Notes: This chapter frustrated the hell outta me, ngl. It was supposed to be the "easy" chapter, bc it was pretty much just going to be Ch12 from OC-tober 2020, but nooooo. It demanded a total rewrite. (The main idea is the same (Luka proposing, the shenanigans), but the execution ended up being entirely different. And somehow harder, now that I had to tie it into things? Hopefully it still works. xD)
I Pick You
Chapter Five: Picking a Future
"Hey."
Marinette looked up from the dresser, a dangly earring halfway through her ear, at his voice. She caught Luka's eye in the mirror and felt whatever irritation that had lingered from the scuffle with the kwamis slip away. He was leaning against the door, his hands in his pockets and an easy smile on his face – her favorite smile. His Marinette smile. She put the back on her earring and turned to him, letting her Luka smile curl her lips.
"Come here," she said, holding her arms out for him. He chuckled and walked over to her, crossing the room in a few short steps. Her smile softened as he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close as he bent over her. "Today has been entirely too long. Not enough you in it for an anniversary. Please tell me you have something wonderful planned to make up for it."
"I thought I wasn't supposed to plan tonight?" he chuckled, rubbing his hand along her back. He pressed his palm between her shoulder blades, gently working on the tense knots he could feel building up, and she sighed as she relaxed against him.
"You know what I meant, doofus," she murmured. She looked up at him, and before she could say anything else he dipped down to kiss her. "Mmm. More of that, please."
"We still have dinner to get to," he said, though he was smiling as he kissed her again. "More of that later – I believe you said something about dessert?"
She snorted, clapping a hand over her mouth to cover her laugh. He winked at her, and she groaned as she pressed her face into his chest.
"We could just stay home, right? You said there were no reservations to worry about," she said. Her arms were bent between them, and her fingers had started toying with the buttons of his shirt. She peeked up at him with an innocent smile that really wasn't very innocent at all. "It's not like it's a big anniversary. No milestones here. We could stay in and just…relax."
…and as much as he loved the sound of that, he actually did have a plan, damn it. He'd much rather save the relaxing for later, when he'd hopefully be relaxing with his fiancée instead of his girlfriend.
"Every anniversary with you is a big anniversary, Marinette," he said, tipping her chin up. He needed to stop kissing her, otherwise they really wouldn't make it out of the flat. He brushed his thumb against her chin and smiled when he pulled away. "And where we're going may be loose on reservations, but I'm sure…" he paused, and she lifted an eyebrow at him, "…the staff won't be pleased if the general reservation is missed."
"…you made a reservation without making a reservation?" she asked, blinking at him. He grinned and kissed her nose.
"You'll see," he said. "Now. Are you ready?"
She turned back to the mirror to give herself a final inspection. She put the other earring in and turned to him, holding her arms out to fully display the outfit and inclining her head, waiting for his approval. He swallowed as he took her in.
The halter-style black dress wasn't anything fancy, compared to some of the dresses she'd worn in the past for various work functions. But it hugged her just right, and it flared to her knees, and the spray of pink and white cherry blossoms sprawling along her side was just so her. The fabric glimmered in the light when she moved, like the dress was infused with a million little stars, and the sweetheart neckline…
He felt a little guilty, looking at her bare neck. He stepped back over to her and brushed his fingers along her chest, where the pick charm would rest, and frowned at her.
"I'm so sorry about that," he said. She caught his hand and shook her head.
"You know how the kwamis are," she sighed. "It was an accident."
He forced a smile on his face, hoping she would still forgive him as easily later, when she realized it maybe hadn't been as accidental as he was letting her believe.
"I tried…I left it on your desk. I'm not as good at the whole jewelry-making thing as you are. Didn't want to mess it up," he said. She waved him off and leaned up for another kiss.
"It's an easy enough fix – just swapping out the cord," she said. "I'll take care of it later. Now. I believe you asked if I was ready to go?"
