Who: Samandriel & Lucifer What: Finally taking Samandriel to dinner When: 10/4 Where: Basilic Restaurant Rating: Romantical and then kinda Sad. Which is to say Low, but still standard Samandriel warnings. Status: Complete
Samandriel was more nervous than he expected for what was really, he thought, something that counted as his first real date. He allowed himself a bit more color than he ever would at Lux, a blue shirt that drew out his eyes magnificently.
“Are you ready?” he asked while he straightened his tie. “And are we flying or driving?”
"Of course." The place they were going to was nice, but not intimidatingly so -- and so Lucifer almost considered his own suit dressing down. He appreciated the color on Samandriel though. "It depends. Do you enjoy rides on ferries?"
“I don’t think I’ve done that before,” Samandriel replied, slipping his fingers in Lucifer’s and trying very, very hard to keep his excitement under control. “But you know how I feel about watching lights on water so I imagine I’ll love it. And if not, you’ll be there so I’ll be happy either way.”
"I thought you might like it," Lucifer agreed, tightening his grip on Samandriel's hand -- squeezing just so before leading them out toward the garage. "Driving it is." Really, they'd waited too long for this, an actual proper sort of date. The kind he'd been thinking about taking Samandriel on since he met the younger man.
There'd been a lot holding them back, but right now none of that seemed to matter much. There were no parents to worry about, and Lucifer would be damned if he allowed himself to be concerned about much more.
It wasn't a long drive, the place was at a little island just off of Newport Beach. "It's a nice little area, Balboa Island. We can wander around after if you like."
“I’d like that,” Samandriel said, walking with Lucifer down to the car. Smirking playfully over at him, he asked, “Do you have a list of first date questions to ask me or are you just going to stare wistfully in my eyes the whole time? Because I’ve gotta be honest, the latter is my plan and I’d hate to have us both doing the same thing.”
Lucifer gave Samandriel a look that was somehow wry and fond at the same time. "I'll try not to turn it into a scene from Lady and the Tramp," he said, unlocking the car with a press of a button on his keys. "And if you'll be staring, I suppose I'll take the time to think up a few questions for you."
Before they got into the car, Samandriel pulled Lucifer gently close and kissed him deeply. “Which one of us is Lady and which is the Tramp?” he asked as he pulled away. “Because I’ve already figured out that you’re Jasmine.”
"I'm what?" Lucifer bumped his forehead against Samandriel's and tried his hardest to see where his boy was going with that train of thought. Unfortunately, it just wasn't coming to him. "Why?"
Hand lingering on Lucifer’s cheek, Samandriel smiled softly. “I can show you a world,” he hummed softly, “shining, shimmering, splendid. Now tell me, princess, when did you last let your heart decide.” It was an effort to keep from bursting into laughter. Samandriel’s family might’ve been well off, but compared to Lucifer (and really given their treatment of him his whole life,) he was definitely the street rat.
Lucifer actually had to pull away in order to give Samandriel an expression that was just this close to bewildered. "Sam," he said, a little blandly, "get in the car and never speak of this again." It was obvious that he was mostly joking, and being terribly fond about it.
But he still never wanted to be compared to a Disney princess again. Ever.
“Alright, Jafar,” Samandriel teased dryly as he got in the car. He buckled up and got comfortable in the seat that felt so much like it’d become his, like everything else in Lucifer’s life.
Lucifer only gave a sigh at that before buckling his own seatbelt and pulling out of the garage. Idly, he considered about canceling his cable package, just so conversations like these never happened again. Of course, he wouldn't. But still.
"How many questions do you think I'll need?" He asked, chancing a glance over at Samandriel once he'd merged properly onto the freeway.
“Twenty?” Samandriel said, hand comfortable on Lucifer’s thigh while they drove. That was his spot as well. “It’s standard, isn’t it?”
"It might be," Lucifer conceded, quietly amused as he always seemed to be around Samandriel. "Though we hardly seem to do anything by standard terms. I think I'll just do nineteen."
