Absolutely obsessed with your Jonerys fics truly the fandom is so lucky to have you! As someone who’s favorite holiday is Halloween and loves horror movies I can help but request this prompt for the lovely beans.
117. “i’m not scared but if you are, you can hold my hand.”
Thank you in advance! Have a wonderful day! ❤️
Oh this should be a fun one!
As a rule, Jon hated horror movies. Mainly because he didn't find them scary and the gory ones just seemed to be in it more for the surprise and gross out factor than any actual story telling. In fact, he wasn't exactly a movie person, but preferring television shows. Specifically things like Parks and Rec, The Office, and his newest obsession, Ted Lasso.
But he couldn't tell his brother any of this because Robb didn't listen. Not when his new girlfriend decided that setting Jon up with her friend was necessary. He kept to himself, only went out on a few dates in the last few years, but they eventually all got tired of his stoic silence that they quickly ran away from him. And this was completely unacceptable to Margaery.
She was very pretty, distractingly so, but her cheerful personality grated on his nerves after a while. She always seemed to be performing but he was uncertain who she was performing for. Robb was completely smitten, extolling her virtues to anyone who would listen. Jon was usually the only person who would stick around long enough get an earful about his impressive and beautiful girlfriend. They were blissfully happy, which meant they felt the need to spread the misery around.
So, here he stood, in the lobby of a movie theater, with Robb looking around as Margaery stayed glued to her phone. When she suddenly looked up, her blue eyes were piercing. "She's walking up, now." Margaery stepped forward and brushed a hand over Jon's jacket. "Be charming."
"I'm always charmin'."
Robb snorted but Margaery gave him an indulgent smile. "Of course you are. Dany is my closest friend and I would love it if my closest friend and my boyfriend's brother hit it off."
"Margaery, it's one date, not an arranged marriage. I think I can handle watching a movie."
She only gave him a nervous smile then turned back to Robb. His brother took her by the hand and pressed a kiss to her temple. "It'll be fine, love."
The three of them grew quiet, when suddenly, Margaery waved her hand in the air. And between the people came possibly the most gorgeous woman he'd ever seen. Her long blond hair hung in soft waves around her face. She had on the barest traces of make up, but her plump lips were outlined in a shimmering pink gloss. Her perfect little body was wearing a red Kashmir jumper, tight black jeans, and black boots that sat on top up to the knee. She finally reached Margaery and the two women hugged.
"So glad I found you, this place is a mad house."
Jon was struck dumb by her, as her violet eyes moved over the three and settled on him. A soft pink blush appeared on her cheeks and he realized he must look like a crazy person staring at her as he was.
"Dany, this is Jon. Jon, this is Dany."
They locked hands and she smiled. "I've heard a lot about you, Jon. Pleasure to meet you."
"Same," he said with a nod, but could see Robb and Margaery share a look over her shoulder. "You look... amazing."
She smiled. "Thank you. So, do you like popcorn?" she asked and directed them to the booth.
He nodded and pulled out his wallet. "Of course. Movies without popcorn just don't feel as impressive."
She gave a small laugh. "I suppose not." They waited in line and he had to remind himself not to stare at her and let her think he was a total creep. "So, Jon, are you a butter on your popcorn kind of guy?"
He shrugged. "I'm more of a dump gummy bears into it instead kind of guy."
She suddenly smiled. "Gummy bears? I usually Go Reece's Pieces."
He looked at her with raised eyebrows. "We could do both. A gummy/chocolate/popcorn conglomeration."
"Sounds delightful," she said with a bright smile that it was difficult to look away. They stepped up to the counter and he bought and paid for all of the snacks as well as a pack of Twizzlers." She held the candy as he carried the drinks and the popcorn.
"Margaery didn't tell me what movie we were seeing," Dany admitted.
"The Conjuring," he answered as he handed over the tickets.
"You're joking!" She said as she grabbed his forearm.
They didn't want for Margaery and Robb, but walked ahead into the theater. She was silent as they sat and once in their seat, he held the popcorn on his lap and dumped the gummy bears in followed by the Reece's. He noticed how tense she was and frowned. "You alright?"
