Luke's, Thursday

[betterthanaplan]

It was eerily quiet in the diner today. Half the staff wasn't speaking to the other half, for reasons Duke refused to ask about, three of them had apparently somehow managed to lose their voices celebrating Talk Like a Pirate Day a few days ago, and at least one person had tape over their mouths to mark their silent protest of . . . again, Duke wasn't going to ask.

The only sound, in fact, was Benny the busboy eerily humming Depeche Mode.

Duke was just going to hide in his office today.

Today's specials!
Deep fried softshell crab
STABBY! NOOOO!
Oh my god you're a child
YOU'RE A MONSTER!

Luke's was open. If currently at an uneasy detente.

Comments

[okteiviakom]

Octavia was used to all sorts of shenanigans at the diner, but she still kind of side-eyed everyone when she came in around lunch time.

"Is Duke in his office?"

She knew him, okay. (And also would probably have been hiding out in an office, too.)

[betterthanaplan]

The hostess jerked her thumb at the office with a nod.

Duke was sprawled behind his desk, twiddling a pen and glaring at his payroll paperwork. And trying not to start drinking yet.

[okteiviakom]

And that was how Octavia found him, when she slipped in through the door - and closed it after herself.

"You look like you could use being saved."

[betterthanaplan]

"Always," Duke said, giving her a smile. He reached out for her, gesturing for her to come over. "How's your day going?"

[okteiviakom]

"Well, before I got here, no one was refusing to speak," Octavia rasped as she crossed the office to come to him. "So better than yours, I think."

[betterthanaplan]

"It wouldn't be so bad if that one guy wasn't humming," Duke muttered. "My day is much brighter now you're here, at least."

[okteiviakom]

"Flatterer," Octavia replied, taking his hand.

[betterthanaplan]

"Always. It's easy when it's the truth."

[okteiviakom]

"Bet you say that to everyone that comes to your office," Octavia teased because she could, "and isn't trying to involve you in some diner power struggle."

[betterthanaplan]

"Only you," Duke told her. "Or Luce. Or, like, if the person coming is really hot. . . ."

[okteiviakom]

Snort. "Well that's a club that got less exclusive very fast."

[betterthanaplan]

"Exceptionally hot," Duke said. "You and Luce set an extremely high standard there."

[okteiviakom]

"Oh, well, that's different," Octavia rasped, shifting closer.

[betterthanaplan]

"I thought that might help," Duke said, reaching out to wrap his arm around her waist. "So. Your birthday is coming up."

[okteiviakom]

Octavia blinked a little - but definitely not at the arm. Oh, no, she leaned right into that.

"Oh," she said. "So it is, I guess."

Someone had not been paying a ton of attention to the calendar, no.

[betterthanaplan]

They were both pretty good at ignoring calendars, didn’t they.

“We should do something for it. Another camping trip, maybe.”

[okteiviakom]

"I'd like camping," Octavia said, a little softer, surprising no one. "We could go somewhere by the water."

That there should be woods was a given that didn't merit a mention.

[betterthanaplan]

“A nice little private cove somewhere,” Duke said, watching her face (god, but he loved her face!). “Surrounded by pine trees.”

[okteiviakom]

"Yeah," Octavia sighed, wistful and almost grateful, somehow. "I would love that."

[betterthanaplan]

They’d been together for ages now, and Duke was still so proud he could put that kind of expression on her face.

“I’ll start looking around.”

[okteiviakom]

Sometimes it was even easy.

And sometimes it drew out a smile that had something almost shy about it - right before she leaned in to give him a little kiss.