"Yeah," he said, smiling as he took her hand and tugged her towards the door. "Come on, beautiful."
The necklace might still be waiting for her on her desk, but the actual pick was safely tucked into his front pocket, where she wouldn't find it if hands started to wander and slipped into his back pockets like she liked to do. With every step, Luka could feel it like a lead weight pressing into his thigh, carrying with it all of his hopes and dreams for a future with the incredible woman beside him. It felt worlds heavier than a tiny piece of plastic had any right to be.
– V –
"So where are we going, anyway?"
The Liberty was moored a short walk from their flat – maybe ten, fifteen minutes tops. The path was well-worn and familiar after so many years (whenever moored, his ma had usually remained in the same quai for most of his life), but Luka had maybe led Marinette in a longer, more roundabout route than they usually took. Just to throw her off – and, admittedly, to stall for time: Rose had already texted him letting him know she'd dropped off the basket with their dinner, but Dingo was running late. He was hoping to give him enough time to hide before they got there.
Besides. Some storms were supposed to roll in overnight, and the heatwave was finally breaking. It wasn't much cooler out, but there was a nice breeze blowing through the city. The sun was still out, but it was starting to sink below the buildings. Marinette was tucked against his side, his arm wrapped around her bare shoulders as her head rested against him. He was enjoying the early summer evening.
"You'll see," he said, smiling down at her. She stuck her tongue out at him, and he chuckled. Her hand slipped lower on his waist, sliding into his back pocket as she settled back against him.
"Fine. Keep your secrets," she huffed. He smiled and pressed a kiss to her head. She didn't move, but he could see the contented smile on her face and knew she was enjoying their stroll as much as he was.
"We're almost there," he said. His phone buzzed in his pocket, and while they waited for a light to change he snuck a glance at his notifications. Dingo was ready. He squeezed her shoulder and looked around the street, noting their location and realizing they were closer to the quai than he had thought. "Besides, it's a nice night out. Forgive me for wanting to enjoy it with you."
"…fine, but if you start sweating I'm making you get a shower when we get home," she teased. He chuckled and tipped her head up, stealing a kiss.
"I have other plans for you when we get home," he murmured against her lips, smiling when her breath hitched. He winked and pecked at her mouth again. "Unless you want to join me."
"…maybe," she hummed. She noticed the light had changed, and she tugged on his waist to get him moving again. They settled back into a comfortable silence, enjoying the warm summer night.
A short walk later found them meandering by the Seine, and she looked around in curiosity.
"Wait a minute," she said, frowning. "There aren't any restaurants around here – this is a residential area. This is…just where are you taking me, Couffaine?"
"You'll see," he chuckled. She eyed him suspiciously, but then the Liberty came into view, unusually dark for such a typically rowdy boat. It didn't look like anyone was home. She pursed her lips in a frown and looked up at him. He grinned and shrugged a little. "Surprise?"
"…what are you up to?" she asked, her voice suspicious as he stepped away from her to unlatch the gate. He held his hand out and helped her over the gangway, smiling as she started looking around. He led her over to the darkened stage, and she glanced at him suspiciously as he reached for the power strip hanging off a nearby crate. He winked at her as he flipped the switch, and her eyes widened in delight as the deck flickered to life.
The Liberty was always…colorful. Alive. Loud. And in a way, it still was.
It wouldn't have been the Liberty if it wasn't.
But tonight there was something more…subtle about it. A soothing wood solo trilling on the breeze compared to the usual percussive crash that usually echoed along the boards. The brighter lights had been unplugged, leaving the only light to come from the strands of fairy lights that had been strung up years ago. A few more had been added, illuminating the old stage. An old tarp was still strung up between the supports, providing the stage a sense of privacy, no matter how false, from the rest of the world. The deck was still a little cluttered, but the clutter almost looked…organized. The chairs and crates had been moved aside and stacked, leaving a clear path – that had been marked by scraps of sheet music cut into heart-shaped petals, what on earth – to the stage. Marinette looked up at Luka, her eyes wide, and even in the low sunset light she could see the flush on his cheeks. A delighted giggle escaped her as she took a step forward, her hands coming up to cover her mouth.
