#instead i spent two days thinking about bad lyrics

[screechingfromthevoid]

Dorian with the crown keepers in some quiet taverns in quiet towns as they travel, he's always up late. He can't quite fall asleep well. So he sneaks out to a different tavern than the one they're staying at. He doesn't want to risk someone recognizing him in the morning.

At the new taverns, he goes straight to their stages. The emptier the better but it's not hard for him to convince a half drunk bard to get even drunker.

Sometimes he'd sit on the poorly lit stage and strum his mandolin and not say a word at all as he started to pluck out a tune. The chords are simple at first, something he heard in a dream. Every night spent working, adds another measure. Deeper swells and higher jumps. A mournful reverberation. He was stuck for a while.

Until he hears "glad you're not here... wish you were anyways".

Then, disjointed and seemingly unexpected, a reprise of that first plucking, an octave and a half lower. Still major, still jovial. Just. Deeper. Just... Realer.

I'll fix the transition later, he thought.

That's when the lyrics came. They weren't good but they spilled out of his mouth involuntarily. If it were up to him, those thoughts, those feelings would stay caged in his heart. Instead, a room full of strangers knew him more fully than his intimates.

Protector of air, guard of heart, bulwark of us

His simple plucked out tune, a dreamed up melody for a man he could only dream of.

You say you don't lead. But when I look to you, you're drenched in the boreal crux

A deep and quiet start to the encroaching swell, getting louder and higher.

Crowns of spiders couldn't tempt me astray from your due north

Trilled eight notes that felt like crawling legs and whispy silk on the back of the neck.

I thought you might be the wind caught in my sails. Always only you caught in my fibers

His last word carries a sour note, it sounded wrong, out of tune. Like he was.

A storm by another name, gold and red and melting black, tore us off course

Dorian's run was backwards, like he was free falling from a ledge. Accidentals plaguing it's decent.

It's harder than ever to orient through shades of grey and leave behind no remorse...

That reverberation was accompanied by a strain in his voice. Something that happened every night once he made it to that point. It came next to a swallow of something in his throat. That transition came to him, when Dorian thought about what got him out of his slump, he laughed. Bashfully, sheepishly. He always felt his face burn.

My heart aches. Stay steadfast. Fairer winds...

What a thing to say instead of I miss you.

I have stolen a world away. You are there, I am here. And all I want is to be together when we wake

His melody, their melody, picked up again. His fingers started to pluck staccatos in between the languid chords.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder. Or so they say. This distance has only made mine bleed icar

Dorian wouldn't allow himself to end this with a confession. At least, not one of guilt. It wasn't supposed to be about his straying. It was supposed to be about Orym. It was supposed to be about the man he-

I look for the direction ivy green grows. I look to you still, to find my way.

Sometimes he ended the song with another reprise of his dreamy melody. Sometimes, his fingers would slip on the strings and rancid mistakes would ring out into the crowd. It seemed to depend on how hard they fought that day. How much more Opal stained.

Dorian would always thanked the crowd before taking up the coins that were haphazardly thrown on stage. He wouldn't set out a hat or cup, it wasn't about that, but there was always coin at his feet by the end.

He'd walk quiet streets and thought about Bertrand. Dorian understood now, what he said about walking alone at night. He stepped carefully up lulling tavern stairs thinking about picking up a bottle for a round of "what the fuck is up with that" with friend that weren't waiting for him. He slid into the room he shared with his brother, acknowledging every time that this was the first time they did that. They never shared a room or a bed as children. They didn't share much. Now fully grown, he felt they were more childish than ever.

Dorian curled into himself on his cold side of the bed and thought about how he used to have a pulsing heart beat on his skin. Whether it was across his legs, against his back, against his chest. He never felt loneliness like this before. He never felt the absence of someone before.

And he was worse for it

[nthspecialll]

We have all seen the edits and drawings of Dutch with "I'm your man" by Mitiski, more specifically with the lyrics "you believe me like a god, I betray you like a man," but it is not just those lyrics that fits Dutch and practically the entirety of the gang.

(Warning I am not a huge Mitiski fan so I will just take the lyrics as they are without any deeper meaning and compare them to red dead to give them a deeper meaning)

While the whole "you believe me like a god" might make it sound like the "me" also sees themselves as a god as well or at least superior to the other party, that is not the case.

"You're an angel, I'm a dog

Or you're a dog and I'm your man."

This part hints at confusion between standing of the two parties. The "I" isn't sure about what their position is with the other party, either the "you" is an angel and themselves a dog, someone lesser, something lesser, or the "I" is a man and the "you" a dog. The "I" never put themselves as something eternal, they never claim to be unworldly or godly, instead they willingly put themselves underneath the "you" and only above them in the same way a man would an animal, a dynamic that while it might hold love also is clear on who is in control.

Dutch and Arthur's dynamic is constantly changing. On one hand, Arthur is a workhorse, the one Dutch sends our for his dirty work, the one Dutch knows he can control and make him do anything, on the other hand we have their family dynamic of Dutch saying that Arthur means more to him than what a son would and acting as if he is the best thing ever.

"You believe me like a god

I'll destroy you like I am."

While the "I" never sees themselves superior, the "you" puts the "I" on a pedestal, making them their god and the "I" takes advantage of that and destroys the "you." This is similar to Dutch and Arthur. Dutch was not a good man ever, while he and the others did do their Robinhood act, they were never good men, they killed, they robbed and they ruined, but Arthur saw Dutch as a god or a father more than a mere mentor and Dutch ruined Arthur for that in the end.

"I'm sorry I'm the one you love

No one will ever love me like you again."

The "I" knows they are bad, they know they are ruining the other and they know that they will never get the loyalty that the "you" gave them again. While this might not seem like Dutch and Arthur, it very much is in the end.

Dutch in the end when Arthur is dying seems angry, frustrated and conflicted, because while he is seeing his son dying, he knows there is something he does not know. While he feels angry that Arthur did what he did, he never did think Arthur was a "betrayer", he thought John was, he thought John was talking to the Pinkertons and had convinced Arthur that Dutch was bad. He felt sad that Arthur was dying because of John and his manipulation and he knows he will never find the loyalty Arthur gave him again from anyone, and he is right, even in 1911, he has yet to find someone like Arthur.

"So when you leave me, I should die

I deserve it, don't I?"

I am of the firm belief that Dutch spent a long while alone after Arthur's death because the newspapers while talking of him, do not mention another gang, only the old one, and in red dead one they speak as if Dutch's gang is fairly new which would also explain why the Agents were suddenly able to locate him, because he became active again.

This could be to lay low, or it could be because he was thinking over what he had done and what had happened, and considering how much Arthur meant to him it wouldnt be strange to say he might have spent some years in self hatred or pity.

"I can feel it gettin' near

Like flashlights comin' down the way

One day you'll figure me out

I'll meet judgment by the hounds."

This is where it gets a bit more tricky because I believe the "you" changes here, where "you" were Arthur before, it can now be seen as John.

In 1911 John is hunting down Javier and Bill, something Dutch no doubt knew and heard about, while he might have hoped to be able to defeat John, he would have known that John would come for him and he would be able to "see him come near" as he kills off the two others. Dutch knows one day John will be his end, one day John will figure him out and he will have to face the consequences of his actions.

"People always gave me love

Others were never to blame after all."

This is quite obvious how it comes to Dutch, they gave Dutch everything, they gave him their lives to lay if he so wish and in the end it was not their fault that the gang split up. No it was not Micah's fault, while Micah did manipulate, he never forced Dutch's hand, even without Micah Dutch would have lost himself down the road, it was in the end Dutch's fault.

"You believe me like a god

I'll betray you like a man."

John loved Dutch, maybe even more than Arthur, after all John is often seen as Dutch's son while Arthur is seen as Hosea's, not just by the fandom but the characters as well. We see characters call John Dutch's golden boy and his pet. It was also Arthur who had to convince John and truly let him see what Dutch was doing, to let him know that the concerns he had were true.

Dutch removed the noose from John's neck when John was twelve, saving him like a miracle, yet Dutch shot at John in the end like he was no one special, just another man to be put in the ground.

[iluvangel]

🖇·˚ ༘ ┊͙[Cleaning with the Akatsuki] ! ˊˎ PT 2

{Akatsuki x reader}

FT - HIDAN, KONAN, OBITO

❥๑━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━๑❥

𝑯𝑰𝑫𝑨𝑵🩸:

⭑ wouldn’t like to clean for shit (he would secretly love sweeping) “im an immortal god why would I want to clean?” If you ask enough of course he’d help you but it would be you doing majority of the work

⭑ out of everything he doesn’t like about cleaning, he would hate doing the dishes. No matter how much you ask he would refuse

⭑ it wouldn’t be a bad habit per say he would just always try to convince you that the cleaning can be done a different day and time would be better spent doing something else together

⭑ if this man were real he would LOVE slipknot. Music would be the only thing that keeps him “cleaning” his loud singing would last up till the last minute of each song. He would allow you to play your music if you ask but he would be the type to take your phone and skip through all the songs till he finds one that peaks his interest

⭑ after he finishes with his half ass part of the cleaning whether your done or not he would rip you out of the room the two of you are in and practically throw you onto the bed “im ready for a nap that wore me out” (he was “cleaning” for like 10 minutes)

❥๑━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━๑❥

𝑲𝑶𝑵𝑨𝑵 🗒️ :

⭑ she wouldn’t mind cleaning but she would never initiate it. Her favorite thing to would be the yard, whether is summer, or the middle of winter. She would enjoy raking leafs, pulling weeds, or even shoveling snow. But yard work in the summer would be her favorite

⭑ she would hate taking out the trash, the smell of it and the warmth and smell of the garbage outside would gross her out

⭑ her bad habit would be watching all of the insects move around, she would watch every butterfly land and leave, along with the ladybugs. She would watch all of the ants and spiders come up from under the dirt

⭑ she would enjoy music in the background, she wouldn’t need it but it’s nice to have it. She would enjoy listening to you hum and sing the lyrics so she would try her best to join along even when she doesn’t know the song

⭑ “let’s go for a walk” even if you both are sweaty to the point your shining like a diamond, she would always insist on going on a walk after. It wouldn’t have to be a long one, just a simple back and forth. When you both return “I’ll run some cold water for a bath, then we should make food and read”

❥๑━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━๑❥

𝑶𝑩𝑰𝑻𝑶 🎭 :

⭑ would love doing Laundry, the warmth of them when there fresh from the dryer would be one of his favorite feelings

⭑ he wouldn’t like any other part of cleaning tho. He wouldn’t like the feeling of anything touching his hands (like when ur washing dishes and there’s something oily he would hate it)

⭑ his bad habit would be dozing while folding the fresh clothes

⭑ I don’t think he would mind listening to music while doing laundry but I think he would prefer to watch movies/shows they would keep him more entertained and it would most likely help him stay sitting instead of getting up and wandering off to do other random things

⭑ he would always insist you both go cuddle in bed together after everything is put away. Since the warmth of the clothes is no longer there he wants something else, thus you, him, a blanket, and whatever movie you two want to watch

❥๑━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━๑❥

Click here for 🎀part 1🎀

[pinkertinn]

CleonWeek Day3 - I Hope You're Happy

Title: If it Makes You Happy, it Can't Be That Bad

Summary: “You were that song I never forgot the lyrics to.”

WordCount: 1,000 Cross posted to AO3

The invitation had been sitting on Claire’s kitchen table for weeks now, its presence almost mocking in its pristine white envelope. She hadn’t opened it when it first arrived, hadn’t needed to. The neat cursive spelling out her name—Claire Redfield—was enough. It had come like a final punctuation mark to a story she had convinced herself wasn’t finished. But now, as she stared at it once more, the realization hit her with brutal clarity.

Leon was getting married.

She knew it would happen eventually. Over the years, she had tried to picture it in her head: Leon in a suit, standing at the altar with someone else, a smile that wasn’t meant for her. Still, the real thing cut deeper than she expected. There had been chances, so many moments where things could’ve been different, where she could have said or done something to make them more than what they were. They had always danced around the edge of something real, lingering in the tension of shared glances, too-long touches, and quiet confessions that never crossed the threshold of full honesty.

But she didn’t go to the wedding. She couldn’t.

