The Deck of the Cape Rouge, Port of Fandom, Thursday Morning

[okteiviakom]

Octavia and Duke had made it back to Fandom last night. Duke had taken off almost immediately, and Octavia couldn't really blame him. It had been -- a lot. Really, everything had been a lot, lately.

She'd gone straight to bed.

Hadn't actually fallen asleep until after Duke had come back, but it was the thought that counted, right? Hadn't really slept well after that, either, her dreams a mess of fragments of card sharks and real sharks and cold nights.

It wasn't until morning that she realized it was Thursday, and that she'd missed her shift at the club last night. Not that being at the Devil's Nest would have done her any good, right now, anyway. Lucifer was gone, and she felt the absence sharply enough as it was.

It was quiet, as she stood on the deck of the Cape Rouge with a mug of coffee (with some pumpkin spice creamer in it, although it felt stragely undeserved). For the first time in days, nothing in particular was happening that needed her attention. Everything was as still as it could be while the water swayed the ship gently underneath her feet in its familiar way. Some porgs appeared to be napping by the gunwale in a spot of morning sun.

And all Octavia could think about was a demon using Eleanor's mouth to say, He's been pretty sad the last couple of years, since he got back.

Her eyes were stinging, and she didn't even try to fight it.

[ooc: Open, thought subject to SP until my evening. I just really wanted to take advantage of this calm between a plot and an event weekend, omg.]

Comments

[betterthanaplan]

Duke gave her a little, sleepy smile. "De nada."

[okteiviakom]

The expression on Octavia's face had already been pretty open. Especially if compared to how she'd looked over the past couple of weeks.

It softened further at his smile.

She reached up, pressed a little kiss to one corner of it. Feather light and almost hesitant.

[betterthanaplan]

Duke loved that look on her face. He worried, sometimes, that he wouldn't ever see it again.

He didn't press it. Didn't lean in to deepen the kiss, or hang on or pull back. He just . . . let her do what she needed to, and enjoyed this moment while it lasted.

It wouldn't last long enough, but then, nothing ever did.

[okteiviakom]

He always let her do what she needed to. Wasn't that the problem?

Even if it wasn't one right in this moment.

But he hadn't pulled away, or flinched back, or anything else. And emboldened by that, Octavia pressed another kiss against the other corner.

And then a third, right in the middle.

[betterthanaplan]

It was, actually. But today it had the advantage of also being something he wanted, too.

He smiled against that third kiss, then finally spoke.

"In a good mood?"

His voice was dry and a little cracked, so when he was pretty sure he could do it without spilling any on her, he took another sip of his coffee.

[okteiviakom]

"Not really," Octavia admitted, quiet and soft. Dry, too, but that was just how her voice was. "But this feels like a good moment."

It felt like something stolen, honestly.

[betterthanaplan]

Duke nodded. That about matched his feeling too, so he didn't bother speaking up again, just settled his arm more comfortably around her and looked out over the water again.

[okteiviakom]

Octavia took a sip from her mug, then let her head rest against his shoulder. Let her eyes close again.

Let herself just enjoy it.

Maybe it was a stolen moment. But it was the first one in a while that felt like it was theirs.