Samandriel looked over at Lucifer almost painfully fond. “Marry me,” he whispered, enjoying the quiet and the lights flashing by as they drove. He hadn’t managed it yet that day and it seemed like a good time.
Lucifer didn't respond, only smiled a soft, stupidly fond sort of smile that practically radiated through him. Some days, it was hard to remember what he'd done before Samandriel had waltzed into his club and stolen every bit of his affections. Worked a lot, he supposed. Made up new ways to avoid his brother while doing paperwork?
It wasn't nearly as good as it was now, that was for certain.
The silence only lasted until they'd managed getting to the ferry. There was no staying in the car for it, considering there were lights on the water to be watching, and no opportunity of that sort would be missed for Samandriel. "Do you like it?"
“The view?” Samandriel said, looking at Lucifer. “It’s perfect.” He let that sink in just long enough before he actually leaned against the rail to watch the water. “Sometimes when school is particularly awful, all I have to do is think about you and it’s better. Like even just that I get to go home to you and you’ll look at me like that and everything’ll be okay.”
Watching Samandriel watch the water was good enough for Lucifer, and so he did that. "That's very romantic of you," he said, but since they were both kind of just saps for each other, he certainly didn't seem bothered by it.
"You haven't spoken of school lately. Has it calmed down any?" He didn't like making Samandriel do things he didn't want to, but the younger man was so close to being finished, it seemed a waste to not have him finish it properly.
“Is it still romantic if it’s just the truth?” Samandriel asked. He looked sadly down at the water. “I don’t want to talk about school,” he whispered.
"I don't see why the truth can't be romantic," Lucifer said, and then winced slightly at the sad reply, and then looking back down at the water himself. "Alright. Just know you're nearly done. And I'm proud of you." That wasn't always enough, but it did have to help somewhat.
“Being proud only goes so far,” Samandriel said softer, invisible wings pulling tighter against his body as though that would help to protect him. Freak was a way worse insult than fag in his book, hurt so much harder because not only did Samandriel know it was true, but something to be ashamed of in a way whoever he chose to take to bed wasn’t. “Abigail is insisting I have a graduation party.” It was clear in his tone he’d really rather not.
Crossing his arms on the railing, Lucifer stretched until his back curved and spine cracked properly into place. Samandriel didn't sound much like he wanted a party, so he certainly wouldn't push over it. "Why doesn't she just have one?"
“I don’t know,” Samandriel said, shrugging. “I told her all my partying could be accomplished just fine at the wedding or, if we must, some kind of engagement dinner, but I really don’t think it’s necessary.”
"We'll do whatever you like," Lucifer said, watching the approaching island come nearer yet. "Don't feel pressured to do anything you don't want to. Parties aren't really parties if no one is having fun." Like that wasn't obvious. With the way that Samandriel felt about school, Lucifer had a feeling that just not going anymore would be a celebration enough.
“We’re having the reception at Lux,” he said, smirking at Lucifer while he thought on happier things. “I mean, don’t be jealous, but the owner there...only man I’ve ever really loved.”
"Who is he?" Lucifer attempted sounding jealous and offended, but his tone only managed coming out entirely too pleased. "I'll kill him." That sentence should not have been so happy. Really, though.
Not caring one bit for anyone else who might see, Samandriel stood up and kissed Lucifer slowly. “Mine,” he whispered, “no matter if he puts off marrying me until tomorrow forever.” The ferry was pulling into the dock and for all of that, Samandriel didn’t want to get off the boat. But he’d go to dinner and be all fancy and in love and they’d go home and it’d be perfect there too. “Nothing feels right without you here with me.”
They were both each others and they didn't really need to worry about making claim -- but that didn't mean it wasn't just nice to do it and to hear it every now and again. "Then it's a very good thing I'm not going anywhere," Lucifer murmured, brushing another little kiss onto Samandriel's lips before taking his hand and leading him back in the direction of the car.