Sitting alone in her apartment that day, Claire tried not to think about the ceremony, but every time she closed her eyes, she imagined it. Leon, looking sharp in his tux, his eyes softening as he gazed at his bride—someone who wasn’t her. She thought of all the nights they spent together, not in a romantic sense, but in that space of unspoken closeness. The missions, the late-night calls, the drinks they shared when the weight of the world felt unbearable. She thought about the way his eyes always found hers first, even in a crowded room, and how, for a while, that had been enough.

But there were missed chances, so many. There was the time she could have told him how she felt, that night after a near-death mission when they sat by the fire, both exhausted but alive. He had looked at her, really looked at her, like he was waiting for something. But the words had stuck in her throat, and she had let the moment pass. And again, years later, when they found themselves alone in a hotel room, both of them teetering on the edge of something they refused to name. She had wanted to close the distance between them, to take his hand, to say let’s try. But she didn’t.

She never did.

Now, a decade later, they bumped into each other by sheer accident. Claire was coming out of a coffee shop when she saw him, standing on the corner with his family. The world seemed to freeze around her as her eyes locked onto him, taking in the sight she had never really prepared herself for. Leon was older now, but the years had been kind to him. His face had more lines, his hair was dusted with gray, but his smile—it was the same. He stood with a woman she assumed was his wife, her hand resting lightly on his arm, and two children who clung to their father, their eyes bright and innocent.

It was a sight that felt like a punch to the gut.

Leon saw her almost immediately, his expression faltering for just a second before the smile returned, more hesitant now. He excused himself from his family and walked toward her, his steps slower than she remembered. Claire’s heart was pounding in her chest, and she cursed herself for not being more prepared for this moment.

“Claire,” he said, his voice warm but cautious. “It’s been a long time.”

She forced a smile, trying to keep her emotions in check. “Yeah. A long time.”

There was so much she wanted to say. How are you? Do you ever think about what we could’ve been? Are you happy? But none of the questions made it past her lips. Instead, she stood there, feeling the weight of all those missed chances pressing down on her chest, the years of silence between them thick like a barrier she couldn’t cross.

He glanced back at his family, his wife laughing softly as she held their youngest child’s hand. The sight of them together made Claire’s throat tighten, and suddenly, the words she hadn’t planned on saying slipped out, raw and unfiltered.

“I hope you’re happy.”

Her voice cracked, and she hated herself for it. But it was the only thing she could say without falling apart.

Leon’s smile faded, replaced by something softer, almost regretful. He looked at her for a long moment, and in his eyes, she saw a flicker of something—maybe the same thing she felt. Regret, sadness, the weight of everything they never said to each other.

“I am,” he said quietly, but there was a hesitance in his tone. “I hope you are too.”

She nodded, even though it wasn’t true, even though the words felt like sand slipping through her fingers. She could’ve had more. They could’ve been more. But now, it was too late.

As he turned to rejoin his family, Claire stood there, watching him walk away, a bittersweet ache settling in her chest. She could see it now—the life he had built, the happiness he had found. And she wondered, not for the first time, if she had ever really stood a chance, if there had ever been a moment where they could’ve been more than two people who crossed paths in the chaos of their lives.

She turned away, swallowing the lump in her throat, and walked back into the coffee shop. The door swung shut behind her, but the weight of all the things unsaid lingered, like a shadow that would follow her for the rest of her life.

[asexual-juliet]

the lonely journal keeper lucretia will remember that.

(full playlist & notes under the cut)

i. landslide - fleetwood mac well, I've been afraid of changin' / 'cause I've built my life around you / but time makes you bolder / even children get older / and I'm getting older too the other day @papergardener referred to lucretia and magnus as “these two children having to grow up and yet unable to” which i have not stopped thinking about since and like, the gravity of “even children get older / and i’m getting older, too” with the context of the century lucretia spent as such a young woman and then the way she lost 20 years so suddenly in wonderland… like shit, man, i guess children DO get older… fuck…

ii. house by the sea - moddi and i’m trying my best to be tough / to pretend i am strong and can siphon it off / but i’m not who i wanted to be / in my heart i belong in a house by the sea this is mostly related to the fic i wrote about stolen century-era lucretia and magnus talking about getting platonically married someday and lucretia dreams of them getting a cottage by the ocean together and once again papergardener recommended this song to me in the comments. so. a+ to them this is definitely a lucretia song <3

iii. training montage - the mountain goats i'm doing this for revenge / i am doing this to try and stay true / i’m doing this for the ones they had to leave behind / i’m doing this for you this song is specifically about the cycle with the four judges where lucretia has to fight her way back to her friends alone–both the lyrics and the feeling of a “training montage” really vibe with this for me… there’s also the brutal connotation of “i’m doing this for the ones they had to leave behind / i’m doing this for you” when it comes to lucretia as madame director… yeah.

iv. northern attitude - noah kahan you build a boat / you build a life / you lose your friends / you lose your wife literally like. building a boat and a life is obviously about the seven birds and the starblaster but on the next chorus instead of “lose your friends, lose your wife” it’s “lose your kids, lose your wife,” and like. taako losing his friends (and like obviously they all lost their friends but also with reference to taako & sazed)... merle losing his kids… magnus losing his wife. it’s all right there and lucretia is watching from the sidelines as the new lives she built for her friends fall apart and she can’t do anything about it.

v. people watching - conan gray i wanna feel all that love and emotion / be that attached to the person i'm holding / someday, i'll be falling without caution / but for now, i'm only people watching furthering my aro lucretia agenda + i also feel like this really get to the core of like, lucretia just watching for twelve years… the detachment from everything and everyone around her, the way she’s forced herself to stay on the sidelines, the aching she must feel for all of it…

vi. cry for judas - the mountain goats some things you do just to see / how bad they'll make you feel / sometimes you try to freeze time / 'til the slots are a blur of spinning wheels once before performing this song at a concert, john darnielle said “this is a song about how when you think about what judas did you have to cry for him, because it’s pretty sad” and like… holy shit, man. that’s her. that’s lucretia. that’s her song. she did what she thought was right but she still betrayed her family and the sadness in that is just so immense. you know what john darnielle? it is pretty sad!! (also hiiii @nbshrubberry this is the second mountain goats song on here so this does in fact seem like your niche)

vii. bad guy - set it off when I fought for you / i kept you safe at night / i would have risked my life / and you made me the bad guy i was introduced to this song by perhaps the best TAZ animatic on the internet and it’s literally her song. it’s like… she so clearly thought what she was doing was the only solution and she has done everything she can to keep her family safe and yet they’ve still turned against her… that shit’s heartbreaking, bro

viii. everything stays - adventure time everything stays right where you left it / everything stays / but it still changes / ever so slightly, daily and nightly / in little ways, when everything stays the idea of like, after story and song lucretia is once again surrounded by her friends but there’s this tenseness she can’t quite overcome, especially in her relationship to taako… everything has shifted ever-so-slightly even if they’re all back together again… yeah.

ix. i miss you - kimya dawson i don't need to / but i want to / sing with you / 'cause i miss you i feel like this one is fairly self-explanatory but like, fuck, man, the overwhelming feeling of loss she’s got to be feeling throughout the podcast even with her friends standing right in front of her… the loneliness in being the only one who remembers… she just misses her family </3

x. pieces and pieces - the rough and tumble i have let you down, pieces and pieces. / i will make you mine again, pieces by pieces.  it’s about loving and losing and making mistakes and doing everything you can to fix them… acknowledging you let your family down and doing whatever you can to fix what you’ve done wrong!!! fuck!!!

xi. the ends and the means - robby hecht the ends / they justify the means, my friends / oh, the ends, they justify the means again fairly self-explanatory but the idea of the ends justifying the means and lucretia feeling so so deeply that what she did was the only solution and that one day the pain would be worth it… this one is more the main idea of the song than the lyrics but it still reminds me of her.

[straight4joekeery]

Teach Me How To Love In Your Own Lyrics

(Part nine)

Prev. Part one

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Question,” Robin says putting the last sweater on Ozzy.

“For me or the cat?”

“You dingus. Did you end up getting tickets to Eddie’s concert in Indy Saturday?”

“No, and I feel really bad. My plan was to, like, show up outside so he thought I was there the whole time.”

“… um well that’s sad. But lucky for you, that’s not happening! Vickie’s sick and won’t be able to make it. So she told me to give her ticket to you.”

“I can't just take her-“

“Yes you can. And you are. Okay? Also this is the best outfit for him,” she said Turing Ozzy around in a tiny yellow raincoat.

“Sure. And are you positive Vickie is okay with this?”

“Yes, Steve,” she rolled her eyes, “She’s the one who suggested it.”

“Okay… well you better get home. Don’t you have a sick wife to care for?”

“She’s not my wife,” she whined. The funny part was he knew everything from both sides. He helped Vickie pick out a ring in March. She got too nervous and said she just needed to find “the right time”. In Robin’s case, he helped pick out a ring a year ago.

“Not yet because you guys are too dense.”

“Yeah okay, we’re done here. Be at mine at three and we’ll leave at six. Goodbye,” she said walking out of the door.

“Uh huh love you too.”

After the big realization that Eddie may or may not like him back, things have been different. He’s been happier. Less mopey, but also simultaneously sadder in anticipation to see him again. He’ll see him next Saturday and then after two weeks, he will be back. Permanently.

~~~~~~~~~

It was Friday, and Steve was panicking for many reasons. For starters, what if Steve does something wrong? Messes up. What if Eddie doesn’t like him back and he does something stupid and ruins their friendship forever? He needs to do something. Something to ‘wow’ Eddie.

He thinks back to the other day when he painted random objects. He found a small gift bag to put his gifts in. He put the ring tray and the guitar pick inside.

Hm. There is no way this is enough. I mean sure, yeah, it's the thought that counts, however… go big or go home right?

After an hour of thinking, shopping, and thorough consideration, he had gotten 3 more things. He knew Eddie’s two favorite things were d&d and music, so he felt he should include things that represent them. He started by making a mixtape. It included songs that Eddie loved and songs that he hated (aka Steve’s favorites). He also threw in some songs that had meaning behind them. Songs that reminded Steve of Eddie. Songs that just had good memories attached. Eddie will probably make fun of him for his song choices, but he knows he’ll secretly love it. At least he hopes so.

The next item was a customized set of dice. They were red, black, and a little bit of gray. They almost perfectly matched the pick that he wore around his neck (Jesus this dude is going to drown in guitar picks).

And now we’re on the last (but CERTAINLY not least) gift. Steve needed something to be the cherry on top. When he went out shopping he spent hours looking for something. He knew what it would be when he saw it. $175 later, he had it. It was a thick silver ring with a heart on it. Yes, yes, it was indeed very corny and Steve knew that. But he didn’t care. Instead of the heart having a bow, it had a dagger going through it (it felt kind of dark, but it’s Eddie were talking about). Now while that was a top tier gift, it wasn’t good enough, he deserved more. So Steve paid an extra hundred to get an engraving on the inside. It said ‘HERO’ with bats on both sides of the word.

Second step: clothing. Now normally he would just throw on whatever felt right in the morning, but this was no normal event. He set out a new pair of black ripped jeans that he did not buy just for this occasion. He looked through the stack of new band tees that he got at the mall. After 30 minutes of debating, he chose the Dio shirt. He saw the pin on his vest (which of course, he was also going to wear) and it had the most color. He topped it off with a pair of doc martens Robin had insisted on buying to match hers.

Next step: pep talks and panic attacks. It’s going to be fine. Everything will be perfect. But what if-

Last step: sleep.

~~~~~~~~

Swipe, swipe aaannndddd… done! After applying his (he will admit it now) makeup, he spent another good 15 minutes checking himself out. I mean yeah, not for him to be, like, super egotistical buuttt he looked amazing. And for once he hoped Robin was right. Well not literally, he certainly did not wish an aneurysm upon Eddie, but he did want a positive reaction. So for now he tried to rush out of the house. He checked for everything at least five times. Keys: check, wallet: check, gift: check, and most importantly Ozzy: check. Steve was going to just blast the music to ‘prepare’ himself (let’s be honest he would have turned the volume up four notches), but Ozzy would have gotten mad and he didn’t really want to deal with that. Fortunately, he didn’t make a sound the entire ride.