The stage…the stage had been (mostly) empty for years. Now that both Juleka and Luka had moved out, there really wasn't anyone to use it anymore. The Captain still taught on the side and would occasionally use the space for students, and of course she still set up for the summer Music Festival, but usually these days the stage just served as more storage space. Tonight, though, Luka had gone all out. Ivan's old drums were set up near the back, though the plate for the kick drum had been switched out for a clear cover that showed more fairy lights had been stuffed inside. Claire was in her old stand with one of Juleka's old basses across from her, and the mic was pushed off next to the bass. There was even a cheery flower crown adorning the mic (Rose's doing, Luka was sure, as it hadn't been there when he'd left). The center of the stage, where the mic should have been, had been cleared away. A gingham blanket – an old yellow one Marinette recognized from their first actual, official date – was spread out, a large picnic basket holding it down. A few battery-operated candles were flickering around it, and George was resting in his case at the edge beside the drums.
Marinette turned back to Luka, her beautiful eyes dancing in the low light.
"Happy anniversary," he said, bending to kiss her.
"You…how…happy anniversary," she said, giggling as she shook her head. "Where…I thought I lost that blanket! Where did you…?"
"Ok, it's not the same blanket," he chuckled, reaching up to rub at the back of his neck. "That one…that one's gone. But I tried to find one that was similar? Ma S helped."
She rose an eyebrow at that, but he just smiled at her. He had promised Dingo he'd never tell her what had actually happened to the original blanket – he'd already beat the shit out of him for it back then, anyway.
"I can't believe you did all this," she laughed, bending to pick up one of the 'petals' leading to the stage. She held it up for him, and he shrugged. The sheet music petals had been all Rose, but she had convinced him Marinette would find the idea sweet and not cheesy.
"It's our anniversary," he said. He plucked the paper from her fingers and held it in his palm, blowing softly on it so it fluttered towards her face. Her giggles were one of the sweetest sounds he'd ever heard. "Aren't anniversaries supposed to be romantic?"
"Luka," she laughed, reaching for his hand and tugging him towards her. "Last year romantic was cold Chinese in a New York hotel room while we listened to Jagged and Penny argue in the next room."
"That was not my fault, and I made up for it when we got home," he laughed, pulling her closer. He had tried his best the previous year, given their anniversary had landed in the middle of a summer tour, but everything had seemed determined to spite him back then. Her flight had been delayed, the restaurant he'd made their reservation at had a gas leak and had to close unexpectedly, Jagged had done something stupid that had set Penny off…it had definitely not been the anniversary he'd wanted for her. He gave her a helpless little smile. "And maybe it's making me try harder this year."
Her smile told him she wasn't convinced.
"…I'm on to you, monsieur," she whispered, tapping a finger against his chest. His stomach settled near his feet, but he kept his smile easy.
"There's no ulterior plan here, darning," he said. She hummed when he kissed her. "Just a guy wanting to show his girl a good time."
"We could have done this at home, though," she said, gesturing to the picnic setup. "No walking, no kicking the Captain off the boat, no dressing up…"
"I like the dressing up," he teased, tugging her back to him when she went to sit down. His fingers played along the zipper of her dress, and she grinned at him. "Well. I like undressing up." He lowered his head, smirking as he looked at her through his eyelashes. "And so do you."
She blinked slowly at him, her eyes darting down to his mouth, as her cheeks turned pink. He watched as the tip of her tongue slipped out, moving along her lower lip to wet it, and then she was looking back at his eyes and her flush turned darker as she realized she'd been caught ogling (and quite possibly fantasizing).
"D-did you cook, too?" she squeaked, pulling away from him and rushing over to the blanket. She glanced up at him once she was seated, a smile on her flushed face, and he chuckled as he joined her. Eight years and she still got so flustered at the barest provocation. He hoped they never lost that.