"Oh! Yeah! Why are they showing this movie again? Isn't it like... ten years old?"
He shrugged. "I think it's a cruel trick on me."
"Why do you think that?" she asked, and he looked up at her with a wary smile.
"I don't like horror movies."
She seemed to sag in relief. "Neither do I. The world is scary enough."
"Exactly. If I want to be scared, I'll start opening my mail to see how much I still owe on student loans."
She laughed then took a drink of her soda. "I suppose that's far more terrifying that demon possession."
"It certainly is to me. When was the last time a demon mentioned paying back thousands of dollars in debt? I don't think it's all that big of an issue to them. But people like me, scariest thing in the world."
The room suddenly went dark as the previews began to play. He handed her a napkin before she grabbed any popcorn, knowing how he hated the combination of butter and salt on his fingers. As the first scene of the movie came up, she leaned into him and pressed her lips to his ear and whispered, "I’m not scared but if you are, you can hold my hand."
He smiled and took her hand in his. She looked over at him as he stared at her, his heart racing, but not because of the creepy doll on the screen. "Terrified."
By me and my friends with the stupid fanfic creator game
Ship: Anxeit / Janus x Virgil
Virgil arrives at his blind date........ approximately 50 minutes late.... just greeeeaaaaat. First he couldn’t find his tie and dress shirt, then his cat stole his left shoe and his roommate Remus has been making dick jokes all day long, and finally the kicker, his Uber got lost 15 times.
At least he made it, and he goes to take a seat at the table, when he does sit he notices a familiar someone coming over his way and his brain shutters to a stop before the only thought that pops into his head is “oh fuck please not him please not him”....
Sadly for Virgil, luck was not on his side as Janus gracefully takes the seat opposite of him.
You see, Virgil and Janus once were friends but they strayed away from each other in high school and with petty hormone fueled drama, they hated each other. And now they’re on a blind date with each other 7 years later.... just fucking woooonderful...
Honestly just as recent as two years ago, Virgil spent time trying to recover from the loss of the friendship. He’d heard somewhere, probably from one of the drama kids in his dorm, that a friend break up often felt worse than a romantic one. He could help but to think it was true.
Many times in his life he felt angry and scared and suddenly he was in his sophomores year of high school again crying in his bed because he lost his best friend. His safety had been comprised. He couldn’t find it easy to trust. In a selfish way,
He missed Janus.
And now Janus was sitting across from, looking older, and more awkward than the last time they saw each other. Janus fiddled with his wine glass as they waited for the food, neither wanting to break the terse silence.
The silence was giving him more anxiety than anything else.
Janus decided to break it. "You look... Good. How have you been since high school?"
"I've been doing fine... made some friends. Had a few jobs. Went to school." Virgil wanted to kick himself for speaking. This conversation was stilted. And Awful.
“You want to just ditch the ice breakers?"
"Oh thank God."
Janus grinned, and maybe, just maybe, Virgil could see this working out again.
Apparently the screenshot photos don't work for everyone in my AO3 post. So I am posting Doodles & Dates here as well.
Doodles & Dates
By Rierse
Summary:
Rose’s new girlfriend has a brother, and Rose’s friend is definitely his type, at least Juleka thinks so. Marinette grudgingly agrees to a blind date and Luka doesn’t stand a chance once he spots his name on her wrist.
Notes:
Verfound dropped a Blind Date prompt in the disco that went hand in hand with a little idea that was already running around my mind, and they merged into this piece of fluff. Formatting some of this was a little time-consuming and it's still not perfect, so I apologize for any gaps, but I hope you enjoy this little meet-cute.
----------
Marinette rushed, in a hurry as usual, to the café where she was meeting Rose. She was working on her timeliness, it bothered her that her friends often expected her to be late, and having long since learned how to be punctual in professional settings, she believed it was worthwhile to be more punctual in regard to her social life. It was a nice day, she would rather amble along in the early summer sunshine than rush through the city.
