A Secluded Stretch of Beach, San Diego, Wednesday Evening

[okteiviakom]

Octavia and Duke's zoo trip had been nice. And now they were hoping the dinner that was about to cap their devilless outing would be good, too.

As with all the previous dinners on this vacation, they'd skipped dining at the actual restaurant, but they'd been by one to pick up a whole bunch of things in picnic-sized portions to try from their menu. Now, all of their various containers were spread across a blanket on the beach, just waiting to be tasted.

And, at the far end of the spread, there was a sloth plush. Because there just was. Sometimes these things just happened.

"I've already forgotten what half these things are," Octavia admitted as she settled down onto the blanket, and reached for one of the containers near her.

[ooc: NFB, for the guy.]

Comments

[betterthanaplan]

"Me neither," Duke admitted. "Feels like we've been in a bubble here. A very nice, relaxing bubble."

[okteiviakom]

"Yeah," Octavia agreed, softly, with a glance over at him. "I know it was never going to be forever, but it also feels like time's gone really fast."

[betterthanaplan]

"It really has," Duke agreed. He set his food aside and reached for her. "It's easy to be . . . easy. On vacation. A bit harder in real life, huh."

[okteiviakom]

Octavia set her own container down again before leaning in.

"Yeah," she sighed. "Everything feels a little suspended in time while we're here. A little unreal."

And easier.

[betterthanaplan]

Duke gave her a squeeze. "So the question is, how do we bring a little of this feeling home with us."

[okteiviakom]

Octavia's hand settled on his arm, and rubbed it a little. Made for a convenient excuse for her gaze to travel there, too.

"I think... I'm gonna start sleeping on the Rouge again."

[betterthanaplan]

"Yeah?" Duke tried to find a happy medium between pleased and overly excited. "I'd really like that."

[okteiviakom]

Octavia knew the difference it had made in his quality of sleep that she'd been sharing their bed, as much as she tried not to think about it. So she was pretty sure he was pretty excited, regardless.

"I think I've found a way to put that and my evening... thing, together," she added. That was the best way she could think of to put it. (But only because she didn't want to outright call it a ritual.) "I can take that time on the Samsara, and then come back over."

It was what she'd been doing on this trip: most nights, she disappeared for a while into her little cabin to listen to music, but always reappeared before they went to bed.

[betterthanaplan]

"Of course. And take any other alone time you might need."

[okteiviakom]

Octavia huffed, finally looking up at him again. "Alone time was never a problem."

Whatever the opposite was had proven to be a little difficult lately, prior to this trip.

[betterthanaplan]

"Not for you," Duke said, very softly. "I'm trying to say I can handle it when you do. That I'm not going to freak out again."

[okteiviakom]

"Oh."

The hand on his arm traveled up to where it could cradle his cheek.

"Thank you."

[betterthanaplan]

“We can try something that isn’t all or nothing.” Duke leaned into her touch. “See how that goes.”

[okteiviakom]

The touch got that much firmer.

"And Dr. Baker is trying to have me do this thing, where I'm supposed to ask myself why I have a feeling like I need to do something, or to not do something, instead of just --" Immediately digging in her heels and staying in Fandom with her boat. "-- going with it."

[betterthanaplan]

“Yeah?” Duke flicked her a little smile, taking on a teasing tone. “That sounds awful.”

[okteiviakom]

"It is," Octavia deadpanned. "I'm not used to thinking."

[betterthanaplan]

“Of course not. It’s the worst.”

[okteiviakom]

"You'd know," Octavia murmured.

And soothed that particular oh-so-rude remark by leaning up for a quick kiss.

[betterthanaplan]

And got a very amused kiss as a result.

"That was good. I walked right into it."

[okteiviakom]

"I may have spent too much time with Lucifer, lately."

Sure, blame the partner who wasn't there.

[betterthanaplan]

"I think he'd say there's no such thing," Duke said. "Don't worry. I like when you get just a little bit mean."

[okteiviakom]

Octavia snorted softly, and tried to tuck the errant strand of hair hanging in his face back behind his ear. "But only just a little bit."

[betterthanaplan]

"Right," Duke agreed. "Well. To me, anyway."

[okteiviakom]

"Does that mean I can be meaner to other people?"

[betterthanaplan]

"Hmm." Duke made a dramatic show of thinking about that. "Are they people I like?"