betterthanaplan | Aboard the Fin & Tonic, Bahamas, Thursday

Duke had spent most of the last few days in the water. Not being able to decompress from the events in LA with a good swim had not done wonders for his headspace, and being here, sans cast, meant he felt more like himself than he had in ages. He'd even managed some light yoga this morning, being gentle with his wrist as he rebuilt the muscle tone, which had also done wonders for his sense of peace and calm.

And, yeah, okay, doing a bit of rescheduled therapy with Linda over the phone, to make up for the appointment he'd missed by being an entirely different version of himself over the weekend, had helped, too.

Now, he was just sitting at the boat's stern, feet dangling in the water as he soaked in the tropical sun, his head blessedly empty as he watched the light sparkle against the water.

[nfb due to distance. Expecting one, but open to both those here with him, and any phone calls or texts!]

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From:

okteiviakom

Octavia had settled since the weekend, too. It felt like a reset, almost, just being somewhere else. And outwardly, you didn't really need to look much further for the effects of that than what she was wearing: a loose, thin caftan-style dress she'd picked up in town earlier in the week.

Her fingers brushed against the back of his head in a gentle sort of greeting touch as she stepped up to where he was sitting.

"Ha yun, jaka."

From:

betterthanaplan

Duke closed his eyes and leaned into that touch, smiling. “Ha yun, gona.”

He opened his eyes to drink her in.

“You look amazing.”

From:

okteiviakom

"Chof," Octavia murmured, smiling down at him. Her hand lingered where it was, her fingers pushing into his hair. "How's the water today?"

From:

betterthanaplan

“Perfect. As usual.”

He closed his eyes again, reveling in her fingers and the sun and the ease of this moment. Easy moments were few and far between these days, it seemed, and he refused to take this one for granted.

From:

okteiviakom

Octavia didn't feel the need to bring more words into it either, just yet.

She played with his hair, taking in the sight of him, the way he was meant to be: relaxing by the water, in the sun.

From:

betterthanaplan

Duke could sit here like this all day.

Well. Maybe not the "being quiet" part.

"I love when you play with my hair."

You know, in case Octavia didn't already know that.

From:

okteiviakom

"I've noticed," Octavia told him, gently amused.

Then she hesitated, just for a beat, just for a touch, before asking, "Would you like me to braid it?"

From:

betterthanaplan

Duke smiled, broad and lazy. "I'd love that. Here? Or should we move inside?"

It'd be easier to find two comfortable levels for them inside, probably.

From:

okteiviakom

Octavia's hand slid slowly away from his hair, down onto his shoulder.

She was smiling again. "Inside, I think."

From:

betterthanaplan

Duke nodded. He tilted his head to kiss her arm, then pushed himself gracefully to his feet.

"Lead the way, then, gona."

From:

okteiviakom

Octavia took his hand. Not because she needed to, but because she wanted to.

Then she led him inside, into the living area. "I figure I can sit on the couch," she said, "and you can grab a cushion for the floor."

From:

betterthanaplan

"Like our first date," Duke said. It hadn't been a date, really. But it was the first time they'd really planned to get together somewhere.

From:

okteiviakom

With a little snort, Octavia blinked at that, and up at him, as she turned to park herself onto the couch.

"You think that's what that was?"

From:

betterthanaplan

"It wasn't the most romantic," Duke said. "But . . . yeah, kinda. Even if I was in the wrong body at the time."

From:

okteiviakom

Octavia gestured for him to sit.

"Well," she said, with a touch of something wry but still light, "I guess I was better at dates than I thought."

From:

betterthanaplan

"The secret is not knowing they're dates?" Duke asked. He grabbed a cushion and settled himself down in front of her. "I'll have to remember that."

From:

okteiviakom

Octavia leaned forward to press a kiss to the top of his head. She couldn't help the urge.

"Well, you know how I used to feel about that word..."

She still didn't love it, but she'd gotten over it (or at least was getting over it) because he and Lucifer both seemed to like it.

From:

betterthanaplan

"You have complex feelings about many words," Duke noted. "Something that both frustrates and delights me."

From:

okteiviakom

Octavia let her arms slide over his shoulders, and rested her chin against the top of his head. Look, she'd get back to his hair in a minute. She wasn't often the one with this vantage point, out of the two of them.

"Yeah, well, at least you're not alone with that," she murmured.

From:

betterthanaplan

Duke leaned back into her, enjoying having her draped over him. "That's what love's all about, right? Frustrating and delighting each other at every turn."

From:

okteiviakom

"I guess so," Octavia murmured, closing her eyes, just for a moment. This was... cozy.

And needed.

"And trying to find the balance between the two."

From:

betterthanaplan

"That . . . would be the hard part," Duke said. "I know I mostly just frustrate you with my whole . . . thing."

With Audrey and Nathan.

"I think I've been forgetting to tell you something, though."

Linda had helped him realize that.

From:

okteiviakom

"And what's that?"

The question was soft. Octavia's chin rubbed against the top of his head.

From:

betterthanaplan

Duke raised his arms to take her hands in his.

"I'd rather get to stay with you than have her. Always."

From:

okteiviakom

"Oh."

That was soft, too. Like the way her fingers curled against his hands.

"Yeah," Octavia added, nodding against the top of his head again, against his hair. "Maybe you have been forgetting to say that."