#god forbid a woman do ANYTHING smh��

[kindheartedgummybears]

I am Ellie Anne Swan's one and only fan and ykw I'm okay with that. *I turn away, a single tear falling from my eye as I dramatically walk away.*

[going-outside-enjoyer]

I'm defending a murderer (Medea) for french class rn it's fun

[apollosgiftofprophecy]

Greek mythology has evolved over the course of hundreds of years, and with all those… retellings now, it’s gotten me thinking about just how many people have been spreading false details of myths through word of mouth to the point of becoming the most common interpretation, when if you were to look back in history, a great number of them were only recently made up, barely a a few centuries prior. Example of this is King Midas and his turning his daughter into a gold statue. I remember this part having been included all throughout my childhood, only to find out it was never part of the original myth but a recent addition in a book from 1852. (suddenly, the daughter being aptly named “Marigold” makes a lot more sense.) My ask is: which commonly told misconception of this type regarding any Greek myth is most infuriating to you and why?

oh my god misinformation can be INFURIATING smh

Let's start off with the Apollo misinformation.

"He raped Persephone/is a serial rapist!"

First of all, no he did not. LO, toss yourself into an eternal blaze and incinerate.

and secondly- he's not a serial rapist. There's only two accounts of rape, specifically Dryope and Creusa, but that depends on interpretation and the source so if you want to discard it, you can. No one can tell you you can't.

"UwU Apollo's love life is terrible!"

do i even need to say anything?

"Athena hates women!"

hell to the fuck no. the evidence people use for this is the Medusa Myth: Ovid's Version, and CONVIENTLY IGNORE THE ONES WHERE SHE HELPS WOMEN ESCAPE BEING RAPED!! AND THAT OVID IS THE ONLY ONE WHO DOES THIS!!

Even with the ones where she punishes the victim, the older versions do not have that! She made Nicymene her eternal owl companion, for heaven's sake!

"Hermes/Dionysus/Hephaestus is the only unproblematic god! UwU"

uh... *waves Leuconoe/Choine/Philonis around* no matter which version you go with, Hermes/Mercury does rape her...

...and in the Dionysica Dionysus rapes like two women...

...and Hephaestus tried to rape Athena... (oh wow, would you look at that...it's like Athena would have *gasp* sympathy for assault survivors...)

...See the double standards? :/ Ignores Roman/late Greek literature when it's convenient, and then exaggerates it to suit their own needs.

"Demeter is a terrible mom!"

GET OUT OF MY HOUSE NO ONE DISRESPECTS THE QUEEN

"Hades only kidnapped Persephone because Zeus told him too!"

Hades is his own man and wasn't being held at gunpoint to abduct her. He did so on his own merits. From a literal perspective, what was stopping him from just. you know. talking to her. kidnapping was not necessary.

(yes, yes, i know about the symbolic perspective, hence my use of 'literal'.)

"But Hades and Persephone are the only ones who don't cheat!!"

uh, nope. Hi Adonis, Minthe, how're you doing?

"But Adonis was more of a son to Persephone!!"

uh, NO. Even the ancients saw them as a couple!!

"Artemis is a girlboss who hates her brother!"

*kicks open door* OUT!

"Orion's the only man Artemis ever loved!"

how dare you disrespect my boy in this way Apollo was the first man she ever loved and no one will be able to replace him how dare you-

-and how dare you disrespect Hippolytus in this way he did not die in the name of all aroace people to be disrespected like this smh

"Zeus's only quality is how he fucks around!"

look, I've joked about this before but I know that's not all there is too him and that it has a symbolic representation.

Sure would be nice if people focused on that more :)

also anything that villainizes Aphrodite or Hera. god forbid women do anything.

"Clytemnestra is a girlboss who did no wrong!"

OH MY GOD THE DOUBLE STANDARDS.

funny how people fawn over Cassandra one moment and then COMPLETELY FORGET HER EXISTENCE to becry the woman who murdered her!

AND ALSO GO OUT OF THEIR WAY TO HATE APOLLO FOR CURSING HER WHEN THEIR STORY IS LITERAL ABOUT A WOMAN'S AUTONOMY BEING RESPECTED!!

AND GUESS WHAT!! APOLLO AVENGES HER DEATH!!

anything that is "UwU Achilles!" omg i am sick of it.

that bitch had everything coming. he deserved everything he got. Tenes, Troilus, and Hemithea did NOT deserve what he did to them! APOLLO AND PARIS HAD EVERY RIGHT TO TAKE HIM DOWN!

i'm probably forgetting some but here's the one that popped into my head :)

[shiiro-arts]

NaLu's current relationship situation

Okay, this is something that's been on my mind lately and if I don't talk about it I think I'm going to explode.