"Rose!" She waved to the bubbly blond, each of them arriving in the front of the café at the same time from opposite directions.
The petite blonde giggled at her friend and bounded to her side to greet her with an enthusiastic hug.
"Marinette! It's been ages! I've missed you."
Marinette laughed, her dark hair fluttering around her shoulders with the movement.
"We had lunch two weeks ago." She teased lightly.
"I know, it's been sooo long!"
"C'mon." Grabbing Rose by the hand, Marinette led her to the counter to order their coffee. Once they had their respective orders and were comfortably seated Marinette leaned towards Rose conspiratorially.
"So, how's Juleka? I saw on Insta that you two are finally official! Your last pic was beautiful, by the way."
Rose’s eyes gleamed and she squealed. “Yes, we are. And she is absolutely amazing! She’s gorgeous, has the most wicked sense of humor, and is such a good listener!”
“She sounds perfect for you, and I just love how happy you’ve been; so when do I get to meet her?”
“Ooooh! I actually wanted to talk to you about that. Are you free this Friday? I want you two to meet. We could have a girls' night."
Marinette pulled her calendar up on her phone to check her availability. “Yup, I’m free anytime after three."
“Yay!” Rose's enthusiasm was contagious and Marinette was thrilled to listen to all the details she had to share about her new girlfriend while they made their plans.
*****
Juleka was… quiet. Marinette was surprised at first, she knew of course that opposites could attract, but hoped that Rose’s vibrant personality wouldn’t steamroll the soft-spoken girl. It wasn’t too long into their mani-pedis that she discovered Juleka’s quick wit and acerbic sense of humor- she was a lot of fun once you took the time to listen. And Rose clearly enjoyed taking her time with Juleka. After the relaxing spa-style bonding they took the metro to the Paris Opera house, where Marinette snapped some photos of the adorable couple before the short walk through the cool summer evening to ‘La Brigade’, the popular food truck had recently created a brick and mortar eatery and the girls were eager to support it- and enjoy the fare. The evening was nice enough to enjoy outdoor seating.
After their meal, Juleka made a connection- she had walked a runway in one of Marinette’s creations during Marinette’s time at ESMOD. Both of them had been interning with big names in their respective industries and they swapped crazy couture stories for a bit. Rose ate it up. She loved it when Juleka talked about herself and the fact that her best friend and her girlfriend were quickly becoming fast friends was the perfect outcome of their night out. Marinette was happy to count Juleka as a friend by the end of the night and looked forward to getting to know her even better.
It wasn’t long before the three girls often found themselves in each other’s company. While Marinette was careful to make sure she never interfered with a date night, she rarely felt like a third wheel when all three of them spent time together.
*****
Marinette turned off her sewing machine and set aside her finished piece when she heard her phone ping -again. She stood, stretched, and reached for her phone to see what was going on.
She sent a quick text back, letting Rose know that she was there and available to problem-solve. It was probably an easy fix, Rose didn’t panic easily, but she did tend to overexaggerate.
Marinette set the garment she’d been working on for most of the day on her ironing board and answered the phone just as it started to buzz. Her friend's panicked face appeared before her.
"What's the emergency?" she asked.
Rose took a deep breath and launched into her tale.
"Juleka and I have been planning an epic date night, and we planned to end up at her place to uh, relax for a while, but she has a brother. He’s a musician and travels a lot. So he doesn't have his own place in the city. Anyway, he’s in town and staying with her."
"So what can I do?" Marinette asked, puzzled.
Rose’s eyes lit up and her smile made Marinette nervous. She had a sudden feeling that less of a blanket offer might have been advised in this scenario.
"So, I need you to take him on a date!"
"What." What was Rose thinking?!
"Tomorrow. Keep him out kinda late please!" Rose looked way too happy about this.
"Rose!"
Rose ignored her plea and avoided eye contact, "I'll send you the details!"
"Wait! What's his name?!" She needed something.
"Luka, and don't worry about a thing, thank you, you’re the best!!!"