Samandriel walked with Lucifer happily, glad for the peace and security he could find in the other man. “I wonder if this is how Castiel feels about Dean,” he mused while they got in the car. Thinking on it harder he decided, “No. That’s an unhealthy level of obsession.” Worriedly, he looked at Lucifer. “We’re healthy, right?” He was avoiding the topic he didn’t want to think about, the one where he was very, very much not okay after everything, that he worried about falling asleep because falling asleep might lead to him waking up and still being in Abigail’s floor. He held Lucifer’s thigh a little tighter.
Slipping his hand over Samandriel's, Lucifer considered the question and the assumed reasoning behind it for a long moment. His boyfriend was not wrong when he said that Castiel's love for Dean was unhealthy, to the point of obsessive or dependent. In that regard, they were not similar at all.
"Our relationship isn't like theirs," he said, eyes up front because at some point he'd have to drive and not jam traffic getting off the ferry. "I think it's healthy. We benefit and accent each other." Not that he thought Dean and Cas weren't good for each other, he just thought they didn't know how to be better for each other or themselves.
He chanced a tiny glance at Samandriel. "You need to speak on it eventually. You know I won't push you, and I'm trying to find you someone. But don't let it destroy you." Lucifer would not say more about it if Samandriel didn't want him to, but he'd had to put that out there.
Samandriel looked at his hands, now back in his lap. “I don’t know how to shake this feeling that he’s still here, just lying in wait for me to get comfortable again.”
"He isn't," Lucifer assured, and knew it was the complete truth. He had, after all, made sure of it himself.
“I know,” Samandriel said softly. “But being trapped all by yourself gives a man way too much time to think and fall into baseless thoughts and fears.” Like what if that awful creature was inside of him somehow.
Lucifer got it. He did. Hell, he was even fairly certain he knew exactly what it was that Samandriel was concerned about but not actually voicing. Riding off the ferry, the older man frowned into the rear view. "That wasn't any part of you, Samandriel. Having a lot of time to worry about something doesn't make it so."
“It doesn’t make it less worrisome,” Samandriel pointed out. “I’ll be okay.” It didn’t feel like complete certainty, but it was a sign of honest effort planned. “It’s a weird time. I’m sorry.”
"You shouldn't be sorry," Lucifer was a firm believer in not apologizing for things unless it was absolutely necessary. "You have nothing to apologize for. Worrying about something like that is only natural. It's the kind of thing that only proves how good you really are, don't you think?"
Samandriel reached over so he could lace his fingers with Lucifer’s. The man could drive with one hand and if anything happened, he’d save them both so it wasn’t really an issue. “Are you looking for someone for yourself too?” he asked softly.
Lucifer's fingers tightened against Samandriel's - a firm, grip that allowed his thumb free to stroke against the back of his hand. "I'm not sure what you're asking," he said after a moment of thought.
“You shot me in the head,” Samandriel said softly. “I mean, yeah, it wasn’t actually me, but that doesn’t change what you saw and the fact that you didn’t sleep for days afterward.” He’d known. He’d tried to contact him some way, any way. “And sometimes you hold me like I’m more than precious, like...like you’re just as afraid as I am somewhere that this isn’t real.”
"I'm not afraid of that," Lucifer corrected gently, continuing to pet the back of Samandriel's hand with the pad of his thumb. "It's just I don't want something like that happening again." Which was obvious, of course. But that week had taught him that sometimes things were precious and important, and he should know to hold on to them the best he could.
“So if I take a wander into your dreams I’m not going to find anything to contradict that?” Samandriel very pointedly didn’t go into Lucifer’s dreams. Everyone else’s, sure, but there was a boundary of trust there that he didn’t want to break with his boyfriend. He shook his head. “I love you.” Because in the end that was all that really mattered. “And you better have a list of first date questions to ask me by the time we sit down.”
"Not that I'm aware of," Lucifer didn't believe dreams to always hold full truth anyway, especially not the sort that he had (and not the alternate past selves sort that he never had). After all, there was little to be garnered from dreams about being back in college, or whatever it was he dreamt about most nights.
"I was meant to have questions," he said, teasingly. "But then you distracted me. We'll have to see how this goes." Good timing too, since he'd just parked the car.