We all know that Natsu and Lucy have a "strange" relationship, they are more than friends but less than lovers, as Mashima said previously. And I want to talk about some changes that have occurred from the original manga to the sequel.

LET'S BEGIN BTCHS

I think we all know that Natsu is NOT as dense as they make him out to be. He may be somewhat inexperienced when it comes to romance but he KNOWS that his situation with Lucy is different compared to any girl he knows.

He becomes possessive and jealous, something that doesn't happen with other girls, only Lucy. If you really didn't know anything about relationships or how intimate many of those moments are, why would you be jealous when other men do it? Natsu knows that what he does with Lucy is close, personal, INTIMATE.

I know some people treat it as a joke but I really do think that Natsu, from the bottom of his being, thinks he is in a relationship with Lucy. And Lucy has a lot to do with this, I think her way of expressing how close Natsu has become to her now and the lack of reaction on her part makes him think that she's okay with it happening.

Lucy no longer reacts aggressively when Natsu does something that only romantic couples do, she has become passive in those situations, timidly asking him to stop, a reaction that in the original manga did not usually happen. She used to be much more authoritarian and firm in these cases, reaching physical violence (the famous Lucy kicks, wich I approve of because god forbid a woman has boundaries smh).

I think this lack of negative reaction on Lucy's part makes Natsu think that he has her consent to do what he does, hence, from his point of view, he is not doing anything wrong. Natsu thinks that Lucy is exclusive to him, since he is exclusive to Lucy.

Lucy has no competition for Natsu's attention. He has no desire to be with another woman or have the type of relationship he has with Lucy with anyone else. Since from Natsu's point of view, they are together (and cheating on Lucy is non-existent in his mind).

But this is different from Lucy's point of view, she thinks that Natsu is not interested in her, she thinks that he is simply too dense to know what his actions mean and she lets it pass as an accident.

I know that communication is non-existent in Fairy Tail but if Lucy doesn't make their relationship clear they will never be able to be something more because Natsu doesn't see the need to talk things out.

(sorry if something doesn't make sense, english is not my first lenguage lmao)

Please feel free to say if you feel like me or not because I want to see different points of view about this :)

[flightyalrighty]

Wait some people don't like the idea of the brain bugs eating your brain? Gods forbid a women do ANYTHING!

this world is so backwards if it can't even let a woman get a treat smh my head

[wyrm-clangen]

uhm. woman's wrongs i guess?

God forbid women do anything /smh

[queenvhagar]

So now she’s a goody 2 shoes? god forbid a woman doesn't want to get thousands of people killed. if she did anything else she'd be called evil. smh

At least if she's evil she's doing literally anything. My problem is she's a noncharacter who's extremely passive and bad at leading. I think we can all agree that we prefer evil Rhaenyra to boring Rhaenyra any day because at least she has personality.

Also war is guaranteed if she wants to be queen and she's foolish for not understanding that.

[hiranospiercing]

as much as i hate people comparing stl to kimi ni todoke my heart hurts with joy every time i see people treating mika with such love and tenderness because it was something that kurumi never received when the show first started airing, most people who haven't read the manga still treat her like she was just some stock villian fitting in the mean girl trope for the main couple to get together when she clearly was so much more than that, infact kurumi was the one who helped sawako the most in becoming an actually really confident person when it came to handling her romantic relationships yet ah yet she is watered down to just being the pretty mean rival who is not gonna win, she is just a girl, smh, god forbid woman do anything, ah girlhood, i love complex girl characters, i love simplex girl characters, i love anti heroines, i love weird girls, i love girls irrespective of who and what they are, i love trans women, i love femme fatales, i just love them all.

[papirouge]

You still can't get over that white man from the bear??!! 🤦🏾‍♀️ Smh my head and you have the gall to tell other black women to "uNLeaRn YoUr BLaCk MaLe wORsHIp" while literally salivating over that ugly ass man! But he's white so it's fine!!! He's different!!!! In fact, I've never seen you express attraction towards bm even once, only yt ones... I see how it is. lmao. White men aren't any better than black men and you'll realize that one day, no matter how much you trash "muh pookie and rayray" that yt man is not going to pick you!!!

me : *makes a post of a TV where I weep about a CHARACTER that was once funny*

your schyzo ass : *makes a tirade about how I "salivate over White" men*..yeah- totally normal reaction here.

