#harris dickinson fanfic

[ttsblogg]

i don’t think you guys are ready for this one 🫣..

[daysofyellowroses]

yellow rose

david von erich x afab!reader | 6.2k | 18+ minors dni | tw: language, smoking, mild smut | a reflection on your journey to the altar

so this is a complete and utter work of fiction, based on the very brilliant movie the iron claw. i knew as soon as i watched it i would have stories but i was a little surprised david came to me first. obviously harris dickinson is beautiful but i am down so bad for jaw. i got some kerry ideas too, and i always have a hundred different bear ideas on the go too so more to come | also just to note that because this is totally fictitious, i am choosing to ignore real life events for the most part and live in fanfic delusion. enjoy 🌼

-

It all seemed to happen in a flash.

In theory, you should have been used to it. Ready for it.

One minute you were heading to a local sports center on a work assignment, then in what felt like the blink of an eye, you were walking up the aisle to marry the subject of one of those photos.

But, to get to how exactly you ended up walking down that aisle, you need to go back to how it all started.

Which, like with most things when it came to you,started with a picture.

📷

From an early age, you loved photography. Capturing a moment in time, being able to look at it any time and relive the moment was always a thrill. Your childhood home was full of framed photos and photo albums, a collection of memories surrounding you.

When you turned 13, your parents gave you your own camera. It wasn't anything too technical or fancy, but it was immediately your most treasured possession. You took photos of everything, family occasions, your friends hanging out, nature, snapshots of Dallas.

As you grew older you threw yourself into studying everything about photography, worked an extremely tedious part time job to save up for a real camera, dedicated yourself to honing your skills. It wasn't difficult, your friends and family kept you busy with birthday parties, weddings, christenings, anything worth celebrating and you were there to capture the moments.

When you were in your senior year of high school, you discovered a fondness for a particular subject of your photos. You had been sitting in the bleachers after school one day with your friends, all you of chatting and laughing about something when you'd looked onto the football field and spotted two of the players talking about something animatedly, one of them slapping the other on the back as they laughed. 

You had grabbed your camera, snapping a photo and rolled your eyes playfully as your friends teased you. Sure, the players were cute, but that wasn't why you took their photo. When the shots had developed, you were thrilled that your instinct had been correct. The red of the players jerseys popped, the gold star on their helmets gleaming in the sun. They looked graceful, despite their large frames, natural and charming. 

From that photo, you began to base more of your photos on sport. It wasn't an area you had expected to become interested in, but it inspired your photography. Cheerleaders in perfectly formed pyramids, track stars crossing the line, football players clutching the ball to their chest as they threw themselves across the post.

After graduation, you applied for a journalism course, figuring it didn't hurt to have a backup plan and maybe it would get you a gig as a photographer for a newspaper or magazine. 

Leaving home was tough, especially when a big going away party was thrown for you, your friends and family coming together to celebrate your accomplishments. When the time came to leave you were sure you'd never cried so much, trying to hype yourself up for the adventure ahead.

It was a lot of fun, being at college, as it turned out. Making new friends, learning new things, having new experiences. By the time it was over it felt like you could back and do it all again in a heartbeat.

You decided to move back to Dallas after you graduated. A job opportunity at a big paper came up, and your friend Pam had found an apartment that came with a spare room so it seemed like the right move.

It was about two weeks later you were tasked with going down to the Sportatorium on a Saturday night to document the latest wrestling match. Every time you went to a sporting event for work, you were accompanied by the senior sports writer, Duke. He was older than your father, far too old for his cheap toupee to be even the slightest bit believable. He wore cheap polyester suits, too much cologne and had a fondness for calling you ‘missy’ and placing his hand a little too low on your back.

You had psyched yourself up to ask Pam to come along, preparing a whole speech in your head. If she was with you then you could avoid Duke like the plague, couldn't possibly leave your guest alone. 

Turned out Pam didn't take much convincing at all, in fact she practically jumped at the chance to come along. You tucked her excitement away in your mind, curious to see if the source would reveal itself at the match.

When the day came, you were excited to get some shots of a new sport. From what you'd seen on TV, the Sportatorium was bright and colorful, the wrestlers just as much so. You packed up your camera before getting changed into some jeans and a t-shirt. 

Pam had taken one look at you and marched you back into your room, your protests of “But I'm working!” falling on deaf ears.

A compromise was reached. Your t-shirt stayed but a denim mini skirt replaced your jeans and brown cowboy boots replaced your beat up sneakers. You felt a little ridiculous, your job had you in all kinds of angles and positions to get the best shots, the last thing you wanted was to be unable to get a good picture because you'd end up flashing tomorrow's laundry to thousands of strangers.

When you arrived at the Sportatorium, the sun was dipping below the horizon and what seemed like hundreds of cars and trucks were pulling up. People were grabbing beers out of coolers, blasting music from boomboxes, grilling up hotdogs on portable barbecues. You got a couple of shots before Pam was hustling you inside to get your seats. Well, her seat. You told her you'd meet her outside after the match, not that she seemed to be paying attention, her eyes focused on the empty ring. 

You made your way down to the ring, keeping an eye out for Duke and ready to sprint back to Pam if needed. To your relief, Duke wasn't in attendance. The junior sports reporter, Brian, had been sent in his place. The two of you weren't exactly close friends but he was much more professional. You got some shots of the crowd, feeling excited to see a match live. The atmosphere in the stadium was electric, like something incredible was about to happen. 

When the announcement came for the first tag team, you got some shots of them walking through the tunnel and into the ring, holding their arms in the air and greeting the crowd. Brian walked around the ring slowly, scribbling into a notepad, cigarette perched behind his ear.

Then they announced the next tag team, and you moved to the opposite tunnel to get shots of them. You took a breath as you snapped a shot of the taller one, his wavy blonde hair peeking out from under his back cowboy hat. He was wearing a leather jacket that he promptly tore off before he got into the ring, his back muscles rippling. 

You cleared your throat, taking more photos and trying to concentrate on what you were there for. 

The bell rang, and once the match started you had no shortage of great photo opportunities. The men in the ring moved with perfect proficiency and style, playing up to the crowd and putting on a spectacular show. You found yourself more and more drawn to the tall blonde, David Von Erich, you discovered. 

He was so graceful yet could have these huge men slammed onto their backs, his arms bulging and a cocky grin on his face. Once or twice you could have sworn he caught your eye and winked at you but you were sure it was your imagination. 

The Von Erichs won the match, you snapped a photo of the referee holding up the brother's hands as the crowd roared. Brian checked back in with you, telling you he was going to grab some quotes before heading off. You bid him farewell before going to find Pam, heading outside with the rest of the crowd.

“Hey, over here!”

You quickly spotted Pam, smiling as you waved back at her, weaving your way through the crowd to join her.

“Hey,” You smiled, laughing softly as Pam grabbed your arm, a wide grin on her face. “Are you al-”

“Come on,” Pam immediately started tugging you in the opposite direction. “let me show you something,”

You just about managed to maintain your balance and hold onto your camera as you dodged through the dispersing crowd, wondering what exactly Pam was doing.

Before long you had an answer, as you and Pam joined a large group of women hanging around the back door of the Sportatorium. Her keenness to come to the match made much more sense when Kevin Von Erich walked out the door, towel around his shoulders and bag slung over his shoulder. You had never known Pam to look at any man the way she was looking at Kevin.

“What are you waiting for?” You asked, giving Pam a gentle nudge. “Get on over there, girl.”

“I can't, there's too many girls round him,” Pam sighed. “I am not desperate. I'll wait for my time.”

“Saving the best for last huh?” You grinned, watching Pam roll her eyes playfully. “I don't think he's gonna be able to take his eyes off you.”

“You think?” Pam asked, glancing over to you. She looked genuinely concerned and you gave her a reassuring smile. 

“I know.”

A little while later, when the crowd had dispersed and Kevin was signing the last couple of autographs, you gave Pam a gentle nudge, smiling as she quickly fixed her hair.

“Good luck,” You grinned, gently squeezing her arm. “Not that you need it.”

You gave her some space, walking over to a trash can before fishing a pack of cigarettes from your purse. You lit one up, glancing over to Pam and smiling as you spotted Kevin heading in her direction. Closing your eyes as you looked away, you took a long drag on your cigarette and felt yourself relax.

“You know it's a bad habit to smoke those things.”

You opened your eyes, finding a familiar face standing close to you. He looked better in person than he did in the ring, if that was possible. 

“Well I'm sure you know that it is very rude to keep your hat on in the presence of a lady,” You raised a brow, flicking your ash into the trash can. “I could be deeply insulted.”

“I apologize,” David grinned, taking off his hat and giving you a slight bow as he did. He introduced himself properly, as did you, his hand moving over his heart as he tilted his head. “You know I was just joking, there's worse habits to have than smoking.”

You nodded, smiling a little. “Like creeping up on strangers?”

He laughed and you felt a flutter in your stomach. You willed it away, not wanting to be another simpering fan.

“You want one?” You asked, holding out the box of cigarettes. David looked like he was considering saying yes before he shook his head. 

“No, thank you. I shouldn't.”

“Fair enough,” You nodded, putting the box back in your purse. “It really is a bad habit. I'm trying to quit but I got some time to kill so..”

“Oh yeah?” David raised a brow, glancing around the quiet car park before looking back at you. “What you waiting for?”

“My friend,” You gestured in the direction of Pam, who was deep in conversation with Kevin. “she's a big fan.”

“So I see,” David grinned, looking over to his brother and Pam before focusing his attention back on you. “and uh..what about you? Are you a big fan?”

You thought about it/made him wait for a moment as you took a drag on your cigarette and raised a brow.

“I'm just here for work.”

“Really?” David looked a little surprised, lightly rubbing his jaw. “What kinda work do you do?”

You held up your camera with a smile before flicking your cigarette in the trash can. “I’m a photographer,” You explained. “for a newspaper.”

“Oh right,” David smiled, folding his arms. “I'll have to buy that, see if you got any good ones of me. Which paper is it?”

“It's the uh..huh,” You grinned as you glanced over to Pam, watching her laugh as Kevin said something to her. “Excuse me for one second.” 

You turned slightly, holding your camera up and focusing it on Pam and Kevin. You felt very aware of David's presence behind you, trying to hold your hands steady as you snapped a picture. 

“I have a feeling I may need that one day,” You smiled, settling your camera strap back over your shoulder and turning to David. “They're cute together, don't you think?”

“Yeah, I guess so,” David nodded, his gaze staying on you. “She ain't the cutest one here though.”

You rolled your eyes but couldn't fight the smile on your face and multiple flutters in your stomach. 

“Oh shut up, that's such a line.”

“I'm deadly serious,” David grinned, holding his hat over his heart. “I promise.”

You were about to say something when Pam appeared, linking her arm with yours and giggling as she went to drag you away. 

“Hang on one second,” David called, making you look over your shoulder with a smile.

“You never told me the name of your paper!”

“It's in Dallas,” You called back, walking forward with Pam, the two of you giggling. “If you find it, call me!”

📷

A couple of days later you were in the newspaper office, going over some photos for an upcoming article when one of the secretaries knocked on the door and asked for you.

“Call for you,” She explained, gesturing to the phone as you went to her desk. “They didn't give a name, just asked for you.”

“Okay, thanks Margaret,” You smiled, feeling a slight knot in your stomach. It was extremely rare someone called you at work, and you tried not to think the worst. 

Going to the phone, you picked it up and took a deep breath before holding it to your ear. 

“Hello?”

“Hello yourself.”

You let out a soft sigh of relief as you realized who was on the other end of the line, a small smile on your face.

“How many papers did you have to call before you found me?”

“That's not important.”

You rolled your eyes with a grin.

“More than two?”

“..five.”

“Oh wow,” You grinned, turning more towards the wall. “That's perseverance right there. I'm flattered.”

“Well so am I,” David replied. “I saw those pictures you took. They were great, I wanted to thank you for catching me at such a flattering angle.”

“You're welcome,” You smiled, glancing over your shoulder before looking back and lowering your voice slightly. “That the only reason you called six newspapers? Angles?”

“Not quite,” You could hear a cheeky tone in his voice, your fingers holding the phone cord. “I was hoping you'd come see me again. You don't have to take pictures this time, if you don't want.”

“As it happens I am coming,” You raised a brow with a smile. “Your brother beat you to the invite. He invited Pam, who invited me. So I'll be there.”

“Well damn,” David laughed softly. “I guess I'll just have to come right out with it then..ask you on a real date.”

“Oh?” You grinned, feeling like a teenager as your cheeks grew warm. “How about we make it interesting?”

“I'm all ears.”

You took a breath, trying to calm your heartbeat. You were aware of Margaret behind you, knowing she'd be listening to every word. 

“Alright, if you win..I accept. If you don't, no deal.”

“Hm, sounds fair,” David replied. “I guess I'll have to try a little harder this week. I'll let you get back to work, alright?”

“Alright,” You nodded, trying not too smile too widely. “I'll see you Saturday. Bye.”

You hung up the phone, turning around to Margaret with a polite smile.

“Thank you, I'll be in the office.”

Once you closed the door and found yourself alone, you let out a laugh, shaking your head and wondering what you'd let yourself in for.

📷

Saturday came around quickly, and most of the day was given over to preparing. At first you were just helping Pam, heading into store after store to find the perfect outfit. Then you started looking for yourself, realizing that you wanted to put in just a little more effort since you were going to watch, not work. 

