Lucifer’s mansion, Friday night

[betterthanaplan]

Duke was back in the mansion already for another date night, this time with Octavia. He felt a little more like he was settling into the whole ‘being a functional adult human being’ thing, and decided to try a new-to-him recipe, samosas with tamarind and date chutney. He also made sure to have plenty of lassi on hand, because the samosas were going to be quite spicy.

And, well. If he was also regularly reminding himself to relax and breathe. . . . Date night with Octavia didn’t historically go quite as well as it did with Lucifer. But getting all up in his head about it wasn’t going to help with that at all.

[for her as is mentioned!]

Comments

[okteiviakom]

Similarly, Octavia was trying to keep herself from developing any expectations in particular about how their date night was going to go. The point was to spend time together, right? To connect. Just... be.

That was what she was trying to remind herself when she let herself into the house.

"Let me guess," she called, "kitchen?"

[betterthanaplan]

“Amazing!” Duke called back teasingly. “How do you do it?”

[okteiviakom]

"Lucky hunch," Octavia replied, as she was actually making her way towards the kitchen, "mixed with a working nose."

[betterthanaplan]

"Yep, that'd do it," Duke agreed. "I'm making samosas."

[okteiviakom]

And she appeared in the doorway, with her tiny, crooked smile.

"They're smelling pretty good, so far."

[betterthanaplan]

"Yeah?" Duke asked, giving her a hopeful one in return. "I actually haven't tried this one before. But it should be good, I think."

[okteiviakom]

Octavia's eyebrows quirked a little, with gentle surprise.

"You're making something new for me?"

[betterthanaplan]

Duke shrugged. "Sure." He blinked up at her. "Is that . . . okay?"

[okteiviakom]

There was a quiet, insecure part of Octavia that saw the shrug and heard the 'sure' and immediately wanted to downplay even having asked.

But then he asked that, and there was only one answer:

"I like that."

Soft and sincere.

[betterthanaplan]

Duke let out a little sigh of relief. "Okay. Good." He gave her a bright smile. "They're almost done. Want some lassi?"

[okteiviakom]

"That's... the drink?" Octavia checked, finally entering the room properly. "Yeah, please."

[betterthanaplan]

"That's the drink," Duke agreed. "Yogurt and fruit. I went with mango."

[okteiviakom]

Octavia held out a hand as she came closer. Whether it was for him or a glass... Well, he could decude for himself.

"I like mango."

Everyone knew that, Tavi.

[betterthanaplan]

"I know you do," Duke agreed. He handed her the glass -- then moved to slip his arm around her waist. "I have managed to keep track of some things."

[okteiviakom]

So Octavia took the glass, and then leaned into his side a little. "I guess I haven't made it much of a secret, either," she replied, looking up at him, managing another wry little smile, now.

[betterthanaplan]

"You play most things close to the vest," Duke agreed. "But not that."

The timer went off and Duke pulled slowly away to check the thermometer on the oil.

"Okay, time to fry. We can eat them as soon as they're done. Nice and hot!"

[okteiviakom]

Stupid timer.

But, Octavia let him go, her hand brushing along his arm for as long as it could. Then she found a convenient spot to lean her hip against the counter and watch him work, while she sipped her lassi.

"Just how we like things," she quipped, with a faint bit of rasp and a tiny crooked smile.

[betterthanaplan]

“After all, we are hot. And sometimes go very fast.”

Duke was looking at her almost as much as he was looking at the food. It . . . probably wouldn’t go wrong.

[okteiviakom]

"Do we?" Octavia asked.

She sounded a little sceptical. Fond, though.

[betterthanaplan]

“When it’s called for?” Duke suggested. “The ‘sometimes’ was maybe doing a lot of work there, huh.”

[okteiviakom]

Octavia gave one of her very soft snorts.

"Well, at least we agreed on the hot?"

[betterthanaplan]

Duke grinned. “The hot is undeniable.”

He dropped the first cooked samosas onto a plate prepared with a paper towel.

“Want the first bite?”

[okteiviakom]

"If you're offering," Octavia replied, half tease, half... well, maybe making sure? Needlessly.

(She might be a little weird about date nights for a while.)

[betterthanaplan]

Understandably so.

“I am absolutely offering,” Duke answered. “Just be careful—it’s really hot.”

[okteiviakom]

"Like its maker?" Octavia replied, setting her glass down for the moment.

Yes, she had to make that joke. Had to.