was room for that.)

[betterthanaplan]

"They've been good," Duke said. "We've actually, uh. Been having some fun with ropes."

He couldn't quite see her full expression with how she was sitting, but he kept an eye on it as best he could anyway. Wondering where this question was going.

[okteiviakom]

The question was the question. It wasn't really going anywhere.

Although that didn't mean there wasn't going to be further prompting:

"Ropes?"

She looked... curious, but a little cautious about it.

[betterthanaplan]

Duke looked around, then pointed to the book Lucifer had shown him. It was too far away to grab without getting up, and he didn't really want to pull away from her right now. But it made a good prop.

"You familiar with shibari?"

[okteiviakom]

Octavia leaned past his shoulder a little, peering towards the book.

"The... fancy ropes?" she asked. That was about where her knowledge ended. "I've heard about it?"

No points for guessing who from.

[betterthanaplan]

"The fanciest ropes," Duke agreed. "Lucifer is pretty much an expert. And I am enjoying letting him show off on me."

[okteiviakom]

"Lucifer's pretty much an expert on all of these things," Octavia murmured, retreating back to where the lower half of her face was obscured.

She also pressed a kiss against his shoulder.

And gave a thoughtful little hum.

[betterthanaplan]

"True," Duke said. He smiled at her. "I hear you still manage to surprise him, though."

[okteiviakom]

"I don't have very many... preconceived notions, I guess?" Octavia hazarded, because of course she was thinking about it seriously. (Maybe it weirdly helped her stay a little detached from the thing she was... very hesitant to touch, too.) "That probably helps. Not as likely to do expected things if you don't even know what's expected."

Or didn't care.

[betterthanaplan]

"And you don't really care about 'expected' either," Duke pointed out. He pressed an awkward kiss to her forehead. "Whatcha thinking about?"

[okteiviakom]

"About how glad I am," Octavia replied, after only a little bit of thoughtful hesitation. "That you guys have found each other like that."

[betterthanaplan]

“It’s good,” Duke agreed. “I’m, um. Hoping maybe you and me can find something too.”

[okteiviakom]

"Well, we're here," Octavia replied, managing something faintly wry. "That has to count for something, right?"

Not that she thought they'd been as lost as he and Lucifer had been.

[betterthanaplan]

Not as. But not not lost.

(Duke was still worried about her and that rogue trouble.)

“I’d say it counts for a lot.” He gave her a soft smile. “And, you know, maybe we can try playing with ropes sometime, too.”