“You’re supposed to perform well under pressure,” Samandriel teased, stealing a brief kiss before he got out of the car without using the door. What? He hadn’t been able to use his wings to get them there. He kind of wanted to stretch them however briefly now.
Lucifer rolled his eyes over that little display of power, but said nothing as he got out of the car in the only way he possibly could. Door handles really were a wonder.
"I do perform well," he said, looking a little smug and offering Samandriel his arm before heading into the restaurant.
“Good,” Samandriel said lopping his arm through Lucifer’s. “We do have reservations, don’t we sweetie?” Part of him really wanted to sit under the table and suck Lucifer off, but that would probably not work so well.
It really wouldn't. Lucifer wasn't the sort who could get away with public encounters like that if caught, anyway, not if he didn't want to end up on the low end tabloids and the news the next day. Which, really, he didn't.
"No," he said wryly, "I just thought I could walk in and hope for a table." Which, actually, he probably could have done, considering. But he had made reservations -- which he told to the hostess when they walked in, and then were promptly let to a little table in the back.
Samandriel was glad for the privacy, though not so much for the prying eyes of people who clearly knew Lucifer and had clearly seen him play at Lux. Well, it was as good a coming out as any. The hostess left them to look over the menu, and Samandriel found himself just staring at the lists of things. He understood what the words meant in a practical, linguistic sense, but it was suddenly all very overwhelming.
“I need you to order for me,” he said before the server could get to them. “I don’t care what it is. I just need you to do it.” Restaurants weren’t really a thing that Samandriel’s family did. Catered events, sure. He knew what all the silverware was for and everything, but going out like this? Not so much.
Raising an eyebrow at that, Lucifer glanced over his menu at Samandriel. The discomfort coming from the younger man was palpable and so he only nodded with some vague understanding of the feeling. He'd been raised into this sort of thing, and from his own point of view, this was hardly a fancy place at all but could understand how the experience might be strange for some.
In the end, he settled on Coq a Vin for Samandriel -- a chicken dish that was probably as normal as could be expected from a place like this, and steak for himself. They could switch if Samandriel had a preference for the latter. A bottle of wine was cursory, of course.
Once the server was gone, Lucifer only smiled. "Perhaps we need to get you out more."
“Perhaps,” Samandriel said. “I’m just not...used to this. Sometimes I’m better at pretending I’m on your level when we’re not in public.”
"On my level?" Lucifer repeated, questioning. "You are on my level, Samandriel."
“Emotionally and artistically, perhaps. Even monetarily, sure. Just...not socially.” Samandriel shrugged and took a sip of his water. Lucifer may have ordered a bottle of wine, but Samandriel wasn’t comfortable drinking in public.
French cuisine practically demanded wine drinking, it was just the way of the world. Additionally, Lucifer just liked wine, so he went with it easily - no need to fix what wasn't broken, after all.
"Ah. I thought you were going for something a little more self-deprecating," the older man admitted, sipping at his wine and leaning back in his seat a little. "The need to be adept in social situations is rather required of me," he admitted, casting a lazy glance around the place. "It's usually very boring. Unfortunately for you, once your birthday is past, I'm going to ask you to join the tedium with me, so we'd best start practicing now." Finally, someone to talk to during charity dinners and balls.
"The tedium I can handle just fine," Samandriel said simply, "it's things like this I'm not so good at. Being asked what I want or having choices are kind of new things for me. Most of them I can handle just..." He looked down at the fancy table cloth. "I'll do better when I have an audience to perform for, but if you end up on some sort of charity date auction, I will either blow disgusting amounts of your money to keep you to myself or I'll suddenly volunteer for it as well." Samandriel smirked deviously and looked up at Lucifer, "or I'll volunteer Dean for it." And the idea of Dean up for grabs for a night at one of those things was really, really hilarious.
Sadly, Lucifer could see a lot of women spending extraordinary amounts of money on Dean for a night and becoming exceedingly disappointed when they realized he was joined at the hip with a very disgruntled husband. He shook his head, trying to dislodge the image of it. "Castiel would have none of that," he pointed out needlessly.