...which also shows how TRIGGERED how some of you are at Black women expressing romantic /sexual interest for non Black men 🤭 you guys are so sensitive

And yeah, there's definitely a difference between unlearning male worship (actively defending men and defending men perspective) AND finding (some) men attractive (which is a passive occurence). For the record, I'm a straight women, it's compulsory for me to occasionally find men attractive, regardless of their race. Deal with it.

And I genuinely don't understand why I owe you publicly displaying my attraction towards Black men on my blog. I'm not a pickme so you won't see me frequently post pic set thrist traps of attractive men, but when it happened, I actually remember it was not always white men (yeah bc you guys act like there were only 2 races of men on this planet - just wait til you realize some black women have a preference for men who are neither black or white 🤯)

"white men aren't better than black men" Well, when it comes to killl black women in DV White men are statistically the safer & better bet. Cope.

I also heard the longer lasting mixed marriage in the US were white man and black woman but I need to (re)chek my source on that.

"the yt man isn't gonna pick you" this weird fearmongering is getting so old 🥱 you really think black women genuinely interested in interracial dating struggle to find non black men (to marry)? I've seen my sisters & friends date men outside of their race plentiful of times. One of them is married to a white man and had children with him.

The very few times I get approached it was by non Black men - for some reason people (even black men) assume I'm into White men💁🏾‍♀️ while I ironically NEVER disclosed my dating preference (let alone online) lol

Fun fact : in my country, it's an open secret many rightoid moids date/prefer black women. One infamous rightoid is MARRIED to a Black woman from the same ethnicity as me lol and before that he also dated a black woman from the same ethnicity. Dude openly stated had a type (Black women). So if rightoid white men openly profess their attraction to Black women, you REALLY think it would be impossible for regular men to do be attracted by us as well? If anything, the reputation pf Black women to be extremely race loyal (more than black men who date out MORE than their female counterparts) is what discourage non Black men to shoot their shot with black women. It's fascinating to see you guys act like the act ot rejection solely came from non white men, and that black women weren't themselves entertaining this image of "i date Black men only" that wreck any of their chance to get approached by non Black men. Why? Because you are OBSESSED humbling Black women and that now seeing the tide turning, gaslight us into believing that we have no chances or opportunity with non Black men.

I already see it coming and you'll soon screech about fEtichIzAtiOn but let's be honest : aren't Black men fetichizising Black Women already? Talking about being "thick", their (BBL'd grotesque) butt size, almost like animals.... But when it's Black men talking about preferring let's say Latina or Snow Bunny it's just a "preference" (no fetichism)? BUT GOD FORBID A WHITE MAN PREFERS BLACK WOMEN AND SUDDENLY HE'S A FETISHIST INTO SLAVE PLAY!! puh-lease.. we're tired.

We've all witnessed how your kin got ANGRYat the viral "black wife effect" thing. And let me tell you : it's just the beginning ☺️ black women burned the cape, broke free from race loyalty trap, and now go where they are appreciated. And those non Black men love them so much in return they're willing to level up power 10000000

We love to see it 🧡

[akajustmerry]

the cocaine bear is a woman?!? God forbid women do anything smh

[tonydaddingham]

i've identified you multiple times by your tags under DT gifsets

god forbid a woman do anything smh

(you're so right ajdkdlsls)

trademark ask game!

[azure-sister]

y'all are mad that lydia tar "destroyed a woman's career for not having sex with her" and "verbally attacked a student" and "threatened a small child". smh. god forbid a woman do anything

[danthropologie]

we can't even have a little bit of fun with conspiracy theories these days smh rattled much?

god forbid a woman do anything 😔

[sinbury]

I’m relieved to hear you’re doing better!! I’m really sorry it took me a while to get to you life has really been beating me down lately and it made me nonverbal, I have thought of you though, how have you been?

I’m sorry, how’ve you been with that? I’ll never understand your loss but I do understand your bond, I have an older sibling and she means a lot to me. It’s funny huh they know how to tick you off but at the end of the day your each other’s missing piece.

