betterthanaplan | The Cape Rouge, Port of Fandom, Christmas Eve

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The Cape Rouge, Port of Fandom, Christmas Eve

As a rule, he didn't tend to do much for the winter holidays -- unless you counted "go somewhere it's not winter" -- but some combination of Fandom's festivities and the cold weather had actually put him into something of a Christmas-y mood this year, so the Rouge's deck was -- well. Decked. There were string lights and garlands all over the open deck area, especially around the table holding the big thermos of hot, buttered rum. He'd set up a little fire pit on the metal cargo-bay doors, and the door to the galley and lounge below-decks was propped open with a now-dormant loaf of yesterday's fruitcake, in case people preferred to go in where it was warmer.

As discussed, Duke had only mentioned the party to a few people since planning it with Rey. It was Christmas, though, so if people decided to wander up and say hi, he wouldn't turn them away.

[up early and ready for all the slowplay. A few people in the know expected, but as it says in the narrative, it's open for wandering in if you want, too!]

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"Glad to hear it." Duke gave her another little squeeze. "Unless this is your way of saying you're all holiday-ed out because you just celebrated one and that's your limit."

"Not showing up," Octavia scoffed, "would have been my way of saying that."

She would probably have done that, too.

"Besides," she added, slowly looping her arm around him for a quick squeeze of her own, and dropping her voice into more of a hushed tone, "I got you something."

Duke looked at her, surprised. "Really? You didn't have to."

"I keep saying that same thing to Magnus," Octavia drawled. "He never listens, either."

And he was clearly a bad influence.

Duke laughed. “Well. I appreciate it. Whatever it is. It’s very sweet of you.”

"Call me that again and I might reconsider," Octavia rasped. But, no. She gave him another squeeze, then drew her arm (and the rest of herself) away so that she could reach into her jacket and pull out a small journal. No, she hadn't wrapped it. Wrapping paper seemed wasteful, and also she wasn't convinced she would have been able to make it very neat, anyway.

She held it out for him, suddenly self-conscious but doing her level best not to let it show. "Here."

Duke took it, then barked out a laugh when he saw what was on the cover. He pressed it to his chest and gave her a little bow. "Thank you. It's perfect. Now I just wish I'd gotten you something."

He'd absolutely gotten her something.

"I don't need anything, anyway." Octavia wasn't cheesy enough to say his laugh had been all she'd wanted, but maybe her tiny answering smile betrayed that feeling, a little. "It's fine."

"Of course you don't need anything. That's not the point." Duke dug into his pocket and pulled out a little tissue-wrapped present. "I guess I could give you this. . . ."

Octavia looked down at his hand, then back up at him.

And shrouded anything pleased about her expression under a tiny smirk. (Though, okay, maybe that looked pleased in itself, too.)

"That seems suspiciously convenient, Duke."

“I have no idea what you mean,” Duke said, handing her the package. Inside she’d find a bracelet.

Octavia gave him a look full of gentle 'bitch, please', before all of her attention went to carefully unwrapping the gift.

Her expression softened immediately as soon as she figured out what it was.

"Finrona," she murmured. "Thank you."

“On paracord. So it’s useful in an emergency, too.”

Octavia had noted the lack of a chain pretty much immediately, and that just made it better.

She looked up, and --

Screw it, he was getting a hug.

Duke grinned. “I take it that means you like it.”

Octavia sounded like she was smiling, too.

"Em ste badas." That was pretty self-explanatory, right? "Yes, I like it. Mochof."

“How do you say ‘you’re welcome’?”

Octavia pulled back enough to look at him.

"It's just 'pro'."

“Then pro. And mochof, Tavi.”

"Pro, seintaim, Duke kom Floukru."

Octavia smiled up at him for a second, then pulled back, this time fully because she needed both her hands free.

The bracelet was going on her left wrist, so she pushed up her sleeve some to let her get started on doing just that.

Meanwhile, Duke flipped open the notebook, digging through his pocket for a pen.

"What's a good first scheme, do you think?"

"Luring people into liking you more with clever gifts?" Octavia suggested.

She hoped she'd made it abundantly clear by now that she was at very high levels of liking him regardless of gifts, so that was a joke.

"I already did that, though," Duke said, not missing a beat. "This should be a new scheme."

"And I'm supposed to tell you about my ideas for fresh ones?" Octavia retorted, glancing up from wrapping the bracelet around her wrist. "What if I want to keep them to myself?"

"Oh?" Duke said, all feigned innocence. "Are you going to start scheming now?"

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