Marinette stared at her blank phone, the FaceTime call having ended abruptly. Looking around frantically, she grabbed a pen and jotted his name on her arm. Her own loopy scrawl ran up her wrist. At least she wouldn’t forget his name.
Was Rose really just trying to save her date, or was Marinette the newest victim of a matchmaking scheme? With ever-romantic Rose, it could be either… or both.
What was she supposed to do with a guy she’d never met? Paris had a thriving nightlife, staying out late was easy enough, but where? And what if it was thirty kinds of awkward and they both felt stuck?! She didn't want to disappoint Rose. Hmm, once her punctuality was in hand she should work more on boundaries. Her tendency to be a people-pleaser often bit her in the butt.
Chirp, chirp!
She fumbled her phone, nearly dropping it when it buzzed, then glanced at the notification.
Text from an unknown number.
Marinette could hardly believe she’d done that. He’d given her an easy out and she just ignored it. Her reasoning was sound enough though. Rose’s date would be saved, and if she was scheming, they could get past it quickly.
Luka seemed… easygoing, at least over text. If he were anything like Juleka, he would be calm and quiet- comfortable to be around. That seemed manageable. And if it went badly, she could kill Rose. She quickly added Luka’s name to the new chat, feeling only a little nervous about the odd turn her weekend plans had taken. With a plan -of sorts- in place, she tidied her sewing room, got ready for bed, and curled up with her sketchbook and favorite pens. A few pencil sketches later and she’d discarded her sketchbook in lieu of wondering about the guy behind the name on her wrist. He seemed considerate, and it seemed like they should at least be able to be friendly. Marinette grabbed a couple of pens and drew a music note or two near his name- a reminder of the one thing she knew about him. She studied his name for a moment, a new friend was rarely a bad thing, and she was starting to feel excited about meeting him, regardless of the potential awkwardness of being set up. Shoving her sketchbook and her pens off to one side of the bed, she curled up and fell asleep.
*****
Breakfast. Yoga. Shower. Design. A typical Saturday morning. Almost anyway.
As soon as she had settled in with her coffee, pens, and sketchbook her phone pinged again. An unnecessary reminder that Rose was actively plotting her night.
What would she want to know before they met? Right, it would be good to have an idea of what he looked like. Tall with amber eyes like Juleka? Or maybe his eyes would be green like the grass, or blue like the summer sky?
Marinette added a stem of tiny blue blossoms to the growing doodle on her wrist while she contemplated her next message. She brushed a lock of dark hair out of her face and considered it for a moment. Juleka had purple accents in her hair and it looked stunning. Marinette idly wondered how hard it would be to maintain pink accents in her own black hair while she sketched some green vines to swirl around the ever-growing design marking her skin.
Huh, that was fun. The doodles on her wrist were getting more attention than the ideas in her sketchbook. Vines, flowers, and leaves curled their way around the name in black ink, the vibrant colors outshining the center of the design. Absently she retraced his name- adding a couple of little curlicues that meshed well with the floral pattern that had sprung up like a garden around it. There. She forced herself to stop, the overall design was oval in shape and it looked pretty good. Once she slipped her watch on, it shouldn’t look out of place at all.
His quick response made her smile at his thoughtfulness.
She smiled at her phone. He was pretty easy to talk to. Maybe this is why people seem to enjoy using dating apps. However, this wasn’t going to be a real date, just a favor to her friends and a chance to make a new friend. He was Juleka’s brother, so they would have ended up meeting anyway- eventually. Luka sent her a link to a pub that opened for dinner and ran late- it was hosting a special weekend open mic night.
Marinette found it hard to focus after that and ended up setting her sketchbook aside. She puttered around her apartment- wiping down already clean counters and straightening things that were artfully angled. Giving up her attempt at productivity, she went through her closet to pick out a good 'not-a-date-but-kind-of-a-date' outfit. No reason not to dress for the occasion after all. Once she’d settled on something comfortable, but cute, she took her nervous energy outside for a walk, sketchbook in hand once again. If she could avoid looking as anxious as she felt, that would be preferable. Texting Luka had made her feel more nervous-excited than nervous-scared and she was looking forward to meeting him. He’d said he felt more comfortable with his guitar but hadn’t said whether he planned to actually take the stage tonight. She was curious about what kind of music he played, Rose said he spent time traveling, so he must be talented.
