Work Text:
Marina sat on the couch, her teal-tipped fingers tapping hastily against the keys of her keyboard resting against her lap. The glowing screen of her laptop illuminated her sun-kissed skin in a blue-ish white hue, reflecting vibrantly off of her unusual colored irises. It was well into the night, well past normal sleeping hours, but Marina was determined to continue working until her assignment was perfect. It was a new song that she and Pearl had put together recently, and she was incharge of mixing the bass and drum kit underneath the vocals. Although it was only a mere demo that they would be revealing to their producers tomorrow, Marina refused to let anything but the best be heard from them.
After all, this song was unlike anything Off the Hook had ever done before. They were about to dip their toe into waters that they had never explored.
The octoling's jaw tightened.
It had to be perfect.
Marina felt her eyelids drooping on their own accord, struggling to stay open, but she couldn’t give in to her body’s desires yet. Reaching out to the coffee table in front of her, Marina took another eager swig from her energy drink before returning her attention back to her laptop. She clicked open on another patch of drums and tested out the sound before quickly recoiling inwardly in disgust as these weren’t the right sounds she was looking for, either. They were too sharp, she needed something more subtle, yet still full and boisterous. Sighing, the octoling slumped back against the couch, head hanging over the edge as a hand raised to pinch at the bridge of her nose.
It was going to be a long night.
“Rina?”
Marina drew her fingers away from her face at hearing the soft voice and sat back up. Pearl was standing a few paces away, a single pale fist raised to her face, rubbing at a sleepy eye. The inkling was wearing one of Marina's black crop tops which humorously fit her more like a regular shirt. She forgo the use of pants by just simply walking up in her pair of black boxers adorned with neon green and pink, squid form-shaped patterns. Her small, bare feet slowly rocked from the toes to the heel, as if she were struggling to remain standing.
She let out a long, drawn out yawn, a tired tear pricking at the corner of an eye before she beckoned her head over to the direction of their bedroom. “I thought you said you were coming to bed soon.” She murmured sluggishly.
Marina’s eyes took a few more moments to appreciate just how adorable her girlfriend looked before replying. “I still am, just when I find the right kit for our song.” She hunched back over the couch, her fingers moving down to dance over the keys once more. “I’ll be there soon.”
Pearl blew a lazy raspberry through her lips and crossed her arms over her chest. “Yeah, and jellyfish can fly.” She began to make her way over where her girlfriend was sitting, her feet padding softly against the wood as she went. “C’mooon, it’s late enough as it is already, and the bed is honestly like, super cold without you.”
The octoling shook her head as she pushed the back button several times, removing the kit from the auditory file. “I know, I know, it’s just...” She gave a despondent sigh, her shoulders deflating. “This… I want this to be perfect.”
Pearl, who’s golden eyes were still hazy with sleep, plopped down on the couch to sit next to her partner. “... You still...” Her thoughts were momentarily interrupted with another tired yawn, “mnh, worried ‘bout what everyone is gonna think?”
“Aren’t you?” Marina asked quietly. She absentmindedly tapped at the base of her laptop, her eyes narrowing in deep thought. “We’ve never published a… l-love song before, Pearlie.” Was that even fresh to do? Were there any inklings or octolings who would even listen to that?
“Into the Light” was a very special song to both Pearl and Marina. It was slower paced, emotional, yet still bumpin’, and just full of so many loving lyrics and phrases. It was the physical manifestation of what the idols meant to one another, so the last thing the DJ wanted for their song, and their relationship, was to be criticized and berated publicly.
Hell, because they weren’t even out to the public yet. The only ones who knew that they had been dating for the past few months were Eight, Callie, Marie… and perhaps Cap’n Cuttlefish, if the old fashioned squid was attentive enough to notice.
Pearl hummed in thought, her eyelids still drooped heavily with the weight of sleep. “True, but that’s what’ll set it apart from the rest, yeah?” Marina remained unconvinced, her tentacles twirling anxiously at the tips.
Pearl frowned slightly.
“Marina…” Pearl began, her voice sounding a bit clearer. “‘Into the Light’ is legit, and you know it, but...” A pale hand slowly worked it's way on top of Marina’s before gently twinning their contrasting fingers together. Pearl kept her gaze on their hands as her voice dipped to a whisper. “If… if you're not comfortable yet, we can wait. No big.” Despite her comforting words, Marina saw how Pearl tried her best to hide her forlorn expression behind the haze of her tired eyes.
