betterthanaplan | Lucifer's mansion, Wednesday evening

It was Wednesday, and Duke had spent the day primarily at the mansion, talking to an architect and an engineer about were and how to get an indoor pool with plenty of natural light into the building's basement.

Now he was in the kitchen, cooking up a nice, simple shrimp scampi, dressed up with the inclusion of fresh pasta. It was one of his first forays into making his own pasta, and while the noodles were definitely a bit on the uneven side, he was pleased with the results.

Now all he needed was his boyfriend, and Date Night could get properly underway!

[for him as is mentioned]

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From:

my_own_advocate

Lucifer shot him a wry look of his own.

"It's Octavia," he said. "And trust me, I know it's incredibly hard to internalize this, but usually what she wants is just to be heard on her own terms."

From:

betterthanaplan

“It would help if she actually offered things without waiting for exactly the right phrasing first,” Duke said. “Or if I were better at finding that phrasing.”

From:

my_own_advocate

"It's not as hard as it seems, once you get the hang of it," Lucifer said, and then ate the last few bites of shrimp while he could. "You know how if you're trying to get an animal to like you, you have to sit there and wait for it to come to you?"

From:

betterthanaplan

Duke nodded slowly. “I can’t decide if she’d be flattered by that comparison or not.”

From:

my_own_advocate

Lucifer shrugged.

"Your problem is you get in your head, and the moment a situation seems to go pear-shaped, you want to fix it," he said, "and then instead of fixing it, you spook her, because you moved. If that... makes any sense."

From:

betterthanaplan

Duke grimaced. “Way too much. I know I can’t fix everything, and I’m trying not to try so hard. But then I’m trying hard in the other direction, and she asks why I’m so stiff and quiet.”

From:

my_own_advocate

"I suppose weed wouldn't be a solution," Lucifer mused out loud.

He sat back, watching Duke.

From:

betterthanaplan

“Not without talking that over with her first,” Duke said, shaking his head. “Nothing for it, babe. I’m just gonna have to get over myself.”

From:

my_own_advocate

Lucifer sighed, then flashed him a fond, only slightly exasperated smile.

"Just remember she will love you even if you do cock this up," he said. "We both will."

From:

betterthanaplan

"Yeah, I know," Duke assured him. "I just wonder sometimes if you two will always like me."

From:

my_own_advocate

"You are occasionally frustrating," Lucifer said. "But we have known that for years, and yet we still very much like you. Relax, you silly sod."

From:

betterthanaplan

"Yeah, well, everything I say doesn't seem to piss you off," Duke muttered, picking up his wine glass to take a hefty swig. "Sometimes, with her . . . I really wonder why she still puts up with me."

From:

my_own_advocate

"Because she finds you delightful a great deal of the time," Lucifer said, watching him. "You have good instincts with her. It's when you get too far into your own head about something that things go wrong, as far as I can tell."

From:

betterthanaplan

"So . . . less thinking, more drinking?" Duke asked wryly. "When did this all become so complicated?"

When you made it complicated, baby. That was his point.

From:

my_own_advocate

"When you started overcomplicating it," Lucifer said, agreeing with the narrative. "I remember how you worked to teach yourself her language. Not out of fear of losing her, but because you care to."

From:

betterthanaplan

"I like languages," Duke said, by way of agreement. "And she was easier, then. She hadn't -- that was before the bunker."

From:

my_own_advocate

"It was before you went to Haven, got depressed, and let your worries get the best of you, as well," Lucifer pointed out gently. "Octavia and I get along now because I got out of my head and focused on working out what was going on in hers, instead."

From:

betterthanaplan

Duke nodded. "That's --" He cut himself off with a sigh, melting back in his seat a little and taking another long sip of wine. "I'm glad. I am just. I'm really glad you two are okay, that you have each other when I'm flailing around like this." He gave Lucifer a small smile. "At least I don't instinctively feel like I need to try to fix your relationship, too."

From:

my_own_advocate

Lucifer matched his smile with a similar one of his own.

"We have all had our periods of flailing," he said. "She and I earnestly want to help you get past yours. Not just for our own sake, either."