Lucifer's Condo, LA, Wednesday

[okteiviakom]

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.]

Comments

[betterthanaplan]

"Oh yeah?" Duke pushed the bag of art supplies off his chest and rolled over to face her properly. "And what would I be facing if you were hungry?"

[okteiviakom]

Octavia turned her head to face him a little more directly again, too. He was the best thing in the room, after all, and something was beginning to attempt to tug at her lips.

"A much less nice version of me."

[betterthanaplan]

Duke made a show of studying her carefully. (Not hard, he loved looking at her.)

"Nahhhhh," he said after a while. "You'd be nice."

[okteiviakom]

Octavia managed to push a little rasp back into her voice. "What makes you think that?"

[betterthanaplan]

"I have met you," Duke said with great solemnity. "A few times, even." He grinned. "And I figure you're more likely to just get your own food than be mean, if we haven't negotiated in advance."

[okteiviakom]

Octavia rolled her eyes at him. It went great with the way she gave his hand a little tug.

"Well, we haven't negotiated about that very often at all."

[betterthanaplan]

"That's true," Duke said. He let her tug his hand wherever she wanted it. "Would you like to?"

[okteiviakom]

Mostly Octavia seemed to be kind of using it to tug him closer to her. You know, subtly.

She paused everything she was doing right then, though.

"... Would you?"

[betterthanaplan]

Duke shrugged with the shoulder not currently pressed to the floor. "I'm not against it. I haven't really thought about what I would or wouldn't like when it comes to 'meanness' yet, though."

[okteiviakom]

"Well," Octavia said, a little softer. "You would have to, if we decided to negotiate."

[betterthanaplan]

"Well, yes," Duke agreed. "I do try to think through everything we talk about. Sometimes with better results than others."

[okteiviakom]

Octavia was... casual about finally sliding her book onto the floor, so that she could just hold his hand directly against her chest, instead.

"What do you mean?"

[betterthanaplan]

"I mean . . . I listen to you. And I respect your opinions on things." Duke wasn't sure if she was reaching for actual examples. Or where he might have lost her with what he'd said. "I don't always agree with them. And sometimes I misinterpret like crazy. So, you know. Sometimes it goes better than other times."

[okteiviakom]

It was less that he'd lost her, and more just that Octavia had wanted to hear him elaborate.

"Okay," she murmured, with a tiny nod. "I wasn't trying to imply you didn't do all that, when I said you'd have to think about it. I mean, in case it sounded like I did."

Just making sure. She was a little cautious around some subjects, these days.

"I was just... stating the obvious."

[betterthanaplan]

“Thank you. I was pretty sure you weren’t? But the confirmation helps keep the mental squirrels at bay.”

What? The intrusive thoughts liked to report back events of his life with wild misinterpretations. Squirrels!

“I will think about it. And let you know when I feel ready. And if you for whatever reason don’t end up also feeling ready just then? That’s absolutely okay.”

[okteiviakom]

Another tiny nod. "Okay," Octavia said.

Bit on her lip, hesitated.

"Just, can I ask...? Why did you ask me if I would like to?"

[betterthanaplan]

“It . . . seemed polite?” Duke said, looking at the ceiling while he considered that. “Which in retrospect, kinda dumb, yes.”

[okteiviakom]

"Yeah," Octavia agreed. Not unkindly, just... honest. "It kind of gave me a wrong impression."

[betterthanaplan]

“Like I was intent on talking about it right now?” Duke guessed. “Yeah, I basically never think that far ahead. Which wasn’t as much of a problem before I got into a relationship with two people who are light years smarter than I am.”

[okteiviakom]

"I promise we're not," Octavia replied, with a hint of something wry.

[betterthanaplan]

"Maybe not in everything," Duke allowed. "But you think way faster than I do. And you're so precise. I usually assume I'm like the smartest person in any given room, but you definitely give me a giant run for my money."

[okteiviakom]

"I'm not trying to," Octavia murmured, although he probably already knew it wasn't something she was trying to do on purpose. "I just... You know, you brought something up. It's probably natural to assume and think you'd wanna talk about it."

[betterthanaplan]

"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."

[okteiviakom]

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.

[betterthanaplan]

"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."