A Nice and Secluded Bit of the Preserve, Saturday

[okteiviakom]

The preserve was a fair bit more popular these days than it had been when Octavia had first began roaming around in it years and years ago, but she and Duke had still managed to find a nice spot for their little camping trip that people were unlikely to randomly stumble upon. There was a clearing, along a sort of a little cove.

Between the water and the trees, it was perfect.

Octavia had taken on the task of getting the tent set up, while she'd entrusted the hammock to Duke. (Would they even need both? Remained to be seen, but it was nice to have them.) And right now? She straightened up from hammering the last tent peg into the ground.

"Just needs the twinkly lights, I think."

[ooc: For that guyyy.]

Comments

[okteiviakom]

"It's a good start," Octavia told him. "Lucifer took me too see like five different shrinks, and I'm pretty sure I was ready to punch people by the time we finally got to Dr. Baker."

[betterthanaplan]

"That sounds -- absolutely exhausting," Duke said. "I don't think I would have made it that far."

[okteiviakom]

"It wasn't fun," Octavia rasped, making it sound like an understatement. "But it was worth it."

[betterthanaplan]

Duke nodded, pulling away from her just far enough that he could make sure she saw his small smile.

"I'm really proud of you, you know."

[okteiviakom]

"Thanks, I've been working really hard," Octavia replied, only faintly wry. "It has very much been the process that Dr. Baker said it would be."

And Claire, before her.

[betterthanaplan]

"You have," Duke agreed, without any wryness at all. "And it has. I can tell. It's . . . a little intimidating, gotta admit."

Or, you know, completely terrifying. Duke as smart enough to know that he wasn't subtle about being totally terrified, even after managing to have a decent conversation with a new therapist already.

[okteiviakom]

Octavia shook her head just a little bit.

"It's all just a bunch of little steps," she said. "One after another." A beat. "Sometimes backwards. Which sucks, but it's also... okay."

As irritating as she found it.

[betterthanaplan]

Duke nodded, swallowing back the protests that wanted to come bubbling up. The last thing he wanted was to somehow undermine how she felt about her own progress with his fears about doing it himself.

But even little steps didn't sound reassuring right now. Not when there were so many of them. Stretching out indefinitely.

There was a reason he and Lucifer kept butting heads over reincarnation versus eternity in an afterlife. Duke didn't handle the idea of 'eternity' well.

[okteiviakom]

Neither did Octavia.

She watched him for a little moment. Reading his face.

Guessing, really.

"Just one step at a time," she said, a little softer because she couldn't help herself. "No further than that."

[betterthanaplan]

Duke took a long, slow breath. Pulled a more positive expression into place.

"Guess, uh. Guess I can handle that."

He didn't have much of a choice, did he.

[okteiviakom]

Octavia watched his expression change. And reached up and brushed her fingertips over his cheek.

"Yeah, you can."

[betterthanaplan]

"You'll be with me. You and Luce. The whole time."

He tried to sound more confident about that than he was.

[okteiviakom]

"The whole time," Octavia agreed with a nod, even though she knew she couldn't promise that. Not when they lived between the pull of Haven and Los Angeles and the rest of the multiverse. "You have us."

[betterthanaplan]

Well, that was kind of like Duke protesting that they couldn't prepare for everything. It didn't have to be precise to be accurate in spirit.

He tugged her in tight against his side and kissed her hair.

"Mochof."

[okteiviakom]

"De nada."

She gave him a little squeeze.

"We just want good things for you."

[betterthanaplan]

"It's sad that there's still a part of me that thinks that's weird, isn't it."

[okteiviakom]

"A little," Octavia admitted freely. "But all three of us are like that, so..."

[betterthanaplan]

"We are very well-matched," Duke said, nodding. He grinned, trying to lighten the mood. "You know, other than the whole 'Lucifer doesn't like camping' thing."

[okteiviakom]

"I mean, there's other things, too." She paused for a beat. "Just not many that are as glaringly obvious as that one."

She was willing to go along with his lightened mood now, yes.

[betterthanaplan]

“At least not when we’re standing at a campsite,” Duke agreed. “So.” He turned in her grip to face her properly. “What should we do first?”

[okteiviakom]

"Have some more very serious conversations?"

That was not a serious suggestion, she just thought she was funny.

[betterthanaplan]

“But then what will we do in the middle of the night when we can’t sleep?” Duke asked innocently.

[okteiviakom]

Octavia had a little more mischief in her expression.

"Have sex, obviously."

[betterthanaplan]

"Between those times."

[okteiviakom]

"We're supposed to have serious talks in between sex?"

Oh like that didn't already happen with you all the time, Tavi.