Voicemail

[betterthanaplan]

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

*beep*

Comments

[thatwaslucky]

Rey had promised updates, which were late, but she texted. She sent a picture of a porg looking up at her from its spot in the pilot's seat of the Falcon, which was going to both Duke and Octavia.

Everything's fine, should be back Tuesday with no problem.

[okteiviakom]

It was late in the day on Thanksgiving when a text came through from Octavia's number: just a picture of a plate holding something that didn't look very (or at all) skillfully made but which was still recognizable as a slice of pecan pie.

There was no caption.

This was what happened when you gave her your number and left the island, Duke.

[betterthanaplan]

Duke texted back a thumbs up, and a photo of a porg looking moodily out through one of the Cape Rouge's portholes.

[okteiviakom]

In much the same vein, on Friday he received a photo of two porgs somewhere in the rocky bits. The closer of the two was blurry, clearly moving towards the camera/phone for a closer look as the picture was taken.

[okteiviakom]

And then, so late on Saturday it was actually well into the early hours of Sunday... A voicemail.

"Ha yun, Duke. Jus' wanted to tell you the holiday punch was... good. And red." And very boozy. He could probably tell, right? From the slight slur to her voice. There were faint footsteps in the background: boots on cobblestone, not quite as measured and steady and march-y as they usually were. "And now it's raining --"

Long pause. A little gasp, from tilting her head too far back.

"Hunh. Sugar." Tiny, throaty laugh. "Tastes like sugar? Anyway, you shoulda been there, 't was missin' your floppy hair. I was -- anyway."

Another long pause. This time, her voice returned a little more murmured, and a lot more wistful.

"Komba raun, flapkrasha. Just, don't... don't float away, okay? Okay. Leidon, that's all, bye. Now, how do I --"

Click.

[thatwaslucky]

"Hi, it's Rey. Looks like I'm going to miss yoga this week. I got called back home for a few days so I'm going to be leaving after work. Nothing big, I think."

And then there was a little pause before the, "Hopefully I wasn't too embarrassing the other night. Okay, so, talk to you later."

[thatwaslucky]

It wasn't long between Rey getting back and her sending a text to both Duke and Octavia that contained a picture of the warehouse door with the lightsaber scorches on it, like it was proof that she was here.

Back safe.

[okteiviakom]

Monday was definitely into its evening by the time Octavia texted Duke a photo. It was pretty dark, but with some effort (and maybe turning up the brightness), he should be able to make out the stream in the preserve, moonlight reflecting off the water.

No caption followed.

[betterthanaplan]

Duke wondered at first if he'd been texted a photo of her pocket for a moment, but yeah, after a few moments futzing with it, he made out what it was.

Pretty. Planning where we'll camp this week?

He was hoping his body would have calmed back down by then, or he was possibly going to end up embarrassing himself. . . .

[okteiviakom]

I guess

She considered leaving at that. She even looked up at the trees for a short moment before sending anything else.

Some might say i'm hiding

[betterthanaplan]

Uh . . . huh.

Are you?

[okteiviakom]

Maybe a little

And kind of uselessly, to boot.

[betterthanaplan]

No one would ever think to look for her in the woods!

. . . from what?

Duke knew why he was feeling weird and distracted today, but it hadn't occurred to him that other people might be, too. He kind of just figured it was hormonal thing or something.

[okteiviakom]

The island

Hiding from a place while still being in it was, well...

In case you're wondering, it doesn't actually work

Because she couldn't separate her body from her mind.

[betterthanaplan]

Not without leaving it at least, Duke agreed. What's it done now?

Surely, surely his own mood couldn't be the island's fault!

[okteiviakom]

Don't tell me you don't feel it

She was going to be so jealous if it turned out he was immune to this.

[betterthanaplan]

Duke got that sinking feeling again, like he had in Nina's class.

FEEL WHAT

The world was just determined to fuck with him today, wasn't it.

[okteiviakom]

Everything could be the island's fault, Duke!

Octavia heaved a sigh, and leaned against a tree as she tried to decide on the right words.

Like with the mistletoe
Except instead of a plant it's your body that's insistent
And instead of kissing it wants way more

[betterthanaplan]

No no no no no no no.

Excuse that delay in answering, Octavia, Duke was beating his phone into his head.

please say that means it only lasts a day. Tomorrow we can have sentient chocolate hearts or something, right?

[okteiviakom]

Last two times it was about a week

Guess today wasn't a day for Octavia attempting to be reassuring.

[betterthanaplan]

Duke's first response was entirely too accidentally on the nose to actually send.

should we postpone the camping trip?

Because he really couldn't guarantee he wouldn't turn into the adult equivalent of a teenage dirtbag in that kind proximity to her, and he'd promised not to try to push anything she wasn't ready for.

[okteiviakom]

That was... probably a discussion worth revisiting.

Octavia didn't entirely manage to track the logic behind his question back out to that, though, so she found herself lightly frowning at her phone.

Do you want to?

[betterthanaplan]

Duke considered that carefully, picturing the two of them, curled up in a single sleeping bag in a cozy little tent, far from any people . . . or porgs. . . .

And had to take a moment to adjust himself, letting out a little growl as he did.

No
But it's a very sexy situation and I don't want to make you uncomfortable

[okteiviakom]

ISLAND's making me uncomfortable

There was another longer pause. Hesitation.

... And really unhelpful mental images that somehow made her both wish she'd called him instead and yet somehow feel grateful she hadn't, because grasping at the right words was difficult enough.

If anything, you're the solution
Or you could be

[betterthanaplan]

That set off some more mental images, resulting in another growl from Duke and a fervent wish she were on his boat right now instead of off in the woods.

He leaned back in his seat for a moment, eyes closed, and just let the horny side of his brain just run rampant for a few moments, since keeping it on a leash apparently just wasn't in the cards this week. It . . . didn't help, no.

I'd be happy to I'd that s whT to u want

And yes, that was rather a worse spelled text than he normally sent. The joys of very quick, distracted phone typing. At least autocorrect didn't stick anything too weird in there.