After he gathered his things and walked up to their door, he was greeted by Vickie. “Ozzy!” she said cheerfully reaching out for the cat. She sounded completely fine. Not a hint of illness in her tone nor her face. She must've noticed what he was thinking immediately, “Oh um,” she cleared her throat and fake coughed. Like very sadly fake.

Just then Robin sneaked up behind her, “hey Steve,” she said looking between the two of them.

“You little bi-” he started but was interrupted by a fit of giggles from the girls. “Why?”

“Sorry,” he glared at her, “sorry! I mean it. But let's be honest you would enjoy yourself way more than I would there.”

“But-”

“Nope. No arguments. You are going whether you like it or not. Plus, you need to shoot your shot,” she winked while imitating a basketball player.

“Ew, gross,” he rolled his eyes, “never do that again. But thank you”

“Of course, now go help Robin. She’s been staring in the closet for an hour.”

“Hey!” Robin shouted, “it has not been an hour… maybe 45 minutes at most! But yeah I do need help so c’mon now.”

He went to the spare bedroom quickly to drop off his bag and the gift, then ran to Robin’s. He briefly glanced through her side of the closet before picking out an outfit. Say what you will about Steve, but when given a style, he has a great fashion sense.

“Great! Perfect! Now follow moi,” she said, handing him (more so throwing it at his face) a makeup bag. She sat down at her vanity and smiled. “What? Stop looking at me like that. It’s not my fault you're better at it than I am!”

“I didn’t do anything,” he said, raising his hands, “I feel honored.”

He got about halfway done before Robin started again, “How did you get so good at this anyways?”

He sighed, “short story or long?”

“We have hours.”

“Okay, so I was about seven, I think, and my parents just decided to start trying the whole neglect thing,” Robin gawked at him. Okay maybe not funny, “But they knew I was still a little kid so they hired a babysitter. Stephanie. They switched babysitters about every other month, until I was eleven-ish. She was the only one who was actually nice to me. They had been gone for about a week when she decided it’s a lot of work to drive back and forth, so she just started to stay at the house. And I should mention that Stephanie was the me of the ‘70s.”

“A total slut?”

“I am not a slut! …but yeah I guess,” Robin snorted, “stop moving! So anyways, she was on dates constantly.”

“Steve, that is the textbook definition of a slut.”

“Shut up! So one time I was following her around just watching her get ready for the date. And then she started curling her hair, and ,of course, doing her lovely makeup. So I started asking about it, and she ended up doing mine. That was the reason my dad fired her by the way. I loved it though. It made me feel like a different person. One day I asked if I could do hers and… I definitely did it. She ended up going on the date looking like… Frank-n-furter on steroids. The guy got one look at her and left.

“I just started practicing after that. On her, myself, and even Carol. So yeah. Now we’re here.”

“That wasn’t really a long story.”

“Yeah, but it was uninteresting.”

“I don’t think so. I thought it was sweet.”

“I guess,” he glanced at his watch, 4:49, “we have about an hour, what shall we do?”

“We shall go get something to eat. There’s a new diner downtown. It supposedly has, like, no wait time.”

“Are our outfits diner appropriate?” he said, gesturing at himself.

“We’re in Indianapolis, Steve,” true.

“We should probably get going then.”

“We shall,” she stood up and bowed down, holding out her hand.

“Shut up,” he said, grabbing her hand.

For a product of Indiana, the diner wasn’t that bad. And yeah, the service was fast (but a little too fast). They ended up going to the venue extra early. There were already hundreds of people there. Keep in mind that the concert started at 7 (it was currently 5:32). They started to walk around the general area of the arena. They giggled as they saw a group of girls that were jumping up and down discussing their massacre crushes on all of the members. (“Ooh Steve look out, you might have some competition”) They spent the remainder of their time, sitting against a wall, gossiping. “I knew I never liked Julie. She was always oddly obsessive over things. I was also friends with her ex at a random summer camp, waaayyyy to good for her.”

“Thats kinda what I thought. To be completely honest, the principal hates her. She's probably going to get fired soon.”

“Good,” he face randomly lit up, “Oh. My. God. Steve! I forgot to tell you!” Robin gasped grabbing onto Steve’s hands.

“What?”

“Nance called the other day. It finally happened!” she shrieked

“What happened… oh. Oh my god really?” he immediately knew what she was talking about. Around ‘89 all of the older teens/ young adults all started placing bets on when they thought Will and Mike would get together. (Nancy and Argyle: 2-4 years, Jonathan: 2-4 months, Eddie: 10-13 years, and finally the winners Robin and Steve: 6-8 years)

“Yes! So we won! What does that make the ‘queer count’ now?”

“Too many.” From their knowledge the count was around 7 (assuming yes, Eddie was gay) but it was most likely way more. They looked around and saw that everyone around them was walking inside the arena now. They followed them and after about 10 minutes of waiting in line, they were inside. And oh my. It was huge. Their tickets were for the general admission, so he grabbed onto Robin's arm as he tried to push his way to the front of the crowd. They managed to make it and held onto the metal barrier like their lives depended on it. They were not moving no matter what happened. Now they just had to wait. Again.

“How y’a feeling?”

“…fine? Why?”

“Oh no reason. Maybe that your husband is finally coming back from war and you get to do something else besides staring out the window in self pity,” she said, clasping her hands over her chest, before immediately grasping back on to the barrier.

He rolled his eyes, “Weird analogy, but no. I feel fine. I mean, I’m more excited for the two weeks to be up. He’s only going to be here for two days.”

“Sure, but still. I’d be bouncing off the walls if it was Vickie.”

“Yeah, but you’re Robin. We are not the same.”

“I feel like that was an insult,” she turned to face Steve, “how much longer?”

“About twenty-ish minutes,” Robin groaned and buried her face into his shoulder. They stayed just like that (minus the constant “time?”) until a group of people came out to test and prepare a few things on the stage. 6:53. At this point neither of them were standing still. Most of the lights were starting to turn off when the staff walked off the stage. 7:00. “Ready?”

“Maybe?” She said, grabbing onto his arm. Then just like that, there they were. More specifically Eddie. Eddie was back. Eddie was here. The whole crowd started to go wild. If they were this loud, wait for the music.

Eddie walked up to the main microphone, “Feels good to be home,” again, insanity erupted from the crowd, “okay, I assume you guys know the drill by now, so tonight is my dedication. I’ve decided to dedicate this concert to my best friend, Steve,” the band all gave him disapproving looks. Oh wait.

He turned to look at Robin, who was already looking at him, “That’s me!”

“That’s you!”

“So yeah,” Eddie continued, “uh he’s been there for me when I needed it, and if I don’t stop talking I’m probably going to cry. Anyways love you Steve and let’s get this party started!” Steve chose to ignore that comment for the time being. Robin decided otherwise, grabbing his shoulders and jumping up and down.

“Don’t have a chance my ass,” He went to shush her, but the music did that job for him. Yep. Loud. It was amazing though. He was completely mesmerized by the entire performance. Especially the last song. It was a lot softer, he liked it. But then he really listened. He immediately knew the meaning. It was beautiful. How could Eddie never tell him about this? It was perfect. He remembers the whole conversation that it was based off of too. It was just because of something dumb Dustin said that set him off. He told him every last detail of his life that day, and that’s where the infamous Invisible Man sprung.

Before he knew it, it was over. “That was amazing,” Robin said gawking at him, “but we should definitely talk about how he-”

“Later. But, agreed. Worth the migraine, ten out of ten.”

“Well, let’s go find your man,” she winked at him. She was so weird. But it’s not like he didn’t run around to the back to find him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Next

UHH FINALLY???? Took me long enough. I am so so so so sorry abt the delay. If y’all didn’t see the post, my metal health declined for like a singular day and then I just kinda gave up with motivation for a bit. But then I did finish, and I went to copy it to paste it here and I deleted the whole thing. But I do think it was for the better bc this is way better then it was. But yay? I just now realized it’s kinda long. I wrote like the majority of it yesterday and today sooooo kinda rushed. I also only reread it once because I feel horrible for not posting. So sorry if it sucks. But y’all liked the incorrect quotes so I’m glad for that. I really do want to personally thank every single one of you. You reading means the world to me. I could not be happier. And the first part is also now up on AO3! I’m going to wait til the end of the fic to post on there. But yay! Hope you guys enjoyed!!! Comment or reblog if you want to be tagged!

Tag list: @asbealthgn @queerbeansworld @bird-with-pencils @vecnuthy @artiststarme @captain-winter-wolf-aehs @piningapple @rowendyss @steve-themom-harrington @lfaewrites @azreadytodie @thequeenrainacorn @pastel-dreamscape @importanttimemachinenerd @jehneeg @swagaliciousmarie @mightbeasleep @krazyperson @milkshakeflowercreator @fando-random @bumblebeecuttlefishes @swimmingbirdrunningrock @gregre369 (<<special thanks to you for helping me a bunch throughout this fic <3)@fluffyreturns @scheodingers-muppet @wonderland-girl143-blog @briceslayed @youaremylobster @juststeddiebrainrot @pr3ttyb0yindie @scarlet-pandrian @drips-from-breaking-bones @plasticcrotches

[ninacarstairss]

hello cece my beautiful wonderful beloved soulmate <3

i hope you have been well and looking after yourself! i don’t want you overworking yourself 😭 but it has been two days since i have come back from my trip (i have been exhausted plus i had work and uni to catch up on) so now i am going to sit down and tell you about my trip!! please grab a cup of tea and a snack while you read :)

so i went to sydney again, and i had a much more enjoyable experience this time around. i think it was because i knew what i was getting into, and i stayed in the exact same place, so it was all familiar to me.

although i did try to use the public transport this time, instead of ubering everywhere, and the buses were so bad, but the trains were INCREDIBLE! they were double decker and the back support moved so you could have a single row or two rows of seats face each other??? SO COOL

anyways, me and my friend caught the train to the airport at 4am in the morning 😭😭😭 (and i finished work at 12am!!!!) to get our flight. once we landed in sydney, my friend wanted to get merch from the early presale stand outside the arena and we were outside in 30 degree heat FOR TWO HOURS, with our luggage. good news, my birthday is coming up and my friend didn’t know what to get me, so he bought half my merch 🤭 bad news, i’m ginger and i get sunburnt in two minutes, so think about two hours… the worst thing is we had an umbrella for sun protection, but my right arm and the back of my neck was out so they were FRIED. i’m currently peeling like a reptile but worth it

we got some food from maccas because we were dehydrated and getting heat stroke, and then checked into our room after we managed to get our stuff. we both ended up napping in the afternoon, which we were both surprised about, because i had my phone in my hand still attached to the charger next to my bed and he still had his genshin impact loaded up onto his ipad 😭😭😭

unfortunately the place i wanted to take him to for dinner, the really good japanese place from last time, was under renovation, so we had dinner elsewhere but we had such a good time the rest of our trip

because we went to see stray kids, a kpop group, we had a lot of activities we could indulge in. they had this thing called a cupsleeve event, where someone in the fandom designs a cupsleeve to represent a kpop idol’s birthday, group anniversary or in our case, coming to the city. and i got so many freebies! we went to this kpop store that doubled as a cafe and the drinks were so good! i bought way too much but i have to remind myself that i can’t get it at home 😔

we also went to the biggest bookstore i have ever seen in my life! it took up a whole floor of the shopping centre and it was brilliant. it had books upon books, categories after categories. they even had an entire chinese and japanese section! i also spent a lot of money there BUT my best find was the entire completed infernal devices manga trilogy!! it’s so beautiful and such a rare find, i grabbed it immediately. i couldn’t find the tmi graphic novels though, but they have them on their website, so i might order them in :)

alright, the main event! the concerts! so i went and saw the kpop group, stray kids, two nights in a row! it was amazing. i was and still am a huge fan of their work, but especially because they got me through a really hard time in my life and really were my serotonin while i was at school 😔 i wasn’t allowed to see them when they first came here four years ago (parents: maybe next year, they’ll come! *next year being 2020.*) so i feel like i finally made up for it.

me and my friend also matches outfits! we did black and green (the concert colours) on the first night, and red and white on the second (to match the stray kids colours). i wish i could send you photos, we looked so slay 🤩

i do not have one concert video without me screaming the lyrics (yeah the korean ones too!) in the back. but i don’t care, it was so fun, i had a blast. and it was even better because two of the members of stray kids were from sydney and they just made it feel more homely :) do not regret how much money i spent on them or the sleep i lost at all! i’m so glad i can slowly start to give myself the experiences i missed out on as a kid/teenager :’)

anyways, enough about me! how have you been? what have you been up to? how is simba? 🥺 i adore you so much and i am enclosing this letter with a warm hug <3333

hello nero my amazing perfect beloved soulmate <3

yay i’m so happy to finally hear about this trip!!! i just made myself a cup of tea and brought out some biscoff cream!!

how was the catching up part?? did you manage to catch up without exhausting yourself too much??

nero that’s so great!! i think that having a familiar surrounding is always helpful, and staying in the same place makes it all less scary somehow. i’m really happy it went much better!!

