betterthanaplan | The Cape Rouge, Port of Fandom, Monday

Bolstered with caffeine thanks to the Perk, Duke had returned to his boat to see just how much damage his younger self had managed to wreak over the weekend. The place was a wreck, especially the galley, with weapons (that had been toys, which was reassuring and terrifying in equal measure) strewn about wherever wee!Duke had happened to drop them, and a sticky film of grape jelly coating pretty much everything. He'd thankfully been quick enough even as a ten year old to keep the small fire he'd started trying to use the waffle iron contained to a very small space, so that wouldn't take much more than replacing the outlet and maybe resanding part of a cabinet.

And, as predicted, there were five pizzas, two giant cookies, and a rather unholy amount of Pepsi leftover in his fridge. Also, most of a frittata, at least half a serving of beef stew, and several stale and/or smashed cookies. He fed those last items to the porgs, who were all terribly pleased to see him, and set about making the Rouge a proper home again.

He had the door to the deck propped open to air out the smell of small semi-feral boy and to be able to hear if Octavia -- or anyone else -- came around. And, well, if he ended up humming some Violent Femmes under his breath while he did, well. Not everything he remembered from being a kid was a bad memory.

[expecting one, but also open]

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From:

betterthanaplan

"I spend, like, half my time on deck when I'm at sea." A beat. "And when I'm not at sea." He spent a lot of time hanging out on his deck. "Yeah, I'm not surprised you're not looking to go back to that."

From:

okteiviakom

"You saw how I was about being outside this weekend." Granted, so very much of that was due to the obvious, depressing reasons. "I couldn't disappoint that kid by going back to living in space."

From:

betterthanaplan

"Damn right," Duke said softly. She hadn't just lived in space, she'd lived in captivity. The very idea made his skin crawl. "That part of why the preserve's so comforting? Not just because it's like the ground, because it's . . . open?"

From:

okteiviakom

"It's open," Octavia agreed, "and I can pretend it's just me and the trees for miles and miles and miles."

It was the spot on the island where she could really let go of her sense of place, the way she really couldn't anywhere else, because there was always something reminding her of exactly where she was.

But he'd probably seen how much she'd liked being out on the water, too. The principle was the same.

From:

betterthanaplan

"I know that feeling," Duke said. "Not as much in the trees for me, or at least not back home. Haven't been out on the preserve much yet. Mostly just seen it from the water."

From:

okteiviakom

"I was supposed to take you," Octavia replied, looking over. "Offer still stands."

And, would you look at that: there was a faint, crooked smirk.

"With or without added target practice."

From:

betterthanaplan

"Target practice is fine, so long as I'm not the target." He smiled back. "We should get on that. I believe I also owe you an aquarium visit at some point, too."

From:

okteiviakom

Octavia's eyebrows climbed up. "I... don't know about that." And there was something of the tinier version of her in the uncertainty of her expression. (But in the faint, odd sliver of hope mixed into it, too.) "Wasn't that on the mainland? That's -- not exactly just you and me for miles and miles."

She should never have checked how many people lived in just Baltimore.

From:

betterthanaplan

"It's not," Duke agreed. "And we definitely don't have to go if you don't want to. But I got a guy who can help get us in after hours, if you change your mind. Nice and quiet, no crowds. Just us and the fish."

From:

okteiviakom

"... Oh."

Hear that, tiny Duke? It could be a positive sound, too!

"I think I'd like that."

From:

betterthanaplan

Oh yes, adult Duke could think of many contexts in which "oh" could be downright joyful!

"I'll make some calls then. In the meantime . . . you have a preferred day for hiking and target practice?"

From:

okteiviakom

"Definitely not before Thursday." Because she needed Tuesday and Wednesday to herself to recalibrate.

(This right here was a part of her recalibrating, too. But this was different.)

"Everything past my shift on Thursday is free, though."

From:

betterthanaplan

"Got no big plans myself," Duke said. "Other than stopping in at the diner at some point, but I can do that whenever." Because he owned the place. Which was still weird. But a much easier to deal with weird than being randomly ten for three days. "Friday then? Gets dark early enough this time of year that waiting until after your shift might not leave us much light left."

From:

okteiviakom

"Friday's good," Octavia replied. And smiled, just a little. "So, Friday."

Her head tilted a bit, as she watched him for a second - and then, seeming to come to some kind of a decision, moved to take the hand he'd had rubbing her arm.

And to lace her fingers with his.

Maybe she owed that to her kid self, too.

From:

betterthanaplan

Duke gave her fingers a squeeze, leaning in a little so that more of his body was in position for her to rest hers against. Touching was hard for her, so he wouldn't push anything, but that didn't mean he wouldn't make himself available at whatever speed she needed.

"Friday. Should I bring a sword?"

From:

okteiviakom

"If you'd like," Octavia replied, while shifting to lean against him some. Touching was hard and she'd barely just begun figuring it out again, but she could take little things as they were offered to her. "I'm bringing mine. I know you've seen it in action, but you've never tried holding it."

The weight was going to explain some of the muscle in her arms.

"Much less throwing it."

From:

betterthanaplan

"You'd let me try out your sword?" Duke asked. "Wow. That is -- is that a thing? Are gona possessive of their weapons?"

From:

okteiviakom

"A little," Octavia replied, shrugging the tiniest bit. "They're personal."

After the last couple of years, her sword was an extension of her. A part of her.

"But, you might be a jaka, but not one dumb enough to take weapons from yu bezer gona. You're fine to try it out."

From:

betterthanaplan

"Nah, I value my life too much to try anything like that. I promise to treat it with the care and respect it deserves."

From:

okteiviakom

"Try not to slice off anything important, either."

That was more teasing than anything else.

From:

betterthanaplan

"I may not be as, uh, proficient with blades as you are," Duke said. "But I at least know enough not to cut off my own limbs."

From:

okteiviakom

"Good," Octavia replied, leaning her head against his shoulder. "I'm not much of a healer."

From:

betterthanaplan

"No shit," Duke teased. "Never would have guessed."

From:

okteiviakom

Octavia snorted. "Wouldn't have expected you to. You're not very perceptive."

The little squeeze she gave his fingers said otherwise.

From:

betterthanaplan

"Of course not," Duke said, settling in against her (it'd been far too long since he hung out with anyone like this). "I'm way too busy being paranoid about cults. Or kidnappers. Or . . . what else was I freaking out about this weekend?"

It'd mostly been cults and kidnappers.

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