She received a few more messages during the day, and quickly discovered that talking to him was easy and comfortable. He admitted that Juleka was annoyed with him for kicking her and Rose out of the planning process, and she admired his ability to usurp Rose’s machinations. Among the many messages was a photo of a cup of coffee by the Seine, so Marinette shared one of her favorite insane coffee stories- a patron of her parent’s Patisserie who was livid when he couldn’t purchase coffee along with his bread, even though there was a café just across the street.
He sent her a photo of a leaf with droplets on it, which in turn, inspired a whole new outfit that took up residency in her sketchbook. She sent a photo of the page and thanked him for the inspiration. Then she started sharing anything that caught her eye; a troubadour whose accordion was raking in tourists and a little paper boat floating in a puddle at the edge of a park. His next photo was of a guitar and an open notebook with a series of notes scattered across it and a half-formed thought that already looked like music to her. Something about, ‘the paper sea and a world bigger than it should be’. The idea that they could inspire each other, even from a distance was compelling. She liked the idea of a whirlwind roma… er friendship.
Her walk was just the thing she needed and she got home feeling refreshed and ready for the night. Of course, she couldn’t avoid Rose all day. She accepted a video call that had both ladies curious about her plans for the night. Luka had kicked them out of the loop and Marinette refused to share the details he confided in her. She did, however, let them offer suggestions on her wardrobe. Rose pushed her to go for something a little more glamorous- as expected. But Juleka seemed to think she should go with her original plan. “You shouldn’t wear anything that makes you feel uncomfortable. Luka’s kind of empathic, and would notice it if you felt out of sorts.” She advised sagely. Rose complained a little but ultimately accepted Juleka’s superior knowledge and bowed to Marinette’s fashion sense.
“You two have fun tonight, and while I’m happy to meet Luka… no more setting me up on dates without my permission Rose.” Marinette scolded lightly. Not that this was a date. Even if texting him all day had been fun as well as intriguing. She couldn’t fall in love over text in one day. That would be absurd. It wasn’t as if she wished it were a real date. Only slightly chagrined, Rose giggled as she promised to behave in the future before hanging up.
Marinette surveyed her ensemble and began to get ready. Dark wash skinny jeans paired with low peep-toe heels and a fluttery dark pink top that was just a few shades away from red. The asymmetrical hemline made it feel playful, offering a sense of motion even in stillness. It was light and familiar, and she always felt like herself in pink. She glanced hesitantly at the tattoo-like doodle still adorning her wrist. Hmmm. That could be awkward. But only if he noticed his name. She secured her watch and added a pair of rose gold bangles. Nothing to see there. A pair of rose gold hoops in her ears and she was ready to go. Grabbing her clutch and a light sweater, she headed out to The Highlander, where she would meet Luka.
*****
The evening was picture perfect, the sun still shining brightly- summer days were long and bright. Faint strains of music could be heard from the entrance as she arrived and it didn’t take long to spot her ‘date’ and holy mother-of-fashion, that was Luke Stone. Tall, dark hair, eyes like the Seine on a sunny day and a smile that could break hearts- and definitely had. Juleka Couffaine’s big brother was up-and-coming rockstar Luke Stone, and she’d been texting him.
Crap.
Damn.
Marinette.exe has ceased to function.
Marinette froze on the walk as he turned towards her with a smile. This was SO much worse than a blind date. She took a very deep, very slow breath- that felt like it was somehow devoid of oxygen.
“Marinette?” he was smiling. At her. A normal girl with a normal life… who had just unwittingly spent the day texting a hot rockstar.
