The dock by the Cape Rouge, Wednesday morning

[betterthanaplan]

Duke had been giving Octavia space for the last few days, since Ilian had left. He wasn't avoiding her in bed or anything, but the moment he woke up he was up and about, puttering around the boat or just generally finding things to do elsewhere.

He told himself he was giving her space for her renewed grief. That he wasn't hiding from his own feelings about meeting one of her loved ones from the Ground.

He knew he was lying, and that was driving him nuts.

Living on a boat required pretty constant maintenance, but he'd actually managed to catch up on everything the Rouge needed, so this morning, instead of heading for the engine room or the wheelhouse, he hit the water, swimming laps out into the depths of the port and back until his whole body burned and even a simple recovery stroke had him taking in too much water. He pulled himself back up and out and sprawled on the dock, catching his breath and soaking in the sun.

This was nuts. Something needed to break. And at the rate he was going, it was going to be him.

[expecting one, but can be open before that thread!]

Comments

[okteiviakom]

At least Octavia had made some progress. Yesterday, she'd even gotten up for therapy, even though it had been remote and also not worth much more than a participation trophy, if even that. Today, there was something specific she was up for. Something she wanted to do, or maybe needed to. And maybe that was a good sign?

(The line of marker dots on her arm had faded, but was still hanging on.)

She needed to find Duke first, though.

And he hadn't been in the engine room, or up in the wheelhouse, but -- Ah. Of course. The dock. She was quiet when she made her way over.

[betterthanaplan]

With his eyes closed and her quiet way of walking, Duke didn't notice her approaching. Not until she said something, or stepped into the sun hitting his face.

So she had plenty of time to watch him if she wanted. He wasn't doing much, just lying on the weathered wood, slowly drying and watching the thoughts spin in his own head.

[okteiviakom]

Octavia wasn't really big on watching today. But at least it actually registered with her that he looked nice like this? Faintly glistening from his swim in the sun. And that was not nothing, with the pit she'd fallen into for the second time in about a week.

When she got there, she gave his shoulder a gentle nudge with the tip of her boot.

[betterthanaplan]

Duke opened his eyes and blinked up at her, surprised. He would have guessed it was Lucifer who'd come to find him.

"Hey," he greeted, sitting up. "You're outside."

[okteiviakom]

"Yeah." There should've been some kind of a joke there, but, baby steps. Ditto on there being no segue into: "You wanna go to the mainland with me?"

A pause, a look at him - right, he should probably dry more first.

"Later."

[betterthanaplan]

Duke bobbed his head in a half-nod. "Sure. If, you know, you want me to."

His feelings about his place in her life had already been a little bit complicated before Ilian showed up. They were doubly so now.

[okteiviakom]

"I checked the engine room and the wheelhouse before I found you here."

Maybe she was too tired to be reassuring in actually emotionally reassuring words, but she could still state some facts.

[betterthanaplan]

"You're on a mission," Duke noted. "For anything in particular?"

[okteiviakom]

"Yeah."

Oh, right. Probably shouldn't just leave it at that,

"I need to go back to the tattoo place that did the snake."

[betterthanaplan]

Duke nodded slowly. "Alright. Got anything in particular in mind?"

He was pretty sure he knew the answer. He'd seen the dots on her arm. He was half-hoping he was wrong. (And hated himself a little, for hoping that.)

[okteiviakom]

"Yes."

She didn't say what, but... Her gaze dipped briefly towards her arm, yes.

[betterthanaplan]

Duke followed her gaze and nodded to himself. "Ah."

She wanted him there for it. He wasn't sure he wanted to be there for it. He definitely wasn't sure he could say no to her right now, though.

[okteiviakom]

A silence stretched on for a moment.

Octavia wasn't really sure what it was about, but: "You don't have to come if you don't want to."

[betterthanaplan]

"You want me to," Duke said, with more of a question mark on it than he'd intended. "You haven't, uh. Seemed to want company for a bit."

[okteiviakom]

"That doesn't mean you have to."

[betterthanaplan]

He kind of felt like it did, though.

Duke swallowed, all too aware of what he was echoing when he asked "Why?" He cleared his throat, trying to get rid of the faintly plaintive tone the question had. "Why do you want me to come?"

[okteiviakom]

"Because I wanted you to be there to hold my hand."

To her, this was simple.

[betterthanaplan]

Well. How could he say 'no' to that?

He got slowly to his feet. "Let me go change. Then we'll head."

Maybe he'd find something small to get for himself. He was in a 'physical pain to distract from the psychic pain' kind of mode, these days.

[okteiviakom]

By listening to her when she said he didn't have to come if he didn't want to? Saying 'no' was actually pretty easy!

Anyway. Octavia wasn't going to fight him. She just nodded. "Okay."

[betterthanaplan]

You would think! But it wasn't something Duke was that skilled at when it came to the people he loved.

He flicked her a smile -- half of one, anyway -- and headed towards the Rouge at a jog. "I'll be right back."

[okteiviakom]

"We're not in a rush."

Octavia was pretty sure it would not make a difference whether she said so or not, but...

[betterthanaplan]

It wouldn't. Duke was sliding firmly into "appease the loved one and make nice" mode.

Which . . . might make the trip a little bit awkward after a while.

He was quick as his word, taking the time to just towel off and change clothes, then pull his hair back before jogging back out to meet her.

"Lead the way, gona."

[okteiviakom]

Octavia would have been wary if she'd had enough energy for that.

As it was, she just gave another little nod, and then one towards the way out to the causeway, pulling her phone out of her pocket.

[betterthanaplan]

Duke started in that direction at an easy pace, stretching his legs a little. He was still tired from his swim.

"It's good, you know," he said after a little while. "Seeing you up and about."

[okteiviakom]

"Mm." She flicked through Portalocity. It wasn't really necessary, and they weren't in a rush, but - she was still going for it. "Can't lay in bed forever."

As much as she'd tried.

(But it wasn't what Ilian would have wanted, either. He'd been pretty clear on related points, actually.)