NO WAY THEY HAVE THOSE TRAINS THERE??? they look so cool!!! i’ve seen them on instagram once and i was so jealous of every city who had those trains!! you can literally choose if you want to sit alone or have company and that’s so cool!!! it’s basically a buildable environment!!! i’m getting way too excited about this lol

so you only had like three hours of sleep?? 😭😭😭😭 and you even had to stand in the heat for hours 😭😭😭 but yay!!! merch!!! that’s a really great birthday gift!!! (also when is your birthday??? only if you want to share of course <3)

anyway merch is so amazing and so expensive. this has got to be one of the best presents ever!!! even if it means you’re skinning like a reptile now lol at least it’s just two small spots instead of your whole self 😂 but i get the struggle. i’m not ginger but my skin is so light i always get sunburnt in 0.5 seconds too. definitely not fun, but worth it for some merch :D

that was probably a really fun situation to wake up to, but you both deserved a nap for catching a bus at 4am!!! especially since you had only a few hours of sleep after work!! at least you were rested enough to really enjoy the trip!!

oh no 😭😭 i’m still dreaming about that place!! i went to a my favorite japanese restaurant in my city a few days ago and i really wanted to try that beverage you told me about but i was driving so i couldn’t 😭 i hope this other restaurant was really good too though!!

no way!!! nero this is all way too cool!!! i’m so happy it was so fun and there were so many things to do!!! also this cupsleeves event sounds so cool!! i’m so happy nero, you’re making my day just by telling me about all these freebies and amazing drinks!! and you know i’m always gonna be the little devil on your shoulder telling you that spending money is good and you deserve all that amazing stuff :))

the tid manga trilogy??? how is that even possible omg you can’t find that anywhere!!!! i’m so jealous, i wanna live in this bookstore now 🥺 it’s got to be so amazing!! (you always find the best bookstores, i had no doubt there would be one in this letter too and i was so excited to read about it!!) and let me know if you do order the tmi graphic novels!! i’ve been trying to collect those too hehe

the fact that *next year* was 2020 is so painful. but you saw them two nights in a row!!! that’s amazing!! and it must have been so good to see them after so long, after they’d been by your side in a really tough time 🥹 i’m so happy you got to finally see them live!!

also, the matching outfits?? I LOVE THAT!!! i bet you looked so slay!!! that’s literally the best idea for what to wear to a concert!!!

nero i’m so so happy for you!!! you’ve made my whole day, i’m not even joking!! i’m so happy you’re finally getting to enjoy trips and concerts you couldn’t before!! and this one really sounded so perfect!!! also the videos with you screaming at the top of your lungs to every song are literally the best. i love it when i rewatch a video from a concert and i can hear myself screaming and crying and dying more than i can hear the band or the singer. it just makes me live all those memories and those amazing feelings again!!!

the money spent on this is totally worth it!!! and you can sleep now, uni can wait lol really nero i’m so happy this trip was so good!!! i’m so happy for you!!!

i’m good!! i got three days off from work this week so that was great, and i started to reread chain of iron so that i can reread chain of thorns right after :) i miss them so much already 🥲

anyway i just booked a trip for may, because a friend is coming to visit me and i’m gonna be off work for two weeks so i’m really looking forward to it and now i just wanna skip work and plan the itinerary 😂 and i want to book more trips too. which isn’t great because my bank account is already crying and begging me to stop buying stuff. did i tell you i got the illumicrate edition of chain of thorns with the alternative dust jackets? yeah so my bank account still hasn’t forgiven me for it :,)

simba is also doing really good, he’s eating a lot and sleeping a lot as usual 😌

also, ever since you told me about the rina sawayama concert, and because you always talked so much about her, i kinda started listening to her music a lot more and i’m obsessed with some songs now!!! i adore her style so thank you for this new obsession :>

i’m enclosing a warm hug for you too and a little bouquet of flowers <3

[tampatom12]

your top 5 favorite Gronkady moments?

Anon, this question was both extremely easy and also extremely hard to answer!!!!

Each of these moments means so much to me. They define who they are to each other and furthermore, show how much they truly love one another. 🥺🥹🤧💞

But first, before I get into the moments...!!

If you're new here to my blog or to the NFL fandom in general and don't understand the term "Gronkady":

Gronkady is the ship name for Rob "Gronk" Gronkowski and Tom Brady, two people who used to play for the New England Patriots and then the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

As you will see below, their history together is legendary!!

Now, onto the moments themselves. 🤩🥳🔥💯💥

I have decided to start with number five and count backwards to my ultimate Tom and Rob moment.

I also have four other bonus moments in mind that are just as important, but simply didn't make the Top Five overall...let me know if y'all wanna find out what those are!!

So now, without further ado, here are my

Top Five Gronkady Moments!!!!

✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨

5). The first time they met!

Rob has told this story multiple times to a variety of sources over the years and he always tells it the same way:

He was in the locker room, taping up his ankle. Tom came over to him, held out his hand and said, "Hi, I'm Tom."

Instead of saying, "Yeah, I know," or worse, not saying anything at all, Rob said back, "And I'm Rob! Nice to meet you, man!"

This simple interaction between them may not seem like much, but it was the conversation that stated it all, even though at this point, they still had to formally begin building their relationship on and off the field.

✨✨✨

4). Rob's video edit/tribute that he posted back when Tom retired for the first time!

✨✨✨

This video contains so many wonderful highlights of the public time that they spent together!!

It also features key but underrated moments between them. (Like when Rob says hi to Tom when he's in the parade and is *so* happy that Tom got number six!)

Additionally, it a visual representation of what their bond has been like over the years!

PLUS!!!

The entire thing is set to Queen's "You're My Best Friend"!!!!!

Here it is for you to see for yourself on Rob's Insta page and here it is on YouTube.

(((I highly recommend looking at his caption on the Insta post!! ⬇️)))

✨✨✨

3). The time that they were at a Boston Red Sox game together!

This short clip is so damn chaotic in the best possible way. It is simply SO. THEM. through and through!!

We also got this amazing photo out of that specific day!! :D🥺🥹🤧😍🥰

✨✨✨

2). BAD BOYS FOR LIFE!!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Tom Brady (@tombrady)

One of the things that I think about the most when it comes to iconic couples is how they all seem to have a little catch-phrase that is theirs and theirs alone.

For Tom and Rob, this catch-phrase is Bad Boys for Life.

It all started back in 2019 for the 2018 season after the Patriots won the NFC championship game against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Tom posted this to his Insta page and though I didn't see it when he first posted it because I wasn't at all a fan of his, when I did finally see it, something about it changed me. Them being all showboaty but also silly *and* alone yet together like this is the stuff that fanfics get written about. 💗💓💞

And real quick, just to clarify, "alone yet together" means that they weren't around anyone else in that video but that they were still together as a couple!!

✨Anyway, now that that's cleared up welcome back to the feature presentation!!:✨

So furthermore, the chosen song and it's lyrics are super important for that moment.

Aside from the key one of "Bad Boy for Life", there's also "We ain't goin' nowhere; we can't be stopped now".

Realistically, I know that this is a reference to the entire team and how they all can't be stopped now/aren't going anywhere now that they have won everything except for the Super Bowl at that point.

However, it is worth reading into and noting that Tom and Rob are the only ones who made a video like this.

They could have chosen anyone else to do that with and yet...!!! They decided to exclusivelymake that video with each other. (((Insert the screeching cat emoji, AHHHHHHHH emoji, all the Kermit heart emojis here)))

Not only that, but it is important to me to note that Tom is the one who is holding the phone/camera and is doing the recording. He clearly *wanted* to be in that moment, making a firm memory of his time and opportunity with Rob.

Of course the editing/song part of it all came later, but I don't feel like Tom would have let his social media people choose that song if he didn't feel that it fully fit the moment. He wanted that song to be a part of their legacy just as much as he wanted the world to see them together like how they are within that video.

✨✨AND!!!✨✨

They remade it in 2021!! 🤩🥳🔥💯🙌🏻💞:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Tom Brady (@tombrady)

✨✨So now, the moment you all have been waiting for...

Here is my ULTIMATE Gronkady moment!!!✨✨

1). Absolutely everything about them together Tampa!!

As I'm sure all of you can tell based on my url alone, I LOVE the Tampa version of Tom SO MUCH.

I've said this before but I don't care; I'm sayin' it again:

Tom was very much a difference person in Tampa than what he had been in New England. His work ethic and overall beliefs/philosophies were the same, BUT he also began to show the public more of his true, easy-going personality from the moment that he arrived in Tampa. He clearly felt free to have more fun than what he ever had before and he wasn't afraid to show it.

And it's not like he didn't have lots of fun in New England because I know that he did.

But there was just something about him moving to a year-round sunshine-filled climate that set off who he had secretly been all along and who he wanted to be moving forward.

Basically, he still worked hard and had just as much fun in Tampa as what he had in New England, but Tampa offered him up a new chance to be more easy-going and super goofy at times!!

✨All of that having been said, to get back into the Gronkady of it all:✨

As we all (probably) know, Rob retired for the first time in 2019, after he and the Patriots had won the 2019 Super Bowl for the 2018 season. He left New England and went on to do retired football guy things while Tom suffered through one of the Patriots worst years ever.

Now, fast forward to March of 2020. Tom has announced that he's leaving New England and is going to, out of all of the teams within the NFL, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

A month later, in April of 2020, Rob announces that he is officially coming out of retirement to play with Tom on the Buccaneers.

Alright, and now...

This is the part of the story that everyone still isn't so sure about because both men have had conflicting takes on it.

Not conflicting bad, just conflicting in the sense that for some reason, they don't want the public to find out the behind-the-scenes details of what was really said between them.

They want to keep that part of it private/to themselves, and as much as the nosy person in me needs to know what went down for real, I also completely respect them saving a part of this story just for themselves. 🥺🥹🤧💗

All of the above having been said...!!

While the main theory about how they reunited is still up for debate, what many think to have happened is that Tom asked Rob to come back and play with him. Did they have discussions between each other about all of this beforehand? Probably. Will we, the general public, ever know for sure if this was the case? Most likely not.

At the end of the day, the bottom line is this:

Rob was fully in retirement, happy to be free of all of the responsibilities that come with being an active NFL player, when all of a sudden, his non-brother best friend and bad boy partner for life decides to leave New England and head south.

No matter how it happened or what they may or may not talked about before hand, Rob literally came. out. of. retirement (!!!!!!!!!!!) just so that he could play football with Tom again. 🥺🥹😭🤧😍🥰🧡🤍

Why else would he have done that if he wasn't at least a little bit in love with Tom?!

The game had always been very hard on Rob's body; he had so many injuries throughout the first part of his career. 😔😥

By all means, it would have made sense for him to simply stay retired while rooting Tom on from the sidelines.

But he didn't. He wanted to reunite with "the only quarterback he ever wanted to play for" in a place that was far away from New England, both geographically as well as culturally.

Them reuniting in Tampa proves how deep their bond is and how much they admire, trust and respect each other.

Additionally, aside from playing together again, they got to make some extremely cute and fun videos together!!!

This video series are a big reason that got me to see and understand Tom and Rob as more than "Tom Brady (™️)" and "Rob 'GRONK!' Gronkowski".

It is important that they agreed to make this video series in the first place and is a true testament to their commitment to have fun and be free with each other in their new home. 🥺🥹🤧💞

✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨

So there you have it!!

