The Cape Rouge, Monday morning

[betterthanaplan]

So Duke was once again his adult self. This time with 100% less waking up in a random warehouse in town. He lay in bed silently for a long time, just running over the events of the weekend in his head.

Lucifer was -- probably not actually going to kill him. Which was very weird to think about. And he'd cried -- actually sobbed -- on Octavia. Which was less weird, but still out of the ordinary.

Over all though . . . it hadn't been terrible. Certainly better than most of his weekends spent in Haven at that age.

He rolled out of bed slowly, tugging the sweatpants he'd slept in back into place over his ass. (Unlike grown Duke, wee Duke was not in the habit of sleeping "in the raw".) After some luxurious stretches (wee Duke also tended to skip the yoga), he shuffled out into the galley to survey just how much damage he managed to do.

Well, at least coffee supplies looked okay. He got a pot started, then went in search of where Octavia had ended up crashing for the night.

[for the one in the narrative!]

Comments

[okteiviakom]

Octavia was in the guest bedroom. She'd wanted to give Duke space, but she also hadn't wanted to stay on her own boat over the weekend - that kid had had enough adults leaving him to fend for himself as it was.

She'd slept like shit, the previous night. And falling asleep last night hadn't come easy, either. Some part of her had wondered about whether she could've seen Duke turn back to his regular self if she'd just stayed up all night, and snuck into his room. But eventually sleep had taken her, instead.

She was asleep now, in fact. Curled up on her side on one edge of the bed.

[betterthanaplan]

Duke found her pretty easily. He spent a moment just standing in the doorway, watching her sleep, and thinking about her holding onto tiny him in the galley and singing to him.

He was so lucky to have her.

He straightened from his lean and went over to the bed, sitting gently on the edge. He wouldn't mind just curling up around her, but experience told him it was best not to startle a sleeping Octavia awake. . . .

[okteiviakom]

There was an unfortunate possibility of violence in a lot of sudden wakeups.

Feeling the mattress dip down slightly was a gentler one, though. After a moment, Octavia's eyes fluttered open. After a few second's more, they even managed to focus up on his face.

"Hey."

It was too early for her to keep her lips from curving into something gentle, maybe even a little grateful. Definitely fond.

[betterthanaplan]

"Hey." Duke leaned down to press a kiss against her temple. "Mochof, gona."

[okteiviakom]

Octavia let him. But right after, she was pushing herself more upright and closer to sitting, because there was something she'd been waiting to do all weekend.

Which was to try and pull him into a hug.

"De nada, jaka."

[betterthanaplan]

Duke didn't melt into it quite the same way he did as a kid, but he also didn't pull away. He slipped his arms around her waist and held on in return, closing his eyes and soaking up the feel of her.

[okteiviakom]

Octavia pressed her face against his shoulder and just breathed him in.

Right now, this was what home felt like.

[betterthanaplan]

Duke hummed softly. Just loud enough for her to feel the vibration through his chest, really.

She could probably guess the tune even if it wasn't quite audible, though.

[okteiviakom]

Judging by her quiet huff, she could, yes.

She nuzzled his shoulder and kept her eyes shut tights. She'd been holding something back all weekend, and she wasn't about to let it go now.

[betterthanaplan]

Duke rubbed her back, and eventually pulled back. Just a little. Just enough to be able to see her face.

"I put the coffee on."

[okteiviakom]

Oh, did that mean Octavia couldn't get away with keeping her eyes closed much longer? Guess it did.

So she opened them.

They looked a little wet. Just a little bit of extra shine.

"Good. Thanks."

[betterthanaplan]

That was fine. Duke wasn't going to mention it if she didn't. "You want some breakfast, maybe?"

[okteiviakom]

Octavia nodded. The urge to wipe her eyes was there, but she gave him a light squeeze, instead.

"Yeah."

[betterthanaplan]

"C'mon," Duke said, tugging at her arms, but not entirely letting go as he shifted to stand. "Let's go to the galley."

[okteiviakom]

Octavia nodded again. And let him tug her up onto her feet, too.

She'd worn the pajama pants with the butterflies on them, again. Along with one of those shirts that hung far too big on her.

[betterthanaplan]

She looked beautiful.

"Hey. At least this didn't happen on our camping trip."

[okteiviakom]

Did he want to get clung to again? Because he was, with Octavia's arms wrapping around him again.

"I forgot all about that," she admitted, looking up.

She'd been kind of focused on the present, all weekend long.

[betterthanaplan]

That was kind of ironic, really.

"Well. I hope it's a happy reminder."

[okteiviakom]

"It is," Octavia said, with a small sigh. "I can't wait to just... be with you."

[betterthanaplan]

"Me too," Duke said, giving her an extra squeeze before moving to the coffee pot. "As just us."

[okteiviakom]

Octavia was just going to indulge her rare clingy side right now, and hover behind his back instead, her hands lightly on his hips.

"And nothing else for miles."

[betterthanaplan]

“No other people,” Duke agreed, relaxing against her as he poured the coffee. “No new crises.”

