The deck of the Cape Rouge, Port of Fandom, Sunday evening

[betterthanaplan]

So. Duke was a noble now. He had plans to sail off to destiny Windsorhampceistershire in the morning and take over his new duchy duties. And thanks to a handwaved makeover that afternoon, he even mostly looked the part.

But alas! He still dreamed of a bohemian life at sea, making art out of driftwood (or was it scrap metal? that part wasn't important) and raising money for the environment. So he was spending his final night of ignobility sipping whiskey and soda, and gazing out to sea.

Windsorhampceistershire was landlocked. Fate was a cruel mistress.

[expecting one, but can be open. Rey's thread would be chronologically last.]

Comments

[thatwaslucky]

After the best wedding ever, Rey of course had to run and tell her best friend about what had happened! Long having changed out of the terrible bridesmaid dress and into a cute dress much more fitting of just having found true love, she ran over to the boat.

Somehow she didn't trip over anything even in heels.

"Duke! You'll never believe what happened!"

[betterthanaplan]

Duke looked up, mid-mope, and brightened. "Rey! Let's see, you . . . had a customer promise you half his lottery winnings instead of a tip and it turned out he won?"

[thatwaslucky]

"Not this week," she said absently, stopping at the gangplank when she took in his new look. "You look..."

What was that? A whole new light?

[betterthanaplan]

Duke sighed. "Ridiculous. I know. Regina swore this was what a proper lord wears." He waved her over. "Permission to come aboard, have a drink, and tell me your happy news."

[thatwaslucky]

"Oh, uh. Luke and I are together now," Rey said as she came aboard.

Why did that feel so weird to say now? Hadn't that been what she wanted?

[betterthanaplan]

"Luke? The famous wedding planner? That's great news!" Why did he feel sad about her great news? He poured her a drink -- her favorite, which he totally knew, because that was just how best friends worked -- and held it out for her. "Tell me every detail."

He was going to get so drunk tonight.

[thatwaslucky]

"Well," she said, taking the drink, "I was at the wedding-" Of course he knew which one, they were best friends. "-and I just kept thinking about feelings, and how you can have them, and how life is too short, you know? So I asked him to take a chance on me, right there in the middle of everybody."

Which was acceptable, and not something the brides had the right to murder her for.

[betterthanaplan]

"That's so romantic!" And not at all inappropriate, definitely. "Life is definitely too short to have feelings." He blinked. "That you don't act on."

[thatwaslucky]

"Exactly. You never know what you might miss out on," she said.

And paused, and cleared her throat, and took a drink.

"So you've really decided to embrace your heritage, then."

[betterthanaplan]

Duke nodded. "I'm leaving tomorrow. I was going to tell you, but I didn't want to ruin the wedding for you."

And he hadn't been sure he could leave if he had to tell her to her face.

[thatwaslucky]

"Tomorrow?" Rey repeated, in shock. "But that's so soon!"

What was she going to do without him?

[betterthanaplan]

Duke shrugged, staring into his drink. "Might as well get it over with, right?" He gave her a sad smile. "I'm just glad you found someone before I leave, so I don't have to worry about you."

Which was definitely sweet and not at all paternalistic.

[thatwaslucky]

"Oh. I guess... I guess if you really have to go," Rey said, sadly.

She had so much to say, and couldn't find the words.

[betterthanaplan]

So much for life being too short not to express your feelings! If only they were in an airport.

"I mean," Duke said. "If I had a really good reason to stay. . . ."

[thatwaslucky]

"Like what?" she asked, just a little too quickly, and definitely hopefully.

[betterthanaplan]

Duke tossed back the rest of his drink and poured himself another. "Like -- I don't know." It wouldn't be fair to throw the feelings he was just noticing at her! She just found true love! "Just . . . something." He looked out over the water. "Someone."

[thatwaslucky]

Oh. So, not her, then.

Why was she so disappointed by that?

"Maybe," she said, around a lump in her throat, "that someone you're looking for is out there."

[betterthanaplan]

"Who knows," Duke said. "Maybe I'll get as lucky as you have with Luke."

Remember Luke, Rey? The guy you were just professing your love for?

He clapped his hand on the table. "Enough moping. We should be celebrating!" He raised his glass to her in a toast. "To true love at the coffee shop!"

[thatwaslucky]

"And to changing the world through dukedom!" Rey agreed, clinking her glass against his before downing the rest at once.

[betterthanaplan]

"Dukedom," Duke repeated, shaking his head, and refilling both their drinks. "I'm Duke Duke. Fuck that's terrible."