"Do you honestly trust me to cook?" he teased, kissing her cheek as he reached for the bottle of wine she hadn't noticed sitting by the basket.
"…I trust you to cook picnic food," she said innocently, a teasing edge to her voice. He laughed as he poured her a glass of wine.
"So sandwiches," he said. She leaned back on an arm and sipped her wine, grinning.
"Exactly. Sandwiches," she said. "It's pretty hard to mess up bread, meat, and cheese."
"Damn," he sighed, throwing his head back to stare forlornly at the sky. "I knew the gummy worms seemed suspicious."
…she choked a little on her wine, and he laughed as he clapped a hand against her back. She gave him a disbelieving smile, her eyes darting nervously to the basket.
"You…you're not serious," she said. He laughed again as he shook his head.
"Easy, darning," he said. He leaned over, opened the basket, and pulled back a corner of the towel tucked on top to reveal containers underneath. "Rose cooked."
"Oh, thank God," Marinette sighed, maybe a bit too quickly.
"Hey!" he laughed. She darted close to kiss his cheek, but before she could move away he caught her face and kissed her mouth. She leaned into him, smiling against his lips as her hand slid into his hair. She hummed when he pulled back, her nails lazily scratching along his scalp. "Glad to know you have such faith in my culinary skills."
"It's ok, star," she giggled, though it sounded breathier than her earlier giggles. It didn't help when he kissed her again. "I like instant ramen."
"Marinette!" he laughed, catching her as she collapsed against him in a fit of giggles. He nudged her wine glass back before she knocked it over. "Ok. Dinner's cancelled. Way to ruin the mood."
"No!" she wheezed, wrapping her arms around his waist and snuggling close. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry – I'll be nice!"
He rolled his eyes, but he was smiling as he dropped another kiss on her head. She grinned at him as she sat up, reaching for the basket to sit it between them.
"So what did you have Rose make for us?" she asked, bouncing a little in her seat. "For this totally normal, run-of-the-mill, not-different-at-all-from-any-other anniversary dinner that you definitely didn't plan for?"
He paused halfway through removing the container with their salad. His eyes shot up to her too-innocent face, and he swallowed back the nerves.
"…there you go again," he said, shaking his head. He tried to keep his voice light. "Accusing me of planning."
"Luka," she said, leveling him with a knowing look. The pick in his pocket felt heavier than ever. "Come on."
"I don't make plans, Marinette," he argued, though it sounded weak in his ears. He shrugged a little as he handed her a plate with some salad. She took it from him, but instead of eating she put it by her wine.
"No, but you set up this nice, fancy dinner on your mother's boat," she said, scooting closer. He took a bite of his salad and made a show of chewing. He wanted to argue that, so far, he'd just given her wine and salad – that was hardly 'fancy'. She leaned against his arm and drew her hand up, running her fingers along his thigh before moving to play with the buttons over his stomach. He raised his eyebrows, and she laid her head on his shoulder to smile up at him. That was one of her Dangerous smiles. "Which I'm pretty sure you cleaned."
…shit. He knew he had tried too hard with that.
"It's…it's a big anniversary," he said once he'd swallowed, though that sounded like a weak excuse, too. Nervous. Why was he so nervous? "I just thought it would be nice to have dinner where we first met. That's all."
"It's just eight years, Luka," she reminded him. Before he could once again argue that every year was important, not just 'milestones' like five or ten, she gestured towards the door that led to the cabins. "And if you were going for where we first met…technically that was below deck."
Her hand was back on his stomach, but it had stilled with her palm flat against him. He chuckled weakly as he put his plate down.
Damn.
He was pretty sure he'd been caught.
"I don't think I'd fit in my old bunk if I tried," he said, shaking his head. He took her hand in his own and brought it up to his mouth, kissing her knuckles. "Definitely too small for both of us and dinner."