"I've never done one of the date auctions, if that helps. I usually just send a check so no one can bother me over it. In any case, you aren't doing poorly now. There's no harm in having someone else order for you, so long as you're happy with the choices made."
“Castiel could be convinced,” Samandriel replied simply, because he could be. If Dean asked him to, the other angel would do nearly everything. Samandriel had a bit of his bread. It was there and though he wasn’t really hungry, he wanted something to do with his hands. “I trust you.”
"Maybe," Lucifer hedged, slightly amused. Sometimes he wondered if the other half of their four talked about them as frequently as Samandriel and himself seemed to go on about Dean and Castiel. "But he'd still pout." God, did Castiel pout frequently.
He sipped his wine again, settled his glass down and seemed pleased enough with the response. Of course Samandriel trusted him. Also, chicken just wasn't a big deal.
"Nineteen questions," he prompted, sitting up a little straighter in his chair (which really could have used a higher back support). "Favorite color?" Hey, no one said they had to be good questions.
“Dark slate blue,” Samandriel replied. “Best memory?” It only made sense to have a counter question if they were doing this game.
That was an oddly specific color. Lucifer dipped a piece of bread into a little plate of olive oil and spices. "Do people rate their memories on a list of favorites? I can't say I ever have."
“Well then one of your best memories,” Samandriel allowed. “I’m certain some people rank them.”
"Probably," Lucifer agreed, considering the question. It was sappy, but of course if he had to, he would rank Samandriel at the top of the list. "Well. Realizing you weren't dead is fairly up there." He said it dryly, but meant it completely.
“You should have seen your face in that moment,” Samandriel said, smiling a little to himself. “I’ve never seen someone happier.” Not couples on their wedding day or even veterans coming home from war to greet their families (or the families themselves, dogs included,) matched the look in Lucifer’s eyes when he saw Samandriel sitting on his couch. “And I’ve seen a lot of happiness.”
Smiling back, Lucifer offered a tiny little lift of his shoulders in a shrug. "Then you should know you don't need to ask me what my favorite memory is," he said it like it was the most simple thing in the world.
“Just because it’s your happiest doesn’t mean it’s your favorite,” Samandriel pointed out, “and anyway it’s your turn.”
Semantics. Lucifer nearly rolled his eyes, and wondered idly if his boyfriend had been on any kind of debate team in school.
"What are you most proud of?" He'd been planning on keeping it easy for a while, but it only seemed fair to come out with the harder hitting questions since Samandriel seemed to want to do the same.
Samandriel had to think about that for a long moment. “There was this time when I was really small. Five or six maybe. My dad finally had a day off and he took me to the park, and we’d been there for a few hours. I was getting really, really frustrated because I just couldn’t get the hang of the monkey bars. I’d make it one or two rungs and then stop and drop off. I guess my arms just didn’t want to listen to the need for momentum or something. Now, I’m sure I could turn it into some metaphor for holding myself back and giving up. But whatever it was, it was getting late and he wanted to go, but I begged him to let me try one more time.
I don’t think he thought I was going to be able to make it this one more time when I’d tired myself out all day, but I did it. I made it all the way across and there was just this feeling in me like I could actually do anything.” He smiled as he looked up at Lucifer, meeting his eyes across the table in the dim lighting. “Old and silly, but true.”
There was no way Lucifer couldn't smile over that story. It was just so… Samandriel, really. Endearing. He reached half across the table, offering his hand to the younger man. "That's ridiculously adorable, you must realize. Not too silly. For someone that age that's the sort of thing that's a major achievement, I imagine."
Samandriel reached across the table to hold Lucifer’s hand briefly, hesitating just a little because of the very public nature of things. They were safe, Samandriel knew that. His parents knew and had given their blessing (sort of,) so Lucifer was...well, as safe as he could be. He withdrew his hand when the food came, smiling politely and charmingly up at their server until she left.
“What’s your biggest regret?”