[thatwaslucky]

"That just means it was meant to be," Rey told him, sipping the new drink. "Fate, or something."

[betterthanaplan]

"Can't argue with fate." Of all the stupid or silly things he'd said this weekend, this one was maybe going to piss him off the most later. "So. Tell me more about Luke. Does he have a last name?"

[thatwaslucky]

"Skywalker," she said, and she'd found that a lot dreamier before for some reason. "He's world-renowned for his weddings. He... he might not love love as much as I do."

[betterthanaplan]

Duke was all set to make a "Rey Skywalker" comment (because of course she would take the name of whatever man she ended up with), but that brought him up short.

". . . How can you not love love?" He shook his head. "How can a wedding planner not love love?!"

[thatwaslucky]

"I think he's disillusioned?" Rey mused. "But I could never let that happen to me."

She paused, and said, "Right?"

[betterthanaplan]

Well that just meant Rey could reawaken the love of love in Luke!

"Not a chance," Duke said. "No one loves love like you love love. That's the whole reason you want to be a wedding planner, right? So you can give everyone their perfect happy ending."

Because weddings were endings. And nothing bad ever happened afterwards, if love was true.

[thatwaslucky]

"It's what everyone deserves," Rey insisted. "There's someone for everyone, why not help people solidify that forever?"

[betterthanaplan]

“Here here.” Duke didn’t even begin to think that way in a normal day.

He took a sip of his drink, feeling just tipsy enough to take a risk. “Did you ever think . . . maybe the two of us. . . ?”

[thatwaslucky]

"The two of us," she repeated, a little startled that he'd actually brought it up, and sipped her drink again to buy her some time as she figured out how to answer that.

"Maybe. Did you?"

[betterthanaplan]

“Sometimes,” Duke admitted. “But. I mean. We’re such good friends. I never wanted to ruin that, you know?”

And now he was leaving. To go be a duke. And she’d found someone else.

[thatwaslucky]

"Right. That'd be terrible," Rey said, frowning. "After all, friendship is love, too."

[betterthanaplan]

That was so enlightened. The internet was going to love that line.

“Yeah,” Duke said, trying not to sound disappointed. “Exactly. Still . . . I think we would’ve been good.”

They had such similar backstories, after all.

[thatwaslucky]

"I guess we'll never know," Rey pined said, holding her drink out for a top off.

"I should stop, I don't know how I'm going to get home."

In her defense, she could tipsily fall down a stair and skin her knee.

[betterthanaplan]

Or fall into the water! Only to be rescued by a sexy stranger.....

“You could crash here,” Duke offered, refilling that drink. “Then you’ Be right here to see me off tomorrow.”

[thatwaslucky]

"I could," Rey considered. Surely that was fine! "If this is your last night here, we really should spend it together."

[betterthanaplan]

“Then it’s settled,” Duke said, not really thinking through sleeping arrangements. He was just glad she was staying. “Slumber party!”

[thatwaslucky]

"I might have to borrow something to sleep in," she warned. "This wouldn't be comfortable."

[betterthanaplan]

Duke’s mouth went dry at the thought of her in one of his shirts and he took a drink. “Pretty sure I can help you out there.”

He didn’t have any dedicated sleep clothes himself, but his whole wardrobe pre-makeover was made for comfort anyway.

[thatwaslucky]

"Thanks," Rey said with a smile. "You mind if I change, then? If I'm staying there's really no reason not to."

And with the way they were going with the drinks they wouldn't be standing upright for long anyway.

Ahem.

[betterthanaplan]

Duke nodded. “Should move things below decks anyway. Those ladders can be tricky when you’re sober.” And Rey could trip over nothing at all. “Maybe I’ll change out of this monkey suit too.” He tugged on his lapels. “. . . I am wearing the hell out of it, though.”

[thatwaslucky]

"Yeah, you are," she said, setting down her drink so she could smooth down those lapels.

Because of course there had to be an awkward moment of close proximity.

[betterthanaplan]

Several of them, hopefully!

Duke’s expression softened as he smiled down at her, taking in how the harbor lights reflected in her hair, how her hands looked against his chest. The color and gleam of her lipstick. He leaned forward unconsciously, the moment hanging, the music starting to swell—

“Right. So I’m pretty sure that denim shirt you like is clean.” The one that was old enough it was practically bleached, and so soft to the touch. “I bet it’ll come down to your knees.”

[thatwaslucky]

"Right," she said, backing up a step. "Sounds perfect. Lead the way."

So he could be down there in case she slipped on the ladder.