My Top Five Gronkady Moments!!!! 🤩🥰🥳🔥💯💥🙌🏻💗

I hope that this gives you a good idea of what Tom and Rob are all about and how much they mean to each other!! :D

Also, thank you so much for your patience!!! I received this ask back in November and meant to answer it then but then got distracted by other life things. 😔

I definitely appreciate that you asked about them though, as it has given me an opportunity to talk about some of my favorite people!!! 💞

So once again, thank you, anon!!

We can definitely talk more sometime if you want to!! ☺️

[somestuffbysomebird]

He's absolutely smitten, he'll never let you go - Asmodeus

Inspired by: Absolutely Smitten -- Dodie

(A/N: This was from 2021, and was sitting in my drafts, it's old but completed soooooooo yea!)

Summary: You like someone, but you have no idea how they feel about you, so using your brilliant deduction skills, you attempt to figure it out. (Too bad you kept missing the signals till they're right in your face.)

Aka: That one time the human tried to find out if a demon liked them

Tag(s): Fluff, that one scene from Given popped into my head halfway through writing this and I ran with it, Asmo seeing a chance and just gunning for it

---

Asmodeus

It's not like you doubt Asmo doesn't like you, that'd be obvious.

You just don't think he's held you in any special regard compared to his fans.

I mean, look at him, he's always surrounded by lesser demons, and most of them have probably spent longer than you chasing him, maybe there's even someone out there that's his type you know?

How could a human even compete with that?

But there's no time start like the present right? You're not backing down from a fight, especially not this one.

Lucky for you, a talent show is coming up, and the prize just so happens to be 2 tickets for a 3-day paid trip to a hotel resort.

This was your chance, all you need is to win those tickets, and get Asmo to go with you.

Mission: Capture Asmo's heart, begin!

With a determined heart in place, you first need to capture your first objective: Asmo's cooperation

Sure, you could go and participate in this competition yourself, surprising Asmo with the tickets, but this is a competition where one can show themselves off, now wouldn't that be something right up the Avatar of Lust's alley?

You're about to invite Asmodeus to participate, and, as it turns out, he's already signed up for it, and he wants you to help him out!

How could you say no?

As you two prepare for the competition, he plans out many different ways to perform, from singing to dancing, to even thinking about having a one man beauty pageant (again).

At that point you should remind him that the time limit per participant isn't enough for a runaway show, so he opts for singing instead.

You decide to help him with the music production and practice on the guitar, although he insisted on keeping the lyrics a secret from you.

You don't notice the subtle glances he gives you, and the way the mood of his performance lit up whenever you were around, regardless of the presence of anyone else.

To be honest, you were so wrapped up in the competition you didn't pay much attention to how he stares at you while you concentrate, the way he gravitates instantly to you, away from whatever he was doing before, whenever you step into the room.

During a certain afternoon, as you both were taking a break, Asmo glanced at you and smiled.

"Hey MC, when it's my time to perform, just keep your eyes only on me, okay?"

At was the start of his performance, the hall was swammed with lesser demons cheering for him, but his eyes were scanning the crowds for your face.

He didn't mind being the centre of attention at all, but the longing in his heart desired only your attention.

When his eyes finally met yours, he felt his heart soar, and as the strings of the guitar were strung, he finally started his serenade...

It was only after the entire performance, as you were swallowed by a waving, roaring (and crying) crowd, you realised something.

Thoughtout the entire performance, Asmo's gaze had never left yours.

You head backstage to congratulate him, and you see him seating down, panting and holding a bottle of water, the high from performing still settling in.

As you approach him, a congratulations ready, he launches himself towards you-!

"MC! How'd you like it? I wrote it with you in mind!"

Asmo is nuzzling his cheek in the crook of your neck, looking up at you again, you can see a hint of fatigue in his eyes, beads of pespiration still glistening from his forehead. His smile wide and wide eyes reflecting the white ceiling lights.

You didn't see the incoming peck until it hit you quite literally in the face. On your cheek. With his lips.

"Hmm~ Sorry, you just looked so cute, I just couldn't resist~"

Well, the way this is going, seems like the tickets are just a bonus now.

You aren't going to let him get away with that, right?

[vajigglejjaggles]

I can be both soft and hard at the same time. Just because I’ve shown you parts of me, doesn’t mean you understand the whole. I’m complex. I will hide the parts of me that I feel are too ugly to be seen. If all I’ve shown you is my soft side, it’s because I didn’t want you to see how destructive my thoughts, words, and actions can be.

But maybe I shouldn’t hide that part of myself. I do want to be loved, fully, one day. All of me, good and bad.

I love wide open spaces, forests and prairies. Anywhere in nature that makes me feel “home”.

I cry, a lot. I cry when I watch commercials about babies and animals. I cry over the state of the world. I cry over injustice. I cry when I feel genuine happiness, like a cloud hovering over me letting lose, whether happy or sad. I cry when I feel something just a little too much.

I love wild flowers, not cliche bouquets of roses. I love the smell of honeysuckle on a hot summer day because it reminds me of my childhood, before the reality of the trauma I grew up in set in.

I love horses and dogs. I love the smell of a puppies breath.

I love music, and how it makes me want to dance uninhibited, completely ignoring my lack of rhythm and balance.

I love the pain of a tattoo or piercing needle, because it helps the pain I feel inside escape without the result being an ugly scar I have to explain to whoever sees me naked next.

I love thunderstorms and standing barefoot in the rain, letting it wash away all of my intrusive thoughts.

I love riding down back roads, windows down, music drowning out my voice as I all but scream the lyrics that resonate with my soul.

I love dressing up, pretending like I’m classy and put together all of the time when in reality, I’m a chaotic mess of tangled hair in jeans and a plain tshirt.

I love my family even though I wish me were less dysfunctional & tighter knit. I envy the daughters that have good relationships with their parents and siblings.

I love to laugh. I’ve spent so many years not laughing, I will take any and every opportunity to let that hideous laugh erupt from my chest. When I’m left wheezing, gasping for air is when it’s the best.

I love fire, watching it burn wood to ash.

I love 90s R&B, country, alternative grunge, rock, indie, pop, hip hop, rap…but neo-soul will always have my heart.

I love ambient lighting, soft glows..easy on the eyes and mind.

I love driving around the city late at night, when the streets are mostly empty and I can imagine what life would’ve been like if I had left my hometown after graduation instead of following the path I found myself on.

I love love. I haven’t experienced it in two decades. Not the passionate, requited kind anyway. I love learning someone. The good, bad, and in between. The way they smell, the way they breathe when they’re at peace. How they like their breakfast, or coffee. What songs they listen to when they’re happy, sad, or in between. Their love language, so I can love them in whatever form they best receive it. Their dreams and passions, the things that make their eyes light up when they think no one is watching. All of the things that make them sad, so I can be the buffer between them & whatever it is that takes their smile from their face.

I love kissing. Passionate and full of emotion. I spent well over a decade accepting that I would only ever be kissed on the cheek - like some acquaintance. So when we agreed to divorce, I promised myself I would never indulge in anything that lacked passion and feeling ever again.

I love traveling, learning about and experiencing new cultures and ways of life.

I love talking, deep think pieces, not surface level chitchat.

I love tequila and the way it blocks all of my inhibitions.

I love twilight, fireflies, and the smell of hot pavement after a summer rainstorm.

I love books. Transporting to other worlds, feeling every emotion with the characters. The way the pages smell, the way the spine cracks when you open it. I used to read multiple novels a day, it was the most peaceful escape.

I love skating, riding horses, riding bikes, wading through a creek, watching rollie pollies, laying in green soft grass and making out shapes in the clouds.

I love showering in the dark by candlelight. It’s relaxing & intimate.

I love when someone tells me something reminds them of me.

I love my son. Some may think I’m a helicopter parent who isn’t allowing him to grow up but in reality, I’m just trying to preserve his youth and innocence for as long as I can. I’m lucky enough to have family who would do the same & make sure he is okay if anything ever happened to me. But, I don’t want him to look back at life and wish he hadn’t experienced “grown folk” issues so soon. I will support his innocence for as long as I can, because our children deserve to JUST be children while they can. I’m going to foster and feed his individuality, give him the space to figure out who he is and not who society wants him to be, defend him & protect him. It’s my job as his mother to make sure that I am not sending out another broken man into the world. He will know that emotions are healthy, be secure in who he is so that he doesn’t allow the opinions of others to influence his character or personality, and make sure that he knows how worthy he is. I cannot expect him to be good to others if I don’t show him that he should be good to himself first.

I guess I’m more than what I allow people to experience.

[hospitalterrorizer]

diary18

9/22-23/2023

listening to brainiac before bed.

i did 5 songs today but only 4 are like things i redid, i got a new short song down, exciting. have to wait a bit before i can listen to it and think about lyrics for it i think, it's fresh and i'll want to mess with the guitars too much i think.

i just spaced out listening to the guitars in 'this little piggy' i'm so fucked right now. thankfully the process of fixing everything will be over soon, hopefully, probably, and hopefully i'll fall in love with everything.

i should think about reverb a little, if the record needs it or not. i really avoid it cuz it feels cheap, not like it sounds bad, i mean i feel cheap using it cuz it used to be such a crutch for me i feel like, when i was making jungle and stuff.

thinking about cheapness, and jungle i guess, apparently people spend huge amounts of money getting synths to make "ps1 jungle" now, i didn't ever consider that. it's massively fucked up, all the music i've made i've never spent a dime on, making everything i've done super cheap, which i think is sort of cool. it's fucked up to me how people will spend huge amounts of money on equipment without ever really putting anything out with it. i just don't understand having really nice things and not really doing anything outside of putzing around with them. it's not like it would become okay if they did make anything though i guess, if someone spends 2000 dollars on a synth to imitate a sound that came from a sample pack that a japanese dude used to put a song together in a day, they are wasting their time. it's also fucked up because, at the time at least, in 2019 when i was making this stuff, it felt basically liberating to make that stuff because it let you be cheap, now it's gotten super particularized. i can't really touch breaks anymore, not because of these people who i never considered until today, but more because so much mediocre breakcore is being put out, and so many people love sewerslvt, it makes me feel dire, and i decided to just give up i guess.

i went looking for old mp3s of my jungle stuff so i might put it here or something and instead i found a bunch of other old stuff. reminded me of how much i miss having access to my cousin's audio interface for recording bass and guitar.

here's some stuff from when i was trying to do guided by voices in 2021.

these kinds of songs are so fun to make. i'd like to do it again some day. it's easy to hear how bad i am at guitar, but i really did love playing at that time. i still do, i just can't record it, i just get tabs/ ideas out and transpose them to midi, so i'm basically playing fucked up hardcore only right now. or not that fucked up. i love octave chords, and then sliding up a note so it's two notes right beside eachother. i think that's such a pretty sound.

anyways. the current state of jungle makes me sad. guitar music has always only ever made me happy, even when i was sad.

what does it mean, what does it mean.

well it's not entirely true anyways. some guitar music blows and it pisses me off like all the sewerslvt adherents. some electronic music has only ever made me happy. i love everything at the end of the day and it makes me sick i guess.

it's 6 am! i spent all this time reminiscing about my old music, but i have new music, i have to keep its heart alive too. i want to keep every heart i ever found alive. i'm an awful doctor!!

okay anyways #byebye!!

[sarangbe]

everyone who knows sarang will tell you that he gets bored easily. some would say even too easily. he's a person who needs a lot of stimulation, a lot of action. one could argue that filming for next gen season two should be enough for him to be remain comfortable, but that's sadly not the case for him. this isn't the type of stimuli that satiates him. if anything, showing up to set each day has become painstakingly dull; humdrum monotony that he's getting tired of, even if there are more missions ahead of him to look forward to.

speaking of which, he's thankful to not be competing this year, but he sometimes wonders if he'd find being a competitor more thrilling. the stakes would be higher, at least. as a coach, his job is easier, to a degree. sarang was feeling immense pressure to be perfect before, and the realization of how dumb it was to pile so much unnecessary weight on his shoulders has freed him from those constraints. while he couldn't be more thankful for that, the stress he once felt has been replaced with devastating ennui, and he doesn't know if that's better or worse.

so far today, sarang's spent most of his hours overseeing the others as they practice, and for the better part of the last thirty minutes, his rosy gaze has been fixated on one of his teammates, song jaeyoung, or jay, as he prefers to be called. now, others may notice how long sarang's been staring at him and think that he's only being highly analytical of jay—capturing each lyric jay raps so he could provide necessary feedback—but they're technically wrong.

is he being analytical? sure—in a way he is, but it's not in the way an onlooker would assume. instead, he's merely appreciating how beautiful the other man is. there's something so delicate, and so symmetrical, about his facial features. his body line is just as impressive, too. while he's been rapping, sarang's been admiring the shape of his lips; watching them move and curl around each syllable he spits. however, when jay opens the door for sarang to give him criticism, the younger of them is thrown off-guard; blushing slightly as if he's been caught redhanded doing something bad.