She knew Pearl wanted to put their relationship on blast so that anyone and everyone could know just how proud and grateful the inkling was to be in a relationship with Marina. Well… that, and so people could finally stop trying to hit on her girlfriend. Yet, despite this, Pearl was willing to put aside her own wants and desires if it meant making her partner comfortable.
Regardless of her swanky and sumptuous upbringing, Pearl was the most selfless person the DJ had ever met and...
Marina was truly touched.
No wonder she fell so hard for this quirky and obnoxious little squid.
And maybe, just maybe, Pearl was right. Their song would be different, yes, but that's was what was going to soar it to the top. Maybe… their new song really did sound perfect, just the way it already was, and if people didn't like it, well… that wasn't Marina's problem to worry about.
With a light-humored thought, the octoling realized that she had enough to worry about with Pearl alone.
With a tender smile, Marina gently lifted her index finger to a porcelain chin and leaned down. A muffled mewl of surprise escaped through Pearl's lips before her eyes naturally fluttered closed with a quiet hum of approval. Infatuated, the older girl simply kept her hands down in her lap as Marina held them in a slow and languid yet, full kiss. A dark-skinned hand soon slipped underneath Pearl's chin to tuck a pink tentacle behind a pointed ear. Marina's thumb glided softly along said ear, caressing the area she knew her girlfriend secretly loved so much.
After a few moments- or what could have been eons, honestly the girls didn't know or care, their lips eventually separated, and the world around them slowly returned to their senses.
Momentarily dazed, Pearl blinked up to Marina in confusion, fully awake at this point. Something about the way her girlfriend just kissed her felt... different. Different in a good way though because it left Pearl feeling... something. A good kind of something. A something that made her heart just swell up and feel... something else.
“Uhm… not that I am complaining, trust me, I'm really not but, uhm…" Pearl breifly twiddled with the fabric of her borrowed shirt. "...What was that for?”
A quiet giggle escaped from Marina as she shrugged her shoulders before shyly looking away. “Nothing, it's just…” She brought her attention back down to her girlfriend, teal eyes warm and affectionate before dropping a small angel's kiss to the tip of the inkling's nose. “Thanks for just always being… you.”
Pearl's lips twitched upwards into a sheepish smile as she rubbed at her elbow, pale cheeks warming with color. “Well, you know, uhh… “I-It's whatever.” Marina raised an eyebrow knowingly. Getting her partner flustered was literally the easiest, yet most rewarding thing ever.
"But... you're welcome." Pearl eventually blurted out, meeting her girlfriend's eyes. The longer Marina's soft gaze looked down to her, the hotter Pearl's cheeks became. She felt one of her partner's swaying tentacles gently brush against her arm, enticing a shiver to coarse down her spine and to the tips of her toes. Growing more embarrassed by the moment, the inkling stumbled off the couch, nearly tripping over her own two feet.
Marina gentle smile somehow managed to only soften further as she watched the scene play out in front of her with delight. A flustered Pearl was a rather adorable one. Plus, her wearing Marina's shirt and only a pair of colorful boxers only added to this fact.
“Soooo…” The smaller girl began slowly after regaining her balance, her head beckoning towards their bedroom. “You comin’ to bed now, or are you gonna really let me freeze to death?”
Marina stared at her for a moment longer before shaking her head with another small laugh. She closed her laptop and placed it onto the coffee table, also rising to her feet to stand next to her girlfriend.
“I don't see why not.”
Pearl grinned at her, their fingers lacing together once more as they began to walk to their shared bedroom. “I call dibs on big spoon.” She declared, standing up a bit straighter as she puffed out her chest.
Marina rolled her eyes playfully before bumping her shoulder against Pearl's. “Suuure you will, Pearlie.”
The inkling huffed indignantly, her ears warming in temperature. “I'm serious this time, mark my words! I'm not moving anywhere!”
As per the usual: halfway through the dead of the night, the girls subconsciously ended up changing positions. Marina had unknowingly rolled over to face her girlfriend, causing Pearl to habitually wiggle her way into her partner's comforting, warm arms.
Somewhere in her sleep, Marina’s lips twitched into a faint smile.
She couldn't bring herself to worry and stress over their song anymore. As long as Pearl was snuggled up in her arms, flush against her bosom, nothing else mattered.