#Barry having a midlife crisis

[givemewallywestorgivemedeath]

In One Minute War the DC speedsters find themselves fighting an army of speedster aliens who intend to take over the world in seconds. With no one else fast enough to even recognize the war, let alone help out, it's up to one family to save the day. The fate of the world hangs in the balance as the Flash family finds themselves outgunned, outnumbered and possibly outmatched.

They are humanity's last hope for survival. Godspeed speedsters 🫡

[anistarrose]

AUs where Barry lives through Phandalin and gets onto the moon are so fun, because like. yes there's so much serious angst potential from putting Barry and Lucretia in a scenario where they have to interact regularly, but also Barry is just like... okay let me put it this way. a Barry who successfully infiltrates the moon is giving such "dog that finally managed to jump onto the bus and now has no clue where he's going" energy.

he is within spitting distance of thwarting his archnemesis/sister's plans, of finally getting his family inoculated like he's been dreaming of for years, and yet he remains completely clueless to this fact that this even used to be his goal. at most he has an inkling that there's more to the Red Robes' story and that he's somehow mixed up in whatever that "more" is, but if that's the case, then he's also terrified to death of Lucretia "finding out" he's with the enemy — even though Lucretia knows damn well he's a Red Robe! she just doesn't know if he knows!

both of them are equally paranoid of the other seeing through their facade, but neither are actually in a position to call the other out on their bullshit. Lucretia desperately needs a powerful lich backing up the other horny boys as they gather the Relics just as much as Barry, who does not know he is a lich and is going through a midlife crisis at 160+ years old, desperately believes that he needs this job.

they are dancing around each other perpetually without ever being a hundred percent sure of their end goal, much less what the other one knows or what the other one thinks that they know, and despite all of this, they are still ultimately family and besties who missed each other knowingly or unknowingly and treasure each other's presence. which means they just constantly can't help but initiate conversations and put themselves in these Situations again and again.

Barry is perpetually on the verge of dying accidentally for the dumbest possible reasons. Lucretia is constantly paranoid that he's somehow figured out he's a lich, and if not, he's about to become a fucking lich anyway if this shit keeps up. Barry looks at Lucretia casting Death Ward on him before every mission and immediately starts stressing out about why she doesn't trust him.

he becomes determined to prove his loyalty and usefulness to the Bureau by attempting even more inordinate risks in their name on missions. Lucretia is at all times feeling like she's about to have an aneurysm. are you seeing the brilliance of this dynamic yet. are you understanding

[hawkstincan]

this shit was on my mind for two years. time to write it down and let it go.

at first I was thinking angsty here. like in the actual movie: only two survivors. (except Len didn’t leave Barry in the middle of nowhere and let him tag along. Len thought it’ll be temporary… jokes on him.) they help each other to keep it together, Barry and Lisa become fast friends and all gets as good as it can after a traumatic experience. maybe they even broke Barry’s dad out of prison at some point. it’s not like Barry living a law-abiding life now.  but I hated that Mick and Iris are dead in the end. I do not enjoy angsty things and I didn't like Mick playing Richie’s part. just didn't feel right if it’s close to the movie. 

but we have Eobard! this creeper? perfect in Richie’s place! (and i can see him as Lewis' spawn just fine). here we have Barry and Iris alive, Len letting them both tag alone (mostly because Lisa glanced in Iris’ direction five times in a minute and Len saw her betting eyelashes. why is this his life? wasn’t the vampire's existence bad enough? he sighs glances in Barry’s direction and decides well. it could have been worse. it could have been Mick who got him out of prison and lay dead now).

in the end my brain stuck on the farce-ish version, of course. 

Mick and Len have been friends since forever, they are brothers in all but blood and they raised Lisa together. they never kill innocent people or cops (Mick lost the argument). they steal, they sell the loot and move to their next target. the goal is to get enough money and move to Mexico (Lisa’s already there). Len gets himself in prison after he gets the final score. Mick got him out and they headed to the bar in Mexico. and Len will fucking kill Lisa if the bar will be what he thinks it will be after hearing it’s name. 

Barry was adopted by Joe West after his parents died in a car crash (drunk driver). he was six at the time. the driver didn’t go to prison (the forensic team fucked up) and that’s how Barry knew he’d be the best criminalist in town when he grew up. Iris wasn’t as devoted and during the years wanted to be everything from opera singer to astronaut. Joe was both scared and proud when she wanted to be a cop just like her daddy.  he wasn’t supportive (it's a scary job okay? he hated the mare thought of his little girl chasing criminals for living!) but he wasn’t vocally against it either. 

Joe quits after his wife was killed during a robbery gone wrong. Barry just graduated and was going to start at the precinct soon. Iris is working on her final project at uni and graduating a bit later. (they’re sure their dad lost it or having a midlife crisis on top of grieving ‘course why the hell else he’ll shove them in the motorhome and drive them to fucking Mexico for “vacation”?)  

___

len, smirking: keep it together and will be out of your hair in no time mick, frowning: why can’t we roast a pig?

len: we don’t need more heat on our asses then we already have!

mick: heat’s nice

len: shut up and give me matches you just snatched, i said no to lighting store on fire!

___

clerk: I DIDN’T DO ANYTHING

len: i know, i know

clerk: … then why did he?...

len, shraging: he likes fire. i’ve missed him snatching a lighter too. be grateful he waited until your cop buddy left

clerk, watching the burning building with wide eyes: how is this my life?

len, signing: i ask myself this most of the days

___

len, heading for the door: and don’t let him get his hand on anything with an ability to make fire! 

gloria, the hostage: what.

len: am i stuttering? don’t let him… ah, my bad *goes back and cuts tape on her wrists* ...him light the room on fire! 

gloria, the hostage: …

len, rolling his eyes: Mick won’t hit a women. he may try to use a toaster or hair styler to make a room feel homey and cozy. by making a bonfire. we don’t want this, okay? 

gloria, the hostage nods: and you let me go when again? 

len, smirking: as soon as i find a fitting ride

___

len, staring at the burning motel: i asked you to do one thing, gloria!

gloria, the hostage: well he can be very persuasive and charming…

len: single, yeah?

gloria, the hostage just sighs 

___

len, knocking on the door: terribly sorry to bother you this early in the morning but if it’s not too much trouble could I possibly borrow your’s… 

joe, opening the door and looking straights at the barrel of the gun: fuck

len: sorry, not my type

___

len, gun in hand, but not pointing at anyone at the moment: sounds easy, right? we cross the border in your nice motorhome, spend a night at the bar and go our separate ways in the morning. no one needs to get hurt.

iris, hiding her face in her hands, her shoulders shaking: i can’t believe this is happening to us

barry, barely holding the eyeroll: iris...

iris, starts shaking harder: but Bar, this is so…

barry, covering his face too: i beg you don’t 

joe, barely holding the urge to bang his head against the wall: you’re making it worse 

len and mick glare between them, confused

iris, can’t hold it anymore and starts cackling: of all families in this fucking motel…

barry, starts giggling too

joe, just sighs

len, even more confused: what’s wrong with you people? 

iris, with tears in her eyes from laughing: my dad was a cop, Barry here just graduated criminalist and i’m almost graduated journalist. 

len, with why is this my life look: it’s not that funny

iris, shrugging: i deal with my first hostage situation, fuck off

mick: you know how to pick ‘em snart

len: shut up    

___

len, to everyone: if you see mick with a lighter or matches take them away from him

everyone: ???

len, sighs: he started two fires already and you have one real nice motorhome here...

