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maraschinomerry · 2 years ago

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Matching Mates part 2

Pairings: George Karim x gn!reader, Locklyle

Summary: you and George finally have a first date at the Fittes ball, and it turns out people are more invested in your relationship than you expected.

Content: fluff, anxiety in a crowd, wholesome misunderstanding, fake marriage, first "I love you"

A/N: part 1 here - original request by @toothcereal, part 2 requested by @neewtmas and @poisonquinzell ❤��

Word count: 2.5k

The taxi ride to Fittes was agony. You were nervous enough as it was, having never been to such a large and prestigious event before so not being used to the feel of formalwear. Even the reassuring presence of George beside you, hand in yours to comfort both you and himself (he wasn't keen on the social aspect of this either), wasn't enough to stop your knee from bouncing a mile a minute. Then, of course, there were the two sharklike grins gleaming at you from Lockwood and Lucy in the seats opposite. They'd given up trying to suppress them a few minutes into the journey, and you weren't sure whether you preferred them over the affectionately smug conversation they'd been having without speaking a single word. Honestly, their ability to read each other from facial expressions and body language alone would have been admirable had you not been on the receiving end.

After what felt like an eternity, the cab pulled up. George immediately offered you a hand to help you climb down. Ahead was a queue of guests, all incredibly close and affectionate. Shakily, you linked your arm through George's in the same way Lucy's was through Lockwood's. Together, you all reached the front of the line, where a stern man in a black suit was checking the guest list.

"Lockwood & Co." Lockwood stated.

The man scrutinised the list. "No plus ones?"

"No," Lucy chipped in eagerly. "We're all dating. Not all dating, I mean, two couples."

"Welcome, lovebirds. Enjoy the ball." You wondered absently how Fittes had managed to make such a deadpan person the face of such a romantic event. And then you were inside.

This was by far the most people you'd seen in one place since moving to London. Trailing down the staircases, clustered round the bar, mingling in the open spaces between, were hundreds of couples, all forming their own distinctive pockets within the crowd with their matching outfits. You hesitated on the threshold, slipping from George's arm as he continued forward. The second he realised, though, he turned back and placed a tender hand at your elbow.

"We don't have to do this, (name). Not if you don't want to."

You took a deep breath, distracting yourself from the hubbub by adjusting his tie. "It's okay. This is a big opportunity for the agency." Your hand smoothed down his tie, feeling his chest rise and fall beneath your fingertips. "Plus, it's kind of exciting that this is our first date."

George perked up instantly, almost like he'd forgotten the date was real and not just a ploy for one of Lockwood's harebrained schemes. Seeing him so excited was adorable, and knowing that you were the cause gave you butterflies. He looked into your eyes, silently making sure you were ready, before guiding you into the crowd with his hand still on your elbow.

—

"See you two are finally official," a familiar voice drifted over your shoulder as you took your drink from the bar. You and George turned in unison to see Quill Kipps with a raised eyebrow and a friendly smirk. Ever the Fittes agent, his grey uniform had been exchanged for a grey tuxedo. The pretty blonde girl beside him wore a sleek grey dress with a slit right up to her thigh.

"What do you mean, finally?" George frowned.

"Just because I'm not a researcher doesn't mean I'm not observant. Haven't even worked together that much and I could tell you were into each other. Everyone could."

As if on cue, Bobby Vernon strolled past in pursuit of a redhead in the same shade of purple as his tie. He paused when he noticed your outfits. "Oh, thank god, you've gone public at last. Ned owes me a tenner now." The redhead had moved on, and Bobby scuttled after her. You forced yourself to close your gaping jaw.

"We… may have taken bets on it," Kipps clarified like it wasn't abundantly obvious. As obvious as your attraction to George, apparently. "I'm pleased for you, though. Especially if it means you're too distracted to poach any more of our cases." The older boy finished with a wink and an encouragement to enjoy the evening before melting into the crowd with his date.

"Are we really that transparent?" you sighed incredulously.

"I don't know," George mused. "I always thought I was coming on way too strong and you just weren't interested, but maybe we're too close to things to have noticed."

"That's a very polite way of calling me oblivious, Georgie."

"Hey, I'm saying I was too!"

