The Cape Rouge, Port of Fandom, Tuesday afternoon

[betterthanaplan]

Duke's class this morning had gone well. His appointment yesterday had gone well. His dreams had been reasonably kind lately, and Octavia seemed to be slowly but surely starting to adjust to being back in Fandom.

Life was generally good for Duke just now. It wasn't destined to last, but hey, that just meant he had to enjoy it while he had it, right?

So he was chilling on his deck, cold beer at hand courtesy of a cooler under his feet, his ukulele in his lap, idly strumming and singing.

Surfing was good for the soul, okay?

[open!]

Comments

[hatesparadise]

You know, the last time Danny had swung by the docks, it had been to try arresting a fox. So the ukulele thing wasn't nearly as annoying as it could have been for him.

It had nothing to do with the surfing.

"Really?"

[betterthanaplan]

Duke paused mid-strum. "What?"

DIDN'T YOU APPRECIATE THE REMINDER OF HAWAII, DANNY?

[hatesparadise]

HE DID NOT.

"Nothing," Danny said, closing his eyes and shaking his head. Because it was ridiculous. "Don't worry about it."

[betterthanaplan]

"I won't," Duke said cheerfully, starting up another basic strumming rhythm. "You want a beer?"

[hatesparadise]

Danny glanced around before deciding to go along with it. "You're in a good mood," he said, carefully coming aboard.

Weird how he'd never actually been there before now.

"You haven't been drugged, right?"

[betterthanaplan]

It was a little. Duke was maybe trying to remember if he had the weapons hidden on the deck registered or not. (He did. He had cops and Coast Guard trying to bust in on him too often to leave illegal weapons lying around in the more public areas of his boat.)

He paused strumming again. ". . . Nope." Yes, he'd just done a mental inventory to check. "Just in a good mood for once."

[hatesparadise]

The amount of yelling that would occur if he did see a weapon, Duke. The sheer amount of yelling.

"Wow, look at that," Danny said with a little huff of laughter.

[betterthanaplan]

"And why does that make you look so smug?" Duke asked. He slid the cooler towards Danny with his foot, an invitation for him to help himself to a beer.

[hatesparadise]

"I'm not smug," he said, snagging a beer.

He was totally smug.

[betterthanaplan]

"Uh huh. And because I am in such a good mood, I'm even going to let you get away with that." He strummed a few more chords. "How's it going with your boy in town?"

[hatesparadise]

It possibly said something about how often people called Steve his boy that Danny didn't even blink at that. "Wants me to tell you to learn how to make malasadas. A message I am passing along because I wouldn't be upset to find them on this rock."

[betterthanaplan]

"Malasadas." Duke nodded slowly. "Those are those Portuguese donut things, right?"

[hatesparadise]

"Like donuts but better, yeah," Danny replied, lifting a hand high to show the measurement. "Those and coco puffs are right up here with my nonna's lasagna for a last meal."

[betterthanaplan]

Duke snorted. "Interesting choices. I'm not much of a baker, but sure, I'll put it on my list."

[hatesparadise]

"It'll keep him from demanding pancakes at least," Danny said, taking a seat and sprawling out a little with his legs crossed at the ankle in front of him.

[betterthanaplan]

Duke raised a finger. "Those I do not make."

Nathan was obsessed with pancakes.

[hatesparadise]

"You don't?" Those were a Williams family specialty!

[betterthanaplan]

"I don't," Duke confirmed. "I do make a mean waffle, though. Secret's in the syrup."

[hatesparadise]

"Well, then you're safe," Danny replied with a considering look. "I, on the other hand, now need to stock up on the ingredients. And chocolate chips because he is a five year old."

[okteiviakom]

Octavia had sent a few pictures. A pair of teal deer in the distance. Some kind of pale flower.

Water.

The last one had been a while ago, and now she was coming back, coming home, and she could hear the music down the dock. It almost made her stop, and stay where she was to just listen, unseen.

But she kept going, and came aboard. Dropped her bag by one of the crates and sat down on it, hoping her arrival wouldn't mean he would stop playing.

[betterthanaplan]

"Super SEAL can't make his own pancakes?" That was one thing Nathan had in his favor, at least.

[betterthanaplan]

Nah. It just meant he was going to twist to face her, singing directly to her instead of to the water.

"I want to love you, and treat you right
I want to love you, every day and every night."

[hatesparadise]

"I make 'em better." And Steve cooked eggs just how Danny liked them. Burned just a little.

Yes, Steve judged him too.

[betterthanaplan]

Yeah, but sometimes he cooked them in the microwave.

". . . You do understand that this is not how normal work partnerships work, right?"

[okteiviakom]

He was such a doof.

Octavia managed to keep looking at him for a moment, then looked down - much like she might have when she'd been younger, and for a similar reason.

Something was tugging at the corners of her lips, trying to make them curve up.