okteiviakom | Lucifer's Condo, LA, Wednesday

For all that Octavia, Duke and Lucifer were in Los Angeles under a looming sense of foreboding like time was about to run out, there also seemed to be nothing but time. Octavia was doing her best to adjust, to build new routines away from the island. Going back to the ship to take care of her plants, finding hiking trails she liked (whenever the weather didn't feel like it was out to kill her), trying to -- just trying to stay busy. Keep active.

But some days the body felt like it needed to rest. And sometimes Octavia even gave into that instead of pushing forward. Today was one of those, so she was reading a book in Lucifer's living room, her back against the floor and her feet up on the couch.

Well, she was pretending to read, anyway.

See, there were downsides to letting herself be still - like how much louder it made all kinds of thoughts she'd been ignoring and repressing and holding back. Thoughts about things like Heaven, and Hell, and how it was July 2nd again and she didn't even know if Bellamy was alive like her or dead like their mother.

(Where was their mother?)

There was a certain kind of loneliness that didn't touch her often, but when it did, it hurt.

But at least she was holding her book the correct way up?

[ooc: NFB for distance, but open for all the usual.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"It is," Duke agreed. "And hey." He made sure he had eye contact and gave her a smile. "I love that you're smarter than me. That you make me think, make sure I really mean what I'm saying. You and Luce, you two challenge me more than anyone else ever has. I need that in my life."

There was a gentle crease in Octavia's brow.

"I don't know if I want to be a challenge," she admitted.

Knowing full well that she was one, often, in worse ways than what he was actually talking about.

"Okay, it's my turn to be pedantic now," Duke said, smile going wry. "I said you challenge me. Verb. Not you are a challenge, which would be a noun."

"Okay, so I don't know of I want to be challenging," Octavia amended, quietly.

"Okay, well. . . ." Duke shook his head. "Not sure I can help you there. Because you do. And I love it."

He shifted to drop a kiss on her nose.

"So there."

Octavia let her eyes close for the moment.

"You're trying to tell me a good thing," she murmured. "I'm sorry." Guess the maudlin was still clinging onto her.

"I am," Duke agreed. "You don't have to be sorry. I just want to make sure you know that I mean it as a good thing."

"I know," Octavia replied, still on the quiet side. "It's just a weird day I'm having, I guess."

Weird what thinking about the afterlife and guilt and family all mixed in together could do to a person, huh.

"You miss your brother," Duke said by way of agreement. "And we're stuck as ladies of leisure in a city that isn't home. I'd say weird days are allowed."

Octavia let a sigh deflate her a little bit, even as her eyes finally opened again.

"And what if they're all weird days?" she asked, quietly.

"Then I'd say . . . that sounds like a life." Duke pressed his hand against her chest by way of offering a hug. "And at least we're having them together. Though if you know of something you'd like me to do to help, I'm always open to suggestion."

That was actually part of his fatal flaw, but it had its beneficial uses, too.

Octavia pressed her hand just a little tighter over his, in return.

And shook her head. "I'll tell you if there's anything," she said. "But I don't... think I have anything. Like that."

“I didn’t think you would,” Duke assured her. “But I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t offer.”

"Yeah," Octavia replied, one side of her lips briefly lifting into a wry half-smile. Then it went away again, giving way to something a little more thoughtful.

"Can I... circle back to something, just for a second?"

"Sure," Duke said. "What's up?"

"I'm not gonna bring this up again before you do," Octavia replied, to preface things. "I just wanted to say something about... being ready. To talk about it?"

'It' was such a great non-specific word, wasn't it?

"I just wanted to make sure you knew that it's gonna be enough to be ready and open to talking about it. That ready doesn't have to mean you have everything figured out. Because that's what talking about it is for. Figuring out the details of how we fit together."

Duke nodded. "That's what I thought it meant. But thanks for making sure."

Octavia nodded, too.

"I just wanted to make sure we were on the same page."

"Good thought." Duke leaned in to kiss her again. "Briyon gona."

"I'm doing my best," Octavia muttered, against his lips, before kissing him back.

Lucifer's Condo, LA, Wednesday

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