The Marina, Cat Island, Friday Afternoon

[okteiviakom]

As most days this week (and the one before that, and the one before that...) Octavia had spent most of the early parts of her day working around the marina. There was always maintenance work to be done, things to fix, areas to tidy. She knew how to do most of the usual things by now, too, and had less of a need for the local workers to show her the ropes, whether literal or figurative. She could just be helpful. Just that, and not a burden or a hindrance.

It settled something in her. At least a little.

But by now, her tasks for the day were done. She'd cleaned all of the maintenance grime off of herself, and was now sitting near where the Fin & Tonic was docked. Watching the water, listening to whatever noise was coming from elsewhere in the marina.

Thinking about home.

[ooc: NFB, open for all the usual with likely SP.]

Comments

[okteiviakom]

"Easy for you to say," Octavia replied, a gentle tease with a little bit of a wry tilt. (Convenient for masking whatever bit of fear she may have felt about exposing those parts of herself to him.) "You've always been a fan."

[betterthanaplan]

"That just means I'm an authority," Duke said primly. He tilted his head to rest it against hers. "Thank you for telling me about it."

[okteiviakom]

"I'm trying to let you in," Octavia murmured. "Lucifer would make a dirty joke about that, right now."

[betterthanaplan]

“Thank you,” Duke said seriously. “And yes, he absolutely would.”

[okteiviakom]

"Well, too bad for him," Octavia quipped, giving Duke a little nudge. "Although sometimes I make him let me in, so..."

Yes, dirty.

[betterthanaplan]

“I would like to see that, some time,” Duke said.

He’d like to see any or all of this, sometime.

[okteiviakom]

Octavia suspected as much, from his reactions. But considering what a vulnerable thing all of this was, it didn't hurt to hear it.

Or ask more questions, to bait more reassurance.

"With or without the frame?"

[betterthanaplan]

“Both,” Duke said. No hesitation. “With whoever ends up in the frame. Though, full disclosure, we might need to work up to me in the frame with you calling the shots, if that’s okay? But if it’s you and Luce and I’m an observer? All that sounds fun.”

[okteiviakom]

Octavia rubbed his side, idly.

"That's fine," she promised. "There's stuff we need to work up to me showing you, too." And possibly things she never would, but they could find their own things to share. "That's actually kind of why... Lucifer brought a suggestion to you. I know it didn't go over well, and it was just an offer, anyway, but that was part of the thinking behind it."

[betterthanaplan]

"Yeah, it --" Duke cut off and shook his head. "I didn't get it. What he was saying. I do now, though. And if you still want to try that. . . . I think I might like to, too."

[okteiviakom]

"I might be up for it," Octavia replied, with the tiniest little smile. "We just wanted to... include you. And make sure we could make it safe for everyone, too."

[betterthanaplan]

"I know," Duke assured her. "And I'm happy to take it as slow -- or not -- as you like. And I promise to say if something gets uncomfortable for me."

[okteiviakom]

Octavia nodded. "How good are you with the traffic lights?"

[betterthanaplan]

"It's been a little while since I used it in action," Duke admitted. "But I'm familiar."

[okteiviakom]

"We can practice," Octavia promised, not that he needed her to. She also gave him another wry, lopsided smirk. "I'm getting pretty good at it."

[betterthanaplan]

"Well, sure. You like to be good at things."

That was a deep observation, okay?

[okteiviakom]

"The things that matter to me," Octavia retorted.

Yes, this was one of them.

[betterthanaplan]

"The things -- and people -- that matter to you, yes. You're happy to ignore the rest if possible."

It was almost like he knew her.

[okteiviakom]

It was almost like they'd been together for about five years. (In his personal timeline, anyway.)

"Exactly," Octavia replied. "I don't have the patience for the rest."

[betterthanaplan]

"Patience is hard," Duke said. "You gotta save it for the important stuff."

[okteiviakom]

"Like trying to get our differences to work for us."

[betterthanaplan]

"Like exactly that, yes." Duke gave her a squeeze. "Thank you for being patient with me, gona."

[okteiviakom]

"It's easy now that we're getting somewhere," Octavia replied, stretching up a bit to brush a kiss against his cheek. "And I think... it'll be rewarding in the long run. For all of us."

[betterthanaplan]

"I really hope so." Duke closed his eyes for a moment at the kiss, and let himself sway them both just a little. "I think we're all due some good things."

[okteiviakom]

"Long overdue, in some cases," Octavia murmured, lingering a little.