Ohh okay good questions!! I do have a cat. I’ll show you pictures when I reveal myself but she’s a grey tabby!! I adore her and found her in the streets lol I have an older sister aaand my favorite hobby is crochet it gives my hands something to do yanno? I get pretty antsy so that helps. I wanna learn bass or maybe drums in the future (I heard the ladies love a girl who plays an instrument and I need something—anything to impress lol) jk I love the sound them 😊 okay, I’ll keep this short buuut I love villains because how misunderstood they are, most of them are woman and our feelings are belittled even in the media. It’s always “they’re crazy” or “you can’t excuse their behaviors because of their trauma” failing to realize that not everyone comes out of trauma as a soft uwu. Trauma isn’t pretty. And most men are forgiven by the public even after making terrible decisions. Some actions become a defensive mechanism and we just want what we deserve. People fail to see that with woman. Men get to feel rage and destruction and literally nobody bats an eye, that behavior is so normalized god forbid woman feel that same intensity of rage and selfishness without the public making entire studies about their behavior. I think 2 of my favorites that I can think of at the top of my head are Catra from shera and Jinx from Arcane. Maybe I’m bias? Now your turn, hobbies? What tv show are you currently watching? Fave season? - Red ❤️

thanks for responding!! i was starting to get worried abt u hehe xx im sorry to hear lifes been hard enough to make you nonverbal :( i dont know what thats like specifically but i know it must fucking suck. i hope u feel better soon and im sending u love 💕

grief sucks ass but its always nice to hear about other peoples siblings!! makes me feel a little bit closer to my brother sometimes :)

i am SO excited to see ur kitty!!! i love that u enjoy crochet bc i have dabbled in it myself and omg its tedious!! kudos for having that patience lmao. i def recommend learning bass too bc my brother was teaching me for a while and its SO FUN !!!!!! 1000/10 makes u feel like a sex god

i like your breakdown of villains in media too, thats always why ive been drawn to them too! especially hot sexy women who do unspeakable acts theres just something so good and cathartic about seeing that 😍😍😍 i havent seen all of she-ra or arcane but i do LOVE jinx from what little i know of her!!! probably due to my harley quinn obsession when i was in high school lmaooo

my pretty much only hobby is art. i just say art as a broad term bc i tend to skip around mediums forever and ever hehe i love all kinds of art!! im not currently watching anything new but one of my fav series is an old detective drama called Life bc the symbolism and the writing is just SO chefs kiss that ive seen it approximately 274818858 times!!! it only has 2 seasons and both are so beautiful in different ways :)

i realize now that i dont even know your pronouns smh!! tell me more abt u!!!! i need all the juicey deets >:3

[gifsbysimplysonia]

Alrighty, whether you're an OG or new here, please be advised that ahead there be

It took every ounce of your self-control to restrain yourself from rolling your eyes.

I love her already lol unimpressed with THE Steve Rogers?

The last thing you needed was one photo documenting your unhappy reaction to Steve’s arrival and it would be all over the internet within an hour. At least, that’s what your agent had stressed to you.

What an absolute nightmare. As someone who has RBF and has had it drilled into me at work these past few years that my authentic self is unwelcome in that environment, I know what it's like to have to school ones expression. Luckily she's an actress but it must suck to have to be so self conscious because if you're not, the entire world is going to be talking about it in whatever context they want. Celebrity ain't worth it!

That one little—mostly joking—comment was blown out of proportion, spreading across all the biggest entertainment outlets’ websites and trending on Twitter. Before you knew it, Steve had tweeted his response, “You’re on, sweetheart,” which solidified your silly answer into a story.

Yep, see? Having to explain every joke or every tease and if you're not quick enough, clickbait and boom. A "story."

To make it worse, the press and the fans loved it. You and Steve were officially rivals in the public eye and your agent warned you constantly that you had to make sure you never veered into unlikable. There’s nothing Hollywood hates more than a competitive, vicious shrew, after all. The future of your career rested too precariously on how you conducted yourself.

Hate this for her. DOUBLE STANDARDS make the world go 'round! Again, this poor woman is having to school herself because God forbid she's TOO strong or TOO competitive because then that equates to a B somehow. Liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiike, eff all the way off. Her career isn't dependent on her talent or her draw, but her attitude? *smh* Welcome to being a woman in, well, ANY industry -_-

Were you and Steve secretly dating?  That last one had made you laugh, though the sound was closer to a cackle. You’d never even met Steve Rogers, let alone carried on a secret affair with the Hollywood heartthrob. It all made you want to scream, but you’d laughed instead—even if it was a little bit hysterical.

I do not blame her ONE BIT for being kind of hysterical because what a whacky world she lives in. Not only unfair, but one where anyone can make up ANYTHING and as long as it's "in print," it must have SOME truth to it? I'm enjoying how this is actually a critical look at celebrity from a female point of view so far.

