The Things I Do For Love: An Octachel/Rachtavian Fanfic

when push comes to shove

Rachel

Being seasick could also mean being sick and tired of the sea and wishing for some dry land.

That's exactly how Rachel felt.

It didn't help Octavian seemed to be avoiding her.

A part of her felt insulted. Wow, just as they had a friendship in the making, suddenly he starts avoiding her?!

Another part of her was relieved. If he was avoiding her, it probably meant he didn't like her back, therefore making plan "crushing all my feelings" way easier.

She shook her head. "What am I even thinking? I'm the Oracle!"

Sighing, Rachel made her way to the front. She perked up. Was that a shape in the distance? Could it be?

A shout of "Yo, Land!" from the top  of the mast confirmed it.

Octavian ran out from his cabin, where he'd been holing up for the past week. "Really? Thank the gods, it's hard to write with all the rolling about."

His blond hair was a mess, and getting longer, almost to his chin, Rachel observed. She quite liked it like that. The shirt he wore matched his eyes, the same shade of bright blue-

Rachel rubbed her eyes angrily. Stop. Checking. The. Guy. Out.

"We'll be there in about . . . two hours." Lunella estimated.

Daniel was poring over a map, mumbling to himself about longitude and latitude and how he preferred history to geography.

Rachel decided to join him, shoving all thoughts of Octavian out of her head. At least she tried to.

"Hey, Daniel."

He jumped, quickly shoving a piece of paper into a book. Rachel caught a glimpse of the word IDEA.

"What was that?" She asked.

Daniel flushed. "Nothing. Totally nothing."

You're a shit-ass liar.

Rachel shook his weird behavior off, and glanced at the map. "So, Malta?"

Daniel nodded, clearly relieved for the change of subject. "Here. We're going to Malta, somehow we need to make it to Delphi, knock Python's snaky butt out of there, and make it home. Hopefully all alive and whole."

Rachel nodded. "Great plan."

"Fuck!" Someone cursed, and rammed into her.

Rachel jumped, and found Octavian, lying at her feet.

"Uh, hi." She said awkwardly, and held out her hand.

Octavian took it gratefully, glancing behind him. "I could have sworn someone pushed me."

Lunella appeared beside Daniel, slightly panting. "Ooh, spooky."

"Spooky. Indeed."

Rachel cleared her throat. "Uh, Tavy?"

Octavian quickly let go of her hand, that he hadn't noticed he was still holding.

Lunella

Daniel grabbed her hand and pulled her into his cabin.

"Wow. Pushing him towards Rachel. Real subtle, Nell."

Lunella shrugged. "Sorry. It was the one I could think of."

Daniel shook his head and pulled out the piece of paper he'd hidden from Rachel.

He glanced at his friend. "Okay, any more ideas?"

She grinned, that mischievous prankster's grin, when you knew she was up to no good. "Actually, I do! Several, actually."