![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Yeah, Octavia had to take a moment to squint at her phone, deciphering that. And then another, to wonder at how his spelling had gone that badly to trash so quickly. Which... yes, produced some vivid thoughts that made her swear under her breath and push away from the tree again, like pacing around would actually do something.
Great plan, Octavia, spending all day away from people only to eventually text the one person absolutely guaranteed to wreck any progress you'd made!
And calling him was probably an even worse idea.
But she was doing it anyway. She was just -- saving him from typing, and herself from having way too many thoughts about his trashed focus. Totally.
Great plan, Octavia, spending all day away from people only to eventually text the one person absolutely guaranteed to wreck any progress you'd made!
And calling him was probably an even worse idea.
But she was doing it anyway. She was just -- saving him from typing, and herself from having way too many thoughts about his trashed focus. Totally.
Duke answered immediately. "Yep, that's -- um. Hi. Good plan."
He was not proud of that last text.
He was not proud of that last text.
Octavia was going to tease him about it eventually. Just probably not this week.
"Hi." Her voice sounded extra raspy. She ended up clearing her throat, before adding, almost hurriedly, "And, I do." A beat. "Want that."
She was so smooth.
"Hi." Her voice sounded extra raspy. She ended up clearing her throat, before adding, almost hurriedly, "And, I do." A beat. "Want that."
She was so smooth.
At the moment he was just glad she hadn't decided he'd had a stroke.
Duke let out a low, relieved breath. "Well alright then." A beat. ". . . Were you thinking that way before the island basically slipped us both an aphrodisiac?"
If they went for this and she regretted it later, he was going to feel awful.
Duke let out a low, relieved breath. "Well alright then." A beat. ". . . Were you thinking that way before the island basically slipped us both an aphrodisiac?"
If they went for this and she regretted it later, he was going to feel awful.
Octavia managed a snort. "Since New Year's, at latest," she admitted. "Right moment just hasn't come up, 'cause whenever it might have, at least one of us has been drunk or painfully hungover or something."
Which included having an uncomfortable run-in with someone that had left him devastated and her feeling vaguely like she'd wanted to crawl out of her skin for a few days afterwards.
Just small hurdles like that.
"The island's just making it... obvious."
Which included having an uncomfortable run-in with someone that had left him devastated and her feeling vaguely like she'd wanted to crawl out of her skin for a few days afterwards.
Just small hurdles like that.
"The island's just making it... obvious."
Duke winced at that reminder. Though -- hey! An effective mood killer! At least for a little while.
Maybe his mom was good for something after all.
"It's definitely doing that," Duke said. "Then yeah. Let's do the camping trip. We'll just maybe do a little less fishing than we initially planned."
Fishing was great and all, but there were so many more fun things they could try.
Maybe his mom was good for something after all.
"It's definitely doing that," Duke said. "Then yeah. Let's do the camping trip. We'll just maybe do a little less fishing than we initially planned."
Fishing was great and all, but there were so many more fun things they could try.
"We should still do a little fishing," Octavia replied, managing a halfway teasing tone. "So we can say we did."
A beat.
"Also because food's pretty vital to burning energy like that."
A beat.
"Also because food's pretty vital to burning energy like that."
"True. And while I was thinking I'd bring provisions," and condoms, he was going to pack so many condoms, "it can't hurt to get some extra protein."
"It's basic survival stuff, anyway," Octavia drawled. "Also shows the island we can ignore it for a while."
It would do no such thing.
It would do no such thing.
“Right. We’ll show this place who’s boss.”
"Exactly."
Well, it was a nice thought, anyway.
Octavia looked up towards the treetops for a little moment. "Hey," she said then, tone a bit softer. "You... wanted to, too, even before the island started getting pushy about it, right?"
She was well aware he had way fewer hang-ups about this than she did. But checking in (and getting reassurance, though she'd be reluctant to admit that was a part of it) rarely seemed like a bad idea.
Well, it was a nice thought, anyway.
Octavia looked up towards the treetops for a little moment. "Hey," she said then, tone a bit softer. "You... wanted to, too, even before the island started getting pushy about it, right?"
She was well aware he had way fewer hang-ups about this than she did. But checking in (and getting reassurance, though she'd be reluctant to admit that was a part of it) rarely seemed like a bad idea.
“For ages,” Duke said, with a small, slightly frustrated laugh. “Been looking forward to it dice our first kiss.”
Octavia's tiny bark of a laugh sounded pretty rough.
"Sorry."
She did not sound sorry.