___

iris stopped three arson attempts from mick before they crossed the border

___

barry recognised who len was and spent three hours trying to get len to tell him how he managed to never leave evidence at his crime scenes

___

joe barely held the urge to bang his head against steering wheel more time than he cares to admit 

___

len, looking at the titty twister: i will fucking kill her

mick, cackling: she got sadistic sense of humor from you

barry, blushes

iris, looks very interested 

joe, adopts why is this my life look 

___

iris, after stacking santanico pandemonium: damn shame 

mick, high fiving with her: yeap  

___

sex machine: ‘name is sex machine

iris and len, in unison: bold of you to presume i’m interested 

joe facepalms

mick: barking all wrong trees 

___

barry, in a quiet shy voice: so, if we survive this shit show would you be interested in a…

len: i’m sure will but your dad won’t approve 

joe, shouting from behind: I WON’T

iris, shouting from joe’s left: I WILL

mick, looking for the lighter while others are distracted: I DON’T CARE, BUT LISE WILL TOO 

___

len: i can’t believe i’m saying this… the stage is yours go at it

mick: fuck year, fire saves the day!

___

all of them looking at the flames rising from what was once the titty twister

len: good riddance

joe: hate to agree

iris and barry just rolling their eyes

mick, with feeling: nice 

___

lisa: i’m five minutes late and you burned the faking meeting point? 

len: hey, trainwreck, nice to see you too, your fault by the way

lisa, rolling her eyes: hey jerk, why?

len: you managed to choose the one with vampires 

lisa, triumphal: ha! i told you so!

len, pinching the bridge of his nose: last time, lise, you were fucking five…

lisa: and i was right

len, resigned: yes you were

___

joe, watching barry flirting with len: how is this my life?

mick, suddenly appearing from behind: popular question

joe, signing: what do you want?

mick, smirking and pointing at iris betting her eye at looking quite interested lisa: guess runs in the family 

joe, covering his face: i’m too old for this shit

mick, looking up and down: nah

joe: what. the. actual. fuck  

[mythica0]

My fic master post.

The fics I have written! I will try to update regularly, but I am very forgetful (*cough* and lazy *cough cough*) so it might take a minute.

(I’m automater voice) If you came here from my navigation post and would like to go back, please press 1

If you would like to continue, do not press anything.

💚💚💚

You ready? Let’s continue. (End automater voice)

These will be listed in order by fandom. If some sections are missing , it just means I haven’t made anything for it yet. Request something and *automater voice: that vacancy will be filled *

He who laughs: for Puss in boots: the last wish; lee puss, ler death

TSS:

New and confusing : lee Janus, Ler Patton

Salty to sweet : Lee Virgil + Logan Ler: Roman + Remus (very cute fluff)

MHA :

Dont worry, be happy ! : lee Tamaki, Ler Mirio

Smile for the camera! : Lee Aizawa + Shinso Ler present mic (this is my top post C: )

A collection of cases of Marilyn’s agressive positivity: Lee Payton(OC) Deku, Kiri, Todoroki Ler Marilyn(OC)

What a day : Lee Sero, Ler Mina

Tears: Lee Denki, Ler Kirishima

“You caught a Pikachu!”: Lee Denki, Ler Payton(OC) ft. Bakusquad

Sleep in: Lee Shinsou, Ler Aizawa + Present mic

TOH:

Revenge is a dish best served cold : Lee Gus, Ler willow

The potion incident : Lee Luz, Ler Amity + potion

Loosen up! : Lee Amity + Hunter, Ler Amity + Hunter

Still here: Lee Hunter Ler Luz

The last straw Cookie.: Lee Amity, Ler Hunter

Heartbreaker: Lee Amity, Ler Willow

CRK:

Bad day bonding : Lee Licorice, Ler Poision Mushroom

Encanto :

How the tables turn: Lee Antonio Ler Isabella +Dolorés

We learned from the best! : sequel to ^ . Lee young Isabella + Dolorés, Ler Pepa + Julieta

Hysterical : Lee young Isabella + Dolorés, Ler Pepa + Julieta

No snooping: Lee Mirabel , Ler Isabella

Plot twist: Lee Mirabel, Ler Dolorés + Pepa

Gorgeous noise~ : Lee Julieta + Pepa, Ler Felix + Augustine

ROTTMNT:

We’re in this together is - multi-chapter non-tkl AU . You can find the first chapter here. Which will have links to the other chapters once they’re made