"Could be fun trying," she purred.
"Marinette…" he laughed helplessly, leaning his forehead against hers. She smiled and squeezed his hand.
"Come on, Lu," she said. "What are you planning?"
"I think you know already," he said, pulling back. He let go of her hand to reach into his pocket. Was his hand shaking? His hand felt like it was shaking. He closed it around the pick to steady it. Her eyes followed his every move.
"I think I have suspicions," she said. He watched her for a moment, until she sighed dramatically and reached for her own salad. "But if you insist this is just an anniversary dinner, I guess I won't be too disappointed if I'm wrong."
"Disappointed?" he parroted, lifting a brow as she took a bite.
"Mmm – this is good. What dressing did she use?" she asked, ignoring him to take another bite of her salad.
"Mari, come on," he laughed, letting go of the pick to reach for her plate. He tried to pull it away, but she just grinned at him and took another bite. "Disappointed?"
She rolled her eyes fondly, looking at him like he was being intentionally thick.
"It has been eight years, Luka," she said softly, finally letting him take the plate. "Honestly, I was expecting something last year. I mean, you went through all that trouble of flying me to another country…"
"Because Penny scheduled me…" he started, but he paused when he saw the twinkle in her eye. The knowing smirk dancing at the corner of her mouth. "Oh, no. You're not tricking me into giving anything away that easily, mademoiselle."
"I have no idea what you're talking about, monsieur," she giggled. There was a buzz beside them, and from the corner of his eye he noticed his phone light up. It could wait, though – or at least he thought it could. Until Marinette's eyes darted down to the screen. Her grin grew. "Though one could argue that your accusing me of tricking you into giving something away means you actually do have something to give away in the first place. Any reason why Dingo wants you to hurry it up already, Lu?" The phone buzzed again, and she bit down on her smile. "His foot's falling asleep."
He pulled her back to him, and she laughed as he tried to kiss her. To distract her, they both knew, or maybe just because it was a special night and he could. They settled into a lazy makeout, dinner and Dingo mostly forgotten, until his phone buzzed again.
"Do you need to get that?" she snickered against his mouth. He bit at her lip, and she smiled at him.
"I don't need anything, Marinette," he sighed. "It can wait. It's not you, so it's not important."
"Luka…" she breathed, sighing as he resumed kissing her. He grumbled when she picked up his phone and pressed it against his chest, ducking her head so he couldn't kiss her any more – so he moved his mouth to her neck and started kissing there instead. "The sooner you get rid of Dingo the sooner I can put this salad dressing to better use."
"…ok, we're definitely going back to that," Luka laughed, smirking at her as he unlocked his phone – just as it buzzed again.
DK: She's got a point yanno
DK: Hurry up & do it & I can leave you lovebirds alone :kissing_heart:
He looked up, his eyes moving around the deck, and he frowned when he saw Dingo's head pop up from behind some crates. He was almost unrecognizable: dressed all in black, his mohawk somehow stuffed into a black ski cap, and even his shades were a plain black (which was…surprising, because Luka honestly didn't think Dingo owned a single pair of plain black shades) – but there was no mistaking the toothy grin he shot their way. Luka caught Marinette's face in his hands, pulling her into a hurried kiss when she started to follow his gaze, and Dingo snickered as he tossed them a thumbs up.
"Luka!" Marinette laughed, and he groaned as he pressed his forehead to hers.
"You're too good at this, Marinette," he sighed. "I've been nervous about this for weeks, and you just…"
"You have absolutely nothing to be nervous about, you big dork," she said. She wrapped her fingers around his wrists, her thumb rubbing along the cording on the bracelet she had made him so long ago now. She leaned in, kissing him softly, and he felt some of the nerves slip away. "Like I'd ever say no. Like you'd be able to get rid of me that easily."
His lips quirked in a wry little grin, a defeated laugh escaping him as he brushed his thumbs along the apples of her cheeks. She squeezed his wrists, and he shook his head.
