The Woods on Isla San Pedro, Chile, Thursday Afternoon

[okteiviakom]

It had been about a week. Some communication mishaps aside, life on their quiet, private Chilean had settled into its own kind of equally quiet, calm routine.

For Octavia, a healthy portion of her part of the routine was made up of long walks roaming around in the woods. Trying to catch sight of the local wildlife, finding out which plants grew where, exploring.

And on this particular afternoon, she'd once more taken Duke with her. They'd been walking for a while, the cabin already out of view somewhere back in the direction they'd come from. Octavia was looking up towards the treetops as she moved, taking the very real risk of tripping over something in the undergrowth right along with the vague sense of awe that tended to come over her whenever she was in a place like this.

"How long do you think some of these trees have stood here?"

[ooc: NFB because of distance. For the sailor and massive SP because that's the kind of week this is.]

Comments

[betterthanaplan]

"Because I am a jerk," Duke said easily, "who doesn't always think his words through before he says them. And thus doesn't realize what they sound like all the time."

[okteiviakom]

Octavia sighed, and rested her head in the crook of his neck. "But you were trying to say the right words," she muttered, "about something else."

Irony, or something.

[betterthanaplan]

"Story of my life," Duke said, rubbing her side again. "I just cannot escape the occasional foot-in-mouth."

[okteiviakom]

Octavia gave another quiet sigh - and then she moved. Shifted, until she could lean against his chest, and slide her other arm around his waist as well.

It was not unlike the way she'd wrapped herself around the tree, earlier.

[betterthanaplan]

Duke adjusted his own grip to accommodate her, then pulled her in tight. "I'm sorry I freaked you out."

[okteiviakom]

Octavia settled into it a little more, in response.

"You were trying your best," she murmured. "It just doesn't always work."

[betterthanaplan]

"Very true," Duke agreed. "I am well known for my ability to bungle things."

[okteiviakom]

"Don't," Octavia said, softer. "That's not how it is."

[betterthanaplan]

"Okay," Duke said. "Can you tell me what it's about?"

[okteiviakom]

"You make mistakes," Octavia said, looking up at him again. "But so do I. So does Lucifer."

[betterthanaplan]

"I do," Duke agreed. "And mine tend to be with regard to communication issues."

[okteiviakom]

"And mine are... bad reactions I can't control enough," Octavia murmured. "Getting swept up in my first instinct."

[betterthanaplan]

Duke nodded, pressing his face to her hair so she could feel it.

"Which is at least honest," he said. "Even if it freaks me out sometimes."

[okteiviakom]

"But there's ways to be honest that don't hurt people," Octavia muttered.

[betterthanaplan]

"There are," Duke agreed. "And they're hard and we all fuck them up sometimes."

Like he had with Lucifer earlier.

[okteiviakom]

"Yeah," Octavia sighed. She nuzzled at his chest a little.

"So I guess I just... wanted to make sure you don't think I think you're the only one that gets things wrong sometimes."

[betterthanaplan]

“I know I’m not,” Duke assured her. “But I don’t mind this kind of reminder.”

[okteiviakom]

"Then I'm happy to give them," Octavia said.

Even when she was part of why they sometimes felt necessary.

[betterthanaplan]

“Mochof,” Duke said, then grinned like only a man on the brink of a pun could. “Muchas mochof.” He was so proud of himself. “That’s half Spanish for ‘thank you very much.’”

[okteiviakom]

It practically startled a helpless little chuckle out of Octavia. A break in the mood.

A good one.

"De nada?" she offered.

[betterthanaplan]

Duke ducked in for a kiss. That was exactly the reaction he’d been hoping for.

[okteiviakom]

Octavia wasn't going to deny him one, either. She met him soft and gentle and almost grateful.

Like a kiss could settle them fully back into an equilibrium.

[betterthanaplan]

That was a lot to put on a kiss. Luckily, this time Duke hadn't quite lost his balance completely, so he was able to put a good amount of steadiness into this kiss. To help shore her up.

[okteiviakom]

It wasn't that much when you were just looking to put a final seal on an equilibrium you already felt. Octavia really just wanted to feel connected to him.

(It was at the heart of all her wants.)

Even after she broke away from the kiss, she stayed close, trying to encourage him to press his forehead to hers.

[betterthanaplan]

It wasn’t too hard to do. It was a favorite way of his to end a kiss.

He let it rest there and breathed her in. Sweat and soap and green things.