[okteiviakom]

Octavia pressed a kiss against his spine.

"I told Lucifer we're going."

[betterthanaplan]

“And he said ‘have fun and thank you for not inviting me’?”

[okteiviakom]

Snort. "Pretty much," Octavia said. "I'm not sure what it would take to drag Lucifer out there to spend a night or two, and right now I'm not in a hurry to find out."

They really needed some time that was specifically just for the two of them, right now.

[betterthanaplan]

"One of those extra ridiculous 'glamping' tents that have a full bed and possibly indoor plumbing," Duke said. "And he'd still complain the whole time."

[okteiviakom]

Another huff. Octavia pressed another quick kiss against his back, then finally slid away so she could reach past him for one of the cups of coffee.

"Guess we'll just have to send him pictures."

[betterthanaplan]

"Pictures," Duke agreed. "Maybe . . . a video. But not right away."

First, they needed to just be them. In the best ways possible.

[okteiviakom]

"No," Octavia agreed, with a tiny ghost of a smirk that vanished behind her cup as she took a sip. She tried to hold on to it, to the feeling that went with it, but couldn't help the way her expression had grown a little more serious by the time she lowered the cup again.

"I've missed you," she said.

This weekend, sure. But not just this weekend.

[betterthanaplan]

Duke nodded. "it's . . . been kind of a while, huh."

[okteiviakom]

Octavia inhaled slowly, and tried her best not to let her next word be a sigh.

But failed. "Yeah."

[betterthanaplan]

Duke turned so he was facing her fully again, rubbing his hands up and down her arms.

"I've missed you too. Missed . . . us."

[okteiviakom]

Octavia nodded. It was a slow and slight movement.

"I don't think moving out was a bad idea," she said, quieter now. "But it's been -- hard. It's been hard to be away from you so much."

[betterthanaplan]

"You're welcome to come over any time," Duke said. "And -- I can come by the Samsara sometimes if you want." He smiled faintly. "I really do like that name."

[okteiviakom]

"I don't think we ever talked about that."

As themselves, she meant.

[betterthanaplan]

"About samsara?" Duke asked. "Or about me visiting?"

[okteiviakom]

"Either, really," Octavia replied with a faint amused tilt of her lips, "but I meant samsara."

[betterthanaplan]

"You nailed it," Duke said. "The definition. It's what I've always found most comforting about Buddhism. Even if I screw everything up this time around . . . someday I'll get to try again."

The ultimate second chance. He wished he'd had the chance to tell Geoff about that, before he passed.

[okteiviakom]

The tilt of Octavia's lips turned more wry.

"Nou fir wamplei in," she muttered softly, "em bilaik stoda kom nes soujon noumou."

It sounded like she was quoting someone else. Or reciting.

[betterthanaplan]

Duke didn't understand the precise meaning, but he could gather the gist in context.

"'There are no happy endings,'" he quoted back at her. "'Because nothing ends.'"

[okteiviakom]

Octavia wished she hadn't picked up her coffee yet. She wanted to reach up and cradle his face between her hands.

She smiled, a little, but there was a melancholy undercurrent.

"And you believe that?"

There was really no need for that to be a question.

[betterthanaplan]

"I believe. . . ." Duke said slowly. "That we don't just . . . stop. We transform. Energy can't be created or destroyed, right? So why couldn't our energy take on new forms after death?" He paused, then let out a soft chuckle. "Lucifer actually meeting people from Haven in Hell has put a little bit of a damper on my faith in reincarnation. But it's still nicer to think about than being tortured by your own mistakes for eternity."

[okteiviakom]

Octavia reached up with just the one hand, brushing her fingers over his cheek.

"Nothing says everyone from Haven ends up with Lucifer, anyway."

[betterthanaplan]

Duke turned his head to catch her hand in a kiss. "Fingers crossed, it'll be a long time before either of us find out anything for sure."

[okteiviakom]

"Yeah," Octavia sighed again, watching him.

Looking for the traces of the ten-year-old she'd said good night to, last night.

[betterthanaplan]

Duke had worked hard to leave those behind a long time ago. Especially the bits that tended to blow up and meltdown and end up flailing and sobbing on people.

Octavia had already seen just how much he'd failed at doing that, even before she'd met his ten year old self this weekend.

"So, uh. Breakfast?" He gave her a bright smile. "Pretty sure I didn't manage to eat -- or throw -- all the fruit this weekend. . . ."

[okteiviakom]

Octavia brushed her fingers against his jaw, then pulled her hand back.

"Breakfast," she nodded. "Okay."

She'd snap out of this pensive moment again in a second, promise.

[betterthanaplan]

Duke -- for once -- wasn't too worried about the pensiveness. He'd been ten this weekend. She was bound to be thrown, right?

He leaned down to give her a proper kiss before getting breakfast properly started.

[okteiviakom]

Lately it seemed like whenever Octavia got close to remembering what balance felt like, something else came along and knocked her right off it again.

She kissed him back, soft and gentle. Then pulled back to finally give him room to work.

She could just sip her coffee and watch.