"I know that," he said, kissing her. "I know. But…you're so amazing, Marinette. The most amazing girl I've ever known. The –"
"Song that's been stuck in your head since we first met?" she prompted with a giggle, and he rolled his eyes as he kissed her again.
"Shut up," he laughed. "God, teenage me was such a pretentious little shit."
"Teenage you was a sweetheart," she chided. "Teenage you was who I first fell in love with."
"Teenage me was a lucky son of a –" he started, but she cut him off with another kiss.
"Adult me would like adult you to stop berating teenage you and get to the point," she teased. He chuckled and reached back into his pocket, fidgeting with the pick. Her eyebrows rose, and she bit down on her lip to try and hold back her growing smile. He shook his head and pulled the pick out, keeping it hidden in his fist. "Because a girl can get pretty impatient about these things, you know, and I might just ask you first if you don't hurry it up."
"All right, all right," he said. "I just…I wasn't nervous you'd say no, not really. It's just that you really are the most extraordinary girl I've ever known, Marinette. I wanted to do this right. Surprise you with a big romantic gesture and all that."
"Just ask me, Luka," she sighed, squeezing the wrist she was still holding. "The only wrong way to do it is to not do it at all. This is lovely, but I didn't need all of this, you know? I just need you."
"You don't need it, but you deserve it," he said, kissing her. "You deserve the world, Marinette. Maybe I wanted to make this just a little special, but since you already seem to have my plan figured out…"
He held his fist out between them, keeping it closed over the pick. He felt her eyebrows furrow before she moved her head, looking down, and he kissed her forehead.
"It just felt…right, I guess, bringing you back here. To where we first met, back at the Music Festival all those years ago," he said softly, smiling when she glanced up at him. "That was such a big weekend. It was Juleka's first real Festival, and our new band was debuting. I knew it was going to be special, but I never imagined…I never knew that weekend was going to completely change my life. I never thought this amazing, incredible girl was going to stumble into my room stuttering about mamas and grooves –"
"Oh my God, Luka, let it go!" she laughed, reaching up to cover her face as her cheeks warmed. She peeked out over her fingertips, and he could tell from how her eyes crinkled that she was grinning at him.
"Ok, ok," he laughed, pulling her hands down and smiling at her. He took a deep breath to steady the nerves that were trying to come back. "Ok. I gave this to you a long time ago, Ma-Ma-Marinette –"
"Luka," she warned, but he just chuckled and kissed her cheek. He held up his hand, and her eyes widened as she looked down to find the pick charm in his palm, Jagged Stone's face grinning up at her. "…what?"
"I don't know," he said with a shrug, still grinning when she glanced up at him again. "Big anniversary. Big night. Seemed like I should try and give it to you again."
"You…what are you…" she frowned as she picked it up, and her frown deepened when she felt the uneven surface on the back – the writing that had been added in metallic, silver marker. "What…"
She flipped it over, and her eyes widened as she saw the message he had so carefully written on the back: marry me? Her head shot up, her mouth dropping open as she looked at him. He smiled softly as he reached up, tapping her chin to close her mouth.
"I thought you had figured me out?" he teased gently. "You mean you didn't actually figure out that I was going to propose?"
"I…yeah, but…Luka," she gasped, gesturing with the pick, and he laughed as he dropped his hand on his knee, rubbing to dispel some of the nervous energy – because of course the nerves were coming back, now that it was out there and she wasn't actually saying yes (or no). She looked back at the pick, shaking her head in wonder. "When did you…oh my God, Tikki!"
"…we already had words," he said, rolling his eyes. "That part honestly was an accident – she was only supposed to get it off of you, not…I am so sorry about that."
"I can't believe you…" she muttered, shaking her head.
"Is that a no, then?" he asked, tapping his fingers against his knee.
"What? Oh, no!" she gasped, shaking her head. "I mean yes! I mean…I still wanna hear you ask?"
"Marinette!" he laughed, pulling her close.
