#gene manalo

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you—soft and only, lost and lonely

Hiiiiii I just posted a fic for like the second time ever and the first time in like 7 years asjdgljkl. It's Gene/Andy from Lavender House by Lev AC Rosen. I hope you'll give it a read even if you haven't read the book! Only the most minor spoilers~

Review from @shelbychild: "absolutely embarrassing gays"

Here's the first scene:

When Gene sees the man Elsie is carrying into the bar, he springs immediately into action mode, his adrenaline pumping the second he sets eyes on the man’s beat-up face. He rushes over and hands Elsie a towel filled with ice. He’s used to helping patch people up around here, but this guy he’s never seen before.

When he comes back with the bandages and starts tending to the man’s—Andy’s—wounds, he puts on a smile that he hopes is comforting. People often try to play it cool, but he knows how terrifying it is to get attacked, how it shakes someone to their core. He’s seen it enough times, and lived it himself a few. But Gene has learned that it’s good to stay nonchalant, to try to settle the fear, so he holds out his hand and introduces himself. Andy responds affably. The guy seems okay, not too shaken up. Just very hurt.

Gene doesn’t know why his mind goes there when Andy starts unbuttoning his shirt. He’s seen enough people roughed up that he should have known what was happening, and yet—

“Maybe not the time for that,” Gene says, and he winks.

“They cracked a rib, I think,” Andy says.

Gene realizes his error, mortified.

“Oh!” Gene does his best to smile through the blush quickly rising on his face. He immediately helps Andy get his shirt off and starts inspecting his bruises—back on task.

He must have been thrown off by Andy so boldly calling him good-looking. He’s not unaccustomed to being flirted with, but he’s not the flirting type himself. He’s friendly, sure, likes to smile at everyone. But Gene has never been good at flirting and doesn’t care to be. He might—might throw out a friendly wink from time to time. Friendly. But he can’t believe he just so blatantly flirted with the severely injured man in front of him.

And yet, the man keeps making conversation with Gene, smiling and laughing despite the pain he must be feeling. At one point, Andy takes him by the wrist to readjust the ice Gene is still holding to his face, and Gene tries to ignore the way he swoons a bit at the touch. Their conversation turns serious and Gene feels like he sees Andy. His loneliness, his regret, the feeling of being lost. Gene has been there. He wraps Andy up in a hug— because he can’t help it, because he thinks this man needs it, and because, for some reason, he wants to.

Read the rest on ao3

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I promise, you can have a great new life. Even when your dream is taken from you, you can have a great new life.

Gene Manalo, Lavender House by Lev AC Rosen

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writing lavender house fanfic. there is none on ao3. it is my duty.

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Halfway through Rough Pages spoilerssss

Andy being a sad boi™️ when Gene doesn’t want to stay over 2 days in a row and seems to be keeping a little distance. But now Gene is gonna read to him? Which is adorable. They’re just so sweet together. I know Andy is feeling insecure and Gene is def having feelings about something? Maybe not wanting Andy to be overprotective or not wanting to become too reliant on him. But they’ll work it out soon~

Maybe Andy will get punched and they’ll have a quiet moment about it ahjdkfl

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Gene literally blushes and looks down all shy every time Andy looks at him or talks to him and this man is really like “ugh but he smiles at all the bar patrons I’m not special”

AND THEN! and then. AFTER they’ve established that they’re interested in each other Andy has the AUDACITY to be like “you never have time to talk to me :(” and Gene is like “I GO OUT OF MY WAY TO TALK TO YOU AT ANY OPPORTUNITY YOU’RE THE ONE WHO GOES AND SITS DOWN ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ROOM EVERY TIME I MAKE YOU A DRINK ASDHKGKL” but he says it so calmly, homeboy is so patient.

I’m obsessed with them, frankly.

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i just need more people to meet gene manalo and fall in love with him

he is

a bashful gay

the cute bartender

knows how to dance

has book club with his boss, elsie

smile that lights up a room

biggest sweetheart

will nurse your wounds

perfect man