The Cape Rouge, Port of Fandom, Sunday Morning

[okteiviakom]

Octavia's sleep had finally been a dreamless one. At least as far as she could remember, and that was good enough for her. She'd spent the last several nights repeatedly waking up in terror, so it seemed like a win when that didn't happen.

And now it was morning, but she wasn't in a rush to leave the bed. Instead, she was running her fingertips feather-light over the tattoo on Duke's shoulder.

Tracing the butterflies.

[ooc: For that guy.]

Comments

[betterthanaplan]

Duke stirred at her touch, waking slow and lazy instead of jerking upright. For once.

"Tickles," he said softly. But made no move to actually stop her.

[okteiviakom]

"Deal with it," Octavia murmured.

The only change was that her touch got just a little bit firmer as she moved to the next butterfly, circling the edges of both its wings.

[betterthanaplan]

Duke laughed through his nose, not opening his eyes yet. "Mean."

He shifted just a little, snuggling more firmly into his pillow and just happening to lean his shoulder into her hands a little more. He remembered getting the tattoo, from a goth woman in Baja California in exchange for a case of tequila and endless stories of adventure on the high seas.

He was a little sad, actually, that he couldn't immediately, psychically share it with Octavia. For all that he was relieved not to be blasting his bad memories anymore.

[okteiviakom]

Octavia didn't know what she felt about anything, really. But his skin felt right under her fingertips.

"I remember when I noticed this for the first time," she said, in a low murmur. He was waking up, but that was no reason to be loud. Her little snort was equally soft. "It felt like a sign."

She sounded wry.

[betterthanaplan]

"You were braiding my hair," Duke said, just as soft. "'Cause I was freaking out about being girl-shaped."

[okteiviakom]

"That's right," Octavia murmured.

Next butterfly.

"And I didn't know what else to offer."

[betterthanaplan]

"It was plenty." Duke finally blinked his eyes open, watching her. "Made it . . . special."

[okteiviakom]

Octavia's gaze flicked up to his eyes.

"You just like pretty girls touching you," she drawled, teasing.

[betterthanaplan]

"I like pretty anybody touching me," Duke said. "You were more than that, though. Even then."

[okteiviakom]

"Yeah." A beat. "I was the one with at least some braiding experience."

[betterthanaplan]

"You were a pro," Duke agreed. "And . . . an enigma. I wanted to see what made you tick."

[okteiviakom]

Octavia snorted. And then left his tattoo alone, to reach up and brush her fingers through his hair.

The little curve of her lips was crooked, as it so often was when it appeared at all.

"Did you ever figure that one out?"

[betterthanaplan]

Duke closed his eyes again, humming with pleasure. "I might have some theories."

[okteiviakom]

It was offensive how beautiful he was like that. Now it was imperative that Octavia keep stroking his hair for a while.

Her voice lost its teasing edge. "Any you want to share?"

[betterthanaplan]

He liked it when she played with his hair. It always relaxed him.

"You like animals better than people," he said softly. "Because they make sense to you. They don't complicate things like we do."

[okteiviakom]

"No one can tell them they're getting it wrong, either," Octavia replied just as softly, after a little moment of quiet.

He may have been onto something, here.

[betterthanaplan]

"And if anyone tries, they just bite them." Duke watched her, remembering the little glimpses she'd shown him. "You bite, too. Just . . . with words." A smile. "Or knives."

[okteiviakom]

Octavia was watching her hand, her fingers moving through his hair, twisting a strand around themselves.

"Guess I'm just an animal at heart."

She didn't say it like it was a bad thing. If anything, her voice sounded a little... far away.

[betterthanaplan]

"All the best ones of us are."

[okteiviakom]

Octavia's lips twisted. It looked a little sad.

But open.

"Sometimes I don't know how to be human."

[betterthanaplan]

Duke raised an eyebrow. "I mean . . . you do pretty well."

[okteiviakom]

The hint of sadness seemed to get a little more pronounced.

But then she tousled his hair, and conjured up a lighter tone. "Anyway," she said. "Was that your only theory?"

[betterthanaplan]

Duke wrinkled his nose and smashed his face into his pillow for a moment. "Dunno if I wanna say more. I made you sad."

[okteiviakom]

Octavia's face fell a little, betraying the momentary lightness for the mask it was.

But her voice was soft, after she'd briefly pressed her lips to his shoulder tattoo. "Everything makes me sad." Probably not the best choice of encouragement, no. "But I like that you see me. Even when I'm not... projecting memories right into your brain."

[betterthanaplan]

"I know," Duke admitted. "It did before, too." He reached out for her, returning the favor of running his hands through her hair. "I don't want to be part of the 'everything'."