Old returned feelings: (Mutant Ninja Midlife Crisis) Lee Leon, Ler Leo + Donnie

Come out, come out, come out of your shell~: Lee Mikey, Ler Leo

Humbled: Lee Donnie, Ler Leo

Pessimism: Lee Donnie, Ler Mikey

Touch starved: Lee Mikey, Ler Donnie + Raph + Leo

Wake him up: Lee Donnie, Ler Leo

Been to long: Lee Leo, Ler Raph

Am I doing this right?: Lee Splinter, Ler Barry

Stress relief: Lee Raph, Ler Mikey

Truth or dare: Lee Donnie, Ler Leo + Mikey + Raph

Squirmy: Lee Donnie, Ler Leo

Right side of the bed: Lee Donnie, Ler Mikey + Leo

Sunshine: Lee Mikey + Leo + Donnie , Ler Raph

Switch-iation: Lee Leo + Donnie, Ler Mikey + Raph

Nervous energy: Lee Mikey, Ler Leo + Donnie

Tittering on the edge: Lee Donnie, Ler Mikey

Warmth: Lee Raph, Ler Mikey + Leo + Donnie

Dr…..positive?:Lee Mikey, Ler Donnie

Bubbly: Lee Donnie, Ler Mikey + Leo

Natural disaster: Lee Leo, Ler Donnie

Lee-os weakness: Lee Leo, Ler Donnie

A lesson in confidence: Lee Donnie, Ler Leo

Slice of life: Lee Leo + Donnie + Mikey + Raph, Ler Leo + Donnie + Mikey + Raph

A different gift: Lee Leo + Mikey + Raph, Ler Donnie ft tech

Powerful tickles: Lee Leo, Ler Donnie + Mikey + Raph

Observation: Lee Casey jr., Ler Leo + Donnie + Mikey + Raph

Never meet your idols: Lee Leo + Mikey + Raph, Ler Donnie

Thief: Lee Mikey, Ler Donnie

You won!: Lee Donnie, Ler Raph

Prank master: Lee Mikey, Ler Leo

The good kind of monster: Lee Mikey, Ler Raph

Cooking lesson: Lee Leo + Mikey, Ler Leo + Mikey

Better pizza: Lee Leo + Donnie, Ler Leo + Donnie

Whimsy: Lee Donnie + Raph, Ler Leo + Mikey

Bored game: Lee Donnie, Ler Leo + Mikey + Raph

Squeaky clean: Lee tot Mikey, Ler tot Raph

New canvas: Lee Leo, Ler Mikey

Sensory override: Lee Donnie, Ler Leo

Leaky tap: Lee Donnie, Ler Raph

Make lemonade: Lee Leo, Ler Mikey

Cheater: Lee Leo + Raph, Ler Leo + Raph

Sweet scarring: Lee Donnie, Ler Leo + Mikey + Raph

Clingy: Lee tot Mikey, Ler Donnie

Self-care: Lee Donnie, Ler Leo + Mikey + Raph

Faulty: sequel to “sweet scarring” Lee Leo, Ler Raph

Robots feel too: Sequel to “operation:cheer up dad” Lee Shelldon, Ler Donnie

Hide and tickle; Lee tot Mikey, Ler tot Leo

Pillow WAR!: Lee Leo + Donnie + Mikey + Raph, Ler Leo + Donnie + Mikey + Raph

A Blast: Lee Leo, Ler Donnie

Clean-up crew: Lee Leo, Ler Donnie

Intervention: Lee Mikey, Ler Leo + Donnie + Raph

A Memory: Lee Leo + Donnie + Raph, Ler Mikey

Acting: Lee Leo + Mikey, Ler Donnie

Older Siblings: Lee Raph, Ler April

Pouting; Lee Donnie, Ler Leo

A loving father: Lee Tots(all), Ler Splinter

Calculations: Lee Mikey, Ler Donnie

Last one standing: Lee Donnie, Ler Splinter

Smile~: Lee Leo, Ler Donnie

Flipping the script: Lee Leo, Ler Donnie

Need a Break: Lee Donnie, Ler Raph

The Loud House

Code pink: Lee siblings, Ler Luanne

Come-down: Lee Luanne, Ler siblings

Something nicer: Lee siblings, Ler Luanne

For the road: Lee Lincoln, Ler Luanne

Fop:A new wish:

Doctor tickle monster: Lee dev, Ler Peri

No sadness allowed!: Lee dev, Ler Peri

A whosamawhatsit?: Lee dev, Ler Peri

Forgiveness: (non tword fic.)

Laugh a little!: Lee Dev, Ler Peri

Medicine: Lee Peri, Ler Dev

Attitude: Lee Dev, Ler Peri

Okay yall. So there’s apparently a link limit. :c. So I have to break the post here and do one final link to fic masterpost number two!

Go to part two!

[brithombar]

i think that midlife crisis that happened in the aughts with comics where beloved silver age characters (rip barry allen) were brought back with the most ridiculously edgy backstories so they could prove that the comics they enjoyed as kids weren't corny & were real storytelling is happening now with 90s characters & concepts having their edge surgically removed so the fans writing them can prove comics aren't an incel paradise. like i appreciate comics being more sensitive & having less shock value trauma but lois lane having fluffy moments with her dad when his entire character is abusing her for not being a son & trying to murder her husband for being an immigrant is like insane

[roboticnebula]

1, 7, and 37 for the fic writer asks?

1. What fic of yours would you recommend to someone who had never read any of your work? (In other words, what do you think is the best introduction to your fics?)

For the folks from my DC and Flash corner of the internet: I'm going to go with my most recent one Tomorrow Will Wait because it has some of my classic hits (Halbarry, older characters, longtime friends, midlife crisis, themes of grief) but I also try some new things writing wise (Helen Jordan, time loop mechanics and light sexual content hah).

I'm also going to sneak a mention for the Temeraire fandom: One Art (Laurence/Tharkay) which is the sort of moody, but fluffy character studies I loved writing for that fandom.

7. Any worldbuilding you’re particularly proud of?

I tend to stick close to canon worldbuilding, and play with character, timeline and plot changes so I don't have many fics with brand new worldbuilding, BUT I really like my 'Mad Max Fury Road' AU: Both Hands Against the Throat of the World (DC, Halbarry). I'm quite proud of the way I transplanted he characters, and it was fun to figure what to keep, what to change and what to invent to bridge the gap. Chapter 2, which I'm very nearly done writing, also gave me a bit of trouble so I am very proud to have finally figured it out.

37. Promote one of your own “deep cut” fics (an underrated one, or one that never got as much traction as you think it deserves!). What do you like about it?

I know it's a rarepair but..... In Another Time, Will You Remember me: Eobarry is a fascinating dynamic, I like the way I wrote Barry and I liked writing from Eobard's point of view!

Thank you for the ask!

(Ask game here)

[talkingtea]

How they’re gonna make all them episodes centered on frostbite and snowball ? Then before they filmed Eric was saying it’s gonna take them the rest of the season to figure out iris’s time sickness . Who the hell is gonna be figuring this out if all these people are gonna have their own problem ? Cecile is going through a midlife crisis and powers don’t work when it’s necessary. Joe is a absent father and show up when it’s too late sometimes, Allegra never at work so how is have supposed to be the leading writer or whatever she is ? Iris never just get to be a reporter because they’re too busy making her be in different dimensions and away from everyone . Chester have to be a goofier Cisco . Barry is never a leader that can fight by himself and conveniently powers don’t work so someone else can save the day . On top of all that they’re coming back with filler episodes so the main cast can take breaks . 

They’re not going to figure it out. It’s going to be pushed out until next season and used as a device to keep Iris off screen indefinitely. Then magically she’ll randomly show back up and everything will be fine and she’ll be just in time to give Barry a much needed pep talk. 🙄

[kravkalackin]

To say they were still figuring this out was an understatement if there ever was one. They’d been in this new world for a little over six months now, by their last count. There was still no sign of their planet, their universe, the whole damn planar system they left behind, and no sign if they would ever be able to leave this one. 

Maybe they wouldn’t. Maybe they would be stuck here in this strange animal filled world for the rest of their lives. At least the animals were sapient, but there was still something surreal about possibly never seeing another humanoid face again, other than his six coworkers. 

It would also be an understatement to say it sometimes kept him up at night. Which was why Barry was currently moving as quietly as he could through the ship to the kitchen. Davenport and Merle were still out on a mission to find the light, but everyone else should be asleep. 

The key word there was ‘should.’ 

“Oh,” he said, surprised when he saw the form of one of the twins from behind. It was hard to tell in the dark, especially with the way they were backlit from the fridge. “Couldn’t sleep either?” he asked, and when they turned to look at him he could see now that it was Taako. 

Instead of answering, he wordlessly pointed towards one of his ears, which twitched before turning back towards the fridge, and Barry could feel himself dying inside. 

“Right. Elf, sorry,” he said, debating just heading back to his room before he embarrassed himself further. He really hadn’t spent a lot of time with either of the twins on their own, and most of the time they did spend together was in study. Learning this new animal language, trying to figure out this world they were in. He wasn’t that great at social skills there, but at least he had something to focus on.

“What’cha having my dude?” Taako asked before he could leave, surprising Barry. 

“What?” he asked, and it was almost impossible to tell what Taako was thinking. 

 “Food Barold, were you coming here to eat something or just real in the mood for some awkward small talk,” he clarified. 

“Oh, I was just gonna grab some mac n’ cheese or something,” he said, and almost as soon as he said that Taako started moving, pulling out the ingredients to make some homemade mac, instead of the instant stuff Barry was planning on. “Oh you don’t- I can do it bud,” he said, but Taako waved him away. 