“Mmhmm.” Her voice squeaked, despite making the barest attempt at sound. She was panicking on the inside. She was prepared, excited even, to meet Luka; probable friend. She was not ready to meet Luke Stone; hot rockstar. She was definitely going to kill Rose and Juleka- who she now knew must be absolutely evil. It was always the quiet ones.
“It's really nice to meet you in person, shall we?” he gestured towards the entrance as if his presence hadn’t completely torn her psyche apart.
“Luka?” There, her voice was working, sort of anyway.
“Yes?” No mistake then. And goodness that smile was doing things to her heart.
“You’re Luke Stone.” No one had ever accused her of being smooth. Talented, yes. Friendly, yes. Late? Often. Smooth, never.
“Uh, yes. Is that okay?” He looked a little nervous for the first time and she finally let out the breath she had sucked in too long ago.
“Yes! Of course, it's fine. You are who you are- I just didn’t know you were you.” She dropped her burning face into her hands and apologized. “I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t worry about it.” his voice was low and smooth and she relaxed at the tentative hand he placed on her shoulder. She finally looked up to meet his eyes. “I thought Jules told you, otherwise I would have said something, honest.”
“I blame Rose for everything, you’re in the clear.” She promised a little breathlessly as she smiled, and felt better at the way he seemed to relax now that she seemed to have gathered her bearings.
They made their way into the club and found a table with a good view of the small stage. Luka wasn’t the only one with an instrument case with him, and the light was cozy enough for them to blend in easily, while she could see well enough to sketch if she dared.
And of course, she dared. It was easier for her to relax with her hands busy, and Luka, despite being Luke Stone, was still amazingly easy to talk to. He was sweet and enthusiastic about her designs, thrilled that his leaf photo had made such an impression on her. “Luke Stone” fell away and it didn’t take long before talking to him felt no different than texting him. It was easy to see the similarities between the siblings, even if Luka wasn’t as hard to draw into conversation. They chatted easily over their meal and the evening was going perfectly until she tucked a piece of hair behind her ear while sharing a story and his eyes shifted to her wrist. Her bare wrist, (except for the doodle of his name) since her bracelets had slipped down her arm with her movement.
Luka caught her hand in his and looked at her curiously. “Do you get tattoos of the names of all your dates?” he asked, a smirk on his lips. She snatched it back and tried to explain.
“It isn’t… well, err. Umm.” Why were words so hard? “Yes! I don’t like doing things halfway.”
“Wait, really?” He looked taken aback by her poor attempt at sarcasm.
“No! I just didn’t want to forget your name when Rose first concocted this whole scheme. And then I got a little carried away.” she admitted a little bashfully, blushing furiously.
“Can I see it?” his earnest expression had her offering her hand to him with only minor hesitation. The way his fingers gently traced the designs made her want to offer her pounding heart along with it.
His admiration was sincere and he asked if she could design something for him sometime. “Your style is perfect, I’d be happy to pay, of course.” He’d wanted a tattoo for a while but couldn’t find an artist who seemed to understand what he wanted. There was no way she could have turned him down while he was holding her hand and looking at her so fervently. Then his eyes lit up, and he asked, “Can I take a photo? The girls would get a kick out of this.”
“No!” Marinette snatched her hand back again, shaking her head vehemently.
“Sorry.” Luka seemed to deflate in front of her.
Marinette rushed to explain. “If Rose sees it, she’ll show Maman and Papa. And I’d really like to get to the first kiss stage before Papa starts planning my wedding.”
Luka smiled, leaning towards her, his eyes dancing with mirth. “Wedding?”
Marinette backtracked, her eyes wide and more than a little flustered, “That wasn’t a proposal! I- it’s just my papa tends to get over-excited about my relationships… That wasn’t an invitation.” It took a second for her to realize that she might be insulting him, not to mention giving him the wrong idea about her interest. “Not that I wouldn’t want to, I mean... ” she cut herself off abruptly and looked away. Texting was definitely safer. Online dating suddenly seemed like a good idea, or just maybe going the spinster designer route, maybe that would be for the best.