As the evening drew closer, the radio was on full blast in the apartment as you and Pam cracked open a bottle of wine and started the beauty process. You couldn't shake the slight nerves that were settled in your stomach, but they were joined by an excitement. 

“Oh,” Pam turned from the bathroom mirror to look at you. You were sitting on the edge of the bathtub, carefully painting your toenails. “Did he ever get in touch? David? I completely forgot to ask.”

“Yeah, he found me,” You grinned, laughing as Pam gasped. “Asked me to come along tonight. I told him I was already coming.”

“And?” Pam asked, waving her hand at you. “What else? Did he ask you out?”

“I told him he can take me out if he wins,” You smiled, holding the bottle of nail polish up in the air with a laugh as Pam rushed over to hug you.

“This is so exciting! We're gonna be like sisters!”

📷

When you arrived at the Sportatorium, it seemed to be even busier than it had been the previous week. You stepped out of your truck, smoothing out your outfit. It was only a black off the shoulder top and some denim jeans but you hoped it still looked good. 

You linked your arm with Pam's as the two of you headed inside the bustling arena, your heart beating faster as you took your seats. As it turned out, watching the match was totally different to photographing it. You couldn't move about, couldn't pick one thing to focus on. It was all happening, bright and loud and thrilling. You found yourself cheering and whistling with the crowd, you and Pam both jumping up and screaming when the Von Erichs emerged victorious.

When it was all over and you were enjoying the fresh air, you couldn't help but find it adorable when Kevin couldn't keep his eyes off Pam while he signed autographs. Once he was free you gave him and Pam some space, almost immediately bumping into David.

“Hey winner,” You smiled, resting your hands in your back pockets. “Nice angles in there.”

“I hope someone was there to capture them,” David grinned, taking his hat off. “Did you have a good time?”

“Yeah,” You nodded, watching David for a moment, smiling as you realized he almost seemed a little nervous. “I really enjoyed it..though I'm a little curious about something.”

“What might that be?” David asked, moving his hat from one hand to the other. 

“Well,” You smiled, stepping closer and looking up at him. “Are you going to honor our agreement?”

📷

It was only when you were putting on your coat to leave the apartment when it dawned on that you hadn't actually been on a first date for..a while. There were some relationships in high school, a couple in college along with some dates and flings but the last had been before you graduated. 

You tried not to think about it too much, you were just going for dinner and seeing a movie. Worst case scenario, you and David didn't end up hitting it off and the world would go on as it always did. But part of you was hopeful that something would come from the date, that it would develop into something really great.

Grabbing your purse, you left the apartment and went downstairs to hail a cab, excitement starting to outweigh the nerves.

📷

“No way,” You laughed, your eyes going wide as you placed your hand over your chest. “You did not do that.”

“Yes I did,” David nodded, a serious look on his face before he laughed. “I was so sick afterwards. Never got found out though. Mom just went and got Kerry and Mike a new egg each. I couldn't eat chocolate for like three months.”

“I'm not surprised,” You laughed, picking up your drink. “You can't say you didn't deserve it.”

David laughed, nodding as he picked up his own drink. 

“I certainly did deserve it. Moment of weakness I guess.” 

You took a sip of your drink before setting the glass down and glancing around the restaurant. It was a steakhouse, but it felt like a nice one. Elegant lighting, candles on the tables, classy music playing. No sawdust or butcher paper to be found. 

“So do you think your brothers ever found out?” You asked, sitting up a little and resting your hands in your lap. “Or did you tell them?”

“No to both I'm afraid,” David sighed softly, lightly tapping his glass as he set it down. “Though I think Kev knew it was me..” He smiled to himself as he looked down. “Never said anything if he did know, though.”

“Seems like you two are close,” You smiled, your heart picking up a beat as David looked back at you with a warm smile. 

“We are,” He nodded. “We all are. I can't imagine life without them, they're amazing.” 

You felt your heart swell, trying not to get too swept up in your emotions. 

“That's so wonderful,” You smiled. “It's amazing that you're all so close.”

“Yeah,” David grinned, sitting up a little. “I just feel so lucky every day, like..” He stopped himself, lightly rubbing his neck.

“You know what, I feel like all I've done is talk about myself, my brothers, I don't want you to think I'm self absorbed or nothing, I promise I ain't like that.”

You shook your head, reaching your hand across the table and grinning when David held it with his own.

“I know you're not,” You insisted. “You're wonderful. Now tell me more about your family, I want the good stories.”

You ended up missing the movie, but neither of you cared. You talked until the restaurant was closing, David's jacket around your shoulders as you walked out into the night air. He gave you a ride home and kissed your cheek by your door  like a gentleman. 

“I had a great time,” You smiled, carefully taking off David's jacket and giving it back to him. You could tell he wanted to tell you to keep it, and you knew why he couldn't. 

“Maybe you should win another match, take me out again.”

“It's a deal.”

📷

Going to matches became a weekly event. You and Pam would cheer and cling to each other, laughing at how silly you were being. You took pictures for yourself, wanting to remember every moment. Afterwards you would meet David and Kevin, go for burgers and debrief on the match. 

It wasn't always easy for David to visit you, so you called each other when you could, spending an hour or two talking about anything and everything. You drove down to Denton a couple of times, meeting him for something to eat or just for a drive. 

He was always a perfect gentleman, opening doors for you and holding your hand, never pressing for anything more even though you suspected he was just as keen as you were to take things further.

You decided to nudge things in the right direction one night when you had gone down to visit him. Pam had come with you, and David and Kevin had taken you to the lake with their brother Mike, who you instantly adored. 

The afternoon was perfect, gorgeous hot weather and ice cold beers, floating along in the water and feeling like nothing else could possibly matter but being in that moment. 

You were sitting on the edge of the dock while the others drifted along on the huge rubber float, snapping a couple of shots of them before setting the camera aside. David appeared next to you, sitting down and resting his hand on your back. You leaned into the touch, his arm moving around your shoulders. 

“I love this,” You smiled softly, closing your eyes and letting out a breath. “If every day was like this..what a world.”

“It's perfect,” David murmured softly. “I can't think of anything better.”

“Hm, I reckon I can,” You smiled, opening your eyes and looking up at him. His eyes were already on you and you grinned as he took a breath and leaned in, his lips feeling like heaven against yours. 

You could hear the cheers and whistles, smiling into the kiss and feeling satisfied beyond belief. 

📷

“You ready for this?”

“Absolutely not. You?”

“Absolutely not.”

You flicked on the indicator and headed up the long drive to the Von Erich home, glancing over to Pam in the passenger seat.

“At least we're in this together.”

It was incredibly daunting, the thought of meeting David's parents and his brother Kerry, who had recently come home. He had told you countless times that they would love you, but it didn't ease your nerves. 

You were relieved to have Pam with you, that she was in the same boat. Mike met you both at the door, giving you both a hug and chatting away as he led you outside. 

It was a flurry of introductions, handshakes and hugs and the most perfect kiss from David that had you instantly relaxing.

By the time everyone sat down for dinner, it felt as though you had known the Von Erichs forever. The food was delicious, the weather was beautiful, the company was amazing. You felt David reach for your hand under the table when his parents talked about how they met, your heart swelling. 

When Doris forbade Mike from going to a gig that night, you glanced across the table to Pam smiling as she gave you a slight nod.

📷

“Alright, drive, drive!”.

You put your foot down, laughing as you glanced in the mirror and watched your boyfriend and his brothers gradually haul themselves into your truck. You turned the radio up when you left the driveway, rolling down the windows and cheering as you hit the road.

It didn't matter whose house the party was in, it was big and roomy and most importantly, fun. You had a beer in your hand before you knew it, hitting the makeshift dance floor. The brothers spun you and Pam around, laughter filling the air as you moved to the music, not a care in the world.

When Mike took to the stage with his band, you stood with David behind you, his arms wrapped around you. You all cheered as the song started up, swaying along as you held your hands over David's. 

Later in the evening you gently took David's hand and pulled him into a quiet corner, whispering in his ear and enjoying the slightly tipsy smile that crossed his face, a flash of worry passing his eyes.

You led him upstairs, finding an empty bedroom and closing the door.

“We..we don't have to,” David insisted as you slipped off your shoes. “I don't want you to feel pressured.”

“I don't,” You smiled, walking to the end of the bed and unzipping your dress before turning back to David. “But I will think you don't want to if you don't get over here in the next thirty seconds.”

He didn't need to be asked twice.

You laughed as you were picked up bridal style and carried to the top of the bed, letting out a soft moan as David laid you down and gave you a tender kiss.

Despite your suspicions that David was possibly a virgin, you didn't ask when he didn't bring it up. He was a little apprehensive, but once you took the lead he seemed to tap into his ring persona and the confidence in his movements had you struggling not to scream as your nails dug into his back, the sheets, your body crying out for more. 

“Oh god,” You moaned, touching David's cheek and looking up to meet his eyes as your legs hooked around his waist. “Baby..’m so close, please..”

You closed your eyes as he pushed deeper into you, his forehead resting against yours.

“Me too,” He murmured, his hand reaching for yours. “Fuck..fuck..I love you.”

Your eyes went wide at the confession, a deep moan spilling from your lips as you felt a wave crash over you, feeling David fill you moments later. You moved your hands to his neck, meeting his eyes and taking a deep breath. 

“I'm sorry,” He sighed, looking down. “I shouldn't have-this isn't the time..”

“No,” You insisted, a smile spreading on your face. “It's the perfect time. I love you, too.”

📷

“Mind if I get one of those?”

You turned around, letting out a sigh of relief as you spotted Kerry walking towards you. 

“Of course,” You smiled, taking the box of cigarettes from your purse and handing it over. “Thought you were David for a second.”

Kerry laughed as he accepted the box, shaking his head.

“Nah, your secret is safe with me. Just needed one huh?”

“Yeah,” You nodded, flicking away the ash. “I'm so nervous. I don't know why, it's not like I have to walk down the aisle in front of hundreds of people wearing this,” You raised a brow, gesturing to your dress.

As much as you adored Pam, and as thrilled as you were that she was getting married and had asked you to be her maid of honor, you did not exactly love the dress she had chosen. For a start, it was a mix of dusky pink and peach, the skirt was so big you wondered if you fit down the aisle, and the sleeves were almost the size of your head.

“I feel you,” Kerry nodded, looking down at himself as he lit his cigarette. “I think we all feel a little ridiculous. But you know the worst part?”

“Go on,” You smiled, lifting up the puffball that had slipped down your shoulder. “shock me.”

“I gotta do this three more times,” Kerry sighed, lightly prodding the flower attached to his suit. “At least you get to choose your wedding dress. I'm stuck in velvet hell.”

You laughed, shaking your head and taking a drag on your cigarette. 

“Oh come on, it ain't so bad. I think I heard Mike say he would never have velvet.”

“Really?” Kerry raised a brow, looking over to you. 

“Promise,” You grinned, holding your hand over your heart. “He said he'd have velour.”

“Oh fuck off,” Kerry laughed, shaking his head and holding his hand out. “Gimme a mint and get out of here, I'll velour you.”

“I'd like to see you try,” You laughed, getting a mint from your purse and flicking your cigarette away before walking over to Kerry. “See you inside. Don't destroy that flower.”

📷

“Isn't she beautiful?” You smiled, watching Pam and Kevin sway on the dancefloor, smiles etched on their faces as they moved to the music. 

You felt the urge to take a photo, but a professional had been hired for the day. Pam had insisted she wanted you to be in the pictures, not the one behind the camera. You had been a little disappointed, but you gave her the photo you'd taken from when she and Kevin had first met, and her reaction made it all worth it.

“She really is,” Doris nodded, looking over to you and taking your hand with a smile. “And you will be too.”

“Thank you,” You smiled, giving her a kiss on the cheek. “Let me go get us another drink.”

You stood up, making your way over to the bar with a smile. While you and David weren't officially engaged, it was kind of an unspoken truth that when Pam and Kevin had gotten married, David would propose to you next. Kerry wasn’t seeing anyone, and while Mike was dating a girl, they had only been together a few weeks.

So, you knew you were next up.

As you waited for your drinks, you smiled as you felt a familiar presence by your side.

“Have I told you how beautiful you look today?”

“Yes,” You grin, turning to face David and giving him a kiss. “But I don't mind hearing it again.”

As the song ended and a new one started up, more guests took to the floor.

“Should we go for a twirl?” David asked, gently stroking your cheek. “or maybe not quite a twirl, that dress will take out anyone who comes close,” He teased.

“Oh shut up,” You laughed, lightly swatting him. “I'm getting your mom a drink, if I don't take you out first.”

“I'll take it to her,” David smiled, leaning down to give you a soft kiss. “Then you owe me a dance.”

📷

So, here it is. 

The big day. 

You thought at times it would never come, but it's here. 

A lot has happened, of course. Weddings need buildup, after all. The guests can only talk about how beautiful you look and wonder who did the food for so long. You gotta give them something. 

So what's new? It's been a minute, a luxuriously long engagement. 

The Von Erichs have gone from strength to strength, reaching the top of the wrestling game. You still go see matches, when you can. They're global now, you always feel a rush of pride when you watch them on TV at some crazy hour.

Pam is a world class veterinarian, an incredible mother to the most gorgeous baby, and still the best friend in the world. 

