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She tried to tuck an unruly auburn curl back up into its place in her loose bun as she leant down to check her bread in the oven. It was her turn for dinner duty. Ophira didn’t mind cooking, not at all - it was the eager interruptions that she worried about.
“Darling, you look absolutely adorable in that apron!” She tried not to smile too widely as Asmo’s compliments - she knew it would only encourage him to distract her from her current duties. “Why thank you,” Her mouth was traitorous though, stretching wide over her features as she felt her demon take hold of her hips as she straightened, “But aren’t you meant to be setting the table for me?”
Ophira didn’t have to turn around to know that the Avatar of Lust was pouting, “I just wanted to check on you, make sure you hadn’t done anything to that pretty skin of yours… I love your freckles, but we need to make sure that they don’t get burned.” She let out a non-committal hum, pulling the cutting board from its usual spot, “I appreciate it, but I’d appreciate it even more if you’d get the table ready for me,” She turned to flutter her eyelashes playfully at him only to laugh when Asmodeus stole an enthusiastic kiss.
“Seriously, Asmo - get out of here before I turn the dish towel on you. You are very distracting and I refuse to burn dinner because of you.” That seemed to placate the narcissistic fifth born, as he made a fuss about being kicked out and some cheeky claims about wanting to stay for some ‘of that kinky towel action’...but he did indeed leave.
She chuckled to herself and turned to the island, starting to chop her vegetables.
The peace didn’t last long though.
When the door opened, her dark eyes flicked up and she beamed. “Satan! Success?” She abandoned the knife on the board before wiping her hands on her apron. “I think so,” The blond held up the bottle of red wine, “Does this look about right?” Ophira gave a soft cheer and stretched up to place a tender kiss on the fourth born’s pretty mouth, “That looks perfect - thank you!” He returned her smile, “Well, it’s the least that I could do considering that I had to cancel last week’s dinner date.”
Dismissively, she waved her hand while putting the bottle on the island, “Don’t worry about that. Things come up...but why are you staring at me like that?” His eyes twinkled mischievously as she quirked a brow at him, “You look like the quintessential housewife all done up like that. Like those images from older posters." With that suggestion, she put her hands on her hips and faked a look of outraged surprise, “Excuse me! What about a little apron, big skirt and coiffed hair while cooking make you think ‘housewife’?! I was going to suggest that we share what’s left of the bottle after dinner, but I think I’ll just have to drink it myself now.” Once again, her expression gave way to a smile that she had poorly been attempting to hide. That seemed to make her lover laugh and he placed a kiss on her head, “Well, I’ll leave you to dinner and the wine then.” True to his word, the Avatar of Wrath made his swift exit.
And so the human continued, hoping that dinner would get done in time.
While she was busy stirring the chicken stock, there was an awkward clearing of the throat from the doorway. She looked over her shoulder and smiled, “Levi - what a pleasant surprise! What do you need?” The demon shuffled in the doorway, but Ophira waited and continued to stir her stock. She knew it was never any good to push Leviathan, nor would she want to. He would speak when he was ready.
“Can you log onto Mononoke Land for a bit? There’s a limited event on and I need a friend that’s at least level twenty to come with me…” For the first time that evening, she frowned.
“Levi, sweetheart, I’m really sorry but now’s not a good time. How long’s the event on for?” She stopped stirring to give her otaku all of her attention. She hated to let him down, but dinner did come before gaming.
“It’s a one-hour flash event.” Amber eyes were staring at the floor and she looked up to the clock. That wouldn’t work.
“Dinner won’t be near done for nearly an hour and a half. Levi, I’m so sorry…” She gently put her hand to his arm, “You know that I love playing with you, but I can’t leave dinner that long,” The expression on his face was crushing. She hated to disappoint him like this… “Oh! But how about this…” She fished her D.D.D. out of her skirt pocket and held it out to the third born, “Take my phone. I can’t play with you, but maybe Asmo will help you out? He should be finished setting the table by now. My passcode’s the date that I arrived in the Devildom.” While Levi stared at her with wide eyes, she beamed brightly at him.
“Y-you’d trust me with your passcode and your D.D.D.?”
“Of course! Why wouldn’t I trust the demon I love?”
Levi closed his eyes and dramatically put his hand to his chest, “You’ve got to warn me before saying things like that!” Once he regained his composure, he took the phone cautiously, as if he were either afraid that she’d retract her offer or that he’d break her precious device. “Thanks. I’d much rather play with you, but I guess I get it…”
“Thank you, Leviathan. I’ll make it up to you later, okay?” She placed a soft kiss on his cheek and tried to suppress the giggles that threatened to spill over when he went cherry red and made his escape, muttering the whole while.
Once again, she checked the oven. Her bread was rising nicely and had a pale golden colour. The kitchen was smelling divine . Well, if such a word could be used in these parts…
She heard the door open once more, just before she could start cutting her bacon. “It smells really good in here,” Only one brother could say a phrase with such joy.
“Thanks Beel, but none of it is ready yet. You’re going to have to wait a little while longer,” The deep pout that the Avatar of Gluttony wore on his face was almost comical. “But,” Like a dog having caught a scent, Beelzebub was now completely alert, “I may have prepped some snacks for you in advance.”
“I love you,” The ardent passion in his tone made her genuinely laugh on her way to the fridge. She pulled out a basket filled to the brim with bits and bobs for him and brought it over, “I love you too. Now, here, take your snacks and get out of my kitchen. While I love you, I don’t trust you not to snack on my vegetables when I’m not looking.” His gentle and frank reply of “Fair.” only made her laugh more. The redhead placed a kiss to her temple before exiting with a, “It really does smell good in there, though....”