It should be a crime for any man to look that good in a suit. His broad shoulders filled out the snug-fitting jacket, and he looked positively dapper in his bowtie. With his blond hair slicked back and the neatly trimmed beard covering his jaw, he looked ruggedly handsome in the way you’d expect of an action hero.

Weeeeeeeeeeeeell, I can see she's not totally unaffected *MUAHAHAHAHA* Knowing they haven't met, I'm dying to know what's going to happen when they finally do.

Ignoring the yelling journalists and fans, and even his own publicist, Steve made a beeline for you, weaving through the crowd until he was close enough to pull you in for a hug. A thousand camera shutters went off with a flurry of flashing bulbs—so fast and bright you would’ve believed you were at a rave and not a red carpet if not for the fact that America’s favorite action hero was holding you tight against his chest. 

I love the rave analogy. I only went to one once but omg, this description is exactly what it was like lol. I'm also FLABBERGASTED that he just immediately went to her. I thought "moth to a flame."

It wasn’t a normal Hollywood hug. Steve had one large hand pressed to your lower back, the warmth of his palm seeping through your thin dress to your skin, and the other cradling the back of your head.

This makes me giggle cuz I've SEEN Chris Evans hug people like this, most vividly for me on the Endgame red carpet I think it was? So I was literally giggling reading this cuz I'm like YEP! THAT'S SO STEVE!

The way he held you made you for comforted and safe, emotions you didn’t often feel on a red carpet when there were so many eyes and cameras watching you. And to make matters worse, your body was responding to the feel of Steve’s large, muscular body pressed so tightly against yours, heat and electricity swimming through your bloodstream. 

LORDT. The way I would MELT. I'm in my feels as I'm writing this too cuz ~hormones~ so I've definitely been craving a cuddle / held close feeling and this description made me like whimper cuz ... comforted and safe?

“Wow I guess those muscles of yours aren’t fake, huh—I always thought they were CGI,” you snarked lightly, mouth curling up in a genuine smile to let him know you were kidding.

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS be a smart a$$ to cover real emotion. THIS IS MY JAMMMMMM lmao for real. Vulnerability is a bad word, AND she has the added "competition" thing going on here so I support this queen wholeheartedly with this "pretend that didn't just happen" move.

“You’re not what I expected either, sweetheart,” he said, the tiniest smirk you’d ever seen curving his lips. His blue eyes sparkled with mischief as he ducked closer so he could speak in your ear. “I heard you were a real witch, but you’re as sweet as apple pie.” Your entire body rioted, your heart thumping in your chest as butterflies fluttered furiously in your stomach. You didn’t know whether to take his compliment as a veiled insult—who had called you a witch!?—or if your first instinct was actually right and he was flirting with you. No, he was definitely flirting with you, and you were definitely enjoying it far too much.

LFGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG this type of banter is my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE, as are leads who are combative, won't give into themselves OR each other easily. OMG LOVING THIS.

As you pulled away, you patted the action hero on the face a little harder than necessary and moved to edge around him.  But Steve wasn’t letting you get away that easily; he caught you around your waist before you could get far. The action hero pivoted gracefully, turning his back to the cameras so you were hidden from their view and pulled you close. You didn't want to admit how much you liked the way he manhandled you. Anxiously, you glanced around, but everyone else on the crowded carpet was too distracted to notice the big stars of the summer’s most anticipated blockbusters were sharing a private moment in the midst of mayhem.

OOF. That whole package had me squealing into my pumpkin pillow but that bolded line? Cuz that'd be straight out of my own brain. And that he's doing it surreptitiously in front of ALL those people? !!!!!!

So if I keep going like I am, I'm going to end up quoting every paragraph and gushing over it so I'm making myself skip ahead, hopefully to encourage some of you to go read because I'm skipping some plot points here lol

For a moment, Steve’s face was the picture of surprise, but then his expression darkened, heating your body from the inside out as he stared down at you with a fire burning his is gaze.

Before you could step away from Steve and let him get on with his regular red carpet duties, he held you firm, pulling your hand against his chest so the back was pressed over his heart. It was like he didn’t want to let you go. His expression had morphed again and he looked genuine earnest. “Find me after,” he said, ducking his head so only you could hear. “Wanna know what you think of my movie, sweetheart,” he murmured, his breath ghosting over your neck, his rough beard grazing your soft cheek. That time you couldn’t stifle the shiver. When Steve moved back, heat blazed in his eyes, hot enough that you almost trembled again.