“I couldn’t decide anyway. I’ll just make double,” he said, and reluctantly Barry nodded, going and sitting down at the table to wait. 

“It’s uh, it’s weird, isn’t it?” he said after a few minutes, the quiet getting a little too much for him. 

“Which part?” Taako asked, and Barry scoffed a little at that. 

“All of it? It’s just- I’d been prepared for a disaster, but nothing like this,” he said, and all Taako did was nod. At the moment he just seemed to be watching water boil, which in Barry’s experience only made it go all that much slower. “Do you think... you think we’ll ever be able to go home?” he asked, his voice quiet. 

“Dunno,” Taako said easily, a careless shrug on his shoulders. “Having only animals around forever is kinda a weird turn, but never much had a home to begin with, so if we’re stuck here so be it, I guess,” he said. 

“Right, I uh, remember hearing your guy’s story, in the promotional stuff,” Barry said, hoping he wasn’t crossing some line. It didn’t seem to bother Taako though, who started working on some sort of cheese sauce for the mac now that the noodles had been added. It had been pretty heavily advertised though, the twin elves who’d brought themselves up from nothing. A regular rags to riches story, with the skills to actually back it up. 

“And what’s your story?” Taako asked, surprising Barry. “From everything I remember you were sitting pretty easy in the IPRE, never did any sort of field work like this before. Why not stick back on this one too?” he asked, and it wasn’t the first time Barry had been asked that, but it was the first time he felt the desire to answer honestly. 

“Midlife crisis,” he said, Taako pausing and turning towards him slowly in response. “I realized I’m almost forty and it just felt like I’d... wasted so much time? Then the light came down and I told myself wherever this thing takes us, I was gonna follow it, so uh, here I am,” he said. 

Taako was quiet for a long moment, and Barry was worried that he might have said something wrong when he suddenly started laughing. Barry could feel his face heat up in embarrassment, but when the elf pulled himself together it actually didn’t seem mocking. 

“Ya know what, I can respect that,” he said, and Barry actually found himself grinning as Taako came over, putting a bowl of the best looking mac n’ cheese Barry had ever seen in his life down in front of him, before sitting down as well with his own. Barry didn’t waste any time, immediately shoveling some in his mouth. To say they got lucky with the twin’s cooking couldn’t begin to cover it. 

“Gods, this is gonna fuck me up tonight, but it’s worth it,” he said, not noticing how Taako froze at that. 

“What do you mean?” he asked, and Barry was confused for a moment before remembering only Merle had access to their medical records. 

“Oh, I’m lactose intolerant,” he said. 

“Barold!” Taako screeched, and immediately Barry was wincing. 

“Shush! You’ll wake everyone else up!” he hissed back, having to quickly grab his bowl when the elf started reaching for it. 

“Give me that back! I’m not letting you midlife crisis all over my cooking!” he yelled, and Barry had to get up out of his seat now, shoving food in his mouth as fast as he could before Taako could take it away. 

“The damage is already done! I’m finishing it!” he shouted, running away from Taako now. There was a loud clatter as Taako’s chair fell back, and Barry was pretty sure he could hear others starting to wake up from the noise further into the ship. 

There was still so much they had to figure out, so many uncertainties, but hopefully slowly they could start piecing it together. 

And as far as people to be stuck with for all of this, Barry was starting to feel like he got pretty lucky. 

There were definitely worse ways to have a midlife crisis, at any rate. 

[chocolateteapotsvis]

Halbarry Recs: Angst with a Happy Ending Edition

So, in light of certain things that have been going on in the fandom lately, it seemed like a good time to post some fanfiction recommendations.

i died a sinner, you died a saint (a look from you and I would fall from grace) by @halifax-jordan (T) Will-they-won't-they-should-they-shouldn't-they, could-they-would-they-will-they, the five times Hal and Barry almost and the one time they did. It goes like this: Hal can't stop looking in broken mirrors, and Barry can't stop with the what-ifs, and together they can overcome death but somehow intimacy draws them up short. (5+1 fic!)

I Second That Emotion by  @leftsmitteninbritain(T) Hal’s report is simple. The Guardians tried to make some upgrades to the Central Power Battery, and they went awry. All Green Lanterns are, currently, at the mercy of their emotions - ones that are, in fact, amplified by that fuck-up with the Power Battery, and perfectly visible through the rings.Barry decides to keep him company while he's under lockdown, and Hal's ring decides to force his heart onto his sleeve.

movie nights from the halbarry ficlets collection (G for this story, E for other chapters)

Hypoxia by @hipsterdarcy (M) The holidays aren't always merry and bright.  (Read the notes for content warnings.  Part 2 of the Midlife Crisis Halbarry series, so why not just read the entire thing?)

It’s not a comprehensive list, so if I missed one of your favs, let me know and I’ll update the list/link to your rec list!

And some other rec lists:

@finalfrontierpioneer’s Rec Lists 2020 and 2019

@dailygreenlantern Lists: Here and Here and Here 

[tiktaalic]

Just if you feel like talking about it, what is the appeal of Barry (the show, not the character) to you?

I keep hearing stuff about it and can't figure out the appeal—to be clear I don't mean that in a judgy way, regardless of whether it fits my tastes I'm sure there *is* one. My brain just has this weird tick where if I see a lot of people enjoying a thing, I'm not at all bothered by not necessarily enjoying it myself, but it nags at me until I can figure out what the appeal is to the people who do enjoy it.

It’s funny. It’s a pretty absurd premise on paper that a hitman has a midlife crisis and decides to become an actor. He’s a charisma void with no social skills and he’s like. I wanna. I wanna be a star. It’s fun to watch! The secondary characters are also 30 somethings who wanna Make It Big and I think making fun of people living in LA is funny. Noho hank is character of all time. And it’s been really cool to watch it shift from like, Barry doing a shoddy impression of the Munch scream meaning for it to come off as sincere when someone is like oh my god our friend (who Barry murdered and is 100% aware is dead) got killed last night! to um. Hank crying and clawing at his handcuffs while listening to all of his friends be brutally murdered. As a viewer it’s really rewarding to see that tonal departure be executed well. I personally am historically a sucker for shows that are like come here I am a normal show I am a comedy I am low stakes that slowly amp things up till you’re 🚬-_- oh god the fucking themes. And by god does Barry have themes in it.