"i'm sorry," he begins, voice a delicate, flirtatious lilt even if he's only uttered three syllables so far. "i guess i've just been a little distracted by how handsome you are..." the instant the words leave his mouth, he grins; his vulpine eyes curling upward to look even more mischievous. "so, i guess the answer to your question is yes—i have been having fun just watching you." with that, he winks, emphasizing his playfulness. "the truth is, i can't rap well, so i'm unsure if i should even be giving you advice. however, what i can say is that, with rapping, i find that it's all about attitude, and the message."

that's what he's heard anyway, and he decides to elaborate. "the song is about not wanting to get back with an ex-lover after they didn't appreciate you, or wronged you. they keep calling you, but you want them to stop. personally, knowing your rap style, i think you could do a lot with your parts. have you ever experienced something like the song is conveying before?"

soft.

he doesn't know what to make of @sarangbe, truthfully.

that's not necessarily a bad thing, in jay's opinion. he certainly didn't mean it in a manner that's negative. after the criticism and feedback dished out to him, and how they seem to dislike the way he goes about things in general; jay expected to be paired up with someone a lot more strict. hard and tight in all the wrong places, basically. a sucker for rules, someone who refuses to let loose and would force jay's head in the game. not in the fun way, though.

but that isn't exactly how sarang turned out to be. in fact, sarang can probably be described as the complete opposite of that. sarang is… soft, gentle. not the most coach material, not that jay would say that out loud. then again, sarang basically won the last season of next gen, so jay clearly doesn't know what he's talking about. either way, there's something to learn from sarang. he just… doesn't know what yet.

the other boy had been encouraging, though. which is another thing jay hadn't expected, because he thought he'd be hearing another onslaught of critical comments up until their performance. but even after jay had been practicing and rehearsing his lines in front of sarang, spitting his verses out like they're fire on his tongue, sarang had nothing bad to say.

"i can take your criticism, you know." jay informs, throat rather dry after repeating his lines over and over in an attempt to get it perfect. "i don't need any sugarcoating either," he adds. "surely there's something off you wanted to point out this whole time you've been watching and listening to me."

he turns to sarang, eyebrow raised. "or what, are you just having fun watching me?" he says in jest, not forgetting to add in the sarcasm to his tone.

[hwa-whiskers]

Hii, can i request ateez as boyfriends headcanon? 🥺💘

Ayo, For Sure!😎 Gaja~~~~~ (There was two requests for Boyfriend Headcanon Ateez so hope y’all like it!)

Hongjoong

• Shy, but caring and an understanding boyfriend

•He loves his career and so he’ll support any type of dream that your passionate towards

•Your Number 1 Fan!

•He gets shy whenever he talks about his feelings, but the lyrics he writes for you in his songs explains everything

• “That’s such a beautiful song!” You praised him as he smiles cutely.

• “Of course, it was because of you.” His cheeks would slightly get pink as you kissed his cheeks.

•You two are a bickering couple, but only to tease and make fun of each other

• “Joong! That’s my food!” You took it from him as he had already slurped the entire thing.

• “Kim Hongjoong!” You chased after him as he runs around laughing like the cute man he is.

• When it comes to kisses, he’d get very sincere and always put his entire feelings into it.

•LOVES to play with your hair when he kisses your lips

•Always smiles into the kiss because you’re his happiness

Seonghwa

•Very sincere, gentle and sweet type of love

•He cares and always thinks about your feelings first before his own

•Hwa would remember all your dates and anniversaries because he’s a very organized man

•He’d keep planners and plan dates with you all the time (sometimes even surprise events!)

•loves to show you off and flex! 🤘😎🤘

•Treats you like a Princess

•Always worried about you

•”Are you sure it didn’t hurt?” He’d ask after you slipped over nothing.

•”Yeah, it’s fine!” You nodded as he found a small bruise that’s the size of a penny on your knee.

• *Worried and Protective Gasp*

• He’d stop everything and put his entire focus on you because you’re his baby

• “Seonghwa, I’m really fine!” You reassured him as he keeps a close watch on you the entire time.

•Kiss you with passion and happiness

•You’re the only thing that matters to him

•He’d love the little things you two do together

• Seonghwa loves to cuddle and feel your body warmth against his the most.

Yunho

•Exciting and bubbly type of love!

•The biggest smile appears on his face whenever he sees you

•Towers over you and tackles you with hugs when you’re finally alone

•Always makes sure your comfortable and safe

•Likes to smell your perfume/fragrance you’ve used on your body

•LOVES to keep your tiny hands in his huge ass hands the entire time you spend with him

•His eyes are always sparkling when he looks at you

• “Yunho….my hands are sweaty.” You’d try moving your hand from his as he simply let you go.

• Yunho would then immediately move to the other side and held your other hand, quickly intertwining them.

• “Y-Yunho!” You’d scold him, but he would only tilt his head smile at you like a puppy.

•Kisses with him are adventurous and exciting.

•Yunho would love to hold you up on his lap and kiss you or place you on the counter

•He’s very unique when it comes to kisses

Yeosang

•Super Shy! But easily jealous and then becomes a whole ass savage you everyone around him.

•Because he’s in a bad mood, everybody would feel it.

•”Wooyoung! That’s so cute!” You praised Woo’s artistic food he had made for his mom but Yeosang got jealous since you spent the whole day helping Woo instead.

•”Yeah, it’ll be cute when it’s in the trash.” He’d whisper, but clearly heard him.

•You’d give him a disapproving look, but he’d shrug and continue to roast everyone in the moment till you take him away and give him attention.

•Very Pure and naive when it comes to your feelings sometimes since it’s his first time.

• “I don’t get why Y/n’s mad-“

• “Oh! So what if Y/n asked you to sit down and wait, whereas you later find them entertaining someone else?” Joong explains as Yeosang’s eyes lit up.

•Goes to your place with flowers, chocolates, teddy bears

•In conclusion, Yeosang is such a cute and innocent type of boyfriend who gets jealous but he won’t admit it.

•Kisses are very light and mostly pecks on the lips

• you’d complain to him that you want a longer kiss and his ears would get red as his eyes turned huge

• “H-huh?” He’d be caught off guard as you smiled at him

• “Just kidding. You don’t have-“

•Actually kisses you passionately and sensually as his hands played with your hair

• “Y-yeosang….” You covered your red face as he covered his ears.

• “Again?” You asked as he run through his hair, getting ready for the second kiss

San

•Soft, Warm, Bright and puppy love

•Cares about you the most! He’d make sure you’re always comfortable!

•Loves to give you head pats to comfort or reward you.

•Fanboys over everything you do.

•Very expressive about his love for you and keep his hands on you most of the time

•Kisses are very often! He never wants to let you go.

•”San, I need to use the restroom!” You scolded him as his hands tightened against your waist.

• “Stay with me…” He’d pout and you’d give in to him. He was just too adorable to resist.

•Gets moody because he wants your entire attention all the time.

• “San, what’d you say?” You scratched your head and continued to read your book.

• “Hmph. Nevermind.” He’d pull away from you as his eyes looked away from yours.

• “Ohhh….I’m sorry!” You put the book away as he still had his back towards you.

• “Look I’m putting it away right now!” You threw the book aside as he immediately turned around.

• “I-I’m still mad.�� The cute smile on the corner of his lips crept up slowly as you tickled him.

• He was your ball of sunshine.

Mingi

•Loves it when you treat him like a baby

•Cuz he IS a baby!

• “Is my Mingi hungry?” You’d ask as smirked at the nickname.

• “Yes!” He’d reluctantly play along because he gets butterflies in his stomach whenever you do this.

•Is a shy baby but he wants the best for you

•Always thinking about what you’d like or dislike

•Super big on Cuddles!

•Loves to crush onto you and place kisses all over your face

•Always giggling like a cute fool for you

•Kisses are playful and light

• “Mingi! I can’t reach your lips if you’re on top of the counter!”

• “That’s the point. You’d have to reach me for the kiss Y/n!” He’d giggle cutely at his attempt as you frowned.

• An idea came to your head as you faked a gasp.

• “W-What!?” Mingi asked looking around terrified.

• “Spider-“

• “Ahh!” He’d scream like a kid and cling onto your body.

• You’d take the chance to kiss him. “I got you!”

• *Tries to prank and get you back for the entire day*

Wooyoung

•Flirty! He’d always send you winks or lick his lips sexily to tease you in public whenever you two make eye contact

•You’d give him a confused look and he loves it.

•Laughs like a maniac cuz he thinks you’re cute

•Steals glances at you whenever you’re busy doing work/school related stuff

•He’d miss you and want you, so he’d slip his way in and annoy you

•He’ll back hug you and starts smelling you, placing small pecks on your neck

•You’d get ticklish and squirm in his embrace

• “You want more?” He’d whisper in your ears teasingly as you pushed him away.

• “Just you wait till I finish this work!” You’d fight back as he giggled.

• “I’ll be waiting.” He’d bite his lips as you then beg for a quick kiss

• “No kisses for you!” Wooyoung teases as you chased after him.

• “Yah! That’s unfair!” You yelled as he just smirked.

•Gets aggressive sometimes when he wants cuddles

•For example: You’d be washing the dishes and he’ll just aggressively place you on the counter to kiss you.

• “Woo!” You’d hit him on the chest but you craved for his kisses as well.

•He’s a whole new level of adventure when it comes to boyfriend Wooyoung!

Jongho

•A bit conservative but he still cares about you very much

•He just struggles to to show it

•He’d do little things like leaving food that he “didn’t want to eat” for you to eat

•But in reality, those are the food he specifically had chosen just for you

•He’d get shy easily whenever you get a bit more touchy or confident in giving him affection

•Smiles cutely with his gum showing as he eyes turned into round crescents that warms up your heart

•Loves hugs! But he’ll never admit it

•Kisses are very rare, but you know he sincerely means it whenever you two kiss

• “I miss you so much!” You’d say after not seeing him for two whole months

•Immediately pulls you in for a long passionate kiss as he holds you tightly

• “W-woah…” You’d be the one who gets shy and blush at him.

• “You really missed me that much?” You’d tease as he looks away cutely.

• *Squished his cute cheeks*

• “Y/n! Stop it!” He’d protest as you kissed him.

• He lowkey loves it thoe

[highqueenofelfhame]

the first red light - part one

hello babies! here is a little new shenanigan i've been working on. initially, it was going to be a one shot but i feel like a multi-parter fits it. this will at most be like four parts, i think. either way, i hope you enjoy!

rowaelin // 2.4k words // masterlist // ko-fi

May

For reasons unbeknownst to him, Rowan Whitethorn had been watching Aelin Galathynius all night.

They had never been very close; all of their hangouts included their entire friend group. The two had never been alone for more than a handful of minutes, and their conversations usually leaned more toward bickering than anything else. They did, however, have a tendency to meet each other’s eyes across the table when someone said something particularly stupid, resulting in the two of them hiding secret smiles into their cocktails or behind their hands. It was one end or the other with them: vague annoyance by the other’s presence or secret jokes meant only for them. 

Aelin had been a wildfire when they first met. The energy she radiated seemed to glow and was contagious to everyone in her vicinity. Even if you didn’t like Aelin Galathynius, you couldn’t deny the pull toward her. Rowan could speak on this from personal experience. In the beginning, he had found her boisterous personality irritating, yet he would find himself stifling laughter at her jokes or watching her dance from across the room. 