I LOVE THIS STORY!

I haven't done fluff / non smut in a while lmao but this story was so intriguing and engaging right from the get go. I'm going to have to go see if there is more with these 2 because honestly? I wanna know where it goes!

So well done and thank you SO MUCH for creating and sharing!

you got yourself a bet, sweetheart

pairing: movie star!steve rogers x movie star!reader

summary: when the media spins a story of you and action movie star steve rogers being rivals because your new films open the same weekend, you attend the premiere of his blockbuster in a show of good faith. however, when he gets you alone on the red carpet, steve decides to make the competition more interesting.

warnings: fluff, flirting, banter, betting, nicknames (sweetheart, dreamboat), seriously steve is a HUGE flirt in this

word count: 2.5k

a/n: day 11 of my 30 day writing trope challenge was rivals—i think i originally had academic rivals but i didn't want to limit myself to a school setting and i'm glad i didn't! this is a bit of a different setting than i usually write in, but i thought it'd be fun! and it was! i had so much fun writing these two, and i already have ideas for how to continue their story. i actually had to stop myself from writing more, otherwise i'd never get around to posting this 😂 anyway, hope y'all enjoy reading about movie star steve rogers and movie star reader as much as i enjoyed writing the start of their story!!

-

You knew the moment Steve Rogers stepped onto the red carpet because the crowd went absolutely wild for America’s favorite action star. It took every ounce of your self-control to restrain yourself from rolling your eyes. You were only a little ahead of him on the red carpet and you knew there were dozens, if not hundreds of cameras trained on you. The last thing you needed was one photo documenting your unhappy reaction to Steve’s arrival and it would be all over the internet within an hour. At least, that’s what your agent had stressed to you.

The whole reason you were attending the red carpet for Steve’s new movie was because the press had created a full-blown rivalry between you two. It hadn’t been your decision to set the release date for your first solo film in the biggest superhero franchise of all time against the fifth installment of Steve’s beloved spy-thriller action series. And when a journalist had asked you how you felt about the box office competition, you’d regrettably revealed you were a little bit competitive and you were hoping to trounce Rogers in opening weekend.

That one little—mostly joking—comment was blown out of proportion, spreading across all the biggest entertainment outlets’ websites and trending on Twitter. Before you knew it, Steve had tweeted his response, “You’re on, sweetheart,” which solidified your silly answer into a story.

To make it worse, the press and the fans loved it. You and Steve were officially rivals in the public eye and your agent warned you constantly that you had to make sure you never veered into unlikable. There’s nothing Hollywood hates more than a competitive, vicious shrew, after all. The future of your career rested too precariously on how you conducted yourself.

So, in a show of good faith, you’d invited Steve to your movie premiere—publicly on Twitter, of course. It was less than an hour before he responded, extending you an invitation to his. Which is how, on the night before your own movie’s premiere, you were on the red carpet for Steve Rogers’ film. You’d walked the press line, having to grin and bear it through an endless stream of questions about America’s favorite action hero.

What do you think of Steve’s movie series? Which of the first four installments was your favorite? Would you consider appearing in a sixth movie if the series continued? Had you and Steve placed any bets on the competition between your movies and, if so, what would you have to do if you lost? Did you really think your movie could beat Steve’s? Were you and Steve secretly dating? 

That last one had made you laugh, though the sound was closer to a cackle. You’d never even met Steve Rogers, let alone carried on a secret affair with the Hollywood heartthrob. It all made you want to scream, but you’d laughed instead—even if it was a little bit hysterical. Your publicist had cut the interview off and sent you farther down the red carpet to the event’s photo call. And that’s where you were when Steve finally arrived. 

You made the mistake of glancing over toward the start of the carpet, and you caught the action hero’s sparkling blue eyes. It should be a crime for any man to look that good in a suit. His broad shoulders filled out the snug-fitting jacket, and he looked positively dapper in his bowtie. With his blond hair slicked back and the neatly trimmed beard covering his jaw, he looked ruggedly handsome in the way you’d expect of an action hero.

Ignoring the yelling journalists and fans, and even his own publicist, Steve made a beeline for you, weaving through the crowd until he was close enough to pull you in for a hug. A thousand camera shutters went off with a flurry of flashing bulbs—so fast and bright you would’ve believed you were at a rave and not a red carpet if not for the fact that America’s favorite action hero was holding you tight against his chest. 