[maaarine]

50 Great Myths of Popular Psychology (John Ruscio, Barry Beyerstein, Steven J. Lynn, Scott Lilienfeld, 2009)

“In this book, you’ll encounter 50 myths that are commonplace in the world of popular psychology. (…)

Most People Use Only 10% of Their Brain Power

Some People Are Left-Brained, Others Are Right-Brained

Extrasensory Perception (ESP) Is a Well-Established Scientific Phenomenon

Visual Perceptions Are Accompanied by Tiny Emissions from the Eyes

Subliminal Messages Can Persuade People to Purchase Products

Playing Mozart’s Music to Infants Boosts Their Intelligence

Adolescence Is Inevitably a Time of Psychological Turmoil

Most People Experience a Midlife Crisis in Their 40s or Early 50s

Old Age Is Typically Associated with Increased Dissatisfaction and Senility

When Dying, People Pass through a Universal Series of Psychological Stages

Human Memory Works like a Tape Recorder or Video Camera, and Accurate Records Events We’ve Experienced

Hypnosis Is Useful for Retrieving Memories of Forgotten Events

Individuals Commonly Repress the Memories of Traumatic Experiences

Most People with Amnesia Forget All Details of Their Earlier Lives

Intelligence (IQ) Tests Are Biased against Certain Groups of People

If You’re Unsure of Your Answer When Taking a Test, It’s Best to Stick with Your Initial Hunch

The Defining Feature of Dyslexia Is Reversing Letters

Students Learn Best When Teaching Styles Are Matched to Their Learning Styles

Hypnosis Is a Unique “Trance” State that Differs in Kind from Wakefulness

Researchers Have Demonstrated that Dreams Possess Symbolic Meaning

People Can Learn Information, like New Languages, while Asleep

During “Out-of-Body” Experiences, People’s Consciousness Leaves Their Bodies

The Polygraph (“Lie Detector”) Test Is an Accurate Means of Detecting Dishonesty

Happiness Is Determined Mostly by Our External Circumstances

Ulcers Are Caused Primarily or Entirely by Stress

A Positive Attitude Can Stave off Cancer

Opposites Attract: We Are Most Romantically Attracted to People Who Differ from Us

There’s Safety in Numbers: The More People Present at an Emergency, the Greater the Chance that Someone Will Intervene

Men and Women Communicate in Completely Different Ways

It’s Better to Express Anger to Others than to Hold It in

Raising Children Similarly Leads to Similarities in Their Adult Personalities

The Fact that a Trait Is Heritable Means We can’t change it

Low Self-Esteem Is a Major Cause of Psychological Problems

Most People Who Were Sexually Abused in Childhood Develop Severe Personality Disturbances in Adulthood

People’s Responses to Inkblots Tell Us a Great Deal about Their Personalities

Our Handwriting Reveals Our Personality Traits

Psychiatric Labels Cause Harm by Stigmatizing People

Only Deeply Depressed People Commit Suicide

People with Schizophrenia Have Multiple Personalities

Adult Children of Alcoholics Display a Distinctive Profile of Symptoms

There’s Recently Been a Massive Epidemic of Infantile Autism

Psychiatric Hospital Admissions and Crimes Increase during Full Moons

Most Mentally Ill People Are Violent

Criminal Profiling Is Helpful in Solving Cases

A Large Proportion of Criminals Successfully Use the Insanity Defense

Virtually All People Who Confess to a Crime Are Guilty of It

Expert Judgment and Intuition Are the Best Means of Making Clinical Decisions

Abstinence Is the Only Realistic Treatment Goal for Alcoholics Alcoholics

All Effective Psychotherapies Force People to Confront the “Root” Causes of Their Problems in Childhood

Electroconvulsive (“Shock”) Therapy Is a Physically Dangerous and Brutal Treatment”

[givemewallywestorgivemedeath]

K, who wants to bet that DC:War Zone ends with a tease or a reveal that Iris is pregnant?

We've gotten five pages of the ten page story in the preview and they've already brought up Iris wanting kids and being frustrated that Barry isn't around enough. They also just had Barry's fantasy world revolve around having kids with Iris and he had a mental breakdown about balancing kids with work in endless winter (which ended with him retiring from the JL, cough cough, nudge nudge, hint hint, he was clearly putting parenting first) and we had Iris mention 'two surprises' for Barry at the end of the last run (granted, they didn't outright say she was pregnant and storylines get dropped in between writers but still). Also Barry is supposed to be having a midlife crisis in OMW and I think finding out that you are going to be a father would be midlife crisis worthy (especially to Barry, the man with extreme anxiety, who panicked and retired from the Justice League at the hypothetical idea that he'd be a bad father to his hypothetical children if he couldn't manage his time well)

So I'm willing to bet that the next five pages will at least tease Iris being pregnant.

[anistarrose]

🌀🌤🌧🌪 :3c

my computer's displaying the emojis weird so hopefully I got the right ones, let me know if not!

🌀Post the fic summary for a fic you haven't written/published yet. It can be hypothetical or something you really plan on releasing...

okay I don't think I had a single proper summary written for a WIP prior to now, so thank you for encouraging me to get off my ass and write a tentative one for the maurcretia divorce fic:

At one point, Maureen never thought she could fall in love with a client of Miller Labs — but that was before Lucretia came into her life, brilliant and witty and mysterious, and Maureen is hooked, drawn as is her nature to Lucretia and her secrets.

At another point, Maureen never thought she could fall out of love with Lucretia — and she doesn't, not exactly — but nevertheless, as the pair's dueling projects near completion, the weight of secrets and stubbornness weighs heavier and heavier.

were they ever married? no one's quite sure. are they divorced? i hope to convince you that they absolutely are, in a fic coming very very soon :)

🌤️Share your favorite piece of dialogue from your WIP.

from "untitled barry midlife crisis" fic, which is set shortly pre-starblaster:

“I — I fucking figured you were working on the bond engine, Barry, you’re always working on the bond engine — but for Pete’s sake, for how goddamn long this time? Did you stay the night here?!”

Barry leaps to his feet, immediately the most animated that Davenport’s seen him in days.

“Dropped my fantasy car keys down the fantasy parking lot sewer last night!” he exclaims, holding up his hands as if to add what can you do? “So I came back to my lab, settled down for the night, and had a whole fantasy mid-life crisis!”

I actually rewrote this one recently and it's full of STEM major in-jokes that are funny mainly to me but possibly other people as well, it's basically complete but I'm saving it for when I need to post a breather between angsty fics. speaking of,

🌧️Share something angsty from your WIP.

from a "lup lives... until glamour springs" AU:

“Taako, I don’t think she’s going to make it.”

Taako sits bolt upright. The door in front of him is closed, the room is dim — dimmer than he remembers leaving it, even — and Lup is still breathing softly, thank gods, thank more fucking gods than Taako can remember the names of —

And looming over foot of the bed is a human-shaped specter, cloaked in black shadows and a glowing crimson robe. On reflex, Taako throws an arm over Lup, clutching his wand.

I wrote most of this one just yesterday, and it occupies a very specific place on the hurt-comfort spectrum that I honestly don't know how to articulate 😭

🌩️ Share something funny/cracky from your WIP.

ooh I got a good one from a basically complete hurloane piece I'm gonna try and polish up for next week:

“Ooh, babe, you’ve gotta see this meme Carey posted,” Sloane says with a chuckle, and shows Hurley her screen. It’s a very, very compressed Fantasy JPEG of a horse that’s captioned, in Fantasy Impact font: “jeffandrew found some of the horses and made them vampire horses.”

“Wow. So deep,” Hurley deadpans. “Is this the rogues group chat again?”

“Yeah. Magnus reacted with a cow emoji, Barry replied with a picture of himself holding up a piece of paper that reads ‘I don’t understand this meme and at this point I’m too afraid to ask,’ and it looks like Angus didn’t see this yet — which he better not have, ‘cause Carey posted it way past his bedtime!”

there's more group chat silliness where that came from in the final wip so stay tuned :)

(send me writing ask emojis!)