It didn’t matter if she wanted it; the woman was almost always the center of attention. It was always Aelin dancing on the bar and pulling Lysandra up next to her or Aelin smothering Elide in New Year’s Eve kisses the year Manon didn’t make it home. Everyone had pictures of and with Aelin crowding their camera rolls, and in most of them, she was dead center with something wicked in her smile and embers crackling in her eyes. 

Lately, however, she had fallen into the edges of the group. Rowan wasn’t sure how everyone else failed to notice how she had withdrawn into herself, how she was no longer screaming the lyrics to Don’t Stop Me Now while twirling on the bar, inches away from falling into a heap on the floor. These days she was too damn quiet, and it bothered Rowan more than it should have. 

Being her twenty-fifth birthday, he had expected her to be difficult to tame all night. Last year she drone on and on about how over the top she would be on this day. He distinctly remembered her and Lysandra scrolling through various clothing sites once they were too drunk to dance anymore, loudly declaring “That’s the one!” more than once.

On his way to their favorite bar, he had been turning over images of Chaol or Aedion carrying her to the car, thrown over a shoulder while she giggled wildly one minute and complained about the stars spinning the next. That was exactly how last year had ended, everyone cheering when Chaol drove out of the parking lot with the golden blonde blowing kisses from the passenger seat.

Tonight she had a hot pink banner declaring her the birthday queen draped around her torso. Instead of being in her usual get-up of an ostentatious sequin mini dress and six-inch heels, she wore ripped jeans and a white blouse with wing-like sleeves. It wasn’t even too deeply cut; hardly any cleavage could be seen. Not that Rowan was looking– last year’s dress had her chest on such display that he had only been able to say “Wow.” Aelin had winked, shimmying her shoulders, and said, “I’ve got it, so I’ll flaunt it.” And then she was sashaying through the crowd to reach the bar, her entire back exposed. Rowan had spent too much time performing the mental gymnastics to figure out how a dress could stay on her body when it was made of so little fabric. 

It was beyond him how nobody else had picked up on this shift in demeanor. Or maybe they had and were ignoring it until it became an issue large enough for an intervention of sorts. Everyone was allowed bad days, after all. Maybe it was just a bad day. 

Her dazzling blue and gold eyes were focused on the ring on her left hand, her thumb moving back and forth over the white gold band. The single stone glittered as she wiggled it about. It looked like she was nearing a frown, but was holding it back. Everyone was a few drinks deep, Rowan himself on his third beer, but Aelin had been nursing the same cocktail from an hour ago. The ice was almost completely melted down, and she grimaced with each little sip, lips pursing around the little black straw. When he glanced back up at her eyes, they were on him. They were slightly narrowed, and her brow was furrowed, silently asking him what the fuck he was doing staring at her. 

Rowan merely shrugged, bringing his glass to his lips and taking a sip as he leaned back in his chair to survey the crowd. Most of the girls were dancing, save Lysandra, who was perched at Aelin’s side. Aedion was kicking everyone’s ass at darts, save for Lorcan, who wiped the floor on a nightly basis. Nobody has ever beat him except Aelin, but she claimed it wasn’t her cup of tea. Rowan knew it was probably because of the satisfaction of beating him one single time, never giving him a chance at a rematch, and it drove the dark man absolutely insane. 

With one last glance at the birthday girl, Rowan left the table and approached his friends to, hopefully, give Lorcan a run for his money. He was feeling lucky, but that could have been the whiskey talking. The neon lights shone down on them, bathing them in hues of white, blue, red, and green. A single warm light was pointed directly at the dart board, making it easier to find the mark. For the first time in a while, Rowan managed to beat Lorcan in the first round, which led to the brute demanding more, more, more. 

The hours passed as quickly as the darts they threw, surprising him when he checked his phone and saw it was nearing four a.m. The sun would soon be cresting over the eastern skyline again. Still, the parking lot was completely dark except for the single shoddy light that flickered in the corner. Rowan’s buzz had faded, but as he neared the table, he realized that Aelin’s had not. At some point, she had taken to drinking again, several cups in various shapes and sizes littering the table. Her golden hair was splayed across it, probably soaking up bits of alcohol and food crumbs. The thought made Rowan frown, an expression Aelin returned without lifting her head from where it lay. 

“My legs don’t work,” she informed him, words slurring together beneath a heavy sigh. A dark red fingernail swirled invisible pictures over the wood, occasionally catching a bit of condensation from a glass to leave a swirling path behind. 

“At all?”

“Barely,” she grumbled, propping a squished cheek on her fist. As much as he hated to admit it, she looked adorable. And nothing like her usual drunk self. 

Rowan couldn’t help but notice that Chaol wasn't anywhere to be seen. He had been on Aelin duty for the last several years when everyone got too drunk. Now was about the time he was usually wrangling her into the front seat of the car, tucking her feet in before closing the door while she tried to yell out the window. 

“Where’s–”

“Never showed up.” Aelin huffed, a tuft of her hair blowing up and out. She sat up and propped her chin in her hand. The gesture made her cheek squish and her lips pout out. Golden strands of her were messy around her face.  Her eyes dimmed as she eyed the table, tapping a fingernail against the rough surface. “Can you just take me home?”

“Do you want to say goodnight to everyone?”

“I’m just tired,” she said, grabbing her purse and shoving her phone into it without a second glance. “I’ll send Aedion a text.” 

“I– yeah. Okay. I’ll take you home.”

Aelin struggled to stand, her feet wobbling and her knees locking up. Rowan swooped in with an arm around her waist, her’s immediately falling around his neck. Her fingers tangled into the air at the nape of his neck for a brief moment. The fingernails against his skin sent goosebumps all over his body, a shiver running up and down his spine. 

Nobody seemed to notice as they left, slipping out the door as the bartender shouted for last call. Several groans chased them out of the building before the early morning silence encased them completely. The only sounds to be heard were bugs chirping in the woods surrounding the bar and a random car speeding down the street. Rowan rolled his eyes while he helped her to his car, opening his Jeep door and helping her inside. He took care with her head, covering it with his hand while he nudged her in and buckled her seatbelt. Aelin gave him a forced half-smile, slouched down a bit in the chair and rested her head back against the seat. 

By the time he got to the other side and started the car, her eyes were closed. Even the closing of his door, the starting of the engine, nor the music flowing through the speakers almost too loud roused her. Rowan reached over and shook her knee a bit to get her attention, but her head just rolled the other way and she sighed. This girl that was merely an acquaintance on a good day was snoozing in his passenger seat, and he had no fucking idea where she lived.

Despite knowing that she would kick his ass for it, he felt bad for her. There had been such a heavy sadness in her eyes when he found her at the table. He hadn’t ever seen her like that. Of all the people in the world to be sad on their birthday, Aelin Galathynius didn’t even make the list. Yet tonight she hadn’t been dancing, hadn’t been singing the songs at the top of her lungs, and hadn’t been the usual cheery drunk he knew her to be. Instead, Aelin had been a shell of herself.

Rowan was still contemplating if anyone had noticed or if they were choosing to ignore it. Maybe they had all been threatened by the blonde to carry on as usual. It was the only thing that made sense. The only other person Rowan really noticed watching Aelin, from a distance so she wouldn’t yell at him most likely, was Aedion. Everyone else seemed too lost in their alcohol induced haze, partying like they did on every other occasion. Surely they’d all noticed that Aelin wasn’t spinning in circles with them, her bright laughter carrying over the music. 

Sighing, he turned out onto the street and began to drive. He didn’t know where he was going, just up and down the familiar streets of the city he had lived in his entire adult life. Before pulling out of the parking lot he’d shot off a few texts to their friends. No one had responded with her address yet. It wouldn’t surprise him if their phones were dead from all the pictures they’d taken into the wee hours of the morning. He fully expected to see his instagram littered with party posts, yet doubted he would see Aelin front and center in any of them.

As tired as his eyes were, he kept driving. Left at the green light, right at the red. It had rained at sojme point in the night and his tires slicing through the damp street was the only sound after he muted the radio. He slipped between lanes and a handful of straggler cars either on an early commute or heading home from a late night. Yellow lights winked at him in areas he needed to slow down and watch for pedestrians. There weren’t any, but he yielded all the same.  Driving with Aelin asleep in the passenger seat was the most careful he had driven in a long time. 

It must have been over an hour before the sun began to rise while he drove east. Dusty blue hues changed to golden light and he turned around to drive the other direction, desperate to get the sun out of her eyes, but it was too late. With a heavy inhale, Aelin brought her hands to her eyes to rub the sleep away. She looked over at Rowan and gave a sheepish smile, one that told him she was definitely still drunk and insanely tired. 

“Where are we?”

“I know you live downtown, but I didn’t know where. So I’ve just… been driving until you woke up.”

“Why didn’t you just wake me?” There was amusement and a tinge of laughter in her sleepy voice. He wasn’t sure why but it soothed something inside of him, like maybe she was still in there after all. 

“I tried. No dice, clearly.”

“You’re actually not too far. Take a right up here. It’s the Staghorn building on the left.” Now that she said it, something flicked in his memory about his friends mentioning she lived there. Rowan had never been to her place, though. 

They were, in fact, just around the corner. It took three minutes to pull up in front of her massive apartment building. Aelin took a moment to gather her purse off the floor, sifting through it to make sure she had everything. Then, when she looked over at him, she grinned widely. It was so blindingly beautiful that he almost looked away, but couldn’t. That was the golden thing about Aelin. 

“I’ve never been able to handle beer. That’s why I stick to mixed drinks. Beer makes me such a sad drunk,” she laughed, smile no longer reaching her eyes. He wondered if she knew that he wasn’t buying it. Most likely not. Aelin was a chameleon, extremely good at showing people what they wanted to see. But Rowan also knew that Aelin hadn’t had a single beer all night. Instead of pointing it out, he smiled softly at her and nodded. As she opened the door she paused, looking at him over her shoulder and said, “Thank you for this. Next one’s on me.”

And before he could say anything else, she was slipping out of the seat and shutting the door behind her. His car idled softly while he made sure she got inside the front doors okay, the doorman smiling and greeting her like they were old friends. Aelin dug through her purse for her keys as she crossed the threshold, grasping the correct one like it was her lifeline. 

Rowan didn’t miss that once she was inside, she paused, shoulders sagging like her mask slipped off and she carried the weight of the world.

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[desiredmalfoy]

You’re Pretty! (D.M. x Reader)

Pairing: Draco Malfoy x Reader

Word Count: 1.3K

Genre: Pure fluff that is meant to be light hearted. Enjoy!

Summary: Draco can’t stop calling his girlfriend pretty.

Warnings: Some very mild bad language. Very small, you’ll probably miss it. Medical inaccuracies, sorry I am not an expert.

Universe: No Voldy :)

{Draco Masterlist} { Main Masterlist }

(Credit to gif owner)

Things were going well for you today. You had woken up early, they served your favorite breakfast and you had even received amazing marks in your classes today. You had also spent some of your time with your boyfriend Draco before he had to go to quidditch practice. It was one of those ideal days you loved.

You were currently sitting on the couch of the common room catching up on a book series you have been meaning to read. You grabbed a piece of chocolate and popped it in your mouth. Your peace and quiet were soon interrupted by an out of breath Theo. He ran into the common room still dressed in his quidditch uniform and broom in hand. If he didn’t look so serious, you would laugh at his current state. You lifted your eyes slightly from your book, enough to notice him making his way to you.

It seems things were going too well for you today. 

“(Y/N)…yo-you need to go to the i-infirmary.” He attempted to catch his breath. “Draco’s in there.”

“What happened to Draco?” You lifted yourself off the couch quickly and stood up. The book left idly now on the floor. 

“There was an accident on the quidditch field.” You were now following out of the common room and up the stairs out of the dungeon. 

You tried your best to keep up with him as he was basically running down the halls. “Explain Theo!”

“So Crabbe was eating this snack right? It was really greas-”

“Nott, I don’t give a damn what Crabbe was eating.”

“There is a point to this! Well, he went straight to grab his bat because you know he plays beater position. Right, so the grease caused it to slip and it hit Draco in the head!”

“You’re telling me he got hit in the head?!” The two of you had finally made it to the infirmary and were now standing outside of it. 

“Yes! You should have seen it (y/n)! It was such a bloody freak accident!”

You ignored that last part and instead pushed the doors open. There were only a handful of students in there so finding your boyfriend wouldn’t be hard. You spotted a familiar blond head towards the back of the infirmary. You rushed to his side where Madam Pomfrey was tending to his injury. 