"Luka!" she laughed back. "Come on. I wanna hear the words."
"You know I'm useless with words," he murmured, kissing the crown of her head. She snuggled into his chest, her arms wrapping around him.
"You have an entire album's worth of songs proving that's bullshit, Couffaine," she hummed, nudging his chest with her nose. "More if you count the EP and the songs you've written for others. Come on. Two little words aren't that hard."
"Fine," he sighed, tipping her chin up. His eyes darted down to her lips before looking back at her. He brushed his thumb against her chin, smiling. "Marinette Dupain-Cheng, will you please put me out of my misery…" she rolled her eyes at that, jabbing at him with her elbow, "…and marry me?"
"Ye –" she started to say, but then a shout from the side cut her off and had their eyes popping open.
"Oi! Louder!" Dingo called, popping up from the crates again. Marinette jerked away from him, her eyes bugging out as he waved at them. "I didn't catch any of that!"
"What the f-" Marinette screeched, scrabbling away from him and trying to stand. He reached for her wrist, trying to pull her back down, but she shook him off and stepped towards the crates. Dingo gulped as she glared at him, raising a hand to wave sheepishly. "Dingo King, what the hell are you doing back –?!"
…it all happened so fast.
In her agitation and rush to strangle Dingo (which was something he understood perfectly, having experienced that feeling enough times himself over the years), she tripped. He wasn't sure what exactly she tripped on – the blanket, their dinner, a stray cable, her own feet, the air – but the next thing either of them knew her arms were pinwheeling. He pushed himself up, scrambling himself to catch her before she fell – and he had just fisted his hand into the bit of dress covering her back when she caught herself.
Except her hands had opened in the chaos.
And he watched, horrified, as the pick flew out of her hand and into the river.
And then she watched, horrified, as he scrambled to his feet and dove in after it.
"Luka!" she screeched, grabbing onto the rail and peering into the dark water below. Dingo vaulted the crates and raced over to her side, catching himself on the rail with one hand and using the other to raise the camera above his head. There was no light on the camera beyond the blinking recording light, though, and the low lighting from the deck barely illuminated much past the hull. The sun had almost faded from the sky, leaving the sky a beautiful display of burnt oranges and reds fading into inky blues, but the river below was still dark in the sunset light.
"Shit, shit, shit! Do you see him?" Dingo asked, lifting his shades to peer at the water. Marinette was holding onto the rail in a white-knuckled grip.
"No! What the hell was he thinking?! What the hell were you thinking?!" she demanded, reaching out to slap him. Dingo yelped and jerked back, trying not to send the camera into the water, too.
"Oi – easy! This is Rose's camera, and I for one do not want to have to explain –" he started, but she screamed and leaned over the rail some more.
"You better explain some – oh, thank God! Luka! You idiot!" Marinette cried as Luka resurfaced with a gasp. He bobbed below them, one of his hands closed in a fist. He grinned up at her like he hadn't just scared ten years off her life and raised his hand, holding up the pick for her to see. She shook her head, glaring at him. "I don't care about the stupid pick, you dumbass – you could've killed yourself!"
"Oh, please," Dingo snorted, batting at her shoulder to catch her attention. She turned her glare on him as he shoved the camera at her. While she'd been yelling at Luka, he'd looped a rope over his shoulder. "Like he doesn't know those waters like the back of his hand. My mate there's been jumping into that river his whole life. All good, Lu?"
"She wasn't supposed to see you, dumbass!" Luka called as Dingo tossed him the rope.
"Yeah, yeah – don't do something stupid like jump overboard next time you propose, then!" Dingo shot back. He leaned over the rail, grinning down at his friend. "Oi. If you hadn't made it, does that mean I get to marry her, then?"
"…what?" two deadly calm voices asked, and he glanced over to find Marinette had settled her glare back on him. He tossed her a wink. Below, Luka had stopped climbing.
"Shouldn't you be more worried about getting Bri to marry you and less worried about stealing my fiancée?" he asked.
