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Marinette tried to keep from laughing at the expression on Dingo King’s face. Luka had convinced him to try out black nail polish but the Australian was not having it. At least, not again.
“I already tried it and I don’t like it.” Dingo wiggled his fingers in the air, showcasing the mostly bitten off nails. The ‘ Darkest Night’ polish that had once been there just a few days ago could barely be seen now. “You know I can barely remember to feed myself, much less touch up this color. And I love food!”
“You know,” Marinette said sweetly, “You can always try artificial ones. Much less maintenance and you get pampered.”
“No way, Mari. I know you like your girly stuff but I am not letting someone put that stuff on my hands. I need those to play music!”
At that, Luka rolled his eyes but he was still grinning at his friend. “It’s not that bad, Ding. I’ve even gone a few times and still been able to play Claire just fine.”
“Why are you both ganging up on me?” Dingo crossed his arms.
“We’re not.” Marinette answered. “We just thought you would like to relax a little after all our exams this past month. They even do massages and I swear, it’s heaven.”
Luka slung his arm over Dingo’s shoulders. “Imagine it. Nice, comfy chairs…sipping a fruity drink…cute girls giving you a massage–” Marinette thumped him in the ribs. He grinned. “Sorry, love. I mean normal, everyday girls giving you a massage.”
She rolled her eyes but continued to grin. “I have a gift card for it. So it’ll be on me.”
“I don’t think–”
“Dingo, if you don’t go with us, you’ll be here when Bri gets back and I will tell her what really happened last Halloween.”
His face paled a little. True, it was a low blow but Marinette knew that their friend really did need a break from all the stress they had been under. Finals week was Hell for all of them.
And he most definitely didn’t want his girlfriend to know about their “ Zoo Animal Rescuing Project ” that had almost gotten both him and Luka arrested. The two doofuses had snuck into the Zoo and had tried releasing all the kangaroos because, as Dingo has put it, ‘they’re lonely and need to be free’.
But while it was a low blow, it did make Dingo finally agree to at least try out the manicure.
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Luka was having a hard time from grinning and outright laughing at the faces that his best friend was making. Marinette had somehow talked Dingo into also getting a pedicure– no one will see it and the massage is amazing, Dingo– and the poor nail tech had discovered that her client was extremely ticklish. The woman had the foot file against his heel while Dingo gripped both sides of the armrest with a pained look on his face.
He looked over at his girlfriend who was leaning back in her chair, looking relaxed but also smiling as Marinette watched Dingo try not to leap out of his chair and spill the footbath of water everywhere.
“Should we try to help him out?” Luka asked with a grin. Marinette grinned back and leaned forward so Dingo could hear her.
“Don’t focus on what’s happening.” She told him. “Listen to what’s around you. Filter out everything else.”
It wasn’t bad advice. Luka decided he should try it as well. He wouldn’t admit it, but he was almost as ticklish as Dingo when it came to his feet. He didn’t need to give either one of them ammunition they could use against him. Knowing them both, they would. Closing his eyes, Luka concentrated.
Voices mostly were around them. The other patrons talked amongst themselves as the nail techs did their work. The two women next to them were talking particularly loud and were hard to miss. He peeked over with one eye.
“Oh my god, Becky. I was at yoga class and she was there.” The girl with a blonde ponytail was saying.
“His roommate?” Her companion, a girl with short brown hair asked.
“Yup. They were roommates.”
Luka opened both his eyes to look at Marinette. She was grinning at him, showing she had also heard the comment. The meme video of ‘ and they were roommates’ echoed and he knew she was trying to refrain from laughing.
“As if they were just roommates.” The blonde responded back. “I know they were sleeping together behind my back.”
Now Luka could see that even Dingo had caught onto the two women’s conversation, his feet being ticklish, forgotten. He had no idea how the nail techs were able to keep a straight face. He was already struggling enough as it was. People really did say anything around hair stylists and nail techs.
“All I’m saying is if she’s as flexible in bed as she was in that class, then I’m pretty sure he’s out of commission for awhile. That girl was bending like a pretzel.”
The other girl, Becky, laughed. “Wow, Stacey. I can’t believe she had the audacity. If he’s out, still want to egg his car?”
“Duh. He loves that camino. That’ll show him to not cheat.” She huffed. The nail tech had finished both of the girls' feet by then, so they both got up and went off to pay. Luka, Marinette and Dingo all shared a look before they finally burst out laughing.
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“You know you can’t take those off.” Marinette told Dingo as they were walking out, Luka’s arm slung around her. “You have no idea how much that glue hurts if you try to take it off too soon. It can take the nail off under the fake one.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Dingo answered. “I can’t believe you talked me into this. Couffaine, you need to get your girlfriend under control. She’s a menace.” Dingo was smiling though as he flung the barb at Marinette who just stuck her tongue out at him.
“Takes one to know one.” She flung one. “Boat Kid, remember?”
“I don’t know about you guys, but I could totally go for a pretzel right about now. You guys in?” Luka interrupted them, before the two could get into a mud-slinging match, unable to keep from grinning.
Marinette smacked him but she was laughing as she did so.
Dingo groaned, but he slung his own arm around Luka. “Fine. But this time
you’re
paying.”