Kevin won the WHC belt, is the most devoted husband, father, brother, brother-in-law and son. He and Pam keep saying they're going to buy a ranch in Hawaii for everyone to live in, and you like to think maybe it could be true.

Kerry insists he's your favorite brother-in-law, and you insist that you couldn't possibly choose a favorite but deep down you think he's most likely right. He makes you laugh the most, teases you and makes stupid jokes to cheer you up when you need it. The two of you have sneaky cigarettes and know what the other is thinking when you look at each other. 

Mike has just signed a recording contract with his band, and you tell him all the time he better come to you first with concert tickets. He's going to be the next one engaged, he's so loved up and it's adorable. 

Then there's David. 

The yellow rose who called up six different newspapers just to ask you out, who let you into his life, who loves you unconditionally and makes you so unbelievably happy that you wonder what you ever did without him. You would never have pursued your dreams without him and his family, that's something you know. And let's not forget his proposal, which was the most beautiful moment of your life.

David had taken you on a surprise trip one night, insisting that you were just going for a drive after you'd been out for dinner, but you knew it wasn't true. You found yourself at the lake, David's hand in yours as you walked down to the dock, which..was decorated with candles in jars, rose petals, a bottle of champagne sitting in ice. 

Knowing that you were marrying your soulmate, joining a family you loved deeply, it made you feel so safe, so secure. You quit your job, deciding to pursue your real passion. You bought a gallery in Dallas, and displayed your own work along with other local artists, including your soon to be mother in law. It took time, but it's become a success, and you don't care what any of them say, you couldn't have done it without your family.

Plenty for the guests to talk about, right?

You take a deep breath as you step out of the car, Pam fixes your dress and you take a deep breath. Her dress is beautiful, and most importantly, simple. 

Before you know it you're walking down the aisle, your heart beating faster as hundreds of faces smile at you, but there's only one you need to see, and when you do it makes everything okay. 

You reach the top of the aisle, feeling overwhelmed with love, beaming as you turn to look at your soon to be husband.

“You know it's a bad habit to leave the bride with a veil over her face,” You grinned, watching David gently touch the hem of the silky veil and carefully move it back, a wide smile on his face.

“I do apologize,” He grinned. “Still gonna marry me?”

“Of course,” You smiled. “You look perfect from this angle.”

[dreameyess11]

pretty girl

Harris Dickinson x Reader

The night air is crisp, carrying the scent of the sea as you stand on the balcony, the city lights flickering like stars in the distance. You shiver slightly, but before you can retreat inside, strong arms wrap around you from behind. Harris Dickinson pulls you close, his breath warm against your neck as he murmurs, “Cold, love?”

You nod, leaning into his embrace, the steady rise and fall of his chest grounding you. He turns you in his arms, his blue eyes searching yours, filled with something tender, something unspoken. His fingers brush a stray lock of hair from your face before he tilts your chin up.

“You’re so beautiful,” he whispers, almost like he’s in awe. And then he kisses you—softly at first, like he’s savoring the moment, like he’s memorizing the taste of your lips. His hands cradle your face, thumbs brushing against your cheekbones, as if you’re something delicate, something precious.

When he finally pulls away, he rests his forehead against yours, his voice a gentle murmur. “My pretty girl.” The words send a shiver down your spine, not from the cold but from the way he says them—possessive yet reverent, as if you are his favorite thing in the world.

You smile, your fingers tracing the line of his jaw before curling into the fabric of his sweater.

The night stretches before you, filled with possibilities, with whispered promises and stolen kisses. And in this moment, wrapped in his arms, nothing else matters but the way he holds you—like you are the only thing he ever wants to hold.

[idksmtms]

Silver Springs (Rockstar!Harris Dickinson x Rockstar!Reader)

A/N: I know I should be working on my Poseidon series but I saw this moodboard by @24kmar (I’ve screenshotted a portion of it for the thumbnail image) after watching Babygirl and I just needed to write this. Plus I’ve been listening to a lot of Fleetwood Mac recently sooooo. Anywayssss! I hope you enjoy it! I was trying to capture like IDGAF-esque vibes for Harris in this. (And yes, I thought I was being clever by putting Drew Starkey in the band and calling them Not Twins). Also, I love MARINA and I love that she used to be called Marina and the Diamonds so that is officially Reader’s band. I make the rules so… deal with it. 

Summary: Filming has begun for a new documentary on the members of the band ‘Not Twins’. Everyone is particularly interested in the tumultuous relationship between their leadsinger Harris Dickinson and his girlfriend, the lead singer of ‘Marina and The Diamonds’. Sex, drugs, rock and roll, mystery, love, and intrigue of the highest order. The hottest documentary to hit the screens for a long time… 

Note: This is written as mostly just dialogue so I have listed the different fonts/formats for the different people - 

Reader  Harris Dickinson  Drew Starkey  Reporter/Interviewer

Word count: 8,425 

Trigger Warnings: she/her pronouns, AFAB reader, depictions of mental health issues, depression, slight mentions suicidal thoughts/ideation, slight Drew Starkey x reader (I’m sorry, I couldn’t control myself and the self-indulgent + horny thoughts came out), characters + reader smoking, angst, toxic jealousy with hints of possessiveness, cheating allegations, hint of cheating thoughts, anger issues, anger issues related to toxic jealousy, (please let me know if I missed any) 

Disclaimer: This is written purely for fictional purposes and for the sake of writing. No disrespect is intended to the real people portrayed/concerned in this scenario. 

I also reference some real songs in this, a comprehensive list will be provided at the bottom. 

Always appreciate comments, likes, and reblogs :)

“Could you say a few words into the mic? Just to test the sound.” 

“Testing, testing, Universal Studios are wankers, testing. All good?”

“Hahaha, yup, all good, thanks. Ok, so… are you alright to talk about Y/n?” 

“Yeah, if that’s what you really want to know about.” 

“Well, your relationship was a huge influence on your music - for both of you. It’s been plastered all over the news and social media. If you’re ready to talk about it, the people are willing to listen.” 

“Yeah, I have nothing to hide.”  …  “Are you interviewing her for the documentary as well?” 

“...Yes.” 

“Cool.” 

“Are you alright to talk about you and Harris now?” 

“Yeah, I guess. Might as well talk about the guy in a documentary about his band.” 

“Heh, yeah, probably. Alright, so, let’s start at the beginning I suppose. How did you two meet?” 

“It was the 2nd of February.” 

“It was the night of the Grammys.” 

“We had been making music for a couple years but we only started hitting the spotlight that year. It’s funny thinking about it now, that Marina and the Diamonds and Not Twins were gaining popularity around the same time. Anyway, it was our first year actually being recognised as musicians and going on our own tour, everything suddenly moving fast, you know?” 

“Both the bands were nominated for best rock performance that night. It was the first time either of us had been nominated for anything. We were doing our first international tour, but we were already famous. Sold out venues, adding extra shows and then selling those out. A couple of our songs go viral on TikTok and suddenly we’re sensations.” 

“It’s a room full of the top artists in the world. These are the people you’ve looked up to your entire life, and now you’re in the room with all of them at once, trying to act like you belong there and that you have somehow reached their level by being nominated. The girls and I weren’t important enough to have a central table or anything of course, we were off to the sides somewhere, which made it easy to slip in and out even when the awards were being given out.” 

“You’ve just been on this red carpet, showing yourself off, giving interviews and trying to act like you give a shit about any of it. We were excited at the time but it’s fucking exhausting. We were led into the hall and to this table off to the side. It was still, like, visible enough, but we obviously weren’t the most important people there. Which was really good to be honest. Meant the cameras weren’t hovering around us all the time and the spotlights stayed away. I found this door a little closer to the back. It led to like some service corridor or whatever and then straight out to the back of the building that was totally desolate. I think I went out that door like 10 times that night for a cigarette.” 

“I found this door in the back of the hall when I was coming back from the restroom like a quarter of the way through the event, and I was feeling so overwhelmed and in desperate need of a cig, I just followed the hallway until I was like spat out into this little brick loading bay type thing. It was bordered by the backs of other buildings, so it was all very industrial, and it was night time after a rain so the tarmac was all black and shiny and a little yellow from the street lights outside. I was rummaging around in my clutch for my cigarettes and my lighter. I managed to find the cigarettes and get one out, but I almost hurled the stupid purse onto the floor because it was somehow so full but so small and useless at the same time. I still hate clutches. 

I didn’t even realise it but then I saw this shadow come up behind me and I hear this click, like one of those old fashioned type lighter clicks? You know the sound I’m talking about? The little metal click as the lid comes up and the flick as it lights? That. And suddenly someone’s just pressing this lighter to the end of my cigarette and I’m whirling around just to end up staring at this guy’s bow tie.” 

“I was just leaning against the wall smoking a cigarette. I was trying so hard not to untie the bow tie and throw it away in the bin. Our manager had gotten us the suits and told us we had to wear them and Drew had to do up my tie for me. I’m more of a jeans type of person, so that was physical torture for me to be honest. Anyway, I’m trying not to scuff up my shoes too much or undo the bow tie or get rain water on the fabric or basically mess anything up in any way, when the door just flies open and this girl walks through, hand shoved into this tiny little clutch bag thing. She’s cursing like, every living creature on the planet earth, cigarette dangling from her mouth. She’s literally starting to lift up the bag to heave it across the road and I’m a bit shocked from this sudden entrance, and then just thinking about how I felt the exact same way about ten minutes ago, so I just walked over and lit it for her.”

“I mean, obviously I was shocked. This random dude - in like the creepiest setting ever by the way - has just come up almost from behind me to light up my cigarette without me asking. I almost hit him at first, just for having way too much audacity, but then I had like a drag or two and started to calm down so I just said thank you and moved with him to lean against the wall and just kind of stare into space and ignore the thumping music from behind us. Someone had been performing so I knew no one would freak out that I wasn’t there.” 

“We were both just kinda leaning against the wall, smoking our cigarettes in silence. Hers is burnt like halfway through when she lazily turns her head to me, kind of just letting it drop to the side so she’s looking up at me, raises her eyebrows, and says “so you’re the competition.” I just burst out laughing. Like, folded in half, wheezing laughing, because what was I supposed to say to that? I feel like no one ever acknowledges the actual desire to win. Everyone is always all like “oh I respect the other people in my category so much, we’re all winners, bla bla bla.” You may respect them, but you also want to beat them. You want to win. Plain and simple. So her just being there, like, calling me the competition… I don’t know, it just made me laugh. And she started laughing too and-” 

“And he just stopped laughing and was like ‘can I record your laugh for a song?’ I mean what the fuck dude? So random. I kinda just stared at him and was like, “are you serious?” And he just nodded, no smile, nothing, just focus. It’s the look he always gets when he’s building music in his head. There’s a couple pictures out there you can find on the internet, just google pictures of him in the studio or something. He gets this hyper focused look on his face, like his mouth is set straight and his jaw is just shy of being clenched and his eyes are so sharp and like you can almost see his pupils just dilate on command or something. It’s kind of a scary look, I won’t lie. Anyway, he had that look and he just goes ‘yes. Can I sample you laughing for a song?’”

“I don’t want to say some meaningless shit like ‘ohhh I’ve never heard a laugh like that in my life’ because maybe I have, I don’t know. She laughs really loudly and fully, like it comes from her chest and her throat and it makes her entire body shake. And her face scrunches up a little, like, like she can’t control herself or something. And in that moment, it was the perfect laugh. In that moment it was… inspiring. So yeah, I asked her if I could use it for a song because suddenly I had all these ideas for music that started with that laugh or matched that laugh or even used that laugh and I just wanted to be in the studio writing and crafting.” 

“How did that make you feel?” 

“I don’t know. I said yes, of course I said yes. It’s flattering to inspire someone just by being yourself. There’s something special, almost magical, about being yourself and someone seeing that and feeling the need to create art. I guess that’s how past boyfriends must have felt when I told them I wrote a song about them. Well, until we break up and I write a song calling them dickheads of the highest order.” 

“Yeah, anyways, so I finished my cigarette and gave her my phone so she could give me her number and then I invited her down to the studio like two days later so we could sample it. She just nodded and smiled at me, crushed her cigarette under her heel and went back inside. I still remember the shoes she was wearing that day. They were these blood red stilettos, like bright, fresh-blood red, and the heels were so sharp. They were basically knives she was standing on. It’s kinda funny when you find out how much she hates wearing heels ‘cause she has the balance of a baby deer.” 

“Neither of us won that night. Can’t even remember who won it to be honest with you, because by the time I came back in I was focused on something else.” 

“Do you guys know who won in our category that night? I won’t lie, I did not pay attention at all after.” 

“Hahaha, we can find out for you.” 

“Did you go to the studio to record your laugh?” 

“Heh, yeah I did. I felt really stupid, but we had started texting already beforehand. He even called me a couple of times, and it was… really nice. People I know who are watching this are probably gasping in shock right now. I would do anything to avoid a phone call. But… It was nice to talk to him. I liked his voice, even when he wasn’t singing. Especially when he wasn’t singing. Everyone loves his singing voice and, yeah, it’s absolutely amazing, but when he speaks… yeah. Anyway.” 

“How did it go?” 

“It was really fun. The first twenty minutes were just me trying to fake my laugh for the recording but it always sounded wrong and artificial. Then for the next forty minutes he did literally every single thing he could to try and make me laugh. At first I was too conscious of it to be sincere, but then he told me we would stop recording for a bit, to just sit around and relax, but he had the sound tech still keep the mics on. We just talked for a while, and… he’s always been good at making me laugh. I was just giggling and cackling and… just laughing really. He got the recording he wanted.” 