It wasn’t a normal Hollywood hug. Steve had one large hand pressed to your lower back, the warmth of his palm seeping through your thin dress to your skin, and the other cradling the back of your head. The way he held you made you for comforted and safe, emotions you didn’t often feel on a red carpet when there were so many eyes and cameras watching you. And to make matters worse, your body was responding to the feel of Steve’s large, muscular body pressed so tightly against yours, heat and electricity swimming through your bloodstream. 

You were flustered by Steve’s hug and how much you enjoyed it, which was your only excuse for how your mouth got away from you when he pulled away. “Wow I guess those muscles of yours aren’t fake, huh—I always thought they were CGI,” you snarked lightly, mouth curling up in a genuine smile to let him know you were kidding.

Surprise flashed in Steve’s brilliant blue eyes, but he hid it well, his face remaining in a relaxed, friendly expression, a smile tucked amidst the short beard decorating his jaw. To the cameras, you two would look just like any celebrity friends connecting on the red carpet, but Steve lowered his voice so you were the only one who’d hear his response to your remark. “You’re not what I expected either, sweetheart,” he said, the tiniest smirk you’d ever seen curving his lips. His blue eyes sparkled with mischief as he ducked closer so he could speak in your ear. “I heard you were a real witch, but you’re as sweet as apple pie.”

Your entire body rioted, your heart thumping in your chest as butterflies fluttered furiously in your stomach. You didn’t know whether to take his compliment as a veiled insult—who had called you a witch!?—or if your first instinct was actually right and he was flirting with you. No, he was definitely flirting with you, and you were definitely enjoying it far too much.

When Steve pulled away, his blue eyes still dancing with humor and interest as he read your face for your reaction, you decided it didn’t matter. You were rivals at best, nothing but two strangers navigating the same industry at worst. But your brain failed to deliver that message to your mouth, because before you could think better of it, you were flashing Steve a wicked grin and saying, “Just wait until I win opening weekend, dreamboat, then you’ll see how sweet I can really be.” 

With one hand on Steve’s broad shoulder and the other on his sculpted jaw, you leaned in an pressed a friendly kiss to his cheek, hiding a smirk against scruffy jaw when you heard the cameras and flashes going off in a wild frenzy again. As you pulled away, you patted the action hero on the face a little harder than necessary and moved to edge around him. 

But Steve wasn’t letting you get away that easily; he caught you around your waist before you could get far. The action hero pivoted gracefully, turning his back to the cameras so you were hidden from their view and pulled you close. You didn't want to admit how much you liked the way he manhandled you. Anxiously, you glanced around, but everyone else on the crowded carpet was too distracted to notice the big stars of the summer’s most anticipated blockbusters were sharing a private moment in the midst of mayhem.

“Keep it up, sweetheart, and I’ll have to make this interesting,” Steve murmured, his words a playful threat. Out of the spotlight, Steve’s expression morphed until you could read the filthy thoughts he was having in the inviting curve of his mouth and the heated look in his eyes.

In your chest, your heart beat faster, and the fluttering in your stomach was trailing down your spine, making your legs feel unsteady underneath you. But you were never one to back down from a challenge, and you certainly weren’t going to let America’s hunk of an action hero flirt you into submission. So you raised an eyebrow and smirked saucily. “What did you have in mind, dreamboat?” you asked, your voice drawling over the nickname, overtly calling attention to the fact that Steve had taken to calling you sweetheart and you weren’t sure whether you’d continue to allow it.

Amusement danced freely across Steve’s face, like he enjoyed you calling him dreamboat far too much for him to ever stop calling you sweetheart. But then the amusement was wiped away and he gave you a considering look. “If my movie wins opening weekend, you have to bake me an apple pie—and deliver it yourself,” he said slowly, like he was deciding on the stakes as he spoke. When he was done, though, he looked plenty satisfied with himself. 

“And if I win?” you challenged, wanting to wipe the cocky smile from his face. 

“Whaddya want, sweetheart?” Steve drawled, his eyes going just a little bit heavy-lidded as he stared down at you. 

His eyes were deep pools of ocean blue that you wanted to swim in, but you shook your head slightly and forced yourself to get your head in the game. However, your mouth spoke before your brain caught up—again. “If I win, you have to take me out on your yacht, dreambaot,” you shot back. Steve looked a little disappointed when it seemed you’d finished setting your stakes. But, with a smirk, you went on. “And you have to wear those cute little swim shorts from that movie a few years ago—you know the ones.”