“Hey.” Luka leaned over to look into her eyes. “I wouldn’t mind getting to the first kiss stage either. Come out with me again. Please?”
She stared at him incredulously. Luka wanted to date her? She felt her own face light up in delight at the thought and his expression went from sweetly pleading to joyful just as quickly. Marinette had just one concern.
“We can't tell the girls yet. Rose will be insufferable .” She gulped at the thought.
“Juleka too, she’ll tell me she told me so,” he said with a shrug.
“What did she tell you?”
“That you were perfect for me, and I’m pretty sure that if she hadn’t fallen for Rose before she met you- she might have tried to keep you to herself.”
“I think you’re more my type than she is.” Marinette winked at him, feeling bolder now that she knew they were on the same page.
He grinned at her, “That’s definitely good to know. I didn’t think I had a type, to be honest. But I’m reconsidering my stance.” He threw a wink back at her for good measure and Marinette liked the butterflies the action stirred up.
“So, back to the tattoo.”
“It’s not a tattoo.” she chided laughingly.
Luka held his hand out to her, the inside of his wrist face up, “Could you do me?”
Marinette let her mouth drop open in a mask of shock even while she couldn’t contain a giggle.
Luka’s eyes went wide and he held his hands out in surrender, “No Marinette, I didn’t mean it like that, I swear .”
“I know what you meant. But I have to say, it was nice to be on this side of a word aneurysm for once.” She pulled a few pens from her clutch and asked what he wanted.
“You. Your name on my wrist, just like mine’s on yours.”
Marinette nodded and got to work, bending her head in a futile attempt to hide her ever-rising blush. She listened to Luka hum an unfamiliar tune while she scrolled little vines and blossoms around her own name, just barely able to hear his voice over the pub’s guest musicians. She added a cluster of tiny hearts to finish off the impromptu design and asked him about the song. “Oh, it's just something playing in my mind.” The look he gave her was intense enough to arrest her thoughts and make her heart stutter. “Something worth chasing to the end, I think.”
Once the ink had dried, he traced her name reverently with his fingertips and then catching her hand in his he placed a whisper of a kiss on her fingertips before he grabbed his guitar case and made his way onstage. He didn’t play long, just three songs, and nothing of his own; they were all covers of popular lovesongs. He didn’t sing, each melody was a beautiful instrumental rendition, but his gaze never left hers while he played and she felt like she could almost hear the familiar lyrics in his low gentle voice and had a feeling that maybe her Papa ought to start planning her wedding cake after all. Whatever this was growing between them, she didn’t want it to stop.
He walked her home, like the gentleman he was. The kiss he left on the edge of her cheekbone was soft and lingering, and she felt it so deeply that she trembled from the weight of all it promised for the future.
*****
Both of them had busy weeks planned, but they’d already agreed to see each other the next weekend and nothing kept them from texting each other all week long. Sharing their thoughts and photos of anything they thought the other might like; their relationship continued to grow in the same way it first sprouted at the beginning of their journey.
Marinette found herself retracing Luka’s name with fresh ink whenever it started to fade from her wrist. Sometimes she changed up the little patterns that flowed around it, but she quickly became attached to it, and not just the bright colors either; there was something about the sight of his name that made her happy.
Their next date went as well- arguably better- than the first. They meandered around the city, hand in hand sharing their favorite haunts with each other and finding that they found inspiration in a lot of the same places. Luka played the tune he’d been humming on his guitar when they stopped to relax in a quiet spot with a take-out lunch.
“It’s you. The song my heart hears whenever you’re around.” Luka said quietly. “It might never be finished, but I want to hear as much of it as I can.”
Luka chased his melody, but Marinette wasn’t exactly hard to catch. The song she inspired was beautiful and it wasn’t long before he was playing it for her, his heart on his sleeve in the notes that fell from the strings and evidenced in her name scrawled on his wrist. Marinette teased him with kisses every time he asked her to re-write her name, and she correctly deduced that he was working to wash it off just before he saw her to ensure it needed to be updated.