“People have always wondered if it was your laugh at the beginning of ‘i hope that you think of me’. 

“Yeah… it is. I didn’t know which song he was going to use it for. I was happy to give him the sound bites and move on. He didn’t even tell me he had written it. When it came out, we had already been dating for a couple months. He just sent me the Spotify link in a text that just said ‘listen’. I still love that song. I listen to it pretty frequently actually…” 

“Had you heard her music before you two met?” 

“Yeah. Drew was a fan from their early days, so he played their music sometimes. I won’t lie, I didn’t really give it the time of day until ‘Messy’ came out. I fuckin’ love that song. Still do.” 

“What was it like to be in the studio with her when you were recording the laugh? Did you guys play or write something?” 

“Recording the laugh was really fun. I wanted it to be authentic, I wanted the real sound, but we obviously couldn’t get it on command. It was a good excuse to just hang out together, get to know each other better. After we got the recording, the sound tech left and it was just the two of us. We just sat around strumming the guitars, playing the piano, just fiddling about really. She had brought her guitar with her. It was a present from her grandmother, getting kind of old, even back then, but she loved that thing. It was precious to her, she wouldn’t even let me touch it.” 

“Is that the guitar you were using on the tour before it ended?” 

“...Yeah.” 

“She hasn’t used that guitar since the tour. Did you know that?” 

“Yeah.” 

“Di- 

“Can we talk about something else?” 

“Yeah. Yeah, sure.”

“So when did you actually start dating then?” 

“I mean, we never made any official declarations or anything. One day we just… were. I guess you could count the first kiss as our start.” 

“What’s the story behind it?” 

“We didn’t call them dates, but we would spend a lot of our spare time together. Between travelling and days in the studios and commitments and stuff, any spare moment really when we were in the same city, we would find a way to spend time together.”  … “Anyway, it was this one night. Probably a Sunday. It’s like 2am, it’s just rained, no one is out and about. One of those slow and quiet nights where no one had bothered to leave their house even before the clock had hit twelve, let alone after it. I was feeling a bit restless. I wanted to go out and walk or something but like, I’m a girl on my own in the city. Can’t really do that. Suddenly my phone is ringing and he’s asking if I wanna go walking around the city. Says he’s been sitting and staring out of the window for the past hour and he desperately wants to go out for a walk or something. I still remember the way he asked, it was so serious, like he was asking me to marry him or something. He said that he really just wanted to be with me then, and… it just made me feel really special. I felt giddy too, like I was back in school and my crush had asked me out for the first time.

So I said, yeah, of course, and then he showed up at my building. He smiled when I opened the door, this soft, small smile that was like… I don’t even know, it was like soft yellow light, and I felt my entire chest just fill up. It felt like my ribs were going to slowly curl open then pop out. He reached out and waited for me to grab his hand and then we walked like that for a while. Just through neighbourhoods and past shops and restaurants and just wherever we wanted really. Holding hands. 

It was like an hour into the walk, we’re just leaning against a wall by this alley, sharing a cigarette and just resting for a little bit. I was standing so I was basically pressed into his chest. I was cold and we were sharing one cigarette between the two of us, so I was just like curled onto him. His jacket was open so I wrapped my arms around his torso and just laid my head there. He was really nice and warm and smelled really clean. He always smelled really clean, like freshly showered and fresh linen, even when he didn’t wear cologne. 

He would bring the cigarette down to my lips, wait for me to take a drag, then pull it away and bring it back up to his own lips. We were stood there like that for like ten minutes when he flicked the cigarette away and pushed my chin up so my head tipped back. I was just staring into his eyes. It was weird, it wasn’t like the world had gone silent or anything, but it felt like I was suddenly… lifted into a different body. I could hear him breathe, soft little whooshes, and I could feel the skin of his hand on my face like I had never felt another person’s skin before. And he just kissed me. Full on. Just closed his eyes and pressed his mouth to mine. I could feel the tip of his nose press into the crease between my cheek and my nose. We were literally wrapped around each other like those hugging salt and pepper shakers.”  …  “It… it was nice.”  … “I don’t know. Maybe it was the undiagnosed depression, but for a week after that night I used to think “this can’t last, this is going to ruin my life.” And… I don’t know. Sometimes I feel like my thoughts were right and I was wrong to ignore them because if I had listened to the darkness I would have saved myself a bunch of heartache. But other times… other times I’m really happy that it happened because regardless of everything else, I knew love.” 

“I think that was the happiest I’ve ever been. Those moments with her.” 

“Was that inspiring for you? Finding her?” 

“Are you joking right now? Of course it was. Every sappy lovey-dovey song I’ve ever written came out around that time. I was surprised people didn’t seem to notice the sudden tone change.” 

“Is ‘Must Be A Dream’ about her?” 

“Yeah, of course. I… every time I woke up beside her, I would say ‘this must be a dream’. She always used to laugh, her super duper tired, ‘I can’t believe you’re joking with me at 8am’ laugh. I was in love with that laugh.” 

“So, how did you two meet?” 

“Yeah, uh, Harris and I met when we were both already kinda on the music scene. We were trying to start solo careers and this tiny magazine, I’m pretty sure they’re out of business now, that interviewed independent and kinda indie artists had us both for an interview to promote new artists. We did this interview together and people kept commenting on how similar we were and laughing that we were just the UK and USA versions of each other, heh.”  …  “We got along pretty well at the interview and decided to book some studio space and just play some stuff together, you know? Like just bounce ideas, get some vibes, and just kinda enjoy music with someone else who enjoyed it. It wasn’t supposed to be anything big. We went and got coffee together before going to the studio and like three different times we had to be like “we’re not twins”. Anyway, we played some music and we just got each other. Like he would play something and I would know exactly how to continue it. Our minds just worked really similarly so like an hour into the session ‘Not Twins’ was born.” 

“When did you first meet Y/n then?” 

“Uh, lemme think for a minute. I think it was a couple weeks after Harris first asked her out. I knew she had been by the studio to work on some stuff with him, but I hadn’t ever been there at the time. He had written some songs that were tinkering around with, just trying to get some melodies going, see what notes might go where, you know, just rough stuff. Anyway, he told me he invited her around to just hang out for lunch or something. I thought it was cute. He wasn’t really someone who acted like that about his relationships. He wasn’t really someone to get into relationships anyway, if you know what I mean… but it was obvious he liked this girl. He wasn’t like a nervous jittery virgin or anything, I think he has too much confidence for that, but he was just like, I don’t know, smiling at his phone all the time or like going out for hour long phone calls, always face-timing and stuff. It was obvious he was invested in her.” 

“So she came by the studio?” 

“Yeah, sorry, got side-tracked, heh. Yeah, she came by the studio and it wasn’t like one of those awkward introduction moments where he’s standing next to her and just gesturing between us two. It was like we clicked right from the start. We just chatted about music and made stupid jokes and just got along really well.”  …  “I think we’re pretty similar, you know? Her and me? Well, not a lot, we do disagree about stuff, but like… I don’t know, is it stupid to say we live on the same wavelength? We just understood each other without needing to explain anything or do anything. She would strum on the guitar or hum a melody and I knew exactly where to go on the bass. It was kind of like how I worked with Harris but it was also different. I don’t know, I’m kind of shit at explaining this stuff, but it was just something different… something softer. 

I mean, even aside from that, she’s such a sweet person, so smiley and just easy to get along with that if those elements hadn’t existed, I’m sure we would have been good anyway.”

…

“Had you listened to her music before?” 

“It’s funny, I was actually the one that introduced Harris to Marina and the Diamonds. I had known about her and the band for a little while, I liked their music, and I thought their live band interactions, the way they worked together on stage was awesome. Like, have you seen some of their performances? Her stage presence is just immaculate and then just the music itself is so good that it was a recipe for success from the beginning.” 

“So you were a fan before they even met? Did you ever feel… I don’t know, regret, I suppose, that they met before you two did?” 

“I, uh, I haven’t really talked about this before, to be honest. I don’t know why I’m even telling you guys this, Harris’ll never forgive me when he watches the doc, but like, fuck it, I guess.”  … “Yeah. I was a bit sad that they met before she and I did. It was childish to be honest with you. It was one of those things of like “I was a fan first!” you know? It felt like a sick joke that I had been a fan for a while and he just kinda bumped into her and managed to shoot his shot. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I didn’t resent him for it or anything, and it wasn’t even like I knew her well enough to be that annoyed or anything. Plus, after meeting her, we had such a good friendship and like… everything that happened, and I don’t know. I guess… for me, it was the right person, wrong time. For her, it probably wasn’t anything…” 

“Are you alright to talk about when everything started, uh, I don’t know, going ‘downhill’ I suppose?” 

“Yeah, I mean, fuck it why not? I’m already exposing my entire life to the internet, might as well keep going.” 

“Well, thank you anyway, hahaha. So, well, I mean, before we get into that, why don’t we talk a little bit about the good times? Just before the issues started appearing, what was it like?” 

“I… It’s weird, the way I view it. It’s not like the issues just started appearing or anything. I just think there were things we didn’t know about each other that were only revealed with time and we weren’t really ready for it. I don’t think he and I were wrong for each other. I don’t think we even found each other at the wrong time. I just think we hadn’t reached the same place in life at the same time. Like- ugh, I don’t know what I’m saying. I think we both should have worked on ourselves a little more before committing to a relationship.”  … “Sorry, wait, you asked about the good times. Of course there were good times, we wouldn’t have been together for as long as we were if there hadn’t been good times. I don’t really know how to pick out specific ones. I guess I remember the bad times a lot better…” 

“What’s your best memory with Harris?” 

“It was the album release show we played in London. It was a very small intimate venue, the audience was basically sat on the stage with us. Harris came down and played a bit of guitar for some of the songs, and… it’s difficult to describe the memory even though I remember it so vividly. 

We had just finished playing ‘Your Best American Girl’. The lights were dipped down to this dark pink with these really soft yellow spotlights on us. I was at the standing mic, and he was somewhere on my left. The music began for ‘Pink in the Night’, it’s probably the slowest and softest song we’ve ever recorded but at that point it was the song that best expressed the emotions I felt being around Harris. It was this fearful declaration of a desperate love. I loved him so much but at the same time it felt like I was constantly doing something wrong or something. 

Anyway, the atmosphere was just so heavy and quiet, it was like everyone was holding their breath as I sang, and I couldn’t help but watch him. The music just poured out of me like breathing and my eyes were so focused on him, the way he was strumming the guitar, the way he was standing. And I looked at his face and he was already watching me, like he knew the song off by heart and didn’t need to bother looking at the guitar, and it was this intense moment of just… being connected to each other. We just looked into each other’s eyes for the entirety of the song, felt the music through each other, just… I don’t know. It’s as close as humankind can get to magic. 

“Wow. That’s… intense.” 

“Yeah… it was. But, I don’t know, I guess we didn’t know how to be anything other than intense.” 

“The first time the public became aware of the… tumultuous aspect of your relationship was when you were arrested. Could you tell me about how that happened?” 

“It was the stupidest shit ever.”  … “We were at a club, it’s a saturday night, everybody’s at their fullest shithead behaviour, you know? I won’t lie, I was probably on something by then, aside from the alcohol, maybe ket or even coke if Lenny - uh Lenny, the bassist for Marina and the Diamonds - was there. 

Anyway, I was at the bar trying to get a drink, just chatting to some random man nearby, when I look over to the crowd, and I see some fucker trying to dance up on Y/n. I just… I stood there and I saw red. I couldn’t even tell if she was in distress or not, if she even noticed or not, but I saw him trying to press up against her and I… I won’t lie, I went feral. I left my body. I was controlled by the blood rush and the anger. 

I flung him off her and shoved him through the crowd. I was trying to get him to the door because I knew they wouldn’t let me fight him in the club, but obviously he began struggling back. I just punched him in the face. Full on. It hurts like hell by the way, if you were wondering, but… I won’t lie, it’s also kind of satisfying when you’re angry. 

The bouncer came in and tried to separate us but I just shoved him off and kept on going after the idiot. Eventually the other bouncer came back from the bathroom and they hauled us outside and held us there until the police got there. The man, bless him, wasn’t even going to press charges. I was gonna get away with assault, but they searched us and they found a little baggy of coke in my pocket and hauled me off to the police station.” 

“So you weren’t actually arrested for the fight?” 

“No, the man didn’t press charges. I was taken in for minor drug possession.” 

“How did Y/n react?”

“Well, right after the fight, when we were sitting on the pavement waiting for the police, she called me a twat, a wanker, and a right cunt. All well deserved. She couldn’t believe that the reason I was fighting was because of some petty jealousy. She told me she hadn’t even noticed the man.” 

“Are you the kind of person that gets jealous easily, then?” 

“I don’t know, maybe. All I know was that back then, despite everything, over and over again, I couldn’t believe she had chosen me. I could never quite believe that I was worth the love she was willing to give me. I guess I was always paranoid it wasn’t real. Or that she could be easily pulled away by someone else.”  … “No wonder she was upset. I was basically telling her I didn’t trust her.” 

