The Samsara, Port of Fandom, Monday Afternoon

[okteiviakom]

Octavia had invited Duke over to her boat after class. It was not a big deal. Except it felt like one, since they were still in the process of -- well, getting Duke settled into the idea that the Samsara wasn't some sacred space he wasn't allowed in.

So Octavia was almost glad that she had something else to think about when they actually made it there. See, stumbling onto a class and joining them had been a good idea right up until the point where the class was done, and it was time to come out of the water, and realize you had not brought a change of clothes.

Thankfully, the weather was warm enough for walking to the docks in clothes that were still wet all over, but it hadn't been the best thing Octavia had ever experienced.

"I should have fruit if you want a snack," she told Duke, as she stepped down into the cabin. "I'm gonna change into something less... damp."

[ooc: For the snogon!]

Comments

[okteiviakom]

Octavia snorted.

"Branwoda," she muttered, but it sounded fond, and nothing else.

[betterthanaplan]

"Yu branwoda," Duke agreed. "Yu tripi hef."

[okteiviakom]

Octavia huffed. And reached out to steal another piece of fruit.

(As if she had not brought them a single plate to share.)

"Ai mou tripi, mou fonki hef."

[betterthanaplan]

"Fonki?" Duke asked, waggling his eyebrows. He did a little dance with his hips, even while sitting. "Like . . . funky?"

[okteiviakom]

"It's another word for weird."

A beat, during which she popped the piece of fruit into her mouth.

"Sorry."

[betterthanaplan]

Duke chuckled. "Liar." He leaned his head against her knee and picked out another piece of dragonfruit. "So . . . did Lucifer tell you his plans for my birthday?"

[okteiviakom]

"Not really," Octavia said. It was not a lie - on a technicality, since their awkward conversation had been about a birthday gift he was thinking about.

And those were generally kept secret, right?

"Why?"

She did a good job of keeping her voice light.

[betterthanaplan]

"He wants to go to the Bahamas," Duke said. "Which personally, I am all for."

[okteiviakom]

"Bahamas sounds nice," Octavia replied, a little softer.

Her fruit-free hand ended up on his hair for no real reason.

[betterthanaplan]

Duke was not going to demand a reason there. "Bahamas are nice. With lots of fruity desserts. And one made with rum because he made fun of me for requesting fruity desserts for my birthday."

[okteiviakom]

The way her fingers pushed gently into his drying hair was reason enough in itself, really.

"Did he now?" she asked with a quiet huff that sounded natural, at least. "What's wrong with fruity desserts?"

[betterthanaplan]

"I believe he objected to me picking things for you," Duke said. "As though I don't also enjoy fruit."

To hammer his point home, he popped another strawberry in his mouth and made a dramatic display of pleasure as he chewed.

[okteiviakom]

"Oh," Octavia said. It was a small sound, but then she made an amused noise almost immediately after at his dramatics.

She was not going to call him branwoda again so soon, but the thought was definitely there.

[betterthanaplan]

He could read it in her face, and gave himself a quiet little mental pat on the back before chewing normally.

"All I really want for my birthday," he said, quieter now, and serious without being dour, "is us. The three of us, together. Anything else is just . . . set dressing."

[okteiviakom]

"Yeah," Octavia agreed softly. "I get that."

Especially after San Diego.

"Still," she continued, a little lighter, "I'm assuming the Bahamas would make for some pretty great set dressing."

[betterthanaplan]

"Oh, fantastic set dressing. I was just telling Luce, the Caribbean has some of my favorite beaches in the world."

[okteiviakom]

"Aren't all beaches basically the same?"

She did not actually think that. She just wanted to see his reaction.

[betterthanaplan]

And Duke knew his cue when he heard it. He pressed his hand to his chest. "You dare say that to me! On this, the day of my . . . second week of classes!" Eh, she wouldn't get the reference anyway. "I will have you know no two beaches are actually the same. Just compare Fandom and that cute little lagoon we found."

[okteiviakom]

"I don't want to," Octavia replied without missing a beat, "because then I would have to think about how we're not at that lagoon right now."

[betterthanaplan]

Duke nodded. "Point." He reached over to run his non-fruit hand up and down her calf. "Maybe we should take a longer break sometime. Go beach hopping, just the three of us. We can show you our favorite places."

He was leaning a bit hard on the three of them, without even realizing it. Lucifer's odd mood from Friday had stuck in his head, and he wanted to hang onto what the three of them had found over their vacation as long as he could.

[okteiviakom]

Octavia would be the last to discourage him from doing that. She'd run into Lucifer's odd mood already on the previous Sunday, and even the week's head start hadn't let her shake it off any better than Duke was managing it.

Her hand was just slowly petting his hair, now.

"Could be nice," she murmured. "Maybe I might find some new favorite places of my own."

[betterthanaplan]

“You should,” Duke said, enjoying the petting. “Everyone needs some nice favorite spots.”

[okteiviakom]

"Almost makes it sound like I don't already have any," Octavia noted quietly. "I do."

[betterthanaplan]

“I don’t doubt it.” Duke peered up at her. “Tell me about them?”

[okteiviakom]

Octavia's hand kept moving over his hair even as she met his gaze again.

"Anywhere near the stream in the preserve," she told him softly. "That's the first that comes to mind." Yes, even with her freakout last week.