Lucifer's mansion, Wednesday night

[betterthanaplan]

Duke did not have a pineapple this time. Or flowers, for that matter, though he did bring a very nice bottle of wine for Lucifer, which he left in the kitchen for him to find.

Before wandering off through the rest of the mansion, getting more of a feel for the lay of the land, so to speak, and thinking about how to get his brain to accept the place as partially his as well as Lucifer's.

His boyfriend would be happy to hear it didn't involve netting. It . . . might involve an overabundance of plants that were inappropriate to the outside climate. And possibly multiple water features.

Duke didn't tend to do things by halves any more than Lucifer did, okay? He just . . . went about it slightly differently.

When it was time for Date Night to actually begin, though, he made sure to find his way back towards the kitchen. It wouldn't do to be late, after all.

[for him!]

Comments

[my_own_advocate]

"But I much prefer doing it for you." Lucifer's voice softened.

He set the cloth aside.

He brushed his fingers along Duke's temple, traced along his ceekbone.

[betterthanaplan]

Duke leaned into the touch.

“You do it beautifully.”

[my_own_advocate]

"And you take it so well," Lucifer said softly. (Better, he reflected, than Duke ever had before.)

His fingers slid further down, until it found the top of the rope and tugged it.

[betterthanaplan]

"Don't think I would have, before," Duke noted absently. He tipped his head to give Lucifer more room to move. "It's . . . I wasn't as able to . . . let go, I think."

Exploding had scared the shit out of him. Lucifer and him imploding right after had scared him even more. What started as letting go to please Lucifer was turning into understanding why letting go pleased him.

And, well. Maybe . . . he was actually getting better.

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer slid his hand underneath the rope. It was a high-quality thing, but it likely still chafed; he tried to soothe the skin under it.

"You've always seemed to want to," he mused.

[betterthanaplan]

That felt good. Chaffing or no, it always felt good to have Lucifer's hands on him.

"I guess? It was never really an option. So . . . I guess I never learned how."

Maybe that was what the ropes did. Kept him contained, so that he didn't have to.

[my_own_advocate]

"Well," Lucifer said, voice low, "We can work on that."

He leaned in to press a kiss to Duke's mouth.

[betterthanaplan]

Duke kissed back, slow and easy.

"We are working on that," he said fondly. "Which is hopefully helping with other things?"

Oh no. Insecurities were trying to worm back in. Too bad he couldn't just live in subspace.

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer brushed Duke's hair away with the back of his knuckles and smiled. "It is," he said, "Though I would call that a happy accident more than anything."

Duke actually needed something from him, something with meaning, and trusted him to provide it.

It helped a great deal.

[betterthanaplan]

Duke frowned a little.

"I want to work on that on purpose," he said. "You know, along with doing this."

[my_own_advocate]

"And that's also more than fair, but we were talking about the bondage sex just now," Lucifer felt obliged to point out.

[betterthanaplan]

Duke huffed out a laugh. "Right. Yeah, sorry."

[my_own_advocate]

"So what did you want to work on?" Lucifer asked, his fingers running idly down Duke's biceps.

[betterthanaplan]

"On the topic of bondage? Or the other thing?"

[my_own_advocate]

"What you meant when you said you wanted to work on something on purpose," Lucifer clarified. "It clearly wasn't just the bondage."

[betterthanaplan]

"Your trust," Duke said softly. "Earning it back. That's what I want to work on."

[my_own_advocate]

"Ah."

Lucifer's hand slid back up, swiping some of Duke's hair back. Then, after a moment's thought, he leaned in to press a gentle kiss against Duke's mouth.

"This helps," he affirmed. "Because... you trust me with something truly important. If... that makes any sense."

[betterthanaplan]

“It does,” Duke confirmed. “And I do. All this, really just confirms that, you know? For myself.”

Lucifer had kept him from troubling all of Fandom. Duke trusted him more than just about anyone. Including himself.

[my_own_advocate]

"I feel that may have been part of my problem," Lucifer admitted. "Feeling as if-- you didn't need to trust me that way. That I was just here to be someone you could do things for, rather than a partner who could do things for you, as well."

[betterthanaplan]

Duke couldn’t help a small laugh. “I think we both have trouble with that. With wanting to give as well as — not take, but. Well, you know.”

[my_own_advocate]

"I know," Lucifer said.

He toyed, idly, with the final knot on Duke's hip. Wondering if it was perhaps time to undo it.

"And I see the irony in saying that I worry about whether you'll let me in."

[betterthanaplan]

“I mean. I’m not historically great at that,” Duke said. He shrugged as best he could while still tied. “This is — I think this stuff will help.”

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer let out a soft huff, watching him move. "Shall I untie you before we continue?"

[betterthanaplan]

"Yeah," Duke said with his own little huff. He loved this feeling, but "I wouldn't mind being able to stretch a bit."

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer chuckled softly.

He undid the big knot, and began to... unwind Duke.

"Do feel free to keep talking as I work," he murmured. "Tell me about what's on your mind."