"Is it cheating to say I don't have any?" Lucifer readjusted his plate in front of himself, and frowned thoughtfully (not at his steak, even if that was what it looked like). "It's hardly exaggeration when I say I've had a very easy life, and there's little I've done that I wouldn't do again."
“It’s cheating,” Samandriel said simply. “And saying that there’s little you’ve done that you wouldn’t do again means that there are some things there that count.” He took a bite of his chicken. It was chicken. Good chicken, naturally, but still just chicken.
Well, that had kind of been the point: chicken was kind of the go to food for normalcy. Add some pasta and most anyone without a specific diet would be happy enough.
"Right," he said in agreement. "But everything I've done leads me to here, right? So there's no point in regretting any of it."
“Lucifer,” Samandriel said, tone very much warning. “You’re avoiding the question, but thank you for the compliment even though I’d like to think that we would have ended up here regardless.”
"Samandriel," Lucifer said, equal warning in his tone, because really, he didn't need a lecture. And he hadn't even been going for a compliment, not really. Samandriel was a very large part of his life, but that wasn't all of it. He liked his home, he liked his business and his life in general.
"Fine." He poked at his twice baked potato in thought. "If I had to think of something, I suppose I might have preferred being able to get on with my brother better."
Samandriel nodded and took another bite of his chicken as if that was perfectly satisfactory.
Wasn't it perfectly satisfactory? It was an answer, and an honest one; Lucifer hadn't been lying. Getting along with his only living relative would be nice. Sadly, it just wasn't in the cards.
"What's the matter?"
“The couple over there keeps staring at us and whispering. It’s making me uncomfortable.” Moreso because Samandriel could actually hear them.
"What are they whispering about?" Lucifer didn't stop himself from glancing over his shoulder pointedly at the couple.
“Excuse me,” Samandriel said, getting up smoothly. Very calmly, he walked over to the other table and smiled at the young woman as though he was the most charming, endearing thing in existence. “Sorry, miss, I couldn’t help but overhear and I just thought you should know that you shouldn’t worry at all about any child you ever have ending up like me.” He let the horror that he’d heard her sink in for half a beat before he continued, “but really that’s only because you’re never going to have children. It shouldn’t be too much of a loss though since you’d only pass them off onto the nanny if you had them and would much rather finagle a way to keep all your husband’s inheritance to yourself.”
He turned that bright, innocent smile at the bright red young man with her. “Enjoy your meal, sir and I’d appreciate it if both of you learned to mind your own business. Thanks.” With that, he turned and walked back to the table he shared with Lucifer. “Sorry about that. Did that count as a question?”
While he was a bit proud of Samandriel for dealing with things on his own terms, Lucifer found himself equal parts disappointed in the younger man. Making a scene just because other people whispered disapproving words was hardly practical or exceptionally tactical.
He frowned even as he busied his hands by cutting his steak into small bite sized pieces. "That didn't count as a question, no. Have you ever heard of the term 'killing with kindness'? Because I think practicing that might benefit you wildly."
Samandriel looked at Lucifer for a long, hard moment. “What do you think I’ve been doing my entire life up to this point?” he asked. He looked down at his food and decided he was done putting on a show of eating for the sake of eating. “I’m sorry to disappoint you, Lucifer. Perhaps bringing me out in public at all was a poor choice.” He could feel the hateful stares of the other couple on him.
And yes, Samandriel had made a poor decision, but he couldn’t just leave it and he didn’t want to make her absolutely improbably fertile just so more children could be raised with the kind of neglect he was. “Forgive me,” was all he said and with the sound of wings, Samandriel was simply gone from the restaurant.
And… there was another scene made. Young boyfriend of local millionaire disappears from the face of the earth in the middle of a restaurant. Lucifer sighed to himself, gestured for his server to come back and bring him the check. Unfortunately, he also saw fit to add the table that Samandriel had to speak to's bill to it as well. He was sure the couple deserved the unkind words, but that didn't mean that was how things were handled. Not in his world.
Pointedly, Lucifer stayed in the restaurant until he'd finished off his bottle of wine.