Work Text:
A Softer Shade of Red
When Mary Kate Hwong, also known as MK, visited her girlfriend Julia Eckert in Marieville, Quebec, for a Valentine’s Day weekend, she didn’t know what to expect. Considering Julia’s love for the high-status lifestyle her influencer job provided, MK expected they would go on a fancy date at an upscale restaurant, attend an exclusive movie premiere, and stay at a six-star hotel. MK had mixed feelings about these plans; on one hand, the Vietnamese girl was excited about trying things that had always been out of reach for her and her family. On the other hand, MK was not the type to enjoy going out in public or social situations—unless a lot of money was involved, like when she applied for Total Drama Island.
Julia picked MK up from the airport and led her to the white convertible parked in the airport's garage. As they drove down the road, MK looked out the window, watching the buildings they passed and wondering which one of them would be the place where Julia was taking her. While MK gazed at the buildings lining the road, Julia, after stopping at a stoplight, poked MK’s shoulder, prompting the Vietnamese girl to look over at her girlfriend.
“MK, you alright?”
“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine, Jules.” MK was not actually fine. This was the first date she and Julia had since Total Drama Island ended. MK and Julia had been talking for months on Discord, discussing various topics for hours. MK loved it, but when Julia asked her about visiting her home province of Marieville, Quebec, MK was shocked but agreed. MK’s parents were initially hesitant but eventually agreed to let their daughter fly to Quebec to meet her girlfriend. The Vietnamese girl was lucky that her parents liked Julia, especially since the French-Canadian influencer could turn off her bitchy side when needed.
“We’re almost there, MK. Sorry, the drive’s been a little long; it’s kind of out of the way. It usually takes me almost half an hour to get there from my apartment,” Julia explained. MK nodded before continuing to look out the window, not really knowing what to say to Julia despite the silence.
“Elle est vraiment mignonne quand tu es concentré comme ça,” Julia mumbled to herself. MK raised an eyebrow at Julia. MK knew that Julia’s first language was French, so the Vietnamese girl had tried to learn some French herself but was still pretty amateur. MK decided that now was a good time to show off her budding French skills to Julia, turning to face the dirty-blonde influencer as she continued driving down the road.
“Je trouve que tu es un chien magnifique,” MK said, her voice confident as she smiled and flicked her black hair, feeling like she nailed that. The Vietnamese girl had been practicing compliments in French for a couple of weeks now, just for an occasion like this. Julia, instead of showing the shock and awe MK expected, simply looked at MK with a raised eyebrow for a few seconds before starting to laugh.
“What’s so funny?”
“All I’m gonna say is that you might want to brush up on your French, mon chéri," Julia responded, using one hand to ruffle MK’s hair under her hat. MK shook her head and blushed, prompting Julia to keep laughing as the couple continued their drive. Though slightly embarrassed, MK couldn’t help but smile at the side of Julia that the French-Canadian influencer had allowed her to see. Julia had never been perceived as kind, especially by the other contestants on Total Drama Island, but when MK was around, Julia began to show a more friendly side. Whether it was genuine smiles, hours of talking about mundane topics, or public displays of affection, MK felt lucky to see the real, authentic Julia—not the mean girl image Julia liked to project.
“We’re almost there, mon chéri,” Julia said, turning the car into a nearby parking lot. After finding a parking space, the car stopped, prompting Julia to open her door and MK to do the same. Once MK got out of the car, the Vietnamese girl realized that they weren’t at a fancy restaurant, the movie theater, or even the mall; they were at a park. However, rather than the park simply showcasing the beauty of nature and the rising moon, there was a series of decorative lights all over the park. MK looked on in awe as she saw the lights turn different colors, with multiple sections of the park displaying animated pictures, such as people walking, clouds moving by, and even Cupid shooting love arrows.
“Wow…this is…not what I expected,” MK admitted while her eyes were glued to the lights.
“This is the Parc des Lumières. Once a month, people decorate the entire park with lights, and food carts are set up around it. It’s a great time for a late-night picnic. Julia admitted, gently taking MK’s hand and leading her through the park, “It’s nice to finally have someone else to do this with.” The two walked under the lights, looking up at the display; the only sounds were the chirping insects and the soft waves of the nearby lake. After passing through the illuminated path, Julia led MK to a spot under a tree adorned with pink and red lights and sat her down beside it.
"So...what's on the menu…mon cherry?” MK asked, playfully trying to speak French again, which made Julia giggle happily before she gently ran her hand through MK’s hair after moving her hand underneath the Vietnamese girl’s hat.
