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[betterthanaplan]

"Buddha says 'All good things come to those who wait.' With that in mind, leave me a message."

*beep*

Comments

[betterthanaplan]

"You and me and Lucifer and sex and it's not serious or bad," Duke said. He smiled. "I think I might like this conversation."

[okteiviakom]

"It's a request," Octavia said, watching him. Trying not to suddenly feel like this should make her nervous to do. (Trying not to feel like it was making her nervous.) "That you don't sleep with him before we do. I mean, before we all do. Together."

Tiny shrug.

Vulnerable.

"Just feels like... a step we should take together, if we're going to."

[betterthanaplan]

Duke leaned in to give her a soft kiss on the forehead.

"Okay. I won't."

[okteiviakom]

"Mochof," Octavia murmured, eyes fluttering closed. "Feels dumb to ask, but..."

Seemed like something to be honest and open about.

[betterthanaplan]

"I was a little hurt when you talked to him without telling me first. Did you really think I wouldn't understand wanting to wait until the three of us are together to have sex again?"

[okteiviakom]

"It's not that I didn't think you'd understand," Octavia said, as her eyes opened again. "I'm just figuring out how to stay on the same page with you."

[betterthanaplan]

"Well, good," Duke said, and leaned in to kiss her again, this time on the lips. "And I appreciate you making that effort."

[okteiviakom]

Octavia reached up to meet him.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you."

[betterthanaplan]

"Nah," Duke said. "I didn't tell you not to. I'm assuming kissing is okay?"

[okteiviakom]

Octavia nodded. "Kissing is okay." Wait, what had Lucifer called it? Her lips tilted into something wry. "First base, apparently."

[betterthanaplan]

"Ah yes," Duke said, grinning. "I prefer the four Fs. Which base are we allowed to get to?"

[okteiviakom]

Octavia's head tilted a little. "Just how many systems are there for this?"

Sorry, she was going to get distracted by that for a second.

[betterthanaplan]

"Several," Duke said. "Four Fs are nice and easy to remember, though." He held up his hand and counted off on his fingers. "French, feel, finger, fuck."

[okteiviakom]

And despite Octavia's slight squinting --

"Okay, those make more sense than the bases."

[betterthanaplan]

"Right?" Duke said cheerfully. "So, uh. Which base are we allowed to get to by ourselves?"

He was assuming that he and Octavia would refrain without Lucifer for a bit, as well.

[okteiviakom]

Octavia hadn't thought of it like that. So now she was assuming he was just talking about himself and Lucifer.

Communication was hard.

"Probably the second one?" she offered after a second of faintly hesitant chewing on her lip. "Though I don't know how much feeling there is for you to even do."

[betterthanaplan]

Duke frowned. "I can feel plenty," he said. "I don't have Nathan's trouble."

[okteiviakom]

"Not like that." Come on, Duke. "Look, just -- maybe stay above the waist. For now. Okay?"

[betterthanaplan]

"Plenty to explore above the waist," Duke said, sliding his fingers along the hem of her shirt.

. . . Maybe that was a hint of what he'd been thinking, yeah.

[okteiviakom]

"I guess," Octavia said, trying for slightly lighter nd more teasing, now, "but it's not like you have to hold back with me."

Yeah, no hints taken.

[betterthanaplan]

Duke’s hand stopped where it was.

“Ah,” he said. “Right. I guess that makes sense.”

[okteiviakom]

Well, now she got that maybe they weren't on the smae page.

She looked confused.

"What?"

[betterthanaplan]

“I thought we were, you know, also holding off. Until all three of us could do it.”

[okteiviakom]

"... Should we?"

That wasn't her objecting. She just genuinely had not thought of it that way.

[betterthanaplan]

"We want to start this on even footing, right?" Duke asked. "Really be the three of us, and not just us as a couple asking him to be an occasional third?"

As someone who'd been that 'occasional third' for people over the years, Duke had fairly strong opinions about that role.