"How equitable of you."

—

The evening ended up being quite enjoyable. Drinks were free, waiters constantly weaved throughout the room with trays of delicious canapés, and you were able to spend most of the time simply hanging out with your friends. At one point, after a speech from Penelope Fittes, a small classical band appeared from nowhere to initiate a Valentine's dance. George offered you his hand, his other coming to rest gently on your waist when you accepted. You brought your free hand up to his shoulder, stepping closer. The dance was slow and soulful, a lifesaver for you and your two left feet. Surprisingly, George was more adept than you expected, taking the lead with confidence. As the song came to an end, the hand on your waist moved round your back to draw you in for a kiss. It was longer than the one you'd shared in the hallway back home, more passionate, but still just as gentle and sweet. Nearby, Lockwood and Lucy were in the same position, lips locked, but they pulled apart a moment earlier and watched you two fondly. As much as they teased you, they were thrilled you'd finally admitted your feelings for each other.

"Excuse me a minute," George murmured, eyeing the arrows for the bathrooms, "I'll be right back."

—

Even the bathrooms were fancy. George hadn't been at Fittes long enough to attend a ball as an employee, and he'd skipped last year's to study the Bone Glass (he repressed a shudder at the memory) so this was his first time in the agency's ballroom. Everything was so ostentatious, a stark reminder of how much better off he was at Lockwood & Co.

He bumped into someone on his way out and raised his head immediately to apologise.

"Good evening," Penelope Fittes smiled graciously. She was the picture of romance and Valentines in a fluttering rose red gown, real roses adorning her dark hair.

"Ms Fittes, I'm so sorry, I didn't-"

"No need to apologise. And call me Penelope, please. It's George, isn't it?"

"Yes. From Lockwood & Co."

Penelope nodded, remembering meeting the team (aside from you) at Samaran Pandy's funeral. "Of course, I'm glad you could all make it. Anthony and Lucy are a couple, I hear." It felt odd hearing Lockwood's first name out loud, but he supposed she would have no reason to know he didn't use it.

"That's right, and I'm with (name), our fourth member. I don't believe you've met." Being able to say he was with you was such a proud moment, he couldn't help but turn to look for you in the crowd. Penelope followed his gaze, picking you out by the outfit which matched the boy in front of her.

"Hopefully I'll get chance to greet them before the end of the night, you know what these things are like when everyone wants to have mingled with you."

George didn't know, but he kept quiet. This was lasting longer than he expected, and it was only a matter of time before he said the wrong thing and got the whole agency banned from future events. Besides, he'd left you alone far too long. Time to find a way out. "Oh, do you need to-?" He gestured over his shoulder to the mass of people.

Penelope waved his concern away. So much for that plan. "Don't worry. To be honest, this is the first proper conversation I've been able to have all evening, and it's refreshing to see you young couples having fun. You remind me of myself and my husband when we were your age. Absolutely inseparable, now he's wandered off and I've no idea where. You'd think a man in a bright red suit would be easy enough to find."

Anxious to get away from the conversation and back to you, George seized the opportunity. "I should let you go and look for your spouse, and I'll get back to mine."

"Oh!" Penelope sounded astonished. George tried to replay what he'd said in his mind to cause such a reaction, hadn't he just said he needed to return to his date? "I didn't realise! How long have you two been married?"

Something broke a little in George's brain. Married?! No, there was a misunderstanding, surely, you'd only started dating tonight. Hell, you'd only known each other for- "Six months."

"That's wonderful, I wish you the very best. But yes, go, enjoy your night with your spouse." Before George could protest, she'd ushered him back into the crowd and disappeared.

—

George was taking longer than you expected, and you were beginning to panic. Where was he? Was everything okay? Lockwood and Lucy had been swallowed up by the crowd, you wanted to seek them out for reassurance, but what if you left the spot George had left you on and then he couldn't find you? Even Kipps would have been comforting to see right about now.

A hand on your waist made you jump.

"Sorry, didn't mean to startle you," George said softly, before noticing your expression, frantic pupils blown wide and lower lip trembling. "Hey, hey, what's wrong? Are you okay?"