For a moment, Steve’s face was the picture of surprise, but then his expression darkened, heating your body from the inside out as he stared down at you with a fire burning his is gaze. He knew the swim shorts you were referring to, of course. They were the only thing he’d worn in the beach scene of the third film in his blockbuster action franchise. Technically, they were swim shorts, but with an incredibly short inseam and they’d clung to his thighs as if they could barely contain the muscles in Steve’s legs.

When images of Steve in those shorts on set had made their way online, STEVE ROGERS THIGHS starting trending on Twitter within the hour and remained trending for a full day. The internet had lost their collective minds, and that was months before the movie even came out. When it hit theaters, it had shattered records, cementing the series as one of the best-selling franchises of the decade. Throughout the movie’s lengthy promotional tour, and then its entire theatrical run, images of Steve in those shorts could be found everywhere on the internet. The only thing that had come close to rivaling it since was Henry Cavill cocking his fists in that Mission: Impossible movie. 

So of course Steve knew the shorts you were referring to. And he knew that you knew he still had them. He always made sure to quip he had them at home whenever anyone asked him about that scene. But he’d never actually been seen in them again. You’d never admit to anyone—not your agent, not your mom, not even your best friend—that you were dying to see Steve Rogers in those shorts again, especially since he’d filled out even more in the years since that movie was shot.

For a moment, you wondered if you’d pushed Steve too far as he remained quiet, tilting his head to the side as he considered you. You wouldn’t let yourself wilt under his gaze, holding his eye and keeping a challenging look on your face. But then he seemed to come to a decision.

“You deliver that apple pie in a cute little apron and you got yourself a bet, sweetheart,” Steve said, holding his hand up in the tight space between your bodies, offering it to shake on your deal. He was so close, the tips of his fingers grazed your collarbone and you had to stop yourself from shivering at his barest touch. 

You considered the stakes for only a moment, but your competitive nature ultimately won out. “A bet it is, dreamboat,” you said, sliding your hand into Steve’s. His palm was warm and slightly rough, and you couldn’t stop yourself from imaging what it’d feel like smoothing over your bare skin. Your body heated even further, an ache developing between your thighs. You shook the thought from your mind and looked up at Steve, who was grinning like he could read your dirty thoughts clear on your face. Wiping all emotion from your face except for a snarky smirk, you shook his hand, sealing the deal.

Before you could step away from Steve and let him get on with his regular red carpet duties, he held you firm, pulling your hand against his chest so the back was pressed over his heart. It was like he didn’t want to let you go. His expression had morphed again and he looked genuine earnest. “Find me after,” he said, ducking his head so only you could hear. “Wanna know what you think of my movie, sweetheart,” he murmured, his breath ghosting over your neck, his rough beard grazing your soft cheek. That time you couldn’t stifle the shiver. When Steve moved back, heat blazed in his eyes, hot enough that you almost trembled again.

“Sure thing, dreamboat,” you said, your voice breathier than you meant it to be, but there was nothing you could do about it. Steve brushed a kiss to your cheek—leaving behind his scent of fresh air and driftwood, reminding you of the ocean—and finally let you retreat to the opposite end of the red carpet while he took his place on the press line. 

Squaring your shoulders, you found your publicist and had her lead you inside the movie theater. You chatted with other actors and industry folks, grabbed a drink at the open bar and made your way to your seat. All the while, though, you couldn’t stop thinking about how Steve had touched you, how your body had reacted to him, and the way his flirting had made you feel alive.

When the lights dimmed, you weren’t sure if you wanted Steve’s movie to be a triumph or a failure. But of one thing you were certain—you were looking forward to seeing America’s favorite action hero afterward. You couldn’t wait to see how he looked at you when you told him what you thought of his movie, and to hear his own reactions to your thoughts. You wanted to know if he’d touch you again, and if your body would react the same way, heating for him and begging for more. Altogether, you were eager for the movie to start so it could be over and you could see Steve again.

With your heart fluttering in your chest to match the butterflies in your stomach, you realized you might be developing a little crush on your movie star rival. If that was the case, you were in trouble.

⫸⫸30 Day Writing Trope Challenge Masterlist⫷⫷

[goji-pilled]

MK-S: You forgot “Ranni’s actions caused the death of Queen Marika the Eternal’s firstborn, causing her to smash the Elden Ring, and led to the war known as the Shattering.”

…I don’t know if I’d call that a hobby, simply because that’s the only thing you can pull off one time and then there’s not enough pieces set up to do it again. However, I will not object to rewording to “Heaven forbid a woman’s got a goal.”

like im saying!! god forbid women do anything smh 🙄🙄