"Sorry."
She did not sound sorry.
That was good! It saved Duke the speech about there being nothing for her to be sorry about.
"Hey, it's easy to be patient. You know, when the island isn't screwing with us."
Also, they'd never talked about being exclusive, so he could get his jollies elsewhere as needed.
"Hey, it's easy to be patient. You know, when the island isn't screwing with us."
Also, they'd never talked about being exclusive, so he could get his jollies elsewhere as needed.
There was that.
Octavia snorted. "Kind of an unfortunate choice of words, snogon."
Octavia snorted. "Kind of an unfortunate choice of words, snogon."
"I assure you, that pun was entirely intended," Duke said with a chuckle. "Right, so. We, uh. We waiting for the camping trip to do this, or do you wanna have our first time in a bed?" He frowned. ". . . Also, is this going to be your first time? No judgement, just -- I don't know, I can walk you through things or something if it is."
It was really too bad Octavia had made a private decision to maybe not tell him she loved him every time she particularly felt it. Because this was definitely one of those moments.
Even if she snorted again. "It's not my first time," she said, with some stray bit of wryness. "It's just been a long time."
And, you know. Just the one guy, even back then.
Even if she snorted again. "It's not my first time," she said, with some stray bit of wryness. "It's just been a long time."
And, you know. Just the one guy, even back then.
"Good know," Duke said. "Alright then. So . . . do you wanna come over? Or you want to keep hanging out on the preserve? Again, no judgement either way. I can -- sort myself out in the meantime."
"Hot," Octavia replied, gently teasing because she could. Which was a good sign, really! Meant she was comfortable.
...Ish.
She sighed.
She really, really wanted to come over, to the point where she could practically feel his skin against hers, and his mouth on -- anyway. But she'd also put in a lot of effort towards not being a puppet for her urges today, just like she had the last two times, and even though things were different this time around... She wasn't ready to give in just yet.
Because she was a stubborn fool, sometimes. "It's only been a day," she said, after a long pause, sounding vaguely like she regretted it even as she said it. "I don't feel like giving in to the island yet."
...Ish.
She sighed.
She really, really wanted to come over, to the point where she could practically feel his skin against hers, and his mouth on -- anyway. But she'd also put in a lot of effort towards not being a puppet for her urges today, just like she had the last two times, and even though things were different this time around... She wasn't ready to give in just yet.
Because she was a stubborn fool, sometimes. "It's only been a day," she said, after a long pause, sounding vaguely like she regretted it even as she said it. "I don't feel like giving in to the island yet."
Duke let out a small sigh -- kept small mostly for her benefit, since he really didn't want her to think he was pressuring her. "Waiting it is," he said. "The anticipation will just make it that much sweeter."
He was going to keep telling himself that. As firmly as possible.
He was going to keep telling himself that. As firmly as possible.
Octavia felt that sigh on a deeply personal level, and not at all in a pressuring way, just in... her own personal 'why am I like this?' kind of way.
She knew she was choosing to suffer, after all.
"And startle the wildlife worse," she replied, more idly than she felt. "At least Wednesday's going to be amazing."
She knew she was choosing to suffer, after all.
"And startle the wildlife worse," she replied, more idly than she felt. "At least Wednesday's going to be amazing."
"It would be anyway," Duke said with a small laugh. "But yeah. It'll be -- next level stuff."
Octavia's pause was a conspicuously long one. Sorry, she was just thinking about 'next level stuff' because her imagination was just way overactive today.
There was something a little gasp-like about her sharp inhale.
"... Okay I need to stop talking to you for now if I want to keep my shit together."
There was something a little gasp-like about her sharp inhale.
"... Okay I need to stop talking to you for now if I want to keep my shit together."
Yeah, that was a good plan. Duke was eyeing the water again. People did winter swimming all the time in northern climates. He'd never been into it before, but it could be worth a shot. . . .
"I've been told I have that effect," he said, unable to keep from doing at least a little more flirtatious teasing before she hung up. "I'll talk to you later, snogon."
"I've been told I have that effect," he said, unable to keep from doing at least a little more flirtatious teasing before she hung up. "I'll talk to you later, snogon."
Octavia was definitely going to be splashing some cold water from the stream on her face as soon as this call was done.
She gave a huff at his teasing, but she sounded like maybe she was smiling. "Yeah. You too, snogon."
Click.
She gave a huff at his teasing, but she sounded like maybe she was smiling. "Yeah. You too, snogon."
Click.
Page 2 of 15