“I know you’re a big ramen fan, so there’s a ramen stand nearby, and we’re going to have a nice ramen dinner,” Julia explained before turning on her heels and walking over to an orange/green ramen food cart. While MK waited for her dinner, the Vietnamese girl looked up at all the lights surrounding her, captivated by the beauty of the different patterns and animations the lights were creating. MK was so focused on the lights that she didn’t notice Julia approaching with two bowls of ramen and two cans of soda. Julia giggled at MK being distracted and brought her back to reality by pressing the cold can of soda against MK’s cheek. The Vietnamese girl almost jumped out of her seat, holding her chilled cheek.
“I’m back, MK. I know you like chicken-flavored ramen, so I got myself some as well,” Julia explained, handing one of the steaming bowls to the Vietnamese girl. MK’s mouth practically watered at the scent of ramen in front of her, making the French-Canadian influencer smirk before she took her plastic fork and stuck it into MK’s ramen. Julia then picked up a forkful and placed it in front of MK’s mouth, causing the Vietnamese girl’s face to blush and her mouth to gape in shock. After recovering from her surprise, MK ate the forkful of ramen, thoroughly enjoying both the flavor of the ramen and the attention she was receiving from the French-Canadian influencer.
While the two continued enjoying their meal, MK and Julia started talking about everyday things, reminiscent of their days spending hours on a screen while chatting on Discord. The topics ranged from MK’s new Twitch channel, where her fame from her two seasons on Total Drama had already helped her gain 15K followers faster than she expected, to Julia’s new apartment. Like MK, Julia’s performances on Total Drama Island had boosted her influencer career, enabling her to afford an even bigger apartment. After an hour, MK and Julia finished their ramen and soda, then threw their trash in the nearby bin before heading out for a walk deeper into the Parc des Lumières.
“Hey, Julia?”
“Yeah, MK?”
"How come you chose me? I know it’s probably a silly question, but I honestly feel like I’m just some random asshole. You could have anyone you wanted, yet you picked me. Sometimes I wonder how I ended up being your boyfriend, you know?” MK asked bashfully, as she avoided making eye contact with Julia, instead focusing on the colorful lights overhead. Julia replied with a playful tap to MK’s head, which made her hiss in surprise, before the French-Canadian influencer started to speak.
"Because most people may see my vicious side of being evil or sadistic, but I’ve always believed that if you want something, you should do it to the best of your abilities, and sometimes, that leads to those ‘vicious’ decisions. You’re the only one I’ve met who REALLY understands me. Everyone else thinks I’m this heartless monster with no remorse or empathy for anyone, and it does…hurt sometimes. It makes me happy to have someone who can see the good in me, even when it’s hard to see it in myself," Julia explained, an uncharacteristic gentleness making her voice soft enough to be drowned out by the growing wind. Julia’s eyes then began to fill with unspent tears, which she quickly tried to wipe away. MK, overwhelmed by emotion, paused and looked at her girlfriend with surprise and compassion. She had never seen Julia like this before; the usually reserved French-Canadian influencer rarely discussed feelings or emotions, so hearing Julia open up like this was like discovering a whole new side of her beloved.
“That really means a lot, Julia. Honestly, I feel the same way about you. It’s tough when people outside your family just see you as a sarcastic thief. I’ve gotten used to ignoring what others say about me, but it still hurts when people think of me as a demon. You also helped me see all the good in myself, Julia. Some might see you as a monster, but I don’t believe that for a second. We might make mistakes, but we still have hearts, and I truly believe you have a bigger heart than you realize. You’ve really touched me, haven’t you?” MK said, trying to lighten the mood with a joke to get a laugh from her girlfriend. Julia just smiled and kissed her, which made MK’s mind go a little blank before she returned the kiss with the same gentle tenderness as Julia.
“MK, you really do mean the world to me. If the rest of the world hates me, I’ll be fine with it as long as you’re with me. Je t'aime, MK,” Julia replied, nuzzling MK’s cheek with her own. The Vietnamese girl responded by turning around and embracing her much taller girlfriend. Julia immediately hugged MK back, and they stayed beneath the purple and blue lights illuminating the floor above.
“Je t'aime aussi, Julia,” MK responded, though it was muffled by Julia’s midsection, so only the French-Canadian influencer could hear her. After a moment, Julia and MK smiled at each other before turning to walk back to Julia’s car so they could return to the French-Canadian influencer’s apartment. Today had probably been the most romantic and emotional day Julia and MK had as a couple, both learning that they felt the same insecurity about the scrutiny they received from people. After all the emotional bonding, MK and Julia wanted nothing more than to go back to the latter’s apartment and spend the rest of the weekend relaxing with each other’s company.