[barry-j-blupjeans]

maybe 3 or 11 + blupjeans for the kissing prompts? :o

11. when one stops the kiss to whisper “I’m sorry, are you sure you-” and they answer by kissing them more

(Kissing prompts here :D!)

this got,,, A LITTLE out of hand sjflsdfj. here is OVER 2k of blupjeans for ur reading pleasure (probably to be posted on ao3 later)

--

Barry’s got one arm covering Lup as he’s half leaning over her, and the other up in the air to create a shield around them (god, he was so glad that Lucretia had talked him into learning abjuration magic a few cycles ago). It wasn’t the strongest, but it held up as the mineshaft they were in caved in around them. By the time the ground stopped shaking, and the rocks stopped falling, the bubble he had created was completely covered from top to bottom. There wasn’t a shred of light anywhere.

“Fuck,” Lup said, which aptly described how Barry was feeling. “Quick thinking, Bar, good job.” 

She snapped her fingers and a few balls of light lit up the bubble, floating aimlessly around them.

He lowered his wand, focusing on the spell well enough for it to stay steady, and turned his attention to Lup. She wasn’t injured, besides some scrapes on her arms from when Barry had shoved her to the ground. He felt a little bad about that, but the tunnel was small and he didn’t want her to move out of range of the bubble.

Lup fished her Stone of Farspeech out of her robes as Barry gave her a tight smile in response. He sat up against the side of the bubble shield as she called back to the ship. Davenport was sending Taako, Magnus, and Merle to come to get them out (which Barry already knew would be a disaster, even if they worked well together). When she hung up, all that was left to do was... wait. There was a light on the top of her Stone to show it was being tracked, and they couldn’t do anything else to make it go faster.

“Sorry for pushing you,” Barry said. Lup shrugged and sat cross-legged across from him.

“No biggie,” she said. “It was either be pushed to the ground or get killed by a rock, so I don’t think I have the right to be mad about it right now. Or the want to, anyhow.”

Waiting was slow going. Barry knew Lup wasn’t a particularly patient person and could tell when she was starting to get antsy. Neither of them were good at sitting still, but Lup’s foot had been tapping for ten straight minutes before she started searching through her pack for things to do.

“Hey, Bar,” she asked, five minutes into that, “Wanna help?”

“Gods, yes,” Barry said, shuffling his way over to her side. “Give me something to do.”

Lup muttered something under her breath that Barry didn’t catch, and probably didn’t want to. She turned the whole bag over and pushed half of it towards him.

“Do... something with that,” she said and started working on her half.

Barry started to organize it because that was probably what Lup had meant. He sorted it by use first- things someone would need if they were going to a mission (waterskin, loose charcoal, which Barry didn’t want to begin questioning), makeup stuff (chapstick, face wipes, three different colors of nail polish, and one eyelash curler), and misc. (four individual playing cards, a note in Taako’s handwriting that just said “fuck you”, a photo of a baby elephant). Then he sorted by size.

When he looked back over to Lup, she had made a wobbly tower out of her half. Barry was startled into a laugh, which caused it all to fall over.

“Barold Bluejeans,” she said, turning on him. “You fucking monster.”

“S- sorry!” Barry gasped, leaning back against the bubble, not sounding sorry at all. “I thought- I thought we were both sorting!”

“I said “do something” not sort!” Lup said. “I cannot believe- oh, fuck, is that my charcoal, I was looking for that.”

Which just made Barry laugh harder. She scowled at him, in good nature, and snatched the charcoal from his piles. She eyed him as she started building her tower again, pausing only when he sniggered to send a light-hearted glare his way.

After a while, he finally got control of his laughter and watched her build a tower. She had two books she was using as the base, followed by a thinning stack of sticky notes, and a half-empty water bottle. After about three minutes, she finished the pile, which had been swaying precariously as she added things, and placed the charcoal on top. She leaned back on her hands and looked at it.

“Hey, Bar,” Lup said, not taking her eyes off the pile.

“Yeah?”

“I’m bored.” She tore her gaze away from it to look at him, lips turned into a cute little frown. “I wanna do somethin’ else.”

“Not a lotta options here, Lup,” Barry said. She frowned, tilting her head at him. His heart stuttered a little. “We can, uh. Talk?”

“About what?” Lup asked. “‘What’s your favorite color?’ I already know yours is denim blue. You’re predictable, babe. I don’t know what to ask that wouldn’t seem like this is a bad first date.”

Barry flushed a little.

“This would be a very bad first date,” Barry said and Lup laughed. She scooted up next to him, careful not to disturb her pile while she moved. After a second, she pressed her arm next to his and leaned onto his shoulder. Barry’s brain short-circuited, almost missing what she said next.

“We’d have to be on at least third date questions,” Lup said thoughtfully. “Like, uhh. What’s your social security number?”

“I don’t remember that!” Barry laughed and Lup buried her head into his shoulder, giggling. “I- I barely even knew it when we were at home, Lup, how do you expect me to remember it after forty-five years.”

“Joking, Barry,” she said, laughing a little still. “I’ll ask a better question, then. Uh. When you were a kid, what did you wanna be when you grew up?”

“Astronaut,” Barry said immediately, which sent Lup into another fit of giggles. She looked up at him, grinning.

"For real?" she asked and when he nodded, she whistled. "Dang, babe, you got your dream."

"I- I guess," Barry said. "It's not like- I mean, I gave up on that dream fairly quick back home. One, because it was pretty unrealistic until the Light came, and two, because it seemed... I don't know, unrealistic. I was a professor, Lup, I didn't- the mission was more of a... midlife crisis decision, if we're being honest."

Lup hummed, dropping her head back down to lean on his shoulder. Barry worried he went too far for a moment.

"I forget that human's live such short lives," Lup said quietly. The mood of the room (bubble) shifted when she said that. It took on a somber tone. "Me and Taako weren't adults until we were a hundred. By that age, you'd be all old and wrinkly."

"Hey," Barry said, nudging her. "I'm old and wrinkly now."

She snorted but shook her head.

"Guess Magnus's "live now, die later" attitude kinda makes sense when you think about it like that," Lup said. "Like, you age so fast. You just kinda have to do what you want when you want so you can actually get it in there, y'know."

"Not really," Barry said. "I mean, there's a lot of time to do things still, but I see where he's coming from. You don't wanna not do something and regret that you never did it."

Lup seemed to think on that for a second. Barry did, too. She was still pressed against his shoulder, close enough that her hair was tickling his neck. He looked away and sighed slightly. If he was being honest, he probably should take his own words to heart. Life, love, never lasts long enough and as soon as you get what you want, it's counting down the seconds until something takes it away. Circumstances, opportunities, death. Something always took it away.

They had an endless amount of time to get it right. But Barry didn't want to be the one to break her heart when they stopped the cycles and he started to age again.

"Barry," Lup said, quiet, but absolutely deafening in the silence of the bubble. "I, uh. I think we need to talk." She sat up, turning herself towards him completely. Barry's heart thundered in his chest.