*****
They weren’t able to keep their relationship a secret from their family or friends for long, not that they really wanted to. Only three dates in and they had to deal with the fallout of their admission. Rose and Juleka were both smug about setting them up. Ankara Couffaine- Luka and Jules’ ma- welcomed Marinette to the family nearly as soon as Luka introduced them and Tom and Sabine were caught with cake designs nearly the same moment they spotted their matching doodles. Marinette blushed and sputtered, but even so, she would glance at Luka and with a knowing smile she would add a note about flavor or design to her parent’s plans.
Marinette all but melted whenever Luka declared himself, and he seemed to always be demonstrating his love- with or without words. She’d never needed a lot of incentive to find romance, but there was something deeper here than a crush- and she was happy to nourish it. It wasn’t long before Luka found himself on the receiving end of her generous heart and skilled hands. Her gifts appeared to touch his heart and it wasn’t long before Luke Stone and MDC seemed to go hand-in-hand as both rose in popularity. Marinette was a little worried that her brand was benefitting from their relationship- but Luka was quick to assure her that his best songs were inspired by her- it was only fair.
Eventually, she stopped tracing Luka’s name on her wrist- the tattoo artist taped it up and gave her strict instructions for the care of it. When Luka came home from a short recording trip, he lost his powers of speech when he first spotted her new ink.
“I’ve known for a while that I want to keep you, you and your name,” Marinette whispered to him as he held her close. Luka pulled back from the embrace, just enough to look into her eyes.
“I love you, you know that?”
“I do.” She’d known it on some level since their second date. “I love you too,” Marinette stretched up onto her toes to nuzzle her nose against his chin and Luka was only too happy to oblige her. He pressed a kiss to her lips, letting them get caught up in a moment of breathless sighs and gentle caresses before he pulled back to press a kiss to her wrist before he reached behind his neck and fumbled with his necklace- a guitar pick hung from a leather cord. Tucked behind the pick was a stainless steel guitar string ring, knotted artfully around 3 small diamonds.
He pulled the ring free and offered it to her, “Marry me?” he whispered softly.
Marinette’s smile was nearly blinding, “Yes! A thousand times, yes.” She couldn’t stop smiling for days and her cheeks ached with her joy.
By the time they said “I do,” Marinette’s name was proudly displayed on his wrist as permanently as his was on her own. At the wedding, it was easy for all to see the love they held for one another, their eyes shining and their names engraved onto each other’s skin for the world to see.
One of Luka’s favorite wedding photos was one of their tattoos, rings on their hands as they held fast to each other. The sight of his name on her skin was as tantalizing as it was the first day he laid eyes on her.
*****
Notes:
You guys, I did not know that Luke Stone was an up-and-coming rockstar in this fic until Marinette freaked out about it. Sometimes these characters drive me crazy- and they rarely listen to anything I say. I had to walk away from this after that moment and couldn't come back until they let me know how the story was going to go down. It took more than a week before I could even open the doc again.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: One Direction (Band)
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Liam Payne/Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik/Harry Styles
Characters: Louis Tomlinson, Liam Payne, Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Non-Famous, Fluff and Smut, Blind Date, First Dates
Summary:
It's not weird not wanting to meet up with a total stranger, not even if said person knows Harry.
Though, some days Liam thinks that Harry knows half of London.
Which could mean a lot of things about whoever Harry wants him to date, he could literally be anyone. He could do anything, and like anything. Liam's sure that they're all very lovely, but he's not sure that any one of them would be a good fit for him. Or that he would understand half the things they said. Harry's friends can be a tad weird, even if Liam never would say it out loud.
"Pretty please," Harry says, his long limbs half-way into Zayn's lap.
"Fine," he grumbles, before he falls silent, wondering what made him give in to Harry’s insisting on setting him up now. He’s not more alone, or unhappy about not having anyone except his dog Loki in his bed than he was yesterday. To be honest, he’s probably more surprised by his own answer than Harry is.
Or: Louis is Liam's rather lovely blind date. At least, that's what Liam thinks when he sees him at the restaurant.