“That wasn’t even the first time he had gotten jealous. It was just the first time he had gotten into a fight over it. I always knew he had a little bit of a possessive streak. I didn’t mind, I kind of liked it actually. Made me feel like he really loved me if he was that protective over me. Like it was some twisted way he showed he cared about me. But when he attacked someone… Now I think it was just because he was so insecure about himself that he couldn’t trust I wouldn’t leave him for someone else. That’s shit only therapy can fix, though. I know. I speak from experience.” 

“You were arrested once yourself, weren’t you?” 

“Yeah… um. Yeah. That was… that was bad. It was… I’m actually insanely embarrassed about that. It fills me with shame when I think about it now. I don’t really want to talk about it.” … “I’ll give you the quick run-down version. This is like night three of the tour.  Basically, we had gotten into some stupid petty argument about something or other. He was down at the bar for a bit while I was slowly working my way through the entire mini bar in my room. I went downstairs to get hammered at the hotel bar when I saw him and Lenny sat together. They were both at the bar, on swivelly bar stools, turned towards each other, and their knees were touching. I don’t… I felt this anguish in my chest, like someone was reaching through the gaps in my ribcage and squeezing the flesh of my heart until it squelched out between their fingertips. 

He was smiling at her the way he smiled at me. The really pretty smile where his eyes look all mischievous and the right corner of his mouth lifts up a little. It’s his flirting smile. And seeing him direct it at Lenny…

Anyway, long story short, I got super duper wasted, caused a bit of a ruckus, refused to return to my room, and was arrested for being drunk and disorderly.” … “Harris came and bailed me out at like 3am and… I literally sat on the street and heave-sobbed for like fifteen minutes.”  … “Sorry, can I just… can I have a quick break? Just to run and get some water?” 

“Yes, yes of course.” 

“Was there ever a moment where it hit you that something was wrong? A moment where you could feel everything tip over?” 

“Uh, yeah, yeah, actually. The first time it really hit me that ‘something is wrong here’…  Like a month before the tour, Drew and I were in the studio working on some new music. Nothing big, we just had a bit of free time and were fiddling around with some ideas and tunes. I invited Y/n around to just hang out, you know? She could just sit and read if she wanted, but I knew she would end up joining us. She could never help herself. And I wasn’t going to deny any ideas or help, I appreciated it, she has a good ear. 

Anyway, she told me she was on the way, and I realised I was out of cigarettes. I thought I might as well run down to the off-licence, grab some snacks as well. Drew was in the studio, he could let her in if she got there early. She must have arrived just as I left. When I got back in, just humming along down the corridor, feeling a little jolly or something, I got to the door, and I heard her laughing. I paused there, hand on the door knob, and looked through the little glass window in the door. 

She had pulled one of the stools up close to Drew’s, and they both had guitar’s on their laps. Realistically they couldn’t have gotten that close together, but… I don’t know, every time I picture it, they’re sat as close as humanly possible, even with guitars on their laps. Both of them had their heads leaning forward, so close to each other, and they were smiling. They both had on this smile like they were sharing a moment no one else was a part of. Like… I don’t know, like it was just the two of them and the world was secondary. It… felt horrible. 

I mean, it was just dreadful. For like, five whole minutes, I hated Drew. I wanted to punch him in the face. I wanted to kill him. He was my best friend, and that’s how I was feeling about him… I never wanted to feel that way again, but once that seed was rooted in my mind, it always came back up. Any time they were alone together, even for a moment, I couldn’t help but think they were just creating more connections, sharing more secrets, and soon, I wouldn’t have those with her anymore. They would all go to him…”  … “Nothing had ever felt that wrong at that point.”

“It was a kind of self-fulfilling prophecy thing, I think. It was only after he started mistrusting my friendship with Drew that I started, I don’t know, feeling kind of interested in him. Nothing ever happened, and the little crush fizzled out but… I don’t know, funny, isn’t it?” 

“Alright, so it was kind of a steady downhill climb until the tour?” 

“Yeah, I guess so. I mean, we were just so shit at communication and we felt too much. I felt like we were partying too much and he was too into it. He loved partying but didn’t want to do it without me. Neither of us actually talked about why we felt these things. And eventually we felt like we couldn’t trust each other about anything, but we were also too selfish to let each other go. That’s why I was so shitty about Lenny. That’s why he couldn’t handle me being friendly with Drew.” 

“Let’s move on. Let’s talk about that last tour.” 

“Yeah.” 

“Sure”

“What happened?” 

“By the time the tour started, we had entered this vicious cycle of horrible, unhinged, scream-fighting, just to slam the doors and walk away, only to get drunk or high, get depressed and lonely, just to crawl back to each other and have these intense reunions. It was… frankly, it was sick and twisted.” 

“I was a piece of shit.” 

“The tour had your two bands scheduled for almost 50 shows over 5 continents. You played 5 shows before the tour was cancelled. Neither of you have spoken about what happened, and to the general public, it still remains a bit of a mystery as to why the tour was cancelled. Are you willing to share the story?” 

“...” 

“...” 

“I couldn’t… I couldn’t ever look at him again, let alone speak to him again after night five.” 

“Night five of the tour… I will never forget that night. It was the worst moment of my entire fucking life.” 

“In an attempt to, I don’t know, somehow salvage our relationship, I wanted to show him I trusted him, so… I offered to let him use my guitar during the shows.” 

“I… I hope she knows how much I appreciated that gesture. Regardless of anything else, I hope she knows how much that meant to me… that she trusted me to use it. I know how precious it was to her.” 

“That guitar was my single most prized possession. I protected that thing with my life. It got its own seat on the plane next to me. It was my everything.” 

“Why was that guitar so special to you?” 

“That guitar used to belong to my grandmother, and she loved it. She had once wanted to be a musician herself but she always said she wasn’t good enough to actually get anywhere with it, and her family wanted her to get a real career or get married and have a traditional family, bullshit like that. But every time we had a big family gathering, she would break it out and play music for us. Anything, everything, but… you could see the joy on her face, the way she felt the music. Her not being able to pursue music was one of the greatest losses of the world, I think….”  … “Anyway, um, where was I? Yeah, so, when I started pursuing music seriously, she gave it to me, she said I would at least be able to use it. She always told me to chase my dreams, to never let myself think I wasn’t good enough, to never let anyone stop me. It was the thing that connected us, you know? As long as one of us played on that guitar, we would be alright.” 

“On the fifth night of the tour, we got into an argument backstage. It was the worst argument we’ve ever had. I accused her of having an affair with Drew, I told her she was ruining everything, her career, our relationship…”

“I told him he was crazy. I called him pathetic. It was… it was ugly. Every possible horrible thing we could have said to each other, we did. And we refused to stop. We were just up in each other’s face, screaming. And… and I said ‘maybe I would be better off with Drew.” 

“When she said that… my entire world felt like it had collapsed around me. The very thing I had been trying to avoid, her seeing that she would be better off with someone else… it was happening in that moment. I felt everything. Every possible emotion, but… I chose anger.” 

“He was seething. I could see it. It was almost like his eyes were actually on fire. Harris is not someone you want to see angry. It’s like a forest fire, it’s frightening.” 

“And I turned away from her. I started walking away when I saw the guitar sat on its stand in the corner. I turned back to look at her, and then the guitar. I think she could almost tell what I was thinking.” 

“I saw him looking at my guitar with that blazing anger and everything was suddenly closing in on us. I put up my hands like some fucking hostage or like I was trying to calm down a bear or something. I was just whispering, ‘no, don’t you dare’.” 

“I just reached over, grabbed the guitar from the stand, lifted it over my head, and I smashed it against the floor. Again. And again. And again. I could hear her screaming, but it was so far away. Like I was underwater. The only clear sound was the smashing of the guitar.” 

“I was screaming at the top of my lungs. I was on my knees, head in my hands, absolutely wailing. I began grabbing for the pieces and he only stopped when he saw me there, crawling in the wood chips.” 

“She looked so small. She was curled up on the floor, her hands shaking, picking up all the wood in her little fists, trying to put the pieces of the guitar back together.” 

“I got so many splinters, I cut up my palms horribly. I screamed so much I basically shredded my vocal chords and lost my voice.” 

“She looked up at me, her eyes all puffy and red and full of tears… her hands were bleeding… and she just whispered ‘I hate you’. Over and over again.” 

“I don’t… I don’t know if I’ve ever felt hatred like that for someone before or since. In that moment… I loathed him.” 

“I’ve never forgiven myself for doing that. I never will. I fucking… I fucking hate myself for doing that. I hate myself for taking her trust and shattering it like that. I hate myself for hurting the one person I ever loved like that…” 

“He walked out of the room after that, just left me there on the floor. My manager came in a little while later, we sweeped everything up, didn’t talk about it. I don’t think anyone else knows what happened in that room. Not Drew, not Lenny or anyone else in Marina and the Diamonds.” 

“I walked away. I couldn’t face it.”

“After that you refused to finish the tour?” 

“Yeah.” 

“Yeah.”

“I couldn’t even look at him, let alone stand next to him on stage and be all happy. I told my manager I was dropping out, I refused to do anymore shows. I told them I would pay for anything that needed to be paid for, whatever needed to be done so I could fuck off back home and never think about that stupid fucking tour ever again.” 

“I couldn’t believe I had done that, I was in a deep pit of self-loathing and I knew I couldn’t face her. I told my manager that I quit, that I was going home. He didn’t know what was going on. I think he probably spoke to her manager later. But… yeah, I was a coward. I couldn’t face her so I ran away.”  … “I… like a week later, I tried to write her a letter. Tried to say sorry, just… anything. It was so shitty, but I sent it to her anyway. No response.” 

“Yeah, I… I got the letter.”

“You didn’t respond?” 

“No. I wasn’t ready then.” 

“Has… that changed?”

“Well, must have done if I’m participating in this, heh. I… yes. I don’t hate him anymore. I mean, I might have hated him in that moment, but… it didn’t last. I don’t know if I can ever truly forgive him for destroying the guitar, but… I’ve forgiven him for everything else. Too little time on earth not to, I suppose. ” 

“Let’s talk about everything that happened, Drew.” 

“How much capacity does that camera have? If we talk about everything that happened, we’re gonna be here a long time.” 

“We have backup cameras as well.” 

“Then I have all the time in the world.” 

“You and Y/n…” 

“...Are you trying to ask if she cheated on Harris with me? Or if we ever dated after they broke up or anything like that?” 

“...Did you?” 

“No. Look, I won’t lie, I… I did have feelings for her, even when they were dating, and even when all that shit was happening. I was in love with her. I won’t ever deny that. We never talked about it, sometimes I thought she might have feelings for me too. But nothing ever happened. Those two had other problems to deal with, more than any jealousy or possible feelings between her and me.” 

“Did Harris know you had feelings for her?” 

“No.”  … “I never wanted to be the reason they imploded. It was incoming anyway, but I didn’t want to be the reason. Cheating is… that kind of break of trust is something you don’t come back from… At least, to me.” 

…

“You said you were in love with her?” 

“Yeah… I was. It… that was probably the best and worst time of my life. The good moments were so good. I got to write ‘I Wanna Be Yours’ during that time of my life.” 

“You wrote ‘I Wanna Be Yours’ about Y/n?” 

“Have you ever felt that? Being in love with someone who’s so wrapped up in someone else?” 

“Can’t say I have, I’m sorry.” 

“Nah, no need to be sorry.”... “It… it sucks man. It’s the worst feeling you could experience, I think.” … “Yeah… I, uh, never told her either.” 

“You never told her how you felt? Never?” 

“Never. She didn’t even know the song was about her.” 

“Silver Springs is one of the most successful pieces of music ever released. I mean, it’s still breaking records. Despite all of this, you barely ever talk about that song. You haven’t told anyone about the writing process, the idea, the inspiration, nothing. But everyone has speculated that it was about your relationship with Harris. Is this true?” 

“I… I don’t really like talking about ‘Silver Springs’.” 

“Why?” 

“I was in a horrible place when I wrote that song. I was… I was feeling every bad emotion you could possibly think of. I was filtering through all these different emotions. I mean, one minute I wanted to end it all, and then the next I was filled with this all-consuming, fire-breathing, rage where I wanted to smash everything around me.” … “I wrote Silver Springs in one of those in-between moments. I was so… angry, but I was so tired of being angry. I didn’t want to be angry but I didn’t know how to stop. And… in my head, at least, I blamed him for everything. Everything.”  …  “Look, now I obviously know I wasn’t some innocent victim in that relationship. I could be just as horrible as he was. I gave as good as I got. But in those moments I was so angry and feeling so selfish and… I don’t know, I guess I wanted him to know. Without telling him, I wanted him to feel my rage. That’s why I wrote ‘Brand New City’. Why I wrote ‘Dreams’ and ‘The Chain’. I guess I also wanted to somehow confirm to myself, truth or not, that I had affected him just as much as he had affected me.” 

“You had a minor style change at one point, after that era.” 

“Yeah, I was listening to a lot of old music, just trying to like mentally transport myself to anywhere other than where I was, I suppose. We recorded ‘Silver Dagger’, it was just a Joan Baez cover, but it… weirdly it was another perfect song for the anger I was feeling then.”  … “It’s funny, so many of my favourite songs that I’ve written have been inspired from that period of my life. I wrote ‘Guy on a Horse’ when my friends were trying to hype me up and the only thing they could think to do was say how much better I was than him. And later, when I started feeling more… ok, when the hate and anger simmered out and I began to, I don’t know, heal? ‘I Don’t Want to Know’ was born. If nothing else, all that pain was good for music, heh.”  