"I know humans don't live long," she said carefully. "And we don't know when we're gonna get out of these cycles. But I... can't ignore things because of that. I can't just fucking- pretend that I'm not feeling things? Because that's not healthy and also, by the way, it fucking sucks. I'd rather-"

She broke herself off. Barry saw her hands dig into the dirt under them.

"This isn't the best place to say it," she said, looking away. She backed up a bit and knocked her pile over in the process. "Uh, my bad, I just-"

"I don't wanna pretend either," Barry blurted out, before he even thought about what he was saying. "Being trapped in a bubble under a collapsed mineshaft isn't the best place to talk about anything, Lup, but it's you and I don't wanna make you not want to say something. I, uh. I think I get what you're getting at, though."

He steeled himself, taking a deep breath in. Okay, he was doing this. He was doing this. He just had to, uh, collect himself first, and-

"I like you," and Lup beat him to the punch line. Barry blinked at her and she hurried along. "Like, in a romantic way, I mean. Not like- I like the others just fine, but I like you, Bar."

"Oh," Barry said. Lup chuckled nervously, not looking at him.

"Yeah," she said. "Um, like I said, not the best place to talk about it, but-"

"No!" Barry said. "No, Lup, I like you too! Fuck, I- I wasn't expecting you to, uhm- Lup, I like you so much, I didn't wanna make things weird."

"This whole goddamn situation is weird," Lup said, hitting the side of the bubble with her hand.

"No, like, us," Barry said. "Like as a friendship, I didn't wanna make it weird. I'm..." he sighed. "It's complicated for a lot of reasons, Lup, I'm human. I-"

"So it's a no?" Lup said awkwardly.

"No!" Barry said. "No, no, no, it's definitely a yes! I just don't want- I don't wanna fucking... die on you when the cycles stop, Lup. I don't want it to end and I don't want you to have to deal with that."

"That's not up to you," Lup said at once, sounding a tad bit annoyed. "If I wanna date you, that's my choice, and if you die, then it's my emotions I'm going to be dealing with. I don't want you to beef it, obviously, but- it's not up to you to figure out how I'll react then. I wanna do now with you and I wanna do that all the way up until we can't. It's fine if you don't- don't want that, but I-"

She was starting to tear up a bit and he panicked, scooting forward.

"Sorry," he said, because he didn't know what else to say. "I- I wasn't thinking about now, I was focusing on later. I- I don't want to see you upset because of something I've done, if I can help it. I got a little stuck in that.

"I desperately want this to work out," Barry said, holding out his hands. She wiped away a tear and clasped her hands in his. "There's no one I'd rather be with than you, Lup, I promise. But I wanna talk about what all it'll mean, first, if that's alright with you. I wanna make this work."

"Yeah," Lup said thickly. "Of course."

She hesitated for a second, and then wrapped him in a hug. His heart was beating fast as he hugged back, burying his face into her neck. After a moment, she drew back a little, pressing her forehead against his.

"Can I kiss you before we talk, or do you wanna wait 'til after?" she asked. The air momentarily left Barry's lungs. He took a deep, needed, breath in and nodded. When he realized that the nod answered nothing, he said,

"Now's good, if you, uh, if you want."

"Now," Lup said decisively, leaning in.

If you asked Barry, the day could be divided up into two parts: before he kissed Lup, and after. Maybe that was stupid, because they were buried under a pile of dirt and rocks right now, but... Her lips against his were fire and ash and everything wonderful and powerful. The touch was soft, because they were both uncertain, and Barry drew back just far enough to say,

"I'm sorry, are you sure-"

Before she was pressing her lips back up against his, stronger, with more intent. Barry's heart felt like it was going to explode in his chest as she tugged him closer with the arms she had around his neck.

And then he felt like his heart did actually explode when something clanged against the side of the bubble. Barry startled back, hitting the opposite end of the barrier, and looking towards where the sound had come from. Lup scooted back towards him, raising her wand towards it. It hit again and Barry recognized the blade of a shovel, scooping away the dirt.

In a matter of seconds, there was a sizable amount gone and there was Magnus, who grinned upon seeing them. He saw Taako standing against the wall a little further back and Merle on the ground, talking to him.

Lup swore. Barry saw that the tips of her ears were pink when she shoved her want back into her holster.

"We'll get back to this later," she promised. "The kissing and the convo, I promise. Help me put my shit back in my bag."

"Yeah," Barry said, his whole face flushed. "I can do that."

[terezis]

Remember how Bella had some weird midlife crisis in new moon about growing old while Edward stayed looking young yeah that’s Taako

wait

initially i was thinking that he’s stressed about kravitz not aging but you know what i think would bother him way, way more???

growing old while lup stays young forever

bad enough that they no longer share the same pretty face, but what about in a century? two??? what about when taako’s an old man??? lup’s not finding any grey hairs. lup’s not getting all wrinkly like an old grape. she stopped aging when she became a reaper. lup looks the same as she did on the starblaster.

what happens when they go out to lunch and someone mistakes taako for lup’s father? for her grandfather??? he’d straight-up rather die. 

i think there’s probably a moment during this midlife crisis where he starts avoiding her a little, like, ditching plans they made months ago because they’ll have to be seen together in public and obviously everyone is going to notice that taako, interplanar hero a hundred times over, taako, you know, that taako, from tv??? his sister drank from the fountain of youth, but taako’s got laugh lines

easy solution though: lup starts sympathy aging with her brother. kravitz too!!! not barry, though. by this point barry’s looked fifty-something for like five hundred years. he’s kind of excited that he and lup will finally match

they’re still fit to fight necromancers, like their bodies are constructs gifted to them by the raven queen and they don’t give themselves fuckin’, fantasy arthritis, but cosmetics are not a problem!!!

taako still kinda hates it but now he hates it less. taako demands they go abuse the senior discount at fantasy ihop. he’s going to become the crotchety old man he was always meant to be

[a19yearoldtryinherbest]

A Starry Night. [Bill Hader]

   Masterlist

Prompt: Bill is reminded of the age difference he has with the love of his life.

Pairing: Bill Hader x OFC

Warning: Swearing, fluff.

A/N: I was stuck between this and another title The Age Of The Stars. but I thought that this one works better with the text. idk

Next up McLoving Part 3!

Word count: 2005

•  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •

He had woken up a few minutes before by his alarm and was waiting for her to wake up. He looked at her in awe like if he was looking at every star in the galaxy. She was beautiful and she was laying in bed next to him. She had been every night for the past four months and Bill still couldn’t wrap his head around it. He saw her scrunch up her face a little before she slightly opened her eyes. She smiled the second she saw him looking at her. She closed her eyes, still smiling and moved to snuggle against his chest. Her right hand placed itself almost by inertia on his waist while the left one stayed with her, holding herself from the waist. Her head was against his chest, letting her hear his heartbeat and breathing.

He felt his heart fluttered, and the hand on his waist grabbing him ever so softly was only making him smile wider — Good morning. — Sarah mumbled, her voice a bit ruff and tired but he still found it endearing.

— Good morning, sweetheart. — he replied. He let his right arm under his own head, so it would stay out of the way, and put his other hand on top of the one she left on her waist, grabbing her hand an caressing her skin with his thumb.

They stayed like that for a moment talking about the things each had to do that day, Bill only moving to leave a kiss on her forehead every couple of minutes, taking the chance to share he affection in other way than caressing her skin.

