The Cape Rouge, Wednesday afternoon

[betterthanaplan]

So. Duke had had kind of a trying couple of days. What with being arrested at yoga yesterday morning and then spending this morning in jail. He was reasonably certain that the new cop now knew he hadn't abducted Larceny? But he was definitely not about to trust the guy to do more than at best harass him in the future.

Mostly, he was just very, very glad to be home.

"I need, like, six showers," he muttered, flopping down onto his couch instead of heading for the sad room bathroom. "And possibly need to move anything that could be mistaken for contraband."

Later. Right now he mostly needed to breathe and just be at home.

[open! mmm, aftermath.]

Comments

[okteiviakom]

"Good, because I hated it."

In a way that had hurt, no matter how much she'd pushed her anger to the forefront, past the pain.

He was lucky she hadn't thought he'd ditched her.

[betterthanaplan]

He would never. Not on purpose. He knew too well how much that hurt.

"I know," he said again, hanging on tight. He felt his eyes well up a little and blinked it away with a rough laugh. "Fuck, that guy really fucked us over, huh."

[okteiviakom]

"Yeah," Octavia sighed. "Sure did."

They'd had such a good morning yesterday, too.

[betterthanaplan]

They had! And they'd been planning on a good night to go with it!

"Booze," Duke decided. "We need booze."

He made no move to dislodge her or get up.

[okteiviakom]

Funnily enough, Octavia also made no move to get off him.

"Do we?"

[betterthanaplan]

"We're miserable. Booze is good for miserable."

Still not getting up.

[okteiviakom]

Good. Then she could keep laying on him like a lump.

"Not always."

[betterthanaplan]

"What do you recommend for it, then?" Duke asked, his tone lightening just a little.

Banter was much better than apologies.

[okteiviakom]

Banter might have been a little too much to ask of Octavia's poor battered mind. At the very least, she would have to warm up to it.

"I don't know," she said, mildly, which wasn't a very good start.

She shifted slightly, though.

[betterthanaplan]

Really! How unlike her.

"Maybe we'll just have to stay here and think about it, then," Duke said, rubbing her back gently. "Possibly for the rest of the week."

[okteiviakom]

"I have work tomorrow," Octavia mumbled, despite the fact that she knew work meant flowers for Mothers Day, one of her least favorite holidays and something that felt particularly like something she didn't feel like dealing with right now. "And so do you."

[betterthanaplan]

Duke let out a deep, throaty groan of dismay at the reminder. "The kitchen guys always listen to radio."

[okteiviakom]

"So?"

They were kind of always annoying, anyway.

[betterthanaplan]

"They are going to be so obnoxious about this."

[okteiviakom]

"So don't go in."

What? She was allowed to change her mind! Yes, even this fast.

[betterthanaplan]

"I'll play hooky if you will," Duke said.

He was not really interested in staying home alone, no.

[okteiviakom]

"It's all Mothers Day flowers this week, anyway," Octavia replied, her voice a low rasp.

She didn't think she had to explain what that meant in terms of her willingness to skip her shift.

[betterthanaplan]

"Oo, yeah, you don't need that kind of stress," Duke said with a grimace. "Clearly we're better off spending the day in bed."

[okteiviakom]

"You'll have to get up for food a few times."

Ever the realist, our Octavia.

Also absolutely putting it on him to take care of food as always, yes.

[betterthanaplan]

“Not if we prepare well enough ahead of time.”

[okteiviakom]

Octavia snorted, softly.

"Tell me more."

[betterthanaplan]

"We put the food by the bed."

It was not a very complex plan.

[okteiviakom]

"So no warm food all day?" Octavia retorted.

Sorry about how her banter skills were returning through poking at his plan.

[betterthanaplan]

"We will warm each other," Duke said into her hair. "I had a very long couple of days and you're expecting me to cook for you?"

[okteiviakom]

"Maybe I should cook for you."

Her tone made it sound like it was a clever retort. It was not.

It was also probably a thing to attempt on significantly more rest.