“Can I ask you another question?” 

“Sure.” 

“I noticed you haven’t said his name once during this interview.” 

…

“Is that the question?” 

“Was it a conscious choice?” 

“I don’t know. I guess it’s still a little difficult to think about it all. If I say his name, he becomes real. It’s not just some insane dream I once had and can’t get over…”

“In her interviews, Y/n spoke about how a lot of her songs have been inspired by that period. Can you say the same?” 

“Yeah, of course. The album we released a little while after the tour fell through? ‘Prisoner of Desire’ and ‘True Love’s in Decline’ are basically the exact words to describe how I was feeling. Lyrics wise, they probably capture the hopelessness and agony the best, I guess.” 

“When was the last time you saw her then?” 

“That night. I mean, I still see her on social media and stuff. Can’t really escape that. But, uh, we haven’t seen each other since… haven’t spoken to each other since…”  … “Still listen to her music. Might be a form of self-torture or something. After the breakup, I couldn’t listen to anything from them, it just hurt too much I suppose… Now I guess I like the fact that it hurts…” 

“Can we take a break for a bit?” Harris asked, rubbing at his face. His hands were itching and he got up without waiting for an answer, patting down his pockets for his cigarettes and lighter. Just as he began walking to the door to leave the studio they were filming in, the door flew open and someone rushed in. He flicked his eyes up, a cigarette already pressed between his lips, and paused. His mouth dropped open a little more but the cigarette dangled precariously off his lip, stuck with the saliva. 

He was staring at a whirlwind of a human being, her head turning this way and that. She finally spotted him and halted, like someone suddenly pressed pause on a tornado. Her chest was heaving, all visible skin slightly shiny with sweat. He could see her hands shaking at her sides. She was staring at him. He wasn’t surprised, his own eyes were rather unabashed in their assessment of her. 

“Harris…”

Song List:  I hope that you think of me - Pity Party (Girls Club), Lucys - it doesn’t start w/ a laugh tho lmao  Messy - Lola Young  Must Be A Dream - Tempesst Your Best American Girl - Mitski  Pink in the Night - Mitski  Silver Springs - Fleetwood Mac  Brand New City - Mitski  Dreams - Fleetwood Mac  The Chain - Fleetwood Mac  Silver Dagger - Joan Baez  Guy on a Horse - Maisie Peters  I Don’t Want to Know - Fleetwood Mac  True Love’s in Decline - Tempesst  Prisoner of Desire - Tempesst

[openatthedinnertable]

As if it were real

An X reader from someone who has watched baby girl🥛

I hated this project. I voted against it. And as punishment, I'm doing it with someone I can't stand.

My boss is a narcissist. The word is used often now, but, it's genuine this time. He cannot imagine why you wouldn't see anything his way. But to openly express it, will always deserve punishment.

When I started working this job a year ago, I expressed my distain for William to said boss. I thought the space was safe in the beginning of my employment. At my old job, I told my boss anything, almost too much sometimes, but she was so warm and open, that it felt like talking to a sister. I never questioned whether I could share who I liked or disliked. Who did what to bother me.

But at this job, it's different. Not so safe. Not warm, even if it is safe.

So when I made it clear to my boss that I thought  the employee critique (Honestly, coworker critique) was stupid and has nothing to do with the actual work we put in as employees, he partnered me right with the person I told him I couldn't stand.

There's nothing particularly wrong with William. That's what I've been told by anyone I complained about him to. They don't get it. They see him as someone who is simply different from me. They don't see him like I see him. Strange, sarcastic. A quick lipped cocky bastard. Incredibly subtle about it. His presence is very gentle, but he opens his mouth and something just doesn't seem right. It's offensive when he speaks, but he's so quick and sly about it you don't fully notice, you almost feel crazy for being irritated. You almost want to ask the other people in the room if they heard what you heard, but it will always be "Isn't he great?!" And not "Yeah, that was strange."

His presence almost makes me feel alone, like he's putting a spotlight on me just so he can laugh at me.

That is my partner for the next month.

I hear his shoes down the hall, but it's been so long, I don't actually believe it's him until he walks through the door.

"Hey." He said, closing the door behind him and rushing to sit across from me.

"You're late." I said.

He pauses for a moment, a smirk creeping up on his face.

"I'm sorry to hear that." He says, plopping his briefcase on the table.

I could feel myself losing patience, and it's only been 20 seconds.

"I uh, printed everything that we need to start, so you won't need to worry about that." he fixes his tie, patting down his arms to smooth out the wrinkles in his shirt.

"Thanks for answering my text and letting me know that you did that before I printed everything already." I slam the stack of papers down on the table.

He glances at them and then back up at me.

"I'm sorry, my phone has been off for a couple days cause the place I go to pay my phone bill switched locat-."

"I don't care."

My interruption makes a smile spread across his face as he organizes the papers in front of him.

"Let's just start with the questions first and work our way up from there." I said, my tone sharp.

"That's uh, a better idea than mine." William said.

"What was your idea?" I asked.

"Well I was thinking we could start throwing out answers first, then seeing if the questions fit with whatever information we tossed at each other." a chuckle escaped his mouth. I say escaped because it always seems like he's holding in a laugh. Like there's an inside joke I'm not a part of.

"Taking two seconds to not act like a child would be incredibly helpful." I said.

"A child? You decided you're pissed at me the second I walked through the door."

"Because you're 25 minutes late!" I can hear my voice getting louder.

"Was." he replied.

"What?"

"I was 25 minutes late." His face is friendly. I could almost choke him, but he's not worth assault charges.

I take a deep breath.

"Let's just answer them ourselves and switch papers." I said, taking out my notebook.

"No way, that's so insincere." William argued.

"Anything to make this process less painful." I reached out to take the questions but he quickly slams his hand on them before I could grab them.

"You called me childish for being late, but you want to handle this project the way I would've handled it in high school?" he chuckles. I take a deep sigh and lean back in my chair in frustration.

"C'mon let's do it the interesting way." His tone is genuine, which is rare for him.

"Fine." I said.

He begins to shuffle his papers, laying the questions in front of him, ready to take note of whatever I say.

"Okay, first question. What makes a good boss in your eyes?" William asked.

"Someone who recognizes how their employee learns, and takes that into consideration as they go forward in their work." I replied.

"Good answer. Next question is do you feel our boss meets that qualification?" William scratches the back of his neck.

"That's not what it says."

"Well that's what I asked."

We are both silent for a moment. I take another deep breath.

"Can you please focus on what's actually written?" My tone is sharp again. I hate being this way. But he knows exactly how to push my buttons. What's worse is when he's not trying to.

William put his hands up in the air in surrender.

"Just thought I'd try to pick your brain, that's all." he smirks again, giving direct eye contact, the type of eye contact you can feel.

He clears his throat.

"Okay, next it says, how do you usually handle conflict?"

"Well that depends on the situation." Every single thing that has happened at this job replays in my head.

"What if someone called you selfish?" He asked, curiosity spread across his face.

He's off script again, but I humor him.

"I would tell them they're too needy." I said. I can feel myself fidgeting.

"What if someone told you you're too competitive?"

"I would tell them they're not competitive enough."

"Well aren't you the light at the end of the tunnel." he smiles, continuing to write down my answers.

"Y'know, you and I are very similar. Smart, confident, stubborn." He said.

I squint my eyes on him.

"I'm not stubborn." I snap back.

"You are absolutely stubborn, and incredibly cold. Your answers are shorter than your temper and you have a clear control problem. I can practically see the bricks stacked up around you.

You are one of the most guarded people I've ever met." His eye contact has feeling to it again.

"Question, do you ever let anyone get past this?" He waves his hand in front of me.

"Ofcourse I do."

"You know what I think. I think you are so scared to be any more warm than this cause that requires letting people in even a little bit." He puts his pen down and crosses his arms.

"Your point?" I said.

"My point is if you keep pushing people into your little dark, bitter corner, you'll end up alone."

I wince at his words, scrunching my face, as if he cussed at me.

"I'm open to the right people." I say quietly.

William calmly stands up, making his way to my side of the table and kneeling in front of me. Something about this felt out of character. Personal.

"Look at me. I mean actually face me." He said, turning my chair so that my entire body was in his direction. My eyes widen at the sudden jolt of movement.

He keeps himself kneeled.

"Who exactly are the right people?" His tone is low and intimate.

"I'm sorry, do you feel pushed away by me? I don't exactly know you like that for it to matter this much. We don't need to connect" I said.

"Fair. But let me ask you this - if you don't need to connect with me, why haven't you walked out yet?" The tone in his voice is almost hypnotizing. The fidgeting I've been doing gets worse.

"B-because I-." I hate that I stuttered. Hate that I didn't know what to say. I always have something to say.

"Because you what?" His eyes drop down to my lips waiting for me to respond. I can see him reading my body language. It puts anger in me that I can't quite place.

In almost a whisper, he speaks again.

"You know what I think? I think you're full of shit. I think deep down you like the way I push your buttons. You're interested in this conversation and me trying to figure you out. You're interested in the eye contact you seem to have a hard time keeping with me." He tilts his head towards my eyes, making effort to look at me.

My mouth is dry and my hands are sweating. I hate this, I hate this feeling like he's winning something. Like he hit the right rock and found diamonds.

I feel like he's dangling something in front of me.

"We're not doing this." I stand up as he watches me shove everything into my bag and make my way towards the door. I hear the sound of his steps making their way towards me.

He steps infront of me, placing his hand on the door.

I make effort to look away, trying to avoid whatever moment is sitting in the room.

"Look at me." His hand gently moves my head, so that my eyes are forced to lock on to his.

"You're not going anywhere until our conversation is finished." William says.

We stand there for a moment, looking at each other.

My hand slips off the door knob as I silently walk back to my seat. My lips are separated and my face feels as if it's fallen.

William sits back down, a smile dancing on his face as I comply with his order.

"Was that so hard?" He said, leaning back in his chair.

I shift in my seat to get more comfortable.

"I guess not." I said dryly, trying to make my tone and face unreadable.

"You know, for someone who was ready to bolt out the door, you seem to be getting quite comfortable." He smirks at me and looks back down at his notepad.

"Just fucking continue the questions you were asking-." I snap. There's an embarrassment I feel. Like something warm creeping up my neck. I'm readable now.

"Careful, it almost sounds like you're giving me permission." His voice drops, to something deep, the word intimate pops up in my mind again. The eye contact he maintains is intense.

"Are you?"

I'm silent, glaring at him. Heat is rushing to my face and I can tell he notices.

He raises his eyebrows and leans his head forward, waiting for my response.

"Am I what?" I almost felt dizzy.

"Giving.Me.Permission." His face is so serious it almost doesn't feel like I'm talking to him. It's like someone else has taken the wheel entirely.

I don't realize I'm not breathing until it starts to hurt.

My jaw tightens as my head nods in agreement.

"So I have permission to push past the wall?" He asked, his face still serious.

"What wall?"

"The wall you are clearly hiding behind." He moves his chair forward and leans on the table. His face is directly in front of mine and all I can hear is the sound of my breathing coming back.

"The wall..." he grabs my hand, moving my fingers between his.

"Of obedience...of touch." His voice sounds like butter, and I find myself listening more than I ever have.

"If I give you another order, will you follow?" William asked.

I wanted to say no. To not give him the satisfaction, but my curiosity was so peaked, to turn back would feel unsatisfying.

I nod my head.

He leans in a little bit closer.

"Look at me and don't break eye contact until I tell you to." he says sharply.

I don't respond, but I do as he says. He stares into my eyes and at my face.

His voice comes out in a whisper "Your pupils are dilated."

William moves his hand away from mine and brings it up to my face. His voice stays in a whisper.

"I think you like me being this close to you." His face looks content. Pleased.

"Fuck off." I wasn't expecting those words to come out of me. It just happened. The frustration being built from him getting me comfortable, it's almost too bizarre to track.

He smiles.

His hand begins to move and trace over my lips.

"Open." He commanded.

I slowly open my mouth and feel his thumb slip in.

"You follow instructions so nicely." His eyes are focused heavily on my mouth. I feel like he's undressing me. Like he's freeing me from something I didn't even know was trapping me.

"Do you want me to stop?  I can stop if you want." His thumb slowly, moves deeper into my mouth.

I shake my head no. Too much shame to say it out loud.

He takes out his thumb and holds my face again.

"I need you to speak when I ask you a question like that. No gestures." He demanded.

My heart is skipping three beats at a time, and the sweat down my back is incredibly hard to ignore.

"No, I don't want you to stop." I said. I continue to look at him, remembering his earlier demand.

"Okay." His voice was gentle. Almost comforting.

"I need you to stop overthinking everything you're feeling right now." He pushed my hair back from my face.

"Let loose and let go. If that's not what you want to do, you don't have to. But if you do, don't hold back." The breathing I couldn't do before has now gotten heavier, louder.

He brings his hand back down to my hand again, Not breaking eye contact with me.

"Do you still hate me?" he asked.

The question shocked me a little.

"I never said-."

"You didn't have to I could see it in your face. Although your expression now does look a little different than usual." A smirk tugs at the corner of his mouth.

"Shut up." I snap. I've had to have snapped at him around four times now. He pushes my best and worse nerves.

"I don't pick on anyone I don't care about." He said.

"Is that your excuse for being a prick to me?" My question makes him chuckle. I can still feel him rubbing circles on my hand.

