17 October 2020

Prompt: Shelter

Character/Pairing: Dingo King (OC), Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Luka Couffaine; Lukanette

Rating: T / PG-13 / Teen

Notes: Idek with this one, but I like the closing bit so I guess I'm keeping it.

It's been a…well. Not a horrible day, not really, but it's definitely been dreary. The sky has been overcast since the night before, the winds bringing with them the scent of rain and the promise of a soaking storm. Dingo barely listens to the news anymore – Nadja Chamack isn't the most reliable journalist, and he doesn't really trust meteorologists – and he doesn't usually pay much attention to the skies.

It usually doesn't bite him quite as hard in the ass, though.

He should have grabbed his umbrella that morning, but it had just been overcast. It had been overcast for a while. He honestly hadn't thought it would actually rain. He should have known better. He's been stuck under an awning for a good twenty minutes waiting out the storm.

He's freezing. He's wet. He's miserable.

"Dingo?"

…he might just be saved.

He looks up at the voice to find Marinette standing on the sidewalk before him, a pink-with-white-polka-dotted umbrella over her head. She's smiling a bit helplessly at him.

"What are you doing out here?" she asks, and he shrugs.

"Was going to see Luka," he says. "Got caught in the rain."

He grins a little wider at the pretty blush that colors her cheeks.

"What a coincidence," she tuts, "so was I. Care to join me? My umbrella's big enough for two."

He darts out from under the awning, scooping her up and twirling her in a tight hug. She squeals and almost loses hold of her umbrella, and if his soaked clothes didn't get her wet the loss of her personal shelter definitely did.

"Dingo!" she cries, but he's laughing as he puts her down.

"Thanks, baby girl," he says. "I've been waiting twenty minutes for this to let up."

"It's not supposed to until tomorrow morning," she says. She groans a little as she pulls her shirt away from her stomach, and he tries not to smirk. Luka owes him big for getting her white shirt wet. "Ugh, Dingo! I'm soaked now!"

"Lu's got something you can change into, I'm sure," he says off-handedly. "I'm definitely borrowing something. C'mon – the boat's still a good ten minutes away."

When they finally made it to the boat, though, no one was actually home. Marinette seems disappointed, but she's willing to walk Dingo back home – until he hops the gate and strolls across the gangway like he owns the place. She thinks he probably thinks he does. He opens the latch behind him, and she scrambles after him, following him below deck. She only feels a little guilty, but she really wants to get out of the rain, and the Liberty has practically become a second home anyway…

"He's at work," Dingo tells her when she joins him in Luka's cabin, tossing her some pants and a shirt from under the bed. "Shit. They actually made him work in this?"

"…he's going to get sick!" Marinette says, and Dingo nods as he shoots Luka another text. Marinette pulls the partition and goes to Juleka's side of the room to change.

"Ah. Ok. So he's cutting his shift off early because of the weather. He'll make it up later in the week," Dingo calls. "He's on his way back now, if you want to wait for him?"

"I would just head back home," she snorts, "but now I have to dry my clothes, so I guess I'm stuck here with you, huh?"

"I'll make cocoa!" Dingo cries, and Marinette rolls her eyes. It's better than walking home in the rain, and Luka is on his way back…

When Luka walks through the door about fifteen minutes later, Marinette and Dingo are both wearing his clothes and huddled under a blanket on the couch, mugs of cocoa in their hands as they watch a movie. He frowns as he sees them, but the frown disappears when Marinette smiles at him.

"…I'd give you a hug, but you're soaked, and I've already changed once," she teases. She nods to his cabin. "Go change and get back here. You're a better cuddle buddy than Dingo."

"Oi!" Dingo whines. "I'm a great cuddle bud!"

"Nope," Marinette says, popping the p. She sips her cocoa and winks at Luka. "You're all boney angles. Besides, I came here for Luka snuggles. It's just my luck I'm picking up his bad habit of bringing home rabid strays instead."

Dingo pretends to be insulted, but Luka just laughs and follows her orders. A few minutes later he's in old sweats and huddled between them, Marinette curled against his side as Dingo uses his shoulder as a pillow (which would have been a problem if his own head wasn't resting against Marinette's). Outside, the storm rages on, but within the shelter of the Liberty they are safe and happy and warm.