After almost forty five minutes laying together -which still felt like it wasn’t enough- they both had to give up their intimate moment and get up to start their day.

Bill always showered before bed, so when Sarah entered to shower Bill went to the kitchen to make breakfast. Taking advantage that the kids weren’t there and he didn’t have to make a healthy, balanced breakfast, he started making pancakes. Some with blueberries for her, others plain for himself.

He was half done when he heard her come into the kitchen and felt her arms slid on his torso to hug him. She rested her cheek against his back for a brief moment, almost like she was snoozing off an alarm just to put her head on top of the pillow for five more minutes. He smiled and intertwined his fingers with her’s leaving only one hand on top of his stomach, flipping pancakes with the other — How was the shower? — he asked with a soft chuckle, rubbing her knuckles slowly, as a way to bring a bit of the soft mess of caressing, kissing and laying together in bed to the kitchen.

She smiled brightly and kissed his shoulder blade — It was great. How are the pancakes?

He smiled a bit, noting her playful and teasing tone — I hope they’re good.

Without moving their positions too much she swung to her right and looked to the pan where the pancakes were — They’re not burnt. — she observed, jokingly saying it as it was some sort of unbelievable event.

— Alright. It happened only once. — he teased back, getting the pancakes of the pan and putting them in two different plates — And, to my favor, — he turned the stove off and turned around, her hug not breaking but leaving her with her chin on his chest, not far from his face — they weren’t really that burnt.

— Honey, they looked like coal. — she teased a bit before releasing him from the hug and taking both plates to the table, he laughed softly and followed her with the orange juice, the butter and syrup. They ate chatting about new movies coming up, their schedule for the upcoming filming season and the girl’s school grades.

It always amazed him how much calmer he felt around her. It didn’t matter what they were doing, he felt calm. She was, to him, the equivalent of a quiet and warm starry night. When he looked at her was like looking at the stars, everything seemed to make sense because of it, every problem felt a thousand times smaller and it just made him feel as if he was where he was supposed to be, it just felt right.

Soon they both had to leave, Bill was writing season 3 of Barry and Sarah went filming a tv series she was working on. His office wasn’t far from the set she was filming on, so they would always do little lunches or dinners to see each other on the day. They saw each other at lunch were they arranged she would get back to the house, since she was leaving earlier, and if Bill didn’t left too late and tired they could watch something and have a dinner.

The rest of the day went by easily and Bill was lucky to get back home early. When her entered their house the lack of music or tv sound struck him immediately. Making him know that something serious was going on. He went to the living room and saw Sarah sitting on the couch, her legs stretched across, a large t-shirt she supposedly borrowed from him on and looking into her cellphone with concentration — Hey. — he said, surrounding the couch to face her.

Sarah looked up from her phone, he could see she was reading an article but it didn’t seem like a fancy one. A conflicted and sad look in her eyes where what made him concerned — Hey. — she pulled her legs slowly close to her body, leaving a place for him to seat near her.

He sat on the couch right next to her. He looked at her face, almost as if he was looking for clues — What happened? — he asked, getting a lock of hair behind her ear.

— They found out about us. — she stated before stretching her legs above hi legs and laying her head on his shoulder. Her left arm slithered around his back, softly grabbing his torso. Bill’s arm surrounded her torso and grabbed the shoulder that was left exposed to the warm night, keeping her closer to him. He thought of it for a second. He didn’t mind people knowing. Not one bit. He tried to understand why she seemed upset but he wasn’t sure what she would be so he rested his free hand on her leg and waited for her to explain it — It’s just- they’re saying mean stuff. About both of us.

— They are? — he asked. She looked for her phone and he pressed his lips against her forehead. He didn’t care what people would say but he could see that she did, to some degree it affected her. He had learned to ignore those click-bait articles about people’s lives but she was fairly knew to the weird stoplight they were in.

41 year old actor Bill Hader seen having romantic lunch with 23 year old actress Sarah Kaufman.

And, without even reading it he knew what it would be about. But he read it anyway. They gave details about his life taking special attention to the fact that he had been married and had children, and that she hadn’t had any public long lasting relationships. They centered mostly about the age gap between them, basically saying that she was a midlife crisis to him and he was a help for publicity to her.

He felt guilty for a moment, seeing Sarah with her look lost in the air, probably thinking about the situation and how to handle it, evaluating all the choices. He felt guilty because, every bad thing they said about her was because of him. Because he was older, because of their age.

He knew about the age difference. Of course he knew. It had tortured him since the day he met her. She was almost half his age, he had felt like and asshole when he realized it. She was twenty-three. Eighteen years younger than him. That number was like burden everyday he fell in love with her, except when he was with her, except when she talked and carried herself in a way that seemed more mature, more mature than anyone he had ever met. She would always be patient, understanding and giving but not to an extreme where one could take her as a fool, she could stand up for herself or others without hesitation and she would do it, she was more familiar with feelings and could express them in a way everyone would understand. It’s said that one can’t be young and wise, well, she was the exception. It wasn’t that she made him feel young, it was that, for them, there were no numbers, there was no age, they were soulmates, nothing past that mattered. But he still felt guilty.

— I’m sorry. — he said, making her snap out of her train of thought. She turned to him, straightening herself, looking concerned and confused — About this… getting out. All the thing they’re saying about us. About you. It’s all wrong. I’m sorry I put you into this.

There was a look in her eyes he had seen a million times. It was understanding. But it wasn’t that she was just sympathetic for him, she actually understood what he meant, where he was coming from. It had always been easier with her, understanding, listening, talking. Bill had always found it hard to understand other people, to communicate with them, but she was something else. He could understand her, even if nobody else did.

— Bill, stop. — she shushed, taking her hand from his back and resting it on his cheek — You didn’t but me into anything and you shouldn’t be apologizing for anything. I want this. I don’t care what they say. — he looked at her, his eyes darting between both of her eyes. Some sort of sadness and hope glimmering in his eyes. He settled herself and looked at him, he played attention to her every move and every word she started to utter— Look, for the most part of my life I just wanted somebody to be there with. I would get on my bedroom window and look at the stars and hope that one day someone would sit there with me. I always thought that it could be anyone, but it can’t be. It doesn’t feel right to just be with anyone else. You’re the only one that it makes it all just- feel right. You’re the one, alright? — she shook her head, letting a smile light up her face — And it doesn’t matter what anyone says about us because it feels right. Because, no matter where I am, I feel the breeze from my bedroom window and I see all of the stars if I’m with you, Bill. I love you.

He felt his breath stop for a second. It was the first time any of them had said it but there was no hesitation, no doubt in the air, they both knew they loved each other — I love you, too. — he saw her smile and found himself in absolute glee — And you’re the one for me, too, Sarah. — he was sure she knew but he said it anyway. She smiled sweetly and leaned in to kiss him softly. After a few seconds they broke away from the kiss and looked at each other, seeing every beautiful detail and every minimal imperfection, they felt as if they were looking at the stars in the middle of a dark, vast field. It was sublime. It felt calm and oddly familiar but it awakened a wide sense of wonder and amazement from within. They both stayed like that, completely marveled by the love of their life