"Actually yes. I want your attention. Unfortunately, one of my flaws is I don't care how I get the attention I want." William looks down at my hand and then back up to my eyes.

He lingers there for so long I find myself looking away.

"Did I say to stop looking at me?" He said.

"No"

"Then why did you do it?"

I swallow at his assertiveness.

"I was going to ask to kiss you but you barely know how to not look at the floor when I'm talking to you." A small chuckle left him and my heart started racing again. I've never been spoken to the way he speaks to me.

"Do you want me to kiss-."

"N-no." I interrupted, tripping over the "No" as if I forgot how to say it. I didn't mean it. I wanted, almost needed him to. I felt as though I was half naked in front of him, I don't have the guts to take off the rest. That's what he wanted me to do. I could feel my pride hold up a stop sign in front of him.

He leans back in his seat, letting go of me and crossing his arms.

"Okay." He nodded his head slowly in acceptance. Unfazed.

A wave of disappointment hits me. I'm sure he could see it in my face cause his eyes lingered on me again.

For a moment he almost looks lost in thought, and then he snapped his fingers.

"You know what." he gets up from his chair with the movement of someone who forgot to turn the stove off, and now believes it's time to go home and handle it. Very matter of fact. Very casual.

"You're a liar." he says bluntly, making his way to my side of the table, standing near me, hovering.

He leans down, whispering.

"I respect it, but do you actually not want me to kiss you?"

The way he said it was almost sweet. Whether it was calculated or not, it felt that way.

"If you do, you win." My voice came out small. I wanted to crawl inside my own body just to escape the conversation.

The breath of air that left him, like a chuckle with no sound, made me feel stupid for saying that.

"I'm thinking about a lot of things right now. Winning is not one of them." He said.

William dragged his suitcase off the table and made his way towards the door. He glanced back at me quickly, before exiting and leaving me alone in the room.

All of a sudden, my eyes were on fire. Did I not blink the entire time?

My nerves were making me shaky, and there was too much to think about all at once. I wanted him to come back, to keep me busy, and I fucking hated that that was my thought.

I felt like a little kid who got a lollipop taken out of their mouth out of nowhere.

I felt irritated, like I needed to itch, like I'm longing for something.

I hate that he made me feel that way just to leave me by myself. At the same time, I could've stopped him.

I could now. Run down the hallway, get on my knees and beg him to come back in the room and lock the door behind him.

But I am no such woman.

READ THE REST:

[hypnotizedstarkey]

౨ৎ el, 18, capricorn, she/her, latina, drew starkey ౨ৎ

who i write… ౨ৎ drew starkey, rafe cameron, jj maybank, sarah cameron, sofia, cleo anderson, kiara carrera

bookshelf

feel free to send requests! 💋

faves… ౨ৎ drew starkey, harris dickinson, harry styles, sabrina carpenter, taylor swift, wallows, fleetwood mac, olivia rodrigo, the maria’s

HYPNOTIZEDSTARKEY- est 2024. please don’t copy or publish work on any platforms !

[dwindella]

petition to bring back the darkest minds movies!!

[james-bucky-barnackle]

imagine actually becoming famous and getting a chance to meet your celebrity crush and maybe even date them, only for your digital footprint to be revealed. All your written, liked, and reblogged fanfics of them railing you and an infinite amount of thirst edits of them reposted on your tiktok

No but like im genuinely curious- what should we do if this hypothetical scenario happens…

[daysofyellowroses]

comfort

david von erich x reader | 3.3k |inspired by this absolutely wonderful request - apologies for the delay, i just loved writing this! | warnings: allusions to depression

this story is brought to you by my menstrual cycle, copious amounts of sweet treats & the music of neil young, enjoy 🌼

It was honestly a miracle that you didn't faint when you were told the news. The shock had you reeling, your head feeling light as your stomach felt tight and heavy. Part of you wished you had just passed out so you wouldn't have to process the information. 

Everything you'd worked for, trained for, given up, all for nothing. The blood, sweat and tears, hours upon hours of constant training, the deep bruises that marked your body, all just made pointless with one sentence.

“We're not going to the Olympics.”

Words had never stung so much. It felt like a horrible joke. You had been training since you were a little girl, being told to keep a vision in your mind of you on the platform accepting the gold medal in Moscow. 

Your entire life had been dedicated to gymnastics, it was what you knew, what you excelled at. When you'd left home to go train in Dallas it had been daunting, but at least you were only a few hours away, you didn't have to leave the state like some of your friends. 

When you would have low moments, missed your family, your friends, and particularly David, and it felt like you were missing out on the typical teenage experiences, you tried to remember it would all be worth it one day. 

Not anymore.

What did you have to show for all the years of sacrifice? You don't train for a race and then not run it. That gold medal was yours, you knew it. The thought of it had kept you going, that image of showing it to your loved ones, celebrating with them. Showing them all their sacrifices were worth it too.

All you wanted was to go home and curl up in your bed, forget the world existed. You just felt hollow inside, numbness had taken over your body. When you called home, you could tell your mom was trying not to cry. You couldn't cry, even if you wanted to, you just felt like you were on autopilot. You wanted to call David, but you couldn't bring yourself too. It wasn't like the two of you were in a relationship, it was..complicated. 

You insisted to your parents that you were fine getting the bus home, but your dad came to pick you up. When he hugged you it had you almost breaking down, but you had to stop yourself. You just clung to him and let him guide you into his truck.

When you arrived back home, you hugged your mom for what felt like hours. You finally broke down and cried when you went to your bedroom, laying in your bed and letting the tears flow freely. You wanted to be strong, to just accept your fate and keep going, but you couldn't. Not yet.

You stayed in bed for a couple of days, unable to face the world. Your mom would come in with a tray, try and get you to eat something. Your dad would come and read the newspaper aloud to you, the mundanity of life around town feeling soothing.

By the fourth day, you were starting to become one with your bed. You dragged yourself to the bathroom, taking a shower and trying to revive yourself. The whole thing kept playing over and over in your mind. It wasn't like you were disqualified or kicked off the team, forced to leave because of your own actions. It was a noble cause to withdraw, and you had no control over it. That being said, it didn't make you feel any better.

After you showered and dressed, you joined your parents for breakfast. You could see the relief in their eyes, the delight radiating from your mother. You didn't have much of an appetite but you forced yourself to eat something. Hell, you could eat whatever you wanted now. 

Your father informed you that he'd be going into town later, making the mildest of suggestions that you could join him. The thought of the pitying looks had you wanting to retreat back to your bed. Everyone in town would know. They would give you the look. The ‘poor you, what a shame’ look.

But they were going to look at you eventually, and you had nothing to hide. So you told your father you'd join him, wanting to rip the band aid off.

As it turned out, it wasn't the worst experience ever. You did indeed get the look, but people refrained from commenting. They knew the situation, you knew the situation, there was no need to rehash it. 

While your dad was in the hardware store, chatting to the owner, you wandered around, enjoying the peace. As you were wandering around an aisle you bumped into a very familiar blonde, craning your neck up and letting out a soft sigh as you met his eyes.

“You live two minutes down the road and I bump into you here?”

“The mysteries of life at work I guess.”

You smiled a little, glancing around before looking back to David. You could see the guilt in his eyes, tell he wanted to say it. Tell that he wanted to say it was a damn shame. But he didn't, and you found yourself wanting him to. 

“How've you been?” You asked, resting your hands on your hips. “My dad tells me you're involved with wrestling now?”

While you could tell David was a little caught off guard, he gave you a polite nod and cleared his throat. 

“Yeah, yeah I just kind of..fell into it.”

You knew for a fact that couldn't be true, but he hadn't pressed you, and you weren't going to press him. Not in the middle of Earl's hardware emporium anyway. 

“Enjoying it?” 

“So far so good.”

You nodded softly, taking a deep breath as you slowly folded your arms. 

“Could we..get together later? I feel like we need to catch up properly.”

The look of relief in David's eyes had you feeling at ease.

“Of course,” He nodded, giving you a small but reassuring smile. “Why don't I pick you up around six?”

“Sounds good,” You smiled, for what felt like the first time in weeks. “I'll see you then.”

As much as you had tried your best to look casual when David arrived at the house, you couldn't deny that you'd spent a fair amount of time perfecting the casual hair and makeup look, planned your outfit carefully to look as though you'd just thrown it together. 

“You look great,” David smiled as you hopped into his truck. “Where do you wanna go?”

“I'm pretty hungry, we could get something to eat?” You suggested, your appetite coming back to you. 

“Sounds like a plan,” David nodded. “Let's do it.”

Before you knew it you were in the diner you'd spent so many nights dreaming about while you were training. On your brief visits home, you and David would spend hours there, chatting and laughing and occasionally holding hands across the table. You'd feel guilty for ordering a milkshake and David would insist he'd take the blame, putting on a ridiculous accent and pretending to be a coach to make you laugh til the glass was empty. 

It was actually a nice feeling to order a burger and fries, along with a large milkshake you refused to feel guilty about. When you looked back at David and found him smiling at you, you rolled your eyes with a grin. 

“Something on my face?”

“Not yet.”

You laughed as he winked at you, shaking  your head.

“Your jokes ain't changed then.”

“Course not,” David shrugged, leaning back against the red leather booth. “have to remind you what attracted you to me in the first place. Aside from this,” He swept his hand down his body. “obviously.”

“Oh obviously,” You nodded, a serious look on your face for a moment before you both laughed. 

“Just feels nice being here with you again,” David sighed softly, resting his hand on the table. “We never really got much time before but..I'm glad we do now. Obviously it's not the best circumstances but..”

“But it's fine,” You smiled, sitting up and resting your arms on the table. “we’re here now.”

“Indeed we are,” David smiled, glancing around for a moment before looking back at you and clearing his throat. “listen, I don't know what your plans are but if you're sticking around then..I'd love to ask you on a date.”

“You..wow,” You raised a brow, looking over to David with a smile as you rested your head on your hand. “We're kinda just doing things in reverse I guess.”

“I guess so,” David nodded, a slight flushed red coloring his cheeks. “I want to do it right.”

You admired his sentiment, it was sweet. The two of you had never really had a real relationship, or been on dates, with you being away in Dallas it didn't make sense. But you always hung out when you were home, whether it was in the diner or driving around in David's truck. On more than one occasion he'd snuck into your room (at your encouragement) and the two of you would try to stay quiet as much as possible. 

You'd never really thought about how a relationship would look, that was supposed to be in the next chapter of your life. But the book was evidently going to be a little shorter, and a relationship with someone you truly cared about and loved was certainly a fair compromise. 

“I think you doing it right won't be a problem,” You grinned, sitting back as your drinks were brought over. You looked at the glass in front of you, the red and white straw poking out of the pink milkshake. 

“Thank you,” You smiled at the waitress, easing the glass closer to you. You lightly swirled the straw before taking a sip.

“Hm,” You sat back and glanced over to David, lightly tapping your glass. “You may have competition. This milkshake is close to stealing my heart.”

“Oh really?” David grinned, reaching across the table to gently touch your hand, your palm turning to touch his. “Bring it on.”

A couple of days later, you were starting to feel okay again. Your parents were incredibly supportive and loving, making life at home feel easier. David honored his promise and asked you out on a real date, which was very cute. He came and picked you up, took you to a nice restaurant, made you feel like nothing else in the world mattered but the two of you. After dinner he took you home, walking you to the door and kissing your cheek like a gentleman. You told him that he could come in, but he told you that he was leaving while you wanted more, and you knew where he was.

As it turned out, David's parents were away at a funeral, and you were able to walk in the front door rather than risk breaking your leg using the drain pipe. Kevin was out on a date, and Kerry and Mike were watching TV when you arrived.

You gave them both a hug, wanting to stay and chat but finding it adorable how many excuses David made to lure you away. In the end you grabbed his hand and led him upstairs, wanting to make the most of an almost empty house.

When you woke up in the middle of the night, you smiled as you realized where you were. David's arm was wrapped around your waist, his face buried in your neck. The need for water outweighed your need for comfort, so you carefully slipped out of bed, grateful you'd thrown on one of David's t-shirts before going to sleep. You found your discarded panties on the floor, slipping them on. Kevin's bed was empty, and you presumed his date had gone very well because none of the boys ever slept on the couch. 

Making your way down to the kitchen, you were surprised to find a light on. Kerry was sitting at the table, and you gave him a smile as you walked in.

“Couldn't sleep?” You asked, going to the cabinet to get a glass. 

“Nah, just tossing and turning,” Kerry sighed softly. “figured I may as well just get up. You?”

“Wanted water,” You explained, taking your glass to the sink and filling it with water. “I know I won't be able to sleep again now. Never can when I wake up in the middle of the night.”

“It's a pain in the ass,” Kerry nodded. “I'm the same. If I'm awake that's it.”

You took a sip of water, standing by the sink for a moment before walking over to the table and sitting across from Kerry.

“Can I ask you something?” You asked, your hand lightly gripping your glass.

“Of course,”  Kerry nodded. You suspected he knew what you were going to say but you felt the need to say it anyway.

“How have you been handling it?” You asked, your stomach feeling tight. “Since we were told?”

Kerry was quiet for a moment before he let out a breath and rested his arms on the table. 

“Better than I expected,” He told you. “At first I thought..this is it, the end of the road, what the hell am I supposed to do now you know? But since coming home it feels like the world opened up again. I got my family, a roof over my head, it could be a whole lot worse. How are you finding it?”

