okteiviakom: ([neu] hope)
Octavia Blake ([personal profile] okteiviakom) wrote2024-11-01 07:34 pm

Lucifer's Mansion, Friday Evening

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.]
betterthanaplan: (concerned in profile)

[personal profile] betterthanaplan 2024-11-07 08:24 pm (UTC)(link)
That would definitely help. Especially if she managed it before Duke spiraled too deep into his mental recriminations.

He picked up his own cold food carton and started picking away at it.
betterthanaplan: (snuggly hat)

[personal profile] betterthanaplan 2024-11-07 09:29 pm (UTC)(link)
You messed up once and ruined it forever.

Duke shoved that voice aside hard. He was rebuilding with Lucifer. This didn't have to be ruined forever.

"We've both been through a lot," he said softly. "I'm not the same guy I was then, either."

He was learning to let go and it meant so much to him. He wanted so badly to share that with her, too.
betterthanaplan: (shiny hair and concern)

[personal profile] betterthanaplan 2024-11-07 09:46 pm (UTC)(link)
So he was allowed to want them, but not allowed to get them.

No. Knock that off.

"We don't have to do anything you don't want to do," Duke said firmly. "I mean it. I just -- if you don't want to because you're worried about how I'll react. . . . That feels like something we can work on. But if you don't want to because -- because you just don't want to. We can do other things."
betterthanaplan: (oh dear)

[personal profile] betterthanaplan 2024-11-07 10:36 pm (UTC)(link)
That . . . still hurt. But he couldn't exactly argue with it.

She doesn't trust you.

Yeah, little voice. No shit.

"Okay," he said after a moment. "What do you want to do?"
betterthanaplan: (that's probably not good)

[personal profile] betterthanaplan 2024-11-07 10:55 pm (UTC)(link)
Duke picked at his food, not looking at her.

"Do you want me to leave?"
betterthanaplan: (oh dear)

[personal profile] betterthanaplan 2024-11-07 11:11 pm (UTC)(link)
Duke glanced up at her, out of the corner of his eye.

From too many people in his life, that kind of statement would be a test. Or a trap.

He didn't like how much he felt like that was what it was from her, too.

(He wished he could figure out how to let go with her, too.)

He took a long breath. "I'm . . . figuring something out. About myself. That I was excited to share with you. And didn't think enough about how it sounded when I said it."

He speared a chunk of pineapple in his cold fried rice. He held it for a moment, then offered it to her.

"I'm sorry."
betterthanaplan: (taking this seriously)

[personal profile] betterthanaplan 2024-11-07 11:25 pm (UTC)(link)
The apology was more important.

(If it was a test, he really hoped he'd passed.)

He flicked her a tiny smile. "De nada."
betterthanaplan: (pretty boy)

[personal profile] betterthanaplan 2024-11-07 11:50 pm (UTC)(link)
Someday . . . maybe he’d learn to trust that.

He took her hand. Gave it a little squeeze.

Told the little doubting voice is his head to shove it. Again.
betterthanaplan: (taking this seriously)

[personal profile] betterthanaplan 2024-11-08 12:20 am (UTC)(link)
“Oh. Yeah.” Duke huffed a little laugh. “You’ll, uh, poke me if I start being stupid again?”
betterthanaplan: (thoughtful)

[personal profile] betterthanaplan 2024-11-08 12:40 am (UTC)(link)
“Thank you.” Duke shook himself a little. “Okay. Talking about it.” He closed his eyes, trying to picture where to start.

“There’s something . . . freeing. I guess I’ve always been on edge. Waiting for the moment someone decides I’m . . . wrong. Pushing it, even, to try to get it over with.” He bit his lip and opened his eyes again. “When Lucifer ties me up . . . I stop having to do that. I don’t have to try to stop, I just stop. Because he’s got me.”

A flicker of a wry lip twist.

“Plus, you know, I physically can’t do a lot. That helps too.”
betterthanaplan: (thoughtful)

[personal profile] betterthanaplan 2024-11-08 03:45 pm (UTC)(link)
Duke nodded. "I'm just. Helpless. I can't do anything but let go."
betterthanaplan: (shiny hair and concern)

[personal profile] betterthanaplan 2024-11-08 04:29 pm (UTC)(link)
"Does it feel good?" Duke asked. "Sruggling?"

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