Four down, two to go. Ophira figured that if Mammon hadn’t burst in by now that she likely wouldn’t see him.
Oh, how wrong she was.
“OI!” The outburst nearly made her drop her hot pan, and she shot a glare over her shoulder. “Mammon, I’m cooking!” She could hear him sheepishly scratch the back of his head once she turned back to the pan. The second born was grumbling behind her, but she continued cooking.
Once Mammon seemed to realise that his human wasn’t going to stop with her activity, he slunk over and put his chin on her shoulder while wrapping his arms loosely around her snatched waist.
“Can I have some?” His childish tone made her roll her eyes affectionately.
“No, Mamms.”
“How ‘bout somma that bread in the oven then?”
Her voice softened, although she tried to sound firm, “ No, Mamms .”
“Aw, c’mon! One piece is all I’m askin’!”
With her left hand, she reached up to gently scritch his cheek as she continued to stir the bacon that was sizzling away, “I said no. It’s never one piece with you.” The Avatar of Greed leant into her touch with a huff.
“‘S not fair.”
“I sent Beel out of here earlier without a taste of this, so I think you’ll find it’s plenty fair.” More grumbling reached her ears, “Yeah, but I’m your first man. Beel’s like...your third. Isn’t the same.”
Ophira sighed at that. Mammon was clearly in a mood, her poor boy. But now was not the time for her usual coddling. “What’s wrong, babe? Hm?”
When he simply burrowed into her neck, she sighed again and moved her pan to a cold burner, allowing her to stop her stirring. The bacon didn’t need to be cooked all the way anyway - it would finish while simmering.
“How about this, oh Great Mammon,” She slipped off one of her golden rings and took hold of her lover’s hand, “I have some sweets stashed away in my room. How about I sneak them over and we watch a film after dinner, hm?” As she spoke she slipped off one of Mammon’s silver rings, swapping it for her golden band of garnets - her known favourite. From the way he flexed his fingers, she knew that he was admiring it...and then she felt him smile against her neck.
“Yeah, that sounds nice.”
“Okay then - it’s a date, Mammoney.” Ophira laughed openly at the blush on the demon’s cheeks, but that soon turned to a squawk as in turn he playfully tugged an auburn curl.
“Oh, just for that sass you can get out of my kitchen!” Her tone remained playful and Mammon’s smile remained, “Fine. But I expect a sleepover, ya know!”
Again, she rolled her eyes as Mammon reluctantly made his way out.
When she looked at the clock, she let out a deep sigh. She was very much behind schedule at this point, but what was she meant to do?
A quick text was intended to be sent to the House chat to inform the household that dinner was running behind before she got back to trying to get as much of it done as quickly as possible…but then she remembered that she had given the phone to Levi. It was typical that the boys would bother her on an evening that she tried to do something a little more complicated.
When the door next opened, she didn’t hear it. The human resident was far too engrossed with the finishing touches of her cooking before it simply needed to simmer.
“Little vixen, what have you got bubbling away in your cauldron there?” Ophira turned, wine bottle still in hand, and was surprised to see Lucifer in the doorway, giving her an appraising look.
“Lucifer - I thought that I’d have to come drag you down for dinner! We’re having coq au vin tonight,” She popped the lid on her pot, “Or, well, some variation of. I don’t know how it’ll taste with cockatrice…” Once again, she tried to tame an unruly curl back into its bun.
The first born lifted the bottle from his lover’s hands, “It looks like you’ve had a long day. Sit and I’ll pour you a glass while you let that simmer, hm?” Ophira smiled at that suggestion, “Will you join me in a glass? If I’ve had a long day, yours must’ve stretched through an eternity.” A deep chuckle reverberated through the kitchen at that. She could imagine that her comment barely scraped the surface, but she was glad that he now had the shadow of a smile on his face.
Dutifully, the Avatar of Pride poured two glasses of wine. He handed Ophira her glass before he took a seat and promptly patted his lap. Who would the human be to turn down such an invitation? So she gathered her skirt and sat in his lap, allowing herself to lean on his chest.
“You look like a domestic goddess done up like that.”
She laughed and clinked their glasses, “You’re not the only one to think so today.” That made him cock a dark brow and she laughed again, taking a drag from her glass. “I could have mistaken our kitchen for Silent Avenue this afternoon. You are my sixth visitor. I’m not complaining, but I do wish it hadn’t delayed dinner so much…” Ophira couldn’t resist running her fingers through Lucifer’s raven locks.
“It sounds to me that the two of us need to relax in my room after dinner.”
“Oh, is that so?”
“Indeed it is.”
She raised her eyebrows at him and his bedroom eyes with a smirk, “As much as I’d like to accept your offer, I'll have to take a raincheck.”
That very quickly wiped the smirk from his face, “But it’s your free evening. You can choose to spend it with me if you so wish.”
“I can. But,” She waggled her fingers to show off the silver band on her hand, “I promised Mammon that we could spend the night together.”
When Lucifer opened his mouth to protest, clearly displeased, she held up a finger to silence him.
“He’s not been having a good day, Lucifer.”
“You’re too soft on him.”
“And you’re too hard on him.”
Brown locked with crimson and Lucifer let out a soft sigh. Ophira used the back of her fingers to stroke his cheek and he raised his hand to hold hers to his face. “You’re too soft on all of us. Do you realise that?”
Ophira smiled at that, “And you’re all too hard on yourselves.”
The time spent with Lucifer went far too quickly for either of their tastes. But she wasn’t too disappointed once dinner was actually served and they were all gathered at the dinner table and happily partaking in their usual nightly meal.
Yes, perhaps she was too soft on them. But wasn’t that what love was all about?