"Mhm," you mumbled unconvincingly. "I just…" your eyes scanned the crowd. George put the pieces together.

"(Name), I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to leave you alone for so long." He curled a hand into your hair, bringing your foreheads together until everything else faded away and all you could see and feel was him. "Come on, let's find somewhere a bit more quiet."

George led you by the hand through the crowd, careful never to put too much space between you that someone could barge through. Eventually the bodies around you thinned out, vanishing completely as you reached an empty grey corridor. You sat down unceremoniously on the floor, relishing in the quiet and the coolness of the wall against the back of your head. George joined you, hand still linked in yours.

"I'm sorry," he repeated urgently. "I tried to get back to you, but I ran into Penelope and she's a remarkably difficult person to get away from."

You could imagine - one of the most powerful women in the country, and one with such a strong connection to the Problem, would be a more than interesting conversationalist. Your curiosity was piqued. "Oh, what was she saying? Was it about the Problem?"

George let out a nervous chuckle. "No, we, uh… we actually talked about love. And you." He let go of your hand to wrap around your shoulder and bring you into his side. In turn you placed your arm across his chest, fidgeting with the button of his now open jacket.

"Me?" What on earth would Penelope Fittes have to say about you?

"She'd like to meet you. Said it's nice to see a young couple having fun, that we remind her of her and her husband." A couple. You both smiled at the notion. Suddenly George blanched, remembering what he'd accidentally implied. "Actually, I should probably explain, in case-"

What George had been about to say was "in case anyone else hears and gets the wrong idea". It was far too late for that.

"Well," that familiar voice came again as Kipps rounded the corridor, alone this time. "I have to say I'm impressed. We all thought you two were just being oblivious or dating in secret, certainly never expected a secret marriage." Your jaw dropped and you turned to George for an explanation, who was looking very red in the face and pointedly avoiding eye contact with either of you. Kipps continued, "Fair play, Karim, (name), you two are full of surprises. Should make cases more interesting in future. Congratulations, anyway." And just like that, he was gone.

You rounded on George. "George Casper Karim, what exactly did Kipps mean about a secret marriage?"

"That's what I wanted to tell you!" His voice was agitated, higher than normal. "I was trying to find a way out of the conversation, and when Penelope said she couldn't find her husband I suggested we both go and look for our partners, but with all the husband and young love talk I might have accidentally said spouse instead."

You couldn't help but laugh. By how worried he'd seemed, you thought something bad had happened or he was having second thoughts, when the truth was he'd unintentionally implied you were married. It was kind of sweet actually, and you couldn't pretend you hadn't imagined what it would be like.

"It's not funny!" George swatted at you harmlessly, which only made you laugh more. "If Kipps knows, he'll tell his whole team, and Bobby will single handedly tell anyone in Fittes who hasn't already heard. And oh my god, if Lockwood and Lucy get wind we'll never hear the end of it." That was a good point. If you thought they were insufferable now…

"Right, okay, we have two options. Either you go and tell Penelope it was a slip of the tongue, and I tell Kipps the same, or we pretend we rushed into it and realised it was too quick so go back to 'just' dating."

George pondered for a moment, playing with your fingers. "There is a third option." He paused as you looked quizzical, and his hand stilled around yours. "We go along with it." He looked so vulnerable as he waited for your reaction, heart on the line and entirely in your hands. You leaned in and kissed him even as your face split into a grin. He kissed you back firmly, excitedly.

"I can't imagine a better person to pretend to be married to," you giggled against his lips. "But on one condition."

"Anything."

"We have to be the ones to tell the others. I want to see Lockwood's head explode when I call you my husband."

George laughed now too, standing and offering you a hand to help you up. "Deal. Come on then, darling, we'd better hurry before Bobby gets in there. And not to come on too strong for a first date, but I figure since we've supposedly been married for six months the timeline goes out the window… Can I get you a ring? Just as a token, no strings attached. We could shop for one tomorrow, if you want."

"I love you," you said suddenly. It wasn't exactly an answer to his question, yet somehow it was.

George blushed, and leaned forward to kiss you once, twice more. "I love you too."

#lockwood & co #lockwood & co fanfic #george karim x reader #gn!reader #george karim #locklyle

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