“Ah! Miss (y/l/n)! I suppose you’re here to see Mister Malfoy?” You had stopped in your track once she had turned her attention to you. You carefully made your way to the chair next to his bed. 

You grabbed his hand and took it in yours, giving it a light squeeze. “Will he be alright?”

“Yes, dear. Received a big bruise to the head but I’ve already healed that. He has a concussion, poor thing was out of it before you arrived. But he’ll be okay.” She gave you a reassuring smile in an attempt to calm your nerves and the turmoil that was occurring in your head. 

You sat next to Draco in silence waiting for him to wake up once again. Minutes turned into an hour quickly and you were starting to doze off yourself when you heard grunting coming from beside you. 

“Draco, are you alright? Do you need anything? I can get Madam Pomfrey if you would like?” You were quickly by his side as he started to gain consciousness. 

“What’s going on? Who are you? And why does my head hurt so much?” He winced as his hand touched the top of his head where the injury occurred. You quickly grabbed his hand and kept it away. 

“Who do you think I am?” You asked him curious as to what he would respond.

“A really pretty stranger.” His voice came out sounding a bit groggy since he had just woken up.

“I’m your girlfriend Draco.” You explained giggling at the situation beforehand. “And you had an accident.”

“Girlfriend? Wow, you’re so pretty!” There was a hint of awe in his voice as he stared up at you. “I’m really lucky.”

“Let me go get Madam Pomfrey so she can make sure you’re okay.” You left to find her and come see him. She did another evaluation of him and came to the conclusion that he was fine. The hit to the head must have caused him to be confused but he was not suffering from amnesia. You sighed a breath of relief. She instead gave him a potion to help with the pain.

“So you’re really my girlfriend?” Draco questioned you once again as soon as Madam Pomfrey left his side once again. You took a seat in the corner of his bed and held his hand. “How long have we been dating?”

“Since fifth year when you finally got the courage to ask me out.” You joked with him. “Two years now.”

“Can’t blame me. You’re so pretty, anyone would be nervous to ask you.” A blush spread across your face at this. 

“I can’t believe I got so lucky. You’re the prettiest girl I’ve ever seen.” His voice had started to become softer as he started to feel sleepy. The potion given to him for pain finally started to have an effect on him. “Will you be here when I wake up?”

“I’ll be here again in the morning. They won’t let me stay the night. I’ll bring you breakfast okay?”

“Okay, I love you (y/n).”

“I love you too Dray.”

——

You had been right, the night before shortly after you were sent back to your dorm with the promise you could see your boyfriend in the morning. You unwillingly left his side and headed back to your dorm. 

It was now breakfast time and you had only come to get a plate for you and Draco. You rushed to your usual stop where all your friends sat. You quickly greeted them and started to look for foods you knew Draco liked. 

“How’s Draco doing?” Pansy asked you. 

“Last night I saw that I saw him, he was out of it. But he’s doing better. I’m going to go see him now and see how he's doing.” 

“Let us know how he’s doing okay?” Blaise spoke up and gave you one of his rare smiles. No matter the tough exterior, you knew he was worried about his best friend. 

“I will don’t worry.” You grabbed the plates and made your way out of the great hall. Moving against the crowd of students still coming for breakfast. 

You quickly arrived and opened the door that led to your boyfriend. You could see from here that he was already up and much better. He saw you coming his way and his eyes lit up as soon as they saw you. 

“Hey babe, you’re finally here to see me.” He said as you put the two plates of food on his bedside table. He pulled you into his side and gave you a kiss.

“You don’t remember I was here yesterday.” You pulled away laughing a bit in amusement. 

“Not at all. Yesterday was blurry. All I remember was being on the quidditch pitch and next thing I’m here.”

“Oh? So you don’t remember calling me the prettiest girl ever? Or forgetting I was your girlfriend?” You kissed the side of his temple gently.

“Can you blame me? Any bloke who would have just woken up not remembering anything would think the same about you. Because you are darling.” It was his turn to place a kiss on your blushing cheeks. 

“Well, you were definitely shocked I would date you.” You laughed recalling the events of the previous night. 

He laughed along with you as you told him what had happened the night before. “It’s a good thing I only said true things last night.”

“Now let’s eat so I can leave this place. I have to go see Crabbe.”

“Here you go”, you placed the plate of all his favorites in front of him. Having just a pinch of pity on Crabbe but not really seeing as your boyfriend was injured because of him.

“Hey, Draco?”

“Yes, love?”

“You promised me last night we could do whatever I wanted this weekend?”

“I don’t remember.”

“I do and you promised.”

“Only because I love you I’ll take your word for it.”

He in fact did not say that last night but he didn’t have to know that.

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[mayumiiyuu]

hi hi!

for the song fics, i'm thinking of the song 'don't dream it's over' by crowded house, specifically the lyric 'there is freedom within, there is freedom without' in relation to leaving high school and the facade one builds during those years.

thinking of relating to a conversation steve has with reader (who is his partner) (who is still in high school, their final year) and steve is reassuring them that there is so much more to life outside of high school and that they don't need to worry so much about the future because he's gonna be there, by their side 🥺😫

just fluffy and cute and sweet omg, maybe with a little forehead kiss 😭

s. harrington || don't dream it's over

A/N: omg this was so cute :'D hope u like it!

Here you were, barely even two weeks in until your graduation, then summer, then college, and you were already a ball of nerves. Everything seemed to happen so fast, where had all the time gone?

Memories of elementary and middle school passed through your mind in a blur, settling on your days throughout high school.

You remembered how you spent all night choosing the right outfit in order to make a good impression, something that said 'I'm mature now since I'm in high school, but I'm still really cool'. You recall the initial nervousness you felt deep within the pit of your stomach as you first walked through the hallways, all skittish and worried about how your hair looked or if people were going to like you.

Nostalgia hits you like a speeding truck as you recount the nights you spent over at your friends' houses, giggling as you played truth or dare and gossiped about your crushes. Back then you used to wonder if you'd even be lucky enough to have a boyfriend.

Now all you wanted to do was travel back in time and slap yourself silly for ever being so caught up in yourself that you'd even doubt your own self worth based on if a boy (of all people) would like you.

'Don't date that one dude from your science class, give a mediocre dude special attention and suddenly he'll think he's a hotshot' is what you'd advise your past self, to save you from all that humiliation and heartbreak.

You'd have to tell your past self to do, however, actually give this one popular guy a chance instead of making it hard for him to ask you out because you thought he was an asshole, he would turn out to be one of the best people you could ever meet, and well,

love.

"Okay, I'm gonna be fully honest with you and just come out and tell you that I have no idea what any of this means." Steve says, defeat in his tone as he looked over the notes you had lent to him.

You roll your eyes at him, nudging his arm with your elbow.

"C'mon, Harrington, thought you wanted to make it through life with a High School diploma at the very least." You snickered.

"Ha ha," Steve responds sarcastically before leaning in to give you a peck on the lips. "Maybe my mind isn't processing anything because my study buddy's so distractingly cute."

You scoff, poking him on the cheek. "Not my fault you got with me for my looks."

"And your personality, your heart, your passions, and your amazing little brain!" He adds, taking your hand to kiss your knuckles.

You attempt to give him a stern look despite the butterflies that were currently attacking your stomach.

"Okay, okay, in all seriousness, Steve, we need to get back to reviewing if we want even a shot at passing the final."

Steve only responded with a grown as he slumped on your desk. "Maybe it won't be too bad of me to hang back for bit, High School wasn't that bad."

You smack him lightly on the head with your notebook, to which he responds to with an overdramatic 'ow'.

"Don't joke around with me like that, Harrington. You promised me we'd be attending college together."

Steve buries his face in his hands. "Or I could just.. not go through school all over again." He mutters, loud enough for you to hear.

You let out a breath of frustration and cocked your head at him, running your tongue along your teeth. Was he being serious, or was this just his senioritis kicking in? You bumped his shoulder with yours.

"Okay, how about we take a 15 minute break, hmm? That sound good to you?"

Steve's head jolted up, a grin on his lips as he faced you.

"Wanna go for a drive?"

...

As you and Steve drove through the town of Hawkins, Indiana, you couldn't help but be struck with a certain sense of sentimentality as your mind goes through all your memories in the small town you grew up in.

While you passed by the park, you remembered how you used to climb the monkey bars and run circles around all the kids who tried to catch you as you played tag. Driving by a street downtown you happened to pass by the diner you and Steve had your first date at, recounting the flutter of your heart as he greeted you with a bouquet of flowers in his hand; he didn't have the time to go buy an actual bouquet, so he made do by picking flowers from his mother's own garden, which resulted in him being scolded, but he didn't care, to him, it was worth it as he saw the smile on your face.

As your mind wanders, you can't help but feel a heaviness in your heart. Reminiscing about this town, how despite all its complications and faults, was still your home, your safety net. It was as if your life had just passed you in one stressful, surreal blur. Now you were set to graduate, to leave home and be suddenly thrusted into the world of adulthood. It was time for you to say goodbye to childhood, to immature teenage impulses and the child-like wonder in how you used to view the world.

You blink as you feel your eyes prick with tears. Before they could fall, you swiftly wipe them away.

Steve glances in your direction, immediately knowing something was wrong.

"Hey hey hey, you okay, babe?" He says, reaching out to hold your hand.

You shake your head, chuckling to yourself as you rubbed your eyes. "It's silly."

"Nothing's silly if it's making my (y/n) cry." He assures, voice filled with concern as he pulls up by the park you two happened to share your first kiss at.

As you catch sight of the benches and tree lined pathways, all the tears you had been holding suddenly start to fall.

Steve is quick to wrap an arm around you, brushing your hair out of your face as he rubbed your back soothingly, whispering comforting words into your ears.

You take a deep breath in an attempt to calm yourself.

"You ready to talk now, love?" Steve asks, brushing his thumb over your cheek.

"It's just," you start, taking in another breath before letting out a sigh. "I just feel like everything's going by so quickly, I mean, last time I checked we were just dumb teens doing whatever the hell we wanted just for the fun of it but, but now we're graduating, Steve." You lock your eyes with his.

"And, I don't know, it's like, poof! We're adults now, here are all your responsibilities, say bye bye to your childhood now!" You gesture animatedly as you let your words ooze with sarcasm.

Steve chuckled lightly at your words. "Well, that's the way the world works, honey, we're kids, we do stupid things and we learn our lessons, then boom, we're adults. I understand that it's a little scary, but I know that you," He cups both your cheeks with one hand, squeezing them together gently, causing your lips to pout like fish, to which you furrowed your brows at. "Are the most capable person I know, and you've got whatever it is life wants to throw at you." He gives your cheeks one last squeeze before kissing your cheek.

"I guess, but I can't help but think about how much I'm going to miss this place." You say, voice barely above a whisper. "We've spent our entire lives here, this place is our comfort zone, now we're just expected to leave it just like that?"

"I get what you mean," He tucks a stray hair behind your ear. "But y'know what they say, you gotta get out of your comfort zone every once in a while."

You roll your eyes playfully, scoffing at his 'sage advice' that you swore you saw on a bulletin board in your middle school classroom. "Thanks for the advice."

He snickers, running a hand through his hair before holding his hands up. "No but seriously, the world is so much bigger than you think, and I get that Hawkins means a lot to you, it's your home, but as they say: home is where the heart is. Home can be a place or a person, so long as you feel safe and loved--that, that right there is home."

You look at him with nothing but absolute, unconditional love in your eyes, intertwining your hands with his. He gives your hand a little squeeze before kissing your knuckles.

"Everything's going to be okay, okay?" He says in between kisses as he kisses up your arm like they did in cartoons.

You giggle when he reaches your shoulders, then your neck.

"Okay."

"You've got nothing to worry about," He kisses you on your right cheek. "Especially when you know you've always got me beside you." He kisses you on your left.

"Forever and ever, babe," He kisses your forehead. "And a little more after that."

He tilts your chin towards him with his thumb and forefinger before kissing you on your lips, and you can't help but smile into the kiss, fully reassured.

Because through thick and thin, through demogorgons and demonic dust clouds, through college life and adulthood, you had your Steve, and he had you.