You took a sip of water, lightly pushing the glass away when you set it down on the table.

“I'm finding it easier now,” You nodded. “I really couldn't handle it at first, I just stayed in bed for days. I'm still amazed I managed to drag myself out, I was just miserable. But my family definitely helped too, and David,” You smiled, glancing up for a moment. “I don't know what I'd do without him. Without all of you,” You looked back to Kerry.

“You know this is the first time I've really talked about it, I've been avoiding the subject.”

“That's understandable,” Kerry sat back a little, lightly tapping his hand on the table. “Most people are sympathetic but they don't really understand how it felt. I just can't stand that look people give you, like you're a kicked puppy or something. I'd rather just not talk about it if they're gonna start pitying me.”

“Exactly,” You nodded. “Obviously it's normal for people to have sympathy but it just..feels different when it's actually happening to you.”

“Well you can talk to me about it anytime,” Kerry smiled. “About anything.”

“I know,” You smiled, getting up from the table and walking around to Kerry. “I really appreciate it.”

He stood up and you wrapped your arms around him, feeling another weight lifted off your shoulders as he hugged you back.

“I'm gonna try and get some sleep,” You sighed softly, pulling back and gently squeezing Kerry's arm. “I'll see you in the morning.”

When you got back to David's room, you slipped back into his bed as quietly as possible, smiling when his arm immediately wrapped around your waist. 

“Where'd you go?” He murmured into your neck, his voice addled with sleep you wish you could borrow. 

“Just wanted some water,” You told him, turning around and looking at his perfect face, how peaceful he looked. “Go back to sleep.”

He didn't need to be told twice, and while you found sleep still eluded you, you felt more content as you nestled into him.

A couple of days later, while the sun was splitting the rocks, you were relaxing in the Von Erich's backyard, the smell of barbecue wafting through the air. You were sitting beside Kerry, beer in hand and feeling pretty relaxed.

“Oh, did I tell you the news?” He grinned, taking a sip of his beer.

“Absolutely not,” You raised a brow with a grin. “Tell me immediately.”

“I'm joining Kev and David in the ring,” Kerry told you. “got my first match on Saturday.”

“Oh..that's..that's so amazing,” You smiled, giving Kerry a hug. “Wow, how cool is that?” You pulled back and gave him a smile. “You better believe I'll be in the front row.”

“I hope so, I need the support,” Kerry laughed softly. “Feel free to make a banner.”

“You think I wasn't gonna make one?” You teased, taking a sip of your beer and watching David approach you from the corner of your eye.

“Hey, can I talk to you for a minute?”

“Me?” You looked over at him. “Yeah, of course.”

You got up from the table and followed David into the house, sitting down beside him on the couch when you got to the living room.

“What's going on?” You asked, trying to ignore the tightness in your chest.

“It's..it's stupid,” David sighed, sitting back and resting his hands over his thighs. “But I just need to get it out.  Because..if you want Kerry instead of me I'd rather just know about it now than be dragged along and made a fool of, and yes it would be hard to deal with but if it would make you happy then-”

“David,” You gently touched his arm, turning towards him. “I'm with you, and that ain't gonna change. If I wanted to be with anyone else I would be, but I'm not because I want to be with you.”

“You don't have to spare my feelings,” David looked over at you, and you gently squeezed his arm. “I can handle it, I promise. I see how close you two are.”

“Because we're friends,” You sighed softly. “And we've been through a shared experience. I know that I can talk to you about anything, but Kerry has had the same thing happen to him. And now he's moving on and I'm..”

You took a deep breath, looking down to David's arm. “I don't know what the hell I'm doing. I mean, I know what I'm doing today, but..what about the future? I have nothing, I don't have a job, or a degree, or..anything. Everything I knew is just..gone and I..”

“Hey,” David sat up and moved closer to you, wrapping his arms around you as you buried your face in his shoulder. “you got so much going for you, alright? And a long old life ahead of you, so don't waste it getting stressed out. Your life hasn't taken the path you expected but mine hasn't either. I didn't think I'd end up doing what I'm doing, and I never even dared think I'd be lucky enough to get you back, have you here with me. But it's turned out pretty damn great, and I promise you that what's in store for you will be so amazing. You don't need to figure it all out right this second, you got time.”

“What did I do to deserve you?” You smiled softly, looking up to David and feeling yourself breathe again. “I just need to know so I can make sure I keep doing it.”

“It's me who should be asking that,” David smiled softly, his hand gently stroking your back. “Whatever I did I'd do it a million times over.”

“Well before you do that, maybe you could do something else first,” You smiled, softly biting your lip.

“Oh yeah?” David grinned, raising a brow. “What's that?”

“You could go get me a burger,” You teased, laughing softly as he rolled his eyes with a grin. “or just kiss me, whatever you feel like doing first.”

“I'm on it,” David smiled, standing up before leaning down to kiss you, his hand gently stroking your neck, your hand moving over his as you kissed him back, feeling truly content. 

[dreameyess11]

are you still writing for harris dickinson? if yes could i request you do angst to fluff where reader is upset with him for something just to be petty and he reassures her?

𝓨𝓸𝓾 𝓶𝓪𝓭 𝓪𝓽 𝓶𝓮

Harris Dickinson x Reader

You sit on the edge of the hotel bed, arms crossed, mood simmering with the kind of quiet drama only you can conjure. The room smells like sea air and his cologne — all warm citrus and something woodsy that annoyingly makes your heart soften, even now. Harris stands by the window, completely unaware he’s made you mad… or maybe he knows. That makes it worse.

“You didn’t even notice,” you mutter, eyes fixed on the hotel notepad, where you’ve doodled angry little stars.

He turns slowly, one brow lifting. “Didn’t notice what?”

You don’t answer. You shouldn’t have to. It was your new dress. The one you picked just because you thought he’d look at you like he did that night in Venice — the whole world narrowing to just you in a crowded piazza. Tonight, you got a distracted peck on the cheek and a comment about the weather.

“You’re being quiet,” he says, walking toward you, hands sliding into the pockets of his linen trousers. He looks annoyingly good. Summer suits him. “Too quiet. You mad at me?”

You shrug.

He crouches in front of you, resting his forearms on your knees, forcing your gaze to meet his. His eyes are soft. The kind that always make your stomach flip, no matter how much you want to hold your ground.

“I know that face,” he says, voice low and teasing. “That’s the ‘you messed up, and I’m gonna make you work for it’ face.”

You look away, lips threatening a smile you refuse to let free. “It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it.”

“Oh, now I have to worry,” he laughs gently, fingers tapping along your thigh. “C’mon, love. Tell me what I missed. I hate not knowing.”

You roll your eyes. “It’s stupid.”

“Probably,” he agrees, grinning, which earns him a light swat to the shoulder. “But I still want to know. You matter to me — even the silly stuff.”

You hesitate, then sigh. “You didn’t say anything about the dress.”

His expression changes — shifts from amused to sincere, instantly. “What?” His fingers tighten just a little. “You think I didn’t notice?”

You nod, cheeks hot now that the words are out.

“Babe,” he murmurs, standing up slowly, crowding your space just enough to make your breath catch. “You walked into that restaurant tonight and wrecked me. I’ve just been trying to act normal because I didn’t want to start something I couldn��t finish in public.”

You blink, thrown off by the heat in his voice. “That’s… dramatic.”

“I’m an actor,” he smirks, leaning down to kiss your cheek. “But I’m also just a man trying not to fall to his knees every time you look at me like that.”

He presses his forehead to yours, voice barely above a whisper. “You looked unreal, baby. You always do.”

You finally smile — just a little. He sees it and kisses it, soft and slow. And just like that, your petty storm dissolves in the warmth of him.

[waxing-hiraethh]

chapter one - garnet

WIP - Hope Is A Thing With Feathers

After the death of his brother, Sirius tasks himself with going through his old books of poetry, lives in a library-hotel for two months, and uncovers a little bit about life, while he’s at it.

[buffyfan145]

Little surprise today as ever since I saw "The Iron Claw" and knowing more about the things they cut out of the movie from what really happened I kept thinking of what it would've been like if they kept these other storylines with David, Mike, and Kerry's wives and daughters (as well as Chris being there) so I finally wrote it. I've split it into 4 chapters which I'll be updating over the next couple days. This first one is about David and his 2nd wife Trisha and their romance and he also reveals a tragic part of his past. We all know Harris Dickinson is capable of being a romantic lead too and these heavy, dramatic moments, so I get them cutting this out of the movie as it's kind of similar to Kevin and Pam's and happened around the same time. Chapter 2 is Mike and his wife Shani's story, Chapter 3 is Kerry with his daughters Hollie and Lacey, and chapter 4 is a slightly different take on the ending. So this is what I think they would've done if this had been a miniseries instead and we got all these other stories. Hope you all enjoy. 😀

[wipbigbang]

The 2025 WIP Big Bang & WIP Reverse Bang Are Open For Sign-Ups!

Welcome to a new round! We're bringing back the OG WIP Big Bang, which is for finishing fic and getting art to go with it, and introducing the first full round of the WIP Reverse Bang, which is for finishing artwork and getting fic to go with it. All fandoms/ratings/ships are welcome, including original works!

Schedule

All times are by 11:59pm PST. Convert time zones.

Big Bang/Reverse Bang Sign-ups Begin- April 1st

Big Bang/Reverse Bang Sign-ups Close- May 21st

Big Bang/Reverse Bang Check In #1- May 22nd

Big Bang/Reverse Bang Check In #2- June 15th

Big Bang/Reverse Bang Snippets Due- July 1st

Big Bang Art Claims/Reverse Bang Fic Claims Begin- July 17th

Big Bang/Reverse Bang Check In #3- July 22nd

Big Bang/Reverse Bang Check In #4- August 6th

Big Bang/Reverse Bang Rough Drafts Due- August 15th

Big Bang/Reverse Bang Posting Claims Begin- August 23rd

Big Bang/Reverse Bang Posting Claims Ends- September 1st

Big Bang/Reverse Bang Final Drafts/Art & Fic Due- September 7th

Big Bang/Reverse Bang Posting Starts- September 8th

SIGN UP LINKS

WIP Big Bang | WIP Reverse Bang

FAQ

[idksmtms]

BET. ADDING THIS TO THE LIST AS WE SPEAK!!!

𝐑𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫! 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐬 𝐃𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐱 𝐑𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫! 𝐆𝐅

[kanha-ki-fangirl]

What are your favourite reads so farr????

(I've been wanting to pick up secret history so baddd but it's so itimidating 😖)

My favourite reads? Oooooh I have MANYYYY

Here's the thing. There are books that I read at a certain age that became my favourite but which if I read now, I'm not sure if I'd still love them the same. But that doesn't discount the younger Vi's obsession with them! So I'll list them ALL

(the ones in purple are the ones younger me has liked but I'm not sure if I would still call my favorites or not. The ones in orange are the ones that I'm 100% sure of being my current favourites)

1) Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince (ya girl's a basic bish whatchu gonna do)

2) The Curse of Mohenjodaro (when I started reading I had 8 books in total for a while. HP and this one. I'd do the HP marathon, then read this one, then read HP again. Yes it's tattooed on my brain).

3) Pollyanna

4) All the Rick Riordan books till Trials Of Apollo Tower of Nero

5) We Were Liars

6) On Earth we're briefly gorgeous (the first book I annotated. Or tried to at least :p)

7) The Midnight Library (this book came to me at such a right time. I really needed it when I read it)

8) The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue (I read this book over the course of the worst year of my life. I remember nothing except this book from back then and the comfort that it brought me was something that I can't even begin to describe)

9) Babel by R.F. Kuang (This book 🤌🏻😩)

10) Emily Dickinson's 100 Selected Poems (does it count as a book? I know it's a poem collection but imma still count it ig)

11) Bhagwad Geeta

12) Pride and Prejudice (ya girl's a basic bish whatchu gonna do)

13) Odyssey

14) The Picture Of Dorian Gray (BASIL! He's so me. I'd also get killed tryna make a person I used to call my friend but haven't been close to in a while believe they aren't the monster they think they are and that there's still time to repent)

15) The Metamorphosis

16) The Bell Jar ("The silence depressed me. It wasn't the silence of silence. It was my own silence." Sylvia Plath why do you hurt me?)

17) Hamlet (I may have picked the worst book to start Shakespeare but we roll)

18) Classic works of horror of Edgar Allan Poe (this was also a collection so does this also not qualify?)

19) Lessons In Chemistry (Elizabeth Zott save me)

20) Dante's Divine Comedy (I too would write a religion fanfic of me and my favourite author being besties and adventuring. Nah but fr, I'm not even halfway through and I'd die for this book)

21) The Secret History

What an odd number this list ended on.

Also, yes, completely agree, The Secret History is so intimidating?? I kept putting it off for like a year! Like I read the first few paragraphs and was like "need to come back with higher brain power" but in reality the hue of the rest of the book is so different from the first few paragraphs!

@groovycynicalcheesecake thank you so much for this ask! This was my favourite ask ever!!!

[elliotironmaidenfan]

I wanna write a fic about that...

“ Steve is a ghost and they died in the apartment Bruce moves to. Usually Steve is grumpy and possesive of the apartment and scares out anyone that moves into it ut holy shit, Bruce is cute, and Steve doesn't want them to leave. ”

wow..