FUNNEL CAKES — marlon jackson one-shot .
pairing : marlon jackson x black!fem!reader
content : not proofread . let me know if i've missed anything .
synopsis : in which — you and marlon go on a date to the boardwalk.
( authors note:: i genuinely don't know what this bs is, i just wanted to write something — send me more marlon reqs ! )
The cool evening breeze blew past as you walked along the wooden planks of the Los Angeles boardwalk. It was crowded, every few seconds another group brushed past, arms full of oversized stuffed animals and trays of deep-fried fair food.
Marlon walked beside you, his hand interlocked with yours as you moved through the crowd, his security trailing a few steps behind.
You hadn’t seen Marlon in months since he and his brothers had been on tour. But they’d finally gotten the weekend off and decided to spend it at home.
The moment he got back, he knocked on your door, telling you to get ready for the date he had planned.
Dates were a common thing with you and Marlon. He loved spending time with you, whether it was the drive-in, the skating rink, or just staying in. Neither of you really cared where you went, as long as you were together.
“You see that bear?” he asked, pointing to an oversized stuffed animal hanging above one of the booths. “That’s yours.”
“It’s a waste of money,” you said, glancing at it. “Those games are rigged.”
Marlon scoffed. “Watch me.”
“What?” he asked, placing a hand over his chest. “You don’t believe in me.”
“No,” you said. “I don’t.”
“Cold,” he muttered, shaking his head.
Ten minutes later, he’d lost the game three times in a row.
You stood beside him, a hand pressed to your mouth to hide your laughter after he told you to stop distracting him so he could focus.
“This game is rigged,” he grumbled.
He shook his head with a small laugh, grabbing his jacket from the booth, he’d taken it off after the second round for “better range of motion.”
“You hungry?” he asked, sliding it back on.
He took your hand again, guiding you through the crowd toward one of the food trucks in the center of the boardwalk. A bright neon sign glowed while workers rushed back and forth, taking orders from the long line near the window.
Marlon stepped behind you while you waited, his hands resting easily on your waist.
As the line slowly moved forward, your feet started to ache. You leaned back into him, resting against his chest as his chin settled on the top of your head.
“I missed this,” he admitted quietly.
“Hmm?” you hummed, still scanning the menu.
“You,” he said softer. “Being with you. Spending time with you.”
Your stomach flipped. You finally looked away from the menu and turned slightly in his arms.
“I missed you too,” you smiled, leaning in to press a quick kiss to his lips.
The worker called for the next customer, and you stepped forward, moving back to stand beside him.
“Alright,” he said, rubbing his hands together. “I’m excited now.”
“You’re so serious about this fried dough,” you said, shaking your head.
“You don’t see the vision.”
A few minutes later, the two of you were sitting at a picnic table, sharing a giant paper tray overloaded with funnel cake buried in powdered sugar and ice cream.
You’d only taken a couple bites before letting Marlon basically inhale the rest of it.
“Baby, you’ve got sugar all over your face,” you sighed, reaching up to wipe the corners of his mouth with your thumb.
His eyes met yours for a moment, a slow grin spreading across his face.
“I just missed you, mama.”
You smiled, reaching up to wrap your arms around his neck in a hug, as his hands slipped around your waist and pulled you closer.