Luke's, Thursday

[betterthanaplan]

"You caught a swordfish?!"

"What?" Duke gave Tony a hefty amount of side-eye. "No."

"This recipe calls for swordfish."

"It calls for fish steak like swordfish. We're using tuna."

Tony pouted.

"Dude. First, if I did catch a swordfish, I wouldn't bring it in to cook in a diner. Second." Duke patted his cooler. "How would a whole swordfish even fit in here?" He shoved the cooler into Tony's chest. "We're using tuna. Very nice tuna, that has been caught fresh. Now please start cleaning the fish."

Tony took the cooler and shuffled off towards the prep counter, looking put out. Duke rolled his eyes.

"Swordfish. In a diner. Really now."

Today's specials
Catch of the day!
Winter roasted TUNA with citrus sauce

Luke's was open and OCD free.

Comments

[thatwaslucky]

Rey was back, and a little more subdued than usual, thanks to yesterday's surprise and maybe some general nervousness. But she'd said she would come in, and she really did want to get over this, she just wasn't sure how this was going to go.

"Hey."

[betterthanaplan]

"Rey!" Duke flashed her a slighlty awkward smile. "How was your trip home?"

[thatwaslucky]

"Mostly good." The thing that wasn't probably would have happened in Fandom, too, but it certainly hadn't been helpful. "How was your week?"

[betterthanaplan]

"Not bad. We had hummingbirds in class, so that was fun."

She didn't need to know about his brooding meditating at the beach or moping thinking at the bar.

"So . . . we should talk. Right?"

[thatwaslucky]

"Yeah," she said, taking a seat. "I think things got really blown out of proportion."

[outofherdepths]

Wearing a new outfit courtesy of Alluka and her shop, Larceny sauntered into the diner feeling very proud of herself. "Hello," she announced, pulling off her thick winter coat and slinging it over her shoulder. "I have, as they say, arrived."

Who were they? Why did they say that? She didn't know. But she'd watched a bunch of old movies in black and white and that was a line right out from one of them, when the pretty lady had shown up at the party and made everybody's mouths make an 'o.'

[betterthanaplan]

"Maybe a little," Duke said, expression going wry for a moment before turning serious again. "And I'm sorry about that. And about making you feel like I was talking down to you."

[betterthanaplan]

That was, in fact, exactly what Duke's mouth was doing right now.

He was very glad she hadn't discovered those sorts of clothes until after the pollen had cleared.

"You have," he agreed. "And you're looking fabulous. What's the occasion?"

[outofherdepths]

"I found a store!" Larceny said, enthusiasm bubbling up and over the attempt at 1950s femme fatale. She walked over to him, striding in heels like she'd been born in them. "It's run by one of my dates! And now I got some new clothes!"

[thatwaslucky]

Did Rey look relieved? Rey look relieved.

"And I'm sorry I blew up. Or brought it up at all, really," she said. "I just... hate it when you do that one specific thing, apparently."

Which she'd had a problem with without pollen and just hadn't said anything about.

[betterthanaplan]

Duke nodded. "I got that. You know, eventually." The pollen had not made anything about that fight easier. "Is it okay if I explain a little why I did that thing? Which, by the way, I will do my best to avoid doing again."

[betterthanaplan]

"Very nice new clothes." Which he was probably going to have to be in charge of washing. "What did you give your date in return for the new clothes?"

[outofherdepths]

Did he want to introduce her to the washing machine?

"I said I have a tab!" She looked very pleased with herself.

[thatwaslucky]

"Yes?" she said, warily.

[betterthanaplan]

There'd been a time when he didn't have to worry about things like 'is it better to just do the laundry for my roommate rather than risk my washing machine'. He missed them sometimes.

He let out a small sigh and rubbed his mouth. "Okay. So. Tabs. You have to pay those eventually."

[outofherdepths]

This is what you got from rescuing mermaids while sneaking into aquariums, Duke.

Larceny nodded again. "I will write my name again."

Which was what happened on the TV.

[betterthanaplan]

Duke nodded, then looked down at the bar for a moment as he worked out the best way to approach this. He'd practiced it dozens of times in his head over the last few days, but it was amazing how quickly the mind went blank when it came time to actually say things out loud.

"Right. So. I have . . . gotten in trouble before. For being attracted to the wrong people. Or -- expressing attraction to them. In my world, especially when and where I grew up, liking the kinds of people I liked. . . . Folks thought that made me dangerous. Like I was a predator or something." He looked off into the distance, shaking his head with a humorless smile. "Got my ass kicked for it more than once. So using that disclaimer's kind of a defense mechanism. It's not an excuse; I should have trusted that you'd tell me if you were uncomfortable instead of trying to read passive aggressive signs into everything. I thought I was being nice, but I wasn't. I'm sorry."

[betterthanaplan]

Duke opened his mouth. He pointed at her. Then he dropped that hand and sighed. He closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead.

"Okay, so money. Do you -- do we need to go over how that works?"

[thatwaslucky]

"Oh, you'd know if I was uncomfortable."

Sup, Lucifer.

"Okay..." she said slowly. "Did you think I assumed anything? Or did I come off like I did? Because I always knew you were never interested. That never needed to come up, as far as I was concerned."

[okteiviakom]

It was Thursday, and Octavia needed to complete the set lunch. So there she was, eventually, once the flowers and the customers buying them allowed.

With her tiny smile.

"Ha yun, jaka."

[outofherdepths]

"Can we do it while I eat?" she asked with big, pleading eyes?

Otherwise, she was going to be distracted by all the tasty smells.

[betterthanaplan]

Duke tilted his head and clicked his tongue. "See, there you are assuming something. I wasn't never interested, Rey. I just -- never thought it was an option worth pursuing. Not because of you or anything you said or did, but because of -- the world. And those people who see me as a predator. I never wanted anyone to think I was taking advantage of you, or our relationship. And, well. . . . I like our relationship how it is. You're one of the best friends I've got, Rey. I was kind of a mess this week thinking I'd screwed that up."

[betterthanaplan]

"Ha yun, gona," Duke said, giving her a fairly doofy smile in return.

"Oh here they go," muttered the cook. Duke flicked him off without turning to look at him.

"How's the post-holiday flower business going?"

[betterthanaplan]

"Absolutely," Duke said. "You want to try the special? I caught the fish myself this morning."

[outofherdepths]

"Fish?" Larceny said, brightening. "Yes please! But cooked!"

Because she could eat it raw anytime she was in the water.