A Spot in the Preserve, Sunday Evening

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer and Octavia had their Sunday rituals down to a T. And that-- well, that made Lucifer a bit contrarian, at times. There was nothing wrong with their tradition, healing as it was, but doing the same thing over and over again wasn't always that exciting.

And, all right. Perhaps he was still processing his own healing breakdown a week after the fact.

So he'd promised Octavia a surprise. Shown up with some take out bags and a smile.

She'd probably figured out where they were going well before the first trees came into view. It was a bit chilly, that couldn't be helped, but still: Lucifer thought the ambiance would help. "Almost there."

[[ for her ]]

Comments

[okteiviakom]

Yeah, Octavia had figured it out pretty early on, where they were going. But that just meant the smile had time to bloom across her face as she followed along, quietly.

This was a surprise.

[my_own_advocate]

They came to a little clearing she no doubt knew better than Lucifer did, but... still, he was trying. "There we are," he said. He gestured vaguely at the clearing. "And-- wait."

He aeched into one of the bags and produced a thick, red-and-white picnic blanket. He unfolded it with great fanfare, flicking it up until it spread somewhat neatly across the grass.

[okteiviakom]

Octavia chuckled, tilting her head at the blanket. (And the usual Lucifer theatrics that went with it.)

"I'm not sure I've ever even seen one of these in real life."

[my_own_advocate]

"And now you have," Lucifer said, smiling. He pulled a lamp out of the bag and set it down. when he flicked it on, it cast a warm yellow light across the clearing.

"Are you comfortable, temperature-wise?" he inquired. "I have a space heater in here somewhere..."

Don't ask how he'd managed to fit all of that in along with the food.

[okteiviakom]

Sometimes it was better not to ask, so Octavia wasn't going to.

"Unlike some angels I know, I'm actually used to being in the woods, even when it's a little chilly," she told him instead, gentle with her teasing. "Besides, you can always warm me up."

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer nodded. "So be it," he said gravely. "I got us pizza, this time. The upscale kind. And zabaglione and fruit pie for dessert."

He held out one bag for her.

[okteiviakom]

"Okay," Octavia said, as she reached out to take the bag. "Mochof."

If her eyes kind of lingered on his face... Look, he was being kind of serious about all of this.

[my_own_advocate]

He'd come back down in a moment. Lucifer was just... fixating on getting this right, as per usual.

"Good," he said, brightening. "Oh, I also brought pillows!"

He placed two on the blanket with much fanfare. (No, seriously, don't ask.)

[okteiviakom]

Octavia's eyes kind of asked, skipping from the pillows to him and back, but...

Not worth asking.

"Well, you really came prepared."

[my_own_advocate]

"I wanted to ensure we had a nice evening," Lucifer admitted. "I decided not to go with the ponies at the last minute, I thought that might be overkill."

[okteiviakom]

"... The what now?"

[my_own_advocate]

"Originally I was going to take you off-island to go pony-riding," Lucifer said, "Which would take us to the picnic spot. And I'd contemplated getting a barbershop quartet to do some of your favorite grunge hits..."

And then he'd realized it was too much, yes.

[okteiviakom]

That might have been overshooting it by a little, yeah.

Also Octavia couldn't figure out what barbers had to do with it. But she was smiling at him, all the same. "I think I like this simpler version better," she said. "Not that ponies aren't great."

[my_own_advocate]

"I thought it might be best to do ponies some other time," Lucifer admitted. "And the music yet another date."

[okteiviakom]

"Good thinking," Octavia told him, because... Yes. Then she gestured at the whole spread of things. "Are you done prepping? Can I sit down?"

[my_own_advocate]

"Ah! Yes. Of course." Lucifer cleared his throat. "Please, be seated."

[okteiviakom]

And Octavia did so, plopping herself down onto the blanket without further comment.

Except for the amused tilt of her smile, anyway.

[my_own_advocate]

"I thought you might like this," Lucifer said, a little more bashful than he was aiming for. He took a seat on his own pillow. "As a bit of a change."

[okteiviakom]

"I do," Octavia told him, looking around again. "It's... new."

And not just in a 'new for Sunday date night' kind of way.

[my_own_advocate]

"As long as it's... good new," Lucifer said, freeing his pizza from the bag.

[okteiviakom]

"A weird new," Octavia replied, as she followed his lead for her own. "But not an unpleasant one."

[my_own_advocate]

"How is it weird?" Lucifer asked, seriously, as he unscrewed the cap from a bottle of orange juice.

[okteiviakom]

"Because it's you."

[my_own_advocate]

"I'm not weird," Lucifer insisted, filling up a glass for her.

[okteiviakom]

Octavia leveled a look at him.

"That's not what I meant, and I still have to object."