"S'part of the Best Man's duties, Lulu!" Dingo cackled. "In the event the groom kicks it or runs off, the Best Man steps up and marries the bride instead! I'm just looking out for poor, prematurely widowed Marinette!"
"I'm pretty sure I have to say yes before that clause kicks in," Marinette tutted. Luka had finally reached the rail, but he paused halfway through climbing over it to look at her. Her breath hitched at the almost fearful – nervous – look on his face.
"…weren't you, though?" he asked. "Before…I was pretty sure you were saying yes. Like I'd ever be able to get rid of you that easily, wasn't it?"
She grabbed his arm and hauled him back on deck. She paused, taking a moment to consider him (and his very wet clothes), before she dove at him. He grunted as she hit him with enough force to stumble back into the railing, and if he'd been any less of a seaman they would have gone right back overboard. He smiled as he held her, his hand rubbing soothing lines along her back.
"Don't ever scare me like that again, Couffaine," she huffed, squeezing him tight.
"…that's still not answering my question," he chuckled, and she grumbled as she half-heartedly tried to step on his foot. He smiled and held her closer. Before he could say anything else, though, Dingo dashed in, the camera held up to their faces.
"Wait, wait, wait – you gotta ask again! Louder! I missed it the first time!" he said. They both turned to glare at him, and he gestured for them to get on with it. "Come on – you know Rose'll kill me if I don't get The Moment for posterity or proof or prenups or whatever!"
"…Ding, you're killing me," Luka groaned. Marinette turned back to him, and he sighed. "Rose's idea. Thought you'd like to have the actual proposal on film."
"Hey, it'll make a great video for the engagement party – that was a beautiful dive, Lulu!" Dingo snickered. Luka just flipped him off.
"Dingo, I'm giving you three seconds to get the hell out of here so I can properly kiss my fiancé," Marinette said, her tone leaving no doubt as to what would happen if Dingo didn't listen. Luka looked back at her, a surprised smile lighting his face, and honestly. Maybe she didn't actually want to marry him after all – he was such an idiot sometimes. She reached up, smiling as her hand cupped his face. "…maybe five. I'm feeling generous."
"But –" Dingo started, but Luka held up a hand with each digit extended.
"Scram, Ding," he said, tucking his thumb against his palm. Marinette grinned at him, and after a second or so had passed (where Dingo had continued to splutter excuses) he bent another finger. "I am going to ravish my fiancée whether you're standing there or not."
"We do need to get out of these wet clothes," Marinette giggled as he bent another finger. "You know. Before we get sick."
"…I'm suddenly rethinking how big my old bunk actually is," he laughed.
"Ok, ok, fine – keep his pants on! Jules is right. You two are disgusting," Dingo grumbled, turning and fidgeting with the camera to shut it off as he tried to leave. He was halfway across the gangway when Luka winked at Marinette, grabbed a weighted ball out of a nearby crate, and chucked it at Dingo's head. Dingo yelped as he stumbled, and Luka grinned as the camera fell into the Seine.
"I'll get Rose a new one," he said, winking at Marinette. "I…really don't want your dad hearing the end of that video. Y'know, Where I promised to ravish you."
"Papa wants grandbabies," Marinette giggled, tugging his face down to hers. He groaned as she pressed herself against him, one of her hands dropping to drag along his side as she thoroughly kissed him. She pulled away, but barely – enough that her breath was still warm and sweet on his lips. "I don't think he'd complain about any ravishing you plan to do. Especially now that you're finally putting a ring on it. Speaking of…"
He blinked as she reached into his pocket, fishing out the pick charm and grinning up at him. She clipped it onto his bracelet for safekeeping, her fingers tracing over the proposal as her grin turned into a warm smile.
"As much as I love this," she said, tapping the pick as she glanced up at him. "I'm dying to know. Where's my ring, Lu?"
…shit.
He knew he had forgotten something…